《My Civil Servant Life Reborn in the Strange World》


 Intro. A Bedtime Fairy Tale

    My elder sister opened the fairy tale book and started reciting.


    Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, the demon king invaded the world. He started his conquest of the world with his formidable powers, eradicating five countries from the map and slaughtering tens of millions of people. Beginning from the north, the Demonic Army moved south and eventually reached the Empire. Having been watching the demon king''s movements, the Empire finally made its move.


    The people saw millions of soldiers who acted according to the emperor''s orders and the heroes who commanded these soldiers. Through them, they saw hope. However, contrary to their hopes, the Empire''s army lost battles after battles. The sense of crisis had reached its peak. The people prayed for God to send a warrior who could fight off the demon king, but God didn''t answer their prayers.


    However, one day, the demon king who had won every single battle he fought made a huge mistake.


    What mistake was it? Hoho...


    Naturally, he had messed with our tribe, our village.

 Chapter 1: Runaway (1)

    When I was young, or to be more precise, during the childhood of my past life, my mother said to me, ¡°Safety is important. Especially if it¡¯s job safety.¡±


    I would never forget those words even after I died. Especially since I¡¯ve died once already and I still remember them.


    The reason why I couldn¡¯t forget those words was that they were the creed of my past life as well as my mother¡¯s last will. It felt ludicrous and also enraging that my mother¡¯s nagging words became her final will, but more than that, it came out as a big shock to the young me. Perhaps this was why, throughout my past life, I had lived with safety as a priority.


    I graduated from university and passed the civil services exam which was known to be a stable career. Why didn¡¯t I realize back then that we lived in a dangerous world?


    I was on my way to the convenience store for beer and snacks to celebrate my success in the examination. One strong kiss with a truck that appeared out of nowhere and I woke up as a newborn baby.


    Well, although it¡¯s quite the run-of-the-mill story, it still had me wondering if I were the main character inside a fiction. After all, such ¡®experiences¡¯ were popular tropes of novels and cartoons. When I came to my senses, I was dumbfounded but also a bit worried. In stories such as this, it was quite common for the world to be underdeveloped and based inside a medieval aristocratic society. If you were not born of royalty or nobility, it was bound to be a miserable life ¡­.


    But in the end, I found myself more worried about my sensitive butt. No, it¡¯s not a joke because my butt is really sensitive. If I do not use a bidet, it really hurts. Once, I even tried buying toilet paper that cost 1.5 times more from a supermarket, but it still hurt!


    At least wet wipes were a little bit better ¡­ Forget wet wipes, it would be a relief if I could find toilet paper in this medieval period. Perhaps it was just needless worrying, but I did not find myself having to wipe with straws like how people did in the Joseon Dynasty. Rather, with a fantastic power called magic, it was possible to recreate a bidet.


    It¡¯s such a relief even as I think about it now.


    Ah, I digressed there for a moment, but what I wanted to say was that my creed of safety from my past life continued on to my new life.


    In the beginning, after reincarnating, I thought of letting go of my past life while imagining a future filled with adventures just like the main characters in fantasy novels. But that was also something of the past.


    I will be turning 16 tomorrow. It is the age when the empire recognizes a teenager as an adult.


    As such, I firmly set my heart and headed towards the village hall where my father, the head of the village, was residing.


    -o-


    I took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the room where my father was working.


    Knock, knock!


    I heard the scary voice of my father telling me to come in after I was done knocking. I took a gulp of saliva and opened the door.


    My father was going through some documents, and had the appearance of a giant from the myths. Looking at the muscles that seemed as though they would burst through the lightly worn shirt, it felt like I was looking at the continent¡¯s tallest mountain from the back hill of the village. The shirt area near the chest seemed especially perilous as if the buttons would pop out any minute.


    ¡°Oh Den, what are you doing here?¡±


    My father flashed a bright smile as he called me by my nickname.


    Born as the youngest of three sons and two daughters, I was especially loved by my father. It was also in part because I showed him much affection which even my sisters wouldn¡¯t do often.


    I took a small breath again and opened my mouth.


    ¡°Father, I will be sixteen tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. You¡¯re already an adult now.¡±


    As if my words made him feel nostalgic, my father spoke with sentimental eyes.


    ¡°I thought you would be a kid forever, but you¡¯re an adult now. Come to think of it, your brothers also came to see me when they became adults. Hahaha.¡±


    Looking at his face full of smiles as he reminisced about the past, I felt sorry. I wasn¡¯t sure if this could continue on as a good memory.


    If I simply said, ¡®thank you for raising me all this time¡¯, it would definitely continue to be one.


    However, thinking about my eldest brother who swung an adamantium axe at my father after reaching adulthood, or my second brother who started brandishing a sword made of mithril, such filial piety did not exist.


    ¡°Haha, unlike my elder brothers, I have no intention of bringing disrespect by launching a sneak attack against you, Father.¡±


    ¡°Ho, really?¡±


    After hearing my words, my father looked at me with eyes full of expectation.


    The glint in my father''s eyes gave me goosebumps. Those were clearly the eyes of a beast looking at its prey.


    I was in trouble. It was clear that he thought I was thinking of challenging him. I suppressed the fear that I might be beaten to death by him.


    How did I end up being born into a battle race that was so crazy about fighting ¡­


    Since my childhood, I lived a life with constant worry. When I was five, they made me go catch a monster as if it were as natural as a baby taking its first step. When I was eight, they sent me after members of the demon race, remnants of monsters that the demon king left behind when he came to invade the world. And at twelve, it was to defeat a dragon which even the demon race was said to avoid.


    Thankfully, unlike novels or cartoons, these were monsters without intelligence. At this rate, it would be impossible to live with safety as the top priority in accordance with my life¡¯s guiding tenet.


    I firmly set my heart and said, ¡°Father, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    My father spoke as he gently flexed his body.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    He probably thought I was going to challenge him to a duel.


    ¡°I want to go to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can try fighting ¡­ What?!¡±


    I knew it! He thought I wanted to fight. So scary!


    ¡°Hahaha, it seems like my ears are turning deaf from age. I¡¯m hearing strange talks of going to the capital.¡±


    ¡°You heard correctly. I want to go to the capital.¡±


    My father stared at me with a blank face.


    ¡°Why? Is this a trip to celebrate your adulthood?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I want to settle and live there.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, an unparalleled force with my father at its source erupted outwards.


    ¡°Hkkk!¡±


    I resisted my father¡¯s pressure by wrapping my arms around my face and ducking down, bracing at the possibility of death.


    However, contrary to my thoughts, my father¡¯s pressure gradually declined until it vanished as if it had never existed.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hear your reasoning. Why do you want to leave behind a fine home and settle in a foreign land?¡± he asked, with a face that said he really didn¡¯t understand.


    In my perspective, I wanted to leave a crazy village that made 5 years old catch monsters, no matter how weak those monsters were. Although I felt frustrated that no one understood my feelings, I spent my life so far without revealing my thoughts.


    It¡¯s natural for a person with two eyes to be considered an abnormality in a village populated by people with only one eye. Using the same logic, in a village suffused with people crazy for battles, it was inevitable that someone like me, who hated fighting, would be considered weird.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do here if I stay.¡± I directly made known what I had been thinking about for the last few days.


    My father seemed perplexed.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Just do whatever you want. You know how to hunt, and since you¡¯re strong and intelligent, you can do any kind of job you want.¡±


    ¡°How should I explain this? You know honor and satisfaction? I want to do something that makes me feel those kinds of things.¡±


    Actually, I just wanted a safe job that brought in money without doing much work.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, go work as a security guard. With your abilities, it won¡¯t be long before you become the captain of the guards.¡±


    The guard division was a place where only those who were the craziest about fighting in this village went to. It was the place that I wanted to avoid the most while living in this village.


    ¡°Father, Eldest Brother is already the captain of the guards here. To become the captain of the guards, I¡¯ll have to fight him. I don¡¯t want to fight with my family.¡±


    ¡°Your brother will enjoy it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    My father stared at me with a confused face as I revealed my reluctance. A battle maniac like him wouldn¡¯t understand. I sighed inwardly.


    ¡°Then go join the warrior force.¡±


    Although the name warrior force sounded noteworthy, in reality, it was just a hunting group.


    The village was surrounded by bizarre soil that allowed for the growth of a forest of unique trees. These trees could not be scratched without covering an axe with sword aura, so it was impossible to plow even one plot of land for farming. As a result, the village¡¯s food supply was obtained either through hunting or by purchasing items from outside the village. The money for trading was obtained from selling by-products of the demons.


    The warrior force was an important entity that handled half of the village¡¯s food supply, but for someone who wished for a quiet and peaceful life, it was one of the worst places they could ever enter.


    ¡°Second Eldest Brother is currently the general there.¡±


    My father was troubled when I said this. If it were up to me, I would have said, ¡°Go help your brother by becoming the vice general or a deputy general manager.¡±


    However, this was an impossible thought for a natural-born fighter such as my father. He had the mindset that one must always aim for the strongest position regardless of whether the opponent was a family member or an enemy.


    ¡°Then how about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?¡±


    Although this sounded like a grand name only a country would use, in reality it was just a place where they brought monsters and by-products of demons to other cities to sell in exchange for food.


    It may have sounded like a peaceful job on the surface, but for a village located in the middle of nowhere, it would take over ten days to reach another village. Considering that horses could not run in this wilderness, it was easy to assume that a ten-day distance by foot wasn¡¯t as far as one might think. However, for people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no, for any strong adults living in this village, they could run incomparably fast.


    To make a comparison, it was better to compare them with a car or a train than a living being. If you were to consider their otherworldly endurance as well, it was easy to realize that the distance to other villages was ridiculous. In addition, if you were to think of all the monsters and demons you would encounter on the way, entering the warrior force instead could potentially lead to a more peaceful life.


    ¡°The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not really¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Why? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the place that will provide you with the most support.¡±


    Since no person other than a village member would set foot in this place, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an important position in our village. That said, our village invested the most resources into them and it was the top location for me to enter if I were to consider the reasons I had given.


    But I refused since the reason I wanted to leave for the capital wasn¡¯t actually because I wanted to do something meaningful.

 Chapter 2: Runaway (2)

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much interest in camping.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡ª¡±


    My father thought for a while then finally said, ¡°Well then, how about following my path and becoming the village head?¡±


    ¡°¡ªExcuse me?¡±


    For a moment, I thought I misheard that he wanted me to become the village head. God, isn¡¯t it already known that my father would never say such a thing.


    Eldest Brother once wielded his adamantium axe and attacked Father while shouting, ¡°Father, I am succeeding the throne!¡±


    In response, Father casually repelled the attack with his bare hands and said, ¡°Son, I¡¯m still young!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that stupid look on your face? I want you to take over.¡± Father sullenly reiterated.


    ¡°Father, what kind of nonsense is this?¡± I dumbfoundedly asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense.¡± He calmly answered.


    ¡°No. It is nonsense.¡± I reaffirmed.


    It was very possible that my father¡¯s iron hands would be immediately foisting upon me if I spoke disrespectfully like this. Unfortunately, what had to be said had to be said.


    ¡°I¡¯m weaker than Eldest Brother and worse at swordsmanship than Second Eldest Brother. Isn¡¯t this village a place where strength is everything?¡±


    However, rather than foisting his iron first, he simply let out a small sigh. ¡°But, amongst all the villagers, you are the best at magic.¡±


    I was taken aback by his words. ¡°Ever since I started learning magic, you told me that magic is just a small trick!¡±


    From the very beginning, my father had opposed my interest in magic. He would often say that it was a petty trick for weak people.


    ¡°Yes, I did say that and it is what I still believe. However, the magic you perform is not just some small tricks.¡±


    I couldn''t comprehend my father¡¯s words. It was like he was saying that driving after drinking wasn¡¯t considered drunk driving.


    ¡°No small tricks in this world can defeat a dragon. If a small trick could defeat a dragon, it can¡¯t be considered a small trick anymore.¡±


    I was at a loss, I didn¡¯t know what to say to those words.


    ¡°Even if you are lacking in strength compared to your eldest brother, amongst the villagers, you are still one of the top. More so for swordsmanship. If you are right below your second eldest brother in this village, then you are considered the second best.¡±


    ¡°No, not really.¡± I waved my hand and denied it.


    But he laughed and said, ¡°Your second eldest brother, the best swordsman in the village, said that when he takes a day off, you catch up by two days. He has to do three days worth of training every day to continue maintaining the distance.¡±


    I pursed my lips.


    ¡°Your second eldest sister taught you magic, she told me that you are the best magician in the village. Elder Mirpa, who is officially recognized as the number one magician in the village, also concurred. Also, your eldest sister, the one I always seek out for advice, said that your depth of knowledge is either at the same or higher level than hers. She told me that if I need advice, it would be helpful to ask you as well.¡±


    The look on his face was asking if I would still deny his words.


    ¡°Seeing how resolute you are, it looks like you¡¯ve already been considering making me succeed as the village head. Since when did you decide?¡±


    ¡°Ever since you defeated that dragon.¡±


    In other words, he had decided that I would be his successor since I was 12.


    ¡°Eldest Brother and Second Eldest Brother defeated dragons as well. So, why me?¡±


    To my father, being good at magic or being highly educated was only secondary. If I had to make a comparison, it was equivalent to writing down a second-degree certificate in Korean history or Chinese language on the resume for a large company. It was a level of achievement that was too subtle to distinguish me from other candidates.


    ¡°Your eldest and second eldest brother did not catch it alone. They did so with two or three companions. In addition, when your brothers were twelve, they couldn¡¯t even catch demons, let alone a dragon. Instead, they were busy fleeing. Hahaha, it¡¯s funny even as I think about it now. Hahahaha!¡±


    My father banged his desk as he laughed.


    I could suddenly empathize with my eldest and second eldest brother for launching a sneak attack against my father before their coming of age ceremony. Should I just launch an attack now as well?


    I felt the urge to attack as I recalled the memory of being tossed down into the dragon¡¯s den. However, doing so would just end with me suffering in bed for a few days after being thrown around excitedly by that muscle-monster.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t go to the empire. You have to succeed after me,¡± Father firmly said then added, ¡°Well, I¡¯m still in my prime and you¡¯re too young for the position for now. I¡¯ll pass it on to you when you get older.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand. I will start heading out then.¡±


    With a smile, I said goodbye and left the office.


    While walking back home, I saw a child in a vacant lot. He looked to be about ten. He was holding a sword and attacking an old man, seemingly his grandfather. The child¡¯s grandfather blocked the sword lightly with his fingers that were shrouded in sword aura. The old man seemed to be enjoying his grandson¡¯s antics.


    Shit!


    At this rate, it seemed like I was about to become the chief of a tribe of battle crazy fighters.


    The chief of a tribe was not a position that a normal person like me should inherit. I had ideally wanted to leave this village with a smile on my face. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it.


    It was time for plan B.


    -o-


    Doomstone Blade, Chief of Crow Tribe, one of the battle races, laughed as he recalled the event that happened yesterday. His youngest son, Denburg Blade, had come in as he was about to become an adult.


    Unfortunately, unlike his other sons, Denburg did not launch a sneak attack or attack him. Still, it was remarkable that his youngest son, his dearest child, had come in to pay him a visit as an adult.


    However, Doomstone had been taken aback when Denburg had said that he wanted to leave the village. Fortunately, he was pleased that the latter had left with a smile on his face as if to say that his son had understood his feelings.


    To be honest, Doomstone had been planning on letting Denburg know about inheriting his position when he was a bit older. Still, since he was now almost sixteen, he reckoned it would be fine to let him know.


    As such, Doomstone announced to his family over dinner last evening. Although he had not expressed it, he had felt a bit nervous over their responses. Fortunately, it turned out to be needless worrying.


    His sons and daughters also approved of Denburg inheriting the position. Disregarding his daughters, the youngest son, and the second eldest son who had no aspirations for the position, he had been a bit surprised that his eldest son had also agreed.


    ¡°I saw Father going through a pile of documents a while back and it made my head hurt. Youngest Brother can be the greatest ruler and I can be the greatest warrior!¡±


    Feeling proud of his eldest son, Doomstone gave him a headlock and patted his head.


    ¡°My sons and daughters! Give me a hug!¡±


    As Doomstone opened his arm, Hestia, the eldest daughter yelled, ¡°Everyone run away!¡±


    With this warning, his two sons and daughters simultaneously ran away.


    Hmm. He murmured that this was going to hurt his feelings. As he spoke, Doomstone asked his eldest son who was trapped by the headlock and unable to run away, ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Of ...Of course! But father, how about you let me go¡ª¡± Gallahad, his eldest son, asked while pushing his arms but Doomstone had no intention of letting him go.


    ¡°Wait? Dad? DAD!¡±


    As Doomstone¡¯s chest came closer and the pressure from his arms strengthened, Gallahad started yelling frantically at his father.


    Yes, Father loves you too.


    -o-


    ¡°Village Head!¡±


    Doomstone woke up from his reverie of the happenings of the previous day as he heard someone calling out to him.


    His receptionist standing next to him whispered in his ear as he shook away his musings.


    ¡°Village Head, I have summoned the elders according to your instructions.¡±


    Without him realizing, the room was now filled with old muscle men who called themselves the elders.


    ¡°Ahh, I am sorry. I apologize for being away in thought.¡±


    ¡°To think that you would know how to think. I am proud.¡± Upon Doomstone¡¯s apology, Elder Mirpa, the only elder in the room without any bulging muscles, teased him.


    ¡°That¡¯s so mean of you to say. I¡¯m also getting older and have been working hard lately. Additionally, I¡¯m still technically the village head. You can¡¯t just address me informally like that.¡±


    ¡°So noisy. Just tell us why you summoned us all. Based on how you called all the elders and not just me, it looks like you have something important to say.¡±


    The most gentleman-like Elder Wager also added as if he was curious: ¡°Yes, Tribe Chief. Tell us why you summoned us. You know as well that you become more impatient as you get old.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Tribe Chief? Just call me Village Head rather than using such outdated names.¡±


    The elders kept calling him tribe chief as if the other title was foreign to them. As trade with the empire increased, Hestia had suggested that the title tribe chief be replaced with village head. But it was clear that the title village head did not seem very impressive.


    As per Denburg¡¯s suggestion, Doomstone considered changing his title from the village head to something more invigorating such as ¡°Fire Shadow¡±.


    ¡°Tribe Chief or Village Head, stop changing the topic and get to the point.¡±


    Upon Elder Mirpa¡¯s continuous nagging, Doomstone lightly said, ¡°I called everyone because I''ve decided on the next person to become the village head.¡±


    The elders were silent at first but then started talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°Are you sick somewhere? Do you have some disease I¡¯m not aware of?¡±


    Upon Elder Mirpa¡¯s questions, the other elders became worried and stared at Doomstone.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Then why is a fine person already talking about appointing the next village head! Why are you saying something like that!¡±


    The volume in the room grew louder as the elders started yelling.


    ¡°Everyone shut up!¡± Suddenly, Elder Mirpa exploded and the room instantly quieted.


    Once the room had regained silence, Elder Mirpa stared right into Doomstone¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s ignore for now why a perfectly fine person like you is already deciding on the next village head. Who is the successor? You eldest son? Second eldest son?¡±


    Doomstone shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the youngest son.¡±


    The chattering started again. Elder Mirpa glanced back and forth to shut them up.


    As he watched this scene in front of him, Doomstone became slightly depressed as he imagined his future.


    Although every elder here used to be loud and vigorous, their age had weakened their muscle and deteriorated their abilities. As a magician, Elder Mirpa was the sole exception to this rule since his magic power grew with age.


    During his youth, people had looked down on Elder Mirpa for learning magic instead of swordsmanship or martial arts. But those same people became helpless against him as they grew older and went past their middle age.


    As Doomstone was considering learning magic from Denburg, Elder Mirpa said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if your youngest son becomes the next tribe chief. Unlike yourself, Den is wise and smart. Also, it¡¯s not unheard of for the youngest son to become the tribe chief.¡±


    In contrast to the outside world where the throne was succeeded by the eldest son, past village heads, no tribe chiefs, were chosen based on strength. Therefore, the youngest sons also had the chance of becoming a tribe chief.


    The occasional female tribe chiefs were also due to this.


    ¡°But why your youngest son?¡±


    Elder Mirpa was not asking why the youngest son Denburg had been chosen over the eldest son. Rather because Doomstone considered magic as petty tricks. In other words, he was asking the latter why he would choose someone who specialized in magic as well as whether Denburg had superior strength compared to his other brothers.


    There was only one answer to the question.


    ¡°Because he is the strongest. Could there be any other reason?¡±

 Chapter 3: Runaway (3)

    The elders were surprised by Doomstone''s words.


    "When Den was 12, I went to a nearby dragon den and threw him into it."


    Elder Mirpa frowned and said, "You mean that evil hobby of yours?"


    The other elders were also well aware that Doomstone made his sons overcome their fear of monsters by tossing them before monsters, demons, and dragons at the ages of five, eight, and twelve respectively.


    Since Doomstone was watching from the shadows, his sons were never in any real danger. In addition, he would be able to gain the dignity of a patriarch if he were to kill the monsters in an emergency. Therefore, he considered it as an education method that killed two birds with one stone


    "What do you mean, evil hobby? It¡¯s just my teaching method. Anyway, when he was 12, I threw Den in front of a dragon. He started running around at first, but then later, he started going back and forth with magic until he eventually cut the dragon¡¯s throat with a knife.¡±


    All along Elder Mirpa had been frowning, but at those words, his eyes opened wide in surprise.


    Doomstone was surprised by Elder Mirpa''s reaction. ¡®I thought this old man Mirpa would know since he¡¯s close to Den.¡¯


    "Chief, is this true?" the other elders were surprised as well and asked Doomstone.


    "Yes. He caught a dragon which even adults struggle with."


    "Was it a baby dragon?"


    "How could defeating a baby dragon be educational? It was a fully grown dragon."


    "How old was it?"


    "It seemed to be a little over 300 years old."


    "So you are saying that the dragon back then was caught by the kid and not you?!"


    "Yes."


    The elders discussed Denburg''s current age amongst themselves and also talked about the future.


    "Ahem, okay. You are saying that the kid caught a dragon and didn¡¯t mention a single word to me?" Elder Mirpa muttered while being dissatisfied.


    "When do you intend on passing the title to the child?"


    The buzzing room became quiet upon Mirpa''s question.


    "When he becomes moderately stronger than me or when I start to lose strength."


    "Since there is no chance of you ever losing strength, it means that he will have to become stronger than you. That will be at least 20 years hence, so why are you already talking about this?"


    Doomstone scratched his head and laughed. "Hahaha, I ended up revealing it to my children, so I wanted to let you know a little bit earlier."


    "Bastard! With my current age, I¡¯ll be lying in a coffin after 20 years!"


    "So are you not going to attend the festival?"


    A grand festival was held on the day a new village head was appointed. Due to this, the coronation came to be known as the festival.


    "You bastard! What do you mean I¡¯m not going to attend the festival? You know how much I love to drink!"


    The other elders laughed at Elder Mirpa¡¯s outburst.


    Knock, knock!


    Along with the knock came Hestia¡¯s voice.


    "Father, it''s almost time for Denburg¡¯s coming of age ceremony."


    Doomstone looked at the clock and got up from his seat.


    "Oh, it''s already time for my son''s coming-of-age ceremony. If you''ll excuse me.¡±


    "No, I''ll go along as well. I also want to take a look at the next chief of the village."


    When one of the elders started rising from his seat, the other elders joined him.


    Doomstone scratched his head and said, "Okay. Well sure."


    Although it was called a coming of age ceremony, it was at most a gathering of family and friends where they would dole out advice on responsibility and such. After that, all they had to do was go hunt for monsters to prove their adulthood, and then they would all eat together. Usually, there was no need to go too far out of the village since people would gather in front of the village hall and report before the event.


    In front of the town hall stood the eldest son Gallahad, the second oldest son Gawain, the eldest daughter Hestia as well as the younger daughter Leisha.


    "Where is Denburg?"


    When Doomstone asked Leisha, she shrugged and said she didn''t know.


    It felt a little strange. Denburg was unusually diligent. When he made a promise or had something to do, he would be the first to come out and wait. Moreover, he was very smart and would have already anticipated Doomstone rallying up the elders and bringing them along. Also, Hestia would have reminded Denburg should he have somehow missed that fact, so he should have known better than to be late.


    It was very strange that Denburg was not here already. But thinking back to the screws missing inside him somewhere, perhaps it wasn¡¯t as strange after all.


    Doomstone apologized to the elders and then looked at his watch. He had been waiting for noon, that was when the coming of age ceremony was arranged to start. But Denburg was nowhere to be seen even after the appointed time.


    Sensing something fishy, one by one, Doomstone looked at his children. But they all shook their heads indicating they were oblivious as well.


    "Father." Perhaps feeling a bit strange, Hestia called out to her father.


    When she saw Doomstone nod, she nodded back and ran towards the house.


    "Oh sister, where are you going?" Leisha called out to Hestia, but the latter had quickly disappeared.


    Not long after, Hestia came back running while hauling the corpse of a demon twice her size with one hand.


    "Father! Look at this!"


    Hestia, in a rarely heard loud voice, handed Doomstone a piece of paper folded in half with an urgent look on her face.


    On the folded paper, in a neat handwriting, was written- ¡®To my beloved family¡¯.


    It was easy to see that this was Denburg''s handwriting.


    To my beloved family,


    I suspect that it will be Hestia who first discovers this letter after sensing something amiss. It will probably be just a few minutes past noon now.


    Although I hope that this letter will be found later, in nine out of ten cases, the letter will be discovered at the aforementioned time. It will be impossible for the letter or the demon corpse to be discovered before that time since the magic I cast wouldn¡¯t have been lifted yet.


    To answer Hestia who will be wondering why I let the demon corpse and the letter be discovered at noon, I hope she¡¯ll understand if I tell her, "I wanted to narrow down the range of possibilities since it will be discovered that I ran away anyways."


    Now, to be blunt and forthright, I''m planning on leaving this village and going to a new place. As you read this letter, you might be wondering why a man with a future as the head of the village is leaving (I''m an adult now, so I''m going to describe it as leaving and not running away from home).


    But to be honest, I don''t really have any desire to be the head of the village. If Father hadn''t told me he was planning on making me be the head of the village, I wouldn''t have left without a word. Oh, that doesn''t mean I didn''t have any plans of leaving the village.


    Father, I don''t want you to have any regrets or blame yourself for what happened.


    Aside from wanting to do something meaningful, it seems that the biggest reason I left is that I have a great desire to see the world. I''ll contact you regularly, at least once a month, so please don''t worry too much.


    P.S.1: The demon corpse that came along with the letter is my hunt for the coming of age ceremony. Don¡¯t treat me like a child and tell me later that I didn¡¯t perform the coming of age ceremony.


    P.S.2: As a gift for leaving the village, I hunted down the entire herd of demons. There are about 40 of them, so follow the map I drew and retrieve them to contribute to the village''s supply.


    P.S.3: I''ll take some maps, food, and imperial money from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Well, even so, these will only be worth two or three tooth of the demons I caught.


    P.S.4. Come to think of it, I wrote this letter as if writing to my oldest sister, so it¡¯s written informally. When Father reads it, please read it while substituting it with honorifics.


    Always hoping for happiness among the family.


    - Written by the beloved youngest son.


    Doomstone suddenly felt his blood pressure beginning to rise.


    ¡°Hahaha, to think that my youngest son prepared such a surprise event!¡±


    "Captain of the guards!"


    At Doomstone''s call, Gallahad answered with a nervous look, "Yes!"


    "Except for the minimum manpower required for village security, go catch Denburg BLADE!"


    Doomstone ordered as he yelled out his youngest son¡¯s name.


    Gallahad, however, was a little reluctant. "Father? Still, investing that kind of manpower is ¡ª¡±


    "Why? Do you want to be the next chief? Do you want to spend your life inside that troublesome pile of documents?"


    "Yes, Sir! Excluding 300 guards required for security, I''ll lead 1,200 people and bring him back!"


    Gallahad made a rarely performed salute and quickly took to his heels.


    Do you really not want to live inside that pile of documents that much?


    "General of the warrior force."


    "Yes, Sir."


    "How many men do we need to butcher 40 of these demons?"


    Gawain, while looking at the demon left by Denburg, considered for a moment before answering. "A hundred and twenty people, no, a hundred is enough."


    Butchering monsters was quite a difficult task. In fact, the figure of a hundred and twenty mentioned earlier was already considered low taking into account only three people were being assigned to each monster. But Gawain had further reduced the number as if he understood Doomstone''s current feelings.


    Although Doomstone felt grateful, he couldn''t make the warriors suffer because his son had fled away as the head of the village.


    "Assign two hundred men to butchering and send the rest to catch Denburg."


    Thanks to Gawain''s consideration, Doomstone felt a little bit of reasoning return to his head.


    "Yes. I''ll lead three hundred warriors and return."


    Gawain saluted and ran in the direction of the warrior force.


    "Foreign Minister, no, since he is not here, Leisha. Go explain the situation to the minister and have him send a guide for the pursuit. "


    "Yes, Father. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone who can counter Denburg¡¯s magic, so I¡¯ll go as well."


    Doomstone thanked Leisha and sent her on her way. He then turned towards the gathered elders and said, "Ahem, I apologize for the embarrassment."


    At Doomstone''s heartfelt apology, the elders waved their hands and said it was okay.


    "No, I should say that this is exactly what I expected from your son."


    "You caused incidents of this magnitude yourself when you were a child."


    "That''s right, that''s right. It was worse when you were a kid."


    "I''d rather say that up until now, they haven''t acted like your sons at all."


    Every word spoken by the elders stabbed Doomstone in the chest.


    Come to think of it, didn''t he also cause a lot of accidents when he was young because he didn''t want to become the chief?


    Due to his past history, everyone agreed that the incident Denburg caused wasn¡¯t an incident at all.


    Doomstone began to wonder whether he should be rejoicing or lamenting.

 Chapter 4: Runaway (4)

    After running at full speed, I took out my watch when I arrived at the second campground drawn on the map.


    12:03 p.m.


    The spell should have been lifted by now, which meant that the corpse of the demon as well as the letter I left behind should have been found.


    On the map, it was possible to see that I had run almost two days¡¯ worth of distance by looking at the position of the second campground on a 10-day long trail. Taking into account that I had been running for four hours now, it meant that I had been sprinting at 70 to 80km per hour.


    This monstrous speed made me wonder if I had been born as a monster instead of a human being. This was a distance that would have taken the Ministry of Foreign Affairs two days to travel. Of course, the officials in the ministry would have walked leisurely while carrying the weight of dozens of demons. For someone with a normal body in their past life, it was quite encouraging that I could travel this much distance in a single morning.


    The map showed that the distance to the city where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs usually traded was about 1,000km away as the crow flies. This was a distance that took only two days to traverse for people back home running at full speed. But there was a large canyon in the middle of the line, and it was the big detour around it that greatly added to the actual distance.


    Until now, I had been following the route of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by looking at the map I took from their office to leave as few tracks as possible. Since it was now time for me to start getting chased, I had to forge my own path into the forest rather than follow this route carved by the ministry.


    Hereon, it was a race against time.


    -o-


    Hestia calmly mulled over the current situation.


    ¡®Denburg ran away from home. Father is furious that his most beloved child betrayed him.¡¯


    In all truth, Hestia was not very shocked. This wasn¡¯t because she didn''t love her brother. Who did not love their family? She had known well beforehand that Doomstone¡¯s expectations for Denburg and the latter¡¯s own future aspirations were in conflict. As such, this came out more as a disappointment than shock.


    Whenever Doomstone was having a hard time, Hestia assisted him by playing the role of the village''s advisor. He trusted her completely and heeded her advice. That was why the village could sway back and forth based upon her words.


    The present situation had put Hestia under a great deal of pressure. She was only eighteen, but a simple word from her could affect those twice or thrice her age. The fact that one word from her could hurt people, even to the point of sacrificing themselves, terrified her.


    According to a book kept in the village library, a leader had to be grateful to his subordinates sweating for a cause.


    Then how should she feel about those who were bleeding for the cause? Did she have to be thankful? Fearful? Or perhaps, numb to it all?


    Hestia did not know and it was likely that she would never find out. She hoped that she would never have to know. She was very sympathetic with Denburg running away from home, but she was filled with disappointment at the same time.


    Although Hestia respected her father, she also felt that he was too ignorant. Doomstone went about things without ever considering the repercussions of his decisions. But her little brother was different, he went beyond being just smart and was wise as well.


    Denburg could think of things that wouldn¡¯t even occur to her and speak of things she wouldn¡¯t dare to say. If he were to become the head of the village, she could escape from the responsibility of advising the village and the perpetual fear that one mistake of hers could lead to its destruction.


    ¡®I apologize in advance, my youngest brother. I can''t accept you escaping from home. This is for the sake of the village and also for myself. Forgive this unkind sister,¡¯ Hestia thought to herself.


    "From now on, I will be directing this operation." Hestia declared before an army of fifteen hundred strong.


    Gawain, who was leading the pursuit force, nodded and Gallahad urged Hestia to speak faster.


    "Denburg most likely first travelled by following the route on the map."


    With a confused face, Gallahad asked Hestia, "Why? Traveling on the route will be faster since it¡¯s maintained, but he¡¯ll be finished once we start chasing after him. Denburg definitely expects to be chased. Isn¡¯t it more likely for him to have left the trail from the very start?¡±


    "As you said, I''m sure Denburg is expecting to be chased. However, following the route drawn on the map has an overwhelming advantage compared to forging a path in the forest from the beginning. Firstly, you can shorten the time to get out of the forest. Secondly, you can move without leaving a trail behind."


    "How?"


    Hestia pointed to a footprint on the ground and asked, "Can you tell me who made those footprints and when they were made?"


    Gallahad and Gawain both shook their heads.


    "It''s the same in the forest. If you follow the route, it¡¯s impossible to tell if the footsteps were from Denburg or an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thirdly, it¡¯s possible to temporarily reduce the number of pursuers that will be chasing after Denburg."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Although I expect Denburg to have travelled on the route, it¡¯s also possible that he might have travelled on his own path from the very start. As long as that possibility exists, we have no choice but to pull out some personnel to find out where he first started.¡±


    Gallahad made an expression that clearly revealed he didn¡¯t understand, but Gawain seemed to have somewhat grasped the gist. Thanks to his experience of looking for demon trails during hunting, the explanation seemed to be a tad easier for Gawain.


    "Brother would know. If you want to hunt in the forest around the village, you need to know the location of the prey. It¡¯s a gigantic forest though."


    "Right."


    "So when you hunt, you usually look for tracks of the prey rather than searching for the prey itself."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. So when you think of our youngest brother as prey, you can''t just search the entire forest. First, you have to find tracks of him. Right?"


    When Gawain sought her confirmation, Hestia immediately nodded.


    "Yes, that''s right. And when looking for traces of Denburg, it''s more efficient to look around the vicinity of the village rather than blindly starting to look inside the forest."


    Gallahad seemed to finally understand. "Gawain, how many people do we need to look for tracks around the village?¡±


    Gawain thought for a moment and answered, "At least a hundred. If you want to be serious, we would need the entire warrior force."


    "That many?"


    Requiring that much manpower went beyond her expectation. The village was certainly large, but she would never have expected it to take all five hundred warriors for the search. According to her original estimation, only fifty warriors would be required, but now it seemed like her conjectures needed some adjustments.


    "Denburg has mastery over magic. It will be hard to find him if he tries to hide his tracks. Especially since I often taught him how to hide his trails and move around without leaving any tracks behind.¡±


    Hestia bit her lips lightly.


    "A hundred warriors. I can''t do more than that."


    A hundred warriors who could roam the forest filled with demons as if it was their own backyard was a commendable force.


    "Okay."


    Hestia then began to explain while simultaneously wrapping her head around the complicated situation.


    "Fourthly, he can slow the chase down. Didn¡¯t you just say that it would take more than a hundred warriors to search for his traces around the vicinity of the village? But considering that he may deviate from the route in the middle of the journey, it will take several times longer to pursue him and track him down.¡±


    "Wait. You think that Denburg will deviate from the route in the middle of the journey?"


    "Yes. There is a 100% chance that Denburg will change the route. The time he leaves the route will most likely be around the time the demon corpse is discovered in his room. There will be around a ten-minute deviation starting from noon."


    "What makes you say that?"


    At Gallahad''s question, Hestia took out the letter left by Denburg.


    "Based on what is written here, Denburg wants to reduce the range of possibilities to read our movement."


    "What does that mean? What would Denburg do after reading our movements?"


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that neither Gallahad nor Gawain understood. Hestia also had to read the letter again and ponder over its meaning.


    ¡°Gawain, when do you think a prey feels the most threatened?"


    "Hmm, when it confronts the hunter? Or when an arrow gets stuck inside its neck?"


    "No. It¡¯s when it realizes the existence of the hunter. When confronted by a hunter, tension is high, and when an arrow penetrates its body, fear is predominant. Denburg is a prey who knows the existence of its hunters now. As the prey, the wisest solution is to make the hunters move according to his wishes."


    "Then you mean that all your plans are already intended by Denburg?"


    "Yes. Denburg would have most likely anticipated how I would plan the operation after I read the contents of the letter."


    "Then shouldn''t we not move according to your plan?"


    ¡°No. Denburg is trying to predict our movements by even exposing himself. Since he is handing out such juicy bait, we have no choice but to take it. If we were to not take it and make a mistake, we might not be even able to get our hands on it.


    Inwardly, Hestia was filled with admiration. This was as expected from Denburg and it made her feel frustrated. In a nine-sided chess battle with a hundred and twenty moves, his technique continuously forced his opponents to jump into a trap that they were clearly aware of.


    "Denburg probably left between eight and nine in the morning."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "It was about ten minutes to seven when he had breakfast. I remember it because I set the birthday table myself. And after seven-thirty, all of the family members went to work. So he must¡¯ve brought the demons to his room only after that. Since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs checks the number of supplies before they close, as long as Denburg did not leave during the night, it would have been around 8 a.m. when he stole the map and money."


    "Makes sense. If you tried to leave the house at night, you would be immediately caught by Father, who has a perception superior to that of demons. By the way, someone should¡¯ve come to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the morning, so how did he steal without being caught?"


    "The ministry''s warehouse is located outside the workplace, so it would have been easy for Denburg to steal from them."


    "Then it means he deviated from the route around three to four hours after he left the village."


    "That sounds about right. So, around what point do you think he went off the route?"


    Hestia wasn¡¯t very strong and she wasn¡¯t certain if she could even win against a 10 year old. Therefore, it was difficult for her to gauge Denburg¡¯s strength.


    As Gallahad and Gawain mulled over it, they came up with different answers.


    "If it''s three hours, it should be around the first campsite; if four, it should be around this vicinity." Gallahad pointed towards the area between the first and second campground, nearer to the first campground.


    "No, if it¡¯s Denburg, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to reach in between the first and second campground in three hours. If four hours, it¡¯s possible for him to reach the second campground." Gawain flatly rejected Gallahad''s deduction.


    It was a big deal that the two of them had such different opinions. The distance they spoke of was too wide to accommodate both opinions.

 Chapter 5: Runaway (5)

    "No matter how fast Denburg is, he can''t be that fast when he just became an adult. The speed you''re talking about means he¡¯s within the top three in the village."


    "You underestimate Denburg too much. Unlike Brother, Denburg is already among the top of the village in terms of speed."


    Hestia and Gallahad were surprised by Gawain¡¯s words.


    "That means Denburg is faster than Gawain?"


    Gawain¡¯s speed was among the top three in the village while Gallahad was more in the middle to bottom rank. Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that Gawain''s words held more weight.


    "No. There''s nothing to worry about in the forest. It''s only in the village that Denburg can catch up to me. The warriors are faster in the forest."


    Hestia felt relieved and asked Gallahad, "What do you think?"


    "¡ªGawain¡¯s conjecture is definitely more credible than mine."


    Hestia nodded. "Then, leaving a hundred warriors aside, fourteen hundred people will proceed to follow the route of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."


    Hestia then began to explain the full operation.


    -o-


    It had been about six hours since I left the route on the map. If Hestia¡¯s plan was as I predicted, the first batch of pursuers would soon arrive at the second campsite, the point I veered from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ route.


    According to my predictions, the pursuers would number around fourteen to sixteen hundred. About eleven to twelve hundred of those would be from the guard division that comprised of all kinds of fighters from the village. Three hundred to four hundred would be those warriors that hunted for food in the forest. If there were any other personnel, it would be around a dozen or so diplomats acting as guides for the routes on the map.


    It was a relief that the ministry was not created with fighting in mind. Most members there were either veterans experienced in combat or trade, relatively weak women, geeks curious about the outside world, and magicians seeking contact with outside magic. As such, since there weren¡¯t a lot of members that were physically strong or had the skills of a pursuer, I did not feel threatened much even if they were to participate in the pursuit.


    Even the guards, who made up the largest composition of people in the pursuit squad, were not much of a threat except for their large number. Although people born in the village learned how to hunt from an early age, they did not focus on it upon reaching adulthood. Usually, their skills were only enough to catch a wild boar or deer to be served on the dinner table.


    Of course, the wild boars and deer living in the vicinity of the village located in Demon¡¯s Territory were no ordinary wild boars and deer. There were plenty of these that could kill an ogre in one bite.


    It truly could not be a less peaceful village. The most problematic group was the warrior force led by Gawain. With an overall size of five hundred, it was only one third the size of the security guards. However, if they were to fight in the forest rather than the village, the warriors could annihilate the entire guard division with only half their strength.


    Due to this, I put the most effort into excluding the warriors from the pursuit as much as possible. First of all, hunting forty demons was to reduce the number of warriors. Demons were dangerous creatures while alive, but they were even more dangerous when dead. The blood of demons was composed of poison. When their body started to decompose after dying, the poison would begin to evaporate. So when a demon died, its surroundings became a perfect land of death. In other words, it was difficult to dispose of dead bodies of demons. Many warriors had to be dispatched to extract or purify its poison as well as for collecting its by-products before the corpses started to rot. Well, although dangerous, body parts of demons were used for precious magic catalysts as well as materials for weapons. A single tooth could be sold for an astronomical price.


    I didn¡¯t feel really sorry since if I were to convert the demons I caught into money, it would become an astronomical sum. The reason the letter was revealed early was in part to dispose of the demons before they started to decompose, so I did not feel any guilt either.


    Anyway, because of this, the number of warriors that would be excluded from the pursuit should number at least a hundred or maybe even a hundred and twenty. The number could be even higher if I were lucky.


    In addition, around a hundred warriors should have been left behind in the village to find my trails. In other words, the number of warriors I had to deal with should be less than two hundred and eighty, which was almost half the original number.


    If I were Hestia, I would have split the pursuit squad into five groups. Groups 1 and 2 would consist of the fastest people in the village to chase after me on the route drawn on the map. Even if they weren¡¯t able to catch me, considering the fact that I might have left the forest, they could disperse themselves into the surrounding and leave an ambush.


    Group 3 would be composed of warriors left in the village to find my trails. If another group found my trail, this group would immediately regroup with Group 4.


    Group 4 would search for my tracks around the area where they would assume I left the route on the map.


    Group 5 would comprise of security guards, they would be reserved to surround me in case my tracks were found.


    It was very likely that Hestia¡¯s plan would be similar to what I had predicted. In two or three more hours, the warriors would find my track. No matter how hard I tried to cover my tracks, I couldn¡¯t avoid the eyes of experts who had spent their whole lives hunting in and out of the forest and the village.


    On the map, my current location was about as far from the second campsite as the distance between the village and the second campsite.


    So was it about 500 kilometers from the village?


    According to this calculation, if I were to ignore the huge rift between the next faraway village and the forest, I was about 800 kilometers away from the next village beyond the forest.


    After finishing the rough estimation, I hastened my pace further.


    -o-


    By the time nine hours had passed since the pursuit squad went to catch Denburg, the sun had already set and the surroundings were illuminated by magic lamps.


    In the beginning, Doomstone had placed a table at the entrance of the village and acted as a commander, using hawks for communication. However, worried about Hestia, who was one of the weakest people in the village, he then suggested using his room in the village hall as the headquarter of the pursuit squadron.


    Thanks to this, Hestia was now sitting comfortably on the reception sofa in the room, drinking tea and staring at the map from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    "Hestia, your body is weak, so why don''t you go home and rest?"


    At her father''s consideration, Hestia replied with a smile, "No. It''s okay. Although I''m the weakest in the village, according to the letter Uncle sent from the empire¡¯s military, I¡¯m still similar to a great general from the empire."


    "Hahahaha, no matter how weak those people from outside the village are, could someone with a position as high as a great general possibly be that weak? Your uncle probably exaggerated it. Hahaha."


    Hestia responded with a smile back as Doomstone¡¯s hands started to get weak from laughter.


    "Hohoho, right? The letter also says that it¡¯s hard to eat because their spoon is so weak it bends every time he picks it up."


    "Hahaha, the spoon bends? How could something made out of adamantium bend?"


    "Hoho, that''s true. Oh! Can''t Father bend it?"


    "Well, it''s possible if I apply some force. I don¡¯t really do it though. Hahaha."


    While chatting, Doomstone asked Hestia with a slightly dejected look. "Will we be able to catch Denburg?"


    Perhaps he was just talking to himself, but Hestia deliberately smiled brightly. "Father, who am I? I¡¯m your eldest daughter. I''ll make sure to catch him and have him follow your footsteps.¡±


    "Yes, hearing it from someone smarter than anyone else, it gives me strength."


    Doomstone smiled brightly just like Hestia.


    "Once Denburg gets caught, I will slap him enough times to compensate for your work, so don''t worry."


    Hestia thought that perhaps this would be worse than being punished by flogging outside the village. Still, she felt it was a reasonable punishment considering Denburg had caused herself and a lot of people in the village to suffer. Even if one were to get hit a lot, it was just being unable to sit down properly for a while and spending one¡¯s time lying down on the stomach.


    "Yes, please hit him a lot." Hestia poured more tea into the empty teacup while wearing a smile that would make Denburg think she was a devil.


    At that moment, someone opened the door and shouted.


    "Village Head! Commander! We got a message saying that traces of the youngest master have been found!"


    "What!" Doomstone rose excitedly.


    "Father, calm down. We haven''t caught him yet."


    "Hmm, hmm. I see."


    Hestia calmed Doomstone down and asked the runner, "So where did they find his tracks?"


    "Yes, they said they found tracks at the second campsite."


    The second campsite?


    The second campsite was one of the most frequently visited locations for officials going out of the village. If it were as Gawain had said, and Denburg crossed that much distance in such a short period of time, it was a good location to deviate from the original route with all the tracks from the officials hiding his trail.


    "Is it possible that they were tracks from the officials?"


    Hestia had to be prepared for any possible situation.


    "No. The track goes all the way to places where officials don¡¯t go and apparently it goes even further."


    "That is a relief."


    ¡°So how should I respond to the question of whether they should keep pursuing during the night?"


    "For now, stop the pursuit and tell them to preserve their strength at the campsite."


    However, Doomstone disputed Hestia¡¯s decision. "Wouldn¡¯t it be better to pursue?"


    "No. Even if the members of the pursuit squad are strong warriors, the forest is dangerous during the night.¡± Hestia sighed and said, "Also, our opponent is Denburg. Even if the pursuit continued all night, there is a high possibility that we won¡¯t be able to catch him by tomorrow which would lead to a long-term pursuit. Right now, it¡¯s better to conserve our strength.¡±


    "Okay."


    Doomstone seemed disappointed, but he couldn''t do anything about it either.


    "Then, I will pass the order to conserve our strength at the campsite and move out when dawn breaks."


    "Yes, please. Oh, while you''re on your way, please tell the people searching around the village to come back and rest."


    "Yes, I will."


    Silence reigned once the runner had departed. Hestia stared at the map again while drinking another cup of tea.


    The second campsite was where Denburg had deviated from the route. It was about 300 kilometers in terms of distance. No matter how much the route was paved, compared to the inside of the village, it was still very bumpy and one would have to make very high jumps over the tree roots.


    If he crossed a route like that in only three to four hours, no matter how rough the rest of the forest was, he would have crossed another 300 kilometers by now. The direction was the problem. According to his predicted route, he would definitely try to distance himself from the route on the map and also move to bypass the rift.

 Chapter 6: Runaway (6)

    Groups 1 and 2 that passed through the second campsite were currently near the vicinity of the fourth campsite. The site closest to the edge of the rift was the sixth campsite. Therefore, if the two groups that were ahead fanned out and started from the rift to the sixth campsite, then, alongside the group that discovered Denburg¡¯s track, they could hunt as one group.


    Hestia tied the paper with this strategy onto the messenger hawk''s leg and sent it on its way.


    -o-


    Ring, ring!


    Surprised by the sudden sound, I woke up and moved my body.


    "Ahhh!"


    As I moved my body around, I almost fell off the tree branch twice the size of my body. In the end, I managed to keep my balance and looked around.


    It was still dark in the forest. Still, looking at the sky turning dark blue in the distance, one could see that it was almost dawn.


    Ring, ring!


    I took out my watch and turned off the alarm, relieved to find out that the sound was from the clock inside my breast pocket.


    5:45 a.m.


    I rubbed my face to wake up.


    By relying on the constellations last night, I moved until it was eleven. Then, I decided that it was too dangerous to continue moving forward, climbed a tall tree nearby, and slept on its branch.


    Ugh, it was cold. Even though it was almost summer, nights in the forest were too cold for just a thin sheet of blanket. In fact, although I called it a forest, the area behind the village boasted one of the tallest mountains in the world and the forest itself was half-mountainous.


    I packed my bag and climbed down the tree. Despite covering myself with the blanket, I was shivering from the cold. I wanted to make a fire to warm myself up, but creating one with my current situation was no different from creating a self-inflicted wound in front of a hunting dog to effuse the smell of blood.


    I took a piece of jerky out of my bag and put it in my mouth. I then carefully tilted my water bag and poured water into a mithril cup carved with magic. Managing the water supply was critical while being chased. It was impossible to know when I would be able to replenish water next, so even a drop of water could change the outcome of the chase.


    I poured water into the mithril cup and injected mana. The cup had no reaction. As expected from one of the continent¡¯s seven restricted lands, it was difficult to properly infuse magic power into the cup.


    After I forcefully injected more magic power, the magic engravings on the cup finally lit up faintly. The water in the cup started steaming slightly. If this much magic power had been injected into the cup in the village, the water inside would have instantly evaporated. In this current environment, however, it was hard to even raise the temperature to body temperature. I had to reserve magic power in case of an emergency, so I didn''t dare to heat anything beyond a cup of water.


    My home village was located in the middle of Olympus Forest, also known as the symbol of Mount Olympus. It was no exaggeration to say that this forest was a land of death for magicians. Magic power jolted around crazily inside the forest. The flow of magic power within the jungle was constantly changing. Due to this, if a spell was cast to create fire, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for the fire created to be similar to one from a match stick. In extreme cases, the magician¡¯s body could catch fire and burn himself to death.


    In the village, it was easy to use magic because generations of magicians had carved and maintained runes that stabilized magic power. Outside the village, however, it was difficult to use magic. That was why Father regarded magic as mere tricks.


    I drank the warmed water and put the bag back onto my shoulders. The sun was rising in the distance, turning the sky red and blue at the same time.


    It was time to move forward again.


    -o-


    At dawn, information arrived that the pursuit squad would be starting their pursuit again.


    Gawain was spearheading with his warrior squadron, while Gallahad leading his guard division brought up the rear. Following the route on the map, the pursuit squad was heading to the sixth campsite as per Hestia¡¯s command from the night before. No matter how fast Denburg was, he couldn¡¯t be faster than those traveling on a well-maintained road.


    Hestia, however, still decided to prepare a backup plan just in case.


    -o-


    It was past one-thirty in the afternoon. I decided to take a rest and eat a late lunch.


    I took out some beef jerky and dried bread from my bag, gradually moistening it with saliva to prevent myself from choking up. Alongside, I slowly skimmed through the map.


    Learning how to read maps in the military during my past life turned out to be more useful than I expected. Although I wouldn¡¯t ever go back to the military (not that I could now even if I wanted to), I was enlightened by the fact that there was nothing to lose from learning.


    I thought about joining the empire¡¯s imperial army when I was making plans to leave. My uncle held a high position in the military, so I thought that I would be able to live a comfortable life under him if I joined.


    I thought it was a good idea at first, but after some reflection, I realized it was actually a horrible idea. I must have been crazy when I thought of the idea. It was the military. Even in the Korean Military, which was built on the premise of modern warfare with jets flying in the sky, six hundred thousand foot soldiers were trained by camping in the mountains and going through all sorts of trials and hardships.


    The military from my past life was peaceful due to a truce. The current Imperial Army struggled with holding back monsters and demons which the demon king brought 120 years ago. Except for patrolling troops, the defense force of the capital, and the border guards, the Imperial Army invested its entire manpower to stop monsters and demons from coming down from the northern borders.


    If I were to enter the Imperial Army by relying on Uncle, it was possible that he himself would drag me to the northern borders and force me to spend the rest of my life fighting monsters and demons.


    I could never let that happen. Why did I expend so much effort leaving the village in the first place? Wasn¡¯t it for a peaceful life without any violence?


    My ultimate dream was to generate a reasonable income by doing something akin to administrative work and live a fulfilling life.


    I got up again after the brief lunch.


    Let''s cheer for a bright future!


    -o-


    "Captain."


    Mac, the vice captain of the warrior force, called out to Gawain while they were pursuing Denburg.


    "What is it?"


    "There¡¯s just one thing I don''t understand."


    "What?"


    "Although it¡¯s Youngest Master that ran away from home, do we really need to invest this much manpower for one person? Did Youngest Master run away with a precious treasure of the village?"


    What Mac pointed out was correct. Gawain had been so focused on pursuing Denburg that he led the warriors without giving a proper explanation of the situation. However, there was one thing that nagged him.


    "Why didn¡¯t you ask when we were leaving?"


    While scratching the back of his head, Mac replied, "Well, I just didn''t think about it at the time. It¡¯s not like us to think it through before moving."


    Gawain sighed at the subordinate giggling to himself and said, "Why are you thinking about stuff you don¡¯t do normally. Is the sun going to rise in the west tomorrow?¡±


    "Kekeke. I know, right. I guess tomorrow''s sun will rise from the west."


    Mac, who was still giggling, suddenly asked with a little serious expression, "When we go hunting, I usually don¡¯t think about anything else because of the tension. However, we¡¯re not in any danger this time. We¡¯re just catching Youngest Master and bringing him back to the boss. It¡¯s just surprising that those turtles that don''t step out of the village are with us this time."


    Turtle was a nickname of the guards that rarely came out of the village. They were slower compared to the warriors and the guards not coming out of the village resembled a turtle hiding inside its shell. Hence the moniker that someone coined spread and eventually everyone called the guards turtle.


    Obviously, the guards were furious, but it wasn¡¯t an unreasonable idea.


    ¡°So when Denburg ran away from home, he took away a treasure of the village with him?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s what everyone is thinking,¡± Mac answered straightforwardly.


    "Well, that''s not completely wrong."


    "What?! Is the Youngest Master really running away with treasures?! Oh my God! I''ve been living in the village all this time and I didn''t even know a treasure existed."


    "Why? So that you could run away with it if you knew?"


    At Gawain''s question, Mac lightly waved and denied his words. "Hey, Captain and Youngest Master are Boss¡¯s sons, so you guys will only be punished lightly if you get caught. But if I were to run away with a treasure, I would be executed on the spot.¡±


    "No, if you stole an important treasure that would cause a pursuit of this magnitude, even we wouldn¡¯t escape with a simple punishment.¡±


    Disregarding Gawain¡¯s words, Mac asked, "So what did Youngest Master steal?"


    "Nothing."


    At Gawain''s reply, Mac whispered with a sly smile, "Hey, it¡¯s just me and Captain. Let the little man know."


    "It¡¯s really nothing. It''s just some dried food and a map that he took with him."


    He also took some money and a blanket, but that wasn¡¯t important.


    "What? But didn''t you say he stole something?" Although he said that, Mac''s tone seemed to be asking why he was lying.


    Gawain snorted. "When did I? I said he did something similar, but I never said he stole anything.¡±


    "Then what is it? Captain, are you telling me some bullshit story that Youngest Master himself is the treasure?¡±


    ¡°That''s right."


    At Gawain''s words, Mac stopped looking for tracks and retreated from the man with a weary expression.


    "That''s ridiculous. I didn''t know that you were such a pervert!"


    "Who¡¯s a pervert!"


    ¡®I think I might just pull that goddamn goat beard out.¡¯


    While Gawain was thinking this, Mac suddenly covered his beard and said, "That was an eye aiming for my awesome beard!"


    Rather than questioning whether Mac knew mind-reading techniques, Gawain was angry that he was guarding his beard instead of his jabbering mouth.


    Gawain decided that he was really going to pull it out later. Then, he asked, "What do you think is the most important thing in the village?"


    Mac answered the question with no signs of pondering. "The most important thing, of course, is Boss."


    That was the correct answer.


    No one in the village could replace Doomstone. To the villagers, any divine weapon, or magic, was nothing but sticks and tricks compared to Doomstone, who led the village.


    "Then how important would it be if Father had a successor?"

 Chapter 7: Runaway (7)

    "Of course, Captain will become the next... No way!"


    Mac''s complexion rapidly deteriorated.


    "Yes, it¡¯s exactly what you think."


    "You¡¯re saying that Youngest Master will be the next boss?!"


    Gawain nodded his small head.


    Originally, this was not supposed to be announced until Denburg was at least thirty. However, Hestia said that since he had already run away once, there was a chance that he would try running away again. She was therefore planning on letting everyone in the village know. Since this was the case, Gawain decided that it would be okay to tell them.


    Mac looked back and shouted to the warriors, "You bastards! You heard Captain right!"


    "Yes!"


    The warriors appeared solemn as if they were about to go hunt dragons.


    "We are bringing back Youngest Master with all our might!"


    "Yes!"


    The warriors did not question or ask why it was Denburg and not their captain or Gallahad who was succeeding Doomstone. It was the village head''s sole authority and duty to choose his successor. It was impossible to argue with the boss''s decision.


    Gawain quietly urged.


    "Let''s go!"


    To capture our future leader.


    -o-


    "Achoo!"


    I felt a sudden chill all over my body. Perhaps due to sleeping in the cold night without a campfire, my body was stiff and trembling.


    What am I going to do tonight?I should have brought more blankets.


    I considered going on a quick hunt to obtain some leather, but I was worried about the time that would be wasted as well as the stench that would stick to me from sleeping in raw leather.


    Time or smell could become fatal during a pursuit. My blanket, however, was too thin to withstand the falling temperature at night.


    It had been a critical mistake to underestimate nature.


    Perhaps I should sleep in a cave tonight even if it means taking a little detour.


    I glanced at the map and located the nearest cave. I revised my plan by taking into consideration Gawain¡¯s speed as well as Hestia¡¯s current thought process. I was planning on bypassing the rift with my original plan, but assuming that I was sleeping in a cave tonight, I zeroed in on three caves that seemed like potential candidates.


    The nearest cave was too close. Selecting this would render me with no choice but to drastically reduce the time spent running away today. This would also give the pursuers precious time and decrease the distance between us.


    The second cave was the most suitable considering its distance from my current location and the pursuit squad behind me. Though, it was at the end of the rift, meaning it was close to the sixth campsite on the map.


    Hestia would most likely form an encirclement between the rift and the sixth campsite. Considering the timing, it was possible to break through before a complete encirclement formed.


    That said, sleeping in the cave would mean that I would get caught before lunch tomorrow. If it happened and I was brought back to the village, I would definitely be a watchman for the next few years.


    Hestia would announce to the villagers that I would succeed my father as the village head, thereby ensuring every villager watches over me. It would be the beginning of a life where I would roll around with monsters and demons while being under constant surveillance.


    Dammit!Had I waited another month or so and then run away while pretending to go hunting, wouldn''t I have been able to get out of the forest before my escape was even noticed?


    No no. Although she never expressed it, Hestia''s ghostly senses were already aware of my intentions to leave the village.


    If I had said I was going hunting, she would have told Gawain and he would have assigned some warriors to me. If not, she would have found some reason to put me into the guard division or warrior force. These two places always performed frequent personnel checks and operated in basic units of three, so there would be no opportunity to run away.


    Before becoming an adult, you had a guardian because you were not an adult. After you were an adult, you always had a comrade side by side due to work. Without the coming of age ceremony, which required the person to hunt alone, it would not have been possible to leave the village alone without raising suspicion.


    There was only one option remaining if I wanted to sleep in a cave tonight...


    Staying in the third cave would take the encirclement and pursuers chasing me out of the equation.


    It''s just... will my magic power be able to withstand it?


    -o-


    A messenger hawk circled in the sky, then flew and perched right next to Hestia. Based on its collar, it seemed to be a message from Gawain.


    An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for liaison immediately took out the letter from an object attached to the hawk¡¯s leg and handed it to Hestia.


    Periodic report ¨C Denburg appears to have diverged from his original route at a location 20kms, 3 o¡¯clock from Toad Rock, and is now heading directly towards the rift. In the case of a ploy, some units were left to look for other tracks and the rest is pursuing.


    Hestia read the letter and looked at the map scribbled with lines following Denburg¡¯s tracks.


    Toad Rock was about 900 kilometers away from the village. Even while ignoring the distance covered on the paved route, traces of Denburg sent by Gawain showed that he had covered a considerable amount of distance in the last two days.


    If it had been her, she would have, by now, barely managed to reach the second campsite where Denburg had veered off from.


    Yesterday, Hestia had told Doomstone to expect the pursuit to last a while, but she had said so because she was unsure of how deviously Denburg would move.


    In reality, she had expected to receive a message that her youngest brother had been caught by lunch today. Although the warrior force led by Gawain was smaller than Gallahad¡¯s guards, these were people who lived in the forest as if it were more comfortable than the village. Hence, it was reasonable to assume that they would have caught him already. To think that the warriors were still after Denburg without even encountering him once.


    Hestia felt that she now knew why Doomstone would name Denburg his successor.


    She focused on the map again.


    But why did Denburg suddenly change his route?


    Did he find out that she had created an encirclement on the path he was taking?


    She immediately rejected her speculation. She surmised Denburg would have already predicted this. Judging by his speed, it looked like he was trying to break through the encirclement before it fully formed. Even if he didn¡¯t manage to break through, he would try to penetrate the weakest point in the encirclement before it became too tight.


    That was what she had been thinking, but based on Denburg¡¯s current route, he was heading straight towards the cliff. Unlike his previous routes that had disrupted his pursuers, this one was clearly a straight line.


    If she could predict his route this far ahead, the pursuit squad could just head straight for the cliff and catch up to Denburg in a short period of time without wasting time looking for his traces.


    But what was it? What did she miss?


    There must be a reason why he suddenly changed his plan. He was not one to change plans for no reason.


    As she mulled over and over, Hestia suddenly came up with a possibility.


    "Minister of Foreign Affairs!"


    "Yes, Miss."


    "Was there a blanket among the materials Denburg stole?"


    The Minister of Foreign Affairs considered for a moment then nodded. "Yes, there was."


    "Was the blanket thick? Thick enough to weather the cold without a campfire outside the campgrounds?"


    "No. The blanket shouldn¡¯t be that thick because we¡¯ve allocated enough small huts and firewood to stop the rain and wind at the campgrounds."


    This was it! This was exactly it!


    Hestia immediately circled the caves which were close to Denburg¡¯s location.


    There were two caves he could stay in during the night. The first one couldn¡¯t be it since it was too close to Toad Rock. The second one was too close to the sixth campsite.


    If the encirclement failed to catch him right away, the pursuit squad forming the encirclement would have no choice but to return to the sixth campsite.


    Denburg was not an idiot that would risk it all by taking a chance to sleep right in front of people who were looking to catch him. He was headed straight to the canyon.


    A blanket too thin to weather the night...Yes, I see.


    "Please prepare a messenger hawk immediately!" Hestia cried with her eyes shining.


    -o-


    "Found him! It¡¯s Youngest Master!"


    I could hear the voices of the pursuers in the distance. I didn¡¯t know if they were guards or warriors, but it was more likely that they were warriors.


    Dammit! They caught up to me faster than I thought!


    It was currently 7 p.m., and according to my predictions, there should still have been around an hour''s worth of distance remaining. Unexpectedly, I encountered them early.


    "Youngest Master! Please stop!"


    A familiar voice came from behind me. It was evident that the person was Vice-Commander Mac, Gawain¡¯s friend and right-hand man.


    "What kind of person stands still because he¡¯s told to!"


    I ran away with all my might. I had not left the forest yet. To be exact, I still had not reached the rift.


    Should a scuffle ensue, it was advantageous to fight with the rift shielding my back to thwart all chances of an ambush from the rear. It was a tactic called ¡°beating the drum with the water behind", and it was the only way to fight against the warriors who were moving as a group and basically gliding through the trees. If I fought the warriors in the forest, I was simply asking them to capture me.


    I had to run as quickly as possible. Eventually, I arrived at the rift.


    Welcome to the summoner¡¯s rift!


    "Denburg!"


    Upon Gawain¡¯s cry, I turned around and pulled out my sword. I had no intention of wielding it, but it should suffice as a threat.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The pursuers all gathered behind Gawain and pulled out their swords.


    Oh no, should I have not provoked them?


    "Wow, are you here to catch me or kill me?"


    At my playful question, the swordsmen looked strained. Hurting me was not permitted. Even if they were to hurt me, it could not go beyond some minor injuries. Of course, I couldn¡¯t hurt them either. Even if they were here to capture me, we were still from the same village.


    In the worst-case scenario, if I were brought back to the village, I would have to live with the knowledge that I had inflicted scars on their bodies.


    "Youngest Brother, it''s over now. Let''s go back to the village," Second Brother said, and then pulled out his sword.


    ¡®Hello, can¡¯t we resolve this through peaceful words?¡¯


    Trying to beat Gawain in a sword fight was equivalent to trying to beat Usain Bolt in a race. Well, I think I should be able to win if I used some cheap methods. This was, however, not the correct solution for this situation.


    I shouldn¡¯t fight a battle that would just drain my strength.


    "Brother, do you know why It*chi is strong?¡±


    "Who is It*chi? Is he stronger than me?" Gawain asked, fire burning in his eyes.


    However, I ignored my brother''s question and continued. "Because he escaped immediately."


    "What?!"


    Gawain didn''t understand. He would probably never understand.


    I crouched down slightly and took a big leap backwards.


    ¡°This is my escape route! Jo**!"


    Jumping off with the cliff behind me, I was seized by a momentary sense of fear as I felt the intense drop and the endless darkness of the rift.


    At that moment, my second eldest brother yelled at me from behind.


    "Who the hell is Jo**?[1] Is he stronger than me!"


    Hey, brother, your little brother just jumped off a cliff. Isn¡¯t it too much that you¡¯re getting fired up about a cartoon character rather than worrying about your brother?


    1. First reference is Itachi from Naruto, and second reference is JoJo from JoJo¡¯s Bizarre Adventures.

 Chapter 8: Runaway (8)

    "Gravity Reduction! Semi-Gravity! Adjust Lift! Airflow Control!"


    I cast four magic spells at once as I flew towards the opposite cliff.


    Magic power was stable inside the village and there would have been no need to use so much magic power just for flying. However, I was inside the forbidden region of Olympus, where magic power moved more violently than angry bulls.


    In my village, I could perform flight magic that required five times more magic power and spells that were twenty times more complicated than usual in my front yard. However, if that flight magic were cast here, it would take fifty times the usual power. Simply put, with my current magic power reservoir, I wouldn¡¯t last over a kilometer.


    If I were to integrate the complex algorithms that I had developed with the magic spells, it was possible to significantly reduce the consumption rate of magic power. Even so, it was still a hefty amount that would be consumed.


    The rift¡¯s ten-kilometer width was so wide that it was more appropriate to call it a canyon. I was barely able to pass through it with the amount of magic power I had.


    -o-


    Gawain was stunned to see Denburg fly off the cliff.


    If the target he was pursuing was a flying monster or demon and not his brother, he would have imbued his arrows with magic power and shot it down. However, Denburg was a target that had to be captured alive.


    "Huh... Captain, he could fly like that?"


    Standing next to Gawain, Mac also watched in vain as the figure flew off into the distance. He was also implying why he had not been notified of such a possibility before.


    But, Gawain¡¯s answer to that question was... "I didn''t know either."


    It was true. Gawain was aware of his brother¡¯s ability to cast magic but had not known that he was such a great magician that he could even fly in this forest. Although his own abilities were limited to simple magic, as someone who knew the craft, he was shocked to see that Denburg could fly in this forest without using any tools.


    The best magician of the village, Elder Mirpa, was also of the belief that flying outside the village was a stupid move that only idiots who would stab themselves in the head would choose.


    But to think that he would fly a distance of at least ten kilometers over a rift of unknown depth...


    Gawain, Mac, and the other members of the squad felt that Denburg, like Doomstone, was a monster beyond the level of a human.


    "Captain! We received a message from the commander!"


    Gawain took the letter from the soldier and read it.


    Urgent ¨C Assuming that Denburg will ''fly'' over the rift, capture him alive before he arrives at the location. Should catching up with him fail, give up the pursuit and arrive at the seventh campsite by 7 a.m. tomorrow.


    Gawain felt goosebumps as he read the letter. Hestia was clearly inside the village, but she had made a correct guess based on the information he had sent.


    If Gawain hadn''t seen Denburg fly across the rift, he would have marked his sister¡¯s conjecture as a ridiculous delusion. But the boy had actually flown across the rift, and she had managed to infer that merely from the hints that he had changed his course.


    "We''re moving!"


    "Yes!"


    Gawain bitterly smiled. Although they were his siblings, they were more similar to monsters.


    -o-


    I could see the other end. Luckily I encountered a favorable wind during the flight and managed to cross the rift with much less magic power than I had anticipated. With the amount of magic power I could currently feel, I had roughly 25% left.


    According to my calculations, I should have had less than 10% remaining and would have had to rest for a while. With this much magic power, however, I think I could go all the way to the cave and rest.


    Upon landing on the opposite side of the rift, I stretched to relax my body that had become stiff from the flight. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of people in the area. They were definitely people from the village.


    "Come out!" I unsheathed my sword and shouted.


    The pursuit consisted of warriors and guards. Since the warriors were chasing me from the rear, the ones blocking the front were most likely guards.


    A guard was a battle maniac, so they would definitely confront me if I were to pull out my sword like this.


    Sure enough, three guards revealed themselves from the forest.


    Only three? More importantly, how did they know I would fly over the rift?


    The fact that they were here meant that Gallahad or Hestia had ordered them. My brother, except during a fight, was not smart enough to anticipate my moves a few turns in advance. It had to be my eldest sister.


    Hestia¡¯s strategy should have involved Gawain following my tracks and Gallahad following the latter to form an encirclement. I reckoned Gallahad would follow the route from behind the main pursuit and form a gigantic human net. However, there were clearly people waiting for me beyond the rift. As such, there were three possibilities for this situation.


    First, Hestia thought I would fly over the rift from the very start. Second, she deduced that I would fly over the rift after seeing the change in my route. And third, she was forming an encirclement but also sent some people past the rift in case I flew over it.


    The second possibility was not possible. Even if it were true, there still had not been enough time to send people over the rift. Additionally, Hestia did not have the information that I had the ability to fly over the rift as well as enough information to deduce my motivations for crossing the rift.


    However, it could not be the first possibility either, for it was a strategy that basically discarded the encirclement. Being a cautious person, Hestia would not have employed such a bold strategy. Even if she had, she would not have sent only three people.


    The only presence I could sense right now were these three people in front of me. Thus, the third possibility was the only option remaining and these people in front of me were my sister¡¯s insurance.


    In other words, their encirclement could not stop me.


    "What, what is it? Why are you smiling?"


    One of the guards in front of me asked in displeasure.


    Oops, I think my face revealed my inner thoughts.


    But what could I do? In this desperate situation, right when I thought I¡¯d been captured, I could see a ray of hope. All I could do was apologize.


    "Sorry, I have to go."


    "Stop him!"


    The guards frantically yelled in unison as they saw me lunging towards them.


    I¡¯m sorry, but you three can¡¯t stop me.


    -o-


    Gawain¡¯s message arrived at the village head¡¯s office that was currently acting as the headquarter for the pursuit. It said he had succeeded in catching up with Denburg, but the latter jumped off the cliff and flew across it.


    In reality, Hestia had also been doubtful about her own premise even as she had been sending out orders. Elder Mirpa had risen to the rank of grand magician, but upon hearing this theory, he too had shaken his head in refute.


    Even so, Denburg¡¯s actions were unexplainable without that theory. Besides, there had also been evidence that he may have had no choice but to take this drastic measure. Hestia had therefore confidently ordered the troops to move.


    As a result, the theory that Denburg was a grand magician who surpassed Elder Mirpa and that he had a special flying spell was proven.


    Well, Denburg often talked about theories and studies that didn''t make sense. Hestia had once asked him how it felt to fly in the sky. He had simply lifted Hestia''s body with magic in lieu of a detailed explanation. And although it was only flying to the village gate where magic power was still stabilized, she had tasted an indescribable sense.


    Having been airborne for some time, she had asked her brother, "How did I fly in the sky?"


    The answer was, of course, "Magic."


    It was a very foolish question, but at the time, Hestia had been excited.


    Rather than laugh at the question that she herself thought was stupid, Denburg explained the theories of gravity, air resistance, and levitation. Though Hestia lacked the knowledge of a magician, she had retained the deduction methods of the theories he had taught her.


    No matter how brilliant a hunter may be, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to chase after tracks in the air. Since it was such, she now had to take up the baton herself.


    Although she did not understand the full theory, in terms of just simple calculations, there was no reason why she could not imitate Denburg. So, based on his point of take-off she had obtained from Gawain, coupled with the data of atmospheric conditions of the forest for the last decade, she started calculating the location Denburg was most likely to land at.


    Then, using Denburg¡¯s unique symbols called Hangul, she repeatedly wrote and erased symbols and numbers on a black chalkboard until she had finally deduced the approximate point of touchdown.


    Now, there was only one thing she could do...


    It was time to utilize the insurance she had prepared just in case.


    She sent off a messenger hawk.


    -o-


    "Youngest Master! Let''s go back to the village!"


    Dammit! What¡¯s happening?


    This was already the fifth encounter with the pursuit squad. I¡¯d definitely knocked out the first pursuit squad I met to prevent them from revealing my location. Since then, in case of an unexpected encounter with monsters or demons, I used the dragon¡¯s excretion as a catalyst to cast a simple spell that would prevent their approach. Even with these precautions in place, the pursuit squad kept coming after me as if they knew where I was!


    Up until the encounter with the third pursuit squad, I had expected to eventually get out of this encirclement, but now I was forced to reevaluate.


    What¡¯s happening? The encirclement is too tight.


    At this rate, my magic power and physical strength would eventually run out and I would get caught.


    What went wrong?


    What did I miss?


    Let''s go back to the very beginning. No, I¡¯d already crossed the rift and didn''t have the magic power to return. Right after the point I crossed the rift, there were three assumptions I made.


    Common sense dictated that the first assumption was wrong. Even as I thought about it again, Hestia wasn¡¯t an idiot to gamble based on her intuition when she didn¡¯t even have any valid source of information. The second assumption was honestly unlikely, but with Eldest Sister as an opponent, it was not out of the realm of possibility. But there was no evidence that she made such conjectures, and even if she did, there hadn¡¯t been enough time for her to form such a tight encirclement.


    No matter how much I pondered over it, it still boiled down to the third possibility. I was almost certain¡­


    "Hey! Don''t bother me!"


    I swung my sword and struck the sword of the guard who kept coming at me.


    Dammit! I needed to think, but he kept bothering me by stabbing and retreating like a fly.


    Like he was trying to buy time...


    Wait, was he trying to buy time?


    Why would he do that? With such a thick perimeter, there was no reason for him to do such a thing.


    Wait, was this really a thick encirclement? It seemed like this was the part I missed.


    I must think, think, think...


    "You haven''t formed an encirclement yet, have you?"


    It was a theory. Although unproven, I spoke with a voice filled with certainty.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Bingo! The guards were startled by my words.


    I love simple people.

 Chapter 9: Runaway (9)

    There was one more piece of information I gathered during the pursuit. Seemingly a thick encirclement was underway. Although I encountered squadrons in every direction, the encirclement wasn¡¯t in place yet. This meant that the pursuit squad knew the direction I was taking.


    How did they know?


    Let¡¯s take a step back for a bit. Since Hestia was in charge of the whole pursuit, the success of the pursuit squads had to be due to her instructions. She had to know the path that I was taking.


    How could she know that?


    I was stumped. No... let''s look at it another way.


    I was heading in the direction of the cave to escape the cold during the night. The reason being the blanket I¡¯d brought along was thinner than expected.


    Wait a minute! I stole this blanket from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs! That said, there was a possibility that Hestia was aware of my situation.


    Dammit! Was my destination revealed too?


    Gawain saw me flying over the rift. So it was quite possible that Hestia figured out where I was headed to and was now forming an encirclement around the vicinity of the cave.


    I finally understood. Just like I had predicted, Hestia had dispatched people over the opposite side of the rift as a precaution. Their purpose was to find my landing position in case I flew over it.


    Additionally, while I was flying over the rift, she must have discovered the blanket I brought was too thin to keep warm during the night. She had probably stumbled upon this fact while looking for reasons as to why I would head directly towards the rift. Eventually, she proceeded to decipher my movements based on this new finding and laid out this trap for me.


    I had made a critical mistake. I was under pressure, and eager to escape from the pursuit as fast as possible. Thus, I ended up revealing my destination to her.


    But two other questions still bothered me.


    First, how did she know where I had landed?


    In order to give the impression that an encirclement was formed in this manner, she must have had information on my starting and landing point. The guards I knocked out earlier shouldn¡¯t have woken up yet, so how could she know where I¡¯d landed?


    Second, why would she pretend like an encirclement was being formed when it would be easier to just surround and capture me after I arrived at the cave? It was obvious that capturing me at the cave would be better both in terms of efficiency and safety, so it didn¡¯t make sense that she would use this kind of a ruse.


    Ah, I really had no idea! Nor sufficient information.


    I knocked out the guards in front of me and changed my direction.


    Dammit, I might have to sleep in the cold again tonight!


    -o-


    It had been two days since Denburg ran away from home. The sun was going down, and the pursuers would be soon preparing to call it in for the night with the sole exception of the warrior squadron led by Gawain. This unit would continue to move throughout the night.


    This was imperative in order to catch Denburg. However, no matter how fast the warriors were, it would be wee hours when they reached the seventh campsite.


    Hestia¡¯s order stated that they should be ready at the seventh campsite by 7 a.m., but that also meant the next order would only arrive then. Gawain, although he didn¡¯t use his brains often, should be aware that their future movements would be hindered if they actually arrived exactly at the deadline.


    While Hestia was apologetic that Gawain and his squadron could only get three or four hours¡¯ worth of sleep, she was helpless in this matter. After all, they were the key force in catching Denburg.


    Hestia was sipping tea and examining the map when Doomstone called out to her.


    "Hestia!"


    "Yes, Father."


    Hestia was worried that her father would blame her for having yet to catch Denburg, but Doomstone smiled kindly at her.


    "It looks like you¡¯re having a hard time because of Denburg."


    "No, I¡¯m having fun since it''s been a while since I played chess with him."


    "Oh, you mean the chess you guys play with multiple boards?"


    "Yes, although I have a slightly higher win rate, it¡¯s only a tiny difference with 52 wins and 48 losses.¡±


    "Haha, I have trouble playing chess with only one board, but it looks like you guys are having fun.¡±


    "A game with just simple moving pieces isn¡¯t suited for you. However, Father still has his absolute intuition.¡±


    That was absolutely true. Doomstone¡¯s intuition was actually terrifying. For instance, if he were to examine a map and was asked to choose where a mine full of minerals could be located, his gut instinct would choose the correct locations most of the time. Thanks to this sixth sense that could transcend animal instincts, the village was overflowing with legendary mineral resources such as Adamantium, Orichalcum and Mithril.


    In addition, he was also able to make profit from numerous exchanges with the empire by correctly predicting natural disasters such as massive demon migrations or droughts. Thanks to Doomstone, the village was currently in its golden age.


    As his child, Hestia had the obligation to make this era even richer and most importantly, sustainable. To fulfill that obligation, it was vital that Denburg succeeded Doomstone.


    "By the way¡ª" Doomstone sat down in front of Hestia. "¡ªAs you said, Denburg is heading to the cave. Don¡¯t you think it would have been better to surround him at the cave instead of faking an encirclement along his route?¡±


    Hestia spread a map to explain. "This idea did occur to me, Father."


    "So why didn¡¯t you¡ª?"


    ¡°There were certain reasons why I couldn¡¯t." Hestia began to lay down the details over a cup of brewed tea. "First of all, he doesn''t know, but records show that this cave has a demon capable of fighting a dragon. There is a high chance he will encounter this demon if he decides to sleep in this cave.¡±


    Doomstone shook his head. "Denburg isn¡¯t a weakling. The fact that he is still running away from the pursuit right now is proof of this.¡±


    Hestia agreed with him. "Yes, you¡¯re right. Denburg is strong, and if he tries his best, I think he could eventually become stronger than Gawain or Gallahad. However, he hasn¡¯t slept properly in 2 days. He¡¯s been running around in an unfamiliar forest and crossing the rift probably consumed most of his magic power. It¡¯s safe to say that he¡¯s most likely exhausted by now.¡±


    "I still believe that he would be able to defeat that demon," Doomstone said with conviction.


    Hestia supplemented him with a nod. "Yes. Additionally, he is clever, so if he found out that he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the demon, he would just run away. However, I don¡¯t want him to get hurt."


    "Well, the demon is certainly dangerous." Doomstone stroked his chin and concurred with his daughter.


    "The second reason is that there is a high probability that we could lose track of him."


    "How is that so?" Doomstone tilted his head.


    "If he were to enter the cave, there is a high chance that he would be forced to fight the demon. In that situation, Denburg will probably choose to run away from the fight."


    "Run away?"


    Doomstone¡¯s face was filled with incomprehension, but Hestia was certain about her conjecture.


    From the villager¡¯s point of view, Denburg¡¯s aversion to fighting was considered quite strange. Someone like him wouldn¡¯t recklessly fight a demon when they encountered one without prior warning or preparation.


    "Yes. If he runs away, given that he intruded upon the demon¡¯s territory, it would most likely give chase. In such a scenario, there is a very high likelihood that the pursuit members forming an encirclement outside the cave will encounter the demon as well."


    Hestia pointed at the map and moved the horse piece that symbolized the current pursuit squad.


    "When that happens, the demon and the pursuit members will engage in battle, and Denburg will take that opportunity to slip away again. What will remain are traces destroyed by the battle."


    Most of the pursuers who crossed the rift were guards rather than warriors. Not to mention the guards, even for the warriors, finding the lingering trails would be an arduous endeavour.


    Of course, there was also the possibility that the situation would proceed differently from what she expected. Should Denburg choose to fight the demon rather than running away, it would be a piece of cake for the pursuit squad to catch the battle-worn lad.


    But it was also inconceivable that Denburg would choose to fight against the demon given that he spent such a huge amount of magic power flying over the rift.


    "The warriors who will arrive late won¡¯t be able to follow the remnant tracks.¡± Doomstone nodded in agreement.


    Since her father was convinced, Hestia did not mention the third and last reason, which was basically reversing the current situation.


    Up until now, Denburg had predicted the actions of his pursuers using the letter he had left behind. If there had been no information left behind, he would probably have been captured already. However, now that Hestia had a complete grasp of his actions, she could take this opportunity to use the pursuit squad to control his movements instead. In fact, pretending to form a dense net around him by sending pursuit squadrons in his direction was also a strategy to force his movements. He would soon realize that this wasn¡¯t a complete encirclement and change his course. But the direction he would choose would be the route she wanted him to move in.


    Hestia had ordered the pursuit squad over the other side of the rift to invest half their manpower into creating an encirclement between the cave area and the cliff. Once Denburg changed his course, they were ordered to advance towards the seventh campsite.


    The other half had been ordered to pursue Denburg. It was obvious that the pursuers consisting entirely of guards wouldn¡¯t be able to capture Denburg. However, she was now able to control the direction he would proceed in.


    It was a great merit that Hestia now knew his route. Rather than forming an encirclement around the cave like Doomstone suggested, it was also possible to form an encirclement enroute to the cave. In fact, this strategy had a higher chance of capturing the target. To be more precise, this was the strategy with the highest success rate.


    However, Hestia gave up on this method because there was one variable she could not account for. And that was Denburg''s remaining reservoir of magic power.


    Denburg had most certainly spent a lot of magic power to fly over the rift. However, the calculations she made during his flight over the rift indicated that there was a possibility of his magic power reservoir being relatively intact.


    Hestia was oblivious to Denburg''s total reservoir of magic power. Even Elder Mirpa, the top magician in the village, was unaware of this fact. Given his usual personality, Denburg would have most certainly made prior calculations to ensure that he would have a reserve of magic power. He would have made sure to conserve at least 5% of his magic power even if he ignored changes in the climate and the distance across the rift.


    That said, it was possible to predict Denburg¡¯s total reservoir of magic power according to this theory. Taking into account today¡¯s weather over the rift and the atmospheric conditions of the forest, along with his estimated total magic power reservoir, the theory deduced that he could currently have as much as 30% of his magic power remaining.


    Of course, she could not be sure. It was possible that the margin of error was large or that the prediction could be wrong entirely. But this was 30% of Denburg¡¯s magic power, a monster that could kill 40 demons in a single day without sustaining any injuries. He had probably used his magic power without any conservation when he had been killing the demons, but that was still 40 demons. It did not matter what type of trap had been set, or what kind of methods had been used, the power of 40 demons could not be underestimated.


    In other words, to capture Denburg, there was a need to drain more of his strength.

 Chapter 10: Runaway (10)

    It had been three days since I was on the run. It was a bright morning; the sun had yet to fully rise and the sky only just started to turn blue.


    I began to move after warming up.


    Despite the dense thicket surrounding me, I could still peek at the huge hawks soaring in the sky; occasionally, glimpsing three meters long deer and five meters long cats. (At this point, it was better to call them saber-toothed tigers and behemoths).


    Currently, I was scurrying to find a safe and peaceful life.


    Last night, after agonizing over how to avoid freezing without leaving any traces, I decided to dig a pit and light a campfire.


    Lighting a campfire was a stupid move that would leave a clear trail for the pursuit squad as well as attract nearby demons, but I had been left with little choice.


    After leaving the campfire on for three hours, I put the gravel I had placed in the fire into my leather bag before proceeding to move.


    I spent the night a distance away from the location where the campfire was lit, using the heat from the gravel to warm myself up. I fed the campfire extra firewood before leaving just to lead the pursuit squad astray in figuring out the exact time of my departure.


    I opened the map and double-checked my position. The outskirts of the forest were now overwhelmingly closer to me than the village. If I were reading the map correctly, the seventh campsite, which was the campsite closest to my location, was around 100km away. If I were to keep away from the route drawn on the map to avoid potential encounters with the pursuit squad, I still had to cover roughly 200kms to get out of the forest.


    Flying over the rift had substantially shortened the distance. With this much distance remaining, it was possible to escape the pursuers and leave the forest by the end of the day. And once I was out of the forest, no matter how much the pursuit squad tried to trap me, I was confident that I could escape.


    Not just running away, I would also have time to play around with them as well. Of course, the only condition was that I had sufficient magic power remaining.


    My current reservoir of magic power was around 56%. I would have been able to completely recover in the village, but due to the constant rampaging of magic power inside the forest, my recovery was being delayed.


    -o-


    Except for a handful of vanguards, virtually everyone was gathered at the seventh campsite. The warrior group led by Gawain, Gallahad and his guards, and even most of the leading squads that had been sent along the routes on the map, had all assembled here at Hestia¡¯s behest.


    Although the warrior group led by Gawain had only been able to sleep for four to five hours due to losing Denburg at the rift, it was nothing new to them. They could go two nights straight without sleep when hunting in the forest.


    But it was undeniable that they were far from the optimal condition. The same went for Gallahad, who was in front of Gawain.


    "Hey, will we be able to catch Denburg?" Gallahad''s voice lacked conviction.


    Gallahad had been unable to even get a glimpse of Denburg¡¯s face during the entire pursuit. He was likely thinking he would not be able to contribute to the chase. However, it was difficult for him to distinguish himself in the position he had been assigned to. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about it.


    The forest was the home territory of the warriors, and it was inevitable that the movements of the guards would be restricted here. In addition, the encirclement led by Gallahad was an integral part of the plan that couldn¡¯t be left out.


    Instead of comforting his brother, Gawain shook his head. "I don''t know either. This pursuit has already turned into a game between Denburg and Hestia. It¡¯s not like you and I are very smart."


    "That''s true. Leisha, what do you think?" Gallahad turned to Leisha, she had been brought along to advise them on Denburg¡¯s magic.


    Initially, Gawain had been doubtful of what Denburg or Leisha could do in a forest where magic power was rampant. However, watching his younger brother fly across the rift had changed his mind and now he was glad his sister was around to advise him.


    "I¡¯m curious as well. Advice from a magician like Denburg would be very helpful for the pursuit."


    Leisha was a magician and smart, so there was some expectation that she would be able to read Hestia and Denburg¡¯s minds.


    However, she shook her head in all seriousness. "I don''t know. Frankly speaking, I couldn''t believe it when I heard that Denburg flew over the rift."


    "It¡¯s definitely impressive, but you¡¯re also a magician like him,¡± Gawain said.


    Leisha shook her head again, visibly tired. "No, we¡¯re not in the same class at all. Denburg is a grand magician that I can never catch up to. Gawain, you must know as well since you have learned magic before.¡±


    "No, my knowledge is just limited to lighting wood on fire or creating water, so I don¡¯t really understand your reaction. But I fully understand how impressive Denburg¡ª"


    Leisha interrupted Gawain and stated, ¡°No, Brother doesn¡¯t understand. What Denburg did at the rift isn¡¯t just something that can be described as amazing. With that kind of ability, if Denburg cast magic with everything at his disposal outside the forest, a catastrophe only described in the myths would ensue.¡±


    Leisha''s eyes were filled with awe, akin to those from Gallahad and Gawain when they were looking at Doomstone, or perhaps even more.


    If Denburg were here, he would think this was an excessive reaction from just flying around in the sky.


    Suddenly, a person from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rushed over with a letter in hand.


    "Generals, a message from the commander has arrived."


    Gallahad took the letter and read it out aloud.


    As of this moment, the 300 warriors will be evenly divided into three groups.


    Warrior Group 1 will continue chasing Denburg¡¯s trail. Don''t get too close when he is discovered.


    Warrior Group 2 will head to the location marked in blue on the map by 9 a.m. and wait.


    Warrior Group 3 should reach the location marked in red by 10 a.m.


    The guards are to be evenly distributed into two groups. The first group of guards will form an encirclement beginning from the starting point of Warrior Group 1 to the destination of Warrior Group 3 by noon. They will hold that position unless directed otherwise.


    The second group of guards will follow Warrior Group 2 and form an encirclement. The distance between the two groups should be at least 1km.


    The layout Hestia had drawn on the map looked like a triangle with the rift and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs'' route serving as its side. Although it was a bit too round to be a perfect triangle.


    "Hey, do you know why we¡¯re moving like this?"


    When Gallahad whispered into Gawain''s ear, the latter shook his head.


    "If I knew, I would be in the village right now."


    -o-


    10:03 a.m.


    In the aftermath of my reckless flight across the rift, the pursuit squad had been presented with a new challenge yesterday. I reckoned I should start making new plans to adjust to their new challenge.


    I examined the map and tried to predict Hestia¡¯s modus operandi from here on out. If I were her, I would try to reexamine my position.


    Before I crossed the rift, the rift would have served as a barrier and made it easy to surround me. Now, other than the direction of the rift, the three remaining sides were open space and it would require too much manpower to completely surround me. Therefore, she needed to pinpoint my location to form an efficient encirclement after which, she would try to drain my strength as much as possible.


    I was an irregular who managed to fly over a 10km wide rift while being unable to utilize my full strength. In other words, I would be able to fly over the encirclement as long as my magic power lasted. Therefore, Hestia would need to drain my magic power as much as possible.


    Although I still had more magic power left than I had expected, recklessly spending magic power in an environment where the recovery rate was less than one-hundredth the speed of consumption would only result in my capture.


    There was one advantage for me if Hestia decided to plan to drain my magic power. In that, she would have to form the encirclement as large as possible.


    If I were to explain, let¡¯s answer the question ¡®what is a good environment to use magic?¡¯


    Although there were many factors to the answer, if we were to ignore the difficulty of casting magic, the foremost factor would be a tranquil environment. For example, if I had people chasing after me, it would be hard for me to properly use magic lest it hurt the pursuers. But if the pursuers were at a distance, I could easily cast magic to delay them without intentionally causing an accident. If they were to simply keep pursuing me, I could run away like before; but if their goal was to drain my magic power, it was better to keep poking me.


    And I would have no choice but to respond to their actions.


    The first idea that popped up in my mind was that they may try to shoot arrows at me, but I wondered if they would actually shoot at a family member.


    In any case, the conclusion I arrived at was that if they were to enlarge the encirclement, the encirclement would correspondingly thin out as a result.


    But I wondered ¡­ They wouldn¡¯t actually shoot arrows at me, would they?


    -o-


    Gawain led the first group of warriors and arrived at the place where the guards had last faced Denburg. Thankfully, he could descend down the rift and was able to arrive there quickly without passing through the forest.


    Denburg¡¯s traces were easy to find in this location. This was due to the fact that after exhausting his magic power and constantly facing new battles, he had moved on without erasing any of his tracks. Unlike during their beginning of the pursuit, the pursuit group was able to quickly move by following traces of Denburg located all around the area.


    "Campfire?" One of the leading warriors remarked.


    Gawain smiled upon seeing the remains of the campfire. This showed that Denburg had failed to withstand the cold and succumbed to the forest. It seemed that the reason the tracks had been so clear before was that Denburg had already known that they would find the campfire here, so hiding his previous tracks was meaningless.


    The campfire mark was proof that Gawain and his warriors were on the right track. This was the reason why campfires were forbidden when one was being pursued. After all, they served as milestones.


    Even a seasoned hunter wouldn¡¯t be able to completely erase the evidence of a used campfire. It may be covered with soil, but the change in the color of the soil would be obvious.


    To be completely honest, Denburg¡¯s tracks so far had been so well disguised that sometimes the tracks would head in two opposite directions or would suddenly disappear. At times, it was unclear whether the tracks were from Denburg or an animal, monster, or demon.


    "That''s strange."


    There was something strange going on. There were no signs of an attempt to cover up this campfire.


    "Where is Denburg¡¯s trail heading to?"


    "Well... I can¡¯t find any."


    "What? Did he hide his tracks here? Or did he fly?"


    Flying in this forest had been a ridiculous assumption until yesterday, but now, that fact had to be taken into account.


    Gawain¡¯s head started to hurt as he considered the rising possibilities.


    "General, there¡¯s not even a trace of Young Master sleeping here."


    Gawain was addled at Mac¡¯s words.


    Was this a trap?

 Chapter 11: Runaway (11)

    Come to think of it, the tracks Denburg had left were way more apparent than before. So much that Gawain had to consider the possibility of a trap.


    "My head hurts," Gawain murmured.


    Mac clenched his hands behind his back and said, "What is the big deal? Just send the information over to the commander."


    Gawain agreed that it was a good idea, after all, wits wasn¡¯t his area of expertise.


    "Okay. Contact Hestia and comb the area."


    "Yes!"


    With that, the warriors dispersed and began scouting the area.


    Mac came to Gawain and asked in a small voice, "Captain. Do we really need to shoot Youngest Master?" His hands found the quiver full of arrows behind his back.


    "Yes, we should since Hestia told us to do so."


    "But Youngest Master is Boss''s successor. If he gets hurt when we shoot him¡ª¡±


    "It should be all right. Can a guy who can fly across the rift get hurt by a mere arrow?"


    -o-


    A letter from Gawain arrived. It said there were signs of a campfire being set up, but there were no signs of Denburg moving or sleeping.


    Could this be a trap that Denburg set up?


    Hestia thought it was unlikely. Unless her youngest brother was an idiot, he would have made countermeasures after being forced to make a campfire due to the cold. Flying away using magic, or perfectly erasing traces of his movement; it was most likely one of the two. In addition, the reason there were no signs of him sleeping there was because he had not.


    Denburg was currently being pursued. Although he had managed to shake off his pursuers until now, he wouldn¡¯t light a campfire and go to sleep unless he was certain that he wasn¡¯t being chased. If she had to hazard a guess, he lit up the campfire at nightfall, burned gravels or stones on the fire, and then moved on after they were sufficiently heated. Although this was not as comfortable as sleeping with a campfire, it was better than sleeping without any measures to keep himself warm.


    As such, Hestia wrote down her reasonings, notified them not to worry about a trap, and then issued orders before sending away the messenger hawk.


    The biggest problem now was not whether Denburg had set up a trap, but rather that the distance between the headquarters and the pursuit team was causing a big delay in information exchange. The messenger hawks having little opportunity to rest also played a large part in the delay. Although the forest posed a major impediment to Denburg, the relay delay was also a big hindrance from the point of view of the pursuers.


    Of course, it was still nothing compared to Denburg''s obstructions.


    If he could use magic freely, there would be no one other than Doomstone who could catch him.


    -o-


    It was past 1:30 p.m.


    I was currently being fiercely chased. I think the distance between the pursuers and myself was around 1km.


    How could I tell that in a dense forest with no plane of view?


    Whoosh! Kang!


    It was because of the occasional arrows flying towards me. I couldn''t even see a speck of human hair in this dense forest, but these crazy arrows kept flying straight at me with deadly precision. The only person who could do this kind of crazy thing was Big Brother Mac. He was part of the Master Archery Squadron and known to be one of the best in our village.


    Damn, I never thought they would really shoot arrows!


    Whoosh! Kang!


    The arrow got hit by the sword I swung and bounced off. My wrist turned a little numb from the arrow after striking it down. It looked like the distance had reduced by 50m. If the distance kept decreasing until it was less than 500m, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to simply strike the arrow away with my sword. If I had been more focused on swordsmanship, I could cover the sword with aura and strike the arrow down. More importantly though, the person shooting the arrow had ridiculous skills.


    Perhaps when the distance was less than 500m, my reaction speed would not be able to keep up with the arrow speed. Of course, I could try to cover the sword with aura to strike the arrow down, but it would be safer to use magic to form a barrier against the arrow. If it were before, unless it was a unique situation, I would have had to use the sword to resolve the problem. However, after experiencing a breakthrough in my understanding of magic several times, magic became the faster and safer alternative for me to use in the forest.


    In conclusion, increasing the distance from the pursuers as much as possible was vital to conserving my magic power. If increasing the distance wasn¡¯t possible, I had to at least maintain it.


    Suddenly, I heard a terrifying sound coming from behind me.


    Quaaaaa-!


    SH*T!


    An arrow, seemingly immersed in mana, was flying straight towards me. How much mana had been poured into the arrow that it sounded like the air was being torn apart? I don¡¯t think it would be possible to use the sword to strike it away this time.


    Barrier! Barrier!


    I think my father could have punched it away, but my physical abilities weren¡¯t trained to that extent since I was a magician.


    Huh?


    The consumption rate wasn''t a joke as I tried to bring forth my magic power. Still, I had to create a defensive barrier if I didn''t want to die.


    Barrier! Barrier!


    Dizziness washed over me as I rapidly consumed magic power. I would have been fine if I had been in good condition, but I was in a terrible state of mind and body as I hadn''t been able to rest properly since this long fight began.


    Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!


    After creating seven layers of defensive barriers, I had to hold back from vomiting blood. I pulled out my sword, all set, in case the barriers got breached.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Kang?


    The arrow broke through five of my barriers and made a crack in the sixth which barely managed to bounce it off.


    Ahhhhh?!


    The rebounded arrow penetrated the ground and created a tremor.


    Ugh!


    Despite my preparation, I was still caught up in the aftermath of the impact and fell. Due to the dizziness from the sudden use of magic power, I couldn¡¯t get back up immediately. With trembling hands, I took out a water bottle hanging from my bag, moistened my throat, and took a deep breath. I washed away the dirt in my mouth with water and looked at the place where the arrow was stuck.


    The arrow had made a large pit as if it was created by a dynamite explosion rather than an arrow. This was by no means a power Brother Mac could release by himself, as aura, like magic, was an example of an art where magic power was being utilized. Though, this feat could probably be achieved in the village where magic power was stabilized


    It might be possible to perform arts that didn¡¯t require magic power to leave one¡¯s body as once magic power left one¡¯s body, it would inevitably be affected by the violent magic power of the forest. This was especially so for aura because it would lose as much power as magic would the further it traveled away from the body.


    Still, with this level of power, it wouldn''t be strange for at least 20 people to back out from mana exhaustion after spending all their mana supply to release this one arrow shot. I¡¯d also spent 50% of my remaining mana to stop that arrow. Even so, the outcome wasn¡¯t as bad since some people would have to leave to escort the retired warriors back home.


    I got up and started running away again. I made up my mind to run faster before the pursuit turned more intense. It wouldn''t take much time to leave the forest from my current location.


    "It''s Youngest Master!"


    "Catch him!"


    Holy sh!t!


    Since all my attention was on the squad at my rear, I completely forgot about the one at the front. There was not much magic power remaining but there was little choice left.


    "Flight!"


    I was swiftly airborne.


    At the rift, I was able to conserve magic power by controlling the gravity and lift. However, that type of flight wasn''t fast and also complicated to calculate making it impossible to use in an environment where I couldn''t focus.


    There was a bitter aftertaste in my mouth due to the intense usage of magic power that made me feel like vomiting blood.


    "Bring him down!"


    Down below, the pursuers fired arrows at me, but I evaded and flew fast. There were few master archers in the village that could take down a flying bird, so I was able to escape safely.


    -o-


    Hestia waited for news from the pursuers, relaxing in the head office while drinking tea. Then, she glanced at her father.


    Doomstone was scrutinizing documents related to the exchange between the empire and the Republic.


    To the northeast of the Olympus Forest, adjoining the Crow Tribe region was the country of Republic. It was a place that turned into a land of death due to the demon king, thereby becoming an isolated territory. Eventually, maritime trade developed. However, they were fledglings in terms of land trade, so they occasionally sought the Crow Tribe for escort.


    Although it was said to be adjacent, the empire and the Republic were geographically far apart due to Olympus Forest and Demon''s Territory. Land trade between the two consisted of trade routes through the Demon''s Territory.


    Though they hired the Crow Tribe that was well-acquainted with the Olympus Forest for escort, there were reasons why the trade route was inside Demon''s Territory. Carriages could not pass through the dense forest. Not to mention, Demon''s Territory was much safer than Olympus Forest.


    Demon''s territory did not have beasts that were more powerful than demons, so they only had to worry about demons. The number of demons was low, perhaps due to their poison which made it hard for them to breed, but the same was not true for the beasts that consisted of very high numbers.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    "Commander, we have a message."


    A voice sounded from outside the head''s office.


    "Come in."


    The letter from the official who opened the door said that Group 2 had intercepted Denburg. Facing them head-on, the youngest master tried to flee by flying. However, he had to make a sharp turn to avoid the flying arrows from the guards who were besieging him behind Group 2. Due to this, he ended up flying towards the location of Group 3 just as Hestia had intended.


    Although it was unknown how much of his magic power remained, after making such a sharp turn, he had to have consumed enough magic power to make him feel very exhausted.


    "It looks like it is almost time for the conclusion."


    The Group 2 warriors were located about 50 kilometers from the outskirts of the forest. It took around a couple of hours for a message to arrive at the village. In other words, the event that would decide Denburg¡¯s fate was occurring at this moment.


    Now, Denburg...


    How are you going to get out of this situation?


    -o-


    One thing I realized while flying up in the sky was the fact that I was completely surrounded. Behind me, the warrior squadron led by Gawain pursued me, while the guards led by Gallahad were forming an encirclement.


    Taking in the bird¡¯s eye view from the air, I could immediately discern Hestia¡¯s strategy.


    Group hunting!


    I was exactly in this situation. The reason the pursuit squads were shooting arrows at me wasn''t to drain my magic power. Rather, they were acting as a rudder to control my movements.


    This forest was wide. It was so wide that it was almost impossible to form an encirclement in the first place. If this were before I had crossed the rift, taking the rift into account, it was possible to form an encirclement with ease. I had thought that it would be impossible to form one after I crossed the rift.


    I had misjudged. I forgot that I was being chased by skilled hunters and that the skilled hunters were being moved by someone who could be considered a genius of the century.


    As I moved towards the outskirts of the forest, the encircling net moved along and became thicker. This place was clearly hundreds of kilometers away from the village, so the squadrons couldn¡¯t be in constant contact with my eldest sister. However, they were still displaying such perfect coordination.


    This meant that my eldest sister had perfectly read my movements and sent advance instructions.


    As I was flying, I could feel my magic power gradually falling so I decided to land. Time was not on my side when I saw the movements of the pursuers. My fate would be determined by whether I could get out of the forest as quickly as possible.


    Now, this was an adventure.

 Chapter 12: Runaway (12)

    A messenger hawk flew to Gawain. Judging by the collar, it wasn''t a missive from Hestia but Gallahad. He was currently forming an encirclement in front of Denburg.


    It was half-past eleven in the morning, and there were virtually no orders coming from Hestia. In her last message, she had issued new orders for the pursuing troops while telling them to move at their own discretion from here on out.


    It was a rational order since with only 50 kilometers left, it was self-evident that if the pursuing troops were to hesitate and wait for orders from Hestia, their target would be able to escape the forest. Although they could not receive instructions from her anymore, she had left them with a complete encirclement plan. Other than Denburg, it was impossible for anyone else to escape this level of encirclement.


    "Captain Gawain, Captain Gallahad is saying that he will combine the first and second guard division to complete the encirclement."


    "Tell Gallahad that we received his message and order the third warrior division to enter the encirclement without interfering with them."


    "Okay."


    A person was rushing towards Gawain as Mac was reading the letter to him.


    "Captain! It''s an emergency message from the third division! They are currently engaging with Master Denburg."


    "What?!"


    It couldn¡¯t be.


    This was 20 minutes faster than Hestia had anticipated!


    "Dammit! Contact Gallahad and ask him to send reinforcements to the third division!"


    The third warrior division was connecting the left and right sides of the encirclement. It was basically acting as a plug blocking the only hole in the encirclement. In other words, if Denburg broke through the third division, no one could stop him from leaving the forest.


    Of course, the division consisted of 100 warriors. It was not a force Denburg could penetrate with just his strength. However, being talented in both magic and physical ability, if he wished to avoid a head-on collision and run away, the possibility of success was quite high.


    "Everybody, head to where the third division is at top speed!"


    -o-


    I held my breath as I approached the encirclement. Then, I observed the guards that were forming the encirclement.


    From atop the tree, the formation didn''t seem very thick as it was only composed of three layers of guards. However, since the gap between each guard wasn¡¯t that large, the array was laid out such that guards in the vicinity would be able to quickly arrive to assist if a disturbance occurred.


    Unfortunately, blocking the arrow imbued with a ridiculous amount of magic power and flying around in a hurry had drained my magic power reservoir to less than 10%. With such a small amount of magic power remaining, flying would only result in me falling right into the encirclement while in mid-air. Even if I were to fly through the encirclement and miraculously break through, it was inevitable that I would be caught due to the exhaustion from depleting my magic power.


    As I was nervously observing the encirclement, the guards forming it suddenly stopped and changed direction.


    Did it work?


    Was my plan successful?


    The guards forming the encirclement were heading towards the third warrior division. I rapidly rushed towards the weakened encirclement. My current location was not far from where the third warrior division was located. In other words, it meant that it wouldn''t take long before they found out about the fake letter that I had sent.


    It was paramount that I break through and escape the forest before the encirclement became thicker again.


    Time was not on my side.


    -o-


    Gawain was leading the warriors towards the third warrior division when he received a message from the guards led by Gallahad.


    -Urgent, Master Denburg is attacking the encirclement and attempting to break through.


    Reinforcement required.


    Gawain was momentarily lost. He had clearly received the message that Denburg was currently engaging the third warrior division, so how could he be attacking the encirclement at the same time?


    "Captain, what should we do?"


    When asked by Mac, Gawain quickly made a decision without hesitation.


    "¡ªDivide the group into two. You go in the direction of the encirclement. I''ll go to where the third warrior division is."


    "Okay, let''s go."


    "Yes!"


    Mac changed his direction and brought half the warriors along with him.


    -o-


    After breaking through the encirclement, I ran at full speed. There was less than 5km before I was out of the forest. If I managed to get out of the forest, I could fly away with the tiny amount of magic power I had remaining. Finally, I could live a peaceful life away from hunting monsters and demons.


    I was experiencing the pleasure that a marathon runner would experience during their final lap. Under the pressure of being chased and pushing my body to the limit, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body.


    It was then...


    Swoosh!


    I subconsciously pulled out my sword to block the arrow that was flying towards me.


    Kang!


    I immediately realized that my fake message had been exposed and that the pursuit squad was hot on my trail. The excitement that had been rising started to fall.


    That was dangerous. I had acted as if I was out of the forest even though I wasn¡¯t yet.


    I ran as fast as I could.


    Swoosh!


    Kang!


    Swoosh!


    Kang!


    Swoosh!


    Kang!


    As arrows kept flying towards me, I ran at full speed while deflecting them rather than dodging. It was possible that I would get caught if I were to waste some of my movements trying to dodge the arrows.


    The strength imbued in the arrows was getting stronger. The pressure I was experiencing kept increasing as each subsequent arrow that flew towards me indicated the shortening distance.


    Taking into account the fact that I was one of the fastest people in the village, the only person who could aim an arrow at me from such a distance was the master archer Mac.


    But I was now almost out of the forest. The surrounding area began to brighten up as the large trees disappeared. I could see the green meadow in front of me.


    Am I out of the forest?


    I had never seen a meadow like this after being born into this world. In fact, even in my previous life, I had never seen such a flat horizon composed entirely of landmass. I almost fell into a strange trance as I appreciated this amazing view.


    Boom!


    I subconsciously set up a barrier to block the incoming powerful flame. I felt dizzy for a moment. The amount of magic power that had been shot at me was similar to Elder Mirpa¡¯s magic power level, the strongest magician in the village.


    Did Elder Mirpa join the pursuit?


    If that were true, it was over. With my current condition, fighting Elder Mirpa was equivalent to suicide.


    I nervously looked around my surroundings. Come to think of it, I made a shield without thinking, but I was completely fine. Normally, this would have made me collapse and throw up blood, but the flame had simply been blocked by my barrier.


    I cleared my mind and comforted myself with the fact that my barriers were stronger than I had expected. It was then that I realized two surprising facts.


    The first was the peaceful flow of magic power in the environment which was vastly different from the forest and even the stabilized flow of magic found inside the village. And the second, I had performed magic without using any chants or hand seals.


    I had known that the flow of magic power here would be much stabler compared to the forest or the village, but I had never expected it to be of such a degree.


    For comparison, if the magic power in the forest were a cyclone that could kill anyone it swept, the magic power in the village was a mild storm that could cause no casualty. In contrast, the magic power outside the forest was a pleasant breeze. It was clear that in such an environment, chants or hand seals were not required to use magic power.


    "Hey, can you at least act like you are surprised if you¡¯ve been ambushed?!"


    After stopping her magic attack, Leisha protested from a distance away.


    Why is Leisha here?


    By any chance, are there other ambushes lying in wait?


    "Oh, I am surprised," I said casually while being on guard.


    "Don''t lie to me."


    "It''s true. This is the first time I''ve felt such calm magic power."


    The truth was I was surprised that my sister had just unleashed magic of such magnitude. I thought it was Elder Mirpa.


    "Is that all you are surprised about? Aren''t you curious how I¡¯m here?"


    "Well, I suppose Hestia gave you instructions."


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure how Leisha could be here without Hestia¡¯s instructions. If it were indeed her, it wasn''t surprising that she could anticipate the point where I would leave the forest.


    My sister grumbled with a sullen face upon hearing my words. "It''s true that Hestia gave me instructions, but you still expressed so little reaction."


    After clearing my mind for a bit, I could see that she was just trying to stall for time. Here was Leisha who had just used magic of a magnitude of which she couldn¡¯t even dream of back at the village, and me who had subconsciously blocked that magic. If Leisha¡¯s magic was stronger here, it was inevitable that mine was as well.


    "Then, I''ll be going now."


    When I waved my hand to say goodbye, Leisha tried to stop me in an urgent voice.


    "Why don''t you talk with me for a little longer?"


    Leisha gestured with her hand and cast magic. A tree trunk wriggled up from the ground and surrounded me.


    It seemed that there were no other ambushes laid out other than Leisha. Forming an encirclement would have already demanded a lot of manpower. It would have been difficult to plan an ambush out here on top of that. It was about time for the others to arrive.


    "No thanks. I''ll send you letters often when I get out."


    I took a deep breath and inhaled the magic power around me. Compared to the forest and the village, magic power was way more obedient here. In a single breath, my magic power reservoir rose rapidly. It was as if after using a charger with a poor connection, I had switched to another one with high speed. It felt as if I was healing a body that had been forcibly handling magic power all this time.


    "Fus Ro Dah!"


    This wasn¡¯t a difficult magic. In a single breath, I let out all the magic power that I had just absorbed. Although that was all I did, the tree trunks that were surrounding me collapsed in the opposite direction as if they were swept by a powerful typhoon.


    Leisha was also affected by my magic, she stabbed her staff in the ground to stop herself from flying away.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. This kind of feeling is new to me and I wasn''t able to control it."


    Although I said this in a casual manner, it was not possible to produce this kind of power with such little emission of magic power even inside the village. Moreover, my body wasn¡¯t exactly in a top condition either. I reckon I should spend more effort controlling my magic power from now on. It seems Uncle hadn''t been exaggerating about the spoons that kept bending while he was eating.


    When I began collecting magic power again, Leisha, with her scattered hair, stared at me blankly.


    "How¡ª¡±


    Leisha looked a little distracted as she was at a loss for what to say. She seemed to be overreacting a little. She was also capable of doing this much.


    Although my abilities were slightly better than Leisha, she was the apprentice of the strongest magician in the village, Elder Mirpa. She could easily beat me with only some slight effort since I had to focus my attention on swordsmanship, martial arts, and magic.


    "Youngest Master--?"


    I could hear Mac call out loudly from behind.


    There hadn''t been any arrows flying at me ever since I left the forest. It seemed that after realizing I had been stopped by Leisha, Mac had come here at full speed to catch up.


    "Flight!"


    I used magic to float my body up. Contrary to when I had to spend all my effort to lift myself up in the forest, currently flying felt very natural.


    "Youngest Master, don''t go."


    Mac looked at me with a pitiful gaze. He seemed to have already realized that he couldn''t catch me outside the forest.


    "Youngest Master, please. If I don''t catch you here, Captain Gawain will pull out my beard.¡±


    Gawain would no doubt pull out Mac''s beard, but I had no choice but to leave.


    It was true that I was leaving to avoid going back to catch monsters and demons. But after experiencing such obedient and calm magic power, I also did not wish to go back into the forest where magic power flowed rampantly.


    "Mac, don¡¯t destroy your handsome face and just shave your beard.¡±


    I was sincere about this. I had never seen anyone more handsome than Mac in both my previous and present life. He was simply born in the wrong place. If he had been born as a nobleman instead, he would have been a rare beauty.


    "Is Youngest Master also going to tell me that? Please don''t go in consideration of my beard."


    "I''m too scared to face Father again. Please send my best regard to him and tell him I''ll send letters often."


    I started to pull in more magic power.


    "No!"


    "Yes."


    And I flew away...


    For freedom.

 Chapter 13: Runaway (13)

    Denburg succeeded in escaping the forest.


    When the pursuit squad returned to the village later, Hestia tried to find out what had allowed Denburg to escape. Although she was told that he had sent a fake letter to Gawain to thin out the encirclement, there were two factors that she couldn''t understand. First, how did he know where the third warrior division was located, and second, how did he arrive at the edge of the encirclement faster than she had anticipated?


    The answer was in the stack of messages that had been exchanged between the pursuit team and headquarters. Denburg had taken advantage of the fact that Hestia and the pursuit squad had been using messenger hawks to exchange information. He had intercepted some of the messages after he had crossed the rift and when the encirclement was beginning to take shape.


    This meant that he had been aware of her plan and strategy all along.


    Since when had he known? Since when did Denburg have the opportunity to intercept messenger hawks?


    After pondering for a while, she arrived at the answer.


    After he had crossed the rift, she had moved her forces in a particular way to force him to move in a certain direction, towards the seventh campsite. Only then had she assembled the entire pursuit squad at the seventh campsite.


    That was the only time when Denburg had the opportunity to see her messages. Because unlike before, at that point in time, even if he had known of her plan and intention, he would have had no choice but to move according to her plan. Besides, the direction she had planned out had corresponded with the path that he had to take to leave the forest in the shortest period of time.


    Denburg had gradually changed the lines on the map Hestia had sent to the outskirts of the forest and had included locations where it was difficult to position troops. The maps he changed never reached her because the pursuit team had to read the maps she sent.


    When he had realized this crucial point, rather than killing the messenger hawk that would arouse her attention, he had decided to use it to his advantage. As such, he paved an escape route for himself by moving according to her plan.


    All this time, the pursuit team had been following Denburg''s orders, not Hestia¡¯s. Of course, since he couldn''t copy her handwriting, the only things he could touch were points or lines drawn on the map. Nonetheless, by using the map, he thinned out a section in the encirclement and penetrated it by confusing the pursuers with false messages.


    Hahaha!


    It was her fault! Hestia reprimanded herself.


    She had no excuse for this mistake since she had been checkmated hard. Forgetting the fact that Denburg could fly and intercept the hawks was a painful oversight. To think that his escape route and the messenger hawk''s path aligned with each other, she should have realized that fact sooner.


    Hestia¡¯s plan had a flaw¡ªshe had assumed that Denburg had been driven into a corner.


    Anyhow, Doomstone was furious at the news that Denburg had escaped successfully. Due to this, Gallahad and Gawain were forced to receive Denburg''s punishment in his stead.


    Gallahad shouted as he got spanked.


    "Why aren''t you also hitting Leisha?"


    Leisha turned pale at her brother''s cry.


    Hestia clicked her tongue as she thought to herself, ''Brother, you''re trying to get Leisha killed.''


    "Do you think that someone who can''t use magic freely in the forest should be punished on par with those who had no problem swinging their swords? Still, since it''s true that you lost Denburg outside the forest, Leisha, you should go kneel with your arms raised."


    It was a valid point and a reasonable punishment.


    "¡ªOk."


    With a relieved yet gloomy face, Leisha went to the corner of the room and knelt with her arms raised high.


    "Well then... what about Hestia?"


    Oh my God! How could you target me, the weakest person in the village? Hestia was astonished.


    "Ah, ah, ah, I feel dizzy¡ª¡±


    Hestia, who was standing next to Doomstone, gently lied down on the sofa while touching her forehead with the back of her hand.


    When he saw Hestia acting like this, Doomstone became even more furious.


    "How could you try to shift the blame to your sister like that? You''re asking for more punishment!"


    "Fa... Father? Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!"


    Along with the sound of being spanked, Gallahad''s shriek rang across the room.


    Hestia thought that Gallahad got what he deserved after he tried to drag her along with him into this mess.


    After a while of spankings, it was now Gawain''s turn.


    "Come here."


    Spank!


    "Ugh!"


    Spank!?


    "Ugh."


    Due to his pride, although Gawain did not scream like Gallahad, muffled sounds still leaked out of his mouth. Perhaps because he was more silent, he received fewer hits than his brother.


    Gallahad looked unhappy, so Hestia wished her brother would learn that if he stayed quiet, the punishment wouldn''t last as long.


    "Phew-."


    Doomstone sighed as he sat down on his work chair. He then asked his oldest daughter, "Hestia, do you think we can get a hold of Denburg again?"


    Hestia shook her head. "Father, I don''t think it will be possible. Even Elder Mirpa said to give up after hearing Leisha''s story."


    Doomstone turned sullen.


    "To be honest, I didn''t think magic could be that strong. Other than Elder Mirpa or Denburg, the other magicians in the village can be helpful when improving the quality of life in the village but are pretty useless when hunting for demons."


    Doomstone''s words were correct.


    "But Father, if you didn¡¯t know before, why did you decide on Denburg as your successor?"


    Doomstone answered Hestia''s question without hesitation.


    "Because when he was only twelve, he caught a dragon without any help."


    "What?!"


    Everybody in the room was astonished. Despite assisting her father almost every single day, it was Hestia¡¯s first time hearing about this. And Gallahad and Gawain, having gained adulthood for 4 and 5 years, still did not dare catch a dragon alone and usually went hunting with 3 or 4 of their most trusted companions.


    If it had been anyone other than Doomstone to have spoken these words, they would have already lost their cool at the person trying to lie to them.


    Only now did it dawn upon Hestia why the elders had accepted the succession without any complaints. Come to think of it, it now made sense why her father had been so confident that Denburg could catch a demon that was comparable to a dragon.


    Hestia took a small breath to calm herself down and continued to speak. "Denburg''s skill in swordsmanship is currently lower than Gawain¡¯s, and his strength is lacking compared to Gallahad¡¯s, so it must have been even more lacking when he caught the dragon, right?"


    "Well, yes, you''re right. Back then, Denburg fought with both magic and martial arts."


    "That¡¯s not possible!" Leisha, who had been quietly kneeling with her arms raised, suddenly shouted.


    "What is not possible?"


    When Gallahad asked, Leisha rapidly replied.


    "Using magic and martial arts at the same time could twist the magic power inside and kill you!"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Listen carefully. Magic is the act of releasing and controlling magic power. In contrast, martial arts lock magic power inside the body to circulate it. Unless you have two brains, using both of them simultaneously will twist the magic power inside you and you could end up dead."


    "But releasing sword aura also emits magic power, but you have no problem using it along with martial arts," Gawain said.


    "Magic and sword aura are different. Sword aura releases magic power while thinking of the sword as a part of the body, so magic power returns to the body again. In other words, you are performing martial arts while considering the sword as an extension of your arm. That''s why the loss of magic power is low when you use sword aura. But magic innately releases magic power outside your body then attempts to control it. It¡¯s fundamentally different from martial arts."


    ¡°¡ª¡±


    Hestia was convinced that she was the only one in the room who understood Leisha''s explanation.


    "Let''s move on since it''s not important."


    Leisha seemed to want to cry out that this was very significant, but whatever she wanted to say did not mean anything since Denburg wasn''t here.


    "Since he was good with magic even back then, he''s most likely much more proficient at it now. Leisha, when you used magic outside the forest, how much did your efficiency increase?"


    Leisha replied with her arms still raised. "Hmm, around tenfold? Since the magic I cast outside the forest contained power similar to spells cast by Teacher inside the village."


    "Then can I assume that Denburg becomes ten times stronger outside the forest?"


    Gawain and Gallahad were terrified by Hestia''s question.


    Someone who could defeat dragons at the age of twelve had now become ten times stronger! If Denburg became older, he would really be a reincarnation of Doomstone.


    "No, Denburg was able to freely use magic in the forest. The higher your level of achievement in magic, the more powerful it becomes.¡±


    "So?"


    "I''m not exactly sure, but he might be around 100 times stronger?"


    "Hkk¡­"


    Gawain and Gallahad groaned at Leisha¡¯s words. It was no different from saying that no one could deal with Denburg other than Doomstone.


    "Father, what do you think about the conclusion that you''re the only one who can catch Denburg outside the forest?"


    "It will be difficult for me to go catch him."


    Not surprisingly, the conclusion was that it would be difficult for Doomstone to go catch Denburg.


    Doomstone was treated as a natural disaster by countries outside the village. Simply put, if he were to go outside the village, it was inevitable that he would be constantly observed and monitored by numerous countries. The countries he went to visit would be tossed into a state of national emergency.


    Since he couldn''t go around causing a lot of diplomatic problems, it was difficult for Doomstone to go outside the village to catch Denburg.


    "What should we do?" Doomstone looked at Hestia with sad eyes.


    Since the tradition was to choose the strongest person as the tribe... no, the village head, it was impossible to think of anyone else other than Denburg for the position.


    Hestia had thought that despite Denburg''s slight lack of power, he had been chosen as Doomstone''s next successor due to his smartness, but she had not expected such a drastic twist.


    "¡ªSince there is currently no means of capturing Denburg, the only viable option is to know his location and slowly persuade him."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "For now, we can send word to Uncle and ask him for help in the search. We''ll also send some people out of the village."


    "How should we assign the personnel?"


    "Although I wish I could go, it''s not possible since if I were to leave, we will have to stop a lot of projects that are already in process." While saying so, Hestia looked at her two brothers.


    "Gallahad and Gawain are the most important forces in the village, and since they lack knowledge of the outside world, they can''t go either." She sighed.


    She couldn''t even imagine what kind of accidents they would cause if they were sent.


    Hestia looked at Leisha, kneeling and raising her arms with a tearful appearance.


    "Since Denburg is a magician, let''s send Leisha as she understands magicians well, along with one of the most powerful warriors in the village as an escort. Additionally, let¡¯s send someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with great knowledge of the outside world''s situation and their customs."


    "Wait?! Me?!" Leisha stood up and cried.


    Hestia nodded.


    "You said you''re at a bottleneck anyway. Take this opportunity to experience the outside world and learn a thing or two from Denburg."


    "Okay. Let''s send her according to that arrangement."


    Doomstone''s words were the final confirmation.


    "Contact us frequently. Don''t be afraid, should anything happen, the entire village will come to rescue you."


    "Father, I''m more afraid of the fact that the entire village will be mobilized to go out."


    Leisha, with a tearful face, gradually lowered her arms.

 Chapter 14: The Journey to the Capital (1)

    Upon successfully running away from home, I flew as fast and as far as I could in case the pursuit squad still followed me. After about two hours in the sky, I realized that I didn''t even know where I was headed to.


    I had been flying Southwest, roughly in the direction of the imperial capital, but since I had no map and had never flown so freely like this before, I wasn''t sure how fast I had been flying nor how far I had traveled. All I could feel was that it was much faster than running, so I was in a difficult spot since I did not have anything to measure my speed with, no maps to follow nor any idea about my current location.


    I randomly looked around in the air. Fortunately, there was a village nearby. I landed and headed towards it.


    There were guards standing at the entrance of the village. They were wearing leather armors, iron covering their vital parts as well as a helmet on their head.


    Usually, soldiers in the middle ages were imagined wearing full-plate armor and chainmail, but those were only worn by knights due to the amount of iron that was required to forge them. In reality, the armor the guards were wearing at the gates was the best armor ordinary soldiers could normally wear.


    "Stop!"


    I looked around after the soldiers blocked the entranceway into the village with spears, but there was only me here.


    They nodded when I pointed a finger at myself.


    "What''s wrong?"


    The soldiers pointed at my left waist. There was a sword hanging on my waist.


    "Oh, are weapons a problem?"


    "Yes. You have to show me your weapon permit first."


    Perhaps it was due to my inexpensive looking attire or my young face, but the soldiers spoke to me very informally. However, there was another problem.


    "Oh, I don''t have something like that."


    Unfortunately, I did not have a weapon permit.


    In novels at least, you could carry around swords like these quite easily.


    "No? Then where did you get that sword?"


    "Excuse me?"


    "I''m talking about the sword. It''s illegal to sell swords to someone who doesn''t have a weapon permit.¡±


    I couldn''t believe that in this age there was such a modern, practical, and inconvenient law. I had slightly looked down on the empire due to its feudal system, but it unexpectedly seemed to be a country that enforced its laws.


    Come to think of it, even during the middle ages of my past life, a proper ruler probably wouldn''t have allowed people to carry weapons around without any regulations. Of course, whether or not people followed those laws was another matter.


    "I''m not sure because my father gave it to me."


    That was a lie. The sword was crafted by the village¡¯s best craftsman after he expended several days on it. Upon receiving the sword, I was told that it was made out of an alloy of Adamantium, Mythril, and Orichalcum, and it could be exchanged for a large estate outside the village.


    "Oh okay."


    Fortunately, the soldiers did not seem suspicious that this was not the case.


    "However, you still have to get a permit first before you enter the village. You need to have a license for the possession of any kind of weapon."


    "Where can I get this permit?"


    "Well, these kinds of cases happen surprisingly often, so the related officials who handle these situations are located in the building at the back. But they might be off work at this hour."


    I checked the clock, it was currently 5:45 p.m.


    Public servants get off work this early. Should I become a public servant?


    "If they are off work, you can still enter the village if you leave your weapon behind. What do you want to do?"


    What should I do?


    The sword I had was really expensive, but since it had magic imbued upon it, it would come back to me whenever I called it. However, it could cause quite a stir if someone found out the value of my sword. I should just put it inside my private pocket space from now on.


    The soldier tried to persuade me as I pondered.


    "Why don''t you just leave the sword behind? Although this area is considered safe, monsters still appear occasionally. Also, looking at your appearance, it looks like you''ve been camping out for several days. Wouldn''t it be better to find a room and take a good rest?"


    Unexpectedly, the soldier seemed like a good man. Well, I wasn''t really worried since I could just run away if I encountered any problems.


    "I''ll just do that then."


    "Okay. You made a good choice. It would have bothered me if I had to kick out a young guy like you. Hahaha." The soldier smiled nicely.


    Although he said I was young, I was an adult now. If I were to include my previous life, I should be over 40 now.


    "Then can you show me your identification card first?"


    Identification card? Did I have something like that?


    "What¡¯s the problem? Do you not have an ID card? Are you not an adult yet?"


    The soldier revealed his concern on his face.


    It seemed like I couldn''t enter the village if I didn''t have an ID card. Come to think of it, a few months before I became an adult, Hestia gave me some cards that she said were IDs for the empire and the republic. I remembered thinking that it looked different from what I expected.


    "No, I have it. Just a moment."


    I pulled out my identification card from my pocket space while pretending to rummage through my pockets. I used magic to change the ID card to one that looked like a resident registration card. It was a precaution in case someone from the village came to find me.


    The soldier¡¯s face hardened on the spot when he saw my ID.


    "You are a noble?"


    The soldier gave an unexpected reaction.


    Did a commoner and a noble happen to have different ID cards?


    "Yes, I am."


    I answered as if it was obvious. Well, I wasn''t lying.


    Since Uncle was a marshal of the imperial army, I was also a noble as one of his family members.


    "Excuse my rudeness. You are free to go in."


    The soldier''s reaction took a 180-degree turn. Well, I guess there were no harms in the change...


    "Oh, but what about the sword¡ª¡±


    "You are free to just enter. Nobles are free to carry around weapons anyway."


    Oh yeah?! Cheers to nobility!


    "I''ll go in then. Have a good day."


    I waved my hand as I entered the village. At that time, I was not aware that my ID card was only given to high-ranking nobilities above the rank of count.


    The story of me finding that out later and struggling to forge the identification card of a lower-ranking noble to become a public servant was a story for another day.


    -o-


    In the heart of the empire''s capital, home to over a hundred noblemen, a large hawk flew into a certain mansion. A small tube containing a letter was attached to its leg.


    Bloody Blade, owner of the mansion and marshal of the imperial army, opened the letter that had come directly from his hometown with a little bit of excitement.


    For the past half-year, he had spent his time protecting the region bordering Demon¡¯s Territory, so it had taken a long time for his letters to reach him. However, after returning home, he was able to receive them right away.


    To guard the northern border in Bloody''s stead, a marshal from the Dragon Tribe had been sent to the border region of Demon¡¯s Territory, but Bloody was still happy.


    Half a year later, she would have to switch her spot with a marshal from the Butterfly Tribe, and a year later, Bloody would have to head back to Demon¡¯s Territory to replace this marshal.


    The letter started off with talks about the season as usual.


    To Uncle Bloody,


    It''s around the time when buds start blooming flowers.


    Here in Olympus, deer are still biting ogres¡¯ necks to death, and demons are making the village flourish.


    It felt as if there had been something wrong with Hestia''s emotions when she wrote the letter, but having been raised in the village, Bloody couldn¡¯t help feeling nostalgia.


    However, he had no choice but to become serious as he continued reading the letter.


    A few days ago, Father decided on his successor. Oh, just in case you are wondering, Father is still healthy so please don''t worry about that.


    Before I explain why he announced his successor so early, Denburg Blade was chosen as his successor.


    Denburg was chosen because, during Father''s unique teaching method, he defeated a dragon by himself without Father''s help.


    If it had been anyone else who had told me that, I would have dismissed it as a lie, but I have no choice but to believe it since it was Father himself who told me.


    Anyway, Father was planning on making Denburg his successor, but the day before his coming of age ceremony, he told Father that he wanted to go settle in the Archipelago.


    Father was then forced to tell him about his intentions of making him his successor.


    Denburg accepted, and during dinner that evening, Father told everyone that he was planning on making him his successor.


    I had never considered the position in the first place due to my weak body, and Leisha had given up as well since she had chosen magic as her specialty instead of martial arts.


    I hadn¡¯t been sure about Gawain, but I had thought that Gallahad would have at least protested Father''s decision. Instead, he gave a big round of applause, perhaps due to being frightened away by Father''s pile of documents.


    I, at least, can¡¯t imagine Gallahad living buried under a pile of documents.


    That''s how we ended up congratulating Denburg, and the next day, during his coming of age ceremony, Father gathered all the elders and announced that Denburg was his successor.


    We were about to start the ceremony after that but found out that Denburg had left a letter and run away.


    We sent out a pursuit team with 1,500 men to capture him. But after 3 days of pursuit, he succeeded in escaping.


    As you know, Denburg is a very powerful magician.


    As a magician who can defeat a dragon in Olympus Forest, we judged that with the exception of Father, no one would be able to catch him.


    However, due to an incident Father caused when he was young (Uncle would know more about this than anyone else), he cannot leave the forest without causing an international problem.


    I want to ask Uncle for assistance in catching Denburg. He is probably headed towards the imperial capital right now.


    If by any chance you happen to make contact with him, please let me know.


    Your lovely niece,


    Hestia


    Bloody¡¯s face hardened after reading the letter.


    If it were true that Denburg caught a dragon at age twelve, he definitely deserved to be named Doomstone''s successor.


    Who else other than such a talent could lead the Crow Tribe of Olympus?


    But someone like that ran away?


    A monster that could use magic to kill dragons in that forest?

 Chapter 15: The Journey to the Capital (2)

    Although Bloody did not learn magic, he had experienced its usefulness and power while working for the empire.


    When the Butterfly Tribe, a battle tribe that focused on magic, launched their magic with their entire might, its power was enough to wipe out a village.


    Even such a tribe could not freely use magic in Olympus, but to think that someone had defeated a dragon using magic in such an environment... And that person who killed a dragon had left the forest...


    If there were a mishap of sorts, it was very possible that the empire could be destroyed. Bloody did not believe that his thoughts were exaggerated.


    His nephew was an idiot who ran away from home when it was virtually confirmed that he would be the next chief of the tribe. Even the current chief in his youth was not as strong as his son but was still branded as a dangerous monster by the entire world. And Denburg was now strong enough to be compared with a present-day Doomstone, not a Doomstone in his youth.


    Hestia wanted him to find someone who was on the run and then contact her if he found him?


    Perhaps it was a good idea to call back the Dragon Tribe from Demon¡¯s Territory and head there again...


    This was what Bloody was thinking.


    -o-


    Upon entering the town, I encountered a problem. I had no money to spare. To be accurate, I did have money. I had the allowance I had earned from Father and Hestia while working as well as the money I¡¯d taken when planning my escape. Whether it was the money I had earned while working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the money I had swept into my pocket space before leaving the village, I had plenty of money on hand.


    But the problem was that I could not spend any of that money.


    My hometown''s main source of income was the by-product of demons and monsters, and super rare metals such as Adamantium, Mythril, and Orihalicum. There were also magic catalysts and rare medicinal herbs that grew only in Olympus Forest. Unfortunately, most of these items that my hometown sold were so rare that ordinary people, as well as low-ranking nobles, rarely encountered them. In other words, my village traded with high-currency that ordinary people, those with knighthood and low-ranking nobles would perhaps see once in their lifetime.


    Imperial money consisted of eight types of coins in the following order: iron, refined iron, bronze, refined bronze, silver, refined silver, gold, and platinum.


    Although it was a bit late, I visited the market and discovered that the main types of coins used by commoners ranged from iron to refined bronze, with iron and refined iron coins being the most common. I could occasionally find items priced with silver coins, but they were mainly expensive items or buildings. It seemed that silver coins were the limit for most commoners, and currencies of higher value were mainly used by the nobility.


    My problem was that I only had platinum coins. I did try to convert my platinum coins into change.


    I hadn¡¯t realized when I had been looking from far away, but it seemed like the size of the market here was almost as large as an entire city. Perhaps this was the reason the guards at the entrance had been wearing such high-quality armor.


    In any case, a market of this size definitely had special shops for nobles. I managed to find a jewelry shop after looking around for a while. The shop owner eyed me suspiciously when I entered. My clothes may look dirty right now since I had been running around in it for three days without washing them, but it was actually made of dragon hide from the dragon I had killed when I was twelve.


    Adding on the multiple layers of magic I had cast upon it, I was sure that the clothes I was wearing were at the very least more expensive than the sword I had put in my pocket space.


    When I showed my ID to the suspicious store owner, his attitude suddenly took a 180-degrees turn. He said, "I am very sorry for not realizing you were the count''s son."


    It seemed that this ID card was of a higher rank than I had previously assumed. Anyhow, I chose some jewelry and took out my platinum coin.


    When he saw the coin, the owner told me with an awkward expression that even if he were to give me all the items in this shop along with the building, it still wouldn''t be enough to match the value of my platinum coin.


    I thought to myself that he was unexpectedly a nice person since he could have just considered me a sucker and taken my coin. Although I didn¡¯t want to be considered a sucker, I decided to give him the coin anyway since I needed some change.


    "Then I''ll just buy all the jewels in the shop and take all the remaining money you have as change. I don''t need the building."


    The shop owner trembled, fell to his knees and began to beg me.


    "Young Master? Please have mercy. I can''t handle that kind of money on my own. Please! I have a wife and children back home."


    "I just need some change, that''s all¡ª"


    "I''m terribly sorry. If it is because I ignored you earlier, I apologize and beg for mercy."


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The shop owner started pounding his head on the floor until it started to bleed.


    "Please stop. I will just leave."


    "Thank you! Thank you!"


    He thanked me as if he had just come back from the brink of death. I had no choice but to leave the shop.


    I ended up finding myself squatting in the corner of the street next to an inn.


    Dammit!


    Being homeless when I have money?


    Lying on the street when there is an inn right next to me?


    Thinking about it again, I think I had placed the owner of the jewelry shop in a hard spot.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the value of a platinum coin exactly was, but since it was the highest form of currency, what I did was probably similar to going to a cafe, ordering all the items on the menu, and then handing out a hundred million won cheque while asking for cash as change. It was also questionable whether there was a bank in this village to deposit that much money.


    If there were a rumor that the shopkeeper had exchanged his entire fortune for a platinum coin, it was possible that his whole family would be robbed and murdered.


    Additionally, I had shown him my ID card to indicate that I was a noble, thereby rendering him unable to refuse my request.


    Thinking on these lines, I concluded that I had acted like a piece of trash.


    "Phew!"


    I rummaged through my bag and took out a piece of dried jerky. Fortunately, I had stolen 10 days¡¯ worth of food from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so I had enough food to last another week or so.


    After that... If I didn¡¯t manage to find some small change by then, I would probably have to rob some stores.


    Right at this moment, raindrops trickled down the sky.


    "Sniff, sniff."


    My eyes glistened with tears as I felt sad about my current predicament. There was a saying, you will have a hard time once you leave home, and it seemed that I was now about to be homeless on a rainy street.


    I wouldn''t have been this sad, had this been a meadow or a forest, but this was in the middle of a village and everyone else was already inside their houses.


    The rain started to pour heavily. It looked like it was going to rain all night.


    No matter how depressing my situation was, I couldn¡¯t just spend a whole night in the downpour. I was about to cast some magic to block the rain when an umbrella suddenly appeared above me.


    "Little Boy, where are your parents?"


    The man who put an umbrella over me was a young blond with a nice haircut.


    I might have fallen in love if I were a woman in this situation, but fortunately, I was a male and not into men.


    "I''m not a boy."


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t a boy! My mind was over forty, and I was also, physically speaking, classified as an adult according to the imperial law two days ago.


    "Yes, I''m sorry. So where are your parents?"


    I said I wasn¡¯t a boy so why are you still looking for my parents?


    What, did you want to inherit the long-standing tradition of Korea, the online battle race, by asking me how my parents were doing?


    My dad¡¯s gone to America!


    "They are very, very far away."


    They were at least 1,000km away in a straight line. My senses were telling me that I could add another 300km, but I didn''t like to count things if I wasn¡¯t completely sure.


    "¡ªOkay¡ª"


    Suddenly the young man looked at me with a serious expression.


    He wasn¡¯t thinking that my parents were dead or sold to slavery right?


    "Do you have somewhere to stay today?"


    I shook my head. If I had a place to go, I wouldn''t be squatting in a place like this.


    This guy, I could see that his expression was getting more serious.


    "Then would you like to come with me today?"


    I hesitated for a moment at his suggestion. If I were to say that my mom told me not to follow strangers, his expression would probably become even more serious. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t take into consideration the fact that this man might try to sell my organs or something, but this man looked too much like a sucker to do something like that.


    Of course, you shouldn¡¯t judge people by their appearances, but I was also confident that if he tried to do something to me, I could make him regret it for the rest of his life.


    "I''m not a bad person. I''m training to become a knight. I would never do anything that goes against the chivalric code."


    He started to give out excuses as if he could read from my face that I was suspicious of him. Rather than being upset about the skepticism, he looked at me with a face filled with compassion. He seemed to be pitying my distrust of people and wondering about the hardship I must have experienced to become this way.


    No, it was unreasonable to expect someone to trust you right away when you approached them like this. This man did not seem capable of entertaining that kind of thought.


    Sigh, it could become tiring when you mixed with people like this. However, it was a dilemma since I didn¡¯t have any money to spend right now either.


    "Hmm?"


    The man looked at me with earnest eyes.


    It was a bit despicable of me to think as such, but he seemed like the perfect person to use for a while then throw away.


    All right, it¡¯s decided!


    If the man in front of me tried to do something to me, I would make him regret it for the rest of his life. If he was just a sucker, I would receive some help from him then back out. A platinum coin should be enough to return the favour.


    When I nodded, the man reached his hand out to me.


    "I''m Lisbon von Carter. My friends call me Lis."


    Lis seemed like a girl''s nickname.


    Well then¡­ Lisbon von.


    All right! From now on, his nickname¡¯s Pongpong.


    As I got up while grabbing Lisbon¡¯s hand, I said, "Den Mark."


    It was a name that reminded you of a white cross in a red background, but it was a perfect alias since it was a common first and last name. As I also went by Den with my friends and family, it was a familiar name.


    "Okay, Den. I''m staying at that inn over there. Let''s sleep there tonight."


    Lisbon took my hand and hauled me to the inn.


    It was dinner time, so the restaurant inside the inn was filled with people.


    "You haven''t had dinner yet, have you?"


    Without waiting for my response, Lisbon dragged me over to a table where a girl was already seated.


    "Let me introduce you... This is my younger sister, Alice."


    The girl was his younger sister. They did look similar upon closer look.


    "Oppa? Did you bring another person?"


    Alice''s cry made me realize that this man really was a sucker.

 Chapter 16: Journey to the Capital (3)

    "Haha, I brought him because he was sitting outside in the rain."


    "Oppa? This isn''t our home. It was okay before because our house had plenty of rooms, but we''re going to the capital right now. We should be thinking about our finances!¡±


    In contrast to her brother, Alice seemed a bit wiser. She reprimanded Lisbon, then directed her attention at me.


    "Hey, you can''t just follow people because they tell you to."


    Her words made such perfect sense that I was at a loss for a response.


    "Haha, don''t be mad at him Alice. I brought him over by force. This is Den Mark."


    I could tell Alice was close to getting mad as she grabbed Lisbon by his collar.


    "Are you kidding me? How many times have you done this? Huh??"


    It was regrettable that there was no popcorn as I watched the brother and sister grab each other by their collars. It was always fun to watch a fight as it was very thrilling and always felt like a new experience.


    "Oh, hahaha, that''s....¡±


    That sucker was trying to count with his hand.


    "Whatever!"


    Alice loosened her grip and headed straight for the stairs.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I don''t know! I''m going to sleep!"


    Alice angrily went up to her room.


    "Haha, she''s not usually like that. I think she''s just tired from the long journey."


    I think she''s tired of you, not the trip.


    "Come sit down for now. What would you like to eat?"


    I became really determined not to turn out like him as I watched Lisbon smile and hand me the menu. I could really learn from watching his behaviour. Moreover, it was rude to refuse when someone was offering a favour. I looked at the menu and placed an order.


    "Chicken stew and rye bread please."


    I actually wanted to eat wheat bread with beef stew, but it was three times more expensive than the chicken stew and rye bread. It was also rude to buy something expensive when someone else was paying for me.


    "How is that enough to make you full? Hello? I would like to place an order."


    "Yes~~"


    "I''d like to order two chicken stews, three rye loaves of bread, stir-fried potatoes, and an omelette, please."


    "Yes, please wait a moment."


    The waitress received the order and went into the kitchen. The food came out quickly afterwards. It made sense since the food I ordered didn¡¯t take long to cook.


    By the way, having the name von in between your name meant that you were a noble. Considering that Lisbon was a noble, he didn¡¯t really spend a lot of money.


    As if he had noticed my gaze, Lisbon responded with an awkward smile.


    "Haha, actually, I had to spend a lot of money on the way here....¡±


    In short, he had spent too much money trying to help people on the way here.


    It was no wonder his sister was mad at him. But let''s be thankful since he was buying me food.


    I decided to use this opportunity to expand my limited knowledge of the world. "I had something I was curious about."


    "What is it?"


    "What are the prices in the market like nowadays?"


    "What?" Lisbon looked surprised by the unexpected question.


    Usually, people would have asked, "Why are you so nice to me?" However, since I already knew it was because he was a sucker, I thought that it would be better to use this relationship to accumulate some knowledge.


    "I come from a rural village so we mainly trade through bartering."


    It wasn¡¯t just rural, but really really rural. The nearest city from my hometown was at least 1,000km away. A "currency" still existed, but it was mainly by-products from demons or items like dragon''s scales. Thanks to this, my pocket space was filled with all kinds of demon and dragon by-products. Of course, I had caught them all myself.


    Come to think of it, if I were to sell demon by-products in the market, wouldn''t I be able to get my hands on some gold and silver?


    I should visit the market again tomorrow to look around. Additionally, if I could find some banks, I could deposit my platinum coins and withdraw them as change.


    "I see. It is convenient to know the prices in the market. You know that there are eight kinds of coins: iron, refined iron, bronze, refined bronze, silver, refined silver, gold, and platinum, right?"


    Wow, this man¡¯s looking down on me so much!


    "Of course!"


    "We use a unit called pelk as the base unit. It''s an ancient word for shellfish. One iron coin is equivalent to one pelk."


    I already knew this information from a book I¡¯d read. I wanted to know more about the prices of daily items, but he was treating me like I knew absolutely nothing.


    "A refined iron coin is equivalent to five iron coins, so it¡¯s basically worth five pelks. A bronze coin is worth twice as much as a refined iron coin, so it¡¯s ten pelks. A refined bronze coin is worth five times as much as a refined iron coin, that¡¯s twenty-five pelks."


    Lisbon quenched his thirst with water and then continued explaining.


    A simple schematic of Lisbon''s explanation went like this.


    Iron coin = 1 pelk, refined iron coin = 5 pelks, bronze coin = 10 pelks, refined bronze coin = 25 pelks, sliver coin = 2,500 pelks, refined silver coin = 25,000 pelks, gold coin = 250,000 pelks, platinum coin = 25,000,000 pelks.


    "Six or seven gold coins are enough to maintain a small territory, so it¡¯s a lot of money.¡±


    Oh, I see. You could maintain a small estate with six or seven gold coins. But I had asked the jewelry shop owner to give me change for a platinum coin.


    I''m sorry, jewelry store owner!


    "Then what about platinum coins?"


    "At least a month''s budget for a large territory owned by a count?"


    I''m sorry, jewelry store owner!


    "Well, a platinum coin is an item of fantasy that a minor noble like me will never encounter. Even for gold coins, there¡¯s only been a handful of times I¡¯ve actually seen one¡ª¡±


    Stop!


    My conscience''s hp is already zero!


    "Since coins more valuable than silver aren''t commonly used in real life, I''ll just explain the coins that are common."


    Lisbon, my pocket space is currently overflowing with platinum coins which you call an item of fantasy.


    It seemed that giving away a platinum coin as a gift was more of a nuisance than I thought. I guess I could just pay him back next time if I encountered him by chance.


    "This is an iron coin, this is a refined iron coin, and this is a bronze coin."


    Lisbon did not carelessly take out coins worth more than a bronze coin. Fortunately, he seemed to have at least that much common sense.


    "I would also show you refined bronze coins and silver coins, but my sister keeps all the big money."


    Oh my god, are you stupid?


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to show, but that he couldn''t! I wouldn''t be surprised if he ended up dying somewhere without his little sister.


    "But for ordinary needs, refined iron coins and bronze coins are sufficient."


    Lisbon pointed at the spread on the table and said, "It usually takes one or two refined iron coins to have a meal. Five pelks per serving for the chicken stew, one for the rye bread, two for the stir-fried potatoes, and three for the omelettes. In total it is 18 pelks."


    It turned out to be 18[1] pelks. How did I end up with this hopeless sucker? Did I really look that pitiful?


    "Then how much does it cost to stay at an inn?"


    "This inn is maintained quite well, so it takes around ten refined iron coins. Usually, it''s about five refined iron coins and I''ve also seen some places that go for less."


    Places that cost less than that probably had substandard quality.


    By the way, if you are aware of this, does it mean you''ve stayed in those places before? That''s pretty impressive for a nobleman!


    "If we include extra fees such as showers and tips, it''ll cost around six refined iron coins and 2 bronze coins for the three of us.


    Around six refined iron coins for all three of us. But three? This guy somehow naturally included me in the group.


    It was a wise decision for his sister to return to her room first. If she hadn''t, she would have probably erupted by now and slapped her brother.


    "It¡¯s hard to specify a price for other items since it varies village by village, but in general, one silver coin is the monthly budget for an ordinary family of four."


    The monthly budget for a common household was probably a bit lower than what he said since he was from a noble background. Still, if I were calculating this correctly, he said that one silver coin was worth 2,500 pelks, and six gold coins were the monthly maintenance fee for a small territory. This meant that a small territory could hold around 600 to 700 households assuming they were all a family of four.


    For a count who had a monthly maintenance fee of one platinum coin, his territory was equivalent to around 10 to 20 smaller territories combined.


    "I see. If you don''t mind¡­ may I take a look at your identification card?"


    I knew that this was a rude question. Asking for his identification card all of a sudden meant that I was suspicious of his identity. But I was helpless in this matter.


    I was unable to freely show my identification card since anyone who saw it (although I only showed it to two people so far) would be intimidated and simply lower their heads.


    What I wanted was a status that would prevent people from looking down upon me rather than making people bow.


    To be honest, I thought Lisbon would get mad at me over this. Instead, he still took out his ID card without showing any signs of anger, which I couldn''t phantom no matter how gullible he was.


    "Here you go."


    He went as far as to just hand it over to me.


    What was this situation? Did this guy not know how to be suspicious? Didn¡¯t it occur to him that I could just run away with his ID? Or was he just confident that he could catch me if I tried to run away?


    I could understand this guy¡¯s actions if that were the case.


    "Thank you."


    I got the identification card from him and examined it closely. It was definitely different from my own. It was in the same format, but the size was two times larger. Besides, in contrast to the 15 different magic spells that had been cast on my card to prevent forgery, this card had 10 less than mine.


    Still, looking at the address or name written on the ID, it did not seem that much different from other identification cards. It looked as if the material for this card was made out of some ivory or bone.


    "The texture of the card feels peculiar, what is it made out of?"


    "Well, as far as I know, it''s made from ogre-bones. Of course, it''s nothing compared to identification cards made out of demon bones reserved for nobles with the rank of count or higher, but it''s still ogre-bones.


    Lisbon made an exaggerated gesture and continued on explaining.


    "It¡¯s still pretty impressive compared to identification cards made out of elephant ivory for nobles at or below the rank of baron, or common identification cards made out of wood.


    "Yes, that''s pretty impressive."


    Ogres... I thought they were so common that you didn¡¯t even need to go hunting for them intentionally.


    Wasn¡¯t it harder to cut down a tree near my hometown?


    It was hard to cut down those trees even with axes made out of adamantium unless you were imbuing sword aura into your sword.


    "Thank you for letting me look at it."


    I handed the ID back to Lisbon. I used magic to memorize the form, size, and weight of the card though. I would look through my pocket space later to see if there were any ogre-bones to forge an ID.


    While I had been examining the ID, the food on the table had disappeared. All I ate was chicken stew, half a rye bread, half an omelette, and a few stir-fried potatoes.


    The guy in front of me had polished off two and a half rye breads as big as his face, as well as chicken stew, and the rest of the stir-fried potatoes. He ate it so cleanly that there didn''t seem to be any need to wash the dishes.


    He had such a cheap sense of taste, that it made me question whether he was actually a noble.


    1. 18 sounds similar to ¡®f*ck¡¯ in Korean

 Chapter 17: The Journey to the Capital (4)

    "Ah... That was a good meal!"


    With a happy face, Lisbon rose from his seat as he rubbed his belly.


    "Excuse me. I''d like to order some extra wheat bread and jam."


    The whole wheat bread was worth three pelks and the jam was ten. Based on how he was ordering food soon after he¡¯d finished eating, it seemed that the extra food was for his sister who had gone up to her room without eating anything.


    It seemed that his sister, Alice, had a pickier palate.


    The waitress brought over a loaf of white wheat bread and a small wooden container of some jam. Lisbon handed her six refined iron coins plus an iron coin, then topped it with two extra iron coins as tips.


    I don¡¯t think the waitress really did anything to receive tips, but I guess this is where Lisbon¡¯s sucker personality shines.


    After a brief conversation with the owner of the inn, Lisbon handed over a key to the owner at the front desk only to receive another. He then gave the new key to me.


    "This is for Room 305. It''s a double room so go ahead and unpack your bag first. I''ll be back after checking on Alice."


    I grabbed the key and acknowledged with a nod. I reckoned it would be a while before he returned since he had to first placate his irate sister.


    While I went to Room 305 on the third floor, Lisbon stopped on the second floor. I unlocked the door and went in.


    Two single beds filled the entire room.


    I swiftly undressed and took a shower using water made out of magic. Magic was simply so convenient. Even though there was a whirlpool of water flowing between the two beds, neither the floor nor the beds were wet.


    I ended the shower quickly and got rid of the water. Then I blew away the water on my body.


    Ah, that felt refreshing!


    For the last three days, not to mention a shower, I had to constantly monitor the water I had remaining to drink. It definitely felt more comfortable now that I could use magic freely.


    It was as if I had grown another set of arms.


    I sat on the bed and began unpacking. I needed a bag in the forest since I couldn¡¯t open my pocket space, but now its only purpose was appearance. Still, it could look suspicious if I were to head to the Archipelago without a bag, so I decided to pack mine with light items and store away all the heavy ones into the pocket space. It was also a lot more convenient to take out items from my pocket space than a bag.


    The volume of the bag became noticeably smaller after I put away a lot of items into the pocket space. I decided to bring out my blanket from the pocket space and stuff it into the bag.


    The bag finally looked packed again.


    I recalled the military commander from my past life who had taught me this and I once again realized how past experiences could prove handy in unexpected situations. What¡¯s more, I could also fold some newspaper or boxes into the bag, but I was doubtful whether I could find something like that in this village.


    After roughly filling up my bag, I looked inside my pocket space. It was well organized, so there was no need to rummage through it to find an item.


    When I was first creating the pocket space, I had pictured a game inventory in my mind, so I could immediately tell at a glance what was inside.


    I looked through the list of items inside the pocket space to see if there were any ogre-bones or other items to sell.


    Orichalcum ingots, Mithril ingots, Adamantium ingots, all kinds of demon byproducts, the magic tools I made...


    As I looked through the list, I managed to find some ogre by-products. If I recalled correctly, I was six when I put these by-products inside the pocket space.


    It was around my sixth birthday when I created the pocket space, so this seemed to be one of the items I had put inside to celebrate the creation.


    Good job, past self!


    If everything went smoothly, it seemed that I would be able to forge the identification card and sell the rest to the market.


    Knock, knock!


    Sucker entered the room with a knock. He was holding a big bag in one hand.


    "Ah-ha-ha, I was a little late picking up the bag from the other room. Sorry."


    Lisbon unpacked his bag with a smile.


    "Huh? Did you take a shower?"


    "What? No."


    "Really? Your skin is really smooth as if you''ve just taken a shower."


    This was why I didn¡¯t like suckers that were observant. Let''s change the subject.


    "Now that I think about it, we don¡¯t know anything about each other except for our names."


    "Oh, that¡¯s true. How old are you?"


    "Sixteen."


    "What? Sixteen? You''re older than I thought. You''re the same age as Alice. She is sixteen and I¡¯m twenty.¡±


    After telling me his age, Sucker started talking about everything from his village to what he had been doing up till now.


    To summarize, Lisbon was the second son of a viscount. His big brother was inheriting his father¡¯s estate, and so he was headed to the Archipelago to become a knight. His sister was talented in magic so she was heading to the capital to enroll in a magic school.


    Yet, as if he had a few senses still remaining, he didn¡¯t inquire about me. I had prepared a few fake stories in advance, but it seemed like they weren¡¯t needed.


    Fatigue, accumulated over three days, started to overwhelm me as I listened to his story. I could feel my voice drooping as I responded to Lisbon.


    "Good night, Den."


    ¡°...Yes, good night... Lisbon.¡±


    -o-


    Ring, ring!


    I jumped out of my bed at the sudden sound.


    Where am I?


    At first, I couldn¡¯t recall due to the drowsiness, but I soon came to my senses and remembered Sucker and how he had provided me with a place to stay.


    Ring, ring!


    I quickly turned off the ringing alarm and looked at the slumbering Lisbon on the other bed. Fortunately, he didn''t wake up.


    It was currently 5:45 a.m., and since I went to sleep around 9 p.m. yesterday, I had slept for almost nine hours.


    I changed the alarm to 7 a.m. I had set it this early because I was on the run, but now there was no need to wake up so early.


    It was still too early for sunrise, so it was dark outside the window.


    What should I do now?


    Should I leave since I don¡¯t want to be indebted to this sucker anymore, or should I stay for a while longer?


    After some hesitation, I took out some ink and a pen from the pocket space. I didn¡¯t want to be indebted to him anymore, so I decided to secretly leave.


    Since it would be rude to leave without saying anything, I decided to leave behind a letter.


    -Thank you for the warm meal and the bed.


    One line would do since it wasn¡¯t like we had known each other for a while. I would pay back his grace when we had a chance to meet again.


    I grabbed my bag and silently sneaked out of the room.


    Lisbon showed no signs of waking up even as I closed the door.


    I thought he was a bit dense for someone who wanted to become a knight, but he was now a stranger to me.


    I quietly left the inn and then climbed up the roof of a building to avoid people. The back alley would have been just the same, but I decided to climb up the roof in case I ran into some gangsters.


    Based on the reaction I had received from Lisbon and the village guards, it seemed that I looked young for my age. Just like how Asians seem younger in the eyes of Westerners, it was possible that people from my village seemed younger than people in the empire.


    Unlike people from the empire, everybody in our village did look like Asians with black hair and black eyes.


    I sat down on the roof and started forging the identification card with an ogre-bone and a knife I had taken out of the pocket space.


    Chip-chip-chip¡­ No!


    My hand slipped and left a big knife mark on the ogre-bone I had been carving.


    I put the failed product into the pocket space and started over from the beginning.


    Chip-chip-chip!


    I didn¡¯t make any mistakes this time, but the edges were a bit bumpy. I took out another ogre-bone.


    Chip-chip-chip!


    The weight seemed a bit too light this time.


    Square, square, square, square¡­


    Dammit!


    At this rate, I reckoned I might end up turning all the remaining ogre-bones into garbage. If I spent four hours on the roof trying to forge the ID and failed, it meant that I had no talent in this field.


    In the end, I concluded that trying to forge the ID card by myself in the first place was the problem. This kind of work should be left to experts, not me.


    I should start looking for someone who could forge identification cards like this. Someone like this probably had connections to underground organizations, so it was probably a good idea to change my appearance.


    "Transformation!"


    My current appearance would have had people looking down upon me, even making it easier to apprehend me should my fake credentials be exposed. To prevent that from happening, I transformed into a hirsute, middle-aged man with brown hair and a scar on his face.


    This spell simply shrouded me with a holographic illusion rather than actually changing my body. Therefore, I had to be careful to prevent people from touching my face or moving too fast since that could cause a shattering noise.


    For now, I decided to go catch some guys who might be chewing gum in a back alley. After about 10 minutes of looking through the back alleys, I managed to find five gangsters clumped up together.


    In case they were innocent citizens simply gathered together, I bumped into one guy on the shoulder as I walked past. Although it was intentional, the narrow alley made it difficult to go past the quintet without some physical contact.


    "Hey, Old Man! You have to apologize if you accidentally hit someone."


    The one that looked especially savage spoke to me.


    I thought I¡¯d changed my appearance to a middle-aged man. Did I make a mistake? It was also possible that he was just saying that for the sake of it.


    The gangster grabbed his left arm and said, ¡°Oh no, I think I may have broken my bone."


    The place I bumped into was his right arm.


    "Give me 3,000 pelks for the treatment."


    3,000 pelks was one silver coin and 20 refined bronze coins. It was an amount exceeding the monthly budget of a family of four.


    While this idiot I bumped into was grabbing his left arm with his right hand, the other four gangsters behind him started giggling.


    "Look at how scared he looks!"


    "Kkekekew, I know right!"


    They seemed to think that I was scared because I wasn¡¯t saying anything.


    The idiot I had bumped into started walking towards me and said, "Hey, Old Man, hurry up and give me the money."


    What¡¯s this situation?


    Is he trying to act cute?


    Then I guess I could give him a light pat.


    Bang!


    He looked less savage than the three-headed dog back at the village, so I just tried to give him a light pat. However, I failed to control my strength and blasted him into the wall.


    Uncle really hadn¡¯t been exaggerating about the bending spoons.

 Chapter 18: The Journey to the Capital (5)

    He didn''t die, right?


    I haven''t done something like killing people yet.


    "Ugghhhhh¡ª"


    Fortunately, the gangster was still alive. It looked as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat properly for the rest of his life, but I guess it was fine since it was not my life.


    It was a relief that he was still alive since now I didn¡¯t have to feel guilty about it.


    "You dare attack us? Everyone, attack him!"


    When the first gangster yelled, the remaining three lunged at me at the same time. This time, I made sure to control my power.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    I failed.


    It was easy to control my power with things like holding a spoon or a pen, but it was harder to control if I was trying to hit something. Fortunately, since I knew that I wasn¡¯t good at controlling my strength, I could try to be more careful from now on.


    When the three gangsters smashed into the wall, the remaining gangster was terrified. He tried to run away.


    I almost tried to use magic to catch him, but I held back and grabbed the back of his shirt with my hand.


    "Ahhhh! Please have mercy!"


    I felt pity looking at his frightened face that was turning blue, so I smiled in order to reassure him.


    "Heeek?"


    Come to think of it, my current face looked like a middle-aged man with a scar on his face. It seemed my smile had the opposite effect since he currently wasn¡¯t talking or looking at my face.


    Let''s just make things simple.


    "Where''s your boss?"


    A husky altered voice replaced my original voice, and it was a lot lower than I expected.


    The gangster trembled and stammered as he spoke. "Bo-bo-boss, the boss?"


    "Yes. It was your boss who ordered you to take care of me, right?"


    Actually, it was I who had made the first move. However, these poor gangsters just kept trembling as if they had realized that they had messed up big time.


    "Bo-boss, there''s no, no such....¡±


    "Don''t tell me that you don¡¯t have a boss. I already know everything."


    "Heeek?"


    Actually, I didn''t know anything. This was my first time leaving my hometown, so how would I know the situation of a back alley of some random village. But now, this gangster now had to tell me where his boss was even if his boss did not exist! His other choice was to become a part of the wall just like his friends.


    "Well, you see....¡±


    "Yah?"


    "Big Brother? Big Brother would know."


    It seemed like the gangster had decided to sell his acquaintance in exchange for his life. It was a very smart choice.


    "Lead me to him as secretly as possible."


    "Yes, yes!"


    The gangster shuddered as he guided me deeper into the back alley. The final destination was a fairly messy backstreet pub.


    "We-well, Big Brother will be in there. I''ll leave you now then¡ª"


    The gangster wanted to run away.


    I didn¡¯t think it would matter if I let him go since he probably didn''t know anything more.


    I shot him a glance. He was definitely much older than me. "You can go."


    "Really? Thank-thank you."


    "But, if you run your mouth elsewhere, you better be prepared."


    Although it didn''t really matter since I was wearing a disguise, I thought it would be cool to say it. Also, it felt pretty good.


    With a face full of fear, the nameless gangster said okay and ran away without looking back.


    I thought it would be fun to chase someone running away like that and give him a big surprise when he finally thought he was safe, but I decided to hold back this time.


    When I opened the door that seemed to be out of a western drama, what greeted me was the sight of scary-looking gangsters drinking and making bets. Perhaps it was because a stranger appeared, but the clamor disappeared and a lot of gazes turned to me.


    I suddenly realized that I had sent the gangster away without asking him who his big brother was. But then again, since I just needed to find a good forger, it wasn''t such a huge deal.


    Still, I should give the gangster a camouflage to make people unable to tell if he was a person or a wall if I encountered him again.


    My current options were to either squeeze information out of people or quietly state my business. I wanted to solve the situation as smoothly as possible. I passed through some tables lined up with bottles of alcohol and went straight for a man who seemed like an owner or an employee.


    I sat down in front of the man and ordered, "Cold beer, no, if you have a black beer, I will have that."


    "For black beer, I have one from Bam Barrack Mountain and Golway Mountain. Which one do you want?"


    Well, I didn''t know where either locations were. Let''s just choose something.


    "I''ll have the one from Bam Barrack."


    "Good choice. Golway tastes better with seafood which you can''t find here. Would you like frank sausage as your side dish?


    "You can''t find seafood here?"


    The direction to the capital was inland so it was obvious that it would be far from the ocean. I was asking mainly because I honestly had no idea where I currently was. More importantly, this was my first drink in sixteen years.


    No, since I stopped drinking during my past life to prepare for the public service examination, it was even longer than that. This was my first drink ever since I tried to secretly drink my father''s alcohol and almost died from his punishment.


    Can you please hurry up?


    Come to think of it, I forgot that I didn''t have any money right now.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. This didn''t seem like a nice place, so I would just drink a bit, gather some information and run away.


    "It is possible to find some. Follow me."


    Suddenly, the man opened a small door hidden between the bottles and gestured at me to come in. I was surprised to see what this was about, but I followed him in without revealing any expression.


    He brought me down to a basement. There was magic detection magic in the middle of the passageway, so I lightly interrupted the magic.


    When I waved my hand to cast some magic, the man guiding me gave me a glance asking me what I was doing.


    "It''s very dusty here, do you clean this place?"


    It really looked as if the passageway wasn¡¯t cleaned often. There was a lot of dust piled up.


    The man guiding me looked embarrassed. "Eh-hem, I apologize."


    Another small door appeared as I kept descending.


    Knock, knock, knock, knock!


    When the man knocked on the door with a unique beat, it began opening sideways like a sliding door.


    Why did they add a door knob on it?


    The man beckoned at me to go in. Inside the small room, there was a small wooden table, a chair, and a woman with a veil over her face.


    The door closed when I entered and the woman sitting across the table said, "Sit down."


    I sat down and examined my surroundings.


    There were six magic spells cast in the room. Two were for obstructing people from identifying the woman, and two for defending her. One other was an attack aimed at me, and the last was to hide the people hidden by the right side of the wall.


    There was something more important though.


    "What about the beer?"


    I couldn''t see the beer anywhere. I had really high expectations for it.


    "Hmpphh, are you saying that you somehow managed to end up here by accident? It''s a rather funny excuse."


    What the hell was she talking about?


    "If you wanted to back out, you should have done it in the very beginning. This isn''t the capital. There isn¡¯t even a refrigeration system here so why would you look for cold beer and seafood? I don''t know where you got the passcode from, but I applaud you for avoiding Big Mama''s eyes and arriving all the way here."


    I flinched at the woman''s words but didn''t reveal it.


    Let''s analyze the situation first.


    I found this bar while trying to find a high caliber person who might know an identification card forger. I ordered a beer since I was in a bar, but somehow this Big Mama popped up?


    Anyway, what I asked was actually a secret access code and that was how I ended up in this situation. Before that, asking for cold beer was the access code. What kind of access code was that?


    Actually, thinking it through, this was a worn-down bar inside a back alley and not some estate of a noble. It made sense that there wouldn''t be something like a refrigeration system here.


    "So, you must have come all the way here because there is information you want to purchase. What is it you want?"


    Ignoring the actual reason why I was here, this looked like a good opportunity to get my hands on some information I desperately needed.


    So, let''s take this opportunity to get everything I need.


    "First of all, I want a map."


    "A map of which region? And how detailed does it need to be?"


    "A map of the capital and a map of the entire empire. In terms of detail... For the capital, I want the map to at least have information on towns, major roads, and important government offices. For the empire, information on locations of towns would be nice, but if that¡¯s not possible, I want to at least have information on the major cities."


    "You''re asking for something quite expensive. What are you going to use it for?"


    It was just for learning my current location and the geography of the area where I would live in the future.


    "Is there a reason you have to know that?"


    "No, there isn''t. Mister, you must have a strong backing behind you," the woman said with a chuckle.


    I shrugged since I didn''t know what she was talking about.


    "Okay. We''ll have it prepared. Next?"


    "I want some information on the imperial army."


    "The imperial army?"


    "Specifically, information on Bloody Blade. I want his current location, troops under his immediate command, and the total number of troops he can muster."


    I had to prepare in advance since I had no idea when he would use that army to try to catch me.


    "¡ªThis is very expensive and dangerous information you want this time. Are you asking while being aware that Marshal Bloody is from the legendary Crow Tribe of Olympus?"


    I nodded. Of course I knew, he was part of my family!


    "So you want to have information on the one million soldiers he commands, which is basically the entire imperial army?"


    My God! I had heard that uncle was doing quite well in the imperial army, but to think that he could mobilize the entire imperial army.


    That was horrifying!


    "I don''t need information on the entire imperial army. Just information on Bloody¡¯s closest aides and officers above the rank of a knight and higher is sufficient."


    "It remains the same that this is dangerous information.¡±


    "Are you saying you won''t sell it?"


    The woman grinned and said, "That''s not it. We¡¯ll sell it, but you''ll have to be prepared since it''s going to be really expensive."


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I could pay since I only had platinum coins. If they said I couldn''t pay with those coins, I would just take the information and run.


    "Is there any other information you want? I don''t know who is behind you, but the payment must come first. You better be prepared if you can''t pay on the spot."


    I sensed danger radiating from around me. Since I was already in danger, this was a good opportunity to just get as much information as possible.


    "I want to know the market prices in the capital."


    "Market prices in the capital? You''re suddenly asking for cheap information. Okay, we''ll just hand this over to you as a bonus if you can pay for the other information you requested."


    Yay, it''s free!


    However, I was still split half and half on whether I should pay for the information.


    "I also want information on the nobles."


    If by any chance someone took a dislike to me, my future life as a public servant could become difficult. Therefore, it was vital that I had prior information on people I could encounter in the future.

 Chapter 19: Journey to the Capital (6)

    "There is cheap and expensive information regarding the nobility. Which one do you want?


    "Starting from nobles working for the imperial family, I want to also have information on nobles that live and frequent the capital. Oh, if nobles from rural areas hold high authority, I want to have their details as well."


    Even if the noble was from a rural area, it would become hard to beat someone who obtained their recommendation if they were pretty influential.


    "Okay, you''re basically asking for expensive information. Anything else?"


    "Information related to magic in the capital."


    "That''s too vast. What kind of specifics are you looking for?"


    "I want information on everything."


    No matter what, I was still one of the top-tier magicians back in my hometown. The only issue was that magic wasn''t really developed in my village. Still, as a magician, I was interested in learning new magic.


    "Okay. But it''s going to take time due to the sheer amount. Do you have other requests?"


    "I need someone good with their hands."


    "Good with hands?"


    "Yes. Someone good enough to forge identification cards."


    "Identification forgery? We can forge identification cards of commoners or up to the rank of knight here. How about it?"


    "Could it be higher than a baron at least?"


    The woman answered my question without hesitation.


    "No."


    "Why not?"


    "We can forge the identification card if we somehow get our hands on ogre or demon bones. However, we can''t go through with it because of the forgery prevention magic cast on those cards. To be honest, we''re not even sure about the number of spells that have been cast."


    The woman raised her hands as if to say she was giving up.


    "That''s not an issue. I''ll take care of the magic on my own."


    It wasn''t that hard to engrave merely 15 kinds of magic.


    While pretending to rummage through my pocket, I took out some ogre-bones.


    "Oh, you have some ability if you can take out these expensive bones without batting an eye. Would you like to hand it over to us now? We can get it done in 10 minutes."


    "Of course."


    "We can carve out the name and information if you provide it to us."


    "No thanks. I don''t know them either."


    It wasn''t that I didn''t know, just that I hadn''t decided yet. Well, for the name and personal information, I could just use magic to make it seem like it had been carved onto the card.


    "Okay. Just wait a moment then. Compiling the requested information is going to take a while anyway."


    Creaakkk!


    A man suddenly came out from behind the door, took the ogre-bones, and left.


    "Do you have anything else you want? To be honest, I''m in a good mood right now because I''ve never seen someone buy this much information. If you have any items you need, just let me know. I''ll give them to you as a part of the service."


    Since they were offering, I had no problem accepting.


    "Then... do you have some money?"


    "What?"


    She looked dumbfounded at my words, then her expression turned ugly. It seemed to be because she thought I was either mocking her or I didn''t have any money.


    After thinking about it, I wasn¡¯t sure about the first option, but the second seemed to be correct.


    "It''s because I don''t have any change. Why don''t they accept platinum coins at the inn?"


    "Pfft?!"


    The informant laughed. It seemed like she had taken my words as a joke.


    But it was the truth.


    "Mister, if you are trying to show off your wealth, you have a good sense of humor. Hehehehe."


    She smiled and pulled out her abacus and put it on the table.


    "Now, let''s start calculating the cost before the information arrives."


    She was focused on the abacus for a few minutes.


    "Nice, I finally finished the calculation. Whew~~, this is the first time I''ve calculated for so long. Hehehe."


    "So how much is the total?"


    "85 million pelks. Can you pay such a sum? It doesn''t look like you have that much silver or gold on you."


    Her voice sounded light and cheerful, but her tone was heavy.


    She looked like she would kill me on the spot if I couldn''t immediately pay the amount.


    "Oh, split payments are also possible. But then you will also receive your information separately."


    I don''t think that''s what a split payment is.


    When I put my hand inside my pocket to take out my coins, the people behind the hidden space by the right wall started to openly emit pressure.


    They looked as if they would come out the moment I took out a weapon. More than that, with this much pressure emitting from them, did they have no intention of hiding?


    I took out four platinum coins from the pocket space and placed them on the table.


    Thud!


    Although it wasn''t that loud, it sounded heavier than any other sound.


    "Do I have to give you time to bring out the change?¡±


    "¡ªAre these real platinum coins?"


    "Of course, they¡¯re real."


    "They certainly look real. If they can deceive my eyes, you can just go ahead and use it without getting caught."


    The woman was hidden under a veil, but I could still feel that she was looking dazedly at the coins.


    "So how much longer before the information arrives?"


    Wasn''t it basic manners to show the merchandise since I had shown her the money?


    "Ah, come in."


    Creaakkk!


    Five people each holding a stack of documents walked through the door.


    "Of these documents, 70% are related to magic. I told you it¡¯s going to be a lot."


    This was definitely more than I had expected. The maps and identification card I requested were on the very top of the pile.


    "Wait a moment for the change to arrive. We''re scraping together all the coins we have at this branch."


    The woman had been asking if I could pay for the information, but she was now in a situation where she had to salvage every coin she could find to pay for my change.


    I guess this was why they said you could never know what would happen in the future.


    The door opened again after a few minutes and piles of money bags were laid out on the table.


    Since the change was 15 million pelks and a gold coin was worth 250 thousand pelks, 60 gold coins should have been sufficient to pay for my change. However, there were way too many sacks laid out in front of me.


    "Isn¡¯t this too much change?"


    "¡ªSorry. There were only 30 gold coins available so we converted the rest into other coins."


    Thirty gold coins were equivalent to 300 refined silver coins. There were still way too many sacks in front of me. So many that the table was trembling from the weight.


    "From refined silver to refined bronze?"


    The woman avoided my eyes at my question.


    "No... from refined silver to iron."


    She was basically saying they had scraped together all the coins they had.


    "Do you happen to have any checks?"


    "Checks? Oh, you mean something like bonds? The motto of our intelligence organization is ¡®cash is the best.¡¯¡±


    It seemed unlikely that an organization of this size wouldn¡¯t issue something like bonds, so I wondered if it was because they didn¡¯t have the authority to hand over bonds as change.


    "It looks like we will have to skip over checking the change."


    "Well, actually, we¡¯re missing around 1.2 million pelks... Could we pay it with items?"


    The woman suddenly started flirting a little and also used honorifics.


    Did organizations like these make deals using items? I didn¡¯t think that was the case.


    "Didn¡¯t you say your motto is ''cash is the best''?"


    "Well, tha-that''s¡ª"


    Based on the stammering, it looked like my assumption was right. Since they were honest about the missing amount, I decided to let it go.


    "I''ll take it depending on the item."


    "Yay! Mister¡¯s the best! Bring the items!"


    Upon the woman¡¯s order, people started moving around and laying down items in front of me.


    "Starting from the right, this is a sword worth 20,000 pelks... the magic book is 30,000... space expansion bag 10,000... wand 50,000... dagger 13,000... spear 40,000... crystal ball 3,000... a jewel 5,000... fairy power 10,000¡­¡±


    Items continued to flow into the tiny room and the valuation followed. Three million pelks worth of goods were flowing in and out making it hard to keep track of things.


    On the surface, I acted as if I wasn¡¯t interested, but in fact, I looking at each item carefully.


    Compared to the weapons made by the craftsmen back in the village, these were basically scrap metal. I had weapons of the said craftsmen piled up like a mountain inside my pocket space, so I had no interest in these weapons.


    The only items that attracted my attention were magic items unavailable in the village and magic books.


    "Oh, I''ll give you a space-expansion bag for free. It bothers me that we couldn¡¯t even handle the change properly for a customer who bought a lot of information. I¡¯ll store away the documents and the change for now."


    I honestly didn¡¯t need the space expansion bag since my pocket space was more convenient, but I didn¡¯t refuse since they were giving it away for free.


    "Then, this, this, this, this... and that, that, that... oh, that, that, and this, this and that. That''s enough."


    "These are all magic books and ingredients. Are you a magician?"


    That''s correct.


    "No, they¡¯re gifts for someone."


    The tiny space looked a lot more spacious after I placed all the items I¡¯d chosen into the expansion bag and the rest were cleared out.


    "This bag increases the volume but doesn¡¯t change the weight of the items. Will you be okay?"


    I tried holding the bag. It seemed to be a little under 500kg, which was around half the weight of the demon corpse I had brought back to my room before I left home. So this weight was nothing.


    Watching me pick up the bag so casually, the woman was visibly surprised.


    ¡°Are you from the battle tribes? No, the Crow Tribe has black hair, the Butterfly has white hair, and the Dragon Tribe has golden hair.¡±


    It was said that there were seven battle tribes and ten forbidden lands in this world. Of them, three battle tribes and three forbidden lands were located inside the empire.


    "Even if you¡¯re not from the battle tribes, you can pick up this much after training."


    It was probably true since according to the letter sent by Uncle, his disciples were able to perform acrobatics while wearing a 100kg armor.


    "Since we¡¯re done with our business, I¡¯ll be going."


    "Wait a minute."


    "What?"


    "Other than the maps you bought, we also left maps with locations of our branches inside your bag, so don¡¯t lose it."


    "Got it."


    As I climbed up the narrow staircase, the shabby old bar came into my view. Gazes locked on to me as I appeared again, but I ignored them all.


    It turned out that most of the people present here were part of the people moving items into the underground basement. It seemed as if everyone here was part of the intelligence organization. It made me wonder if the gangster that brought me here was also a member of this organization.


    Hmm, maybe not? Perhaps he was just a pawn used to gather information... It didn¡¯t matter. It had nothing to do with me anyway.


    I grabbed one of the alcohol bottles lined up on the table. "I¡¯ll take this bottle instead of the black beer."


    I picked up the bottle because I wanted to drink some alcohol, but even as I left the pub, nobody tried to catch me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because I was a special customer or because I was carrying a 500kg bag, but since I now had change and alcohol, I wanted to book a room in the inn tonight and get drunk.

 Chapter 20: Journey to the Capital (7)

    In the space located at the basement of Granwell Bar, a woman wearing a veil was lost in deep thought.


    What was the identity of the man who had come to purchase information?


    Since someone had been sent to follow his trail, even if they couldn¡¯t find out the identity of the middle-aged man with a scar on his face, it was very possible that some hints could be found about the force behind him.


    While she was deep in thought, a man dressed in black came into the hidden space to speak to the veiled woman.


    "I''m sorry, but I lost him."


    The man was the tail she had sent.


    "You lost someone carrying 500kg of baggage?"


    "I''m sorry."


    The masked man once again bowed his head and apologized. The veiled woman forgave him.


    "It''s okay. I had been expecting this since he picked up 500kg so casually."


    While touching her lips, the veiled woman asked, "By the way, this is a man who has trained his body to be as powerful as members of the battle tribes. For him to come on a simple errand, what kind of power could be behind him?"


    The veiled woman guessed that he wasn¡¯t part of her former customers. Since he had paid in platinum coins without any afterthought, he was definitely part of an organization and not operating individually. In terms of financial power, he had to be regarded as at least a count.


    Come to think of it, the man had completely disregarded the swords that had been presented, but had taken magic items and books in huge quantities while claiming that it was a gift.


    The power of the magician behind him could not be ignored then. It was also possible that he had secured enough weapons in his arsenal to withstand the temptation of the swords she had presented.


    The most troubling thing was that such a personage came on a simple errand to buy information. This meant that this individual may not currently be in a position of high power. Of course, it was also possible that the man was a trusted aide and his role was to safely transfer important information.


    Even so, no matter how valuable the information was unless they were an important informant like her, such people like him were merely considered expendable pawns. Such a pawn was able to withstand the killing intent of Big Mama¡¯s top forces and also hold the burden of taking out platinum coins.


    A powerful person like him was treated as an expendable pawn...


    She couldn''t imagine the sheer size of the organization behind him. The force behind him could be a marquis or even a duke.


    "Did you draw a sketch of him?"


    "Yes."


    "Just in case, prepare another version without a beard and a version with changes to his head shape. It will be easy to distinguish him since he has a scar on his face."


    "Yes, Ma¡¯am. But this event today....¡±


    "I''ll tell Big Mama myself."


    "Then you mean¡ª"


    "Yes, I''m going to the capital."


    -o-


    I realized that I was being tailed after I left the information agency. I threw him off and then released the illusion on my face. I then checked if there were any tracking spells cast on the items I had received. Fortunately, there was none.


    I went to a remote location and placed all the items in the space expansion bag into the pocket space one by one. I decided to thoroughly check the items later and also verify the contents of the information at a later time.


    The most important thing right now was money. The information I purchased was most likely valid since it was directly related to the organization''s reputation, but it was still better to check than to be sorry.


    I also wanted to spend the money right away.


    First, I brought out the only yellow sack and took out the 30 gold coins inside it and put them into the pocket space.


    Next, I took out a few silver sacks. There were quite a few containing a total of 200 refined silver coins and 500 silver coins. You could take a look at all the silver sacks at a glance. In contrast, there were too many sacks piled underneath to count them all manually.


    There were around 400 black sacks containing refined bronze coins, 230 brown sacks containing bronze coins, 36 orange sacks containing refined iron coins, and 40 white sacks containing iron coins.


    Assuming each sack held 100 coins like the silver sack, there were 30 gold coins worth 250 thousand pelks each for a total of 7.5 million pelks, 200 refined silver coins worth 25 thousand pelks for a total of 5 million pelks, and 400 silver coins worth 2.5 thousand pelks for a total of one million pelks.


    These all added up to 13.5 million pelks, and the remaining change worth 1.5 million pelks along with the extra items I had received added up to 15 million pelks in total.


    Just counting this much money was exhausting.


    I placed the empty space expansion bag into the pocket space and headed to the market.


    It was around 6 a.m. when I left the inn, but now it was already past lunchtime. I had had a light breakfast in the morning, but I needed a full meal for lunch.


    I headed to the market to fill my stomach using the money I had obtained. Unlike yesterday, the market was bustling with activity.


    It was 6 p.m. when I came to the village yesterday, so almost all the stores had been closed with the exception of the ones selling dinner. But currently, it wasn¡¯t even 2 p.m. so there weren''t any closed stores in sight.


    On my way to a restaurant, a shop selling traveling equipment caught my eye. It may seem like I was buying things on an impulse, but I felt that it was better to secure some equipment as I thought about the pursuit that had been happening until yesterday.


    "Welcome!"


    A man with a slight square jaw and beard stood up from his chair when I entered the store, and then sat back down sullenly when he saw me.


    "Hmph. Are you a kid? I¡¯ll kick you out if you touch things carelessly."


    He seemed to think of me as a local kid who dreamed of becoming an adventurer. It was a bit unpleasant, but I decided to move on since there wasn¡¯t much I could do about my young appearance.


    I took out a sack of refined bronze coins and said, ¡°I''m an adult. Can you take out your items since I¡¯m here to buy things?"


    The shopkeeper rose back up from his chair and said, "Oh, excuse me. The local kids come here to get their hands on my items without buying anything. I¡¯m very sorry, but you just look very young. What did you come here to buy?"


    It¡¯s an amazing change of attitude. Even Udyr would admire your abilities.


    "First of all, I''d like to look at a map."


    The details of the map I bought from the informant was not a joke. In this middle age, carrying around such a map could even lead to treason.


    "Map, hold on... Oh, here it is."


    The box that the shop owner took out was covered in dust. He carefully opened the box to prevent the dust from flying all over the place.


    Inside, there were several old looking maps. Among the several maps, some were deteriorated and hard to read, while others were in good condition but only contained nearby information.


    "Granwell?"


    "It''s the name of this village. So Kid, no Brother, which map do you like?"


    Oh, the name of this village is Granwell! This was the first time I found out.


    Before that, it sounded as if you were about to call me a kid, then decided to call me brother after taking a glance at my face.


    I was definitely an adult but sixteen was still a young age. However, as someone who had a mental age of forty, being called a kid did not feel good.


    I looked through a few of the maps, mainly looking for maps with drawings of the capital.


    "What''s the distance from here to the capital?"


    "The capital? Around 400 kilometers?"


    Oh, it was a distance I could reach by flying for 4 hours.


    "Then what about this village?"


    The village I pointed to on the map was the closest village to Granwell.


    "It¡¯s not a village. It''s a city 10km away. Brother isn¡¯t a person from the village. No wonder I couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    I ignored the shopkeeper and continued to measure the distance on the maps.


    I found a map where the distance between Granwell and the capital was moderately forty times greater than the distance between Granwell and the city I pointed at.


    This map was only twenty times larger, this one around twenty-five times, and the map with the most accurate scale was around thirty-five times greater.


    "By the way, how much is the map? I asked without taking the map out of the bundle.


    "Hmm, it¡¯s 12 refined bronze coins."


    "Based on the condition of the box, it looks like the maps don¡¯t sell well. How about a discount?" I asked while swiping away the dust on the box. I didn¡¯t want to be considered a sucker.


    "Hmph, 11 refined bronze coins."


    "Four refined bronze coins."


    "Wait, these maps are made of high-quality parchment. Four refined bronze coins is too little.¡±


    "But these maps are so old and worn out that I can¡¯t even read them properly. There are also variations in the distance between different maps. Even if I chose a map in good condition, this is basically a random lottery."


    The shopkeeper was taken aback by my comments.


    "What random lottery? More than that, I told you the distance between the capital and the nearest village earlier. Just pick a map based on that.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s a pretty good point!


    That was also how I chose a map.


    However¡­


    "Is the distance you told me really accurate?  Did you measure it precisely? The distance to the nearest village could be right if you¡¯ve visited there a few times, but have you ever been to the capital?"


    "Of¡­ of course I¡¯ve been there before."


    It was definitely a lie.


    "How many times? Did you measure the distance on the way? Are you sure you¡¯re not just saying something you heard from someone else?"


    "Well, that''s¡ª"


    "And even if the distance to the capital is drawn accurately, are you certain the same is true for the distance to other villages?"


    "Well, I mean¡ª¡±


    "Five refined bronze coins."


    The shopkeeper responded as if he had given up.


    "Ten refined bronze coins."


    "Six refined bronze coins."


    "Nine refined bronze coins."


    "Six refined bronze coins."


    "Hey, the amount didn¡¯t increase! Eight refined bronze coins. This is the final deal. I cut the cost by four refined bronze coins."


    I considered taking the bargain all the way to the bronze coin level but decided to stop since I also had to buy other items.


    "Okay, eight refined bronze coins."


    It was 200 pelks. I handed over the eight refined bronze coins and received the map I had been looking at.


    "Next, I want to take a look at blankets and sleeping bags."


    I did not want to shiver in the cold while camping out anymore. Although I was now able to use magic freely and there were no more pursuits coming after me, the future was unknown.


    "You want to buy other stuff?"


    What do you mean, am I going to buy other stuff?


    Does this guy even want to do business?


    Did I go overboard earlier?


    But I didn¡¯t want to pay so much for a low-quality item. Since I had to buy other items in the future, perhaps it was a hassle to haggle on prices for each item.


    "Mister, haggling on each item could be annoying. How about we haggle on them all at once?"


    "Shall we?"


    The shopkeeper responded to my words with delight.


    You must be tired too, huh?

 Chapter 21: Journey to the Capital (8)

    "I want kitchen utensils and a hooded cloak. I also want a dagger. Also, do you have any mats?"


    "A mat? I have one, but are you going on an adventure or a picnic?"


    "Well, it¡¯s always nice to have one. I would also like to have a raincoat, chains for my shoe, a rope, bandages, threads, and a needle¡ª"


    "Wait a minute, let me write it down."


    The shopkeeper brought out a little blackboard and started writing on it with a small chalk.


    "I also need a tent."


    "For the tent, do you only need the sheet, support rods, and support pins?"


    "I also want a small hammer and a thin rope if you have one."


    "Okay."


    "A saw and shovel as well. Oh, make that two shovels please."


    In my previous life, Officer Milduk had said, ¡°An extra shovel is an extra life.¡± A shovel was certainly useful.


    When I was in the military in my previous life, I once cut down a tree with a shovel to make room for a tent. It was a thin tree, but it was still as thick as a human wrist. I also used a shovel to break rocks when I was digging encampments.


    There were various situations in which I had to break rocks using shovels such as when an encampment was being built on a cliff, there wasn¡¯t enough space to swing a pickaxe, there was no pickaxe available, or when there wasn¡¯t enough time to swing the pickaxe. A shovel was literally the ultimate tool.


    "Well, I think that¡¯s it."


    "Wait a minute. There¡¯s a lot I have to take out."


    He went to the warehouse and after a long time, returned with a box.


    "Take a look. I brought everything you asked for."


    I rummaged through the box to check all the items I had requested. There were no signs of wear or defects on the items.


    "Yes, everything is here. How much is the total?"


    "Wait, let me see... 34 refined bronze coins, 2 bronze coins, and 2 iron coins."


    "How about you just accept the refined bronze coins? I won¡¯t haggle on the price anymore after that."


    I had cut the price down on the maps since they were full of errors and not selling well, but it hurt my conscience to haggle on items that were free of defects.


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that." The shopkeeper was delighted.


    It made me wonder if he had raised the price after anticipating another bargaining. Still, the items were quite cheap since they only cost as much as a third of the monthly budget of a family of four, especially since a mass production system hadn¡¯t been established in this world yet. Besides, I had estimated the total to be over 50 refined bronze coins, so this was unexpected.


    I paid the shopkeeper and picked the box up.


    "Huh, you¡¯re pretty strong for your looks."


    "Yeah, I¡¯m kind of like that. Have a good day."


    After leaving the store, I went to a deserted side of the street to put all the items into my pocket space. Thereafter, I headed towards a clothing store to buy some clothes to change into.


    -o-


    In the middle of a room surrounded in darkness, a quintet in black was seated around a large table; the five candles burning in front of them being the only sources of light. Seven extra chairs and seven candles that weren¡¯t lit around the large table indicated that this space was originally meant for twelve.


    "Are the people gathered Pisces, Scorpio, Taurus, Libra, and Grand Leo?" said an old man whose hair had turned white from age as he breathed heavily.


    The old man''s voice was mixed with overwhelming pressure, but none of those gathered were affected by it.


    "Excuse me, Leo. Aren¡¯t you going overboard to self-proclaim yourself as grand?"


    The woman had red hair which many coveted. Her long fringe cascaded down to the left of her face as she provocatively eyed the old man''s blue orbs behind his golden mask.


    "Hmm? Scorpio, this is an unnecessary provocation."


    The old man called Leo glared at the violet gaze coming from behind the red mask.


    Leo and Scorpio started raising their momentum and started fighting for non-existent superiority.


    A man with short brown hair and a brown mask struck hard on the table and said, "Stop it! How can you emit such hideous energy in this sacred place?"


    The energy emitted by the man in the brown mask collided and balanced out the three forces in the dark room. Thanks to this, nobody ended with a loss in the fight.


    "Hmm? Scorpio, you should be thankful to Taurus."


    Of the trio, Leo was the first to withdraw his energy. Scorpio wasn¡¯t particularly hostile to Taurus, so she withdrew hers once the old man had backed down.


    "Who are you to say that, Leo?" Scorpio gritted her teeth and made an unsightly smile.


    Although Scorpio¡¯s behaviour didn¡¯t sit well with Leo, it was self-evident that Taurus would intervene if he were to attack her.


    Once the fiery fight had been quelled, a person with a half white and half black mask spoke. It was unknown whether this person was a man or a woman, young or old.


    "We are not gathered here to fight."


    "Libra is right." Taurus stepped in and nodded.


    Libra ignored him and continued. "We are individuals who have nothing in common with one another. So what is the purpose of this gathering?"


    "It is for my honor," Leo replied.


    "It is for my greed," said Scorpio.


    "It is for my belief," answered Taurus.


    Pisces offered no words.


    "¡ª"


    However, being present here meant that they all agreed on the single goal they shared with everyone.


    "What is our goal?"


    Upon Libra¡¯s question, the different answers all became one.


    "The destruction of the empire."


    Everyone got up from their seats, picked up the candles, and blew them out.


    "Worship our God! Prosit!"


    -o-


    I changed my clothes with the ones I bought from a clothing store and then stopped by at a nearby restaurant to have a late lunch.


    "Huh? Den?"


    Surprised by the sudden call of my voice, I turned around to find the sucker I met yesterday waving at me. I was planning on leaving for the Archipelago after eating, but I got caught.


    The handsome sucker said with a smile, "Den? I was sad to find that you had left without saying a word in the morning."


    "At least he has some common sense. He decided not to trouble us anymore.¡± His sister, Alice, grumbled.


    "Alice, you can¡¯t say such things. Ahaha, I''m sorry. She¡¯s just grumpy from not eating lunch yet.¡±


    "Oppa?"


    Alice glared at her brother, but Lisbon just smiled and said, "Ahaha, seeing how you¡¯re entering the restaurant, it looks like you haven¡¯t had lunch yet. Let¡¯s eat together."


    I looked around the restaurant after he made the suggestion. It was past lunchtime, so many of the seats were empty. I considered refusing and going to a different restaurant, but the sucker flashed me a faint look. The glance reminded me of the fact that he had provided me with a bed and dinner yesterday.


    In other words, he was shooting me a gaze of sympathy. To be honest, it felt unpleasant. I didn¡¯t have any money available at the time, but that wasn¡¯t the case now.


    Are you going to give me money if you are pitying me?


    In contrast to the look of sympathy the sucker was giving me, his sister Alice was glaring at me as if to ask if I was going to take money from them again.


    Her glare felt really unpleasant, but I had nothing to say since I had indeed received help from them yesterday. I was thinking of refusing, but then I suddenly remembered that the sucker and his sister were also heading to the capital.


    Objectively speaking, my knowledge of the world was lacking due to living in a remote area. And this was despite the fact that I had read all the books on the history, politics, and philosophy of the empire back home. Still, books were written based on the culture and norms of the underlying society in the first place, so there were many parts that were hard to understand.


    Was this not a great opportunity to learn about the culture and norms of the empire? If it were the sucker, it was certain he would kindly explain even if I asked him obvious questions.


    I placed two refined bronze coins on the table and said, "Shall we?"


    The sucker and his sister looked at me in amazement when I took out the money. It must have been surprising since they had assumed I was a poor beggar.


    "Where is that money from?"


    The sucker looked at me with confused eyes. Based on his expression, it seemed as if he was wondering where the money had come from. Perhaps he thought I had stolen it from somewhere.


    "I brought it when I left home. Yesterday, I didn''t know much about prices, so I couldn''t readily take out the money."


    I decided to take advantage of the fact that I asked Lisbon about the prices in the market yesterday. Fortunately, the sucker believed my words and let out a sigh of relief. He had said that he wanted to become a knight, but it seemed as if his head was really empty.


    On the other hand, Alice looked at me suspiciously.


    "Do you really believe what he said?"


    "Of course! Den is a good kid."


    How long had he known me to say that I was a good person? He was really a sucker that made people sigh. Still, it was true that I was a good person. I didn''t turn my back on him or run away with his money.


    "It won''t be as good as yesterday''s meal and lodging, but I''ll buy lunch today."


    Lisbon was quick to refuse my offer, but one slap from Alice on the side immediately quieted him.


    "Then I''ll thank you for the food."


    Although the brother was a sucker, there were a lot of things I could learn from the sister. If you wanted to learn about foreigners, the quickest way was definitely to become closer to the locals.


    I looked at the menu and said, "I''ll have wheat bread, mushroom soup, and roasted chicken legs. Have you guys ordered yet?"


    "No, not yet. I''ll have wheat bread and tomato soup with parmesan cheese and garlic steak."


    Alice ordered expensive dishes without hesitation.


    One garlic steak alone was 15 pelks. Her order came to 23 pelks; it was more than the meal Lisbon and I had yesterday.


    "Alice?"


    "What? This is still less than the amount of money it took to change the single room to a double room yesterday.¡±


    "Well, that''s¡ª"


    "And with our original budget, it should have been possible to have meals like this for the two of us without a problem during our journey to the capital. Unfortunately, due to my brother, we¡¯re now stuck with eating wheat bread smeared with jam."


    "Sorry."


    Lisbon bowed his head and apologized as if he was ashamed of himself. The apology was for Alice, but it was for me as well.

 Chapter 22: Journey to the Capital (9)

    "It¡¯s fine. I have enough money to last through my journey."


    Even with just the change, I had enough money to manage a small territory for 10 months.


    Despite looking ashamed, Lisbon looked seemingly interested as he asked about my destination.


    "Where is your destination?"


    "I¡¯m going all the way to the capital."


    "Oh, really? Then would you like to come with us?"


    "Oppa!" Alice yelled in protest at the sucker¡¯s proposal.


    However, Lisbon only flashed a bright smile as though he couldn¡¯t hear his sister¡¯s voice.


    "I would appreciate it if you were to accompany me since I don¡¯t know much about the world, but wouldn¡¯t this be an inconvenience?"


    When I spoke humbly in contrast to the excitement I was feeling inside, Alice immediately, coldly replied, "Yes, it is an inconvenience."


    But there was a nice sucker sitting next to her.


    "No, it won¡¯t be. It¡¯s nice to have more company."


    "Oppa!"


    I calmed down Alice who was becoming angry.


    "If you''re worried about the financial situation, you don''t have to worry about my share. As I said earlier, I have plenty of money now."


    "No, you can just screw..."


    "I can also contribute money to some extent."


    I added in these words before Alice could tell me to screw off.


    "¡ª How much?"


    When she asked with a slightly softened expression, her brother Lisbon quietly called out her name.


    "Alice."


    "Oh, it¡¯s all right. I don¡¯t know your schedule, so it¡¯s hard to give a definite answer on how much I could provide support."


    I grinned at Lisbon.


    "If you¡¯re not planning on going straight to the capital and planning on taking a detour, I¡¯ll have to take a detour as well so the amount of money I would provide will be reduced correspondingly."


    Before listening to their plan, I called the waitress to make an order.


    "I''d like 5 wheat bread, 1 mushroom soup, 1 roasted chicken leg, 2 parmesan cheese on tomato soup, and 2 garlic steaks."


    I realized while placing the order that I had ordered the same menu for Lisbon as his sister.


    "Oh, would it be okay if I ordered the same menu as your sister for you?"


    "But if you did that, that money won¡¯t be enough....¡±


    Lisbon looked worried as he looked at the refined bronze coins I had taken out.


    He was definitely a sucker! He was worrying over my finances when he could just say thank you and eat the food I bought for him.


    I took out three more refined bronze coins and placed them on the table.


    "I told you I have enough money. Please take the order as I just said."


    "Yes, Sir."


    The waitress went away after writing down the order and Lisbon looked at me with an apologetic face.


    "You don''t have to be so sorry. You said you wanted to be a knight, right? You must be pretty strong, so please escort me safely to the capital."


    I told Lisbon who was looking at me with sorry eyes.


    "Would it make you feel better if this dinner and financial support is the sincerity for the escort you will provide?"


    "Well, but....¡±


    Perhaps it was because she felt uncomfortable about receiving free money or she was just frustrated at her brother, Alice said, "Oppa, you are protecting the weak according to the chivalry code. That man is just expressing his gratitude. It¡¯s not like he told you specifically how much money he will provide. He¡¯s just providing us with the extra bit of money he has excluding the amount he needs for himself. It could just end with several refined bronze coins." Alice tried to persuade her brother quite desperately.


    How much money had the sucker thrown away for a noble lady like her to talk as such? I was a little curious but decided to refrain from asking for now.


    Despite Alice¡¯s persuasion, Lisbon remained silent. It seemed as though she was angry at his silence since she shot deadly glares at him.


    "What is the problem? Are you saying that you can¡¯t accept it because the gratitude of the weak is worthless? Is that your chivalry code?"


    "No, that¡¯s not it."


    "Then what?"


    ¡°¡ª¡±


    I decided to send some backup.


    "Or are you uncomfortable traveling with me?"


    "No? No way. It''s just... I¡¯m bothered with taking money....¡±


    At this rate, even the spectators would get cancer. It would make me feel better if I were to tell Alice later to take away even the iron coins from her brother. Taking away the last bit of money from his hands should teach Lisbon a lesson.


    "Then how about this? I¡¯ll lend money to you instead of providing you with support. You can earn that money when you arrive at the capital, right?"


    He was a noble, so wouldn¡¯t he have a base at the capital?


    Even if they didn¡¯t have one, they could request money from their family so money probably wasn¡¯t an issue for them.


    "If I¡¯m lending money instead of providing support, I think I''ll lend you as much as my limits go, so it¡¯ll be a better trip for you guys. What do you think, Miss Alice?"


    Alice replied with such a smile to my question as if she had never antagonized me before, "Of course, thank you. Brother is okay with it too, right?


    "Uh¡­yeah."


    By the time the sucker reluctantly agreed, the food had already begun to fill the table.


    "Let''s have a meal first."


    My belly was clamoring for food.


    -o-


    After finishing the meal, we bought three days worth of food and went to a place where carriages gathered outside the village.


    We paid for one of the carriages there and headed in the direction of the carriage station in another village.


    According to Alice¡¯s schedule, we had to take a carriage from here to another village two days away. Thereon, we would take a train headed straight for the capital.


    I was amazed at Alice¡¯s explanation that there were trains in this world. I changed my view of this world to one where civilization was more developed than I had previously thought.


    Come to think of it, I wondered if a train was a big deal in a world where you could fly with magic.


    We were forced to spend two days on a boring carriage paying an expensive fare of 10 refined bronze coins per day. We didn¡¯t encounter any bandits, and this carriage didn¡¯t turn out to be involved in human trafficking, so we uneventfully arrived at our destination city.


    The only incident that happened during the journey was Alice vomiting from motion sickness. As far as I who had a strong physical body, or Lisbon who had trained himself with the dream of becoming a knight was concerned, motion sickness was a distant story.


    During the boring period, I spent a good time asking Lisbon questions about the basic norms of the empire.


    Upon arriving at the city, Alice quickly descended from the carriage and took a deep breath while Lisbon and I burst into laughter.


    "Phew, don¡¯t laugh!"


    The sight of Alice wiping the saliva around her mouth with her eyes wide open reminded me of a poisoned cat.


    When Lisbon and I got off the carriage, soldiers approached and demanded identification cards.


    There were several carriages around us just like the location we had started from. There was also a small building that looked like a management office.


    For carriages, it was difficult to frequently get in and out of the normal city entrance. Besides, it was quite time-consuming to get off the carriage, check the IDs, and get on the carriage again. Due to this, carriages were sent to the outskirts of the city without inspection where they would undergo separate scrutiny.


    The inspection was just simply matching the photo on the ID with our faces properly. My encyclopedia, Lisbon, said that this was to prevent criminals who had bounties on their heads from entering the city.


    When we took out our identification cards as the soldiers requested, Lisbon and Alice were both surprised to see the card I brought out. In particular, Alice stared at me in disbelief that a man who had no common sense was a noble like her.


    The sucker who had thought of me as an orphan and helped me out admitted to the gaze of sympathy he had been sending me and apologized. He was truly a good-natured sucker.


    We spent a day in the city relieving the stress we had accumulated from the carriage ride and took a train to the capital the next day. The train was much more expensive compared to the carriage. Part of the reason may have been due to Alice booking the first-class coupe, such that a three-day train ride to the capital cost two silver coins per ticket. Since there were three of us, it was a total of six silver coins or thirty times the cost of the carriage.


    "Alice, how about we book a cheaper seat?"


    Lisbon tried to stop Alice from booking the first-class coupe by borrowing one silver coin from me on top of the three silver coins I had lent out earlier. This was because three silver coins would have been enough had she booked the first-class coach without a bed. But Alice glared at Lisbon as if she was asking if he had anything more to say.


    "When we originally left home, we had enough money to pay for this much. If only Oppa hadn¡¯t given our money away to the temple."


    ¡°But you saw how the children in the temple weren¡¯t able to eat properly.¡±


    "Why did you donate the money behind my back? If you''d discussed it with me beforehand, at least we wouldn''t have used all our travel funds."


    "So... sorry."


    Lisbon was so sorry that he couldn''t even meet Alice¡¯s eyes.


    Although I had no idea what had happened before we met, based on what I heard, it looked like Lisbon was in the wrong here. I wondered how the two would have gone to the capital with their financial situation if they hadn¡¯t met me on the way.


    Alice quieted Lisbon down and spoke to me with a sigh.


    "I''ll stop by the bank and pay you back as soon as we arrive at the capital."


    Surprisingly, there was a bank in the empire. It made sense if you thought about it. If there were a mint that printed money, obviously, there had to be banks that were moving and circulating the money in the economy. Of course, unlike my past life where banks were located on every street, there was a lack of liquidity of money in this world since there was usually one bank per major city or territory in the empire.


    Still, the banks had their own network systems using magic, and money was transferred between nearby banks through mage squads, so there was apparently no need to worry about bandits while transferring money from one bank to another.


    Additionally, the banks formed agreements with mercenary groups or adventure associations and used them as major branches. The banks were able to entrust these organizations with security, and apparently, their reputation was high enough that even high-ranking nobles would use them.


    It seemed as if they would be useful for converting the gold coins that were sleeping in my pocket space.


    Onboard the train, we were surprised by the luxuriousness of the first-class bedroom cabin and the fact that it was several times faster than the carriage with little vibration.


    I was surprised by the speed of the train which rivaled the ones from my previous life as well as the bedroom cabin which I had never seen before. However, the brother-sister duo acted like countryside bumpkins who had never seen a train before.


    It was obvious if you thought about it. If I were to recall the map I bought from the informant, the train was for now only connected to the capital and the territories of high-ranking nobles. A viscount was by no means a low rank, but it was insufficient to make the empire build a train track all the way to their territory.


    My lips curved into a slight smile as I watched the brother and sister become amazed at the sight of their surroundings whooshing past outside the window. That¡¯s how we ended up on a train heading to the capital.

 Chapter 23: Journey to the Capital (10)

    The imperial palace was the symbol of the empire.


    Inside the imperial chambers in the inner palace, Bloody bowed to the emperor and approached him. Normally, one had to keep one¡¯s distance, kneel on a knee, and shower elaborate greetings and praises to the empire and the imperial family when meeting the emperor according to palace etiquette.


    However, Bloody was one of the five people who did not have to do so. The quintet comprised the closest aides of the emperor: Prince Zantes, Prime Minister Arcanta, Court Magician and Military Commander William of the Butterfly Tribe, Marshal Orphina of the Dragon Tribe, and Marshal Bloody of the Crow Tribe.


    At the emperor''s side stood three of his closest aides excluding Orphina who had been sent to Demon¡¯s Territory.


    "Welcome, my dear friend, Bloody von Di Canta Blade. Thank you for defending the empire from Demon¡¯s Territory."


    The name von attached to Bloody¡¯s name was a title for nobles and Canta was the name of the territory granted to him.


    Canta was a location outside the capital and considering that it was a territory for a marquis like Bloody, it was smaller than a territory owned by a baron. Since Bloody was planning to return to his homeland one day, it was a somewhat meaningless piece of land.


    "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Imperial Majesty."


    These greetings were just formalities that were exchanged every time he came back from Demon¡¯s Territory. After the boring pleasantries were done with, the emperor clapped his hands to lift up the atmosphere.


    "Now, let''s go to the conference room. William, please."


    "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."


    When William raised his hand, magic power started to circulate and teleported them into a secret conference room consisting of a table and six chairs.


    Bloody thought it was an inconvenience to meet in the imperial chamber if they were planning on gathering at the conference room from the beginning. Even if the useless formalities were omitted, it was still necessary to keep the tradition of meeting at the imperial chamber. This was because they still had to display their actions to the other nobles.


    The emperor needed to honor his subjects who had suffered at Demon¡¯s Territory, and Bloody had to prove that his loyalty to the emperor remained strong even after he had left his seat vacant for a long time.


    Bloody knew as well that it couldn¡¯t be helped even though it was annoying. Still, nobody tried to be formal anymore after they arrived at the conference room.


    "So Bloody, I read from the regular reports that the demons¡¯ movements have been more active lately?¡± the emperor asked as he removed his uncomfortable veil. This definitely went against the norm, but no one here said anything.


    If the imperial attendants had been here, they would have nagged the emperor until their mouths frothed. Fortunately, their authority was not sufficient to participate in this meeting.


    "Yes, they¡¯ve become very active lately. But it¡¯s still not enough for us to take action. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens. I think we should wait for news from the woman who worships the lizard."


    Bloody clasped his hand behind his head and lifted his foot onto the table. If this had happened outside the conference room, this would have been a major insult to the imperial family warranting the extermination of his entire family.


    Of course, if the empire were to try and exterminate Bloody¡¯s entire family, it would inevitably result in the destruction of the empire. No matter what, Bloody was part of the imperial family of the strongest battle tribe in the world as well as a descendant of the warrior who had killed the Demon King 120 years ago.


    "If Orphina had heard that, this conference room would have been destroyed by now. Bloody, how could you call a dragon a lizard?¡± Prime Minister Arcanta started complaining with a bitter smile at Bloody¡¯s action. In the perspective of the Dragon Tribe who worshipped the dragon, calling a dragon a lizard was akin to blasphemy.


    "What about it? It¡¯s not like Orphina is here. She goes around talking about me like I¡¯m an idiot who can¡¯t lift up a spoon anyway."


    Arcanta sighed and began nagging at Bloody. "Be careful. To her, this is worse than insulting her parents. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been bragging about how you defeated a dragon all by yourself and how you stabbed a knife on a dragon¡¯s head that your relationship has become such a mess.¡±


    Bloody had led the warrior force before coming to the capital. After which, Denburg''s older brother, Gawain, had taken over the vacant position of the general of the warrior force.


    "Ay, what''s wrong? Back then, I didn''t know that the Dragon Tribe worshipped the dragon. I wouldn¡¯t have said it if I knew." Bloody jokingly retorted and sat up straight.


    "Speaking of killing dragons, I have one piece of news for you."


    "What is it?"


    When the emperor asked, Bloody took a letter out of his pocket.


    "So apparently, my nephew Denburg ran away from home."


    Upon Bloody¡¯s words, William smiled and said, "Haha, that sounds like trouble. Didn¡¯t you say your nephew Denburg is a magician?¡±


    The emperor and the prime minister who had become slightly nervous relaxed at William¡¯s words because Olympus Forest was also known as Magician''s Hell and was not an easy environment to learn magic in. In addition, people who learned magic had weaker physical training, so even if they were to cause an accident, it was easy to quell it.


    The emperor laughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Even if he is a magician, he is still from the Crow Tribe. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll get bullied somewhere."


    It was hard to imagine members of the Crow Tribe as magicians.


    Bloody added a word in this peaceful environment.


    "But Denburg was chosen as my brother¡¯s successor."


    The Crow Tribe had the tradition of having their strongest member become the tribe leader. It was the same even after they changed the title to village head. The emperor and the prime minister became worried that a nightmare like Doomstone Blade would occur again.


    "Wait, you said he¡¯s a magician. Did he learn magic as a side hobby?" A bewildered William asked.


    Bloody shook his head. "No, magic is his specialty. But I don''t think his martial arts or swordsmanship is that far behind from his brothers."


    This was the impression he got from Denburg when he had been to his hometown on vacation. The lad was obviously skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship. But, he had also felt this nephew was a bit lacking compared to his two older brothers. Still, he had high expectations since a kid who wasn¡¯t an adult yet was already catching up to his two older brothers who were the generals of the guard division and warrior force.


    "But if his main focus is magic, shouldn¡¯t he be a bit behind in terms of physical abilities?"


    "That might be true, but they told me that when he was twelve, he caught a dragon by himself using magic."


    "What? At twelve? Using magic? Does that even make sense?"


    William was astonished at Bloody¡¯s words. That was because even he, who was from the magic-specializing Butterfly Tribe, became nothing more than a person slightly stronger than a knight at Olympus. It was suicidal to try to defeat a dragon there. Afterall, it wasn¡¯t by coincidence that the strongest battle tribe after the Crow Tribe worshipped the dragon.


    "So the question is, how strong would a magician that can defeat a dragon at the age of twelve become once he leaves Olympus."


    William could not answer Bloody¡¯s question easily. How could he measure the abilities of a magician who could catch a dragon alone when even he couldn''t do it in the first place?


    Still, he had to provide some sort of answer. Afterall, there was no magician stronger than him in the empire.


    "¡ª Once he leaves Olympus Forest, he¡¯ll be at least ten times stronger. How old is your nephew?"


    "Sixteen.¡±


    "What age did he start to learn magic?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that."


    "This is important, so think about it."


    "Five? Six? Around that age?"


    To be exact, Denburg started to learn magic at the age of two, but there was no way for Bloody to know that.


    Meanwhile, William thought that this was the worst thing he could hear from Bloody. Magic also depended on talent, and if the talent was developed from a young age, its potential would be limitless.


    To put it simply, even with the same talent, the limit of those who began to learn magic at the age of five, ten, and fifteen was all different. The earlier one learned magic, the higher one could climb.


    It had been four years since someone who had learned magic at the age of six to seven had defeated a dragon at the age of twelve. With that much talent and time, they were probably able to kill a dragon with ease by now.


    Perhaps he could even handle two dragons at once?


    He was talking about those inside Olympus Forest.


    "If it¡¯s outside Olympus, maybe we could compare him to the tribe chief of the Crow Tribe that I met before?"


    William had seen Doomstone in person a few years ago when he had accompanied Bloody to obtain some magic ingredients that only grew in Olympus Forest. He believed he had seen something that went beyond human limits. It made him wonder if there were any human beings, or any living creatures in the world who were stronger than him.


    At William¡¯s words, Bloody said, "Your Imperial Majesty, may I go back to Demon¡¯s Territory?"


    "No? Isn''t he part of your family? Where do you think you¡¯re going?"


    Bloody was soaked in tears upon the emperor¡¯s ire.


    "So what? They¡¯re saying he¡¯s comparable to Big Brother! I¡¯m scared."


    "You still can¡¯t. Even if you''re scared of him, do you think we¡¯re going to be fine? Just find him quickly and send him back to Olympus."


    "How should he do that, Your Imperial Majesty?" Arcanta carefully asked after the emperor spoke.


    "What?"


    "Even if we were to somehow find out Denburg''s location, we have no methods of capturing him if he is as strong as that person."


    The emperor was rendered speechless at the prime minister''s words.


    William then came up with a solution. ¡°What if the Crow Tribe was to come take him back?¡±


    The emperor and the prime minister agreed that it was a good idea, but Bloody¡¯s face turned dark.


    ¡°The thing is¡­ it seems like they think nobody can catch Denburg other than Big Brother."


    The atmosphere inside the conference room died instantly. They simply couldn¡¯t call a disaster like Doomstone to the empire.


    The prime minister and the emperor began to suffer from extreme stress.


    "Phew... this isn''t a problem that can be solved immediately, so let''s move on and keep quiet about this news."


    "Your Imperial Majesty, what should we do about Orphina?"


    "Keep it from her as well. We can¡¯t burden her with bad news when she¡¯s already struggling at Demon¡¯s Territory. It¡¯s not like anything will change if she came either."


    "Okay." They all said in unison, and with that the conference ended.


    However, a few days later, they received news from the Big Mama intelligence agency that there were movements from an unidentified agency. The prime minister and the emperor had no choice but to work to the brink of collapse.


    It is said extreme stress was the reason why generations of kings died at a young age.

 Chapter 24: What Happened in the Capital? (1)

    The train stopped and an announcement sounded.


    We have arrived at the East Capital Station.


    The doors will be open for twenty minutes. Please exit slowly.


    Lisbon stood up and stretched.


    "Are we finally at the capital?"


    There was not a faint sign of fatigue on Lisbon''s face. It was the same for me.


    There was a reason why first-class bedroom cabins were so expensive. I could barely feel any vibration from the train, and the restaurant on the train looked more luxurious than the one at the inn. Perhaps due to being somewhat included in the ticket cost, the meal wasn¡¯t that expensive considering its taste and quality. There was also a small casino and a shower facility, so it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call it a high-end train trip.


    According to Alice, the quality of the food and service diminished as the ranking decreased. I was wondering how she knew so much since it was also her first time on the train, but then I caught sight of a guidebook for train trips sticking out of her bag.


    I considered telling Alice since she was acting pretentious, but decided to turn a blind eye. She had been acting like she was on the edge lately (thanks to me), but now that she didn¡¯t have to worry about money, her actions looked kind of cute as expected of someone her age.


    When I got off the train, I saw a view that was on a different level from all the other villages we had gone past till now. Thanks to the high altitude the train station was located at, we could see part of the capital.


    In the center of the city, the beautiful and gigantic imperial palace was gracefully exuding its presence from within tall walls lining it. To its west were magic towers around 20 to 30 stories high. The market between the imperial palace and the train station seemed to be lighting up the whole capital.


    "Wow!"


    Lisbon and Alice also seemed to be amazed by the enormous city and looked around with glittering eyes. Seeing how they were mirroring each other, they were definitely siblings.


    "Could you please stay away from the rail? It¡¯s dangerous."


    When the startled station attendant told the brother and sister duo to back off, a sign that had been hidden by Lisbon¡¯s body came into view.


    - Caution!


    Fragile structure- Frequent Accidents- Do not lean on the railing


    Only then did the brother and sister discover the sign and apologize. They then proceeded to escape the train station to avoid the eyes of the attendant.


    "Let''s go to the bank first."


    As Alice stepped out of the train station, she suppressed the glint in her eyes she had earlier. She looked as if she wanted to go visit the capital immediately. Regardless whether it was because she wanted to pay me back immediately, or because she had no money on hand currently, she took out her map and headed to the bank. It was probably because of the latter.


    Alice¡¯s map was a bit crude, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Since it was her first time coming to the capital, she had probably obtained the map at her hometown or at some point during the journey. There was no way a detailed map of the capital could be obtained in such places. In this era, a map was technically classified as a military item.


    The capital was a place where the emperor resided in his imperial palace, so it was already considered amazing to be able to obtain such a map from a remote area. Of course, it was an exception for someone like me who had obtained the map from an illegal informant.


    "Huh?"


    Sure enough, Alice tilted her head as she read the crude map.


    "This place and this place look like the places over there, so it should be one more block and then to the right."


    I glanced at the map and thought of the map I had memorized before I kindly pointed in the right direction on the map that Alice was holding.


    Alice blushed and said, "I, I know."


    She then snorted and headed ahead.


    Lisbon smiled as he watched his sister. An onlooker would presume he was looking at his daughter running her first errand.


    Alice led us to the bank after wandering about three times. She proudly entered the bank and headed straight for the counter.


    "Excuse me, Ma¡¯am. I''ve got customers in line, so could you please take a number? The queue numbers are at the entrance of the bank.¡±


    "Ah... Okay."


    It was a fairly modern bank. Alice blushed and quickly went to grab a queue number. She probably thought she had acted like a countryside bumpkin just now, but I didn¡¯t really think so. I got a number after her.


    As we sat on the chairs arranged by the window, Alice headed to the counter when her number was called. When she presented a large plate at the counter, the clerk received it and used some magic tools on it. Soon after, the clerk returned Alice one big and one small sack along with the plate.


    The plate Alice was holding must have been some kind of passbook. Looking at it closely, there were various magics cast on it. It seemed to be able to synchronize with the magic tool to find out its current balance as well as update it with the new balance. It was also possible that it could be used as a credit card.


    Alice came back and took out four silver coins from the small sack.


    Looking at how the volume of the sack decreased by half when she took out four silver coins, it seemed as if the small sack had around one refined silver coin (10 silver coins) worth of money.


    She then proceeded to take out a handful of refined bronze coins from the large sack.


    "The 20 refined bronze coins are the interest." Alice avoided my eyes and whispered, "Thank you very much.¡±


    I thought she was just a spoiled little kid, but she surprisingly seemed to have a good side to her.


    I put the refined bronze coins into my sack and said, "Thank you."


    I honestly didn¡¯t expect her to pay interest. Still, refusing the interest she offered first was something only a sucker like Lisbon would do. When the clerk called out my number, I headed to the counter.


    "What can I do for you, sir?" the clerk asked with a slightly stiff smile. Smiling all day also consumed a lot of stamina.


    "I''d like to open an account."


    "Yes, Sir. To open an account, you need to provide some personal information to the bank. Is that okay?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay, then could I see your ID first for opening an account?"


    I nervously pulled out my ID. This was the counterfeited ID, not the one I had obtained from Hestia. I waited with a throbbing heart, worried that my sham would be detected. If I were to get caught, I would either run away or take out another ID. Since my other ID seemed pretty powerful, wouldn¡¯t they let me go for something like counterfeiting?


    The clerk received the ID, placed it inside a magic tool, and tapped on the keyboard. She then took out the ID from the magic tool and handed it back to me.


    "Yes, Mr. Den Mark. Your ID has been verified. To open an account, you have to deposit at least one refined bronze coin worth of money. Will that be okay?"


    Fortunately, it seemed like I had succeeded in creating a perfect ID. With a sigh of relief in my heart, I handed over a refined bronze coin to the clerk.


    The clerk received the refined bronze coin and started typing away on the keyboard. She then handed over a plate just like the one Alice had earlier, after which she gave me a plate with numbers written on it.


    "Could you set up your six-digit password?"


    I entered my date of birth from my previous life.


    "Yes, thank you. The account has been opened. When you want to make a deposit, you can just bring the passcard I gave you to make a deposit. However, if you need to make a withdrawal or send money to another person, you will need to bring your ID, password, and your passcard.


    "Okay."


    The bank was more progressive than I had thought. I didn¡¯t expect to be able to even transfer money. I think I¡¯ll disguise myself later with magic and come back to make another account so that I can deposit my platinum coins and withdraw them as change.


    I don¡¯t think the bank will leak my personal information.


    Still, it was better to be cautious since people could start investigating me if they found out that I had money worth at least a platinum coin. One reason was that people from back home could come to find me.


    After finishing my business with the bank, I said to Lisbon and Alice, "Since we arrived at the capital, let¡¯s split up from now."


    "What? Why? Let''s go look around the market together." Lisbon was surprised and grabbed a hold of me.


    But I shook my head.


    "No, I came to the capital because I had some business to take care of, so I''ll have to go take care of it."


    "Will you be leaving the capital after you¡¯re done with your business?"


    Unexpectedly, it was Alice who asked this time.


    Was it just my misunderstanding that she looked a bit regretful?


    "No. If possible, I''m thinking of settling down in the capital. But you never know what the future holds.¡±


    Lisbon seemed to be struck by a good idea at my words.


    "Then why don''t you live with us?"


    Oh my God! Living with this sucker could make me die from cancer!


    Alice could have antibodies against him since she was his sister, but I did not have such anti-sucker cells.


    I shook my head.


    "I can¡¯t cause such an inconvenience. Since you guys will be here at the capital for a while, we¡¯ll meet again if our fates entwine. See you then.¡±


    I bowed slightly and parted without looking back.


    In the last five days, I learned about most of the common norms of the empire. In other words, I didn¡¯t need a Lisbon Encyclopedia anymore. Wasn¡¯t it a good habit to leave a sucker after you ran out of things to use him for? What a nice farewell though, since I didn''t run away with his money or steal his items.


    I listened carefully to my surroundings in case they followed me, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to be doing so.


    There were three things I had to do now. First, I had to find a house to stay in. Second, find out the schedule of the civil service examination. Third, study for the examination.


    When I was still in my hometown, Hestia had steadily collected and studied books with information related to the theory of law, administration, and management of the empire ¡ª some of which were also related to civil servants. Except for soldiers (soldiers were recruited every day), civil servants were selected twice a year during winter and summer. Since the date was now headed towards summer, the winter exam in January was already over and the exam in the summer of July was the only one left for the entire year.


    I had a little over a month left since it was May already. Now that I had found out the platinum coin I had brought was actually an amount of money beyond imagination, it made me wonder if there was a need to take the examination. Still, it was better to work than to do nothing.


    But, let''s find a house to stay first.

 Chapter 25: What Happened in the Capital? (2)

    Hestia was helping pack Leisha''s luggage. The latter was planning on leaving the village to catch Denburg.


    "You don''t have to pack it like that. You can put some of the stuff in a pocket space."


    Even as Leisha complained, Hestia continued to pack the bag without wasting any space.


    "You can''t use your pocket space when you''re in the forest. This is bug repellent, this is animal repellent, this is the food you can pack later."


    "I didn¡¯t need these things when I was pursuing Denburg. I don¡¯t need things like animal repellent."


    "You were traveling with hundreds of other people when you were chasing after him. This time, it¡¯s only the three of you. You need to prepare for any danger that you might encounter."


    ¡°Still, Brother Vice General is one of the strongest people in the village. Would I actually be in any danger?"


    Hestia shook her head and stuffed more items into the bag. "You''re a magician. You¡¯re only a tiny bit stronger than a ten-year-old in the forest."


    "Hmph. I¡¯m still stronger than you though."


    Hestia slapped Leisha¡¯s hand when she tried to take some items out of her bag. "Stop. Listen to your sister. You can put it in the pocket space again when you leave the forest. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that heavy."


    Leisha lifted the 50kg bag with one hand. "It¡¯s light, but the bag is too big. This bag is almost triple my size.¡±


    "I can''t help it. Your clothes take up a lot of volume. There''s a raincoat and towels inside. It¡¯s not like you''re not going to change for ten days."


    "That''s true. But can''t Brother Vice General or the person from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs carry the firestick or the rope?"


    "If you expect someone else to bring the items for you, you could end up in a situation where nobody brings it."


    Leisha pouted at Hestia¡¯s continuous nagging. "We could just open everyone¡¯s bag before we leave?"


    "Are you going to unpack your bag in front of everyone when you have underwear inside? Also, why did you not put this book in your pocket space? Let''s see. A man and a man....¡±


    Leisha quickly took the book back when Hestia tried to read it and decided to surrender.


    "Ahhh? Stop? Okay? Stop, I¡¯ll just take the items with me."


    The book had been left in the bag for Leisha to read when she was resting at a campsite as she couldn''t open her pocket space in the forest. It was a novel she had obtained by secretly asking a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    "Phew, I''m worried about sending you off."


    When Hestia sighed, Leisha puffed out her cheeks.


    "You¡¯re the one who made the decision."


    "I know. I should be the one going."


    "Haha, stop it. I don''t know about Denburg, but if you left and went missing, Father will definitely go out to find you."


    Hestia sighed. There was no need to worry about Denburg getting bullied somewhere, but she was the weakest person in the village. Moreover, since most of the village''s operations were managed by her, she could not leave the village unless she had taken care of most of the operations she was managing.


    "You should go now if you''re done packing. Vice General will be waiting.¡±


    "Yes, I should. Don¡¯t worry too much, Sister. I may be powerless in the forest, but I might be stronger than the brothers when I go out."


    "Yes, yes."


    Leisha¡¯s words simply passed through Hestia''s ears.


    "I¡¯m being serious."


    Leisha stuck out her lips and pretended to be sulky.


    In fact, her words were not wrong. Magic power was stable enough outside Olympus Forest to make a drastic difference compared to the magic power inside the village. If she was outside the forest, she could perform magic that was strong enough to hold back the warriors of the Crow Tribe who had learned martial arts, a skill that had been developed to utilize magic power safely inside the forest.


    Hestia was unaware of this since she had only learned magic used for everyday life and had never stepped outside of the village, let alone the forest.


    As Leisha carried her bag and headed towards the entrance of the village, Mac, who had been waiting for Leisha, said, "Lady Leisha, let¡¯s head out now."


    "Oppa, can you stop talking to me in that tone and also stop calling me Lady?" Leisha lashed out.


    Mac shrugged and said, "This tone is a trademark that goes along with my beard. And what else am I supposed to call you other than Lady? Isn¡¯t that right? Commander?"


    When Mac sought Hestia¡¯s agreement, the latter smiled and said, "Just shave your beard."


    ¡°I thought Commander would at least understand. This is too much for me to bear.¡±


    "Ahaha, let¡¯s get going now. Bye, Sister, I''m leaving."


    Hestia gave her little sister a big parting hug.


    "Don''t be upset that not everyone could come to say goodbye. Father had an urgent matter to attend at Mount Olympus, and Gawain and Gallahad went with him."


    Even Hestia did not know what exactly had happened. She just remembered her father saying that something did not feel quite right lately. She could only wonder if the reason he had chosen his successor already was also due to this uneasiness.


    "I know. Do you think I¡¯m a kid? I''m an adult, too." Leisha grumbled.


    Hestia spoke in a tone that was used to reprimand a child. "Oh, are you now?"


    "Of course!"


    Hestia laughed as she watched her sister speak proudly while puffing out her chest.


    "Hoho, okay. Vice General, I¡¯ll leave Leisha in your care."


    Mac nodded in response.


    The people who were leaving to bring Denburg back to the village left in such a manner.


    -o-


    I examined the map I bought from the intelligence agency and headed to some kind of real estate agency.


    "Let¡¯s see."


    With the copy of a section of the map I had bought as a guide, I went around looking for the real estate agency. It was hard to read it because it was a rough sketch. Still, I had no choice since I couldn¡¯t just carry around the original map. I had memorized a route while I had been copying the map, so I thought I could find my way as I did when I visited the bank.


    I was concentrating on the map when I heard the sound of wheels rolling from behind. Just as I was about to raise my head for a moment to look at the source of the sound, a carriage passed by quickly and sprayed muddy water all over me. Without any time to dodge, the water in the puddle from the rain last night drenched me completely.


    The horseman of the carriage also realized that he had sprayed me with mud, so he stopped the carriage that had been going in a hurry and looked back at me.


    An angry voice sounded from the carriage, "What are you doing? Go faster!"


    The horseman spoke with an awkward expression, "Lord Marquis, a passerby got splashed with muddy water due to the carriage."


    "What does that have to do with me?"


    "Perhaps we should reimburse his clothes....¡±


    "What does that have to do with stopping the carriage? Do you want to get fired?"


    "No, no. I apologize."


    The horseman sent me an apologetic look and drove away.


    I swept away the mud on my clothes with my hand and took a look at the large emblem etched on the carriage ¡ª a silver wolf and a laurel leaf.


    I would remember them. This brother was serious. I couldn¡¯t express the deep annoyance I felt. I decided to look through the information about the nobles I had bought from the intelligence agency.


    I headed to a deserted alley to take care of the drenched clothes and my discomfort. I sprayed myself with water made from magic to rinse the muddy water, but I still felt uncomfortable in my clothes.


    "Hmph!"


    I clicked my tongue and reminded myself once again of the emblem with a silver wolf and a laurel leaf and then proceeded to head to the real estate agency which was my original destination.


    "Excuse me."


    I opened the door to the real estate agency and saw a map of a section of the capital hanging on the wall as well as a table and a sofa placed at the center of the room.


    "Welcome. Have you come to look for a house?"


    "Yes."


    A woman who gave me a good impression greeted me. I wasn¡¯t sure whether she was the owner or a host.


    When I sat on the sofa as per her instructions, the woman spread a map similar to the one on the wall on the table and sat on the opposite end of the sofa.


    "Are you leaving your family, or are you just trying to move to a new house? Are you from another territory? Do you live alone, or do you have a family? If you have a family, how big is it?"


    When I became embarrassed by the quick succession of questions hurled at me and hesitated, the middle-aged woman smiled and poured some tea for me.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Am I asking too many questions at once? Well, you can drink some tea and answer them slowly."


    I took a sip of tea and answered, "First of all, I came to the capital from another territory, and I''m alone."


    "Oh, if you came here alone, did you come to get a job? Have you found one yet?"


    "No, I''m planning on taking the civil service examination."


    "The civil service examination...Then you''ll be staying here for at least a month. If you pass, you¡¯ll be staying here for an additional six months for school."


    "What?"


    Seeing my surprise, the middle-aged woman suddenly began to explain.


    "Oh my, you didn''t know. I¡¯ve noticed that people who come from outside the capital aren¡¯t usually aware of this. You know that the civil service examination is in January and July, right?


    "Yes."


    "If you pass the test, you will be trained for about half a year by a school or a training center. Based on the grades you receive during your training, you will be assigned to internal positions at the imperial palace, external positions at the capital, or local positions that are situated at provincial areas. Actually, my son passed the civil service examination during winter and is currently attending school. Phew, the school is managed alongside the knight and magic school, so most of the students there are actually from noble families. I hope my son is doing okay. But after working hard for half a year, you can get a decent job. Oh sorry, I started talking about myself."


    The middle-aged woman spoke rapidly and then apologized.


    "It''s okay. This will also be my future if I pass the examination."


    "That¡¯s right. It will be helpful for you to hear about these. This is what I heard from my son, but¡ª¡±


    The middle-aged woman kept talking. To summarize her words, if I passed the examination, I would have to attend the school and live in a dormitory for half a year.


    People who took the examination were mostly the third and fourth sons of noble families with the rank of viscount or lower. However, commoners were also able to take the examination. Commoners were treated on par during the entirety of the process because the examination was managed by the Department of Treasury which was led by one of the only two dukes in the empire.


    The Department of Treasury was one of the strongest organizations in the empire. Rumors had it that in order to bribe an official from this department, you had to give enough money to bankrupt a small territory. In other words, the examination guaranteed fairness because nobles with the rank of a viscount or lower had no money to provide help for their third and fourth sons to pass the exam.


    I reckoned I wouldn¡¯t have needed to forge my identification card with ogre-bones if I had known this.


    Also, the civil service exam was very competitive because if you were to successfully pass the exam and complete the training for half a year, you were guaranteed to be granted the rank of knight. Although the title was restricted to only their own generation, all the smart commoners challenged the exam for the chance to become a noble.


    Still, the fact that the Department of Treasury was in charge of the civil service examination was really good news.


    Now, I only had to sneak into the Department of Treasury and take a peek at the exam questions, and then I would be able to quickly become a civil servant no matter how cut-throat the competition.


    The reason I was planning on entering the Department of Treasury and looking at the exam questions wasn¡¯t that I lacked the confidence to pass the exam without cheating. Rather, I was full of confidence that I could pass.


    The real reason was that I was afraid of passing the exam with excellent grades and ending up working for the imperial palace that my uncle frequented. If I were to work for the capital, I would be hiding underneath the lamp, but if I were to work as a civil servant in the imperial palace, I was basically above the lamp.


    "Has this much time passed already? I ended up chatting away with a busy man."


    Indeed, the middle-aged woman had kept on talking for an hour without a break. If I had not obtained snippets of important information while she had been talking, I would have just run away from her. However, she had occasionally thrown some important information at me.

 Chapter 26: What Happened in the Capital? (3)

    "Well then, shall we start looking at some of the properties? What is your estimated budget?"


    I gestured two fingers to answer the woman¡¯s question.


    "Two silver coins? That will be a little too small. Well, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s still enough for a single person."


    No, what I meant was two refined silver coins. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if the house cost two gold coins, but I lowered the budget since I felt such an expensive house wouldn¡¯t exist in this small neighborhood. Before I could even correct myself, the middle-aged woman brought out some drawings of rooms and buildings.


    Does she not have any pictures instead of drawings?


    "This room requires a deposit of one silver coin and 20 refined bronze coins. The monthly rent is 10 refined bronze coins, but it¡¯s convenient to live here since it¡¯s close to the market."


    The floor plan shown by the middle-aged woman was a studio ideal for living for one.


    "Excuse me, but I''d like to find a place to stay until the civil service examination. Would that be possible?"


    If that wasn¡¯t possible, let¡¯s just buy a house. It was too noisy and distracting to study at an inn.


    "Until the examination... unfortunately, it¡¯s not possible to rent houses that way."


    I think it might be a better idea to just buy a house. Even if I had to go to school for the training, since I had the confidence to get good grades, buying a house did not seem like a bad idea.


    "Well¡ª"


    As I was about to say that I¡¯d like to buy a house, the middle-aged woman cut me off and said, "How about boarding? The owner of this house is considerate to allow people to board at his place for a month. Afterward, you can sign a contract to stay longer if you like the place. The price is a bit expensive though."


    "How much is it?"


    "It¡¯s 40 refined bronze coins a month without any deposit."


    "For boarding?"


    Renting a house cost 10 refined bronze coins a month, so it didn¡¯t make sense that a boarding house would cost 40 refined bronze coins. If I lived in this boarding house for three months, it would be equivalent to the deposit fee of the one-room studio I saw earlier. This was no different from saying that they were not interested in finding boarding students.


    "Yes. The room is big, there is a garden, and it¡¯s also close to the market. Meals are served in the morning and evening. But the landlord says that if he doesn¡¯t like you during the one-month stay, you¡¯ll have to pack your stuff and leave."


    "What? The landlord will kick the boarding student out?"


    What kind of boarding place kicked out the tenant just because they didn¡¯t like him?


    "Yes. Actually, the grace period of one month is more like a time for the landlord to get to know the tenant rather than them being considerate. Staying at an inn will actually be a little cheaper and you may also be able to negotiate prices if you¡¯re planning on staying there for a month."


    Certainly, if I were staying at an inn, it was possible to get a discount since I would be a long-term guest. Besides, there usually weren¡¯t a lot of guests during the weekdays.


    "Is the house quiet?"


    "Yes, the boarding house is located on the streets where the nobles live, so it¡¯s quiet and has good security.¡±


    Security was certainly something important to consider. Good security meant that there was a reduced risk of being disturbed by strange accidents.


    "There won¡¯t be any problems like the landlord coming into the room when I¡¯m not there right?"


    "I heard that he¡¯s not such a person."


    "Could I take a look?"


    "It¡¯s an expensive place and you could be kicked out later. Are you fine with that?" the middle-aged lady asked again.


    "Yes. Please guide me to the house."


    At my firm request, the woman led me to the boarding house as a real estate agent. The house looked much better than I had imagined. It was safe to say that this was a mansion of a noble family. The middle-aged woman rang the bell and spoke into the intercom.


    "Hello? I¡¯m a real estate agent on Wellcon Street. There''s someone interested in boarding at this place. May I come in?"


    Rather than an answer, the iron door opened automatically, accompanied by a sound. It was a much more developed country than I had thought.


    "Shall we go in?"


    "Yes."


    The garden on the way to the porch was filled with pink flowers. Although I did not know the name of the flower, I could tell that they were well maintained. Also, I sensed the presence of a lot of people.


    The real estate woman knocked on the front door, it was opened as if someone had been waiting inside.


    "Ma¡¯am, long time no see."


    When the real estate woman greeted her, the woman inside the house gently nodded and gestured for us to enter.


    "Agent Pope, long time no see. Is this the new tenant interested in boarding?"


    "Yes, he is."


    "Would you like to come inside and have a cup of tea?"


    "I''m sorry. It¡¯s an honor, but I can''t leave the real estate agency unattended for a long time. May I drop by next time?"


    It was easy to tell at a glance that the real estate woman was stiff and tense. It seemed that the landlady was a noble.


    "Of course. Agent Pope, please feel free to come see me anytime."


    The woman looked really disappointed.


    The real estate woman took a step back a little stiffly and said, "This lady here will introduce you to the house. If you need to find another house, please feel free to come to the real estate agency anytime."


    She bid her farewell and headed out to the front door.


    For a friendly woman like her to become nervous, was the landlady actually a scary person or a high-ranking aristocrat?


    "Come in."


    The landlady guided me inside the house.


    As expected from a mansion, the interior of the house was very luxurious. After being guided into the living room, I sat on the sofa next to the table at the recommendation of the landlady. It was very soft. Unlike the rough sofa made out of demon hide back home, this felt comfortable on a different level.


    The landlady poured me tea and spoke as she handed me the cup.


    "First of all, excuse me, but may I take a look at your ID? My son doesn''t like to have people in my house who haven¡¯t been verified. I apologize if this makes you feel unpleasant."


    "No. You should check since I''m here to board. Here you go."


    When I pulled out my ID and handed it to her, the landlady was slightly surprised and said, "Oh, you''re a noble. Excuse me for this, I¡¯m very sorry."


    "It''s okay. It¡¯s not like I have the word noble written on my face, nor do I have a title. I¡¯m just a plain noble."


    The landlady bowed slightly at my words.


    "Thank you for understanding. My name is Arscilla von Di Paiola Arthemius. You can call me Mrs. Arscilla."


    I did feel that this place looked like a nobleman¡¯s mansion, and it turned out to be true.


    Based on how she had the name of a territory ¡°Di Paiola¡± in her name, she was at least the wife of a noble family or the lord¡¯s mother. This was because, among a lord¡¯s direct lineage, only his parents, wife, and heir were assigned that name.


    For some reason though, the name sounded familiar.


    "Yes, Mrs. Arscilla, I understand. As written on my ID, my name is Den von Mark. Please call me Den. But ma¡¯am, your name sounds familiar for some reason¡ª¡±


    When I spoke my last words, the landlady looked a little embarrassed but also full of pride.


    "Oh, I believe Mr. Den is familiar with my name because of my son."


    Son?


    If I were familiar with the name of a nobleman in just a short time after leaving my hometown, it must have been because of the information on nobles I bought from the intelligence agency. This person must have considerable power in the capital for me to be familiar with his name.


    I pondered for a moment.


    Arscilla Di Paiola Arthemius¡­ Di Paiola Arthemius¡­


    Wait?! Arthemius?!


    "No way¡ª"


    Mrs. Arscilla nodded while slightly blushing with embarrassment.


    "That''s right. Although my son is lacking in many aspects, he¡¯s serving in a high position as a prime minister."


    Arcanta von Di Paiola Arthemius ...


    The young prime minister of the empire. Indeed, the name was familiar.


    He was one of the most influential nobles in the empire that occupied the first page amongst all the nobles in the document. The emperor''s right-hand man. He was a genius that could have advanced the world ahead of the Butterfly Tribe had he trod the path of a magician. He was one of the names most frequently mentioned in my uncle¡¯s letters.


    Indeed, there had been a reason why the real estate woman had been so nervous just by meeting Mrs. Arscilla face to face. But why was the wife of a duke receiving boarding students for a house that was too small when considering the authority that a prime minister held?


    "What do you mean lacking? Who would say that the prime minister is lacking? Your son is a person that even someone like me hailing from a remote region has heard of.¡±


    "Thank you for saying so."


    "This could sound a little rude, but why is someone like you looking for a boarding student?¡±


    Mrs. Arscilla answered with a kind smile, "It''s not really a rude question. The reason why I''m providing a boarding house is that I like people. It was fun to walk around when I was back in my territory, but I haven¡¯t been able to move around freely ever since coming to the capital. So I asked my son for a small house so I could receive boarding students."


    Ding-dong-!


    The doorbell suddenly rang.


    "It looks like the kids who are going to board at my house today are here. Since you haven¡¯t taken a look around the house yet, would it be okay if I gave you a tour with them?"


    "That won¡¯t be a problem."


    Mrs. Arscilla stood up and walked towards the front door.


    I thought as I looked behind Mrs. Arscilla. This was dangerous. If I were to stay in this boarding house, it was no different from saying that the prime minister himself would find out who I was. The prime minister was very close to my uncle. In other words, if the prime minister found out who I was, Uncle would immediately hear the news.


    Should I leave now? No, it was already too late.


    I was wondering why there had been the presence of so many people around the mansion. They were all bodyguards. It was possible that the news that I had set foot in this house had already reached the ears of the prime minister.


    This was a real dilemma.


    It was too strange for a guy who came to look around the boarding house to leave right away without looking at his room. It could even look as if the purpose of my visit was to come see Mrs. Arscilla. But it seemed unlikely that they wouldn¡¯t investigate my identity after I had spent time with the landlady for a while to look around the house.


    Should I just be crazy and board at this house?


    My ID was forged perfectly already, and I had written the address on my card as a remote region located on the map to make it seem as if I was a noble from a fallen family. I wondered if they would investigate a mere boarding student to that degree, but they definitely would at my current state. It was also questionable whether a fallen noble like me would pay such expensive rent to board at a place like this.


    What should I do? Should I run away?


    Mrs. Arscilla brought in the people who rang the doorbell.


    "Oh? Den?"


    One of the people Mrs. Arscilla had brought in shouted my name. Surprised, I turned towards the person who had called my name. There was a sucker looking at me with a bright face.


    "Oh, do you know each other?"


    "Yes, ma''am, He¡¯s a traveling mate who came all the way to capital with me.


    A mate when I¡¯ve only known you for a few days¡­ no, wait!


    I could use this situation to my advantage.


    "Yes, ma''am. He''s a mate who I came up together with to the capital. I received a lot of help from Mr. Lisbon.¡±


    "No, I was the one who received more help."


    I nodded in response to Lisbon''s words and began to talk as we sat down and chatted together. I had to prove my identity to the prime minister as much as possible by making Lisbon and Alice identify me. It was a steep gamble, but it was the only way to take the civil service examination without causing a stir.


    If this went well, not only would my identity be guaranteed, I may also be able to see the effect of hiding under a lamp. Of course, I would run away immediately if I got caught.


    By the way, it was hard work to pretend to be close friends with someone.

 Chapter 27: What Happened in the Capital? (5)

    "Oh, I¡¯m having a headache."


    Arcanta was literally buried in documents. The endless stream of paperwork would not diminish at all even as he processed them one by one. His work had not been piled up initially, but as the examination period for the selection of civil servants drew near, various ministries started fighting each other to take in the top talent.


    It was around this time that the trainees from the previous examination completed their training and got assigned to the ministries. It was understandable that the ministries would fight for the best talent because they could suffer for years if they ended up with an incompetent member.


    However, things really happened at once when events started erupting. The sudden movement of demons was also becoming a problem. But the most troubling news for Arcanta now was the runaway nephew of Bloody¡¯s, the next tribal chief of the Crow Tribe, Denburg Blade.


    When he thought about the incidents Doomstone, the current head of the Crows, had caused 25 years ago when he had yet to be chosen as the successor of the village, it made his healthy stomach suddenly twitch in pain.


    Back then, Arcanta had only been a seven-year-old child that sniffed his nose and had no idea of what was happening outside the world. But records of that incident had still been kept over the years and tormented the current Arcanta who had gone on to become a prime minister.


    In fact, up until a few days ago, these records had merely been records. They were meaningless and did not affect his stomach that had been weakened by the work stress. However, these records had now turned into something that could completely destroy his stomach.


    If the most minor of incidents in the record were to be taken as a precedent, there was one incident where a 15 meters dam had been destroyed and submerged an entire farmland, all due to the gibberish of an old man with dementia.


    Another incident spoke of a count who had hit a child walking on the street for splashing dirt on the road. In return, he had gotten beat up until almost all the bones in his body were reduced to powder, and the 300 knights accompanying him had become bedridden to the point of not being able to lift a finger.


    There was another that spoke of a road being blocked from a landslide, and an entire mountain being destroyed as a person tried to penetrate the road.


    These were the very light cases in the record.


    In another country outside the empire, their royal palace was utterly destroyed, 50,000 soldiers including 3,000 knights were crippled, and the territories of seven high-ranking nobles from the ranks of a count or higher were completely destroyed. The damage had been so great that a moratorium had been declared.


    The records had been a part of history when they had been read, but now it had turned into an event that could happen at any moment in the empire.


    "Ah, where is my gastrointestinal medicine!"


    Arcanta found the medicine under some piles of documents and started focusing on his work again. No matter how much he racked his brain, there were no solutions over the runaway incident. If so, the best method was to make the utmost preparation and then forget about it.


    Knock, knock!


    Arcanta muttered a ¡°come in¡± without taking his eyes off the documents. Soon, his deputy walked in and handed over some documents along with photos.


    "This is¡­ oh. Is it today when they said the children of the viscount are coming to visit?"


    The documents handed over by the deputy were personal details of the new tenants who were boarding at the house run as a hobby by Arscilla, Arcanta''s mother.


    Lisbon and Alice were the children of Arcanta''s nanny, so he thought of them as a brother and sister of a distant relative.


    Five generations ago, a daughter of the Arthemius family married into that viscount¡¯s family, so it was safe to say that they were distant relatives.


    "Why are there three documents?"


    I¡¯m sure there were two children who were supposed to come from the viscount.


    "One of them is a boarding student who came through the real estate agency."


    "Real estate?"


    At Arscilla¡¯s firm insistence, they had put up a notice at a real estate agency on Wellcon Street seeking a boarding student. It was definitely not a good idea considering her safety, but Arcanta had been forced to comply as he couldn¡¯t go against his mother¡¯s wish. As such, boarding students would occasionally come from the real estate agency.


    But who planted him this time?


    Arcanta was well-aware of his current position. His mother, perched high above the empire¡¯s brightest sun, was a very appetizing platter for his political opponents or those who wished to take advantage of him. In fact, there had already been multiple occasions when people had come to board for that very purpose.


    "I don¡¯t think that is the case this time¡ª"


    When the deputy disagreed, Arcanta glanced at his subordinate and asked, "What is your basis on?"


    "He¡¯s very close to the viscount¡¯s children, Mr. Lisbon, and Miss Alice. As shown in the photos and documents, he¡¯s also way too young. It¡¯s very difficult to find someone of that age who can defeat the bodyguards unless he¡¯s from one of the battle races."


    Arcanta closely examined the documents and photos. He certainly did look young. Those that knew about Arscilla would also know that there were people secretly guarding her and that those people were all at least high-ranking knights.


    "This guy called Den von Mark comes from a remote area that even I''m not familiar with. You did a good job coming up with this information in a short period of time. "


    "He stopped by a bank in the capital to open an account. It was quick to get the details on his identification card from them."


    Although they acted like they weren¡¯t, the bank was also an organization under the Treasury Office helmed by Arcanta¡¯s family. However, even if the bank wasn¡¯t an organization under the family, there wasn¡¯t any organization that would refuse when a prime minister such as himself asked for information. Still, the information from the bank was highly reliable as they were under him.


    "It¡¯s good news that he at least did not try to fake his identity to approach Mother."


    Although it was actually a forged ID, Arcanta fully trusted the identification cards that were jointly protected by the magic of the Butterfly Tribe and the imperial magicians.


    "Haha, who would try to forge the ID of a noble? It¡¯s extremely difficult to forge IDs of that complexity."


    "That¡¯s true. Is Warrant the last city where the ID was issued?"


    Since being the closest city to the Olympus Forest and located right at the border of Demon¡¯s Territory, Warrant City was also known as the last city. It was filled with fallen noble families and knights defending the empire from Demon¡¯s Territory. Therefore, it was the only city that could make its own identification cards without being part of a high-ranking noble¡¯s territory.


    Also, this city was famous for making ID cards in a rather unique way. To make an ID card there, before proving one''s identity, one had to go through the resident knights and warriors there and get to the place where one issued the ID.


    Arcanta thought it was an incomprehensible way, but it was because he thought that a man without power was not a nobleman. To be exact, it was an argument that "no one can protect anyone without power, and no one can protect it if not a nobleman¡±, but he wondered what it had to do with getting that theory and ID card issued.


    So, it was usually said that the nobilities who became new adults living there were still weak in force, so their parents directly broke through the knights and warriors and made ID cards instead. It was a violation of the imperial law and the purpose of making the ID card, but Warrant was a special city, so the center turned a blind eye to it.


    This was because if they captured each and every one of them, Warrant, that acted as a shield from the demon¡¯s territory, might end up falling apart.


    "Usually when one gets an ID card issued at Warrant, they end up settling there. How interesting. Is there someone who can go there and do some investigating?"


    When Arcanta asked, the adjutant replied with a bitter smile, "Even if it is your order, Prime Minister, they would probably resign rather than go to a city where it is said to be swarming with those from the battle races."


    No matter how harsh the city was, and no matter how strong someone was, they still couldn¡¯t even measure up to the toes of the Crow Tribe living in the nearby Olympus Forest.


    When they hailed the battle races as the `shield that protects the empire from the demons`, it was full of pride. But Arcanta didn''t plan on ignoring them. In reality, the knights and warriors residing in Warrant were strong, and without them, the empire would not be as safe as it was now.


    "Hmm, this guy named Den is close with the viscount¡¯s kids?"


    The deputy fervently nodded. "Yes, they seem really, really close."


    The moment he said they didn''t seem close, someone from the Treasury Office would be sent off on a business trip to Warrant, also known as Valhalla -- the heaven of endless fighting. The deputy didn''t want to hear words of resentment from his subordinates about how he himself wasn¡¯t taking on the task.


    "I don''t like the fact that there are blanks everywhere in his personal information, but it doesn''t seem like there are any issues. Just start by intensively monitoring him for a month."


    "Understood!"


    The deputy breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.


    -o-


    It¡¯s been three days since I started boarding here. I was alone in this room that was located on the second floor; it was wider and more comfortable than my room back home.


    Three days should have been enough time for the Prime Minister to investigate me. Nevertheless, nothing happened except for the surveillance that was stationed as soon as I entered the boarding house.


    Based on that, it was safe to say that my forged identity had not been discovered, and the fact that I was close to Lisbon and Alice seemed to have gone well into the ears of the Prime Minister. It might also have been due to my plan of tagging along with the siblings whose identities were well known.


    However, it was better to restrain from making a hasty decision for there was a possibility that my fake identity had been discovered.


    If so, was there a certain reason he was simply observing from a distance and not dealing with me?


    Thinking about it, he might just be leaving me alone so he can try to dig into my non-existent background. If that was the case, the Prime Minister was really cold-blooded. He was leaving his mother alone with a person of unknown identity and background like it was nothing.


    Or, perhaps it was just me who thought there was an observer?


    On second thoughts, wasn''t being observed enough of a problem? I created an illusion of myself heading towards the bed, and at the same time, I cast invisibility magic on my body.


    "Akarin~!" [1]


    The illusion naturally went to bed and fell asleep.


    Having turned invisible, I exited through the window, being careful not to make a sound. I could roughly feel the presence of 23 people patrolling around the mansion, and considering they seemed to be quite full of energy, they felt like elites compared to ordinary people.


    But for the purposes of protection, they were too weak, so it was clear that if there were an attack, their role was to stall for time to evacuate Mrs. Arscilla and at the same time send for combatants.


    I calmly monitored the movements of the observers. After about half an hour, some people showed signs of changing shifts. I headed for the place where I noticed the movements. As I expected, some of the guards changed shifts, scattered, and headed somewhere.


    I snuck up and ambushed one of the guards who had scattered off somewhere and dazed him with a medicine made from mandrago roots. After that, I hypnotized him with magic and asked him if he had received any orders.


    "Have you been keeping watch over me this whole time?"


    ¡°Of course."


    The gut instinct that I was being watched turned out to be true. I wasn''t in the mood for a joke.


    "Fine, how much did you investigate about me?"


    "Name, age, origin."


    "Be exact."


    "Na-me, Den von Mark. 16 years old. Ori-gin, War-rant, East, Olym-pus. Bor-der region."


    When I tried to make him speak more his words slurred and stiffened. He must have a strong mind because he was resisting the hypnosis. I could make him sound more fluent, but I was reluctant to do so because I would have to really contort his mind.


    "How did you find out?"


    "At the... Bank. ID card ... Information."


    Could the bank have turned over my information?


    No matter how tight the security of the bank was, it would have been strange if they didn¡¯t hand it over when someone at the level of the Prime Minister was the one requesting it. It was probably easy as the empire''s banks were not private companies but national organizations under the Treasury Office. Since that was the case, I should hold off on exchanging the platinum coins in my pocket space for a while.


    1. Akari is a character from Yuru Yuri that can turn invisible and has the nickname of Akarin.

 Chapter 28: What Happened in the Capital (6)

    If the prime minister could easily obtain information from the bank without any problems, then it was likely that he would be able to immediately identify my location if I were to use the identification I had received from Hestia. I thought again about how lucky I was to have received so many changes from the information agency.


    "How much longer are you going to be monitoring?"


    "Around a month."


    It was apparent that the one-month grace period on the contract had been written by Prime Minister Arcanta, not Mrs. Arscilla.


    The guard¡¯s resistance against my hypnosis started to intensify.


    "You¡¯re... not free¡ª"


    This was the limit of information I could obtain from the hypnosis. I dehypnostized him and quickly ran away.


    "What? What just happened?"


    Waking up from the hypnosis, the guard confusedly looked about his surroundings. He then started muttering, "Am I tired?" and went off unaware of what had happened.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t feel anything drastic. More than that, he said that I was not a free person?


    What a funny joke! I couldn¡¯t help but start laughing at what the guard said.


    Crack! I cracked my knuckles. Wait a minute, I think I could utilize this to my advantage. I calmed down my anger and started to think.


    The guards could be my alibi when I went to raid the Department of Treasury later. The best scenario would be to not get caught, but you could never know what would happen. Thinking about it again, it was also unknown whether the prime minister would do another background check on me again. Keeping him immersed in his work to make time was a solution.


    It wasn¡¯t because I felt unpleasant at the fact that I was being watched. This was just for my own safety.


    Yes, yes! It was for my safety.


    Come to think of it, there was something I hadn¡¯t received yet.


    Should I use the name 1412 or Angel Girl?


    -o-


    It was a bright morning the next day. I found it hard to open my eyes as I slept late last night. Nonetheless, I still managed to get up from the bed and go down the stairs for breakfast.


    "Den, did you read the newspaper this morning?"


    Lisbon made a big fuss while holding the newspaper.


    Why are you asking someone who just woke up if they read the morning newspaper?


    "No, I just woke up. What''s the matter?¡±


    "Last night, one of the powerful nobles, Marquis Balthain, got his entire fortune stolen including a piece of jewel called the Goddess'' Blessing."


    There was an emblem with a silver wolf and a laurel leaf drawn on the newspaper. I wanted to thank the Marquis for paying for my laundry fee with his entire fortune.


    "Oh, really?"


    So the name of the jewel was Goddess¡¯ Blessing. I hadn¡¯t known that.


    "What! The Goddess¡¯ Blessing was stolen?"


    Alice exclaimed loudly as she came out of the bathhouse with a towel wrapped around her head. She was shocked as she read the newspaper she snatched out of Lisbon¡¯s hand.


    "Oh my god! The Goddess¡¯ Blessing is that precious star sapphire! I wouldn¡¯t have any regrets if I got to see it even once, but now there won¡¯t be a chance ever again.¡±


    No wonder that sapphire was heavily guarded. I had been wondering what was so great about a scratched sapphire.


    Alice made quite a fuss, she looked as if she was about to cry.


    I didn¡¯t think it was really a big deal since a viscount would probably have no chance of seeing such a precious jewel, but Alice seemed really disappointed.


    "I was planning on asking Mrs. Arscilla for a favor to go take a look."


    Ah, I see. It was definitely possible to see the jewel using such methods.


    Although it was now destined to sleep inside my pocket space forever.


    "What''s more astonishing is that the culprit called himself ¡®Lupin¡¯ and has revealed his next move."


    Getting ideas from classics seemed to be a good idea. Their copyrights were almost expired too.


    Alice read through the newspaper again.


    "Oh, you¡¯re right. It says that he left a card saying ¡°I¡¯ll come and greet Count Druval tomorrow at 2 a.m.¡±


    "Is there some jewel at Count Druval¡¯s mansion?" Lisbon questioned.


    Alice folded the newspaper in response and said, "Of course there is! There''s a necklace called The Crystal of Perfection. Lupin is almost certainly aiming for it."


    All I did was pick a name from the list of nobles I bought from the information agency. I just chose the owner of a name who had a status of count or higher. It was nice since I could steal their money even if they didn¡¯t have any jewelry.


    "It looks like the Order of the Knights and the Department of Treasury will be busy."


    Lisbon became puzzled and asked, "I understand that the knight divisions will become busy, but why the Department of Treasury?"


    Alice sighed and answered, "Oppa, I know you invest all your energy into training your body, but try to use your brain once in a while. The thief will obviously need to sell the jewel he stole. Since he can¡¯t sell it at the market, he¡¯ll try to sell it through a third party or at the black market. Since it¡¯s under the jurisdiction of the Department of Treasury to monitor the movement of money, they¡¯ll be trying their best now to listen for any news at the black market."


    "Aha. I see!"


    "It wouldn¡¯t matter too much if it were just a small thief, but this guy called Lupin made a scratch on the Marquis and Count¡¯s pride by even announcing his next target. They¡¯ll definitely try to catch Lupin no matter what."


    Alice was completely correct. The Department of Treasury was now going to try to search for a jewel that wasn¡¯t being sold. Of course, I was still planning on selling one or two since they could end up thinking that all the stolen goods may have been smuggled somewhere else if none were found.


    "Don''t just stand there. Come here and have breakfast."


    Mrs. Arscilla''s voice came from the kitchen. We quickly sat down at the table and ate breakfast. We finished a lavish meal that would cost two refined bronze coins to eat in a restaurant.


    Forty refined bronze coins seemed really cheap if I took into account the fact that I would eat such a meal two times a day. The 40 refined bronze coins were only worth 10 days of meals. It wasn¡¯t a joke when they said that Mrs. Arscilla was running a boarding house as her hobby.


    "Thank you for the meal."


    When I was about to get up after saying my heartfelt thank you, Lisbon said, "Thank you for the meal. Den, let¡¯s go look around the Archipelago together."


    "I''m sorry, but I have to go meet a real estate agent on Wellcon Street to pick up notes her son made while preparing for the civil service examination. I also have to hand in my application for the test."


    "Okay¡ª"


    When Lisbon started to look disappointed, Alice said, "I only have a few days left before the entrance exam too. Leave me out as well since I have to study from now on."


    "What? Then am I by myself?"


    "Oppa should go train. The entrance exam for the knights¡¯ school isn¡¯t that far off either. You won¡¯t be able to pass at this rate."


    Alice''s goal was to graduate from the magic school and enter a tower or become a court magician. Meanwhile, Lisbon''s goal was to become a knight serving the imperial family by transferring to an intermediate knights¡¯ school.


    According to Lisbon¡¯s original plan, he would have entered a beginner-rank knights¡¯ school when he turned sixteen, advanced into a middle-rank knights¡¯ school, and then worked as a page for an advanced knight. However, as a second son of the family, he was treated as a backup for his eldest brother and ended up being transferred to the middle-rank knights¡¯ school.


    The peculiar thing about schools located in the empire was that the terms started in the fall. In other words, if the brother and sister were to pass the entrance exam in the summer, they would start studying in the fall.


    "Okay, all right." Lisbon answered in a feeble voice.


    "Cheer up! We can go hang out after the exam." I offered him some consolation since I received quite a bit of help from the sucker.


    "Really?"


    Lisbon¡¯s eyes quickly lit up at my words. Those orbs made me regret what I just said.


    "What about Alice?"


    Lisbon looked at Alice with a hopeful look, and her face gradually became darker until she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come! Stop looking at me like that. But I¡¯ll kill you if you bother me before the exam."


    "Okay!"


    Lisbon energetically replied, and Mrs. Arscilla smiled as she watched from the side.


    "Hohoho.¡±


    Her face said she was operating a boarding house for scenes such as this. I couldn¡¯t understand her.


    It was already past 8 a.m. now.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit of distance to where I¡¯m going, so I¡¯ll get up first."


    "Yes, please do."


    Mrs. Arscilla saw me off to the front door, and my first stop was the branch of the Department of Treasury to register for the exam.


    -o-


    Inside the premises of the imperial palace, the Department of Treasury located among one of the outer palaces was having a busy time. The department was currently in a state of emergency due to the burglary that took place last night. Marquis Balthain was constantly pressuring the Department of Treasury and the Order of the Knights to somehow catch the thief.


    Technically speaking, the burglary was the responsibility of the knights and had nothing to do with the treasury. However, the marquis kept on pressuring the treasury, saying that the thief would try to sell the jewel in the black market.


    Handling the black market was the responsibility of the knights, but it wasn¡¯t completely wrong to say that the treasury also had a responsibility too since they were responsible for all the money in the empire. Due to this fact, employees of this department were currently experiencing hell.


    To make matters worse, the theft had happened just when the civil servant exam and the assignment of new civil servants were in progress. Had the theft happened at a low-ranking noble¡¯s or had only money been stolen from the Balthain mansion, the treasury could have stepped out from the situation. It wouldn¡¯t have been this busy if that had been the case, but now the civil servants of the treasury office had no choice but to be resentful of a thief who called himself Lupin.


    Even though it was already past time to come to work, the treasury office was empty because most of the civil servants had left to monitor the black market after signing in. Thanks to this, the remaining civil servants had no choice but to handle the workload meant for the entire office. They did not even realize when the bell started ringing at the entrance.


    The young man who entered the office looked around before going to the nearest civil servant.


    "Hello, I''m here to apply for the civil service exam."


    "What?"


    The civil servant working for the treasury office looked up with a face of annoyance at the person interrupting his work. He then pointed at the pile of documents scattered atop a table and instructed, ¡°Please fill out the form over there and hand in your ID."


    The treasury civil servant sighed. Originally, this work was meant for Finance Team Four, but they went out to raid the black market. The treasury civil servant proceeded to check the man¡¯s document and ID after he had quickly filled out the document.


    "Is your name Den von Mark?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you sixteen?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you have a photo?"


    "No."


    "Then please stand over there for a moment."


    The civil servant from the treasury office pointed at the white wall. After Den stood there, he brought out a camera from Team Four¡¯s desk that was several times larger than a human face. He then set up a tripod and put the camera on it.


    "This photo will be attached to your application, so please raise your head. No, you raised it up too much. Yes, that''s great. I¡¯m taking the photo now. One, two, three."


    Snap! Snap! Snap!


    The photo was taken as the flash fired. After three clicks, three pictures came out in a row just like a polaroid camera.


    The treasury civil servant shook the photos until the outlines started to appear. He then attached them to the application and the exam identification slip.


    "One is for the application, one is for the exam identification slip, and the last one is for the civil service card that comes out when you pass. All your information will be erased if you fail the exam. It will be one refined bronze coin for each photo and another for the exam fee."


    When Den handed over four refined bronze coins with a puzzled face, the treasury civil servant handed over the exam identification slip. It was actually one refined bronze coin for the three photos, so he looked happy at the fact that he had earned two extra refined bronze coins.


    "Your application has been accepted. You can go to take the exam at the Imperial Central Training Center on July 12th, 10 a.m. Make sure to bring your ID, exam identification slip, and something to write with when you come. Most importantly, don¡¯t forget your ID card and test ID card since you won¡¯t be able to take the exam without them."


    The civil servant indifferently meted out the instructions and went back to work.


    Den felt unpleasant and thought about raiding another place on top of the viscount he had plans for.


    The treasury civil servant thought about drinking cold beer tonight with the extra money he had made while having no idea that today¡¯s incident had caused the treasury department to suffer pressure from two more households. Unfortunately, the civil servant¡¯s small wish could not be fulfilled tonight due to the overtime work that was about to come.

 Chapter 29: What Happened at the Capital? (7)

    In my room, there was an illusion of me preparing for the civil service exam -- sitting in front of the desk and studying. Meanwhile, under the setting red sun, I was standing atop the temple spire wearing a half black and half white mask. Emotions from second grade in middle school were surging.


    It was currently close to 8 p.m., and the time I was supposed to visit Count Druval was 2 a.m. In several dozen minutes, the sun would set completely shrouding the capital in utter darkness with the exception of several buildings. Street lights installed on every road brightened up the roads. However, I felt sorry that the lights did not reach the inside of the buildings.


    The sun eventually went down and the street lights lit up. I jumped down from the temple spire; my body merged with the darkness and disappeared.


    -o-


    The White Deer Knights in charge of capital security were all standing guard at Count Druval''s mansion. Normally, the knights should have gone home and left the night watchman in charge around this time. Unfortunately, everyone was still on their guard duty due to a mysterious man who called himself Lupin.


    "What kind of situation is this? We can''t even go home because of some freak." The vice-captain of the White Deer Knights grumbled before the captain.


    This captain exuded a strong presence. In response to his subordinates gripe, he simply brought his index finger to his lips as a warning to be silent. "This is not the barrack. Count Druval is a giant in the business world, so you''d better be careful about what you say."


    "Well, that''s true. By the way, do you really think that guy called Lupin is coming?" The vice-captain felt that all of this was a waste of time.


    But his boss shook his head. "We must protect this place whether he comes or not. If we leave the place because we think it''s a waste of time, he could take advantage of the situation and break into the mansion. On the other hand, if we maintain tight security, he might get scared and not come at all. The necklace in the vault called the Crystal of Perfection will be safe then.¡±


    Right then, the door opened with a round of applause.


    Clap, clap, clap, clap!


    "Excellent! As expected from the captain of the prestigious White Deer Knights. An attitude to never slack off? I''d like to learn this attitude from you."


    The man stepping in was Count Druval. With his untrimmed beard, he gave off a magnanimous disposition.


    The captain and the vice-captain withdrew the swords they had drawn in surprise and bowed.


    "Not at all. You are known for being an immovable mountain in the business world and have a high reputation. It is I that should learn from you."


    Count Druval burst into laughter as if the captain''s comment made him happy. "Bahahaha! Is that so? It''s an honor to hear that from a knight famous for his uprightness. By the way, how is the situation?"


    When asked by Count Druval, the captain nodded and replied, "Everything is under control."


    "It makes me relieved to hear that. The Crystal of Perfection inside the vault behind you is a precious item worth five platinum coins."


    The vice-captain standing next to the captain dropped his jaw when he heard the value of the crystal. The captain slightly moved the sword hanging on his waist to lightly tap his adjutant. The vice-captain finally realized that he had exposed his emotions and closed his mouth while slightly bowing his head.


    "I apologize. My subordinate has erred."


    It was considered taboo for a knight to carelessly reveal his emotions in the presence of outsiders, not to mention when they were alone with other knights. Due to the nature of their works, high-ranking knights had many opportunities to access confidential military information. Revealing their feelings in the presence of outsiders could potentially provide clues regarding military secrets. Therefore, controlling their emotions was a vital part of their training.


    "Not at all. The Crystal of Perfection is indeed expensive. You could use it to buy a small territory."


    "Thank you for understanding."


    Count Druval accepted the captain''s apology and said it was all right before leaving the room.


    "I''m sorry."


    When the vice-captain apologized, the captain put his index finger on his lips and said, "It''s all right. Anyone can make mistakes."


    The vice-captain was puzzled at the captain''s sudden signal to be quiet, but he kept his mouth shut as instructed.


    The captain also went silent after giving solace. Unlike his mouth, his hands were not silent. The vice-captain interpreted the hand signal.


    ''This, place, ear, eavesdropping.'' This place is being eavesdropped?!


    The surprised vice-captain sent back a hand signal.


    ''Who?''


    ''Conversation, earlier.''


    The person they talked with just now... Count Druval!


    The captain sent more signals with a break at each tempo.


    ''This, place, and, before, know, our, conversation.''


    The interpretation was ''He knew our conversation even before he arrived.''


    Come to think of it, Count Druval had been praising the captain''s stance as he was coming into the room. This mansion wasn''t built in a rush like the soldiers'' lounge. There was no way their conversation could reach the outside of the room.


    The vice-captain felt goosebumps all over his body and sent a signal.


    ''Why?''


    He thought that maybe it was for listening in on military secrets.


    ''Unknown, maybe, us, no, believe.''


    ''I don''t know, but maybe it''s because he doesn''t believe in us?''


    The vice-captain went berserk at his boss'' words. The count showered all sorts of praises in front of them, but he was peeling pumpkin seeds behind their back.


    The captain noticed the vice captain''s thought and sent a signal.


    ''Calm down, opponent, money, top, us, knight, no.''


    ''Calm down, the opponent is the business world''s biggest giant. He''s different from knights like us.'' The signal ''No'' could sometimes be interpreted as ''different.''


    The vice-captain was indignant, but he couldn''t do anything about it. No matter how high their positions were, it could not outshine Count Druval''s title and the power of money. He gave his last nod and stopped all exchange of conversation including hand signals. This was because they could also be monitored by magic security videos.


    The long silence was broken by their subordinate knight who came bursting in through the door.


    "We''re in trouble! Lupin appeared at Count Margaret''s mansion!"


    "What?!"


    When the vice-captain shouted, the knight became flustered and hurriedly explained.


    "At 10 p.m. today, Count Margaret''s butler found the vault hanging open while he was patrolling the interior of the mansion. All the silver bars and jewels in the safe were replaced with a card bearing Lupin''s name."


    It was 11 p.m. now. The report was made an hour after the discovery. Usually, such discoveries would be reported in 30 minutes at the latest, but the report was delayed due to all the White Deer Knights being stationed at Count Druval''s mansion except for some on duty at the base.


    "The major problem is that a necklace made of thousand-year amethysts that was meant for the third princess'' birthday party in three months was inside the vault."


    "Dammit!"


    The vice-captain swore, and his temper began to rise. This wasn''t just a simple case of burglary anymore. One of the stolen items was meant for the imperial family. This was clearly a challenge to the imperial throne.


    Lupin turned from a simple thief to a traitor that would end up with his entire family being wiped out if he was caught. It was possible that thieving the Goddess'' Blessing, as well as the warning to Count Druval, were just a smokescreen to steal the necklace made of thousand-year amethysts.


    "We must lead all the knights and head to Count Margaret''s mansion.¡±


    The vice-captain shouted at the captain, but the captain shook his head with a firm look.


    "No, it''s not 2 a.m. yet."


    "Isn''t that just a smokescreen for the actual crime?"


    "Well, I don''t know. First, we''ll divide the knights into half."


    "Captain?"


    "Calm down. Lupin isn''t at that place now. You don''t have to bring all the knights to search through Count Margaret''s mansion. Half the knights will search for traces of Lupin there and the other half will stay here to catch Lupin."


    The vice-captain became slightly blank at the captain''s words.


    "Do you think that son of a b*tch will come here?"


    "I don''t know. But just like how we couldn''t find any traces of Lupin at Marquis Balthain''s mansion, it is possible that we will not find any traces at Count Margaret''s mansion either. In that case, even if it is somewhat foolish, we will keep this place guarded as planned. Protect this place and catch Lupin if he comes."


    "Are you going to Count Margaret''s mansion?"


    The captain nodded at the vice captain''s question.


    "Okay, I''ll guard this place."


    "I will entrust you."


    The captain strongly patted the vice captain''s shoulder, then left the room while issuing instructions to the subordinate.


    "Squads one, three, and five will follow me to Count Margaret''s mansion. Gather at the front gate. Squads two, four, and six will remain here and follow the vice-captain''s instructions. Pass the order."


    "Yes!"


    With a loud salute, the subordinate knight ran to deliver the order.


    The captain then headed to Count Druval. He reckoned the man must already know the situation from wiretapping. Nevertheless, he had to officially announce that he was withdrawing some of the troops.


    -o-


    I raided the mansion of a count with a cookie name [1] around 9 p.m. I had so much free time that I could put the stolen items in the pocket space and organize them.


    A silver ingot, a silver coin ¡­ a refined silver coin, oh? Gold coins ... Amber rings, jade bracelets, pearl earrings... Is this a necklace made of amethyst?


    Frankly speaking, I wasn''t sure because I wasn''t well versed in jewelry. Still, despite my limited knowledge, the best item amongst all these jewels was definitely this necklace made out of amethyst.


    It was Hestia''s birthday soon, so I decided to send it to her as a birthday present along with a letter. As such, I placed the necklace in the pocket space and made a list. It was much easier to take items out later when you had cataloged them.


    I placed the silver ingots and jewels into the pocket space and took a glimpse at a book that was inside the vault.


    Wow, a ledger recording all sorts of corruption scandals!


    The ledger detailedly recorded all the exchange of money that had happened with Count Margaret at the center.


    This is great! I''ll use this ledger to determine my next targets hereon.


    First, I started to look for Count Druval in the ledger. Before I found this ledger, it hurt my conscience to rob someone''s house without any reason. That wasn''t the case anymore.


    Druval... Druval. Here it is!


    There was so much information that it accounted for a third of the ledger. If he was so deep into corruption, he definitely had his own ledger hidden somewhere.


    By looking at the amount of money written on the ledger, it wasn''t possible to find anyone more corrupted. I wasn''t trying to steal from the rich and distribute to the poor by trying was trying to target the most corrupt people first. Doing so was a fairly dangerous act. Although it was also direct treason against the empire, rapidly giving away money like this could result in inflation.


    In my past life, there had been a reason why so many countries had organizations such as the tax offices and financial regulators. They were all attempts to control the flow of money and prevent inflation. As such, it was dangerous to release money to the public without the country''s awareness.


    1. There is indeed a cookie called Magaret cookie that is a product of Lotte in Korea. http://www.orientalsuper-mart.com/ourstore/images/LotteMargaret.jpg

 Chapter 30: What Happened at the Capital? (8)

    Although the situation was a tad different, the government had banned gambling but at the same time allowing random lottery boxes. The basis of their action was whether they could take cognizance of the flow of money. In other words, if I were to distribute the money I stole to the market, the treasury department would have to work their as*es off to control the fluctuating prices.


    Actually, thinking back to the attitude I received at the treasury office when I went to register for the civil service exam, it didn''t sound like a bad idea. However, it would be bad news if the country I would work for as a civil servant went bankrupt. Even if the empire did not go bankrupt, it may have to reform its currency to curb inflation. That would result in the platinum coins resting in my pocket space being turned into just chunks of iron mixed in with platinum.


    There was no way a country struggling with inflation would exchange money from unknown sources. Therefore, it was easy to arrive at the conclusion that the money I stole would be safer inside my pocket space.


    I had no intention of harming the empire since my purpose was to mess with the prime minister to prevent him from monitoring me and not the money. But if the empire still somehow managed to fall, I could always leave for the republic. I had a republic ID too.


    As I was looking through Count Margaret''s corruption ledger, it was time to leave.


    "Ak*rin!"


    I cast a spell of invisibility and headed in the direction of Count Druval''s mansion. I observed the mansion from a distance approximately 1km away.


    The aura I sensed from within the mansion indicated 167 people, maybe 171? It was hard to tell whether the last four were newborn babies or small animals. By the way, this was the first time I could so easily sense aura as if I was looking at them with my eyes wide open.


    Back at the village, the aura of all the villagers had been so strong that it was hard to tell who the aura belonged to without being extremely close. It was much clearer now that everyone was weak.


    Other than the four people with a minuscule aura, there were 167 people in the mansion. In that, there were 47 ordinary auras and 57 with slightly more power. There were 30 people more powerful than that, 20 people even stronger, 12 people even stronger than the previous group, and one person stronger than the rest.


    Were there no combatants?


    I was disappointed because I had thought that there would be at least 10 people stronger than Hestia, the weakest person in our village. Well, I guess an ordinary thief would have been intimidated by such a force. What they said was true: a strong person cannot exist in a small hole.


    I held my breath as I headed for the mansion. I could sense magic beyond the fence as I was about to climb up it. Until now, there hadn''t been a case where there were security devices installed at the mansion. The owner must be quite rich.


    The information bought from the information agency indicated that magic ingredients were expensive, but this mansion had magic covered all over the place. Rather than removing the magic, I made an opening in between two magic spells and crawled in.


    The owner of the mansion seemed to had been hesitant to waste too many magic ingredients such that the magic spells were all lined up together as if they had been measured with a ruler. It was easy to find and make a gap thanks to this, but it wasn''t a very efficient method.


    Upon entering the mansion, I began searching one room after another while avoiding the presence of people walking around.


    This room is not treated with magic.


    Pass!


    This room has magic treated on the floor.


    Let''s try ripping the floor apart.


    I acquired some gold bars. The wall for that room and ceiling... this room¡­


    A wiretap?


    After noiselessly looking around for a while, I hit the jackpot. So far, it had been all sorts of magic books and ingredients. I had wandered around looking for rooms treated with magic while avoiding people. As a result, any room with eavesdropping magic applied was definitely a jackpot.


    Corruption ledgers, scandal evidence, expensive pieces of jewelry, sacks of platinum coins, expensive-looking paintings... However, items guarded with eavesdropping magic definitely also had tracking-magic cast upon them.


    I took an iron coin out of my pocket space, transferred the tracking-magic onto it, placed it, and restored the security magic to its original state.


    Here we go!


    This was going to be a good review. I think I stole everything I could.


    The final place with magic devices installed was the third floor with an eavesdropping magic cast. It seemed impossible to steal the item secretly as there were many people around. It seemed as if this room had the necklace called the Crystal of Perfection, and that the security was exceptionally high with the newspaper saying my goal was that very thing.


    Although I didn''t know how expensive the Crystal of Perfection was, it could definitely not be more expensive than the sack of platinum coins I found. There were 100 platinum coins in the sack, after all.


    I decided to leave the necklace be and left a Lupin-card inside a random safe I picked. The safe didn''t even have refined silver coins, but I decided to show myself off by replacing the card with a sack of silver coins inside the safe.


    It was time to get out of here.


    -o-


    The next day, news about Lupin appeared on the front page of the newspaper. The contents of the article were a little different from what I imagined.


    The article said that my original goal was the necklace made of thousand-year-old amethysts that Count Margaret had prepared as a birthday present for the third princess and Count Druval''s Crystal of Perfection had just been a smokescreen. Also, it mentioned how I had never mentioned anything about the Crystal of Perfection and that a Lupin card had been found inside a safe. However, the tone of the argument was, "Wasn''t he just keeping his promise to make fun of the imperial family?"


    I felt that this was too much as I hadn''t known what I was stealing from Count Margaret''s mansion. Furthermore, the value of goods I had stolen from Count Druval''s mansion was a thousand times more than what I stole from Count Margaret.


    By the way, perhaps it could be a better idea to return the amethyst necklace. No matter how much I hide my identity, and even if I were from the Crow Tribe, touching the honor of the imperial family in such a feudalistic state was dangerous.


    If things went wrong, they could send troops to Olympus to apprehend not only me but also my family. Even if I was a noble of the Crow Tribe that was known to be a battle race, I thought it was impossible for a single village to fight against an imperial army of one million.


    Of course, it would be a bit of a disgrace to return the necklace to Count Margaret. However, it would be a better idea to return the necklace to the imperial princess. The problem was I didn''t even know what the imperial princess looked like, not to mention where she lived. I had better think about this more thoroughly.


    -o-


    Arcanta mulled that perhaps this is what they meant by being out of the frying pan and into the fire, as he rubbed his face in frustration.


    Last night, a thief called Lupin had snuck into Count Druval and Count Margaret''s mansions and raided their safes. Yesterday, when he had heard Marquis Balthain''s safe was robbed, all he had thought was this fellow was a rather bold thief. However, upon receiving word that Count Margaret and Count Druval''s safes had met with the same fate, he inadvertently started to sweat.


    Arcanta was sweating not because of the thousand-year-old amethyst necklace that had been stolen from Count Margaret''s safe. Of course, the fact that a necklace meant for the imperial princess being stolen was not something to be taken lightly. But, as the emperor''s right-hand man, he could escape from this problem after being reprimanded lightly.


    The real problem was how hard Count Druval had been pressurizing the treasury office. To outsiders, the value of stolen goods was worth only one sack of silver coins and a single gold coin. Of course, as a prime minister who managed the entire budget of the empire, he had no intention of taking lightly the value of a gold coin that was a week''s budget for a small territory.


    However, considering it was Count Druval, a man that could sweep through the empire''s business world, it was inevitable that a sack of a single coin was a chump change given to his children. But, the said man was continuously pressurizing the knights and the treasury.


    Why was that? Did it hurt his pride that a thief broke into his mansion that he used to boast of as an impregnable fortress?


    It must have hurt his pride but certainly not to the point where he would come directly to the treasury office to fuss over a thief that stole only a sack of silver coins! This was quite uncharacteristic of him ¡ª very different from his usual behavior.


    Then why was he acting this way? Come to think of it, the answer is simple. It means this thief called Lupin stole more than a sack of silver coins! So why is Count Druval hiding the items that got stolen? Are the stolen items not supposed to be in Count Druval''s hands? Or are they something that could hurt him? Perhaps it''s an item obtained through tax evasion, a slush fund, or something of a serious disgrace to him?


    These were all plausible and possible stories. In the end, after pondering over for a long time Arcanta came to a conclusion.


    Corruption ledger.


    Unless Lupin was a grand magician capable of using pocket spaces, the volume of the actual items he could steal was limited. Even if he had an expansion bag with him, he could only carry around items amounting to a certain weight limit. If that was the case, it was probably out of a political reason that Count Druval was looking for Lupin and not financial.


    The most likely item according to that line of reasoning was corruption ledgers. It was possible to think that the thief had stolen the Goddess'' Blessing from Marquis Balthain''s mansion to leave a message that he would raid Count Druval''s mansion. This would turn all eyes to the Crystal of Perfection. The thief could then steal the corruption ledger right under everyone''s eyes.


    The reason why the thief stole the thousand-year amethyst necklace from Count Margaret''s before stealing the ledger from Count Druval was to disperse the knights'' forces. With that, the remaining knights would gather their force around the Crystal of Perfection. By raising Count Druval''s weariness through alerting his crime in advance, he was able to create a hole in the tight security.


    Arcanta felt goosebumps at his own conjecture.


    This was definitely a possibility. With enough evidence...


    Of course, there was a problem in that in order for this theory to be correct, the thief had to know the location of the corruption ledger in advance as well as the position of the knights. But Lupin entered without alerting anyone and robbed the safe. This fact alone revealed that the thief was clearly aware of the movements of the knights and knew Count Druval''s mansion inside out.


    Arcanta pondered what Lupin''s aim was if his theory was correct.


    Personal grudge against Druval? Or perhaps he could benefit from Druval''s fall? Perhaps there was another person behind the scene.


    Knock, knock!


    He had been contemplating for a long time but the knocking cut off his flow of thoughts. Arcanta wrinkled his eyebrows as he told the person to come in.


    "What is it?"


    "Yes, this is a regular report on Den von Mark who started boarding at Mrs. Arscilla''s house. His frown unraveled as he heard his subordinate''s report.


    He shouldn''t vent his anger on his busy subordinates.


    "Thank you. Unfortunately, I''m busy now so please make a report only when abnormal movements are detected.¡±


    "Yes, sir."


    Fortunately, the deputy was not incompetent but someone well-aware of the situation at the treasury.


    "You can leave now."


    "Yes."


    The deputy left the office but the loop of thought that had been interrupted would not connect again.


    "Is Lupin''s aim really Count Druval....¡± Arcanta mumbled as he buried himself in a chair. However, the theft of the golden statue later threw Arcanta''s thoughts into chaos.

 Chapter 31: The Imperial Princess Sorrow (1)

    It was the tenth day since I became a thief called Lupin. After raiding Count Druval''s entire fortune, I went on a temporary break and started to snoop about the Department of Treasury every day. Unfortunately, the test papers were nowhere to be found.


    Despite the setback, with a positive mindset, I set forth to the treasury office again today. I started picking the safes in the office while singing the opening of a comic book where the main character with facial recognition disorder left a strong impression.


    ?What shall I do tonight~


    Who shall I give happiness to~


    A bad heart, endless greed, gone far away~?


    In this world, by interfering with the magic cast on the vaults and spinning the magic circles around, the vaults would make a "crack" sound and open. I would have had to pierce the back of the safes had these been the safes in my past life. However, it was so convenient to pick them without leaving a trace now that the locking mechanisms were made out of magic.


    "Open sesame!"


    Crack!


    I opened the safe and looked through the documents inside. One document was enlisting the supplies being sent to Demon''s Territory, another the price of demon byproducts, a third enumerated the price of monster byproducts¡­ the cost of a dinner party last month.


    After spending ten days scouring through the safes, I could now see the flow of money across the entire empire. Based on how the budget of other departments had been decreasing little by little and the supply to Demon''s Territory increasing, it was easy to tell that the demons were becoming more active.


    Rather than reading the morning paper delivered to the boarding house every morning, reading these documents gave me a better idea of what was going around in the world. Although there was a flaw that the information was not organized compared to the newspapers, I decided to visit the treasury office once in a while to find out news about the world. It definitely wasn''t because I had a grudge against the newspaper for badly portraying Lupin.


    By the way, I couldn''t find the civil service exam question paper even after combing all the vaults in the treasury office. I wondered if the exam questions hadn''t been prepared yet, but it was very unlikely considering that the exam was less than a month away. Although I was studying for the exam whenever I had time, it still couldn''t beat looking at the questions in advance to manipulate my ranking.


    I really wanted to see the questions before the exam.


    Come to think of it, according to the map I bought from the information agency, the treasury office was divided into an office located at the outer palace and one located at the inner palace. According to the information I obtained from rummaging through the outer palace office, the work done by both offices was similar but slightly different...


    The outer palace office was mainly in charge of external affairs such as market research and investigating money flow, while the inner palace office was mainly in charge of internal affairs such as budget execution. If the exam papers for the civil servant exam were not in the outer palace office, they had to be at the inner palace office.


    A strict screening was mandatory to enter the inner palace since it was a place where the emperor lived. However, it didn''t matter to me since I was going to sneak in.


    I put the documents back in the safe and closed the safe door.


    -o-


    "Mistress? Imperial Mistress? Where are you?"


    Somewhere outside the inner palace, the Third Imperial Princess Arelia von Bahamunt di Oreliang Elia held her breath as she waited for her private maid to pass by.


    "Mistress?"


    Arelia breathed a sigh of relief as she heard her name gradually fading away until it could not be heard.


    The private maid was really nice, but she was way too strict. Being strict wasn''t really a huge deal, but whenever there were some events, the maid would make her try some clothes on... "Try the necklace... is the necklace okay¡­." Arelia felt like a costume doll she used to play with when she was young.


    It wasn''t that Arelia didn''t understand her private maid''s fuss over the matter. The status of a maid depended heavily on the person she served. For example, the emperor''s private maid possessed authority that even high-ranking nobles could not afford to offend. Just as a butler serving a duke and a butler serving a baron were different, the order of hierarchy among servants and maids serving the imperial family was determined according to the people they served.


    There was a birthday banquet planned for Arelia on the day she would become an adult. Her future position would be affected by whether the emperor attended the banquet or not, so it was understandable that her servants were on the edge.


    But to be honest, Arelia did not really care what happened. No matter how good her future position, or how much she was doted upon by the emperor, she could not escape political marriage since she was born an imperial princess.


    Being favored by the emperor simply meant that she would marry someone with a higher and more important position. She did not have intentions regarding her own marriage. As such, she was not particularly devastated or discouraged. This was something that had been decided from the moment she was born, and she had been aware of it from a very young age.


    What was she supposed to do by being discouraged now? Being devastated or discouraged was just stupidity.


    Still, there was a longing for freedom in the corner of her mind. And yet, she wouldn''t be able to leave the palace if she were presented with the opportunity at that moment. Like girls her age, she too dreamed that a knight from a love story would come to her and give her his hand.


    Arelia suddenly felt frustrated. She wanted to go out to breathe fresh air after mulling over reality. She opened the door to the nearest terrace. It would have been possible to view the entire capital from her location during the day, but it was currently nighttime and the entire capital was sleeping in the darkness under the starlight.


    A shadow suddenly descended from the sky as Arelia took a deep breath of fresh air. She was surprised but couldn''t scream because it happened while she was still inhaling air.


    The shadow was a man with a black hood and a half black and half white mask. He seemed young based on the bottom of his nose sticking out, but she couldn''t tell what he looked like under the mask.


    The half-white masked man put his index finger on his lips to gesture to Arelia to be quiet.


    Arelia was surprised by the sudden appearance of a man and became curious about his identity.


    "Who are you?"


    The masked man mumbled a little bit as if he was hesitating whether or not to answer, but eventually answered.


    "I''m Lupin. I''m just a man enjoying a walk in the night. What about Miss?"


    Arelia was surprised and enlivened when the man introduced himself and called her miss. No one had ever called her miss before.


    She was about to tell her name then hesitated. It wasn''t because she was worried that the man would kidnap her upon discovering her identity. It was because she was afraid that the man would become polite to her like everyone else.


    Although it was kind of a dumb thought, she decided to hide her name after a brief hesitation.


    "Ah... Ria. My name is Aria."


    "I see. Miss Aria, nice to meet you."


    She thought of revealing her real name after hearing him call her by the name she introduced. It was because no one would say her name so casually. But she couldn''t.


    Although it wasn''t her actual name, she still felt strangely amazed that someone was not referring to her as the third imperial princess. This feeling was the reason why she wasn''t calling the guards.


    Lupin jumped lightly onto the terrace railing and said, "I''m sorry, but I would like to ask you to keep it a secret that you saw me here today."


    Arelia unconsciously nodded. Seeing her so, Lupin let out a small laugh.


    "It''s chilly at night even during summer. Be careful not to catch a cold," Lupin took a step back as he said his last word. Then, he dove towards gravity and instantly disappeared.


    Seeing him suddenly jump off the terrace, a startled Arelia leaned over the railing to look down. Fortunately, there was no terrible scene waiting beneath the terrace. Only the usual green grass was being illuminated.


    Arelia sighed in relief and sank down on the spot. She took a deep breath and soothed her pounding heart. It was possible that this was just a brief dream, or a fairy came to show her an illusion. She rubbed her flushed cheeks and looked up at the moon in the night sky. It really was a round moon.


    -o-


    Wow, I was so close to screwing it up.


    As I was moving to the inner palace from the outer palace, I climbed up the castle walls while avoiding people. Then I suddenly felt the presence of guards in both directions and jumped down to a terrace in the inner palace. I was landing on the terrace when some girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was already too late to turn my body around, so I just landed.


    Fortunately, the girl called Aria didn''t scream and instead asked me who I was. At the sudden question, my eighth-grade self emerged and blurted, "I''m Lupin. I''m just a man enjoying a walk in the night. What about Miss?"


    Ugh, that was embarrassing.


    It was really fortunate that I was wearing a mask. Or should I blame the mask for making my eighth-grade self come out?


    I was really embarrassed and asked that the meeting be kept a secret before jumping off the terrace. It didn''t even matter that I asked because there was cognition disrupting magic cast on the mask. Unless it was someone who was trained in magic power, they wouldn''t be able to remember my existence.


    At the same time, I grabbed the terrace floor and clung under it. It would have been an impossible feat for my past self, but any body technique was possible now that I had the body of a battle race.


    The girl called Aria seemed to have been surprised that I jumped off the terrace and came to look down. Then, she collapsed on the floor as if she had lost strength in her legs. It must have been scary since some stranger appeared out of nowhere. It may even be praiseworthy that she managed to endure until I went away.


    I would have to go raid the inner palace treasury office quickly now before the girl raised the alarms.


    I used magic to land silently on the terrace below and then followed the map to the treasury office located in the inner palace. Although most of the map was blank, I began to wonder what kind of organization the information agency was to even have maps of the inner palace.


    Well, it was none of my business.


    I decided to take this opportunity to fill out the blanks on the map while I was here. As such, I began to move while drawing on the map. Since it took 10 days to go through the entire treasury office in the outer palace, the inner palace office should take a similar amount of time.

 Chapter 32: The Imperial Princess Sorrow (2)

    After arriving at the treasury office in the inner palace, I picked the door open with a wire and went in. I used the wire because it was cast with magic that would inflate its volume to match the key, not because I was particularly good at picking locks.


    The tricky part about this magic was that increasing the volume too much could break the lock, while not increasing the volume enough would prevent the lock from being removed. The wire was only able to become a key by an exact increase in volume. The name of the wire was Alohomora.


    When I stepped into the treasury office, I immediately began to open the safes. Like the outer palace office, the safes contained a variety of documents. Among them, the most notable document was the civil service training evaluation record.


    I wanted to take and read this document containing hundreds of new civil servants'' training evaluations, but it could cause quite a stir if it went missing. The civil service exam could even get canceled should something go wrong. So, I only perused the evaluation records of those who seemed to have good grades and put the document back in the safe.


    I decided to make a mental note of the location of this safe. The information I had bought from the information agency said that Uncle''s location was the capital, so I had to avoid working in the inner palace at all costs to avoid encountering him.


    My ultimate goal was to work in the capital as an outer official. Doing so required receiving a grade ranging from the middle-upper level to the upper-middle level. The top grades were assigned to internal positions while those below the middle-upper level were assigned to remote positions. The remote positions were troublesome due to the long distance they had to traverse every few years to relocate. Even so, they were still better than working for internal positions under Uncle''s watch.


    I turned my eyes to another safe. I decided to search slowly since I was going to come back and forth for the next few days.


    -o-


    At the east side of the capital, a woman wearing a hood came into the Vince Mosque Bar located in a maze of countless small alleys. There were several people who noticed her arrival but none revealed themselves and simply drifted around amongst the crowd. There weren''t many people in the bar due to its remote location, but it had its unique back alley loudness.


    The woman hidden deeply under the hood carefully passed through the men and sat at a table labeled B3.


    "What would you like to order?"


    When the clerk handed over the menu, the woman glanced over the menu and said, "I want some good liquor."


    "Good liquor... For good liquor in our store, we have the Galloping of the Sun, the Dew of the Moon, and a Thousand Days of Dreams."


    All the liquors named by the clerk were made by famous brewers. They were not those one could buy in little backstreet bars. It was obvious that they were selling fake drinks with the same name or only a few drops of the original liquor. These were common practices in small pubs such as this.


    Still, she gave her answer without a hint of surprise as if she had known the names of these liquors would be mentioned. This was however impossible unless she was a frequent customer of this back-alley pub.


    "All three of them are good drinks, but I would like to have a taste of ''Mother''s Grace''."


    The clerk''s eyebrows flinched at her words. Mother''s Grace was also a high-quality wine but was relatively common compared to the drinks recommended by the clerk.


    The pub clerk definitely knew this fact, but he answered as if he was oblivious to it. "You have a fine taste. Mother''s Grace is an expensive drink, so may I first check if you can afford it?"


    The woman took out four silver coins at the clerk''s request. Three out of the four silver coins were real while the last one was a medal similar to the size of the silver coins.


    The clerk bowed his head and apologized. "Please excuse my rudeness. This is enough to pay for the liquor. The scent of the candles here may be too disturbing to enjoy liquor of this quality. May I lead you to another room?"


    She nodded and followed him to the door of the basement hidden beyond the tables.


    On the way down to the basement, the clerk asked, "What brings Granwell''s branch manager all the way over here?"


    The woman answered while removing her hood, "Your rank isn''t high enough for me to reveal my intentions."


    "Even if I''m the chief executive of the imperial branch?"


    She nodded. "Yes, I''m sure the chief executive will find out later, but there is still a chain of command that must be followed."


    The clerk who claimed to be the chief executive of the imperial branch showed a rare expression of surprise. Her words implied that the information was only for one person who was above him, Big Mama.


    When he reached the end of the basement stairs, he knocked on the door.


    Knock!


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Knock, knock!


    Upon the knock with a unique rhythm, the door was pushed slightly to the right and opened sideways even though it had a handle attached. A lavishly decorated large room revealed itself.


    "Milpia? Long time no see!"


    A middle-aged woman with black hair opened her arms as she called out the woman''s name.


    "Big Mama, long time no see." Milpia smiled and embraced the arms of the middle-aged woman.


    The middle-aged woman, known as the mother, was the highest executive of the Big Mama information agency.


    "Milpia, I told you to call me Mother."


    As Big Mama stroked Milpia''s head with a warm smile, the latter blushed and answered with a tiny voice, "Yes, Mother."


    Although Milpia and Big Mama had completely different hair colors and appearance, Big Mama had become Milpia''s mother, who was an orphan. In fact, the reason she was called Big Mama was that she was a mother to everybody in the information agency.


    Big Mama sat on the sofa and offered Milpia a seat on the opposite end. The chief executive of the imperial branch bowed to Big Mama and left. The guards in the room took leave as well.


    Big Mama relaxed in her seat and asked Milpia, "Yes, why did you come all the way here from Granwell?"


    Milpia nervously took a deep gulp at Big Mama''s question.


    Granwell was just an ordinary town that couldn''t compare to a city. But for the Big Mama Information Agency, this place was an important hub where all information from the northeastern part of the empire gathered. She would be reprimanded harshly if the branch manager of the town left her position for no reason.


    Although Milpia judged that this was important information, there was no guarantee that Big Mama would agree. Despite that, the reason she came here herself to pass on the information was that she had adjudged it to be a serious situation.


    "A middle-aged man came to Granwell at 11:14:53 a.m. on May 24th of this year to buy information. This is a list of the information he purchased."


    Milpia took the encrypted documents out of her bag and handed them over to Big Mama. The latter accepted the documents and briefly scanned through them.


    "Are you saying he bought all of this?" Big Mama was quite surprised when she read the encrypted messages.


    The list was a shortened version of the information that was sold, but this amount of information was equivalent to what a single branch would sell in half a year. This was assuming the branch was well-known. A hub like Granwell was one of the top-secret bases. It was quite rare to enter such a secret location and buy information.


    Big Mama decrypted the encryption in a little more detail. She once again became surprised. This was because the quality of the information that was sold was quite high.


    "This should be worth around 90 million pelks...."


    Milpia once again became surprised at Big Mama''s calculation abilities.


    "Yes, it was 85 million pelks to be exact. Also¡ª"


    Milpia put four platinum coins on the table.


    Clank!


    "He paid for it with platinum coins."


    One platinum coin was 25 million pelks, and four platinum coins were 100 million pelks in total. Big Mama finally realized why Granwell''s branch manager came all the way to the capital to meet her in person.


    "The change is pretty similar to the fund in the Granwell branch."


    There were about 14 million pelks in Granwell branch. Paying with platinum coins instead of gold indicated that they were trying to take a glimpse into Big Mama''s Information Agency. With the exception of some counts, the platinum coin was a currency used exclusively by marquises or dukes. In other words, it was not an exaggeration to say that platinum coins existed solely for the high nobles.


    Visiting Big Mama''s Intelligence Agency with such money and asking for changes similar to their reserve could be considered a provocation.


    "You made a sketch of the man, right?"


    Milpia took out a portrait of a middle-aged man with a scar on his face from her bag and handed it over to Big Mama.


    As Big Mama carefully examined the sketch, Milpia said, "We lost the man even though he was carrying the change, information, and items we gave him to compensate for the remaining change we couldn''t pay up."


    "How much did they weigh in total?"


    "Over 500 kilograms."


    Big Mama''s face stiffened and stared intensively at the portrait.


    She had no idea. To carry around 500kg casually, he had to have the physique of the battle race. Big Mama knew every person who had trained their bodies to match a battle race member. However, it was the first time she had seen this face.


    "What are the chances that this person is a member of the battle race?"


    Big Mama asked this question because it was possible for her to not recognize people who lived in the forbidden lands.


    "It''s a possibility, but most likely not."


    "Why not?"


    "First of all, this man had no physical features that matched the battle race."


    The Crows had distinguishable black hair and black eyes, the Dragons had blond hair and blue eyes, and the Butterflies had white hair and red eyes. The characteristics of the Crows were a little rare, but not completely absent. In the case of the Dragons, a third of people had such a combination of eyes and hair color. Unless they had appearances like the Butterfly Tribe who were easily distinguishable in the crowd, physical characteristics did not help in identifying a member of the battle race. In addition, it was possible to dye hair with magic.


    Despite all this, the reason Milpia still mentioned those physical characteristics was because of the pride of the battle race. Not to mention the Crows that were known as the strongest tribe, even the Dragons and the Butterflies had pride that would stop them from disguising themselves on purpose. They were strong people who had no reasons to hide.


    Big Mama shook her head. This meant that the man was a person recruited from outside the empire.


    "This means that this is an external force, or a force large enough to recruit foreign talent.

 Chapter 33: The Imperial Princesss Sorrow (3)

    Milpia nodded at Big Mama''s words.


    "This is a serious situation. Demons are running wild in Demon''s Territory these days and now we have these mysterious forces moving in the dark."


    To be honest, the destruction of the empire did not matter to Big Mama''s Information Agency. They only operated inside the empire and were not affiliated with it. Nevertheless, Big Mama considered it a serious situation because the empire was a guard and a shield that prevented Demon''s Territory from becoming larger.


    Helping the empire was to prevent the loss of human territory that would diminish their sphere of operation. In the agency''s perspective, it was better to help the empire that would have people buying information rather than demons and monsters that they were not able to communicate with.


    Normally, anti-imperial forces were always in action but the power of the empire was so strong that it was not a big problem.


    Most of the imperial army, however, was currently at Demon''s Territory. The emergence of new forces was dangerous at a period when demon activities were frequent.


    "Thank you for bringing this information."


    "No problem."


    When Milpia acted humble, Big Mama stroked her head.


    "For now, you can remain in the capital. I''ll send someone else to Granwell."


    "What? But¡ª"


    When Milpia opened her eyes wide with surprise, Big Mama smiled.


    "Milpia, Granwell''s going to have to close. We can''t leave the secret branch open when it''s already been discovered. Please stay in the capital and help me with my work until another branch is established."


    Milpia nodded in agreement.


    "Yes Mother, I understand. Then what should I do?"


    Big Mama thought for a moment then smiled and said, "The agent we planted at the magic academy is going to graduate next year."


    Milpia had an ominous premonition when Big Mama mentioned this as if she was planning on putting herself into the position.


    "But¡­ that''s a job for an ordinary member."


    Big Mama laughed merrily seeing Milpia panic.


    "But none of my children are old enough to enter the magic academy. Milpia, you turned sixteen a few days ago, didn''t you?"


    Milpia rolled her eyes desperately. She had to find some excuse.


    "Well, it might actually be seventeen or eighteen."


    Milpia cursed herself inwardly for coming up with such a dumb excuse. Her face burned as she thought about it. Even if her age was higher than the standard for admission to the academy, she could easily falsify her record. This excuse was not viable.


    "Milpia, that would be possible if I met you when you were two or three years old. I, however, found you wrapped inside a bag at the entrance of the temple, so I know for sure how old you are." Big Mama grinned at Milpia.


    Milpia racked her brain trying to find some excuses to not enter the academy but failed to find any.


    She looked straight into Big Mama''s eyes. A technique could be used to determine whether the opponent was telling the truth by observing the extent of the pupil''s dilation. For someone like Big Mama, they could control their heart rate as well as their pupil.


    The reason why Milpia stared directly into Big Mama''s eyes even though she knew this fact was to silently ask her whether she was being serious.


    Big Mama did not control her pupils knowing her intentions. Milpia learned that the other was firmly set on her decision.


    "Is there a reason why I have to go to the magic academy?"


    Big Mama''s pupils made a minute movement. Milpia became discouraged after seeing the change. The change in the pupil did not mean that her question was correct. It meant that Big Mama had begun to control her pupil to tell her to stop asking more questions.


    Milpia had learned counterintelligence skills under Big Mama for a long time, and she had no choice but to close her mouth after realizing the other''s silent message.


    "This is an order. Go to the academy and learn as much as possible. I''ll arrange to have your name set up as a noble."


    Milpia had no choice but to accept her fate.


    Big Mama prepared statuses by stealing the identities of fallen nobles rather than forging fake IDs like Denburg. They had no need to have fear over their real identities being revealed since the fallen noble''s information was already owned by Big Mama.


    Milpia let out a deep breath like someone who had given up everything.


    "Phew~"


    Milpia sighed because she was about to have a school life she had never experienced before.


    "It''s said what''s meant to happen will happen."


    Big Mama gave her condolence that wasn''t really a condolence. Milipia wanted to say f*ck to the condolence.


    -o-


    "Ha-ah-." Arelia sighed.


    Upon her sigh, her maids asked with a worried look, "Imperial Princess, are you worried about something?"


    Arelia shook her head and stared blankly at the clouds outside the window. For some reason, her heart kept pounding and she couldn''t sleep well for three nights now. She would feel strange all of the sudden, and also abruptly sad and lonely.


    Ah, that cloud looks like a mask of the man who introduced himself as Lupin.


    Arelia suddenly felt excited as she looked at the clouds, then felt melancholy again as the clouds were dispersed by the wind.


    "Ha-ah-."


    The maids became bewildered as they had never seen Arelia act this way before.


    "Would you like a refreshment?"


    Normally, especially since Arelia''s birthday party to celebrate her adulthood was approaching, sweet foods outside of her snack time were strictly restricted. But the maids offered nonetheless due to her strange condition.


    Perhaps the pressure to look nice in front of the emperor at the coming of age ceremony had made her depressed. Or perhaps their efforts to make everything as perfect as possible had stressed her out. With this in mind, the maids asked Arelia. She nodded as she stared blankly into the sky.


    Being restless is being restless and sweet food is sweet food. No matter how depressed Arelia was, she wasn''t about to give up her snacks.


    The maids usually included very little of it during snack time to manage Arelia''s weight, so she wouldn''t refuse their offer when it came without her even asking for it. Of course, she answered very slowly and powerlessly.


    Then, she spoke in a languid tone so that the maids wouldn''t think they were deceived, "Brioche."


    "Yes, I understand."


    One of the maids left the room and quickly brought brioche. Arelia''s mood brightened at the sight of it, but she kept her expression as dazed as possible while lifting the snack.


    -o-


    It had already been three days since I began scouring through the inner palace treasury office. I noticed as I searched through their vaults that the information contained inside was much more classified than the ones in the outer palace.


    However, the problem was that I had not found the civil service exam papers yet. Of course, there were more than half of the vaults to be checked. Even so, I should have been looking through the exam questions and memorizing them by now. I became a bit desperate as all I could land my eyes on were the scores of the civil servant students.


    Right now, I had to slowly look at the civil service exam questions, prepare answers to the questions in advance, and double-check the answers so that I could get my desired grade. There was only half a month for the exam. I put in some effort to unlock the safe that was protected by three layers of magic.


    Let''s see, this was a report on the black market, and... oh, this was a comprehensive report on the impact of Lupin on the economy. Maybe I should spend some time reading it.


    It''s an obvious fact that theft was detrimental to society. However, its negative impact on the market economy was actually very minimal. This was because thieves were only individuals and there was a limit to the amount of impact they could have on such a large economy. It was equivalent to how adding a handful of salt in the ocean wouldn''t affect its salinity.


    This seemed more like a hurriedly made column rather than a report. I looked around and discovered no seals on the report. Instead of a seal, there were words written on the report that said it was for the in-house newspaper.


    The Department of Treasury seemed to have its own internal gazette. It made sense as the organization was quite vast considering it was just a single department. It was also quite unusual for the appearance of thieves that could overturn the market. The biggest problem caused by Lupin was that he had turned the nobles'' predictable transparent funds into an unpredictable one.


    There were two main reasons why this was problematic: one was that as described earlier, it was impossible to predict where the funds would be used. The second reason was that they had no idea how much money Lupin had stolen.


    Opinions on the first reason were divided, but there were three ideas that were most likely predominant.


    To summarize the three ideas, the first one was that this was a righteous thief from old bedtime stories. The second was that this was a strategy to disrupt the economy of the empire, the third was that this was the work of anti-government groups.


    The second problem arose from the fact that the nobles who got their vaults raided would not reveal how much money I had stolen. Since it was impossible for them to decipher that, they could not predict the impact I could have on the market. From the graphs and tables written on the report, I could tell that they still could not estimate the amount of jewelry and money I had stolen.


    But the flaw of this graph...


    I skimmed through the report and put it back into the safe.


    The report clearly stated how the treasury office viewed Lupin and the contingency measures that had been put into place. This could be useful in the future when I had to further mess with the prime minister. There was also a list of black marketeers that were being watched -- those that I should avoid in the future.


    While skimming through the pile of documents, I found a large envelope sealed with sealing wax. At the corner of the envelope was written- "Questions for the XX Civil Exam".


    Did, did I finally find it?


    I almost screamed with joy that I had finally found the question paper.


    Oh, this was dangerous.


    I was inside the heart of the empire where people would be sent to the guillotine for whatever reason they came in without permission. Of course, I had to get caught first for that to happen, but if Uncle found out that I was Denburg Blade, I would be taken back home in the worst-case scenario.

 Chapter 34: The Imperial Princess’s Sorrow (4)

    The uncle I knew would smile at me and tell me to work under him. But I was positive that working under Uncle would result in me being sent to Demon¡¯s Territory to get beaten up by demons. Then what was the point of me running away from home? I may seem like I don¡¯t have a dream, but I still had a goal of becoming a civil servant.


    I carefully opened the envelope that was sealed with sealing wax. The plan was to take a look at the contents of the exam and then seal it up again by slightly heating up the bottom of the seal.


    Now show your true self!


    Let''s see the back, back!


    Dammit!


    I¡¯m screwed!


    The wax turned to powder as soon as I took it off and disappeared into the air without a trace.


    Who put fairy powder in the sealing wax?


    By mixing magic fairy powder within the item, triggering the powder would make the item disappear without a trace. I had heard that this method was used on daggers of assassins or letters with secret content.


    Were they out of their minds for using such expensive fairy powder for a piece of sealing wax?


    Anyone on their right mind wouldn¡¯t use fairy powder in these kinds of places. Someone definitely had a mental illness. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t any magic that would send out an alarm when I opened the seal or I would have noticed and simply teleported the question paper to check the contents. Fairy dust was a magical substance, not magic, so it went unnoticed.


    Dammit, who uses fairy dust on a sealing wax that would cost as much as gold of the same volume?


    There were two problems. First, I had no sealing wax with fairy powder mixed in. Second, I had no stamps with the same sealing pattern. Although I had plenty of fairy powder in my pocket space, the problem was the sealing wax and magical processing required.


    Think, think. Let''s check the question paper first since the seal has already been opened.


    It was possible that the contents of the envelope were some other documents. However, the contents of the envelope were definitely the exam questions. It was the warm original version that had not even been sent to the print shop yet.


    Why would you seal the question paper like that when it hasn¡¯t even been sent to the print shop?


    I would have nothing to say if they said it was for security reasons, but I still thought it was overdone. I had to solve this problem immediately. This wasn¡¯t a simple matter of delaying or canceling the exam. An intruder had broken into the inner palace treasury office where the emperor also lived. The security manager of the inner palace would see his head fly away if this problem became known. I meant this literally in a physical way. It would be 100% capital punishment whether it was a count or a marquis.


    Common sense dictated that it would be impossible to sneak in without a traitor in the ranks. Whether it was the security manager himself or one of his subordinates who had betrayed the empire, the security manager would unconditionally be executed. Improper subordinate management was not a joke when the emperor''s security was concerned. Additionally, if something were to go wrong and the manager was deemed guilty of treason, his entire household could be executed or sold to slavery.


    What I just blew away was not a simple sealing seal but the physical necks of one or dozens of people. I had to reseal the envelope with sealing wax containing fairy powder before the night was over.


    I carefully examined the seals that had been stamped on documents with the exam paper. There had to be at least one stamp that was identical to the one used on the seal.


    Recollect the pattern of the seal...


    Although it was hard to tell because it was dark and I hadn¡¯t looked closely, I was sure that it was probably the pattern on the stamp on one of the last documents. According to my memory as well as normal procedures, if an envelope was opened and resealed, the person who opened the envelope would reseal it with his own seal.


    Let''s see, the name on the bottom of this seal was...


    The Emperor?


    I¡¯m screwed!


    -o-


    Late at night, while avoiding the maids, Arelia escaped from the room. This was because of the sudden suffocation she felt from thinking of the man in the half-white mask.


    What was this sorrow she was feeling?


    She hadn¡¯t had an appetite for the last three days. She felt no energy or desire for anything (except for snacks). This was the first time she felt this way in her 16 years of life. As if she was suffering from indigestion, her heart felt heavy like there was heavy air pushing on her chest. But the heavy pounding heart did not feel so unpleasant.


    Why was this the case?


    Arelia was deep in thought as she continued walking. She couldn''t figure it out. For some reason, her steps were directed toward the outskirts of the inner palace. As she kept walking, she suddenly realized that she was close to the location where she had come to hide from the maid three days ago.


    She headed for the terrace. She set foot on the terrace and drank the slightly cool air of the night feeling refreshed. The moon was bright again tonight.


    -o-


    I decided to first look for sealing wax containing fairy powder. The emperor''s seal would only be in his office, but the sealing wax with fairy powder could be available at other locations.


    I searched through all the desks in the inner palace treasury office and managed to find some sealing wax. Although I managed to find a huge pile of sealing wax, they were all ordinary ones that did not contain fairy powder.


    It was not difficult to distinguish between ordinary sealing wax and fairy-powdered sealing wax. Fairy powder had a characteristic of resonating with each other and emanating light. As such, if the sealing wax gave off light when I brought close the fairy powder contained in my pocket space, it meant that the sealing wax had fairy powder mixed in it. Since none of these sealing waxes glowed, it meant they did not contain fairy powder.


    Come to think of it, fairy powder was a very expensive item. The Department of Treasury would not be able to use such goods freely no matter how much funding they received. Only someone like a senior official could probably use such items. That said, it could possibly be in the office of the director of the treasury office or the prime minister.


    The offices of the prime minister and the emperor were not listed on the map bought from the intelligence agency. The map of the palace was almost blank, but that was natural. If you thought about it hard enough, it was actually shocking that the location of the treasury office and some others were drawn. But now I felt resentment towards the blank map.


    For now, I walked around the inner palace treasury office and found the director¡¯s office. I opened the door naturally and started rummaging through his desk. The desk drawers were all locked when I tried to open them.


    Let¡¯s unlock it first.


    Click!


    The first desk drawer that I opened contained office supplies as well as sacks of gold. I thought of taking the money since it looked like it was embezzled, but I decided to let it go for now. There was no evidence that the money was embezzled.


    Click!


    I opened the second desk drawer. The drawer contained a corruption ledger. Unfortunately, it was not the corruption ledger of the director, but the evidence of a count who had committed corruption.


    Click!


    The third desk drawer contained documents and keys. I would have been excited if this was an escape room game, but I already had my universal wire.


    Click!


    There were many items in the last desk drawer with sealing wax amongst them. Bringing fairy powder near it caused it to give a subtle glow.


    Found it!


    I applied sword aura on my fingernail and cut the back of the sealing wax neatly. The sealing wax was sliced more cleanly than the original section, but it looked natural since there weren''t any marks of being crushed anymore.


    With only this much, the owner of this office would wonder if he had used this much wax without suspecting that someone else had cut a part off.


    I took a spoon to hold the melted wax as I went out of the inner palace treasury office.


    -o-


    Arelia had been staring at the stars for so long on the terrace that her body began to feel cold. She had probably stayed outside for too long. She decided to go back in. Her feet did not move easily despite this thought.


    What was this feeling? This pounding and dizzying feeling...


    She had felt a strange sensation of enthusiasm as she stood on the terrace. She actually did know what was going on. It was like the feeling she got from waiting for snack time to come. Except, it was a little stronger than that. It was like when the maids would answer ¡°It¡¯s Brioche¡± when Arelia asked, "What''s today''s snack?" She had felt the same when the man with the half-white mask appeared and asked, "Hello, Miss?"


    Arelia dejectedly laughed. Where was this place? It was the imperial palace that symbolized the empire. What happened that night was just a daydream. It was possible that the man was caught and killed by soldiers that night. The imperial palace was such a place. She only had worrying feelings for the man. She had to forget about stuff that couldn¡¯t happen.


    Arelia turned and took a gloomy step as she returned to reality. Then...


    Tak!


    She heard something landing from behind.


    It couldn¡¯t happen!


    But it was going to be...


    Arelia looked back, unable to control her beating heart all along. The man wearing a half-white mask said, "Hello, Miss?" Then, "Nice to see you again."


    There he was...


    -o-


    After leaving the treasury office, I headed to the inner palace. Honestly, it was so wide that I couldn¡¯t tell where I was going.


    As I went inside, at times when a soldier walked past, I would hide my presence by attaching myself to the ceiling or hide in an empty room. I really wanted to scan the entire imperial palace with magic to create a 3D map and then head to the emperor¡¯s office. Unfortunately, if I were to do that, I would probably be caught by the magicians residing here.


    By the way, where am I?


    Although I had spent the last three days looking around the imperial palace, my search was still limited to the vicinity of the treasury office. I got lost walking around randomly in this huge palace. This couldn¡¯t continue. I needed to find out where I was first. In a situation where I couldn¡¯t even tell if I was inside or outside, it would be faster to stop for a moment and figure out my surroundings. I went out to the nearby terrace, jumped onto the castle roof, and crawled up quickly to the tallest spire nearby.


    When I looked at the palace from my high location, I realized that I was still in the outskirts of the inner palace. As I was moving through the inside of the buildings, it seemed that I had been walking around the outskirts. I heightened my senses using martial arts.


    The Crow Tribe¡¯s martial arts vision technique enhanced the physical ability of the user by circulating magic power within their body. As a result, the user¡¯s inner body was completely cut off from the external environment and there was no loss of magic power. As a technique that had been developed to survive in Olympus, no magician outside the forest should be able to detect my magic power.


    Thanks to that fact, no magicians or knights residing within the castle could detect me even though I was fiercely circulating mana inside my body.

 Chapter 35: The Imperial Princess’s Sorrow (5)

    Of course, detecting presence using this method was limited to biological entities, so it was hard to observe the inside of inorganic buildings. But with this many people present, their presence could become a map in itself.


    I turned my eyes to the center of the inner palace. My goal was the emperor¡¯s sealing stamp. If it was an area where the emperor frequented, the security would be tight even without him being present. I looked around to see where the security was the heaviest.


    Puk!


    Ugh... My eyes...


    My eyes started to hurt badly when I focused on the inner court. I almost screamed, barely able to endure it. There was definitely nothing wrong with the presence.


    What was the problem?


    I released my marital aura and looked in the direction of the inner palace. I did not receive any pains from before. I tried looking towards the inner palace with magic power in my eyes this time.


    Puk!


    Ugh...


    Although weaker than before, I still felt the pain.


    Ah, I got it now! I hadn¡¯t noticed before because it was so huge, but I was standing inside a large magic circle. I had received damage from the magic circle because I had probably met certain conditions. This condition was probably body parts that could receive information, such as concentrating magic power on eyes or ears would be inflicted damage when the attention of the user was directed towards the inner palace. Even if martial aura disconnected my inner body from external environments, it didn¡¯t matter since I was already under the influence of the magic circle.


    As an analogy, you might close the window of a car due to the smell of cow dung, but the smell has already entered the car. In cases such as this, I would have to go out of the magic circle, erase its influence on me, and then enter the magic circle again while using martial arts. However, this magic circle seemed to have a wide range that extended out to even the outer palace. Since it¡¯s a hassle to go outside the palace and come back in, let¡¯s just interfere with the magic circle to make a gap.


    I installed a barrier that would prevent the spread of magic power around me then took out my staff from the pocket space. The staff was made out of a thin, long dragon-bone four centimeters in circumference and one meter in length. At its head, it had a fist-sized round jewel floating that had been created by combining seven dragon hearts.


    The dragon heart floated in the air and subtly emanated seven beautiful lights at certain intervals. In addition, three different sized mithril rings, as well as five demon crystals compressed to the size of fingernails, spun around the dragon heart. Ten dragons and 50 dragon class demons had been killed to create this staff, but it was an amazing item that had been worth the risk.


    I hadn¡¯t been able to use it while leaving the village because I couldn¡¯t wield it in the forest. Olympus Forest was hell for magicians where magic power ran rampant. Using this staff, which presence alone emitted a tremendous amount of magic power, could result in half the forest being blasted apart.


    It was a staff I had made secretly in preparation for leaving the village. But upon completion, I realized that it was so powerful it would not be suitable for dealing with the villagers. Due to this, I never had the chance to use this staff. But now that I was out of the forest, I could use this staff freely.


    I held the staff and lightly tapped it down onto the roof. I used the staff to contact the magic circle. Reading through the effects of the magic circle as well as its conditions made me wonder if people could even live here with so many restrictions in effect.


    Of course, many of these restrictions were created to protect the empire and therefore did not activate unless one was in contact or trying to contact the emperor. Otherwise, people would not have been able to live in this palace because this magic circle could even restrict natural behaviors such as walking, location of gazes, and even breathing. I felt amazement towards the servants who were in close contact with the emperor as they had to endure all the restrictions.


    While reading through the magic circle, I took a deep gulp after deciphering no one other than authorized personnel could enter the inner palace beyond a line called a sword line. The magic circle inside the sword line was at another level from the magic circle I was currently interfering with. It was at a level where I couldn¡¯t just create a gap.


    How many times had they fixed, expanded, and changed the magic circle over the past few decades or even centuries to reach this level...


    It was like writing on a white sheet then overlapping it hundreds of times to write more letters. Even if I was from the battle race, I would die if I were to try to pass through this gruesome magic circle.


    Magic circles were like a thread, and whether or not you could find the first magic that was drawn would determine whether or not you could solve it. In short, the magic circle inside the inner palace was basically Gordian¡¯s knot. And in order to solve it, I had no choice but to blow away the entire imperial palace like Alexander the Great. But doing so would result in the sealing stamp being blown away as well. I had to find another way.


    I found a loophole while touching around the magic circle. The magic circle was like a program from my past life. It had to be littered with all kinds of bugs and errors as long as it was made by humans. That had to be even more so with a magic circle of this size that had been needlessly overlapped and edited so many times.


    There had to be a master key or a backdoor that could solve this error. Access error, firewall, avoidance, connection, failure, connection, failure, access error, avoidance... There were a lot of things I had to pay attention to dig through the magic circle without alerting magicians inside the imperial palace.


    But there was also a harvest.


    By examining the magic circle, I was able to find the map information of the inner palace. While scanning it, I took out a small card from the pocket space and placed it next to the staff. The card was based on the fund record used by the bank and was a kind of external hard drive. No, since it stored the magic power rather than spinning it, it was more like an SSD or SD card.


    Anyway, I saved the map of the inner palace and put my full attention to the magic circle. Although I wasn¡¯t able to find any backdoors or a master key, I discovered that there existed bracelets that had the access code to enter beyond the sword line. I found one that was currently located outside the sword line.


    The owner of the access code was Arelia von Bahamunt di Oreliang Elia, the Third Imperial Princess.


    Trying to hack the magic circle as it was right now could take several days. It was probably better to steal the access code. I was a thief, after all.


    -o-


    Arelia felt a little dazed and queer when she saw the man wearing the half-white mask.


    Could this man actually be real? Perhaps some fairy was showing me a dream?


    The man snapped his fingers when Arelia stared at him absent-mindedly.


    Tak!


    Arelia picked up her skirt per the court etiquette and bowed slightly when the sound brought her back to her senses. Her cheeks were a pale pink.


    "Oh, yes, hello, Mr. Lupin."


    The lips beneath the mask made a slight smile and Arelia welcomed the man. Lupin jumped slightly from the terrace railing and approached her. Then, gently grabbing her right hand, he kissed her on the back of her hand.


    Lupin''s eyes glistened slightly. "It''s nice to see you again. A...ria?"


    Arelia nodded when Lupin fumbled slightly and called her by her alias. Her mood improved at the fact that the man was able to remember her name from the brief interaction they had three days ago.


    "It''s a lovely day, isn''t it?


    Lupin weakly tugged on Arelia''s right hand as he tried to lead her to come to the terrace railing. She followed and approached the railing.


    "Yes, it is."


    The incomplete moon had risen completely today and the full moon shone brightly in the night sky.


    Arelia felt like the moonlight was shining subtle light on her. Her expression dimmed slightly when the cloud moved over the moon and covered the moonlight. She had not expected this situation. The man was a fairy-like person who simply passed by three days ago. It was unknown when they would be able to meet again. Most of all, she was not a person that could freely meet other people.


    Yes! It was time to wake up.


    She had to wake up from this mysterious daydream when she knew nothing about the other person. Regardless if that was for herself or for the man.  As Arelia tried to say goodbye and leave, Lupin put his index finger on Arelia''s lips.


    "Are you worried?"


    Arelia was surprised by Lupin''s words.


    How did this man know her mind?


    "Don''t worry. No one''s going to be harmed."


    The words caused a small stir in her heart.


    "Nobody¡­?"


    That could not be possible. She was the princess of the empire. There was no way such a meeting could be allowed...


    "You must have a lot of worries." Lupin made a smile beneath the mask.


    Arelia¡¯s eyes saddened at the smile.


    "This palace is a large cage. It¡¯s too big to run away....¡±


    Arelia was surprised to hear herself. It was blasphemy to call this palace a cage. For some reason, whenever she saw this man, her inner thoughts would open the door to try and get out.


    Lupin laughed and said, "Is that actually true?"


    Arelia looked up and stared at the mask. Lupin gently held her waist with one hand and held her hand with the other.


    "Shall we see if you actually can¡¯t run away?"


    And just like that, the two started to float slowly. Arelia''s eyes widened with surprise. Underneath the half-white mask was a playful smile.


    "Slowly, you just have to walk step by step."


    When she took a step as he said, her body started to float as if it was rejecting gravity. She felt an unrealistic sense of incongruity as she slowly started to float, but it did not feel so bad. The two completely rose to the sky and flew as if they were dancing at a ball in the capital beneath the galaxy. At the same time, Arelia felt dazed by the fresh breeze of the night sky.


    "What do you think? Do you still think you can¡¯t get away?"


    The smile below the mask harmonized with the moonlight to turn into a fantastic picture.


    Arelia smiled and gently shook her head. "No?"


    The waltz in the night sky was fantastic. His arms around her hands and waist felt so warm.

 Chapter 36: The Imperial Princess’s Sorrow (6)

    I jumped off the roof and onto the terrace. Upon landing, I stared at the third imperial princess who held the access cord. She flinched and turned around like she was surprised at the sudden sound I made while landing.


    Huh? This is a face I¡¯ve seen before somewhere. Where did I see it?


    "Hello, Miss. Nice to see you again."


    Although I couldn¡¯t remember, I smiled and greeted her. It wasn¡¯t really important where I saw her face for my goal was to take the access cord after making her fall asleep then head to the emperor¡¯s office. So, I cast a sleeping spell on her, then snapped my finger to see if the spell worked.


    Tak!


    The third imperial princess¡¯s attention seemed to focus on me at the loud sound. She then bowed slightly as if she were a fox character that you could meet at some mid-lane. [1]


    "Oh, yes, hello, Mr. Lupin."


    What? How did she resolve my magic? She should have collapsed and fallen down unless she had some magic resistance. Did she have artifacts that could resist magic? No, I would have recognized it at a glance if there was such a thing on her.


    The magic items the princess carried with her were the access cord bracelet on her right hand, a magic necklace that protects her from fatigue, a ring that energizes her, a headdress that protects against UV rays, and a bracelet with defense magic on her left hand.


    So how did she resist my magic?


    I once again cast a sleeping spell, but it still didn''t work for the third princess.


    I see.


    She was an anti-magician, the so-called magician¡¯s nemesis. She possessed a legendary body that had strong magic resistance and such an occurrence would only appear in one out of 10 million people. I¡¯d never thought I''d see it with my own eyes. I¡¯d read in a book that if an anti-magician became a warrior, then he would become a magician¡¯s nightmare.


    I decided to put aside my interest in the magical resistance of the princess for now. To check the access cord with my own two eyes, I gently grabbed the princess¡¯s right hand which was covered with a stole, and kissed the back of her hand.


    It was definitely the access cord!


    I watched the third princess calmly. I had thought that I had seen her face somewhere. This was definitely the girl I met when I first set foot into the imperial palace.


    "It''s nice to see you again. Ah... Miss Aria?"


    I almost called her Arelia but checked myself at the last moment. The third princess had definitely introduced herself as Aria back then.


    Did she change her name to Aria because her name was Arelia?


    It was definitely dangerous to tell an unknown person her true name when she was an imperial princess. She was quite a wise girl.


    "It''s a lovely day, isn''t it?


    I decided to change the subject for now. Then, I slightly tugged at her right hand and guided her to the railing. My intention was to block any path of retreat and also let her know that she was now in the grip of my hands. By doing this, the third princess would recognize her current predicament and not make any rash decisions such as screaming.


    "Yes, it is."


    The third imperial princess said so and smiled.


    Was this confidence that she could not be harmed inside the imperial palace?


    However, her slightly flushed face suggested that she was nervous within. An ordinary person could definitely not survive after harming the princess. Even touching an imperial princess could be considered treason that could result in the extermination of the entire family. Thus, her confidence that no one could harm her allowed her to smile and stand confidently in front of this unknown man.


    But her expression suddenly darkened for a moment. It was understandable since I was skilled enough to enter the palace unnoticed and there was no one nearby.


    Her scream would alert the guards, but then how would I react?


    Well, I would just run away but it was unknown if the princess thought the same way. Perhaps she was also worried about the soldiers and servants being in harm''s way in the process.


    "Are you worried?" I inquired.


    She looked at me with surprised eyes. I reckon my assumption was right.


    "Don''t worry. No one''s going to be harmed."


    The third imperial princess asked back as if she was distrustful at what I said.


    "Absolutely¡­ nobody?"


    Her expression gradually became darker and darker. She didn¡¯t seem to believe me.


    "You must have a lot of worries."


    I was very confident of being able to run away quietly. But the princess shook her head and looked down at the imperial palace.


    "This palace is a very large cage. It¡¯s too big to run away~¡±


    Was she implying that I couldn¡¯t escape?


    The third imperial princess seemed very confident about the security of the palace. She seemed to think that I¡¯d be caught eventually.


    "Is that so?"


    I made a little mischievous smile.


    "Shall we see if we can run away?"


    I gently grabbed the third princess'' waist with one hand and held her hand with the other. Then, I cast a floating spell. As an anti-magician, it took an exponential amount of magic power to lift her up.  But it was still easier than using magic inside Olympus. Rather, it was still more difficult to use magic power in my hometown even though magic power had been stabilized there.


    "Slowly, you just have to walk step by step."


    I instructed her while supporting her body so that she would not panic. I raised her body higher when she took a step. I did not forget to cloak us with invisibility at the same time.


    The night sky parted as we rose higher into the sky.


    I asked while being unable to hold back my smile, "What do you think? Still think you can¡¯t get away?"


    The third imperial princess trembled as if she were scared.


    "No?"


    I could feel the temperature dropping as we rose up higher into the sky. I warmed the surroundings with magic.


    By the way, you¡¯re trembling like crazy right now. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a salmon or something.


    I poured in magic power and barely managed to put the princess to sleep. She slowly drifted into slumber as expected of an anti-magician. Normally, they would act as if they were given an anesthetic and make a sound before falling asleep, but the princess fell asleep naturally without making such noise.


    I returned to the terrace and pulled out the access cord from the third imperial princess¡¯s right hand. The bracelet contained a fairly complicated magic. It was too complicated to duplicate it right away, so I laid her on the terrace against the railing, set the surrounding temperature at 25 degrees celsius, and cast perception disruption magic. Then, I took out a blanket from the pocket space, covered her, and finally put up a barrier. She probably wouldn¡¯t catch a cold or anything with all this.


    "I¡¯ll just borrow it for a moment," I said to the sleeping princess and jumped back onto the roof.


    I looked at the access cord as I headed deeper into the palace. This was more valuable than I thought. It had the ability to remove most of the restrictions placed by the palace''s vast magic circle. If I had made one without looking at this first, I could have only created something on a scale that enveloped the whole body but with barely the same ability as this bracelet.


    But that didn''t mean that the person who created it was a better magician than me. The bracelet¡¯s magic was from before the magic circle corresponding to the sword line turned very ferocious, and it preserved the original form of the magic circle which was a great archaeological feat. Furthermore, if a magician of my level had the information contained in this bracelet, he could erase this grotesque magic circle that encompassed the entire palace without any sound or notice.


    However, the magic circle was too much of a hodgepodge for even myself to control it as I wished. Of course, it could be possible for the Butterfly Tribe which was full of magicians better than me. If the bracelet fell into the hands of the anti-imperial forces, they would be able to do away with the protective magic circle in an instant and use that gap to attack the palace. It was a dangerous item. However, I doubt there exist any forces strong enough to attack the palace, but if there were a crazy enough force to do such a thing, they would likely have at least one magician at my level.


    Looking at the map I obtained from hacking the magic circle, I crossed the sword line and headed straight to the emperor''s office. It was nice to have a map. After sneaking past the guards, I entered the emperor¡¯s office and searched his desk. Fortunately, probably because it was used frequently, the sealing stamp was in a desk drawer that was easy to take from. Just in case, I took out the fairy powder and put it on the sealing wax that was with the sealing stamp.


    Then, a subtle glow emerged from the sealing wax.


    Looking at the emperor''s stamp, there was a trigger pattern underneath the imperial pattern. I put the sealing wax containing the fairy powder on a spoon, the one I took from the treasury office, and made a candle-sized fire to melt the sealing wax. Then, I took out the envelope containing the civil service examination papers from my pocket space and sealed it again.


    "Hoooo-!"


    I''m finally relieved. Now, after I go back past the sword line, return the bracelet to the third imperial princess, and bring the civil service examination papers to the treasury office building, it would be over.


    I quietly slipped out of the emperor''s office.


    -o-


    ? Ding, ding, ding!


    Good morning!


    Bba-bba-bba-bba-!


    Bba-bba bba-bba-bba-!


    Good morning!


    Bba-bba-bba-bba-bba-!


    Bba-bba-bba-bba-!


    Good morning!


    Oh, beautiful day! ?


    Arelia woke up due to a strange noise.


    What is this irritating song?


    She kicked the blanket in annoyance.


    "So noisy!"


    Bajik!


    Something hard went flying along with the blanket and the sound of it breaking could be heard at the same time as the loud alarm disappeared.


    By the way, where is this?


    Arelia looked around in a half-asleep daze.


    Terrace? Why was I sleeping here?


    Arelia wondered before she suddenly  remembered the half-white masked man from last night.


    That¡¯s right, I met him again when I went to the terrace in frustration.


    Arelia somehow felt happy. She laughed at the fact that he and she flew in the night sky.


    But anyway, what is this blanket and why am I sleeping here and not in my room?


    Arelia realized that her memory was cut off starting from when they were dancing in the sky.


    Did this mean that I fell asleep while dancing in the sky?!


    Arelia was so embarrassed that she wrapped herself in the blanket and screamed.


    "Kyaakk! What am I going to do!"


    Didn¡¯t this mean that she showed her slumbering self?


    "I can¡¯t get married now!"


    Her cheeks flushed as she yelled.


    The blanket left by Lupin was a little rough and felt wild. She held the cheap blanket purchased at Granwell dearly in her arms. Then, a hard object fell from in between the blanket. It looked like a cracked case that was half broken.


    Come to think of it, it was something that got kicked along with the blanket.


    When Arelia opened the case she had kicked, there was a single card and a necklace made with purple jewels.


    I am returning the necklace made of a thousand-year amethyst to the owner. Flying out of the huge cage...


    -Lupin


    The necklace was definitely the one that Marquis Margaret had offered to give as a present to Arelia. As the thousand-year amethyst was not a common gem, she was convinced.


    Then had the half-white masked man knew her identity the whole time? Despite that, he cheered for her to get out of the cage?


    She was moved by the necklace, her eyes became red. It was a little early, but she got such a big present. It was not the necklace. She was given the courage to move forward. Arelia went to her room wearing the necklace. She thought to herself amongst the maids who were bustling around after discovering her...


    I will tell Father at breakfast in the morning. That I''m going to enter the magic school that General William recommended.


    The princess¡¯s depression had vanished before she knew it. Arelia¡¯s heart was full of confidence to move forward.


    1. Ahri from League of Legends.

 Chapter 37: Admission (1)

    Mount Everest was the third highest mountain on the continent. It was nearly 9,000 meters above sea level and covered in snow. Among the Alps Mountain Range, which was one of the 10 restricted lands in the world also known as monsters¡¯ paradise, Mount Everest was exceptionally dangerous.


    A silver-haired girl wearing a white dress, holding a white parasol, stood atop Mount Everest and gazed at the scenery beneath the mountain as if she was trying to capture the scenery in her eyes.


    "Yuria?"


    Under the summit, a white-haired boy garbed completely in black and holding a black parasol was waving and running while calling the girl¡¯s name.


    Yuria sighed lightly as she watched the boy running toward her.


    "Alphonso, what if you fall down?"


    No sooner had the words been uttered than the sprinting boy tripped over a pile of snow and fell down. Taken aback, she ran to her twin brother. Fortunately, the snow lying everywhere cushioned his fall.


    "Ahhh... It hurts." Alphonso cried out as he looked at his palms that had been scraped when he fell.


    Yuria let out a small sigh and held Alphonso''s scraped hands. "Healing."


    Her palm glowed and the scrape disappeared.


    Alphonso clasped and unfolded his hand to confirm that the wound had healed. "Hehe, thank you." He naively smiled and thanked Yuria as she slightly smiled and stroked his head.


    "Alphonso, your dream is to become a knight. How could you be a knight if you become tearful with a small wound like this?"


    Alphonso blushed.


    "I can become one!"


    Yuria laughed when her brother turned his head away.


    "Yes, yes. It¡¯s definitely possible. That''s why you''re going to the capital."


    Alphonso got up and shouted, "That¡¯s right! I''m going to become a knight that fights against the Demon¡¯s Territory like my uncle, Bloody Blade!"


    Yuria smiled but sighed inwardly.


    The reason Alphonso yearned to become a knight, as well as wear black clothes and parasols instead of white that was considered sacred by the tribe, was because of the man called Bloody Blade. The Butterfly Tribe that the twins were a part of had been sending men to the empire, generation after generation, to maintain their ties.


    William was one of the strongest men in the tribe and also their uncle.


    The problem began four years ago when William invited his friend, Bloody, from the capital to the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s village.


    -o-


    Four years ago - Inside the village


    William and Bloody came out of a warp gate connected to the capital.


    "Oh? This is really convenient. Can you set one up in our village too?"


    When Bloody asked William, the latter shook his head and yelled, "Are you kidding me? How do you set up a warp gate in Olympus?  Even if I were to manage to set one up, I could end up lost in the void."


    "Oh, really?"


    Bloody told him he hadn¡¯t been serious and started looking around the room where the warp gate was stationed.


    "But there''s no one here. I thought someone would come to greet you."


    "Of course, long-distance teleportation is delicate magic that¡¯s only possible by getting rid of as many variables as possible. If someone touched something wrong in this room or used magic, it would be over for the person passing through the gate."


    Bloody thought about William¡¯s explanation for three seconds, then spoke with a solemn face as if he had been explained how an infrared refactor works.


    "It would be a good idea to omit any further details."


    "Yes, I will. Phew! You don¡¯t understand even if I give you an explanation."


    William shook his head and opened the door to go out of the room. The outside was covered with white snow.


    Bloody followed after William and commented while admiring the scenery.


    "Everything is white."


    His admiration was not only due to snow. The exterior walls of the house, the roof, and even the smoke coming out of the roof were white.


    "No, that''s just steam. How can we obtain firewood here? Everything has to be solved with magic."


    The Butterfly Tribe¡¯s village was located about a kilometer from the peak of Mount Everest.


    "Oh, I thought you guys turned the smoke white to match it with the scenery."


    "No, why would we¡­. No, would that be possible...?¡±


    William was about to deny it but then carefully considered and felt that the smoke could actually turn white if they used firewood.


    "Uncle William?"


    A boy was running from afar while waving his hands. He had white hair, white mufflers, and clothes, and was calling out William¡¯s name.


    "Alphonso?"


    William called out and opened his arms to hug his nephew. But then the sprinting figure suddenly crashed. He fell down.


    "Alphonso?"


    This time William called out with a different meaning and ran towards him. Then, he wiped Alphonso¡¯s tearful eyes and cast a healing spell on his body.


    "How does it feel? Does it still hurt?¡±


    "Nope!"


    Alphonso smiled brightly and William laughed along with him. From behind William, Bloody opened his mouth as if he were having a cultural shock.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Did he get hurt just from falling down? And started to cry?"


    William chided Bloody for being as surprised by something trivial and said, "It¡¯s common for you to get a knee scrape when you fall down. Besides, the kid is only twelve. They can cry if they get hurt."


    Bloody lashed out at William¡¯s words. "My nephews get thrown in front of dragons when they turn twelve. To think the kid would cry just from falling down¡­¡±


    "What?"


    William thought he had misheard. Sudden changes in altitude could cause occasional ear problems due to the difference in internal and external pressure. Although the pressure had been stabilized in the village through magic, an error in the system seemed more realistic than what Bloody had just said.


    "Huh? What?"


    "What did you just say!"


    "Throwing the kids in front of a dragon at the age of twelve?"


    William had no choice but to be frightened at Bloody¡¯s words.


    "Human sacrifice? Something even the Dragon Tribe who worships dragons don¡¯t do!"


    "Who said anything about human sacrifice? We just let the kids experience a dragon in advance according to my brother¡¯s unique educational philosophy. We only let them get scared and then retrieve them right away.¡±


    "It¡¯s a miracle for them to not suffer from PTSD." William rebuked as he hugged Alfonso.


    "Pee, what?"


    "PTSD. A mental trauma. It¡¯s like the occasional nightmares you have about fighting against your brother."


    Bloody roughly understood and then told Alphonso who was in William¡¯s arms.


    "Anyways, kiddo, men do not cry."


    Alphonso¡¯s moist eyes widened, and he asked, "Huh? Why?"


    "You know... how should I explain... like, you know... Ah! You won¡¯t be able to become a knight if you cry like that."


    Bloody racked his brain at the sudden question and said the first thing that came into his mind.


    "What''s a knight?"


    Bloody laughed at Alphonso whose innocent eyes were wet with tears.


    "A knight is someone on the side of justice who protects people from bad monsters and demons."


    "Wow! Is Uncle a knight too?"


    Alphonso looked at William with sparkling eyes.


    "Haha, yes. I''m a knight."


    It was a bit misleading to call William knight, but the work he did was not very different.


    "Wow?"


    Alphonso was delighted to hear that William was a knight and clapped his hands.


    "This kid."


    Neither William nor Bloody expected that their casual words would turn into a grand dream in the child¡¯s heart.


    William lifted Alphonso and nodded towards the center of the village.


    "Since I¡¯m visiting the village, I should go to the senate building and say hello."


    Bloody lightly nodded at William¡¯s words.


    "Mister? Tell me more about knights!"


    Alphonso asked Bloody while being in William¡¯s embrace and Bloody told him about the first things he could recall doing at work.


    "First of all, we wear armor."


    "Oh?"


    Alphonso started imagining an armor he had never seen before. In his imagination, the armor was a dazzling cloth.


    "And we swing a sword."


    "Sword?"


    Alphonso had never seen a sword.


    "Uncle, what''s a sword?"


    William was embarrassed by Alphonso''s question. The Butterfly Tribe¡¯s village did not have a kitchen knife, let alone a sword.


    "It¡¯s a piece of iron with a sharp edge."


    Due to finding all sorts of solutions with magic, it was not uncommon for common objects in the outside world to be absent here in the village.


    Bloody took out his sword from a little magic pouch attached to his waist.


    "This is a sword."


    "Wow!"


    Bloody let Alphonso hold the sword.


    "You, I told you not to bring any weapons."


    Bloody slightly smiled when William started to freak out.


    "Hey, it¡¯s fine. My body itself is a weapon in the first place."


    "You~"


    Bloody interrupted William as he was about to reprimand him.


    "And, if the leader of the Butterfly Tribe tries to kill me, I should at least try to resist."


    William let out a sigh after Bloody winked at him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, my father is a gentle man."


    "Really? That¡¯s not according to what I heard."


    "What? Says who?"


    In response to William''s question, Bloody opened the entrance to the senate building.


    "I¡¯ll put this item away."


    Bloody took the sword from Alphonso¡¯s hand and put it back into his magic pouch.


    "Ah."


    Alphonso regretfully stared at the magic pouch.


    Bloody stroked Alphonso''s head.


    "Hey, I asked you who said that?"


    Bloody feigned ignorance to William''s questioning.


    "I heard it from a magician I know. Let¡¯s quickly go give our greeting and then rest. I haven¡¯t had a chance to rest after arriving at the capital so I¡¯m tired."


    "Where is the magician that you know?"


    William gave up questioning Bloody and put Alphonso down.


    "Would you like to go home first?"


    "Ummm~~"


    Alphonso thought for a bit then shook his head.


    "Grandfather told me to bring Uncle with me."


    "Really? Then shall we go together?"


    William took Alphonso''s hand and headed for the senate office where his father was.


    "Mr. William?"


    A secretary who had been sitting at a desk in front of the senate office immediately got up to welcome William.


    "Long time no see. How have you been?"


    The secretary shook William¡¯s hands and smiled happily.


    "Hahaha, It¡¯s always the same for me. Mr. William is the one having a hard time. I heard that you are going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory soon."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll send you some demon¡¯s blood that can be only found in the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    The secretary started to drool. "Really?"


    Demon''s blood could be used as a valuable magic ingredient if it was refined well. In the Alps Mountain Range where the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s village was located, it was difficult to hunt demons because of their rarity even though monsters were in large numbers.


    "Oh, you''re standing here because of me."


    The secretary knocked on the door while being happy about the demon¡¯s blood she would be able to obtain later.


    Knock, knock!


    "Great Elder, it¡¯s William, who was dispatched to the capital."


    "Come in."


    At the sound of the voice coming from inside the Great Elder¡¯s office, William and Bloody opened the door and went in.

 Chapter 38: Admission (2)

    "Uncle?"


    Yuria had spread out a large sheet on the floor to draw magic lines for a magic circle. When she saw William, she embraced him.


    "Oh, my! You¡¯ve gotten a lot heavier."


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you that you can¡¯t tell a lady that she¡¯s heavy?"


    When Yuria puffed out her cheek, William raised her and made eye contact with her.


    "Yes, yes. You¡¯re still very light, so eat a lot and study well."


    "Okay."


    "Ahem! William, long time no see."


    William grinned and put down Yuria.


    "Father, have you been well?"


    "Yes, I''ve been well thanks to you."


    While Wiliam greeted his father, the girl showed interest in the man standing behind her uncle -- Bloody.


    "Mister, who are you?"


    "Me?"


    Alphonso introduced Bloody before he could introduce himself. "Mister here is a knight!"


    "Knight?" Yuria had also never heard of a knight before.


    Bloody stroked Alphonso''s head and laughed.


    "Yes, Mister here is a brave knight."


    The great elder stared at Bloody with an amused look.


    ¡°Are you from the Crow Tribe?¡±


    "Yes. My name is Bloody Blade."


    ¡°You¡¯re the son of the Crow Tribe¡¯s chief. How are your parents?¡±


    "Hahaha, my father passed on his position to my brother and is currently on a journey."


    The great elder let out a sigh of envy. "I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to retire from this annoying position. I envy your parents."


    William awkwardly smiled. "Haha, Father is still full of vigor."


    "That¡¯s enough, boy. A man also needs to know when to back out. How is that man with a ferocious temper?"


    Bloody smiled bitterly as he knew who the title of ¡®ferocious man¡¯ was referring to.


    "Yes, Mr. Mirpa is still full of vigor."


    "Hmm, that''s too bad." Although the great elder said so, he looked inwardly happy.


    Mirpa was one of the few rivals in the great elder¡¯s life. It was a blessing to still have a rival at his old age.


    William sent out Yuria and Alphonso while his father was in a good mood.


    "Yuria, Alphonso, Uncle has something to talk about with Grandfather. Will you go out for a while?"


    The twins nodded and left.


    "Why did you come out?"


    When the secretary doing her work outside the room asked, Yuria shook her head.


    "They said they had something to talk about for a moment."


    "Really? Then shall we hang out for a while?"


    Alphonso responded energetically to the secretary''s suggestion.


    "Okay! Nice!"


    The secretary brought out chairs, sat down, and started doing origami. Suddenly, the door to the great elder¡¯s office was smashed and Bloody rolled out injured.


    -o-


    Yuria who had briefly recalled the past asked her twin brother Alphonso.


    "But didn''t you come here to call me?"


    "Oh right! Grandfather called us for the coming-of-age ceremony."


    Yuria checked her watch and shouted in surprise.


    "Is it time already?"


    Yuria pulled out a two-meter staff and a mountable saddle from her pocket space. She attached the saddle to the staff and said to Alphonso as she sat down, "Sit down."


    "They told us not to fly outside the village because it''s dangerous."


    When Alphonso hesitated, she simply forced him to sit at the back of the saddle then sat at the front again. "I''m not going to fly all the way into the village. ''Fly!''¡±


    When Yuria shouted out the spell, a magic pattern engraved on the staff started to shine and the staff rose into the air. In a flash, it rapidly flew towards the village.


    Alphonso, who was riding in the back, started to scream.


    "It¡¯s¡­.Too¡­.Fast¡­!"


    "What?"


    "Fast!"


    "Faster? Okay?"


    Alphonso felt like passing out when Yuria increased the speed. The siblings came near the village in an instant and touched down. Upon landing, Alphonso dropped to his knees, placed both hands on the ground, and vomited.


    "Uwheck-!"


    He then covered the vomit with snow and placed some snow in his mouth to rinse it.


    "Haha, sorry. It¡¯s been a while since I flew so I couldn¡¯t control my speed well."


    She definitely flew to get to Everest¡¯s summit! Alphonso felt resentful towards his lying sister.


    "That¡¯s so¡­ Uweeckk-!¡± He threw up again and stood up exhausted.


    Yuria stroked his head with an apologetic face and cast a healing spell.


    "Recovery!"


    After a faint light, Alphonso felt his dizziness disappear. When the recovered Alphonso tried to say something, Yuria grabbed his hand and ran to the village.


    "Isn¡¯t the family waiting for us? Let''s go already!"


    "Uh, yeah."


    Alphonso made up his mind as he got dragged along.


    Leaving aside the fact if the person would be recognized as an adult, this coming of age ceremony determined whether the person would be allowed to go to the capital. As a tribe that mainly used magic, the Butterfly Tribe tested magical capability during their coming of age ceremony. Although the test was different every time, it consisted of magic that couldn¡¯t even be attempted unless you were a great magician.


    The test sometimes tested whether you could summon hellfire. On other occasions, it tested whether you could create ice with absolute zero temperature. In any case, the test was never easy. And in severe cases, some people failed the test and became adults at the age of 17 or 18 instead of 16.


    As someone from the Butterfly Tribe, Alphonso was weak in magic. Nonetheless, he was determined to pass the test and enroll in the capital¡¯s knight school.


    Upon entering the village, the twins headed towards the senate which was located in the heart of the village. Just as the coming of age ceremony was held in front of the village hall where the chief of the Crow Tribe worked, the Butterfly Tribe performed theirs before the senate where their ruling group stayed.


    "Yuria, Alphonso, you were almost late."


    Yuria and Alphonso bowed their heads at the great elder who was the head of the Butterfly Tribe.


    "Great Elder, I¡¯m sorry."


    "It''s all right, Yuria. And call me Grandfather like you do at home."


    The great elder looked kindly at his granddaughter. At the same time, he looked worried.


    Yuria was fine since she had shown overwhelming talent in magic since she was young. But his grandson Alphonso was less talented than others his age. Despite the fact, after listening to the black-headed guy called Bloody or something, Alphonso had started to train to become a knight by swinging iron sticks and neglected his magic training. Due to this, he had immense worry towards his grandson.


    The great elder who had been worrying whether his grandson could pass the ceremony, changed his mind at a sudden thought.


    If Alphonso doesn''t become an adult, wouldn¡¯t that mean he wouldn¡¯t have to send both his granddaughter and grandson to the capital?


    The great elder pondered while looking at his grandson.


    Alphonso, fail the test! Don''t leave my side. You''re my lovely grandson!


    Although he wasn¡¯t pleased with the black-clothed person, he was still a grandson that he doted on. If possible, he wanted his grandson to remain by his side until he lay in a coffin.


    Yes, I wish he could stay by my side for another 200 years.


    The great elder had recently broken a bottleneck and his lifespan had significantly increased as a result. With that much of a lifespan remaining, although he wouldn¡¯t imagine his grandchildren dying before him, he hoped that Alphonso would be eliminated during the exam.


    "Let the coming of age ceremony begin. As a test, create a ¡®pocket space¡¯."


    "What? Great Elder, originally-- "


    "Shh!"


    The great elder glared at his aide to make him shut his mouth.


    The original test was to fly 1,000m above the current location, but the great elder had changed the test content to create a ¡®pocket space¡¯ which was several times harder. Creating a pocket space was a symbol of a great magician, but its difficulty level was so high that it was a kind of magic even great magicians struggled with.


    Yuria immediately started to create a pocket space at the great elder¡¯s words. For her who had already created her own pocket space, creating a new one instead of expanding it was quite a difficult feat. However, it did not take a long time for her to create one about a meter long.


    "Haha, as expected of Yuria. You could have just shown off the one you made before, but you actually created a new one. It''s a pass."


    "Then, can I get rid of this pocket space? The other pocket space is trembling because I¡¯m maintaining both at the same time."


    "Yes, get rid of it."


    Yuria removed the new pocket space without hesitation. The size of pocket space could be expanded proportionally to the size of magic power, so there was no need to create a new pocket as long as the magic power was increased.


    "Next, Alphonso."


    "Yes!"


    Alphonso began to make a pocket space with a nervous face. He sweated and spent an hour trying to create one.


    "Alphonso, if it¡¯s too hard, you can try another time."


    As if he couldn¡¯t hear the great elder¡¯s words, Alphonso focused his attention on creating his own pocket space and managed to create one with a length of 10cm.


    "I... I succeeded?"


    After pouring in all his energy and magic power, Alphonso, covered in sweat collapsed, on the spot.


    Yuria, who had thought Alphonso would fail the test, also applauded Alphonso''s determination.


    "Congratulations!"


    The great elder was also taken aback when Alphonso created a pocket space. He had thought Alphonso would fail with his current abilities, but he eventually managed to make one. If anyone had assisted Alphonso, the great elder as the greatest great magician in the village would have been the first to notice. As such, he was touched by the growth of his grandson, but he shed tears at the fact that he would have to say goodbye to both Alphonso and Yuria.


    "Good... good work. Alphonso... My baby."


    "Grandpa?"


    Alphonso and the great elder both hugged each other and wept.


    "But can you not go to the capital? This old man would be lonely without you and Yuria."


    "But- I want to become a knight."


    "I¡¯ll let you become one! The one and only knight guarding the village!"


    The great elder¡¯s aide and Yuria shook their heads and let out a sigh.


    You should control how much love you shower on your grandson. Does it make sense to create a meaningless position just to make him stay?


    "But...Still¡­."


    Yuria spoke on behalf of crying Alphonso.


    "Great Elder-nim? It¡¯s time for you to go back to work! Alphonso should also go pack up if he wants to leave tomorrow."


    When Yuria pulled her grandfather away from Alphonso, the great elder reached his hand out to Alphonso.


    "Al~Phon~So~"


    "Grand~pa~"


    Looking at the show his grandfather was making, Yuria handed the great elder to his aide. It seemed like it would be a noisy night because of the two.


    -o-


    I felt a little disappointed when I came out from the civil service exam. The questions had been a lot easier than expected.


    Why on earth did I spend so much effort trying to check the exam questions?


    Of course, it would have felt easy because I had looked through the exam paper beforehand. At this level, however, the paper was easy enough for me to manipulate my grade even without looking at the test paper beforehand.


    Back at the boarding house, Lisbon was swinging a sword in the garden.


    "Oh, you''re back? How was the exam?"


    "I think I did well."


    "Really? That''s great."


    Lisbon came to me while wiping off his sweat.


    "What do you think? Do you think you¡¯ll be able to pass the exam in two days?"


    This time I asked Lisbon.


    Due to transferring to the middle-rank knight school from family circumstances, the exam was trickier for him. If he failed the exam in two days, he would have to take an extra exam in half a year for selecting additional students. However, there were years in which they wouldn¡¯t select additional students, which would result in Lisbon having to wait another year for his next exam. If he also failed the exam a year later, it would be safe to assume that Lisbon would have to give up taking elite courses as a knight.


    Enrolling in a knight school wasn¡¯t the only way to become a knight, but it was the most orthodox and convenient way. Although Lisbon did not express it, it was vital for him to pass the exam.

 Chapter 39: Admission (3)

    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be lying if I said I was confident.¡± Lisbon smiled with a slightly tired face.


    ¡°Come to think of it, is Alice¡¯s exam the day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yea, the schedule says hers is before mine, but she told me not to come.¡±


    Alice was well aware of Lisbon¡¯s situation and was being considerate. Even so, the fellow seemed a little disappointed.


    ¡°Hey, Den.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but could you go to Alice¡¯s exam instead of me? It¡¯s an open examination but it bothers me that I might not be able to go cheer her on.¡±


    I sighed inwardly. How is he worrying for someone else when he has his own problems to deal with?


    I don¡¯t know how hard the knight school examination is, but the difficulty level of the magic school examination was included in the information regarding the magic I bought from the informant. So, as a pretty competent magician myself, I knew that Alice was stable.


    The content of the exam was all about practical skills, but considering you just had to hit and damage a target 50m away with attack magic or fly up at least 5m in the sky, it was just a trivial level of difficulty.


    I don¡¯t know what there is to even worry about, it¡¯s not like you had to destroy a 50m radius without any trace, or fly random number maneuvers at high speeds 5000m in the sky!


    Perhaps they were going to create an environment similar to Olympus then use magic?


    Surely there was no way you could tell the difference between good and bad at this level of difficulty. For example, it was like using the level of difficulty of a driver¡¯s license exam for a college admission exam.


    If somehow my prediction were correct, then Alice was definitely going to fail. That¡¯s too bad.


    ¡°Yes, since I¡¯m done with my exam, I¡¯ll head over pretending to just take a look around.¡±


    I might as well take a look at some of the magic books at the magic school while I¡¯m there. Even if it was not something like a dangerous grimoire, the library was open to nobles. So, I¡¯d slowly take my time looking through them.


    Tonight, I should organize some of the information regarding the magic school.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    With that, he headed towards the center of the garden to swing his sword again with a brighter face.


    It¡¯d be nice if he passed since he¡¯s trying so hard.


    -o-


    In front of the Butterfly Tribe village¡¯s warp gate, a grandchild was starting a new wave.


    ¡°Alphonso, can you not go?¡±


    Alphonso¡¯s grandfather, who was also a grand elder of the Butterfly Tribe, hugged the boy and implored in tears.


    ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s making me sad too!¡±


    After seeing the two weeping last night, Yuria was dumbfounded to see them crying again today. The grand elder stretched up his left arm and called Yuria since his right arm was holding Alphonso.


    ¡°Yuria, could you not go either?¡±


    Sighing, Yuria went to hug her grandfather.


    ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s one thing if Alphonso doesn¡¯t go, but he makes me worry, so I can¡¯t help it. Besides, you can¡¯t study alchemic magic here.¡±


    In the Butterfly Tribe, if there was one magic that you couldn¡¯t freely study, it was alchemy. Alchemy required a lot of ingredients, but unless one left Everest, it took too long and was difficult to obtain various samples.


    ¡°Yuria, Alphonso!¡±


    As she wiped away her grandfather¡¯s tears, Yuria thought the reason her brother was all teary was that he felt just like their grandfather. After separating the two, they headed towards the gate.


    ¡°Father, Mother, Grandfather. I¡¯ll be back safely.¡± Yuria bade goodbye.


    Her mother and father nodded and replied, ¡°All right, make sure to send letters often. Should something happen, don¡¯t hesitate to tell William, and write to us too.¡±


    ¡°If anything happens, Mom and Dad will hurry over, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yuria~¡±


    The grandfather called out to Yuria while crying. The girl smiled and headed for the gate.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Grandpa, we¡¯ll be off now .¡± Alphonso, while waving his hand, also headed for the gate.


    ¡°Alphonso~¡±


    Despite hearing the voice calling for him, Alphonso tightly shut his eyes and ran into the gate.


    Beyond the gate was an empty room.


    ¡°Huh? I thought Uncle would be here?¡±


    Yuria replied to Alphonso¡¯s question. ¡°You didn¡¯t study, did you? My goodness, how did you manage to create a pocket space with that kind of understanding of space.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, well...Through will?


    Yuria mumbled an ¡°I shouldn¡¯t even have asked¡± as she left the room. William was waiting outside the room.


    ¡°You arrived earlier than expected? I thought I was going to have to wait longer because of my dad clinging on to you guys.¡±


    ¡°I know. I thought so too, but he let us go more easily than expected.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    As William smiled, Alphonso who was hesitating at the back, rushed towards William.


    ¡°Uncle!¡±


    ¡°Aigoo, boy. You¡¯re an adult now. You need to consider your weight.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    As he patted Alphonso¡¯s head, William spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve applied for your admission, but you¡¯ll have to take the test first. Yuria is heading to magic school, and Alphonso to knight school, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The entrance exam for the magic school won¡¯t feel like anything if you¡¯ve successfully passed the coming-of-age ceremony, but the knight school has a sword competition so you need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Because I¡¯ve trained hard!¡±


    Seeing Alphonso trying to show off his biceps on his thin arms, William laughed and rumpled up his nephew''s hair.


    ¡°Hahaha. Well, even if magic is the main power of our tribe and we don¡¯t match up to the other battle races in terms of body strength, at least we still have the strength of an average knight, so you don¡¯t have to worry. But still, you will fail if you use magic. So be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Also, a knight under me will take care of you guys after you unpack, so push off touring the capital to tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    -o-


    2 days later ----


    After breakfast, Alphonso gallantly went out to the knight school alone. Before he left, his twin sister, Yuria told him to wait so they could go together, but with the memories of yesterday¡¯s tour, he bravely showed his courage to go alone.


    ¡°I can go by myself!¡±


    ¡°Even so, today is the day of the exam. What are you going to do if you get lost?¡±


    Alphonso faltered briefly but William backed him up.


    ¡°So what, the school isn¡¯t even far away.¡±


    William cheered Alphonso on as he said that it¡¯s not a bad idea for Alphonso to try going alone as it¡¯s not like he could always accompany Alphonso every day. William reassured Yuria by saying that even if Alphonso got lost, he could use location tracking magic to quickly find his way.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be off!¡±


    Bidding an enthusiastic goodbye, Alphonso cheerfully left as he opened his black parasol and his braided white hair dangled behind him.


    The whole of yesterday, Alphonso had toured around the capital with his twin sister Yuria and Uncle William. However, compared to the Butterfly Tribe village located on Mount Everest, the busy streets of the capital were full of color and life and were on a completely different level.


    With beaming eyes, Alphonso looked around again at the streets of the capital. Alphonso passed by the main road as he looked around. As people continued to bump into the parasol which he was using owing to the tribe¡¯s weakness for the sun, he continued to apologize as he headed to a street with few people.


    As he got out of the bustling street and took a step back to breathe, he heard an angry voice from behind.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    When Alphonso turned around, there were three men giving off a scary impression. Among them, the man rubbing his left arm raised his right hand and put on a scary face. It seemed that he had been scraped by the parasol that Alphonso was carrying.


    The parasol that Alphonso was carrying had been specially made by his grandfather. It was created from the flesh and bones of the Behemoth, one of the strongest monsters on the Alps mountain that was known to be a monster haven. Considering that the fabric of the parasol was made with magically coated yarn of heavenly silkworm fabric, which was several times stronger than steel of the same thickness, one could say it was a weapon by itself.


    ¡°Why you!¡±


    At that moment a sly-looking man, behind the man who was about to attack, raised his hand to stop the man and whispered something in his ear. The sly-looking man put on an odd smile and looked over to Alphonso. Alphonso felt that something was wrong and apologized.


    ¡°Sorr... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    However, the man gravely yelled at Alphonso¡¯s apology.


    ¡°Are you joking right now! Huh!? If you hit, huh, a person, huh, you need to give compensation!¡±


    Alphonso was frightened when the man with the threatening face suddenly shouted.


    ¡°Sorr... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Is it over if you are sorry!? Since my arm is broken, hand over 3000 pelks!¡±


    The man seemed like he was about to hit him. Alphonso suddenly shut his eyes in fear and threw out a punch.


    -o-


    Finally, the morning of Lisbon and Alice¡¯s entrance exams arrived.


    Saying she was nervous, Alice skipped breakfast and holed up in her room refining her magic. Also, saying that eating too much would dull one¡¯s body, Lisbon really ate little compared to his usual large meals and went out to the garden in light clothes to stretch. Without Lisbon¡¯s usual banter, the dining table became rather quiet. Mrs. Arscilla and I were the only ones left at breakfast and had some conversations.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Den, if you pass the civil service examination, will you be going to live in the dormitory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, since that is apparently the rule, there¡¯s not much I can do.¡±


    Mrs. Arscilla spoke with a truly sad face. ¡°Since you have to move to the dorms by the end of July if you are admitted, it¡¯s really going to be such a short time. I¡¯ve been fond of you this past month.¡±


    Like Mrs. Arscilla said, somehow it¡¯s already been a month since I started boarding here. The results of the admission exams would be announced in half a month, so at most, I¡¯d have to leave here in a month. I know not about other things, but the thought of not being able to eat the meals here made me sad.


    ¡°It is definitely unfortunate, but you know the results still have yet to be revealed. If something goes wrong, I might have to burden you for another half a year.¡±


    I was just saying that. I even sneaked into the palace to check the question paper, so there was no chance of failure. The actual exam questions being so easy made me feel dumb for putting in all that effort.


    ¡°Also, even if I pass, I¡¯ll have to look for housing again in half a year so I may have to be indebted to you again.¡±


    Mrs. Arscilla smiled at my shameless remark, telling me to come any time.


    After breakfast, I slowly took a stroll towards the magic school. Although I say I was heading towards the magic school, the knight school and the civil servant training institute were attached to it, so technically you couldn¡¯t just simply call it the magic school.


    Since my goal was the magic books at a level under a grimoire stored in the school, there was no need to hurry. Especially since Alice, the one who was taking the exam was still holed up in her room. As I was going to the school, a black umbrella amid the crowd came into view.


    Why an umbrella? The sky was so clear.


    No matter where you go, there are always weird people. As I was going through a shortcut through the back alley without thinking, I heard a voice shouting from somewhere.


    ¡°Are you joking right now! Huh?¡±


    Oh! A fight! The best things to watch are a fight and a fire. It¡¯s even better if the people fighting had nothing to do with me.


    In order to secretly watch the fight, I sneakily moved towards the alley where I heard the sound.


    ¡°If you hit, huh, a person, huh, you need to give compensation!¡±


    Contrary to my expectations, the scene in the alley was of 3 gangster-like guys tearing apart a fragile-looking boy with a black umbrella.


    How disappointing! Even if it wasn¡¯t a brutal dog fight, I was hoping to see some street fighting.

 Chapter 40: Admission (4)

    I should probably just leave. It was a little sad, but I was still bad at controlling my strength, so if I went to help, the gangster would end up disabled. Honestly, it was also a bother.


    I was sorry for the white-haired boy with a blue complexion, but it¡¯s intuitive in a civil servant¡¯s to ignore annoying things. Forgive me for being a powerless small citizen.


    ¡°Is it over if you are sorry!? Since my arm is broken, hand over 3000 pelks!¡±


    The gangster, who was muttering something that sounded familiar, threw a punch towards the boy. In an instant, I came in between the boy and the gangster, and with one hand deflected the punch and lightly pushed the gangster.


    Boom!


    The gangster slammed into the wall and bounced off while vomiting blood.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    One gangster looked at his mate who had flown into the wall, while the other gangster cried out while pointing a finger at me.


    ¡°What-what¡¯s happening! Where did you come from!?¡±


    Dang, things just became bothersome! Still, the condition of the gangster who threw up blood and fell down seemed much better than the ones I met at Granwell.


    When I didn¡¯t answer, the bully who had yelled at me spat out a curse.


    ¡°This XX is ignoring me?¡±[1]


    Huh, it seemed too much to curse considering I¡¯m the lifesaver of that nameless gangster who threw up blood and fell. The reason I came in between the white-haired boy with a black umbrella standing behind me and the gangster was purely out of concern for the gangster¡¯s life.


    Just as the gangster tried to swing his fist at the white-haired boy, the boy clenched his eyes shut as if he were scared, and tried to punch. If I hadn¡¯t stepped in, the gangster who fell onto the floor would have been killed by the white-haired boy. That fist contained enough power to kill the gangster in front of him like an insect.


    To reiterate, I am that gangster¡¯s savior. And you are pointing a finger at me like that.


    I grabbed the finger of the gangster who pointed at me and bent it.


    Snap!


    ¡°AHHHH!¡±


    Oh, I was going to bend it only a little, but I broke his finger. But it was his left hand, so it¡¯s ok.


    If you¡¯re left handed, then sorry. Please become right handed.


    I turned my attention away from the gangster holding his left hand and sobbing, and towards the other gangster who had been looking at the fallen gangster.


    ¡°Hiik - !¡±


    The gangster that panicked in response seemed familiar. Where have I seen that gangster again?


    Ah! Granwell!


    Yeah, I thought I had seen this gangster somewhere. He was the one I met when I¡¯d disguised myself as the middle-aged man with the scar. He¡¯s the gangster who promised to sell me his acquaintance, but ran away without introducing him.


    His pupils violently trembled in response to my shout. That gangster was definitely the one I met in Granwell. As I happily took a step towards the gangster, he peed his pants.


    ¡°Please spare me, please spare me, please spare me!¡±


    As if I¡¯d triggered a traumatic experience, he muttered, pleading for his life with a desperate face. As I walked another step towards the gangster, he was stunned, returned to his senses, then ran away while screaming.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±


    I tried to chase after the fleeing gangster but suddenly someone grabbed hard onto my clothes.


    ¡°Heuh, heuk, thank you very muuuuch!¡±[2]


    Behind me, a white-haired boy with a black parasol cried and thanked me.


    Could you just pick one- either cry or say a greeting? No, but first, could you let go? I need to go make the guy, who doesn¡¯t keep promises, one with the wall.


    I swallowed what I wanted to say, and instead took out a piece of candy from my pocket and handed it to the white-haired boy.


    ¡°Do you want to eat it?¡±


    ¡°Yeeessss!¡±[3]


    Could you just pick whether to cry or reply?


    The white-haired boy put the candy in his mouth even as tears kept falling. I think giving him the candy was a good thing. Even if a little, he became quieter.


    Oh, come to think of it, where did the sobbing gangster go? Aha, he is crawling away over there.


    Realizing he had been found, the gangster got up and started running. He was running well even though it probably hurt his broken finger to run.


    ¡°Taaans. Iwasfraid. Thaaan-.¡±


    You can¡¯t even talk properly because you are crying, and now you have a candy in your mouth. What are you even saying?!


    ¡°Hey, can you take the candy out then talk?¡±


    Maybe the white-haired boy didn¡¯t want to spit it out because he chewed and then swallowed it.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I was suddenly surrounded by scary people. Heuk.¡±


    It was my first time seeing such a crybaby. He had almost as many tears as a sea sponge. But besides that, I wondered if he was even sane to get intimidated by people weaker than himself.


    ¡°All right, then since it¡¯s been resolved, I¡¯m going to go now.¡±


    I was planning to go after the gangster that I met again, but the white-haired boy grabbed my clothes again.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    The white-haired boy replied hesitatingly, ¡°Um, um, the knight school¡­ Which direction is it?¡±


    ¡°The knight school?¡±


    Turns out, this crybaby and I were heading towards the same destination. I was thinking of ditching him because it was a bother, but the way his eyes looked at me so pitifully made me sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m also on my way there, so I can guide you. Follow me.¡±


    I took the lead after telling him. On the way, the white-haired boy curiously asked about a bunch of things.


    ¡°Um excuse me, are you also on your way to take the knight school entrance exam?¡± The white-haired boy asked a ridiculous question.


    I couldn¡¯t understand how he would think that such a frail person like myself would try to enter a macho school that stank of sweat? Of course, an intellectual magic school was a different case. Also, he used the informal ¡®you¡¯.[4]


    ¡°Huh? No I¡¯m not. Also, the ¡®you¡¯ was informal. Why don¡¯t you just decide if you want to speak formally or informally?¡±


    The white-haired boy replied with a bright smile, ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll speak informally.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean you should speak informally¡­ Ehew, whatever!¡±[5]


    Although I was a little confused, it didn¡¯t really matter since I spoke informally first. Especially since it didn¡¯t seem like we would meet again after I showed him the way.


    ¡°By the way, how are you so strong when you aren¡¯t even trying to get into the knight school?¡±


    I debated whether or not I should answer the white-haired boy. Even if I were to reply, I couldn¡¯t just say, ¡°Yea, it¡¯s because I¡¯m a member of the Crow Tribe, one of the battle races, so I was born with the ability to slaughter others.¡±


    ¡°¡ª It¡¯s hard to listen when you say I¡¯m strong for taking down three barely third-rate gangsters.¡±


    I answered vaguely to make it seem like I was fully answering, without revealing the truth. Like an ambiguous relationship of more than a friend but less than a lover. But it didn¡¯t seem like the white-haired boy accepted that answer.


    ¡°But they seemed dangerous, and scary, and, and¡ª¡±


    The white-haired boy, saying the same words while searching for others, seemed to lack a lot of vocabulary.


    ¡°And there are more of them?¡±


    He clapped his hands, saying that was what he also thought. ¡°Yea! More of them! Anyways, how are you so strong?¡±


    It started to become quite burdensome when he asked with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m strong but that those gangsters were weak. Besides, you¡¯re probably stronger than those gangsters too?¡±


    Like a startled rabbit, he stared at me with startled eyes.


    ¡°I am?!¡±


    His red eyes made him seem more like a rabbit.


    ¡°Yes, you seemed stronger than them.¡±


    The punch thrown out with closed eyes didn¡¯t look strong, but the magic power naturally contained in the fist made it powerful. But his punch was a mess, like someone who only trained and didn¡¯t have any real experience.


    ¡°Strong? I am?¡±


    The white-haired boy was happy but didn¡¯t seem to know what to do from embarrassment. He looked as if he had just been recognized for all that he had.


    ¡°Hey, perhaps, do you think I can get accepted in the knight school?¡± he asked with a nervous face.


    I answered honestly. ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    To be exact, it was none of my business. A disappointing aura surrounded the white-haired boy as he looked depressed. Because it seemed like I¡¯d killed the spirit of the guy taking the exam today, I felt a twinge in my conscience.


    ¡°However, if you¡¯ve worked hard and don¡¯t get scared, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get in.¡±


    With a guilty conscience, I added more. Then, the surrounding disappointing aura disappeared, and the white-haired boy looked at me with a bright face.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Really, really, really, really!?¡±


    The white-haired boy suddenly shoving his face towards me like an excited puppy made me panic and push his face away.


    ¡°Yes really, so, back off!¡±


    What! His face being shoved towards me was unexpectedly strong? Is this brat perhaps a battle race?


    ¡°Oohk!¡±


    The pronunciation became squished as I pushed his face but he smiled brightly.


    While we were talking about random stuff, we arrived at the front gate of the knight school. I went through the front door while waving my hands in order to finally part with this bothersome guy.


    ¡°Find your own way from here.¡±


    I went towards the magic school. Although the school was attached to it, I had to go around a little as the school ground was large. Right then, the white-haired boy stopped me.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    He struggled in embarrassment.


    How should I describe it? It was like watching a rabbit that had fallen into water.


    ¡°Excuse me, um, so, please become my friend!¡±


    What the white-haired boy barely managed to say was something like what a mixed-race transfer student would bravely say in a cartoon. To think that I would hear something like this in real life.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The embarrassed white-haired boy brightened up and replied, ¡°Ah, Alphonso.¡±


    What are you supposed to say in a situation like this? Well first, let¡¯s try something that I saw in a cartoon.


    ¡°I¡¯m Den. Let¡¯s meet again if fate allows.¡±


    For some reason, it was very embarrassing. I felt like a squid placed on a stone stove. My pace got faster in proportion to the shame. Becoming friends is something that happens without knowing. If fate allows, then we will become friends, but it doesn''t, then we won¡¯t. I headed to the magic school library.


    It sounded like the white-haired boy shouted ¡°Okay!¡± with a delay, but I was already far away so I wasn¡¯t sure. Rather, I should get away quickly from the dark history that I had just created.


    When I arrived at the magic school library and looked at the clock, there was still quite some time before the magic school¡¯s entrance exam. It seemed like I could leave after leisurely reading a book or two. The magic school was mostly made up of children of nobility or members of the magic tower, so security was strict.


    Entering the library required two identity checks (once when entering the school and once in front of the library), and one check for weapons and other dangerous items.


    It felt like an immigration check at an airport. After barely stepping into the magic school library, I scanned the inside. I was expecting a scene like that of a magic school library somewhere in England, but the scene inside was pretty ordinary. Still, compared to the average college library in my previous life, the size was 4 to 5 times bigger.


    1. The author just uses ¡°XX¡± for curse words.


    2. These are kind of just emotional/weeping sounds that Alphonso made in response to being helped.


    3. Alphonso says yes while still crying so it sounds funny.


    4. Although he is speaking formally, Alphonso used the informal ¡®you¡¯. In Korean there is the formal/honorific form vs informal (casual) form for words.


    5. Ehew is like a sighing sound.

 Chapter 41: Admission (5)

    Of course, it seemed obvious, but there were so many books that my older sister¡¯s study or Elder Mirpa¡¯s lab couldn¡¯t even compare to it. The scent of old books after a long time made me a little excited. My oldest sister¡¯s study was always full of new books, and Elder Mirpa¡¯s lab had the smell of herbs rather than the smell of books because he believed in existential-orientation rather than theory.[1]


    As you would expect from a magic school, the library bookshelves were full of various magic books. I scanned the titles of the books and read the ones that sounded interesting.


    Introduction to Spatial Arrangement, The Fundamentals of Flight, Astrology and Necromancy, the theories of the four great magicians who dominated modern wizards - book of curses, the relationship between cadence and incantation¡­


    Most of the books were regarding the foundations of magic or the history of magic. Although the books didn¡¯t go in-depth, there were still many interesting books since I wasn¡¯t knowledgeable in all magic. Particularly, the book regarding a curse magician of the four great magicians who introduced his theories caught my attention as curse magic was very new to me.


    As I wondered if a non-student could borrow books and headed towards an empty desk, I noticed a familiar smell. It was very subtle, and I walked towards it nonetheless.


    Located on one side of the bookcase, it was a faded book that smelled familiar. I wondered where I¡¯d smelled the fragrance as I reached for the book.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who reached for the book. I grabbed the book at the same time as a girl with white hair that had a touch of gold.


    ¡°Go ahead and read first.¡±


    I conceded the book to the girl with white hair. She smiled and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Pulling out the book I had conceded, the white-haired girl took a glance at me. To be exact, she looked at the book about the curse magician that I was holding.


    ¡°You seem to have a lot of interest in the four great magicians?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Her sudden question made me look at the book she was holding. The title of the book was ¡°Preservation and Management of Alchemic Medicine¡±, a book about alchemic magic.


    The important part wasn¡¯t the title of the book. The name of the author written in the book felt very familiar.


    ¡°Mirpa Ainsmall?¡±


    Elder Mirpa, my as well as my sister¡¯s teacher, was the author of that book.


    It was now that I realized that the familiar smell was the smell I had been inhaling for years, the scent of herbs that filled Elder Mirpa¡¯s workshop.


    ¡°Yes, Mirpa Ainsmall, one of the four great magicians, a renowned alchemist of the Crow Tribe, is the one who wrote this book. It¡¯s a book that¡¯s considered to be the foundation of alchemy now, but when it first appeared in academia, I heard it caused a revolution. But didn¡¯t you grab it knowing that?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. Of course. I know that.¡±


    Honestly, I tried to grab it without knowing. Others would look at me strangely if I said I didn¡¯t know something that seemed like common knowledge.


    The white-haired girl smiled while carefully stroking the cover of the old book.


    ¡°I read a print of it, but I didn¡¯t know that the original would really be here. Just as I heard, it really does have a peculiar smell of herbs.¡±


    She put the book to her nose and sniffed.


    ¡°This smell is wolyeong flower, crane fly grass, and~¡±


    ¡°Mandrago¡¯s third petal.¡±


    The white-haired girl who couldn¡¯t think of what it was and was frowning, smiled when she heard me.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Mandrago¡¯s third petal!¡±


    As she shouted, feeling good, the librarian who was passing by glared at her while putting her index finger to her mouth. She looked down with a pitiful expression, and the librarian sighed and went on her way. The girl then spoke to me in a small voice.


    ¡°Hehe, I made a mistake. You must be very proficient in alchemy. It¡¯s not well known that each of the Mandrago flower petals has a different smell, but you even managed to identify which petal it was.¡±


    I just laughed off the white-haired girl¡¯s words with a smile. There wasn¡¯t a need for me to tell others that I could use magic. It was safer to just make it seem like I had some interest in magic.


    ¡°No, I just guessed but got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­ Ah, I¡¯m Yuria.¡±


    The white-haired girl, Yuria, firmly held onto the book with her left hand and stuck her right hand out for a handshake.


    ¡°I¡¯m Den.¡±


    With a sudden handshake, we introduced ourselves.


    Yuria walked closer to me and whispered, ¡°If you happen to have some time, would you like to discuss about magic?¡±


    Her asking with shining eyes felt like I was getting accosted for directions in front of the subway.


    ¡°No, I have things to do~¡±


    ¡°Ah, I have things to do too. But it would be a shame since it¡¯s been a long time since I met someone proficient in alchemy.¡±


    Yuria approached another step with beaming eyes. Then she grabbed my hand and made an eager face.


    Feeling her mana, she seemed to be a magician with considerable skill. A person of her proficiency would probably be considered a little stronger than my younger sister. Considering that a magician of this level was here, the magic school, where many of the best talents from the empire gathered, could not be ignored.


    Looking at her young face, she and I were probably the same age. If a magician of her level was a student, then what about a teacher?


    From what I heard, the civil servant training center formed a partnership with the magic school, so the students could learn magic for a short time. I was looking forward to it.


    ¡°Ok, then briefly.¡±


    I succumbed to Yuria¡¯s pressure. At my consent, she led me to the terrace with a bright smile.


    On the library¡¯s terrace, as you would expect from a library, there was a table for four people and some chairs. Yuria took a seat first and I sat across from her.


    ¡°Ah, come to think of it, are you a student at the magic school?¡±


    Yuria asked as if she just had the thought. I shook my head.


    ¡°No, my skills are not very outstanding. My level is around barely knowing the ¡®ma¡¯ of magic.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so. No wonder I could hardly feel any mana.¡±


    She seemed a little disappointed. Then suddenly, she smiled brightly and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all right! They say that everyone outside the village has weak mana.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    It was a nuance that I seemed to have heard before. It was familiar because I used to frequently hear in my hometown that people outside were all weak.


    ¡°Ah, no! Well, ah! Since alchemy doesn¡¯t really need that much mana! Yes, that¡¯s what I was trying to say!¡±


    For some reason, her being flustered and trying to explain herself was so funny that I ended up laughing.


    ¡°No, what I meant was~¡±


    She became even more flustered seeing me laugh. It seemed that it was impolite to say to someone studying magic that they had low mana.


    Thinking I should make fun of her a little more, I hid my mischievous smile and said, ¡°Even alchemy needs a lot of mana once you reach a high level.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I thought Yuria would get more flustered but instead, she asked with beaming eyes, ¡°Yes, even if you use a mana stone, it¡¯s the alchemist that controls it, so you need an appropriate amount of mana to control it.¡±


    The girl in front of me thought that I was an alchemist, but I didn¡¯t consider myself one. However, when I was being taught by Elder Mirpa, he threatened to not teach me any magic if I didn¡¯t memorize the contents of his research. So I had to learn it. But honestly, one could say that half of my magic was self-taught.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°By the way, it seems that you have a lot of interest in alchemy. Is alchemy your main focus?¡±


    Yuria shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s elemental magic. My grandfather is an elemental magician.¡±


    She said something like what an esteemed daughter of a magician family would say. Certainly, I was the weird one for not pursuing alchemy like my teacher. Usually, people follow their teacher just like this girl.


    My younger sister was good at magic other than alchemy due to my influence, but alchemy was still her main focus.[2] The trees that tried to catch me when I was escaping were also made from alchemy.


    ¡°Usually, people only pursue one main focus, but it seems you are quite interested in alchemy too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, actually I like not only alchemy but also all other magic as a whole. However, the land in my hometown is a bit barren, so trees and grasses don¡¯t grow well. So I came to the capital to try and learn alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Then you aren¡¯t a student?¡±


    Yuria nodded as I trailed off.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m here to take the entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The conversation with Yuria continued until 20 minutes before the start of the magic school¡¯s entrance exam. I gave her only a little insight into my alchemic knowledge, and in return, she told me the things I didn¡¯t know about elemental magic.


    Initially, I felt like someone who was abruptly accosted for directions, but actually, it turned out to be beneficial. For your information, I couldn¡¯t borrow the book because I wasn¡¯t qualified. They said I could borrow it if I became a student in training, so I planned to leisurely read it later.


    -o-


    At the entrance of the last city, Warrant, which was nicknamed after the famous Valhalla, Leisha shouted at a group.


    ¡°Ah! Let¡¯s grab a room and take a bath first! A bath!¡±


    Leisha complained immediately after arriving in Warrant. They had been camping for 15 days since leaving the village, so she felt very uncomfortable with all the accumulated sweat and dirt.


    Mac sighed as he looked at the grumpily complaining Leisha.


    ¡°Miss, His Excellency, the Diplomat has some places he needs to stop by first.¡±


    ¡°His Exce... what His Excellency? Vice-Captain Mac, he is undeserving of that.¡±


    A slim, pretty boy became red and flustered. He felt burdened by the fact that Mac, who was selected amongst all the warriors to lead, was calling him ¡®His Excellency¡¯.


    ¡°You can just call me Lan. Den also calls me that~¡±


    ¡°No, Your Excellency the Diplomat will be the one leading us in the future, so how could I call you that? Personally, with respect, I would like to call you Sir Lancelot,¡± Mac said with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Sir, what do you mean Sir? It¡¯s too much.¡± Lancelot lowered his head as his already red face became even redder.


    Leisha argued with Lancelot with a face that didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Rather than that, why isn¡¯t lodging first? It should be a bath first, then a warm meal! I¡¯m sick of provisions!¡±


    For Leisha, who had never been out of the village, the half-month of traveling was quite a hardship. Lancelot shrank as Leisha bullied him. Mac¡¯s well-defined features became even more pronounced as he smiled and tried to calm Leisha.


    ¡°Haha, Miss please calm down. His Excellency, the Diplomat surely is saying this because he has a plan.¡±


    ¡°But still!¡±


    ¡°Besides, if we think about having spent half a month in the forest, it was because of Miss.¡±


    Leisha could only flinch.


    Mac, who was top three in the village for speed, seemed weak next to Lancelot, who was the top in both speed and stamina. So compared to them, Leisha seemed to move at a snail¡¯s pace. It took 15 days because shortly after leaving the village, Mac carried Leisha on his back. If she had walked on her own, they would have been in the forest for another half month.


    Feeling ashamed, Leisha bickered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too blunt?¡±


    ¡°This is how I am,¡± Mac replied confidently with a face full of pride.


    1. I think he means that he learns by doing experiments rather than reading a bunch of books, hence the smell of herbs.


    2. Younger sister refers to Leisha as she is the younger of the two older sisters.

 Chapter 42: Admission (6)

    ¡°Um, Miss. I¡¯m sorry, but because we are only carrying large currency, the village inn won¡¯t accept the money. So we need to go to a market that our village deals with to exchange money,¡± Lancelot said with an apologetic face to the calmed down Leisha.


    Leisha felt ashamed and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who is sorry. Ok, I¡¯m getting uncomfortable so let¡¯s stop. I was being childish.¡± Then she added. ¡°Also, don¡¯t call me Miss. I don¡¯t want to be called Miss by my younger brother¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I~¡±


    ¡°Just call me Noona. Leisha Noona. Try it.¡±[1]


    Lancelot looked perplexed. ¡°How can I~¡±


    ¡°What are you so hesitant for, you call Den, Den.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Den is Den~¡±


    To Lancelot, Denburg was a close friend and an object of admiration. Leisha laughed and tousled the diplomat¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say Lan too? You said Den calls you Lan, right?¡±


    Seeing him nod, she also nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call Lan too, so you also just relax and call me Noona. Got it, Lan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.  Le-Leisha Noona~¡±


    Seeing that he was embarrassed and flushed, she hugged him. ¡°Ah! So cute. It would have been nice if someone cute like you were my younger brother instead of Den whose outside doesn¡¯t match the inside.¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯s not true! Den... Den is awesome! And strong! And kind!¡±


    Leisha and Mac both burst into laughter.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s true that he is strong, but him being kind is a little... Yeah, if anything, he is a clever and wicked guy trying to take advantage of others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wrong! Den is definitely considerate and friendly,¡±


    Lancelot broke out of Leisha¡¯s embrace and shook his arms up and down in frustration.


    ¡°Ah! Whatever!¡± The sulky Lancelot grumbled and took the lead.


    As they eyed the young diplomat, Mac and Leisha thought he was cute.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Lancelot took off without looking back, however, he¡¯d reduced his walking speed noticeably. He was walking across the street when he stopped in front of a large building.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Druval¡¯ market that deals with our village.¡±


    Mac and Leisha stare blankly at the large-sized building.


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this bigger than our village town hall?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    The Druval Market boasted being the largest building in the last city of Warrant, even claiming to be 1.5x bigger than the city hall, where the mayor worked.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    When Lancelot beckoned, the dumbstruck duo came to their senses and went into the building.


    The inside of the building was rather noisy, like a small auction house with people looking like magicians auctioning for a monster¡¯s body.


    Lancelot passed through the familiar little auctions and headed to where a young man, who looked like a receptionist, stood.


    ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    When the young man asked, Lancelot took a small card out of his arms and showed it to him.


    ¡°All right. I will take you to the reception room. Are the two behind you in your party?¡±


    ¡°Yes, then a total of three people.¡±


    The young man smiled and guided the party to the third floor. In front of a fancy door, the young man pulled the rope hanging from the ceiling, and shortly after, a bell rang. Soon after, he opened the door.


    ¡°Please rest assured, the inside of the room is completely soundproof. Then, excuse me.¡±


    The young man bowed and went back to the first floor. The dazed Leisha and Mac followed Lancelot when he started walking into the room.


    When all three stepped into the room, the door shut automatically behind them. Leisha felt the sudden flow of mana and realized that the closing of the door was due to magic.


    Looking around, there was soundproofing magic and several other unknown magic in place. If it were Denburg or teacher, Elder Mirpa, then they would know what magic it was, but Leisha couldn¡¯t figure out the details with her skills.


    A door on the wall right to Leisha opened, and a middle-aged man entered.


    ¡°Now, now. It turned out to be VIPs. Here, please have a seat.¡±


    The sturdy middle-aged man sat on a couch at the reception table, and the party sat on the couch without hesitation.


    ¡°Wow, Miss, isn¡¯t it incredibly soft?¡±


    As Mac was voicing his astonishment loudly, Leisha blushed and said, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing so be quiet.¡±


    Even as she said that she was also surprised by the softness of the couch.


    The middle-aged man sitting opposite smiled and poured them some tea. ¡°It¡¯s all right. This couch is a special product and is one of the items that many people are surprised by.¡±


    It was just lip service. The usual visitors were only old raccoons or really sly people, so he must have found Mac and Leisha¡¯s reactions fresh and funny.


    ¡°Besides Mister Lancelot, it is my first time meeting you two. So if you don¡¯t mind, may I ask for your names?¡±


    Lancelot responded to the middle-aged man. ¡°This person is one of the strongest in our Crow Tribe and vice-captain of the warrior group. And this is our princess.¡±


    Mac had a proud face, and Leisha looked like she was about to say he exaggerated too much, but Mac stopped her with a look. She simply closed her mouth.


    The middle-aged man stood up at Lancelot¡¯s introduction and bowed respectfully. ¡°Excuse my rudeness. Princess, this one is Zahanna von Philadel, and I am the head of the Warrant Branch of the Druval Market.¡±


    Leisha was suddenly embarrassed by the excessive greeting that no one in the village did. Lancelot accepted the greeting on behalf of the hesitating princess.


    ¡°Mister Branch Manager, our princess is not familiar with the manners of the empire. Furthermore, she is not sensitive about manners, so you don¡¯t have to overdo it.¡±


    ¡°Mister Lancelot, thank you for your words. However, if it is the Crow Tribe¡¯s princess, then she is of even higher nobility than a princess from a small country of Gahi. Please allow a trivial person like me some face, as my shameful conduct would become the market¡¯s shameful conduct. Please allow me to do my courtesy.¡±


    Zahanna did not rise from his bow leaving Leisha at a loss. It was all the more burdensome because it felt sincere, unlike Mac who said it jokingly.


    At the same time, Mac spoke to Zahanna, ¡°We understand your courtesy, however, we do not have time. I cannot allow wasting of time with unnecessary courtesy.¡±


    Zahanna rose and said, ¡°This one is only trying to maintain basic courtesy. These manners are just naturally ingrained, but I won¡¯t take any more of your time.¡± He gave a small fake cough and sat down.


    ¡°As the vice-captain said, we are rather short on time. I would like to get right to the point.¡±


    Zahanna agreed to Lancelot¡¯s request. The latter took out 5 platinum coins from his chest and put them on the table.


    ¡°We need money to spend in the empire. Please exchange these platinum coins for us.¡±


    Zahanna looked pained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but currently at our branch, we don¡¯t have enough to exchange 5 platinum coins.¡±


    There were a few platinum coins for trading with the Crow Tribe, but besides that, there weren''t enough coins below platinum coins to exchange. If you swept the branch clean, you could probably have enough to exchange, but a scenario where all the usable money in the branch at once disappeared had to be avoided.


    It was because Lancelot was privy to this fact, that he deliberately announced where Mac and Leisha were from, for nobility was a law that was bound to status.


    From Zahanna¡¯s perspective, if he wanted to keep doing business with the Crow Tribe in the future, he had to accept this demand. But the 5 platinum coins were really too hard. The manager looked at the group sitting on the opposite side.


    From his discerning eye, he didn¡¯t think that they were lying about the girl being a princess but it didn¡¯t seem like she had a strong influence in the Crow Tribe. Of course, even so, a princess was a princess. One couldn¡¯t guarantee what would happen if one were impolite.


    However, the man who was introduced as vice-captain was dangerous. His senses that had developed from decades of working in Warrant were indicating. If one were to wrong that man, forget about the future, one¡¯s life would be in immediate danger. The subtle dangerous pressure he was exuding was no joke.


    The best knight in the city would be no match. The best knight would have to team up with a squadron of knights to even be a match. There was no evidence. But if one could say that his sense from when he rose all the way to branch manager in Warrant, nicknamed Valhalla, was any evidence, then there was evidence.


    To what extent should I exchange the money. They definitely did not come here to request an exchange of all their platinum coins. 2 platinum coins? 3?


    Zahanna smiled inwardly. No matter what the other party was thinking, there was only one thing he could say first.


    ¡°It seems, it really is too much.¡±


    At the same time, Mac explosively released his aura.


    Zahanna suddenly felt like his life was flashing before his eyes, but he ignored it. It was not just one or two times that he had experienced this sort of situation before. Since he was young, these situations where he was met with excessive demands from armed parties were as common as eating meals. If he had yielded from just that, he would not have such confidence now.


    ¡°Then how about this. We will buy some items; then you can just give us the change, right?¡±


    Zahanna sang a joyous song in his heart. The other side was also very aware that their demands were excessive. Mac¡¯s aura also gradually diminished.


    ¡°If it¡¯s only something to that extent, of course, we are able. What kind of products would you like to see?¡±


    ¡°First of all, please give me items that are easy to exchange.¡±


    ¡°Then I will bring over gold, silver, and jewelry. Their value does not diminish easily and for their value, it takes up very little space, making it easy to carry. Gold and silver shops are about the size of a city, so you can exchange them whenever you need them.¡±


    ¡°All right. Princess, Vice-Captain, are there any items that you want?¡±


    Right after Lancelot asked, Zahanna continued speaking,


    ¡°The Druval Market brings goods from all over the empire, so there is nothing that we don¡¯t have. We have things ranging from all kinds of jewelry, swords, magic materials, tools, perfumes, and real estate. There is nothing we don¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Then, I want a cane,¡± said Leisha


    Zahanna said with his eyes wide open, ¡°Do you mean a magic wand? I¡¯ll bring out the best. Is there anything the vice-captain needs?¡±


    ¡°Not right now. For weapons, I don¡¯t trust craftsmen outside the village.¡±


    ¡°Then how about items to maintain weapons? Whetstone, oil, silk cloth, etc. Doesn¡¯t it take a lot of care to maintain a weapon?¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring those out too.¡±


    Zahanna left for a moment to go grab the items. As he exited, the nervous Leisha sighed and pinched Lancelot¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Princess, who¡¯s a princess? Huh? Didn¡¯t I tell you that I hate those kinds of words because they give me goosebumps?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ But in order to do the exchange, you have to pressure the other party.¡±


    Lancelot rubbed his cheeks with a tearful look.


    ¡°Oh, and he¡¯s funny too, saying that he can¡¯t just exchange the money.¡±


    As Leisha snorted and spoke, Lancelot shook his head.


    ¡°From his perspective it¡¯s obvious. It¡¯s the same thing as asking for all the money they have in this branch.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°This platinum coin is worth a ridiculously high amount of money. Two platinum coins will allow the village to buy all the supplies for medicine it uses for half a year.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°In addition, the magic items that Princess uses are also included in the supplies.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Princess,¡± Leisha said, pinching Lancelot¡¯s cheek again.


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Noona.¡±


    1. Noona is the Korean word that males use for a biological older sister, but is also used by males as a friendly/close title to refer to female friends who are older. Females say ¡®unni¡¯ for older sister. Guys say ¡®hyung¡¯ for older brother and girls say ¡®oppa¡¯ for older brother.

 Chapter 43: Admission (7)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you understand. Rather, the platinum coin is really worth that much?¡± Leisha was greatly surprised.


    ¡°Yes. A single platinum coin is an amount needed to run a count¡¯s territory for a month. If you think about it, our village is much smaller than a count¡¯s territory, but we spend a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°How large is our village usually?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if you look at the population, it¡¯s about one small territory in terms of the empire¡¯s territory? In reality, the village should be called a city, but we call it a village for convenience.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you make it difficult and ask to exchange five?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because, I learned from Den that when asking a stranger for a request, it¡¯s good to put pressure from three different aspects.¡±


    ¡°Three aspects?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Force, status, and money. With enough of these things, there isn¡¯t a person who won¡¯t give in~¡±


    At the sight of the sighing Leisha, Lancelot had no choice but to trail off. While looking back at what she might have done wrong, Leisha wanted to grab Den¡¯s collar and shake him, asking what he taught the innocent Lancelot. If Den were here, he would have protested saying he taught Lancelot because he was too innocent. At least he didn¡¯t teach how to use the opponent¡¯s weaknesses to threaten, pry into their weakness, or create and attack their weakness.


    Leisha knew nothing of this and thought Den being kind was bullshit and asked Mac who had a serious face, ¡°What are you thinking about so seriously?¡±


    Mac slipped out of his contemplation and answered, ¡°Ah, the flow of mana is more active than usual. I almost killed that merchant by mistake while releasing my aura.¡±


    Zahanna wasn¡¯t mistaken when he thought he saw his life flashing before his eyes. If something were to go wrong, the released aura by Mac could have given him a heart attack and killed him.


    An astonished Lancelot yelled, ¡°What?! You can¡¯t kill him! There aren¡¯t many people who can acquire the supplies that the village needs!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I know. That¡¯s why I forcefully suppressed it.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful in the future.¡± Lancelot folded his arms and exuded an intimidating pressure that made Mac feel awkward.


    It felt as if all the people around were turned into pudding. Mac gave a bitter smile. ¡°Now I think I¡¯m starting to understand why Bloody-nim would want to come back home.¡±[1]


    Mac felt like he understood why people outside the village called the Crows a battle race rather than a battle tribe. If there was this much of a difference, then there was nothing to say even if they said it was a different race.


    ¡°Rather, can you speak like how you were speaking to the merchant before? It sounded cool when you spoke with a deep voice on purpose,¡± Leisha said with a slight blush on her face.


    Mac smiled frivolously and waved at the remark. ¡°Ahahaha, there¡¯s no way. It was so cheesy I could die. If His Excellency, the Diplomat didn¡¯t order me to do it before we entered the city, then I would never have done it.¡±


    Leisha had a look of discontent on her face. But Mac only smiled, stroking his goatee.


    Before they knew it, the branch manager of the Druval Market returned to the room with rolling tables displaying the items. Lancelot and Zahanna prepared for the second round of negotiations.


    -o-


    The entrance examination for the magic and knight school was a fairly famous event that was part of the four major festivals, along with Thanksgiving, New Year¡¯s, and the emperor¡¯s birthday.


    In order, there were entrance exams for entering low-rank and middle-rank knight and magic schools and in the evening, soon-to-graduate students took an exam in order to become a court magician or knight. Each exam was public, allowing the people of the capital to enjoy the magic and brilliant sword competitions that they normally couldn¡¯t see. Because there were few opportunities to see such competitions, it had effectively turned into a festival.


    In reality, the reason why new students were accepted during an awkward time in the fall semester was that if they did it in spring, it would overlap with New Year¡¯s festival, the biggest festival in the empire, leading to accidents from massive crowds. Therefore, rather than trying to manage and disperse the massive crowds, it was just easier to move the spring exam to fall.


    Actually, the main attraction was not the students taking the entrance exam but the prospective graduates¡¯ exam to be court magician or knight.


    However, since I came to watch the crybaby siblings¡¯, aka Lisbon and Alice, entrance exams, I wasn¡¯t planning on going to the exam for prospective graduates. I had no desire to get bumped into in the crowd. If I was going to watch, then I would watch from afar with clairvoyance like magic.


    I was standing at the front of the magic school listening to the announcement, and waiting for the crybaby siblings. According to the schedule, there were about 20 minutes left until the magic school exam but they had yet to show up. As I was wondering if something had happened and if I should go check the boarding house, someone shouted my name from afar.


    ¡°Den! Over here!¡±


    About 100 meters in front, Lisbon was waving and smiling, while Alice covered her face with one hand from embarrassment and hit her brother in the side with the other. Before I knew it, the crybaby siblings were bickering.


    ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s embarrassing so stop!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, what do you mean, it¡¯s not like we are greeting a stranger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because strangers are staring!¡±


    I laughed at the siblings who were walking over having the same conversation as usual.


    ¡°You guys came later than I expected.¡±


    Alice gave Lisbon a side glare and said, ¡°We were late because my brother foolishly worked out to the point of being drenched and had to shower.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, sorry. But you were stalling time saying you didn¡¯t like your outfit, so I thought it was a waste of time to not work out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re noisy. If you¡¯re a knight, then respectfully wait for a lady.¡±


    At this rate, as usual, Alice would vent her anger and Lisbon would go on acting like a fool, so I tried to calm down the girl about to take the exam.


    ¡°Now now, let¡¯s go on inside. Alice, are you going to the exam venue first?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was planning to. Even though the test won¡¯t be for a little while longer. I¡¯m sorry, but please keep this fool company.¡± Alice smiled helplessly, pointing to Lisbon.


    Upon my affirmation, she thanked me and headed to the magic school exam venue.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been quite a while since I was alone with Lisbon because usually there¡¯s always the three of us. Perhaps except for the times when it was just the two of us sleeping on the way to the capital, the three of us were always together. However, there was nothing I could do since these crybaby siblings were the first and only friends I had made since leaving my hometown. After arriving at the capital, I had no spare time to make friends as I invested it all in keeping the prime minister¡¯s eyes away from me by being a mysterious thief, and also because I was looking for the civil servant exam papers.


    ¡°What shall we do now?¡±


    At my question, Lisbon smiled brightly as usual and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the low-rank knight school exam!¡±


    Of course, the answer was as expected.


    ¡°If we want to watch Alice¡¯s exam, we can only watch for about 20 minutes but I still want to see it.¡±


    I nodded. Today was kind of half a festival and I had already planned on following the crybaby siblings since they¡¯d worked very hard to prepare, so I planned to go by Lisbon¡¯s decisions.


    ¡°Even if the magic school exam starts, Alice won¡¯t be taking it right away, so we should be able to watch for a little longer than 20 minutes. We can just briefly check the order of the examinees, then go to the knight school exam venue. Ah, when is the middle-rank knight school exam?¡±


    ¡°3 o¡¯clock. It¡¯s 2 now, so we should head to the exam venue in 40 minutes.¡±


    Lisbon, saying he might not be able to make it for Alice¡¯s exam, headed for Glory Plaza.


    -o-


    Alphonso felt dejected to see hundreds of competitors filling the plaza around him. This tension was unfamiliar to him whose only test in his life was the recent coming-of-age ceremony.


    The coming-of-age ceremony, of course, was tense like this one, but it was a test where he competed against himself, whereas now it was a test against hundreds of competitors. The pressure from the crowd was heavier than he had imagined.


    ¡°Alphonso!¡±


    In the midst of nervousness, a familiar voice called him.


    ¡°Yuria?¡±


    When Alphonso turned his head, he realized that he had his twin sister with him.


    ¡°What are you thinking so much about that you didn¡¯t even notice me approaching?¡±


    When Yuria playfully scolded, Alphonso, who was about to cry, replied, ¡°That... I¡¯m nervous. No, wait! Isn¡¯t the magic school exam in 20 minutes? Why are you here?!¡±


    Yuria should have been preparing her mana at the exam venue by now. So why was she here?


    She shrugged as if it was not important, and replied, ¡°The exam isn¡¯t so difficult that I need to prepare my mana. I can just go over when the exam starts.¡±


    Yuria thought that it was easy enough for even Alphonso to take and pass the exam right now. No matter how untalented her brother was in the village, he was still a magician who created a pocket space, even if it was only 10cm long. Pocket space boasted a high difficulty amongst other high-level spatial magics. If you thought about it, it was safe to say that Alphonso creating a pocket space was a miracle that might never happen again in his lifetime.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± a shocked Alphonso asked.


    However, Yuria replied matter-of-factly, ¡°According to Uncle, I¡¯m mostly taking the exam only in name, so even if I go after watching yours, it won¡¯t be late. Your match is sooner, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s group one, number 5.¡±


    The low-rank knight school exam had 20 people per group simultaneously taking the exam. Each examinee had a match with a student from the middle-rank knight school, and five instructors ranked them based on ability.


    ¡°Come to think of it, where is Uncle?¡±


    Alphonso thought that Uncle was coming to see him, so he looked around when he couldn¡¯t find him.


    Yuria said to Alphonso, ¡°Ah, Uncle said he would be a little late. Some imperial princess is apparently trying to enter the magic school and so they had extra work setting up a separate exam for her. But he said he would be here for your exam, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Ok, all right.¡±


    Alphonso clenched his fist and inwardly yelled, ¡°Ajah! You got this!¡±[2]


    The names of the examinees were called one after another through a loudspeaker by someone who appeared to be an instructor, and among those names was Alphonso¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the viewing area, so come right after the test.¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡±


    Alphonso busily headed to the training hall, and Yuria went to the nearby spectator seats.


    1. Mac is referring to when Bloody previously talked about how much of a pain it was that he was too strong compared to everyone outside and had to constantly control his strength. He talked about how he kept accidentally bending spoons. Now that Mac has accidentally almost killed someone, he realizes too that it¡¯s a hassle having to control his strength for the weak people outside the village. Also, nim is something that you say after a person¡¯s name to be very formal or indicate their higher social status.


    2. ¡®Ajah¡¯ is just a sound people say to fire themselves up.

 Chapter 44: Admission (8)

    I asked for the price at a snack stall near the exam site, ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°The cooked corn costs a pelk each, a bag of roasted peanuts is 3 pelks, and one roasted beef is 4 pelks.¡±


    The smell of a large roasted beef on a heated stone was delicious. Maybe it was because I staved off lunch with the little bit of the cookie that Yuria shared with me at the library, but food seemed more appetizing now.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take 3 bags of the roasted peanuts, and 5 roasted beef.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that will be 29 pelks.¡±


    I paid in iron and refined iron coins and went to where Lisbon was sitting with the snacks.


    ¡°Oh! Looks delicious!¡± Lisbon stared at the snacks with eyes wide open. He looked like a big dog with a snack in front of his eyes. I knew from the moment when this big eater said, ¡°My body will become clumsier¡± and started eating less. Most likely, he barely even ate lunch. I handed over a bag of peanuts and two roasted beef.


    ¡°Since you have to take the exam soon, you shouldn¡¯t eat too much.¡±


    As soon as I handed Lisbon the snacks, he took a big bite from the roasted beef and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. Make sure you don¡¯t eat too much now and fail the exam because your body became clumsy. You put in so much effort to the point of getting blisters and if you end up failing, having a poor body condition is not a valid excuse. In the first place, does it make sense for a knight to not even be able to take care of his own body?¡±


    At my nagging, Lisbon booed and looked teary. ¡°Woo-ooh, Den is talking like Aly.¡±


    While saying so, he did not let go of the jerky he had in his hand. I also took some peanuts from the bag and threw them in my mouth. The first peanuts in this life were quite tasty. Mmm savory.


    ¡°Uh oh, Mr. Den?¡±


    I heard someone call my name so I turned my head and saw Yuria standing there with a white parasol.


    It¡¯s been only about 5 minutes since we parted ways?


    ¡°Who?¡± Lisbon asked in a small whisper.


    ¡°She is Miss Yuria. I got to know her at the library.¡±


    Then, Lisbon rose from his seat and lightly gave a greeting.


    ¡°I see. Hello, I am Lisbon von Carter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello. I am Yuria Fendria.¡±


    Now that I think about it, we talked quite a bit in the library but this was my first time hearing her last name. But why is the name Fendria so familiar?


    Lisbon¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°If it¡¯s Fendria, then you are General William¡¯s?¡±


    General William? William Fendria?


    Could it be William von de Neyron Fendria of the Butterfly Tribe?


    ¡°Yes, he is my uncle,¡± Yuria answered with a grin.


    The world must be very tiny. Else how could such an absurd coincidence of meeting Uncle Bloody¡¯s friend¡¯s niece happen? I just barely managed to fix my face from a rotten one to a smile.


    ¡°Then is Miss Yuria also a member of the Butterfly Tribe?¡± Lisbon asked an obvious question.


    Perhaps he was a fool? Ah, right he was.


    Yuria nodded with a face full of pride. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I just happened to end up revealing my last name, but I hope Mister Den doesn¡¯t feel pressured by it.¡± She gave an awkward smile.


    I tilted my head as I couldn¡¯t understand. If Yuria¡¯s uncle was a high-ranking member of the emperor¡¯s entourage, then instead of specifically telling me, shouldn¡¯t Lisbon naturally be included as well? The Yuria at the library was too sociable to consider that she only told me because she was unfamiliar with Lisbon.


    ¡°Since Mr. Den is so knowledgeable in magic, I¡¯m sure you must have figured it out immediately, but my grandfather is one of the four great magicians, an elemental magician of the Butterfly Tribe.


    Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t know. In fact, I only learned that there were four great magicians from the library. When I was in my hometown, I was only interested in magic knowledge, I did not care about history or famous people. Come to think of it, Elder Mirpa once told me that there was a crazy old man in the Butterfly Tribe who would freeze and break everything when he got mad. That crazy old man couldn¡¯t be Yuria¡¯s grandfather, right?


    ¡°Yes, I was a little surprised, but Miss Yuria is Miss Yuria, and a great magician is a great magician.¡±


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t surprised at all, but I tried to act a little surprised. Then, with glistening eyes, Yuria grabbed my hand and brought her face close.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Grandfather is Grandfather, I am me!¡±


    Uh, excuse me. I¡¯m a little uncomfortable. We were close enough to feel each other¡¯s breaths. When our eyes met, Yuria blushed and pulled away.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. It was unintentional.¡± Yuria scratched her bright red cheeks and stuck her tongue out a little as she spoke in a flustered manner.


    ¡°Hey, I mean, ah! The fact that you are here means that someone you know is taking the exam?¡±


    I shook my head at Yuria. ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking around. But isn¡¯t the magic school exam starting soon, Miss Yuria? Is it ok for you to be here right now?¡±


    Yuria looked very pleased by my question and smiled as she answered, ¡°It¡¯s ok. As long as I get there before the exam starts. I don¡¯t know if the test is going by names in ascending or descending order, but I will have to wait either way, it''s just the wait time might get longer."


    Ah, the exam goes in alphabetical order? I didn¡¯t know because I wasn¡¯t interested. Perhaps Lisbon could watch Alice first before his exam.


    ¡°Also, my twin brother is taking the knight school exam this time. I¡¯m just going to watch Al¡¯s performance and leave.¡±


    The brother¡¯s name seemed to be Al. If it¡¯s Al, then he would be near the end alphabetically?[1]


    No, since she said she would watch before leaving, it has to be ¡®A¡¯ for time to work out, or ¡®Z¡¯ if it¡¯s the reverse order. If Al is a nickname, then would it be a name that starts with ¡®A¡¯? For example, Alphonso.


    I laughed inwardly at my reasoning. It didn¡¯t seem likely that the crybaby that I met on the street by chance in the morning, would happen to be the twin brother of Yuria whom I met by chance in the library. All they had in common was a parasol, white hair, and red eyes¡­


    And similar¡­ Looks?


    There¡¯s no way. Please tell me it¡¯s not!


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s my brother with the black parasol in the training hall that says number 5!¡±


    I turned my eyes to Training Hall No. 5. There was a young boy with a black parasol, stiff with anxiety, walking in.


    What! Why would a member of Butterfly go to knight school! God, have I wronged you?


    -o-


    A second-year, middle-rank knight school student, Gamry von Owen, transferred to the lower-rank knight school¡¯s exam as a sparring opponent, was headed to Training Hall No. 5. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Alphonso with the black parasol heading towards him in the training hall.


    An instructor in charge of the exam called him in yesterday to say that amongst the examinees who would fight against the sparring opponents, there were those from the battle race. His face had instantly paled. He went on to beg the instructor to let him off, but he was only comforted saying it would be a good experience. He had almost yelled that he was doing whatever he wanted to because it wasn¡¯t his own life, but according to the instructor, the Butterfly Tribe was not outstanding with swords or martial arts. However, the instructor still advised him against being complacent for they still had the strength and stamina of a knight before kicking him out with a command.


    Gamry, seeing the nervous white-haired boy moving with the same hand and feet at the same time, felt a little regretful that he had stayed up all night with anxiety.[2] If he were this nervous, he probably couldn¡¯t display his skills.


    Right then, the instructor in-charge of evaluating training halls 1-5 blew a whistle.


    ¡°Salute each other!¡±


    Standing side by side, the two saluted in line with the instructor¡¯s shout.


    ¡°Are you going to spar with that on?¡±


    At Gamry¡¯s question, Alphonso folded the parasol and threw it into a corner of the training hall in a fluster.


    The instructor took a look at the examinees as a whole.


    ¡°Start the spar!¡±


    Gamry drew his sword at the same time as the instructor¡¯s shout. Alphonso was taken aback and quickly drew his own sword.


    Gamry grinned at the sight and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you attack three times first, so come at me.¡±


    The instructor, who was keeping a close eye on the fifth training hall, frowned at the words. Going easy in a spar was obviously looking down on the opponent. Usually, a spar was often between people who knew each other well, unless it was a situation like this exam. Therefore, going easy was not uncommon and may not have anything to do with manners, but it didn¡¯t look good in the current circumstances.


    The instructor looked at Alphonso with slight nervousness. Alphonso was the nephew of a peak existence who was in charge of the imperial magician corps and one of the top-three in the imperial army. If he were offended here, that thoughtless idiot would get discharged before he even became a knight or live his life on a thorny path. Perhaps because he was nervous or because he never sparred before, Alphonso didn¡¯t seem to know about the etiquette and didn¡¯t seem particularly upset.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Rather, Alphonso who answered nervously with a slightly trembling voice shot forward towards Gamry and slashed his sword from top to bottom. At the obvious attack, Gamry leisurely raised his sword diagonally to block.


    ¡°Idiot! Dodge!¡±


    The instructor shouted urgently at Gamry. Due to all the time he spent under the instructor, he reflexively retreated half a step at the instructor¡¯s shout. The sudden change in action caused him to lose some strength in the sword hand.


    Then, Alphonso¡¯s sword struck Gamry¡¯s sword and continued down to hit the floor of the training hall.


    Clang! Boom!


    Because of Alphonso¡¯s sword hitting his sword, Gamry¡¯s sword was broken short. But rather than that, the impact from the slash when his grip had weakened made the tendons in his hand throb. Moreover, the dent on the floor created by Alphonso¡¯s sword looked like it had been dug by a shovel and not from a sword hitting it. The only people that Gamry knew who could leave a mark like this were those geniuses who could already put mana in their swords before graduating and were slated to join a knight division. If it weren¡¯t for the instructor¡¯s shout, even if he had blocked it, the strength behind Alphonso¡¯s slash would still have cut and killed him.


    The force from the sword definitely contained mana. Gamry swallowed dry saliva and looked at Alphonso. The latter jerked the sword with an innocent face, shaking the dirt off the blade and getting back into position. Gamry felt an indescribable absurdity when he saw the white-haired boy standing in a sloppy stance with a bunch of gaps. Some people wielded the sword thousands of times while refining their forms but still couldn¡¯t wrap it in mana, let alone use mana to amplify their physical abilities. Seeing him being able to use mana in the sword even with such poor posture and form rendered all efforts vain.


    1. In Korean, Al is pronounced similar to the letter R (with Korean accent), so the author is indicating that with the letter R, it would be later in the order of names.


    2. Alphonso was so nervous that he forgot how to walk, thus he was walking with his hands and feet on the same side moving together instead of alternating like a normal person.

 Chapter 45: Admission (9)

    Gamry firmly grasped his sword. He wanted to at least let that absurd fellow know what effort was like.


    While observing the other examinees, the instructor approached and asked Gamry, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I am all right.¡±


    His left wrist was throbbing but adrenaline made it tolerable. The instructor looked at his left hand and the fighting spirit in his eyes and spoke.


    ¡°That guy is a pass anyways.¡±


    It was only a single match, but the instructor saw that Alphonso¡¯s level of swordsmanship was not very high. Although it was at best at a middle-level, he was still much better than the idiotic condescending nobles who came each year to take the exam after only having swung a sword a few times. But compared to those that were actually talented in swordsmanship and honed their skills under a teacher, he was really lacking.


    Still, the reason for his acceptance was not because his uncle was William. Family nor financial backing was necessary for selecting knights who would protect the empire. It was because of the power that Alphonso showed and his ability to handle mana.


    As long as one had a passion for the sword, it was possible to raise their level to at least average by having a teacher stick to them and correct them as many times as needed. But handling mana clearly required talent.


    ¡°I know. But-¡±


    Gamry took a deep breath.


    ¡°-As a senior, if it ends with me showing only such a disgraceful scene, I¡¯ll lose face.¡±


    The instructor sighed as he laughed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over if you get looked down upon.¡±


    The instructor gave Gamry a pat on the shoulder telling him to work hard and went back to his original spot. Gamry raised the sword with his right hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the delay. Let¡¯s start again. Come at me.¡± He gritted his teeth and smiled.


    The wavering eyes from just before could no longer be seen. When Gamry''s momentum suddenly changed, Alphonso, on the opposing end, swallowed hard and swung the sword from left to right.


    Gamry gauged the distance and retreated three steps. Alphonso¡¯s powerful swing cut through the empty air with the sound of wind being torn.


    ¡°That''s one attempt left.¡±


    Using the momentum of the sword, Alphonso spun and took another big swing from left to right. Gamry once again dodged by retreating backward. He was fortunate to have predicted it based on the momentum not slowing down. Else, there was no way he could have blocked it with his now swelling wrist.


    ¡°You have used up your three attempts,¡± Gamry said as he stabbed his sword towards Alphonso¡¯s side, who was out of position from his large swing.


    Alphonso was surprised and was forced to twist his body to block the sword. He was off-balance from suddenly twisting his body when Gamry kicked his leg.


    ¡°Aaah!¡±


    And just like that, Gamry pointed his sword at Alphonso when the latter fell awkwardly.


    As Alphonso saw the end of the sword stretched towards him, tears started to form around his eyes. ¡°I lost.¡±


    At the slightly tearful voice, Gamry put his sword away and extended his right hand to Alphonso. Alphonso grabbed the hand and asked while getting up, ¡°Did I fail?¡±


    Seeing Alphonso on the verge of crying, Gamry burst into laughter. It was strange to not let his guard down at that face.


    ¡°Wooowooo¡­¡±[1]


    At the sight of the glistened eyes that were on the verge of crying, Gamry sighed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know because the instructor is doing the evaluation, not me, but I think you should stand a chance.¡±


    No matter how careless he was, the sparring opponent was a senior, so how could someone who managed to mess up a senior¡¯s wrist fail? Still, the reason for him speaking so vaguely was because literally, the evaluation rights belonged to the instructor. If Gamry, a mere sparring partner, made a hasty judgment, it could be considered as disregarding the instructor.


    "Thank you!" Alphonso replied.


    Gamry left Alphonso behind and exited the training hall. Looking at his swollen left hand, he sighed in his heart, fearing it could have fractured in the worst case. Then, he told the instructor about the situation and headed to the temple. He thought it would be best to slow down this month.


    Alphonso¡¯s match was over. In my observation, he had an overwhelming physique compared to his sparring opponent, but his swordsmanship was nothing. Comparatively speaking, the hardware was good, but the software poor. What¡¯s the point of having a good character when your control is awful?[2]


    The opponent was obviously shocked by the first blow. If he had gone one step further, he could have won. Of course, that knight would have died if he had been cut.


    "He won¡¯t fail, will he?" Watching from the side, Yuria sighed with anxiety and looked at Alphonso.


    "He probably passed."


    Yuria turned her head to me. "Really?"


    "Yeah, well, swordsmanship seems to be there, so your brother whose physique stands out should be advantageous. Besides, he¡¯s the only one who has hurt a sparring opponent so far, so don¡¯t you think that scored a lot of points?¡±


    None of the 20 test-takers here were worth paying any attention to. I didn''t know if it was always like this or if the new examinees this time were bad, but the best so far was a guy at Training Hall No.1 and Alphonso.


    "That knight was hurt?¡±


    Yuria tilted her head as if I said something strange. Lisbon explained further.


    "Yes, he held the sword with both hands at first, but after the first blow, he held the sword with only his right hand. I think it''s likely his left hand was injured."


    Clap, clap, clap! That was a great explanation, Teacher Lisbon! Unlike me, he answered with such a nice explanation!


    "I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but Den recognized it as well."


    I smiled, hiding my guilt.


    "Ha-ha, even if it looks like this, I only learned a little bit about the sword as a part of culture when I was young."


    "Wow! Magic and sword? That''s impressive!" Yuria clapped her hands with pure eyes and admiration.


    "Huh? Magic?"


    Oh no! Lisbon didn''t know I could use magic. At times like this, it was better to commit to the act.


    "Yes, a grandmother who lived next door was an alchemist. I just happened to pick up on a few things while snooping around for snacks, but I suppose I could say I¡¯m a little knowledgeable."


    However, I didn''t know that the granny who lived next door was known as a legendary great magician.


    "What do you mean some knowledge! I admire Mister Den''s alchemy knowledge!"


    Yuria shook her head and countered. No, how could a Butterfly Tribe member say that! Someone will misunderstand and think I''m an expert in magic!


    I spoke pretending to be embarrassed, "Hahaha, it¡¯s not to that degree."


    As I waved my hand and blushed, Yuria grabbed my hand as if saying, ¡®take me¡¯, and said, "No! Mister Den definitely has the ability! Even though you are lacking a little mana... But, alchemy isn''t just about mana! I don''t want Mister Den to give up on magic."


    Excuse me? But I¡¯ve never given up on magic! If you give up magic, you can''t use a bidet! A bidet is important enough to affect my life!


    "Yes, ok. So then, my hand....¡±


    Yuria let go of my hand in embarrassment. "Oh my, I''m sorry."


    While Yuria was being embarrassed, Alphonso arrived upon finishing the exam.


    "Yuria~!"


    As Alphonso approached enthusiastically waving his hands, he was surprised to see me sitting next to his sister.


    "Den?"


    I couldn''t hide my bitter smile at Alphonso''s exaggerated surprise.


    You don''t have to make such a fuss, everyone knows I''m Den, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you just came a little quieter.


    Happy to see me, Alphonso rushed at me with open arms for a hug. I reflexively grabbed his head in one hand and stopped him.


    "It''s hot. Don''t cling on to me."


    "Hing~"


    Alphonso was about to cry and struggled to hug me. Why do these siblings like skinship [3] so much with people they don''t know so well?


    "Do you know each other?"


    Alphonso replied excitedly to Yuria''s question. "Yes! So, like, Bam Bam, thump! happened."


    At the explanation that had no real words, Yuria turned to me.


    "He was lost, and I just guided him because we had the same destination."


    "Yes! We decided to be friends!"


    What?!


    Yuria nodded ¡°I see¡± at Alphonso¡¯s incoherent words.


    By the way, did I say that I would be his friend?


    Alphonso proudly snorted through his nose with his arms crossed. It seemed that in his head, I was already registered as his friend.


    I threw the last bits of peanuts left in the bag into my mouth and checked my watch. "It''s almost time for the magic school exam, are you sure you can be relaxing here?"


    Yuria was stunned when she looked at the big clock hanging at the edge of the training hall. "Oh! Thank you. Let''s go quickly!"


    Unaware that Lisbon and I were also going there, Yuria grabbed Alphonso''s hand and headed to the magic school. Looking at her retreating back, I asked Lisbon. ¡°Shall we head over slowly?¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    -o-


    Examinees were gathered in a large gym used as a waiting room by the magic school. In front of the test takers, a strict-looking female professor was calling out the examinees to confirm their attendance.


    "Turner Braham.¡±


    "Here."


    The professor flipped over a piece of paper.


    The names starting with ''Y'' were listed on the register, and the professor called in order.


    "Yuria Fendria."


    Without an answer, the professor flinched her eyebrows.


    "Yuria Fendria. If not present-"


    Boom-!


    At that time, the doors of the gym opened violently and a voice mixed with harsh breathing was heard.


    "Yuria Fendria! Here! I¡¯m here!"


    Looking at Yuria with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath, the professor twitched her eyebrows.


    "Aren¡¯t you late?


    "I¡¯m sorry!"


    Seeing Yuria bow her head and apologize, and the professor said with her eyebrows twitching, "For a magician, preparation is very important. That''s why wizards are often called preparers. But to be late, I have no choice but to say you weren¡¯t prepared enough.¡±


    "I¡¯m sorry!"


    The professor twitched her eyebrows again at the sight of Yuria apologizing a second time. "You have a bad attitude. I would like to drop you, but I can¡¯t drop someone because of tardiness according to the rules. How fortunate for you."


    The professor twitched her eyebrows with great regret and Yuria breathed a sigh of relief. But that wasn''t the end of what the professor said.


    "However, it''s really fitting that points can be deducted at the discretion of the professor. Miss Yuria Fendria, it''s a deduction." Saying so, the professor wrote "-10" next to Yuria''s name without hesitation.


    The examinees turned pale at the sight. It was because if that particular professor was administering the exam, it would be hard to get points. At the same time, the examinees sympathized with the girl. However, the recipient felt relieved that she didn¡¯t get dropped and headed to the back seat.


    1. Crying sound


    2. Referring to video games, when you might have a powerful character but still lose because you suck at using the character.


    3. Physical interactions to show affection

 Chapter 46: Admission (10)

    The professor looked down the list and skimmed through the names of the examinees again. After a quick check, she flipped back to the first page.


    "The exam will be in reverse order of the names that were called. The assistants should send the examinees to the test site in turn as previously arranged."


    "Yes, Professor."


    The professor left the gym at the same time as an assistant answered. One of the assistants who remained behind called out the examinees. The 20 people lined up and exited.


    Yuria realized the details of the exam had been explained before her arrival. She was thinking of asking an assistant but then noticed that a girl with long, wavy, blonde hair was moving to a seat in the back and went to talk to her.


    "Hello?"


    The girl, whose eyes looked like a cat, became vigilant upon seeing Yuria approach her.


    Thinking that the girl who looked like a cat with fur standing straight was cute, Yuria introduced herself. "I am Yuria."


    Hesitating at the other¡¯s introduction, the blonde girl said her name, "I¡¯m Alice von Carter."


    Yuria pondered about Alice¡¯s name and realized that the latter would be taking the test almost at the end.


    "Wait, von Carter? Do you happen to know Mr. Den and Mr. Lisbon?"


    Alice became warier of Yuria. She grabbed the chair and moved away from the other a little while asking, "How do you know that name?¡±


    It had only been about a month since Alice came to the capital. It was safe to say that she knew no one else in the capital except for her brother, Lisbon, the boarding house owner, Mrs. Arscilla, and Den, who was also a boarder there. But suddenly, a situation arose where a stranger approached her while mentioning the names of her brother and friend. So she was even more on guard.


    "Wait, please calm down. I just happened to meet you here a moment ago and did introductions. I was just asking because you and Mr. Lisbon have the same last name."


    "They''re my brother and friend. You met them by chance?¡±


    When Alice glanced at Yuria full of suspicion, the latter nodded her head hard.


    "Yes, Mr. Den and I met for the first time in the morning at the library, and I became acquainted with Mr. Lisbon as he was with Mister Den at the low-rank knight school exam site."


    "With Den?" The places mentioned by Yuria were places where Den and Lisbon said they wanted to go, so her words seemed credible.


    Of course, it was not enough to fully lower her guard!


    Yuria gladly began to tell her story when Alice mentioned Den¡¯s name.


    "Yes, I happened to meet Mister Den in the library by chance, but it seems he has profound knowledge of alchemy."


    "Alchemy?"


    It was the first time that Alice was hearing about it. No, although she said she was close with Den in the first place, she had never heard anything about him before he came to the capital. She only knew that he had lived in a remote mountain valley. Although the fact had offended her, she could interrogate him about it later. Right now, there was something she had to take care of first.


    "No, that aside. Why did you talk to me? Listening to your story, it doesn¡¯t seem like you knew that I knew Den."


    Yuria laughed shyly as Alice poked at the key point. ¡°Well that¡¯s, actually, I arrived late.¡±


    ¡±''Yes, I know.¡±


    "Thanks to that, I didn''t get an explanation about the test, so I came to talk to you about it. Hehe."


    Alice was dumbfounded when Yuria stuck her tongue out and laughed. She thought that it should be something she should ask the assistants standing in front of the gym, not an unknown person like herself.


    Alice answered casually, as it was not too much to answer. "This exam is based on three categories: flying, magic shooting, and your own specialty that you have the most confidence in. The assessment usually looks for magic materialization speed, magic efficiency, flight height, and in magic shooting, power and range can provide extra points. Flying accounts for 40 points, mana shooting 40 points and special magic 20% point, for a total of 100 for a perfect score.¡±


    Alice swallowed the last part, "But yours is 90 points."


    Alice seemed to have a screw loose like her brother, but she was not cruel enough to make a biting remark towards someone she just met.


    Yuria thanked Alice for her kind explanation and began to tell the story of her coming to the capital. Alice wanted to tell Yuria to shut up and leave, but with good timing, Yuria brought up the story of meeting Den in the library and so she quietly listened to Yuria.


    -o-


    When Lisbon and I slowly arrived at the magic school''s exam site, Alphonso was sitting at the front of the spectator seats, giving off a lonely aura that was apparent to anyone. No matter how I looked at it, be it their hair or eyes, they were a tribe that was more alike to snow rabbits than monkeys. For some reason, I thought it would be a bother if I talked to him, so I tried to sit behind the crowd, but I forgot that the guy I was with was a pushover.


    "Is your name Alphonso? Can I sit next to you?¡±


    Pushover Crybaby had gone to the front of the stands and was talking to Alphonso.


    Being suddenly spoken to, Alphonso flinched at Pushover¡¯s voice, shook off his lonely aura, and nodded. Then, he looked around hard and found me a little further away, waved his arms wide, and brightly smiled.


    No matter how I looked at it, he looked happier to see me than Lisbon, who actually went to talk to him. I didn''t even do anything for him. That''s strange. I had no choice but to go sit in the front.


    With Alphonso''s sociability and Lisbon''s pushoverness combined, the two chatted as if they had known each other from before. However, truly without deviating from my expectations, he also started talking to me.


    "Yes, yes! Like I was saying, I--"


    The test began while I was giving an appropriate amount of enthusiastic responses. As I inwardly looked forward to it, I looked around for the location of magic circles and magic tools that could block the magic I expected.


    What? Nothing? To think that the magic school¡¯s concealing ability was at a level to deceive my eyes, I guess they didn¡¯t say magic school just for show.


    About 20 examinees walked out of a building in the distance that appeared to be a gymnasium and greeted the audience and the three magicians who appeared to be examiners.


    As soon as the word "Start" was yelled out, each person got on a broom or magic wand and used flying magic. Each of the 20 rising examinees was at different heights. Some examinees barely came up to a meter, while others rose more than 5 meters.


    By the time I thought the interfering magic should have appeared, all the examinees landed safely on the ground.


    Wait, are you kidding me? Is that it? It''s 5 meters at most. They''re not moving fast. They''re just floating up slowly. It''s over? Where''s the interfering magic!


    Contrary to my feelings, the spectators applauded as if they had seen something amazing and were surprised.


    "Wow! People were flying in the sky!"


    I couldn''t understand when I saw Lisbon clapping hard and being amazed.


    The majority of the audience here were ordinary people who had not come across any eye-catching magic prior, so it was not strange to see that they were amazed by people flying in the sky without flying tools like a hot air balloon or paraglider. However, this pushover who was a noble and had a magician sibling, was still surprised.


    Alphonso, sitting next to him, became startled not by the display of magic but by the sudden clapping and then awkwardly clapped along. From the look on his face, it seemed it was simple enough magic that he could also confidently do, so I couldn¡¯t understand why he was also clapping.


    Well, for the record, I totally agree with Alphonso''s expression, but there was only one thing I could do.


    Clap, clap, clap, clap!


    "Wow! It. Is. Really. Amazing~"


    Ah, my facial expression was perfect, but my voice came out mixed with my real feelings. The surrounding area was still noisy with clapping, so my voice was fortunately buried. Just as it was an unwavering truth that it was better to be on the side with 17 people in a 1 vs 17 scenario, it was more comfortable to go along with the crowd. Sometimes, it was convenient to use the mob mentality like this.


    The exam host came to the audience stand and asked for silence. As soon as the surrounding area became quiet, the examinees started shooting magic at targets placed 50 meters away.


    Bbyong-bbbyong-bbbyong-bbbyong-!


    Sounds similar to an electronic arcade game sounded from the examinees¡¯ magic wands as magic bullets flew toward the targets.


    My goodness, even in the military of my previous life, the nearest target was 100 meters... Using 50 meters, aren¡¯t they looking down on the examinees too much? But the results showed that the magic school set a very reasonable distance. How could more than half of the 20 test-takers not even reach the target? They didn¡¯t just miss the target. More than half of them didn¡¯t even have a range of at least 50 meters.


    Among those with a range of 50 meters, only six were able to hit the target, and only one of them was able to "destroy" the target properly. Even then, the target was only dented. If Elder Mirpa, who taught me magic, had witnessed this scene, he would have been furious and shouted, "If you can only do this much, then you might as well go follow the smell of an ogre¡¯s butt, and scram into the woods!" In fact, on the third day after learning magic at my recommendation, my second older brother was told this. That''s right, Elder Mirpa was a cursing grandma.[1]


    My applause seemed too expensive to pay for such a ridiculous show, but as a person who wanted to avoid being noticed, I decided to clap, albeit reluctantly. It was appalling to think that I had to throw away my time to watch this boring and worthless test.


    In the contrary, the low-rank knight school exam was a novelty. To be honest, the low-rank knight school exam was fun because of the golden comedy shown with their bodies.


    As time passed and the same spells were repeated, spectators slowly left and Lisbon left for the middle-rank knight school exam.[2]


    "Sorry, I should watch it, but Aly¡¯s exam overlaps."


    "No, it can¡¯t be helped since Alice is towards the end. I¡¯ll just watch Yuria¡¯s exam first then head over to your exam,¡± I said with a smile to the sincerely apologetic Pushover who looked sullen.


    The truth was that I didn''t want to watch this boring test anymore.


    "No, it¡¯s ok, what if you''re late for Aly''s exam?"


    This kind-hearted pushover was always worrying about his sibling. Not long after sending off Lisbon, Yuria walked out of the gym.


    "There comes Miss Yuria."


    Alphonso, who looked bored, smiled brightly again and waved at Yuria. "Yuria! You got it!"


    Alphonso¡¯s actions drew the eyes of the few remaining spectators and examinees around us. I covered my face with one hand and lowered my chin. We''re going to have to talk about the boy¡¯s behavior. Rather than being embarrassed by him, I felt uncomfortable having a bunch of eyes on me.


    At her brother¡¯s cheer, Yuria smiled brightly like a sunflower and raised her thumb at us.


    "Of course!"


    1. If you are confused, Den referred to Elder Mirpa as the neighboring Alchemist Granny who he learned a little from while snooping around for snacks.


    2. Previously, ¡®magic¡¯ was used for ¡®spells¡¯ as well, but now to make things a bit more clear, I will start using ¡®spells¡¯ in addition to ¡®magic¡¯.

 Chapter 47: Admission (11)

    The spectators returned their attention to the exam site again at Yuria''s action. She and 20 other examinees stood side by side.


    "Yuria Fendria, where is your wand to assist in flight?" the woman sitting on the left side of the exam site with other examiners asked while twitching her eyebrows. Everyone else was holding a wand or broomstick, but only Yuria was bare-handed.


    The woman twitched her eyebrows and continued before Yuria could answer. "We can''t give you time to go get the assistive tools. Are you fine taking the exam like this?"


    Yuria nodded her head at the examiner. "Yes, that''s fine."


    "Good. I¡¯ll take it as you having confidence to do it without assistive tools."


    The examiner''s words somehow sounded sarcastic towards the unprepared Yuria. Truly, preparation was so important for magicians that they were called preparers. Therefore, the other magicians who valued preparation were not necessarily on her side. Well, there¡¯s no way the examiner would know that Yuria was from the Butterfly Tribe, so maybe it was just me.


    "The exam will start now. Begin the flying magic."


    At the examiner¡¯s command, the examinees began putting mana into the flying magic they honed. Among the serious faces, only Yuria''s face was relaxed. She easily released some magic and immediately started flying up. Compared to other examinees who were still slowly rising up on their cane, it was a world of difference.


    Yuria ascended naturally and quickly to 10 meters and began to do aerobatics. She made figure 8¡¯s like honeybees, temporarily stopped her magic to fall only to soar up again, and sped up and down the exam site from end to end. Her use of mana was refined enough to be called an art.


    Clap, clap, clap!


    I clapped sincerely. I could also do the aerobatics that Yuria showed. The part I admired was her sense of mana usage. To be exact, it was precisely using only the necessary mana, with no error. Growing up with chaotic mana of the Olympus Forest, such control was possible but was still difficult for me.


    Other examinees were also in awe by Yuria¡¯s graceful mana control, they stopped rising and stared blankly at how she was flying.


    "What are you doing! Nothing is more important than concentration for a magician! But what are you doing, getting distracted while using magic! Deductions for everyone!"


    At the angry admonishment of the examiner, who twitched her eyebrows, the other examinees started flying again with faces that seemed to say ¡®oops¡¯.


    The female examiner, twitching her eyebrows, marked ''- 5'' for all examinees except Yuria. But it looked like there was already a ''-10'' written on Yuria''s evaluation sheet. Was it just me? I must have misread it, looking from afar without magic. There was no way such a perfect flight could have gotten deductions.


    Immediately after the flight portion of the exam, magic shooting began. While other examinees were still trying to gather their remaining mana after flying, only Yuria was leisurely manipulating and moulding her mana. Suddenly, magic letters that meant "encapsulate," "fire," and "rotation", came up in front of Yuria to form a magic circle.


    She added "replicate" and "repeat" to it, and shouted the incantation: "Ice Queen¡¯s endless crystal attack!"


    KwaKwaKwaKwa-!


    At the same time as Yuria''s cry, the magic circle fiercely rotated, and magic bullets continuously flew towards the target. Like shooting a machine gun, the magic bullets instantly turned the target into a beehive.


    Judging from the incantation she had shouted and the arrangement of the magic circle, it seemed like an original elemental magic that was supposed to fire ice crystals, but Yuria seemed to have replaced the ice with pure magic bullets on the spot.


    Thanks to this, the power seemed to have been cut in half, but the process of making ice was omitted, so the speed probably increased a little. However, my guess was that the most effective aspect of the original magic was left out. It was fine to say that it was fantastic compared to others, but compared to the previous flight, the on-the-spot change could be considered a mess.


    After the magic shooting, the examinees displayed their specialty magic in order. Come to think of it, I was looking forward to seeing if Yuria was going to use elemental magic which she said was her main focus, or try alchemy, her reason for coming to the capital. Either way, it was a rare opportunity to observe the magic of the Butterfly Tribe.


    I was not the only one paying attention to Yuria¡¯s magic. The examiners sitting on the panel seemed expectant of her magic, even though they pretended not to be. One by one, after the not-noteworthy displays passed by, Yuria turned her back on everyone, including the audience and examinees, and stretched her arms out toward the plaza. And as her mana fluctuated, the normally invisible mana turned bluish, twirling around her arms.


    "The ice wolf carrying the north wind runs--"


    During the magic shooting, it was a magic circle using magic characters, but now it was attribute magic that applied attributes to pure mana. The clearer the color of the mana wrapped around Yuria''s arm, the lower the surrounding temperature became. Like turning on the aircon during a very hot July, a cool breeze blew.


    "The army that protects the queen advances--"


    Yuria focused on the mana wrapped around her arms and considered the timing to materialize the magic. Then, when she thought, ''This is the time,'' she waved her arms that had gathered the mana and vigorously shouted, "This is the land of the Ice Queen! Appear! Ice Castle!"


    The blue mana from her arm began to spin and cover the plaza. Then, in an instant, a small castle made of ice was built in the center of the plaza. Even though it was a castle smaller than an actual castle, it took up almost half of the plaza, which was large enough to fit two or three mansions, and gave off a sense of majesty.


    "This is!"


    The examiner in the center was astounded. Spectators, examinees, and even formal magicians who were serving as examiners did not realize it and simply thought they were seeing moulding magic that used elemental magic. But, the examiners were not examiners for nothing, and managed to recognize the true nature of the ice castle.


    "¡ªIt is a domain proclamation.¡±


    At the words of the examiner on the left, who twitched her eyebrows, the examiner on the right exclaimed unbelievably.


    "That¡¯s!"


    Three examiners looked at the ice castle with disbelief.


    Domain proclamation -- a magic considered to be the ultimate magic. The domain proclaimed by the magician literally belonged to the magician who proclaimed it. The magician within the domain could increase the power of all magic and interfere with the magic of others. You could call it absolute supremacy.


    I closely observed the ice castle made by Yuria. Domain proclamation was not a magic that could be seen so often. The only ones who could even proclaim a domain in the first place were those who have already reached the peak as a great magician and entered the path of the magic way.


    That¡¯s strange!


    It seemed to me that Yuria was a magician who had yet to enter the magic way. If she had reached the magic way, she would have sensed the mana I had hidden earlier. Although there was a chance that she was at a much higher level than me and was concealing her knowledge, the probability was not high.


    I looked at the ice castle with suspicious eyes. Domain proclamation was magic where seeing was not everything.


    Let''s analyze... Looking at it, Yuria was outside of the domain. A domain is the land which the magician proclaimed. A domain without the magician was a barren land of no value. Usually, when proclaiming a domain, it was basic to spread the domain with the caster as the center. Considering the location where Yuria was standing, did she want people around her to not get caught up in the domain and injured? That''s ridiculous! In the first place, if she did not want it, a domain wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. A domain that one cannot control is not a domain.


    Wait, can''t control it? That''s a possibility.


    If it''s just an imitation of a domain proclamation, it makes sense to make it in a deserted location and not let yourself be in the domain.


    I looked at Yuria, not at the ice castle.


    Certainly! I could vaguely feel a weak sensation of the ice castle from her. If it was a real domain, that ice castle and she would have been completely united. But I couldn¡¯t feel that sensation from her right now.


    As a weakness was found in Yuria, I started noticing the flaws in the ice castle, one after another. In the end, that ice castle was not a domain proclamation. If I had to name it, could it be a domain proclamation look-a-like?


    To be exact, it did not give absolute supremacy to the owner of the domain but more like assistance. It was a whole new magic that mimicked a domain proclamation. Even so, rather than calling it a completed magic, it was more at a level where it was still too difficult to actually use. But still, even at that level, that magic was great.


    What was great about it was that if that magic were to be properly completed, it would be much more cost-effective than a domain proclamation. Comparatively speaking, if a Tetris game was the result of magic, the domain proclamation required a gaming computer tuned up with millions of won.[1]


    Meanwhile, Yuria''s ice castle, though incomplete, was like a Tetris on a low-end laptop. But what difference did it make between gaming computers and low-end laptops when playing tetris anyway?


    Still, I wanted to applaud her for maximizing efficiency. Seeing a domain proclamation was difficult not only because it was difficult to find someone who could do it, but those who could, would not do so in normal circumstances. They did not have to use it because they already had enough ability to solve problems without a domain proclamation.


    Unlike me, examiners did not seem to realize that Yuria''s magic was not a domain proclamation. Although I was also almost fooled, it was easily noticeable if you could find a single flaw. I was disappointed.


    Yuria had a slightly sullen face looking at the ice castle she had made. She seemed to know that her magic had failed.


    In my opinion, even if she had just used elemental magic to create an ice castle that big, it would be a confirmed pass, but Yuria seemed dissatisfied and erased the ice castle. The only traces of the ice castle left were a few large ice pieces that had naturally formed in the plaza. The ice castle that had just been there had completely disappeared. And like that, Yuria''s entrance exam ended.


    1. Won is korean currency. 1 million won comes out to a little under a thousand USD.

 Chapter 48: Admission (12)

    Lisbon met and faced his exam opponent. They saluted each other.


    For the middle-rank knight school, one would usually move up from the low-rank knight school. However, in cases of failing to enter the low-rank knight school due to unavoidable circumstances like Lisbon, an entrance exam could be taken. As it was not the normal route, the exam assessment was much harsher. The reason being when a student transferred directly into a middle-rank knight school, he missed out on learning military science or military strategy from the low-rank knight school. Even if the examinee claimed to have learned them, it wasn¡¯t something that could be evaluated in a short time. Therefore, they demanded skills over the necessary knowledge for a knight.


    Moreover, in order to draw out the skills of the examinees in the middle-rank knight school exam, the academy requested knights from the capital¡¯s knight division to be opponents every year. The instructors could have also served as opponents, but their number was insufficient as the low-rank knight school exam overlapped and because they had to do the evaluations too.


    All the knights that were dispatched for the exam were middle-rank knights that had their eyes set on becoming a high-rank knight. Therefore, if a person failed to pass the low-rank knight school for the second time, he or she would usually give up on entering the middle-rank knight school altogether. Nevertheless, the entrance exam was held because there were a few people who did not give up like Lisbon.


    A large knight with a closely shaved square jaw drew his sword and introduced himself, "I am Molk of the Black Water Buffalo Knights."


    Lisbon swallowed hard. The Black Water Buffalo Knights were directly under General Bloody of the Crow Tribe. It was a division that was difficult to join if you weren¡¯t the best amongst the knights.


    There was quite a popular tale about a knight skilled enough to be at least a captain in a different division who made up stories about himself to try and join the Black Water Buffalo Knights.


    "I am Lisbon of the Carters. It''s an honor to face you." Lisbon similarly introduced himself and drew his sword.


    There was a lot of nervousness in his voice. Looking at Lisbon, Molk laughed with a bang. "Ahhaha! Yes, let''s have some real fun!"


    Molk assumed a stance and raised his aura which Lisbon raised his in response. Molk, content seeing his opponent resisting against his aura, quickly charged at him. Overcoming the pressure from the charging man, Lisbon jumped and rolled to the side.


    "Good judgment!"


    Molk praised the dust-covered Lisbon''s judgment who did not retreat or hesitate.


    Rolling on the ground was considered shameful, so there were often times when the sword was directly blocked or they retreated. If Lisbon had decided to fight back instead, it would have been an easy trip to death considering his skills were far below Molk¡¯s.


    Molk kicked the ground hard to stop the charge, changed directions, then ran towards Lisbon while striking down powerfully with his sword. Having just rolled on the ground, Lisbon was unable to position himself properly. In such a situation, he instantly decided on the best move.


    In a scenario where Molk was rushing towards him with the sword striking downwards, Lisbon didn¡¯t panic. Instead, towards the gap created from the downswing, Lisbon stabbed his sword at the other¡¯s abdomen.


    Molk burst into laughter, aware of Lisbon¡¯s sword heading to his abdomen. Usually in this situation, they either rolled to dodge again or defend themselves, but Lisbon launched a counter-attack. Even if it was an effective method, failure would mean death, so it was not something someone with ordinary guts could do.


    "That''s the answer!"


    While in mid-air, Molk changed the trajectory of his sword swing and used the rebound to avoid Lisbon''s sword which was thrust towards his stomach. Molk looked as if he was about to crash into the ground with a disordered posture, but kicking the ground with his left foot to turn and correct his body in the air, he safely landed. Despite having done acrobatics in mid-air, Molk was smiling without a drop of sweat. Rather, Lisbon who countered corrected his posture with cold sweat running down his nervous face.


    Lisbon noticed that Molk had deliberately jumped up to check his judgment. Sensing that at this rate, all of his moves would be forced by his opponent, Lisbon pointed the sword at him and narrowed the distance.


    Molk rather admired Lisbon''s courage to narrow the distance. He continued to release aura, making it impossible for someone at a level of a trainee at the middle-rank knight school to narrow the distance to himself. Lisbon however, overcame his fear and kept approaching.


    "Yes! Come!"


    "Ok!"


    Lisbon stabbed at the other''s right arm, Molk leaned his sword to the right to block. Lisbon did not give up, recovered the sword, leaned down and as if swinging up, and stabbed at his neck.


    Still smiling, Molk twisted his upper body and dodged the sharp sword aiming for his throat. Then, he pushed Lisbon¡¯s sword aside and kicked him hard in the side.


    "Oof!"


    Lisbon groaned as if he had vomited air. He was hit so hard he couldn¡¯t even scream and had difficulty breathing. And naturally, with just one hit, he collapsed to the ground.


    "A knight must always be ready for close-combat!" Molk advised the fallen Lisbon, then asked, "Will you continue?"


    Lisbon barely managed to stand, tasting the rising blood from his throat. At the same time, with his non-sword hand, he checked the side that was hit. Fortunately, his ribs were intact, there didn''t seem to be any internal injuries. Rather, seeing that the wound was light compared to the pain, Lisbon shuddered at Molk''s ability. This is a real knight!


    "Hehe." Lisbon laughed rather than give in to the pain. He then raised the sword again. "Yes! That''s what a knight is like! One who gives up cannot be called a knight!"


    Molk was genuinely pleased with Lisbon''s fighting spirit. He pleasantly burst out laughing from meeting this talented junior. "Hahahahaha! Good, I''m coming!"


    Again, their swords clashed.


    Kang! Kang! Kang!


    Molk quickly struck from the top left and attacked the head and chest. As he blocked, Lisbon felt his wrists go numb under the powerful pressure from the sword. A drawn-out battle was no good. Although upset, he himself knew that his skills weren¡¯t good enough to hold out for long. He clenched his teeth and swung down with his sword.


    Kang!


    Lisbon struck with all his might, but the sword was all too simply blocked. The overwhelming gap, which could only be described as hopeless, seemed to weigh on his body. Still, he didn''t give up. This battle was where he bet everything for his dream. If he gave up easily, he wouldn''t be able to raise his head to all his efforts so far!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Lisbon desperately once again swung his sword intensely.


    Kang!


    The strike to the top left was blocked.


    Kang!


    The strike to the top right was blocked.


    Kang!


    The stab was blocked. Despite being blocked, he kept swinging his sword.


    Molk frowned. Lisbon''s fighting spirit was good, but too much blood was rushing to his head. It was the perfect condition to be killed on a battlefield. He swung strongly at Lisbon''s sword, broke his stance, and strongly kicked his abdomen.


    ¡°Oof!"


    Once again, Lisbon rolled the ground, got up, and resumed his posture. It looked like the pain was dampened by adrenaline.


    "Cool your head! What happened to the person who remained calm and stabbed at my abdomen instead of dodging!"


    Lisbon was agitated by the shout. But then he realized what he was doing. Well, it wasn¡¯t too bad. He just got too excited and lost half of his rationality. This was largely due to Molk, who continued to pressure Lisbon with his aura and created a situation similar to a battlefield.


    Until just now, Lisbon had fallen into a state similar to a frenzy experienced by knights during their first battle. Molk knew this, so he retracted his aura and shouted. If it had been a real battlefield, it would have been highly unlikely that Lisbon could have regained his cool. But right now was just a spar, albeit an exam it was also kind of an instructional time. This was a priceless experience for Lisbon. The fact that he met such a strong knight that gave him experience similar to a battlefield in a spar where he did not risk his life gave him a chance to grow.


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    Lisbon regained his composure by shouting. Seeing the eyes that were focused on him, Molk raised his aura again. If Lisbon had not been able to overcome his aura in the first place, he likely would have been defeated even before going berserk. It was because he had the courage to fight back that he could now stand in front of Molk with a sword.


    It was Lisbon that moved first again while being on guard against each other. He again aimed to stab the other''s right arm.


    As before, Molk tilted his sword to the right to block it. Molk was less surprised than before. Instead of retrieving the blocked sword, Lisbon twisted it toward his chest. Surprised by the irregular attack, Molk took his left hand off of the sword and turned his upper body to avoid it.


    However, he couldn¡¯t dodge it completely and the front of his shirt was very slightly cut. Molk inwardly bit his tongue at the destruction of his precious shirt. Then he swung the sword with his right hand as if he were throwing a fishing line using the force of his wrist. But Lisbon quickly backed away and went on guard.


    "Hahaha, hahaha! All right! Calm makes the knight''s sword sharper! Let''s go with a little more sincerity this time!"


    Molk burst into a hearty laugh like he was truly enjoying it and at the same time, Lisbon groaned at the explosion of aura.


    "No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    At Lisbon''s earnest request, Molk shook his head.


    "No, no need to decline!"


    Molk rejected Lisbon¡¯s refusal and narrowed the distance. He pushed the sword towards Lisbon''s chest.


    Unlike Molk, who lightly blocked the sword, Lisbon strongly struck away the advancing sword. Despite striking the sword with all his strength, it did not waver much. But it seemed to have some effect as Molk¡¯s sword changed trajectory from his chest to shoulder.


    Lisbon turned his upper body to avoid the sword and followed with a cut towards Molk¡¯s side. Instead of blocking Lisbon¡¯s sword heading to his side, Molk swung at his neck.


    To avoid Molk''s sword, which suddenly filled his vision, Lisbon threw all his weight backward and avoided it. But Molk kicked Lisbon''s shin and made him lose balance.


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you! Close-combat should always be remembered!"


    Molk thrust his sword at the fallen Lisbon, the man smiled dejectedly and raised both hands.


    "I lost."


    At Lisbon''s declaration of defeat, Molk put his sword in the scabbard and extended his hand.


    "Congratulations! Boy! Come to the Black Water Buffalo when you graduate! Talented friends are always welcome!"


    An examiner shouted at Molk who was giving an evaluation assessment in the middle of his congratulations.


    "Senior! You can''t say that!"


    "Shut up! How dare you cut in when a senior who is as high as the sky is talking!"


    Lisbon took Molk''s hand and stood up.


    "Thank you!"


    Though covered with dust and sweat, he flashed a bright smile.

 Chapter 49: Admission (13)

    After Yuria¡¯s test ended, I left the pair of siblings behind and arrived at the middle-rank knight school¡¯s exam site in time to see a large knight rushing towards Lisbon.


    At a glance, the exam-style was just like the Crow Tribe¡¯s sparring style, where they made it difficult by pushing your limits till the end. Of course, when I was in my hometown with my brothers as opponents, their attacks were not something that could be dodged or survived if hit. However, from Lisbon¡¯s perspective, his opponent''s attack may feel similar.


    The spectators cheered and yelled at the rapid exchange of attacks. The close and intense battle ended much quicker than the spectators wanted. The difference between Lisbon¡¯s and his opponent¡¯s abilities was too clear.


    I don''t know why, but even at a glance, the knight in black fighting Lisbon was twice as strong as the other examinee¡¯s opponents. It seemed that I should applaud the pushover for putting up a good defense. I wasn¡¯t sure though because I wasn''t interested; however, if Lisbon had fought anyone else, he probably wouldn¡¯t have lost so easily, if he were to lose.


    After the exam, Lisbon splashed water on his head with a defeated face. Then, he wiped the dirt and sweat off his face with his clothes. When his six-pack and developed muscles were exposed, the women in the stands squealed cheerfully. Since Lisbon also had a handsome face, it was only natural.


    "Oh my, oh my!"


    There was a weirdo mixed in with the women. With hair going a little bald and biting a pinky finger with thick lips, a muscular man was cheering while wearing a feminine v-neck. The moment I saw that I got goosebumps.


    Run away, Pushover! Beast, a beast is after you!


    "Huh? Den?"


    Lisbon ran towards me waving with a welcoming face.


    "Den-!"


    As Lisbon moved, the gallery mainly composed of women gradually turned their heads toward me. Along with them, the man turned towards me as well. My guts warned me to run away with all my might.


    Don''t come! You are going to get me involved! Don''t come here, you Pushover!


    Despite my silent clamor, Lisbon came to me with his characteristic relieved smile. Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine. The man was looking at me. I could instinctively tell by that man¡¯s aura which was trickling out.


    That man was dangerous. The knight that Lisbon sparred barely reached this man¡¯s toes. At the least, one shot of Angel ¡î Rush was enough to take him out.[1]


    There was no one here who could beat that man except me. I grabbed Lisbon''s wrist and said, "You''re done with your exams, right?"


    Lisbon was bright as usual oblivious to the major crisis of his chastity. "Huh? Uh, it''s over.¡±


    At the same time, I pulled on his wrist and shouted, "Alice is waiting! Let''s go!


    "Huh? Ok."


    Lisbon looked puzzled, unable to understand my sudden behavior, but I was protecting his chastity for everyone¡¯s sake. I had to run before that man''s gaze locked on to me -- for my own safety. Thanks to the fast running, I was able to get to the magic school exam site quickly. As soon as we arrived, Yuria asked with a slightly sullen face, "Where did you go?"


    I changed the topic as I felt a burdensome matter come over.


    "Woah, I saw the magic you used in the exam."


    "Eh?"


    "It was amazing. The other students were just barely able to fly, but seeing you do aerobatics, I was amazed.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. I wasn¡¯t amazed by the flight but the clean and precise mana control."


    "Hehe, no, it''s not much."


    Yeah, it actually wasn¡¯t much. I didn¡¯t bother to voice my thoughts and instead sat next to Yuria who embarrassedly scratched her cheeks, and continued to compliment her.


    "Turning the target into a honeycomb, and the ice castle you made, they were incredible."


    "No, it¡¯s not that much."


    While praising an embarrassed Yuria, it somehow became Alice''s turn. Other than the exception of Yuria, everyone else participating in the exam was so mediocre that Alice¡¯s magic seemed high level. Flying and magic shooting were ordinary, but the spirit magic she used for her specialty was quite interesting as I had never experienced it before.


    Olympus was a place where a spirit, a creature of mana, could not live. I thought about finding out about spirits from Alice later, and at the same time, all the entrance exams of my acquaintances were over.


    -o-


    Ten days had passed since Lisbon and Alice¡¯s exam ended.


    Ten days ago, I was trying to go back to the boarding house when they clung to me asking to go watch the graduates¡¯ exams with them. I shot a look of help at Alice to get rid of Lisbon, Alphonso, and Yuria. But she was already intent on going, so I had to keep them company until late at night. Well, today¡¯s also the end of forcing myself to hang out with them. Today was the day the successful applicants for the civil service exam were announced!


    It was okay not to check because my passing was a given. Still, I had to go to the place where the successful applicants were announced as they were handing out the civil servant certificates and guides for moving into the dormitory.


    I had better move into the dormitories on the first day possible. How was I supposed to live in a boarding house closely watched by my uncle''s friend, the Prime Minister? The surveillance had fallen off, but the occasional hidden guards¡¯ aura still had me on edge.


    As the civil servant training center, the knight school, and the magic school were right next to each other, I would be seeing Lisbon and Alice frequently. So there was no need for me to feel sad. If there was one thing I would feel sad about, it would be the luxurious dining at this boarding house.


    I happily confirmed my name on the list of successful civil servants, which was in the top 5, at the Ministry of Treasury and Foreign Affairs.


    I had purposely got a few wrongs, but the ranking was much higher than I expected. I couldn''t believe I failed to keep my rank in check. My efforts to peep at the exam questions were becoming meaningless. It would be quite difficult to manage the ranking at the training center.


    I confirmed the admittance list and went into the treasury office building. It was a place I had searched like it were a job, so it felt more familiar than my room at the boarding house.


    I headed to a desk with a sign that said, ''Admitted Candidates¡¯.


    "Excuse me. I''m an admitted candidate."


    When I spoke to him, the official sitting at his desk looked at me with eyes enwreathed by deep dark circles.[2]


    The official was subconsciously scribbling something even while looking at me, but taking a closer look, ¡®Die Lupin¡¯ was written over and over on a piece of paper. I spoke to him while looking at the paper full of curses.


    "My, it looks like you''re having a hard time.¡±


    As if my words triggered something, his dry eyes began to become moist.


    "Keupl!"


    When I saw the official covering his eyes with his hands, I looked at him pitifully. Treasury officials were said to have a high salary and a high authority to go with it, but I thought it would be better to be a low-level civil servant than be so miserable.


    Hmm? But when I looked closely, I was familiar with this official. Oh, that''s the official who took my picture when I registered as a civil servant!


    Suddenly, the pity cleanly disappeared. Thinking back, the price of the picture at that time was pretty iffy. As I recalled, I suddenly felt an urge to be Lupin again.


    "Excuse me, but I heard you could get a civil servant''s certificate and a guidebook here."


    I decided to resolve the impulse later since it was more important to obtain the civil servant certificate and move into the dormitory right now.


    "Oh, yes, that¡¯s correct."


    The civil servant who answered in a cracking voice asked my name.


    ''What''s your name?''


    ¡°Den von Mark.¡±


    The treasury official looked at the list with a sunken eye, checked my name, and found a civil servant''s card attached to a lanyard in the drawer.


    "Here you are."


    I asked after I received my civil servant''s card, "What about the guidebook?"


    "Oh, Mister Den is not a dormitory resident."


    "Excuse me?"


    No, it can''t be! Aren''t all civil servants going into the dormitory?! Do you know how far away my hometown is from the capital?!


    Regardless of the cry of my innermost thoughts, the official said in a dry voice, "The training center guidebook will be given when you start. The start date is August 3rd at 10 o''clock in the morning.¡±


    "Hold, hold on! Wasn''t the dormitory for everyone?"


    The official openly looked at me with a look of annoyance.


    "Well who knows, the dormitory is not our jurisdiction. I just gave you the instructions from the top."


    "But--"


    The official cut off my words and shook his hand like swatting an annoying fly and spoke in a vexed tone, "Ah, I don''t know. Contact the training center for dormitories."


    Then what am I supposed to do?


    The official pointed at the admitted candidates in line behind me and waved his hand. Upon the look from the people behind me, I decided to take a step back.


    Be prepared, you civil servant, I''ll pay you back good!


    Come to think of it, there were many organizations in the empire, but the most powerful were the imperial family, the military, and the temple. The military was a place I couldn''t touch rashly and if I messed with the imperial family, it¡¯d negatively affect my civil servant life.


    Then there was only one place left. Religious beliefs were scary no matter where.


    I had no choice but to back down with my fist clenched. But this retreat was just temporary. I could only inwardly yell, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back for this¡± like some third-rate villain in a cat-shaped hot air balloon.[3]


    I trudged back to the boarding house, and when I opened the door, all of a sudden--


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    - Congratulations burst out.


    Unable to comprehend the situation, my eyes were wide open, but then I saw a banner in the back that said, "Congratulations on passing the civil service exam!"


    "Congratulations!"


    "Congratulations!"


    >Denburg¡¯s vision is going dark at the congratulations!


    >Denburg headed for the PoXmon Center!


    I decided to stop playing around... and ask sincerely, "Why are you all here?"


    Alphonso, who shot congratulations with Lisbon, said with a smile, "Yes, I¡¯ve decided to live here from today!"


    ... What?! I''m afraid I''ve lost my hearing suddenly these last few days. All of the sudden, I¡¯m hearing nonsense.


    At the voices of the two in front of me, Alice and Yuria came from the kitchen from inside the mansion.


    "You¡¯ve arrived?"


    "Hmmph, come on in and have a cake."


    I looked at a smiling brightly Yuria, and Alice, who was talking like a child, and asked, "Hey, I can¡¯t seem to understand the situation? Does someone want to explain?"


    The one to answer my question was Mrs. Arscilla who came out from the kitchen.


    "These new friends are going to stay here starting today. I heard from Miss Yuria and Mister Alphonso that Mister Den is already familiar with them. That''s great." She smiled gracefully and continued. "Oh, because they seemed sad to see you leave for the dorms, I asked to let you commute. Thanks to Mister Den, I had some quality time with my son."


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Mrs. Arscilla''s words.


    "Ha, haha, hahahahaha.¡±


    Dammit! My life!


    1. One punch man reference to the gay muscular character who has a characteristic attack move called, ¡°Angel Rush¡±.


    2. Official is used to refer to a civil servant


    3. Pokemon reference

 Chapter 50: Ball (1)

    The capital was covered in a crimson hue as the red sun descended into the horizon.


    How futile!The bustling in the capital will soon fade away with the night.


    Perched on the castle wall, the man in the brown mask thought as he looked down at the capital. As expected, it''s futile.


    "Who are you!" Upon discovering an unidentified man, the guard patrolling the castle walls shouted.


    Right at that moment, a strong gust of wind blew in forcing the guard to close his eyes. As soon as he felt the wind die, the guard opened his eyes again only to be suffused with doubt.


    Just a moment ago, it seemed that a large man was sitting on the castle wall where civilians were forbidden, and yet now, the shadow of the man was nowhere to be found.


    Did he jump down a 20-meter-tall wall?


    The guard looked down the wall, but could not find any trace of the man.


    It was just like a daydream.


    -o-


    "We''re about to begin the orientation ceremony of our training center. All new trainees are requested to be seated."


    Inside the auditorium of the training center, a man, who looked like a professor, stood on the podium and spoke with a voice amplified by magic. The other new trainees took seats and waited for the ceremony to begin.


    While I was waiting, I took a look at the thick guidebook that was distributed. This book concisely summarized the schedule. Firstly, if you looked at the schedule from August to November, for these four months, you could choose the classes you wanted to take along with mandatory ones and an exam at the end.


    Then, in December, for one month, you would tour the Adventurers'' Guild, the Mercenary Alliance, departments in the imperial palace, magic tower, and district offices, and receive training before being given an appointment.


    ¡°From now on, we will start the Ninety-Eighth Civil Service Training. There will be a national anthem. All new trainees and officials at the training center are requested to stand."


    The event had finally started. I stood up and sat down as instructed while focusing on what was written in the guidebook.


    After the national anthem, I mulled over what classes to take in the future while the useless events were going on. The mandatory subjects were economic administration, imperial law, and etiquette?


    What is etiquette for? These were the useless things that national institutes wasted their energy on. Next was swordsmanship and magic. A total of five subjects were compulsory.


    I was going to opt for magic even if it wasn¡¯t an obligatory course, but swordsmanship was a toughie. I had been practicing hard to control my strength, but I wondered if I could control it properly against the scrawny people who had only studied all their lives. I wondered if I would end up sending all of them to the hospital. Even if I were to secure low marks in swordsmanship, I should try to avoid it as much as possible.


    Moving on, there was quite a large number of elective subjects. From the empire¡¯s languages that would not be all that bad, to learning art and music; there were subjects that I wondered had anything to do with civil service. A minimum of two up to a maximum of four elective subjects could be selected.


    Come to think of it, the real estate agent that pushed me into this boarding house had advised me to take the minimum number of courses possible.


    When I was in my hometown, I had already mastered the empire¡¯s language to a native level, so I should choose that as the first one. Now I had to pick one more, and looking at the subjects in the book, there was history, military science, geography, math, literature ¡­ Study of adventuring??


    I''d never heard of the study of adventuring. Why do you need this?


    I read out the explanatory text, which hung in small notes under adventuring.


    What is the study of adventuring?


    The study of adventuring is aimed at surviving in various environments. It is a survival manual designed to give advice to beginner adventurers and support adventurers through studying ways to maximize effectiveness with minimal equipment.


    Oh ho, so the study of adventuring was a subject for civil servants assigned to the Adventurers'' Guild.


    At first glance, Adventurers'' Guild and Mercenary Alliance appeared to be private organizations. Most of the mercenaries and adventurers were civilians not formally employed by the empire, such as retired veterans and free knights. However, the two could be considered government-affiliated organizations as they were managed by the government.


    As the adventurers and mercenaries combined would make nearly 200,000 troops, the empire would definitely control it if they were a decent nation. In addition, the romanticist adventurers may turn into bandits if the nation did not manage the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    As such, the two under the control of the empire were the foremost to be deployed as reserve forces in times of national disaster or war. In fact, out of the 1.2 million imperial soldiers, 200,000 were mercenaries and adventurers.


    If the empire were to send civil servants to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, and the Mercenary Alliance to manage them, it would raise the question as to why they didn¡¯t just directly employ them all as imperial soldiers instead of pretending to let them operate as private organizations.


    As an answer to the question, it did have the advantage of not having to incur a cost on the empire''s end. The 200,000 troops, which were not needed immediately but may be needed one day, would remain in temporary employment and not have to be paid their salaries. It could remain as an organization that could actively be called on as needed.


    This world was full of monsters and demons. As such, the imperial army''s main activities were inevitably monster subjugation. But this army that was the shield of the empire could at times also be the sword. In other words, closer to the borders of the other nations, depending on the military activities, the other countries could declare war in the name of feeling threatened. Therefore, the exploits of the imperial army on the southern border of the empire could only be passive.


    This was especially true these days when there was not much hostility with foreign countries. That said, the adventurers and mercenaries were not associated with the imperial army, but could be used as aid from a private organization.


    This advantage could only be considered an advantage given there was a degree of control. If it wasn¡¯t possible to exercise control, and adventurers ran amok near the borders, it could be misunderstood that the empire was launching a preemptive strike.


    The empire had to stop the adventurers from running rampant through constant management, so it sent civil servants to the Adventurer''s Guild and Mercenary Alliance.


    Hmm, the study of adventuring. I might be able to get a good grade if I chose this subject. After all, I was born and raised in Olympus which was a part of the ten forbidden lands.


    I know not of a desert without prey, but even in dangerous areas, I could confidently say, "An ogre that can kill a deer with one bite, is a fearsome monster. But now it''s my lunch." And most of all, adventure is a word that stimulates men''s romanticism even if I were pursuing a safe life.


    While I was engrossed in the guidebook, the orientation ceremony was coming to an end.


    "I will end the orientation ceremony now. I would like to thank the honored guests and their families for their presence. The new trainees will be given an additional explanation on top of the guidebooks that were distributed, so please wait a little longer."


    It seemed quite a few people left the auditorium, leaving only and me and other new civil servants behind, Among the new civil servants, those who belonged to wealthy families seemed to have families or servants to attend.


    "Oh, hello."


    While I was absent-minded, a muscular man who seemed to be in his late thirties sat next to me and used the moment of transition to speak to me.


    When I looked around, most of them seemed to be in their mid-to-late 20s, so the man who spoke to me seemed to have passed the exam at a rather late age. Still, he seemed like a polite person considering he spoke politely even when I was clearly younger than everyone else, not to mention that I looked even younger than my actual age.


    "Yes, hello." I greeted with a smile. Isn''t it basic to treat a kind person with kindness?


    The man next to me hesitated a little and asked, "I know it is rude to ask during a first meeting, but what is your age?"


    "I am sixteen."


    Because I looked younger than my age, he likely thought I looked like a child sitting down claiming to be a new civil servant. Of course, if he were to ignore me because I looked young, he better watch his back walking down the street at night.


    The man who heard my age spoke with a bright expression and voice. "Oh! Is that so? It¡¯s nice to meet someone of the same age."


    "~Huh?"


    What did I just hear? Same age?! There must be something wrong with my ear or my brain. Definitely one of the two.


    "Ha-ha, in fact, I was a little troubled because all the people I saw around looked like they were 10 years older than me. Even if we are in the same class, a large age difference would make it hard to become close."


    No, you seem to be 10 years older than your surroundings, did you accidentally say the opposite?


    "Oh, of course, I¡¯m one year older than you at seventeen, but I hear that you can get along just fine with only a year difference."


    Seventeen? With that face? You look like a veteran who''s been a mercenary for about two decades but seventeen?


    There''s a limit to presbyopia, but jeez, something is definitely wrong with my eyes, more than the ears or the brain.


    "Where does it hurt?"


    When I rubbed my eyes, the man ... no, the youth sitting next to me showed his concern.


    "No, I got tired for a moment."


    "Oh, is that so? Certainly, people get tired after sitting still for hours doing nothing. I was so happy to have met someone of a similar age that I got carried away. I''m sorry."


    My eyesight was definitely over 4.0, both sides, but he did not look like a 17-year-old.


    "It''s all right."


    "Haha, I''m glad. Oh, and you don''t have to be so respectful. Aren¡¯t we roughly the same age? Please speak comfortably.¡±


    Looking at him speaking respectfully, I imagined myself speaking informally to the old youth sitting next to me. He was such an unlearned bastard.


    "No, I''m comfortable speaking formally. You are doing it too."


    It''s more uncomfortable to speak informally to that face. The old youth smiled embarrassedly at my words.


    "Haha, it''s become a habit for me to speak formally. I tried to change it, but it wouldn¡¯t change easily. But what¡¯s comfortable is best, isn¡¯t it?"


    Then suddenly he extended his hand requesting a handshake and said, ¡°Speaking of which, my introduction is late, I am Flam Dainter.¡±


    "My name is Den Mark."


    I didn''t bother to put the ¡®von¡¯ in the name. I reckon mentioning that I am a noble first would hinder making friends, but if I am ignored for not being a noble, all I have to do is show my ID card. Before we knew it, a person who seemed to be an instructor again began to climb onto the stage of the auditorium.

 Chapter 51: Ball (2)

    Third Princess Arelia¡¯s maids were very hectic due to their mistress'' sudden and impulsive decision to enroll in the magic school. They had to prepare for her birthday ball and the school''s entrance at the same time. Yet, it was the princess''s willfulness that made things the toughest for the maids.


    "No! I¡¯m going to wear it!"


    The magic school had its own distinctive school uniforms, but Arelia being the princess, did not have to wear them. Nevertheless, she insisted on wearing it.


    To her, the uniform felt like a novelty evoking a feeling of rebelliousness, even if a little, against the suffocating imperial family. The princess, who wished to feel a moment of freedom, couldn''t give it up.


    "Princess, I beg your pardon but do you need to interact with those lower than you? It¡¯s still not too late to cancel your admission now¡ª¡±


    "I said I don¡¯t want to!"


    The maids were flustered at the sight of Arelia yelling on the bed with a tearful face. Even not too long ago, she was still calm and polite. But all of a sudden, she had become stubborn and acted like a spoiled child. Heretofore, they were worried that something seemed to be suppressing her, but now they were worried that she was being too carefree.


    Knock, knock!


    A rap sounded as the maids sighed inwardly, watching Arelia staging her own sit-in on the bed. The princess quickly tidied her disheveled clothes from romping around on the bed.


    "You may allow them to enter," she instructed.


    The maids were perplexed by her sudden change in attitude. But seeing her revert to her former noble demeanour, they were relieved.


    Having received the princess''s permission, the man at the door entered.


    Arelia rose from her seat and greeted lightly, "Welcome. General William."


    William was a figure that could not be looked down upon even if Arelia were a princess. He responded by nodding lightly.


    "Thank you for your hospitality despite the sudden visit, Imperial Princess Arelia."


    William was able to surmise the happenings just then upon seeing the magic school uniform hanging across the bed, not in the closet, and the disheveled bed.


    "Do you want to go to school normally, Your Imperial Highness?"


    For the princess, ''normal'' was more difficult to attain as compared to anyone.


    The maids stood calmly at William''s words. But unlike their calm faces, they broke into cold sweat on the inside. They were worried in case there might be rumors spreading that Princess Arelia was fooling around.


    "And if that¡¯s true?" Arelia smiled gently.


    William was a close aide of the emperor and also a member of the Butterfly Tribe. The maids¡¯ worries were unnecessary as the general hardly interacted with the gossip-loving nobles. Above all, as long as the monarch was the most capable of providing benefits for the Butterfly Tribe, he wouldn¡¯t have such a loose tongue to spread the scandals of the imperial family.


    "I will help you. Since you have done me a favor, this much is not that difficult."


    William couldn''t resist the magical curiosity from the first time he saw Arelia. The princess was an anti-magician with overwhelming magical resistance. He was looking forward to what would happen if she learned magic.


    One regret was that the one teaching her magic was not the general himself, but the magic school. However, it was inevitable. In a few months, he would have to alternate with General Orphina of the Dragon Tribe, and head for the Demon Territory.


    He couldn¡¯t take Arelia to a place where even skilled knights would have to put their lives on the line. But she couldn¡¯t stop learning magic whenever he was gone, so he needed someone to teach her. Therefore, William''s choice was the magic school in the capital.


    There were many brilliant magicians who led the imperial magicians, and there were also their descendants, making it easy for Arelia to learn magic and have her magical changes recorded.


    Arelia was delighted by William''s words. "Do you mean that?"


    "Yes. That much isn¡¯t difficult. If we place magic on you that interferes with perceptions to prevent others from realizing that you are the princess, you''ll be able to live normally to a certain degree."


    Anti-magicians prevented magic that affected themselves, not the kind that affected others.


    Arelia shook her head. ¡°That''s not enough.¡±''


    ¡°Then?¡± William queried.


    Arelia put a white, half-mask on her face and smiled like some mischievous person she knew. "I need a new identity."


    It wasn''t difficult for William to create a new identity in secret, but he hesitated for a moment.


    Identity was like a shield. For the sake of Arelia''s safety, it was bad to conceal her identity. Arelia knew that too. However, her status would prevent anyone from approaching and keep them from staying.


    William nodded after hesitating. "Okay."


    "General!" The longest-serving maid among Arelia¡¯s entourage couldn¡¯t restrain herself. It couldn¡¯t happen. As a maid with the most concern for the princess as compared to anyone else, she couldn''t tolerate it.


    William glanced briefly at the maid who called out to him and then looked at the princess again. He was asking what Arelia would do.


    Arelia nodded. "I''ll take care of it."


    William nodded at Arelia''s will. "Then I will persuade His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor."


    "Thank you."


    "Instead, I''ll have my brother''s child be your escort while you are at the magic school."


    William thought of Yuria who was admitted to the magic school this time. Although she was a rather reckless child, he thought that the two girls could become good friends. It would be good for observing Arelia¡¯s unique constitution of anti-magic too.


    "Your brother''s child?"


    "Yes, that kid is called a genius even in my village. Being a student at the same school, you won''t have to worry about safety while there."


    Arelia was dissatisfied with William. She thought she might finally be free, so she was unhappy about having a tail attached to her. On the other hand, the maids were delighted. It was clear that someone even the Butterfly Tribe called a genius would have considerable magic skills. There would be no need to worry about their mistress¡¯s safety while she attended school.


    "Is it perhaps, a man? He isn¡¯t sticking around 24 hours a day, right?" Arelia asked with a sullen face.


    William smiled in response and said, ¡°She is a girl, and I will only ask her to be an escort in the magic school.¡±


    Arelia thought that this was at least better.


    "However, she grew up only in the village, so her court etiquette is lacking. Please take into consideration that during the first few meetings, she may be unintentionally discourteous." While he was over-reaching the goodwill, William looked at Arelia with eyes asking if she couldn¡¯t even do that much.


    Arelia had cold sweat as she accidentally almost crossed the line. If her words were misinterpreted, it could be interpreted as a sarcastic remark that William had hidden intentions to gain power through political maneuvering by attaching his niece to her. The imperial family was a place where one glance or a word could behead someone. Although she was a princess, her opponent was a general who held a strong military power.


    "I didn''t mean to get rid of your niece. I apologize," she said.


    William laughed. "I know. Your Imperial Highness must be worried about scandals. I understand."


    Generally speaking, it didn¡¯t matter if it were an ordinary knight but if the attached escort were a relative of those in power, and in that a man, it could have caused a scandal.


    "I will try to arrange a meeting later, so please meet her.¡± William then put forth the main reason for seeking out Arelia.


    "What does Your Imperial Highness think of having your birthday ball at the magic school this time?¡±


    -o-


    "This is the direction of the dormitory, so where are you going?" Flam, who came out of the auditorium together, grabbed me.


    The only thing left to do after being assigned a dormitory was to apply for classes to take.


    "I thought it would be less crowded to apply for classes now."


    There was no fixed number of people per class, so there was no need to go early. But if you didn''t want to be swarmed by people rushing over after dropping off their luggage at the dormitory, it¡¯d be better to hurry. Of course, I was not allowed to move into the dormitory so I would be commuting.


    "Oh! That''s a good idea."


    Flam also followed me to sign up for classes.


    "Has your luggage arrived?"


    The reason everyone was going to the dormitory first was that if the delivered luggage were piled up at the entrance and blocked it, the owners would be penalized. Penalty points were a system unique to dormitories that reflected poor behavior or not adhering to dormitory rules, which was said to be part of the training evaluation.


    I couldn''t get into the dormitory, so of course, there was no way I would have points deducted. I didn''t know if I should be happy or sad about this. Although free from troublesome rules, I couldn''t help but be nervous since I didn¡¯t know when the prime minister might show up. I had planned to leave the boarding house under the pretext of entering the dormitory.


    Well, I''ve decided to think positively now. The surveillance, which always felt unpleasant, was no longer there. They say it¡¯s darkest under the lamp. But most of all, the meals were delicious!


    "My luggage? It hasn''t been long so I have it with me."


    Flam showed the bag he was wearing sideways. There were some clothes and writing tools.


    "It''s a space-expansion bag?"


    There was magic on it similar to the space expansion bag I got from the information agency. That bag was much larger in terms of space expansion ratio.


    "Oh, how did you know?"


    Flam was surprised by my casual remark.


    "That¡ª"


    I was going to say, "I can see the magic¡±, but checked myself in time. It was good to make myself look like I was just interested in magic.


    "It looks like the bag is bulging less compared to the number of contents inside."


    Fortunately, my fast reaction allowed me to come up with an excuse.


    Flam replied with a slightly perplexed look, "Could you keep it a secret that I have a space-expansion bag? If it is known that I have something this valuable, wouldn''t there be someone who might be after it?"


    That magic is not even hard compared to making a pocket space, but you are saying it¡¯s valuable? Come to think of it, I thought I had heard its value when I received it instead of cash from the information agency. How much was it again?


    "Okay, sure."


    As I nodded, Flam grabbed my hand and thanked me.


    "Thank you, I''ll treat you to lunch today."


    "Let go of my hand," I said with a smile.


    What good would even come out of having contact with a man, and not a beautiful girl? This was even more so, considering my luck these days.


    "Haha, there''s no need to refuse."


    What do you mean there''s no need to refuse? No way!


    As I slapped his hands away with a look of having seen something dirty, Flam also became flustered as he realized the implications of what he had said.


    "No! I like women!"


    We decided to take a step back. It didn¡¯t really matter if he liked men, but if the person he liked was me, then it was different.


    "I mean there''s no need to refuse having lunch!"


    Oh, it''s about lunch.It sounded like a refusal to let go of my hand. But why do you have to make it confusing by saying it at the wrong time?


    "Then let''s apply quickly and go eat."


    "Phew, I''m glad you understand," Flam said while sweating.


    Actually, I was just joking, but he was more fun to make fun of than I thought.

 Chapter 52: Ball (3)

    "By the way, what subject are you planning to take?" Flam asked.


    "I am thinking of applying for the Empire Language and Study of Adventuring in addition to five mandatory subjects," I pleasantly answered.


    "Oh! Is that so? Actually, I was thinking of applying for adventuring studies as well. Don¡¯t all men dream of adventuring? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a study that stimulates your dreams?"


    Flam seemed to be someone who knew something. Rather than thinking that he was just old, I thought he was decent.


    "And I¡¯ve decided to take a history class."


    "History?"


    "Yes, they say knowing history is the same as preparing for the future. And I¡¯m curious as to what the victor wrote."


    Flam somehow gave a bitter smile.


    "Victor?"


    Flam was perplexed when I tilted my head.


    "No, well, you know. The victor is the record of history!"


    History is recorded by the victors, isn''t it? Before I could correct the words, Flam walked ahead quickly first. Well, I suppose it¡¯s best to drink a Maldives in Mojito.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!"


    I quickly caught up.


    The auditorium that we were just at and the place to apply for classes were not far away, so we arrived quickly. We ran into familiar people as we were coming out after quickly filling out class applications.


    "Wow~! Den!"


    As if charging at me, he threw himself to hug, but I grabbed his head with one hand to stop him.


    "It''s hot. Don''t cling to me."


    "Hing, so cold."


    "Good thing since it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Why is this guy trying to cling on to me when it''s August?


    I ignored the teary-faced Alphonso and asked the Lisbon accompanying him, "Today is also the induction ceremony for the knight school, right?"¡±


    As usual, Lisbon gave a pleasant smile and nodded. Seeing the two together, the entrance ceremonies for the low-rank and middle-rank knight schools seemed to have been held together.


    "The class starts in September. I still can''t believe it."


    "But I¡¯m jealous that you have a long break," I remarked.


    The knight school started new semesters in March and September, just like the schools of my previous life. The training for civil servants would begin in three days without any mercy, so I envied them.


    Well, I was just receiving training before the empire would send me off to an assigned department, but those two were going to live as actual students. There would definitely be a difference.


    "Hello, excuse me, but who are you?" Flam asked.


    He had been alienated while I was talking to Lisbon. "Oh, this is Lisbon, an older brother who lives with me in the boarding house. He entered the middle-rank knight school this time.


    "My name is Lisbon von Carter."


    When Lisbon offered his hand, Flam burst into a hearty laugh and received the handshake.


    "Hahaha, I am Flam Dainter. If you''re in the middle-rank knight school, you must be older. Please speak with ease.¡±


    Lisbon entered the middle-rank knight school at the age of 20, so he was older.


    "Huh? Excuse me, but your age~"


    ¡°I''m seventeen years old this year," Flam said.


    Although you look 37.


    Also shocked by Flam¡¯s response, Lisbon failed to stop staring. "Ah, yes. No, uh, yeah....¡±


    He seemed very uncomfortable forcing himself to speak informally. It was the first time I had seen him so flustered. He was the type of person who would just lightly laugh when Alice scolded him.


    "And this is Alphonso, he lives in the same boarding house, and he is entering the low-rank knight school this year," I interjected.


    Alphonso greeted happily. "Hello!"


    "Oh! Nice to meet you. It''s a pleasure to make friends of similar age." Flam took Alphonso''s hands with a happy face.


    "Friend?"


    Alphonso looked at Flam with glistening eyes at the word friend. He looked like a child tempted by candy.


    Perhaps I should train him to refuse even if some middle-aged man approached him saying- "Do you want to be a secret friend with me?".


    "Yes, friend¡¯s parents are my parents, and friend¡¯s friends are my friends. If you''re friends with Den, it¡¯s no different from being my friend."


    Uncle, when did I become friends with you?


    I am definitely introverted, but somehow friendly people kept approaching me.


    "Since it''s fate that I met you here, I''ll buy today¡¯s lunch," Flam said.


    However, the true pushover Lisbon waved his hand.


    "No, you can''t....¡±


    When the crybaby declined, Flam laughed heartily.


    "Hahaha! Don''t decline. Even trainees get a salary."


    As Flam said, even a trainee earns a small salary as a civil servant. Of course, not now, but from the 25th of this month.


    Flam insisted and eventually we headed for lunch.


    -o-


    Yuria arrived at a restaurant being run like a caf¨¦ near the magic school to meet her uncle, William. Sitting by the window with a drink, she waited for the elder who was running later than the promised time.


    The entrance ceremony of the magic school was the following day. Alphonso, Den, and Lisbon were entering today and would be at school by now.


    Yuria tried to attend Alphonso''s entrance ceremony, but he had refused. Since he said even William wasn¡¯t coming, she was partly worried, partly happy that her twin brother seemed to be growing up.


    He used to be lonely, unable to make a single friend back in the village. So he had always leaned on her. But seeing him make friends on his own as soon as he had arrived in the capital, she felt relieved.


    The Butterfly Tribe was so connected to magic that their obsession with it showed. In such a place, Alphonso, who had no talent for magic, could only be left out. Of course, the grand elder of the tribe was their grandfather, so the people did not blatantly look down on him.


    But even Yuria could feel the underlying contempt. Her feeling that it was fortunate that she came to the capital wasn¡¯t only because of her brother. The combination of being uniquely talented even within the tribe and having a grand elder as a grandfather, made her an object of longing. As such, she lived her days feeling like her every action was being judged.


    Leaving the suffocating village and meeting her first friend, Den, in the capital, she was worried that when he found out about her grandfather, he would send envious glances her way.


    Yuria''s grandfather was a legendary great elemental magician, ¡®Glacial Demon¡¯ was one of his many monikers. And she had inherited that great blood.


    To anyone learned in magic, the name alone was enough to make them lower their heads. However, Den had simply said that she and her grandfather were different people as if it weren¡¯t a big deal. Unlike a magician who valued succession of magic, he had regarded her as an individual, unlike those outside the village who valued the bloodline.


    That made her very happy.


    "What are you thinking and giggling about that you didn¡¯t even notice me arrive?"


    Yuria exclaimed in surprise at William who suddenly appeared sitting in front of her.


    "Ah! You scared me! When did you arrive here?¡±


    "Hmm, probably around when you went from a blank to a flushed face and giggled?" William said with a shrug, a sly smile graced his lips.


    Yuria flew into a rage and hit the table. "When... when did I blush and giggle!"


    "Why don''t you drop the corners of your mouth that are up now first?"


    Yuria immediately straightened the corners of her mouth.


    "See, even you know that you were giggling.¡±


    "Uncle!"


    William laughed happily as a flushed Yuria puffed out her cheeks.


    "Hahaha, ok. How is living in a boarding house? Ok?" He changed the subject.


    ¡°Well, it''s all right,¡± she replied, glaring at him and still miffed.


    ¡°I''m glad it¡¯s all right.¡±


    "It can¡¯t be helped since Uncle has to go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory in a few months."


    William was slated to switch out with General Orphina from the Dragon Tribe. Moreover, he was still busy and couldn''t come back often to take good care of the twins and hence sent them to Arscilla''s boarding house.


    "Thanks for understanding. Tell me everything you need before I go up to Demon''s Territory. I''ll prepare as much as I can."


    "I understand."


    "And thanks for being the escort. There''s no one else to trust."


    When William thanked her for being the princess¡¯s escort, Yuria shook her head.


    "No. Uncle is supporting all the tuition and living expenses, so this much is not difficult. It''s only escorting while she is in the school, right?¡±


    Yuria was also interested in the extremely rare anti-magician. As a magician, it was a waste to miss out on the opportunity to take a closer look at the properties between anti-magic and magic.


    "Yes, and I would be thankful if you taught her some magic here and there."


    "That would be good, too. Huhuhu."


    "Yes, hahaha."


    All of the sudden, Yuria and William''s gazes twinkled like that of a researcher.


    As the two were making a plan while laughing evilly as if they had become mad magicians, a sound like it was being blocked by a wall came from outside the window.


    "Yuria~! Uncle~!"


    Alphonso was dangling outside the window and waving his hands.


    -o-


    The place that Flam dragged us to for lunch was a restaurant operating like a caf¨¦ near the training center.


    "I''ve been here once before, and the food tasted good.¡±


    At the restaurant, I felt a strangely familiar mana. I secretly went towards it.


    "Den, where are you going?"


    Alphonso followed me. Is this kid a chick? Then I think a mother hen would match better with Lisbon as compared to me.


    Thinking as such, I stealthily turned my head towards the window of the restaurant. I could see Yuria in the window seat. The strangely familiar mana turned out to be hers.


    She was usually very good at controlling mana. Was there a sudden fluctuation in her emotions?


    Was the young man with white hair sitting across from her the cause?


    He looked a little too old to be called a young man. Still, he looked younger than Flam, so he seemed to be in his late 20s and early 30s at most.


    "Ah, it''s Yuria and Uncle."


    Alphonso, who was slightly sticking his head out like me, said happily.


    But, Uncle? If it''s his uncle... then General William of the Butterfly Tribe?


    We should definitely go to another restaurant. William was a close friend of Uncle Bloody, so there was nothing good about meeting him.[1]


    "Yuria~! Uncle~!"


    Alphonso, who was next to me, was somehow now hanging by the window and waving.


    "Wa-wait!"


    Before I could stop him, the pair saw the guy and opened the window.


    Dang it! First of all, I checked to make sure my mana was hidden well. Good.


    I controlled my mana level to around that of the normal person guarding Mrs. Arschilla at the boarding house. I don''t know about others since I¡¯ve only observed those guards, but this much should be considered a normal level of mana. But honestly, I was nervous.


    I didn¡¯t know William''s level, but since he was sent by the Butterfly people to form friendly ties with the empire, he was more likely to be stronger than me. I learned magic almost by myself except alchemy and basic magic. But he likely learned from the Butterfly Tribe where they were overflowing with people more talented in magic than me.


    1. Uncle Bloody has come up a few times now and some might be wondering if it¡¯s supposed to be Vlad since his full name is actually Vladimir. I believe it is likely Vlad, but since the author wrote it in a way that sounds like Bloody, and it has been used up till now, I will keep it this way for now unless others think I should change it.

 Chapter 53: Ball (4)

    Speaking of the Butterfly Tribe, I¡¯ve suddenly started to become interested, but my peaceful life came first. Also, I didn''t think he''d tell me even if I asked.


    "How was the entrance ceremony, Alphonso?¡± Yuria asked.


    Alphonso nodded at her. "Yes! Ta-da! I got this." He took a small case out of his pocket and showed it to his sister.


    Inside the case was a metal epaulet that would be attached to the uniform shoulder. It was shaped like a small hexagonal star on a bent stick. Although the hierarchy of the imperial army and the former life was not the same, that pattern was probably around sergeant major.


    Although Lisbon didn¡¯t show it, he would have received a similar epaulet. Middle-rank knight school was considered higher than Alphonso¡¯s, but they were of similar rank. But since they had both become sergeant majors, they seemed very old.


    "You finally took your first step as a knight. Congratulations, Alphonso."


    As William clapped his hands and congratulated him, Alphonso scratched the back of his head embarrassed.


    "Hehehe, thank you, Uncle."


    Come to think of it, Alphonso¡¯s future was solid. His uncle, his guardian in the capital, was also one of the top people in the military. The boy could even say something like, "Are you the Command Sergeant Major around here?" after being commissioned.


    If he made the best use of this opportunity, he could even aim for a fast track to promotions. It was possible enough because the empire was like a feudal state from an old era, not a democratic one. Moreover, it seemed like common sense now after hanging around my uncle, but I didn¡¯t think he would be forced to go to the Demon¡¯s Territory either.


    It would have been nice if my uncle had the common sense of ordinary people like me, not of the Crow Tribe. That''s really too bad.


    Firstly, since their gazes didn¡¯t seem to have come towards me yet, I was going to sneak away.


    "But what about him over there?"


    Dang, too late!


    William asked while pointing at me and Alphonso responded in a bright voice.


    "Yes, he is my friend!"


    I didn''t want to stand out as much as possible, but if I ran away without saying hello, I''d stand out even more. So I decided to say hello.


    "Hello, I''m Den von Mark."


    "¡ªDen?"


    William looked suspicious. Judging by that reaction, it was safe to say that news about me had already entered the palace.


    When I was looking to rob some exam papers, considering how I didn¡¯t see any documents in the palace regarding how to cope with me from when I was running amok, the number of people who knew of my escape was very few.


    I can roughly think of two reasons why my escape was kept a secret. One, to prevent chaos. Considering what my father did when he was young, there must be more than a group of people that would panic over the escape of his chosen successor. Two, so as to not provoke me hastily. If they suddenly put my name and description on the wanted list, they didn¡¯t know what I might do, so they were staying still just in case. This was based on the logic that there''s no need to poke the beehive that stays still.


    "I''m staying at the same boarding house as Alphonso and Yuria."


    It was only now that William relaxed his suspicion, smiled, and shook hands with me.


    "Nice to meet you. My name is William. Their uncle. Thanks for getting along with Alphonso.¡±


    Unexpectedly, it was a casual greeting. It wouldn''t be strange if I thought of my hometown where formalities took a backseat.


    I lowered my head slightly and returned the greeting as I shook hands. "It''s an honor to meet the famous General William."


    I had to shake hands at eye level because of the slightly high window between us. He probably wouldn''t think that I would be staying at the prime minister¡¯s mother, Mrs. Arscilla''s, boarding house as it was darkest under the lamp. He would not have gone to such a place where they checked identities and was under surveillance if he was in his right mind.


    But that didn''t mean I was out of my mind. Let''s use the image of the martial fanatic Crow Tribe, and speak educatedly to make them think I am not Denburg.


    As a measure for such scenarios, I had dyed my hair a common color- dark brown. However, the eyes were left black because there was no way to dye them other than magic. Usually, the color was just dyed by magic, but the opponent was from the Butterfly Tribe, so the use of magic had to be avoided.


    "You don''t have to speak so stiffly. A friend of my niece and nephew is no different from being my nephew."


    William smiled brightly saying something similar to what Flam had told Alphonso. Indeed, like a member of Alphonso and Yuria''s family, he had a similar smile.


    "Den, Alphonso, what are you doing over there?" Lisbon and Flam approached from behind and asked.


    They seemed to have followed after us who disappeared without a word.


    William looked at the two that followed and asked his nephew, "What about those people?"


    "My friends!"


    William patted Alphonso''s head seemingly slightly moved. "Hi! I''m his uncle. Please continue to be good friends with our Alphonso."


    Lisbon reflexively greeted back courteously. "Yes, hello. My name is Lisbon von Carter."


    Then after a brief delay like booting up an old computer, he seemed surprised.


    ¡°!¡±


    He must have remembered who Alphonso''s uncle was.


    Hey, your reaction is slow!


    Flam did not seem to care, perhaps because he couldn¡¯t have known Alphonso¡¯s origin since they had just met. It was common knowledge that the Butterfly Tribe were white-haired, but it wasn''t like there were a lot of people from the battle races around. So you wouldn''t necessarily think that the person next to you was from a battle race.


    "Hahaha, nice to meet you. If you''re an uncle of a friend, you''re also an uncle to me."


    I haven''t known Flam for a long time, but it was a first seeing such a madman.


    Do you know who you are speaking like that to? You wouldn¡¯t know. If you knew, you wouldn''t have spoken like that.[1]


    But if he didn¡¯t speak like that, I wonder if he would seem less like that cartoon penguin in glasses. Although if you looked just at his size, he was more of a polar bear than a penguin.


    "Thanks for thinking so." William didn¡¯t mind Flam¡¯s mannerism and spoke back casually.


    Or maybe he didn¡¯t mind since Flam looked old. One win for looking old!


    "It''s fate that we met like this, so come in and I''ll buy you a meal."


    Under normal circumstances, unless you were a pushover, you¡¯d decline. But his body was slightly frozen.


    It was another first, seeing Lisbon like this. Right after starting his military trainee life, he had met a star that could fulfill his dreams, but somehow it still felt strange to go sit.


    "I''m also curious as to who is the one that made Yuria giggle.¡±


    "Uncle!" Yuria blushed and struck William in the ribs.


    "Woook!"


    William groaned and collapsed when he was hit by a blow empowered by magic that would not have ended with just internal organ rupture if it had been an ordinary person.


    Hey, um. Are. you. O. K.?


    There''s no answer. It''s like a normal corpse.


    "Hohoho, gosh Uncle, don¡¯t exaggerate."


    Though she was hidden by the window, Yuria laughed and tapped William with her foot to get up quickly. I didn''t think he was being dramatic. Yuria''s blow just now was skillful enough to make even the Crow Tribe have difficulty getting up if hit defenselessly.


    As it had been until now, I should continue to not mess around with Yuria.


    "Ugh¡ª"


    William got up groaning. He gave a money pouch to Yuria with a pale face.


    "I''ve got some work to do. I¡¯ll leave... first... Use this to buy food."


    His breathing was unnatural. Maybe he thought he might end up a corpse if he kept messing around, but William ran away leaving the money behind.


    Is this how you gain money when you get rid of monsters in a game?


    We all went to the restaurant and had lunch with the money Yuria looted.


    -o-


    From atop a huge castle located on the outskirts of the capital, a gray-haired old man with a golden mask and a burly-looking man with a brown mask were looking at the capital below.


    "Doesn¡¯t it seem futile? Leo." The man in the brown mask called Taurus sighed as darkness slowly encroached the capital.


    The old man in the golden mask, Leo, had a bitter smile. "It seems futile. Yes, it might be futile." He then jumped lightly upon the outer wall of the castle.


    "But you know, Taurus." Leo looked back at Taurus and laughed greedily. "Would it matter if you could hold all this in the palm of your hands?"


    Just like the other, Taurus climbed up the outer wall of the castle and said, "To hold everything in your grasp, that¡¯s greedy, Leo." He sat on the edge in the direction of the capital. Then he added, "That sounded like something Scorpio would say."


    Leo broke into a frenzied laughter. "Ahahahahaha!!¡± Then he stopped and made a serious face. "Are you crazy? How dare you compare that woman who¡¯s full of greed to me!¡±


    Taurus smiled indifferently at the other''s outburst. "So stay in line, Leo. Right now, you look like you have fallen into the greed you despise."


    Leo snorted. "That¡¯s not even funny. Stay in line. Does the empire look easy to you?"


    "No, the empire is mighty. More than anything in the world."


    "But still, stay in line?¡± Leo asked.


    Taurus nodded.


    "You are a fool. You are the one who wants the destruction of the empire more than anyone else." Leo spoke out.


    "I can''t help it if it''s foolish. It¡¯s my belief."


    Leo sighed. He looked so foolish, but he also liked the simplicity and naivety of Taurus.


    "You foolish person. I don''t want to become enemies with you. Don''t interfere with my work."


    Saying so, Leo jumped down the castle wall. Taurus muttered as he looked towards where the other disappeared, hidden by the darkness.


    "I will do so if my principles permit."


    -o-


    Today was the day of the first class at the training center.


    Upon arriving, I headed to the vacant lot inside the school as per schedule. According to the one I¡¯d signed up for, the first class at the training center was swordsmanship.


    The guidebook stated that all the tools needed for the class were to be prepared by the training center, so there was no need to bring a sword. All the weapons that lay in my pocket space were made of super rare metals such as mithril, orichalcum, and adamantium. Moreover, for the sake of magic practice, I had engraved magic into them, so it was overkill to use for class. I had been considering buying a cheap one at a nearby weapon store, but that was a relief.


    Arriving at the vacant lot, the first thing I noticed was the overwhelmingly old-looking Flam.


    That face was my age... It felt like a supporting actor in his 30s, wearing a uniform and playing the role of a teenager in a drama.


    1. Flam normally speaks very formally relative to normal people, but the way he was speaking was relatively too informal for someone of William¡¯s position.

 Chapter 54: Ball (5)

    "Are you just arriving now?"


    Before I could pretend to be friendly, Flam spoke to me first.


    "Yes, hello. You''re early, aren''t you?¡±


    There were still ten more minutes for the class to start. It was quiet around me. It seemed maybe I was also a little early.


    Even considering that swordsmanship was a mandatory subject and was divided into classes, fewer than 20 people were in the vacant lot.


    "Haha, it''s not far from dormitories. Which dorm room are you in? I''ve been looking for you ever since we went our ways after lunch on the day of the entrance ceremony, but I haven''t seen you."


    It seemed he had been looking for me since we parted three days ago.


    On that day, Flam left first after lunch saying he had someone to meet, so I wasn¡¯t able to tell him that I was commuting to school. I felt a little bad.


    "Oh, you''ve gone through a lot of trouble. I''m not living in the dorms, but commuting."


    Flam''s eyes opened wide in surprise. "No, but weren¡¯t trainees required to stay in the dormitories?"


    It appeared he couldn¡¯t even imagine that I might be commuting. But the guidebook did say that all the students had to enter the dormitory, so it was natural to think so.


    I let out a small sigh. "I know. I wanted to go into the dormitory, but they said I couldn¡¯t."


    Power is this scary.


    "What do you mean?"


    How should I explain my situation? It was annoying to explain the truth.


    Just in time, the instructor along with slaves, I mean assistant instructors carrying heavy boxes, were approaching our vacant lot.


    "It''s a little complicated to explain. I think the instructor is coming over here, so let''s talk slowly later when we have time."


    After getting around it smoothly, I turned my gaze to the instructor.


    In terms of time, there were still more than five minutes left, but they seemed to have come early to distribute the swords first.


    When I looked around, somehow, almost all of the trainees were gathered in the vacant lot.


    The instructor yelled at the trainees standing around chattering.


    "Five lines, gather together!"


    The trainees stared blankly at the instructor. Most of the men here were writers or the third sons of nobles. In other words, they were not military people. Still, these commoner trainees followed the order and moved around, apparently having been trained for conscription.


    "Get together!"


    But these were people who usually sat at their desks, so their movements were clumsy. It was impossible to hope that those who had received simple military training but had never joined the military would move quickly.


    The instructor also seemed to know this and looked at the trainees with zero expectations. The unmilitary people from noble origins looked at the other trainees self consciously and copied their movements. The assistants moved the trainees to five lines, putting the one who made the sixth row, back.


    Flam and I joined one of the lines. Apparently, the instructor was a demoted knight and the assistant an experienced soldier. It was not like it was a knight school, so it¡¯d be wasteful to hire a proper knight to teach this crowd.


    I hope the magic class isn''t like this.


    Please. I''m looking forward to the magic class.


    The instructor couldn¡¯t have known my earnest request but nonetheless said in an odd voice that didn¡¯t have any desire but spirit.


    "In the future, before this class starts, we gather in this formation! Do you understand!"


    "Yes!"


    The trainees shouted with nervous faces. It felt like seeing new recruits with spirit, albeit with a likeness to the Tang Dynasty army. I could see that they would get used to it by tomorrow. It couldn''t be helped because they weren¡¯t entering the army in the first place.


    "Before you start this class, you might wonder why you, who sits behind a desk with a pen, need it!"


    The majority of the trainees nodded.


    Look at them nodding! Even at a glance, it was the Tang army of the Tang Dynasty. If there was a real spirit, they would have shouted, "No!" They wouldn¡¯t have even thought about nodding.


    I somehow managed to grab a hold of the sinking feeling as if I had come to the reserve army. I didn''t like it because it felt like I was re-entering.


    "This class is primarily aimed at building a body that can improve your physical strength and withstand the work you will do in the future."


    In short, they were building up your stamina to make you work hard for a long time.


    "It''s also to teach self-defense skills that are suitable for your job so that you can protect yourself." The instructor continued.


    It meant that we needed to learn to protect ourselves because they wouldn''t help if we got beaten up during our job.


    "This class is for you, who will be the first to move during a national emergency."


    If a war broke out, then we would be the first to be conscripted into the military. What need was there for a sword when we would just be working with documents?


    "Well, then I''m done explaining. I''ll hand out the things you''ll need moving forward. Make sure to return it after class."


    The box that the assistants had been busy carrying was opened and its contents handed out to the trainees. Passed from front to back, all trainees had one in their hands.


    But now I had a musket, not a sword, in my hand.


    "Excuse me? Isn''t this class swordsmanship?" one of the trainees asked the assistant who handed out the musket.


    "Ah, swordsmanship has been turned into a comprehensive weaponry since three years ago," the assistant answered the question as if he was used to it.


    "Huh? But the guidebook clearly says swordsmanship¡ª¡±


    "Oh, that. About five years ago, a print shop staff accidentally printed out a bunch of guidebooks, so they said they would just keep handing them out, but it seems they are still being distributed.¡±


    The trainees were speechless.


    "Did the print shop staff get fired?¡±


    This time I asked a question.


    The assistant answered with a bitter smile, "Would a civil servant get fired so easily? The printing house still belongs to the country. Well, I''ve heard rumors that his promotions are gone forever."


    He didn¡¯t get fired despite making such a huge mistake that guidebooks from five years ago were still being distributed.


    I knew it! I''m glad I chose to become a civil servant.


    "Due to that, those subjects that were supposed to be abolished are still being continued,¡± the assistant remarked.


    "Why?"


    "If the actual subjects change too much from the guidebook, then a guidebook becomes meaningless.¡±


    Nice! A country certainly does things differently.


    Still, there have been minor changes, such as the change of swordsmanship to comprehensive weaponry and the abolition of subjects that no one really takes.


    "So then, will we learn swordsmanship?¡± It was one of the trainees again.


    The assistant replied with a shrug, "I told you, it''s comprehensive. You¡¯ll learn swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand combat. Honestly, the reality is that even if I were to teach you swordsmanship in a short period of time, you¡¯ll hardly achieve anything, right? We''ve changed the direction to gun usage, which is easier to learn, and teaching the rest at a smaller level."


    If the assistant''s words were true, it can be said that they had become quite realistic. Most of the trainees were textbook weaklings who arm-wrestled on top of a desk. It raised the question of how much swordsmanship could those weaklings actually even learn. Thus, it was more efficient to change to the easy-to-learn gun tactics as the main subject.


    The problem was that the musket we received was a ceremonial battlefield gun[1] with a wheel lock[2].


    Rather, should we consider it fortunate that it was not a matchlock, or should we sigh of relief that it was not a percussion cap?


    In a magic world, guns that couldn¡¯t be used in windy and rainy weather were almost useless in the battlefields involving countries, unless they were used for monster hunting. Of course, the kinetic energy of a musket is about 1,500J, which is very powerful. However, casting a magic spell on the armor results in a strong reaction upon contact with the lead in the bullet, so much so that it can offset the momentum and curtail the damage.


    To cause a reaction to all substances, the magic would need to be quite complex, but if it was limited to a substance called "lead¡±, it could be mass-produced on the spot. Of course, if you mass-produced it, the magic would disappear after blocking six or seven shots, but after shooting five shots, a musket essentially becomes a stick because of the powder residue left in the gun.


    Naturally, if you made bullets with materials other than lead, it¡¯d be different. But if the material was more solid than lead, the musket barrel would not be able to withstand the intensity of the bullet, so it would be difficult. If it was a substance softer than lead, it probably couldn¡¯t play the role of a bullet.


    Above all, if some wind was created with magic, it would be impossible to load and become useless. So it was a useless thing.


    Unless bullet cartridges were developed and could rain bullets down onto a battlefield, there would be no situation where guns could be the main weapons. Given the circumstances, guns seemed unlikely to develop to that extent.


    "Now, no more chatter."


    Silence fell in unison.


    "Everyone will learn how to use a musket according to the assistant¡¯s instruction. The assistants will teach one row at a time."


    The assistants all took one row and dispersed.


    -o-


    After the swordsmanship, no, the comprehensive weaponry class ended, the trainees'' were done for the day. All trainees took a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine courses. But the weaklings moved their bodies today, so they wouldn''t be taking any other classes today.


    The training center likely knew this and had adjusted the schedule to prevent students from taking other subjects on the day they had comprehensive weaponry. After learning how to operate a musket, we only ran 10 laps around a small open space with the musket.


    By the end of the class, seeing how Flam and I were the only normal ones left, I could gauge just how much of a weakling they were.


    Flam went back to the dormitory and I headed to the boarding house alone. Come to think of it, I felt like it had been a long time since I¡¯ve been alone.


    In the boarding house, Carter and Butterfly Tribe siblings were always noisy, making alone time feel rare. I didn¡¯t know about Alice, but Yuria had a good sense of magic, so I couldn¡¯t easily use magic in the house since she arrived. In many ways, I had a subtle feeling of dissatisfaction, or should I say that I just felt somewhat sulky.


    I snuck out a half-white mask from my pocket space. Come to think of it, I vowed to punish the treasury official, but have put it off.


    I shouldn¡¯t do this. Didn''t I learn in school from my previous life that it¡¯s not good to procrastinate?


    Yes, yes, children in a new country should not put off a day¡¯s work to the next day.


    I hid in a secluded place and now wore a familiar mask.


    But what do I do until nightfall?


    I took off my mask again and headed for the boarding house. Even if it was me, stealing in broad daylight was a little much. Besides, I hadn''t even done a preliminary investigation. I''d have to put it off for a few days.


    How unfortunate!


    1. A gun where you pour the bullet and power down the barrel


    2. A detonator with a flint attached to a springboard

 Chapter 55: Ball (6)

    William headed for the secret conference room for one of the regular meetings. There were many ways to get to the secret conference room, his personal favorite being teleportation.


    Teleportation, however, was like the final boss of spatial magic, which required enormous mana and complicated formulas. Even William could not use such complex spatial magic without the help of a magic circle. Moreover, the secret conference room was set up at the heart of the palace, making it even more impossible if it weren''t for the hidden magic circle in the audience chamber.


    If someone tried to teleport inside from outside the palace, the giant magic circle encircling the palace would without a doubt vaporize the intruder into tiny molecules. The magic circle covering the palace was so monstrous that even William couldn''t do anything about it. Without the access cord worn on his right hand, he would not even be able to move near the emperor. So it was clear how monstrous the magic circle protecting the monarch was.


    William headed to the secret conference room through one of the numerous secret passages inside the palace. He always wrote short papers in his mind during this time because it took time to walk through the long, secret passages to the secret conference room.


    However this time, he wondered who his niece, Yuria, was interested in.


    Before sending Yuria and Alphonso to Arscilla''s boarding house, he received information about the current residents from Prime Minister Arcanta. As such, two names emerged as potential candidates- Lisbon and Den.


    Of the two, Lisbon¡¯s information was detailed, but it was of a typical knight. Being a knight was something that Alphonso might be interested in, but not something that Yuria cared for. On the other hand, there was too little information on Den. All that was known was name, origin, and age.


    William recalled the moment he saw Den in person not long ago. His formal behavior and tone seemed somewhat highly educated, which came out immediately when he spoke. It would be difficult to act so formal without a high level of education.


    William''s close friend, Bloody, was born and raised in an overly unrestrained Crow Tribe village. Because of that, he spent a lot of time learning court etiquette and was still learning.


    When William and Den shook hands, it was with the window wall between them. The layout of the restaurant was designed such that people of higher status would be seated at a higher position. Not to mention, there was an obstacle between them, which undoubtedly made shaking hands more difficult.


    Usually, a person would take a step closer to try to shake hands more comfortably, but Den remained where he was. One could dismiss it as a simple step, but one would usually, subconsciously, move to be in a more comfortable state.


    That meant Den felt uncomfortable coming one step closer to him. As evidence, the boy tried his best to avoid meeting eyes when talking to him.


    William thought that it must have been because Den felt uncomfortable meeting his gaze. He came to the conclusion that his analysis did not reveal much. Of course, they¡¯d met for a brief time, so perhaps it was only natural.


    But a person¡¯s behavior revealed many things. To list out William''s analysis:


    -It was assumed that Yuria had good feelings for someone.


    -Of the two who came into contact with Yuria, a fellow named Lisbon did not have elements to attract her interest.


    -And there was not enough information about Den.


    -Combining the mana he sensed and Den¡¯s slim physique, there was a high chance that he had learned magic.


    -If so, the one with the element to gain Yuria¡¯s interest would be Den, rather than the one named Lisbon.


    -Looking at Den¡¯s behavior, he seemed well educated and uncomfortable around William.


    Combining the above analysis, William reached one hypothesis.


    Does Den like Yuria?


    It was a ridiculous hypothesis, but William oddly felt confident as he became accustomed to the idea. So he was uncomfortable while being polite and formal at the same time when they first met.


    Just looking at it, isn''t this the behavior you come across when meeting the parents of the person you like?


    He continued to support his hypothesis, thinking that it was not unusual for someone to fall in love at a glance with a beautiful girl like Yuria.


    But there was still a lack of information.


    William decided to withhold this hypothesis for now. However, it didn¡¯t feel bad thinking about the young who secretly had feelings for each other. He decided to keep a close eye on Den to find information that would support his hypothesis.


    Thinking that if Den knew, he would have screamed, "Don¡¯t! It''s a misunderstanding¡± William reached the secret conference room.


    -o-


    The long-awaited day of action arrived. It was already mid-August, it took longer than I thought for the preliminary investigation.


    After sneaking out of the boarding house, I searched the area from on top of the bell tower near the great temple in the center of the capital. As it was early in the morning, the scenery was completely different from mid-day.


    I flapped the cape I bought in Granwell and struck a pose like a god from a myth.


    Always crawling towards the bountiful treasury! It''s Lupin!


    As Lupin had been inactive for a while, the number of patrolmen wandering all night had decreased noticeably. There would be more tomorrow, but they wouldn¡¯t have to worry as long as no one provoked me again.


    By the way, the Great Temple was a very large temple as its name suggested. It was so large that I couldn¡¯t even see the top of the temple from the bell tower. As for breaking-in, there were plenty of entry points. But the building was so large that it seemed finding my target would take some time.


    My target this time was a golden goddess statue. Heretofore, I didn¡¯t have specific things in mind to steal, but this time I decided to move with an exact target. My purpose was to hit the temple as hard as possible. The aim was to make them angry so that they harass the Ministry of Treasury.


    The nobles I had robbed before could have enough scratches left on their pride just by breaking in and robbing them. But the temple was an icon of mercy. I wasn¡¯t sure if they would go to the Ministry of Treasury like a loser just because I stole some property. In addition, no matter how much money I stole, in a few days, donations would fill it back up. I didn''t think that was enough to upset the temple properly.


    In the past, the temple decayed to the extent of corruption, boasting more authority than the imperial power before the rise of Demon King Kanglim. However, about 120 years ago, their authority fell because they failed to properly cope with Demon King Kanglim¡¯s rise.


    The imperial family took advantage of this opportunity to consolidate their power and keep the feudal lords in check. Through this, the current empire¡¯s state was that of converting from feudal states to absolute monarchy.


    Of course, even so, the temple¡¯s power was based on people¡¯s faith, unlike a country with power based on territory. In other words, as long as there were believers, the temple could have enormous influence within the empire. That was the reason why I was messing with the temple.


    I activated my martial arts before entering the great temple. It was better to be prepared since there was no knowing what kind of magic circles might be hidden, like in the palace.


    I erased my presence and snuck into the Great Temple.


    -o-


    Inside the huge prayer room in the basement of the Great Temple, a huge stone goddess statue with a merciful smile was looking down.


    Leo, an old man wearing a gold mask, looked at the giant goddess statue that was looking down at him from more than 5m away and murmured angrily.


    Originally, the statue standing in front of Leo was overlaid with gold. But now the gold was peeled off. The glorious and holy light that had once filled the prayer room was nowhere to be found. Every time he had to stand here, he had to swallow his raging fury.


    As Leo was looking at the goddess statue, thirty men wearing black masks and hoods, knelt behind him, their stance that of obedience.


    "Lord Cardo Fernando, we''ve gathered everyone, as you have ordered."


    Cardo was an ancient word for hinge but also meant cardinal. Leo took off his gold mask and turned around with it in his arms. There was no need to wear it in the Great Temple, his own territory.


    "Good job Paladin Malive, and noble warriors."


    "No, everything is God''s will."


    The 30 who were wearing masks prostrated like their representative, Malive. Then they began to report on their activities.


    "Paladin Vibrio and nine others have returned from the western part of the empire after completing what Cardo ordered."


    "Paladin Mario and nine others have returned from the southeastern border of the empire, after suppressing 300 heretics following orders from Cardo."


    "Paladin Malive and nine others, in the northeastern part of the empire, have located the main base of Big Mama¡¯s information agency, as Cardo ordered."


    While listening to paladins'' report, Fernando became interested in Malive''s report.


    "So, you finally found the main base of those cockroaches? Where is it?"


    ¡°A small town called Granwell,¡± said Malive.


    Fernando burst into laughter.


    "Hahaha! Good job! Good job! We¡¯ll finally be able to get some information about the base of those annoying things!"


    Fernando was genuinely pleased. It was a valuable piece of information that could wipe out the troublesome rats that kept giving the imperial family information regarding the influence and activities of Fernando and the 11 people who earned monikers of the 12 zodiacs.


    Honestly, the information from the other guys didn¡¯t matter. From Fernando¡¯s point of view, having influence in the center of the capital where the emperor had the most power, was quite a nuisance.


    While Fernando was laughing cheerfully, he suddenly felt something touch his nerve.


    "Who is it!" Fernando waved a wand that was for ceremonial use, to cast holy magic on the ceiling.


    "Aaak!"


    One person fell through the thin ceiling when it was broken by the sudden holy magic.


    A mysterious person, wearing a black cape with a half-white mask, had a golden goddess statue about 60 centimeters long in one hand.


    "That-that¡¯s!"


    The golden statue in the hands of the mysterious person was a precious object of the past when the authority of the gods encompassed the entire continent. During the fall of the temple, when they were losing their wealth just trying to survive, this sacred object was one of the few things that remained.


    ¡°How dare you! What do you think you¡¯re touching with your dirty hands!!¡±


    Fernando''s anger reached its peak. That statue of the goddess was a precious object that was no different from the history of the temple. It was not something for a lowly thief to dare covet.


    That goddess statue was the reverse scale for Fernando who wanted to reclaim the glory of the past.


    The half-white masked mysterious person spoke as he looked back and forth between the golden goddess statue he was holding and Fernando.


    "Hehe! I made a mistake."


    "You bastard!!!"


    At the sight of the half-white mask mysterious person making a cute gesture of smacking his head, Fernando unleashed his wrath.

 Chapter 56: Ball (7)

    It was easier than expected to find the golden goddess statue. It was in a place where people could see it well because it represented the past glory of the temple. However, because it was wrapped with so many protective spells, it took a while to lift it all.


    After the 32nd protective spell was lifted and the golden goddess statue was safely in my arms, I placed a card where the statue was originally.


    I am taking the history of the temple.


    -Lupin


    Then, I restored the magic to its original state.


    By the way, is this golden goddess statue really completely made of gold?


    I decided to check later and tried to put the golden statue in the pocket space.


    ¡°Huh? What? Why isn¡¯t it going in?¡±


    Like the meeting of two magnets with the same polarity, the golden goddess statue floated in the air and did not go into the pocket space.


    "Get in there, you!"


    I tried to push it in with my body weight, but it would not go into the pocket space. I tried my best to put it into the pocket space but failed. It was strange since I couldn¡¯t sense any kind of power from it, let alone magic.


    I came here to warm up, no, to screw over an unfriendly civil servant from the treasury, but I ended up finding something interesting. I''ll have to study this slowly later.


    With the golden statue in my arms, I decided to go out through the vents that I used to enter the Great Temple. Unlike when I came in, because I had to carry something with me, I applied the crawl I learned in my previous life to go through the ventilation shaft.


    Hmm?


    Below the intersection of the passage going outside and downwards, I felt a small wave of mana. According to my preliminary investigation, this direction was towards a huge prayer room underground.


    Is someone practicing magic in the prayer room?


    Thinking of catching a glimpse, I turned around and headed towards the basement.


    Arriving at the ceiling of the prayer room, the wave of mana was still small but could definitely be felt.


    When I arrived at the source of the mana, I heard a small voice. Focusing my ears, I could hear something about heretics having been killed, and that something was located in the northeastern part of the empire.


    Even considering I had pretty good ears, I could only hear a buzzing voice. It seemed the mana that I felt was from this magic empowered voice that was leaking out. Even considering that I was a battle race, it was a bit too lax of them to let sound leak out. Still, I got sick of hearing it on and off. I checked to see exactly what magic might have been placed around here.


    Hmm...? What kind of magic is this?


    Something that seemed like magic but not magic, was blocking the area surrounding the prayer room.


    No, is it actually magic?


    I was curious about the unfamiliar magic that I was seeing for the first time. The mana operating this magic was quite different from the normal mana. It was similar to martial aura released by a mixture of desire to fight or kill, but was also completely different.


    Is this what¡¯s called divine power? It was a temple, so the chances were high.


    Very interesting. I''d never felt divine power before.


    "Ah!"


    Just observing ended up turning into a mistake. I was about to turn around thinking I had to run away, when suddenly mana bullets tore a bunch of holes in the ventilation shaft. Instinctively shielding myself, I was safe, but the ventilation shaft became a beehive.


    The beehive ventilation shaft failed to bear my weight and dropped me through a big hole.


    "Aaah!"


    With the right arm on the floor in a crawl position, and the golden goddess statue in the left, I was unable to grab the ceiling and could only fall. But I was able to land lightly with the Crows'' characteristic physical abilities.


    "That... that''s! How dare you! What do you think you¡¯re touching with your dirty hands!!¡±


    The old man at the highest position was upset and pointed to the golden goddess statue in my arm.


    You should consider your age. Isn¡¯t it bad for your health to get so worked up?


    By the way, how should I react in a situation like this?


    "Dehe! I made a mistake."


    "You bastard!!!"


    The highest-status looking old man was furious and pointed his ceremonial wand and cast magic at me.


    "God, punish the wicked man for insulting you! Heavenly punishment!"


    Suddenly, a powerful lightning bolt flew towards me. I cast my hidden defense magic accordingly.


    "Friend Shield!"


    I pushed the golden statue toward the old man''s magic lightning bolt. At my absolute defense spell, the old man hastily canceled his magic.


    "Cough!"


    Perhaps because he suddenly stopped his magic, it seemed to have rebounded, reversing the flow of mana. The old man knelt, throwing up blood.


    "Your Excellency, Cardinal!"


    That''s why you have to think about your age. You shouldn''t overdo it.


    Cardinal, you say. The old man was of an even higher status than I thought.


    "You bastard!"


    When the old man, called the cardinal, fell down, all the people around him pulled out their swords and aimed it at me. I raised the invincible weapon again.


    "You...! Have you seen such insolence!"


    Seeing me take aim, holding the leg of the golden goddess statue as a handle, one of the men near the old man yelled while turning red.


    Looking at him, I drew a cross with one hand.


    "God is with me!"


    Of course, with me in the form of a statue.


    "You bastard!"


    Is ¡®you bastard¡¯ the only thing you know how to say? Let''s escape outside the temple for now.


    "God''s mace!"


    I ran towards the door of the prayer room and swung God''s mace at the man who was blocking the door.


    "Heek!"


    The golden goddess statue and even the sword on it were made very sturdy, but maybe because it was sacrilegious to cross swords with it, the man moved out of the way.


    "God''s wrath!"


    This time, he wielded God''s wrath recklessly, forcing back those who were surrounding him, and kicked the door of the prayer room.


    Kwang!


    Unwittingly, I got too excited. When I saw the completely smashed door of the prayer room, I lowered my head and apologized.


    "Ah, sorry."


    Come to think of it, even if I wasn¡¯t excited, me kicking the door would likely have broken it anyways. I was going to have to master this thing called strength control somehow. I got out of the prayer room.


    "Hurry! Cough! Go after him!"


    "Your Excellency, Cardinal! Please preserve your strength! Paladin Mario! Paladin Vibrio! Quickly lead the men and go after that insolent person!"


    "Yes! Stop right there!"


    There were people in hot pursuit of me.


    This brought back memories.


    -o-


    After a chase, I was safely able to deceive them by creating a dummy with illusion magic outside of the capital. By the time I returned to the boarding house, it was almost dawn. I felt refreshed because it felt like a long time since I did proper exercise.


    I wanted to take a short nap. As long as this golden goddess statue wouldn¡¯t go into the pocket space, it had to be hidden somewhere. Underneath the bed was too sloppy, but burying it underground to hide it from view seemed a little much.


    Considering the disturbance I caused last night, even if it were discovered, as long as they couldn¡¯t pinpoint it to me, it didn¡¯t matter. Especially since the temple would pressure the treasury to capture me anyways, I would be able to successfully screw over the treasury official.


    However, it was a waste to just hide this without doing any research on why it wouldn¡¯t go into the pocket space.


    If you want to hide a tree, you hide it in a forest. Should I just hide it by using it as a decoration for my room?


    -o-


    Cardinal Fernando laid on a luxurious bed in the hospital room in the great temple, controlling the mana backflow.


    The divine power, which was created by mixing faith and mana, had a strong healing power and wide effect amongst magic. But there was one flaw.


    If a person who used divine power doubted his faith or had acted disrespectfully to God, his divine power would greatly weaken. Like previously, although it was not intentional, he had attacked the statue and felt guilty which affected his divine power.


    Despite Lupin surrounding the golden goddess statue with sword aura, the reason why the surrounding Paladins avoided him was due to the same reason.


    "Dammit! What the hell is going on before the revolt!"


    He tried hard to control and subdue the mana backflow, but due to the temporary weakening of divine power from nearly attacking the golden goddess statue, it was not going well. However, as it was just caused by a guilty conscience, it would not be long before his divine power was restored.


    Fernando clenched his jaws then ground his teeth to the point you could hear it.


    In the first place, if it were just a normal goddess statue, he would have struck the statue and the thief with the heavenly punishment without any guilt. However, it happened with the golden goddess statue being used as a sword and shield that was a symbol to the Paladins and Fernando who had the great cause of restoring the temples to glory.


    He immediately asked the Paladins that returned.


    "What happened to the thief?"


    Mario, the highest-ranking Paladin among the Paladins that were in pursuit, bowed his head in disgrace. "I''m sorry, Your Excellency the Cardinal. We lost him."


    "What?!"


    Fernando was shocked. The men who chased the thief were the elite among the temple forces.


    How could it be possible to throw these men off the trail?


    "Then, how about the goddess statue? What happened to the golden goddess statue?"


    Mario shook his head with a stiff face.


    "Right now, go retrieve it right now!!¡±


    Fernando threw a glass of water at Mario in anger.


    Mario just closed his eyes tightly, not avoiding the glass of water flying towards his head.


    Clang!


    The glass broke but Mario opened his eyes when there was no pain.


    Malive, Mario¡¯s superior, standing in front him had received the hit instead.


    Malive said, casually wiping the blood on his forehead from being hit by a glass of water, "Lord Cardo Fernando. Please calm down."


    "Calm down? Did you just say calm down?! Paladin Malive!"


    Malive was the one who had served him the longest. Fernando was furious at the Malive¡¯s advice, but this time he only gritted his teeth and did not throw anything.


    "Are you telling me to calm down even while knowing what kind of object that goddess statue is?!¡±


    Despite the cardinal¡¯s seething rage, Malive answered calmly, "I know. It''s our glory, our hope, our goal."


    "Even knowing that!"


    "But!" Malive raised his voice cutting Fernando off. Then he went on calmly. "But it is of the past. It''s not ours who are living in the present, but belongs in the past.¡±


    "What are you talking about?"


    Malive continued, looking clearly into Fernando''s lost eyes. "Lord Cardo Fernando, no, Your Excellency, the Cardinal. We aren¡¯t following the great cause to simply go back to the past."


    Fernando''s eyes, which had been stunned by Malive''s words, began to come back to life.


    "We are following Your Excellency, the Cardinal, to move forward into the glorious future. Of course, we should be angry at the insult of our God. You must bring down the mace of justice to that insolent person. However, should we be obsessed with the past and ruin the things we should be doing now?"


    Fernando regained his reason that was temporarily polluted by his anger. At the same time, the divine power that had been shaken by guilt returned. Stronger than before.


    "Yes, we did not gather to go back to the past. Myself, and you all are headed for the future. It is to build a monumental tower that will be more brilliant, more glorious than in the past, and will never fall again."


    Fernando rose from his seat. Although he had yet to recuperate from the mana backflow, he would soon get better since his divine power had returned. No matter how slow the recovery, he would be active in perfect physical condition for the revolt that was set to happen in a month.


    "I will make sure to cut off the head of the ruffian who stole the goddess statue and present it to Cardo Fernando.¡±


    "I''ll look forward to it. But for now, the revolt comes first. Where is the place of the revolt?" Fernando flashed a dark smile


    Malive replied loyally as usual, "It''s the magic school in the capital."

 Chapter 57: Ball (8)

    Prime Minister Arcanta was shocked by the news he received as soon as he got into his office in the morning.


    "What''s been stolen now?"


    "The statue of the golden goddess that was kept in the temple was stolen." Arcanta¡¯s aide calmly answered.


    "Who, for what purpose?¡±


    "Wouldn¡¯t it be the same person who robbed Count Druval¡¯s mansion a little while ago?"


    Arcanta plopped down in his seat pulling on his hair. "You mean the one named Lupin?" He felt a throbbing headache and a pain emerging in his stomach. "Should I consider it fortunate that it¡¯s the same person or misfortune?"


    If the thief was Lupin, it was fortunate that there was no need to disperse the manpower that had been chasing him so far. However, Lupin was also a ghost-like monster who had yet to leave a trace.


    For the next 2-3 years, he planned on trying to trace the items Lupin stole in the black market. Although they had lost a lot of power compared to the past, the temple still boasted a strong power. But he decided to touch them.


    He was planning on letting the treasury officials off Lupin¡¯s trail, but now it had become impossible. It was clear that Cardinal Fernando from the temple, one of the hard-core members of the temple well-known for his stubbornness, would send his complaints non-stop.


    "But there''s a lot of witnesses this time."


    "What?!" Arcanta was surprised.


    It was Lupin, a man who succeeded in stealing without being noticed, even in the heavily guarded mansion of Count Druval.


    But at the night in the temple that wasn¡¯t even guarded, this ghost-like thief was seen?


    It was just incredible!


    "Yesterday, early in the morning, the cardinal and his paladins were praying. And it so happened that Lupin was passing through the ventilation shaft above the prayer room."


    "Haha, what luck! Seems that thief has poor luck, passing over Cardinal Fernando.¡±


    Fernando was one of the best combat priests in the empire. If he had been caught by such a man, he must have died without leaving behind even a single bone.


    "Ah, Lupin must be already dead. Then shall we find what the thief has hidden and take it back to the treasury?" Arcanta smiled deeply.


    Normally, it had to be distributed to the victims. However, the only stolen items identified were jewelry blessed by a Goddess, a necklace made of a 1000-year-old amethyst, and sacks of silver coins stolen from Count Druval.


    Say something that makes sense. Most of what Lupin stole would have been illegal slush funds of nobles. As such, even if the stolen goods were taken back to the treasury, they couldn¡¯t say anything.


    "Um, by the way~"


    The aide tackled Arcanta as his stomach was starting to feel better and was thinking he could majorly screw over the nobles who were always giving him trouble, including Count Druval.


    "The thief, Lupin, ran away just fine with the golden goddess statue."


    "What...?!¡±


    Arcanta grabbed his head again as the aide nodded.


    "How did he get away?"


    "Apparently, he swung the stolen golden goddess statue like a weapon, making it impossible to attack him."


    Arcanta looked at his aide as if he couldn¡¯t believe there would be such a person. "So, if there were witnesses, what was his description?"


    The aide handed over a document and recited the description on the document. "First, he was wearing a half-white mask and a black hood."


    "What about his height?"


    "That is, perhaps there was a perception disrupting magic on the mask, but most people could only remember the white half mask. The ones with some magic resistance were just barely able to recall a black hood.¡±


    Arcanta sighed. "Is there anything else?"


    "Ah, one more thing. Other paladins rejected it, but Paladin Vibrio, who was chasing Lupin, said in passing that she thought it might be a woman."


    "Woman?!"


    "Yes. At a brief glance, the person looked slim, less than 170 centimeters tall, but the paladin said she couldn¡¯t remember it that well so it is not accurate."


    Arcanta stroked his chin and fell into thought. "If less than 170 centimeters, it could be a boy."


    "Yes?"


    "No, it''s just a passing thought." Arcanta waved his hand and dismissed his aide as he spoke. The latter bowed his head with a curious look and went out of the office.


    Arcanta was deeply troubled. But soon, he threw away his conjecture.


    If the perception was disrupted, it would not be accurate information, and if it was the person he thought he was, he would be tall as a knight.


    It was said that Bloody was already over 180 centimeters tall by the age of sixteen. Moreover, looking at Doomstone''s past activities, he did not hide his identity. Considering Bloody¡¯s nature, he wouldn¡¯t hide behind a mask either. Most of all, if Denburg Blade was Lupin, he wouldn''t have touched Count Druval, the Crow Tribe¡¯s main customer.


    "Who''s Lupin? What is his purpose?"


    When he robbed Count Druval''s mansion, he saw Count Druval as Lupin''s target. But now that the temple was suddenly touched, he didn¡¯t know what the purpose was once again.


    But one thing was for sure- it was about to get busy.


    -o-


    It''s been about a month since I joined the training center. In other words, it''s been almost 15 days since I started researching the golden goddess statue after stealing it.


    The golden goddess statue didn¡¯t emit any kind of energy, but strangely it would not enter my pocket space. In the end, half giving up, I put plaster all over the golden goddess statue to turn it into a plaster goddess statue, and I decorated my room with it.


    "Oppa! Stop playing around!¡± [1]


    As I was calmly drinking tea in the living room, I could hear Alice telling off Lisbon from upstairs as usual.


    "Aly, but it¡¯s the first day though. They¡¯ve all been close friends since the low-rank knight school. Do you think it¡¯ll be okay?"


    "I said it¡¯ll be fine! Quit acting like a little b*tch!"


    "Aly, how can a girl say that! Such vulgar¡ª¡±


    "Be quiet and hurry downstairs!"


    Seeing Lisbon getting kicked in the butt by Alice and coming downstairs, the scene was just so funny that I ended up laughing.


    "Hahaha, it''s okay. With a sociable personality like yours, you''ll be able to get along wherever you go.¡±


    "Hahaha, do you think so?" Lisbon asked.


    That said, it was quite burdensome to squeeze into an already solidified group.


    Knight school may be a school, but it may have a rigid atmosphere as it was essentially a military academy that trained knights.


    Lisbon seemed to be worried about getting treated as a newcomer.


    "Isn''t it time to go to school?" I held my watch for the siblings to see.


    Alice screamed, "Kyaak! We¡¯re late!" Miffed, she hit her brother in the back. "You fool! I''m late because of you!¡±


    "But, Aly. What do you mean ¡®you¡¯? I¡¯m still your oppa." [2]


    "Shut it!"


    The pair ran like crazy. Still, despite fighting and criticizing all the time, Alice was the only one who looked after Lisbon.


    Come to think of it, Yuria and Alphonso had left early in the morning even though it wasn¡¯t time to go to school. I wonder if something happened?


    Well, they probably left early half due to Alphonso''s excitement.


    Unlike the magic school and knight school, the training center only required attendance when you had class like a university from my previous life. Everyone else had to be in the dormitories which limited their freedom, but since I was commuting, I could be totally free.


    According to Flam, the housemaster was so strict that if you wanted to go out during the weekdays, you needed to go through complicated procedures. To get out easily, one of the family members had to be seriously hurt, which basically indicated that everyone would have an ordinary life.


    Now then, should I slowly head to work too?


    To have to say it''s work, not school, made it feel sad. Since I had to truly go to work after this year, I felt like my heart was breaking.


    But today was the day I had my favorite class- the magic class. The contents of the class were the basics of the basics, but it was fortunate that there were times they covered subjects that I didn¡¯t know. At least it was more fun than the PRI-like shooting training that made you bleed, grind your teeth, and get calluses.


    As the comprehensive weaponry subject implied, we slowly began to learn swordsmanship and archery but the main was still the musket that became obsolete in the rain and wind. Other classes were pretty easy. For the etiquette, since I was already such a polite person, there was no problem.


    Really. There really was no problem.


    For the imperial law class, there was nothing for me to judge or defend. It was just a memorization class. And economy class, I passed it easily with the help of what I had learned in my previous life. There was nothing to mention about the Empire Language class as it was a subject that I had already mastered back in the village.


    Anyways, I didn¡¯t want to go to work.


    -o-


    From the now closed Granwell branch of the Big Mama Information Agency, Milpia, the former head, infiltrated the magic school under orders disguised as an invitation from Big Mama. Although she was still young, she had been a field agent who had been gathering information since she was even younger. As a result, she became the head of one of the most important bases of the Big Mama Information Agency at the age of sixteen.


    That was at least until a man with a scary scar on his face came to Granwell, a top-secret location, and bought a huge amount of information.


    "Phew!" Milpia entered the class assigned to her at the magic school and sat at a random desk with a sigh.


    This was a real demotion. Granwell''s branch manager position was one of the best in the information agency. No matter how you looked at it, going from an administrative position in the most important location in the information agency to a field agent it was a demotion.


    In a normal business or organization, this would be no different from asking you for a letter of resignation, but in the information agency, where you dealt with information, there was no retirement before death. It was quite brutal if you thought about it. It was especially vicious the higher administrative position you held.


    Although Big Mama, the head of Big Mama Information Agency, consoled her by saying, "It''s not a demotion," she had to say something that made sense to believe.


    If Milpia didn''t trust Big Mama, she would have thought the information agency would try to kill her. To be honest, she did have some doubts that they might try to assassinate her, but she dismissed it sooner for she would easily throw away her life for Big Mama¡¯s sake. If her death was Big Mama¡¯s aim, she would gladly die smiling.


    But that is that, so why the demotion. Even if Milpia died, she wanted to die in style.


    She sighed as she thought of how much effort it would take to crawl back up to a managerial position.


    ¡°Can I sit next to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please sit,¡± Milpia said absent-mindedly, giving a rough glance at those who had asked. It didn''t really matter since it wasn¡¯t like she had reserved those seats. As the cycle of pessimism was about to start again, she doubted what she had just seen.


    She looked back at the person sitting next to her.


    1. Oppa is the word for older brother that females use. I will start using the words, ¡°Oppa¡±, ¡°Noona¡±, ¡°Hyung¡±, and such rather than older brother, etc, because in Korea, the words for older brother like ¡°Oppa¡± is actually used as a title to refer to a person instead of using their real name.


    2. She used the informal ¡®you'' on him.

 Chapter 58: Ball (9)

    White hair. A characteristic trait of the Butterfly Tribe...


    Milpia checked again but still doubted her eyes.


    She is a real Butterfly! Why would a Butterfly Tribe member come to the magic school?


    The fact that she was taking this seat meant she was not the teacher at least. In reality, although everyone thought of the Butterfly when it came to magic, they had no connection to the magic school. This tribe mastered things they could learn at the magic school before they were ten.


    Milpia scoured her mind for information from the imperial palace regarding the tribe.


    Butterfly Tribe, William, the Alps, Mount Everest...


    Come to think of it, there was confirmed information that General William''s niece, Yuria, was entering the magic school. There was no information yet on why she was entering the magic school though.


    However, the most reliable hypothesis, though unconfirmed, was related to a top-secret information regarding the admission of Arelia, the third princess of the empire, and that Yuria might have been brought in as her escort.


    Then, was the blonde woman sitting next to Yuria the rumoured third princess?


    I don''t know.


    Milpia withheld her judgment.


    Of course, contrary to when she was the branch manager, as a field agent now, Milpia''s authority to search for information was greatly reduced. Also, the secret information that Arelia, the third princess, might have entered the magic school was one of the pieces of information she had read when she was a branch manager in the past.


    Big Mama Intelligence Agency might have finished confirming the top-secret information about now, but now she was in the field with no access to that information. If the woman sitting next to the Butterfly Tribe member was the real princess, there were many strange things about her.


    First of all, the princess would not be wearing the magic school¡¯s uniform. Hailing from the imperial family, she could not proceed with any behavior or say any words that could lead to empowering of any one organization¡¯s influence.


    And you''re saying that the princess would be wearing a uniform that would indicate affiliation with somewhere?


    That¡¯s impossible!


    There was another strange thing. No matter the fact that the Butterfly Tribe, a battle race, was providing escort, this was Third Princess, the emperor¡¯s daughter. There was no way there wouldn¡¯t be an appropriately large escorting force.


    But her senses didn¡¯t pick up on anyone who seemed to be an escort.


    Milpia was young, but she was also someone who rose to a branch head of the most important base with her skills. As such, her skills would be of a very high level, so would all the escorts be good enough to fool her senses?


    Milpia dared to be confident that the emperor''s escorts were not that powerful. She found a few more strange things but couldn''t form any conclusions. She didn''t know how many times she had been annoyed by a lack of information, but if she lacked information, she just had to collect it.


    "Excuse me¡ª"


    "Whoa! Safe! Ha, ha."


    As Milpia tried to talk to Yuria, an aggressive-looking blonde girl roughly opened the classroom door while breathing heavily.


    "Alice! Over here!


    Yuria, who was sitting next to Milpia, waved her hand to the woman who had just come in.


    Alice came towards Yuria while stabilizing her breathing.


    "Hoo, excuse me."


    Alice asked for permission then sat between Yuria and Milpia.


    "You could have been late,¡± Yuria smiled as she spoke.


    "Yea, our family¡¯s Pushover was dragging his feet. We would have been really late if Den hadn''t told us the time,¡± Alice replied, wiping away the running sweat with a handkerchief.


    Milpia was thrown into confusion by the appearance of Alice, the two seemed to be close.


    ¡°What time did you leave?¡± Yuria asked.


    ¡°8:30.¡±


    Yuria was surprised. "But somehow you weren¡¯t late."


    It was just before 8:50 now, so Yuria couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. No matter how fast you ran from the boarding house to the school, it took more than 20 minutes.


    Alice smiled as she put the sweaty handkerchief into her bag. The smile seemed mischievous. "Yea, I flew through a deserted back alley."


    "What?! Isn''t flying prohibited in the capital?¡±


    The empire prohibited flights near the borders and major cities except for authorized personnel and during certain hours. The mere fact that there were magicians who could fly in the sky required the empire to create an identification system for air defense to strictly control flying objects.


    "Den would say that if you don''t get caught, it¡¯s fine. Of course, please keep it a secret."


    At Alice¡¯s sly reply, Yuria burst into laughter.


    "Huhu, I think Den would say that. All right. I¡¯ll keep it a secret."


    "Den? Who''s Den that is so funny?" a pale, golden-haired girl sitting next to Yuria asked.


    "Ah, it¡¯s a friend who is staying at the same boarding house as I. Oh, let me introduce you. This is Alice, my friend who''s staying in the same boarding house."


    Alice gave a light greeting with her eyes while still seated and gave her own introduction. "I''m Alice von Carter. Are you the one Yuria told me about, who is going to be our friend? Please keep the words from before a secret."


    "Oh, yes. I will. My name is Aria von Holistein. Come to think of it, I don''t know how Miss Yuria introduced me, but let''s get along well."


    The girl who introduced herself as Aria was slightly nervous as she shook hands with Alice. Seeing that, Yuria secretly used magic so only Aria could hear her.


    - I didn''t tell her about Your Imperial Highness¡¯s identity.


    Arelia was reassured.


    If you looked at Alice, she looked like a woman of nobility, but there was no way that an educated noblewoman would just casually lift her chin and stare at the third princess.


    As Arelia and Alice finished greeting each other, Milpia did not miss the gap to join in.


    "Is this the first time you two are meeting? Actually, it hasn''t been long since I came to the capital, so I don''t know anyone. Can I also be friends with you guys?¡± Milpia smiled and spoke brazenly. If a field agent couldn¡¯t be at least this brazen, then they would starve to death.


    Alice became slightly on guard with Milpia who suddenly spoke to them. But Aria smiled and took Milpia''s hand.


    "Of course! Actually, I have only just arrived in the capital too, so Miss Yuria was the only one I could call a friend. I''d appreciate it if we could be friends."


    When Arelia approached her so sociably, Milpia was rather surprised. It was odd to see a person who was suspected of being the princess behaving regardless of etiquette.


    Perhaps she was trying to deceive others from her true identity? Why the hell? If it was for personal safety, there was no reason to conceal her identity.


    To seek safety by concealing one¡¯s identity was only done as a desperate measure when one''s identity was harmful.


    Milpia was confused, but she didn''t show it as just being near Yuria could allow her to find out a lot of information.


    Then Arelia suddenly spoke with a sparkle in her eyes. "Then, shall we go eat some parfait after school to celebrate becoming friends today?"


    Arelia¡¯s sudden suggestion really baffled Milpia.


    -o-


    "Have you heard the news?" Flam, sitting next to me and delicately fiddling with the basic alchemy magic kit, asked me in passing.


    "What news?¡± Like him, I was playing with the basic alchemy magic kit.


    "You know. The rumour that Her Imperial Highness, the Princess is having her birthday ball at the magic school."


    Now that I think about it, I might have heard of it. Usually, the birthday parties of the immediate imperial family were held in the imperial palace, so it was a big deal.


    "Really? And so?"


    Whether she has a birthday party in the palace or at the magic school, what does it have to do with me? I wasn''t interested in a birthday party for someone I had never met.


    Flam was frustrated at my indifference.


    "Aren¡¯t you being too indifferent? You must be aware that the surrounding area is full of chatter about Her Imperial Highness, the Princess¡¯s birthday."


    "Uh... was there a lot of chatter?"


    When? I usually wasn''t that interested in my surroundings, but I don''t think there was a lot of talk regarding this?


    "Why, you know, that¡¯s all they talk about every day in the dorms. Oh, you aren¡¯t staying in the dormitory. I guess then you might not know about it." Flam convinced himself and chuckled.


    "So what about the birthday ball for the princess? Isn¡¯t this unrelated to us?¡±


    Flam stopped fiddling with the basic alchemy magic kit and looked at me with astonishment. ¡°By chance, have you not seen the official announcement?¡±


    ¡°What? What official announcement?¡±


    When was there an official announcement?


    Come to think of it, there was a bustling crowd at the main bulletin board of the training center. It seemed it was related to the official announcement.


    ¡°It seems you really haven¡¯t seen it. Then I shall tell you.¡±


    Flam swelled up and proudly told the official announcement he had seen.


    "An official announcement posted on the bulletin boards last night stated that Her Imperial Highness''s birthday ball will be held at the magic school, and not only are the students of the magic school invited, but also the students at the knight school and the trainees of the civil service training center."


    Wow, they are doing all sorts of bothersome things. Isn''t a ball of high-status individuals like an imperial princess usually meant for only high-ranking nobles?


    I don''t know why a good low-level civil servant like me had to attend such a bothersome event.


    "What if you don¡¯t attend?¡±


    Flam suddenly stopped chuckling and shook his head gravely.


    "I think you''d better be prepared if you go against the official invitation. Rumor has it that we''ll be sent to Warrant if we don''t attend."


    I clicked my tongue on the inside. This was why bureaucracy should not be allowed. It made you waste unnecessary energy on things unrelated to you. Also, what do you mean Warrant. That¡¯s way too close to my hometown!


    "But still, it is an opportunity to see, even at a distance, the third princess, who is considered to be the most beautiful in the empire. So everyone is looking forward to it."


    Oh, was it Third Princess¡¯s birthday?


    Maybe because we ran into each other in the palace before, I didn''t want to go even more.


    The name must have been Arelia?


    The princess was an anti-magician, so I was sure that my magic to disrupt perception would not work on her. Let''s avoid her as much as possible, just in case she sees me and recognizes me. Of course, someone like her had no reason to come near an ordinary trainee.


    ¡°Considering that Flam seems to be also looking forward to it, it seems the Third Princess must be actually really beautiful?¡±


    When I asked slyly, Flam laughed heartily.


    "Hahaha, I don''t really know. What I am looking forward to is the food at the ball. There will certainly be lots of delicious food.¡±


    Come to think of it, that was also true. I''m sure a lot of delicious things will come out. As a person¡¯s heart was fickle, I slightly looked forward to it.

 Chapter 59: Ball (10)

    Then came a little ¡°pong¡± sound and an explosion with a little mushroom cloud from Flam''s basic alchemy magic kit.


    "Oh! Looks like it''s completed!" Flam smiled brightly as he looked at the finished potion in the sunlight through the window.


    "What potion is it?" I queried.


    Flam smiled evilly. "Puhuhu, it''s an aphrodisiac that''s supposedly very good for men."


    I was dumbfounded by his whisper in my ear. No matter how good it was for a man, why would you make that during class?


    Although, of course, I was making the same thing.


    "Then you''d better not let the sun shine on it. It¡¯ll lower the efficacy.¡±


    Flam hurriedly hid the aphrodisiac into his arms. "You seem to have a knack for magic, to even know such things."


    I felt a prick at his words but shrugged as if nothing was wrong. "It is common knowledge. Common knowledge. It''s also in the textbook distributed today. It¡¯s going to be on the test at the end of the training, so perhaps you should study a little more.¡±


    "Ahahaha, is that so?" Flam scratched the back of his head embarrassed.


    Pong!


    My basic alchemy magic kit had the same reaction as Flam¡¯s.


    "Oh! Is it complete? What did you make?"


    I picked up my finished reagent to check if it was made well.


    "Wuhuhuhu, if Mr. Flam''s aphrodisiac is considered normal, should I call mine T. O. P. among them?¡±


    Flam swallowed dry saliva like he was captivated by the brilliant light from my aphrodisiac, which was very different from his own.


    "Gulp! T. O. P? Best? Let me have a look."


    I easily struck away the hand that reached for my shining aphrodisiac. "Hey! Should an educated person be acting like this?!¡±


    "Hey! There¡¯s no such thing when it comes to body rejuvenation! Give it up!"


    With Flam clinging on trying to take my aphrodisiac, I had to hold him back with one hand, while extending the arm with the aphrodisiac as far away as possible.


    By the way, why is this guy so strong?


    Flam was too strong to just leave him be, but I couldn¡¯t just simply push him away.


    This guy seems serious? His eyes were full of greed as if he really needed the aphrodisiac.


    "Ah!"


    While I was focusing on Flam, the professor in charge of today''s magic class took the aphrodisiac from my hand and drank it on the spot. Flam and I could only stare at the empty potion bottle like a dog that was chasing a chicken, only for the chicken to fly on top of a roof.[1]


    "Ah, ahhh."


    Flam was frustrated seeing the empty potion, wearing a look of despair beyond simple disappointment.


    "What are you looking at? Wasn''t this made for me? Otherwise, there''s no way you¡¯d make an aphrodisiac during class, right?¡±


    The professor looked down at me and Flam, touching his slightly white beard.


    "Ah, hahaha. Well."


    Leaving me in a quandary, the professor reached his hand out to Flam.


    "Ahem, so give it up."


    While saying so, the magic professor turned his head with a slight blush, perhaps because he was embarrassed.


    You''re a greedy old man.


    Flam hesitated, taking turns looking at the aphrodisiac and the professor''s hand, and then drank it on the spot.


    As expected of Flam! Do what I couldn''t do! Make others shudder! Make one admire you!


    "Kuu! It doesn''t taste good."


    Flam handed the empty potion bottle to the professor. We, including the professor, laughed.


    "Hahahahaha."


    "Hahahahaha."


    "Hahahahaha."


    "Point deductions for you two," the old man said grudgingly in the end.


    -o-


    In the space behind the huge banquet room of the magic school, Arelia¡¯s maids were busily moving about. This was because her birthday ball, her coming of age ceremony, was going to be held today.


    Arelia remained still so that the busy maids could finish her makeup without disruption. She knew how much effort the maids had put in for today, as such she endured this stuffy feeling. Her birthday was tomorrow, however, the birthday ball would continue for three days. The emperor''s birthday was celebrated for a week, and the crown prince and the empress''s five days, so hers was a rather short one. Of course, it was because it was her 16th birthday, marking her as an adult, that it was held for three days. Otherwise, normally, it was just two-day balls.


    Ordinarily, she shouldn¡¯t hope for a ball, whether she had a political marriage or not, unless the husband was a powerful person. Arelia didn''t think it was necessary to have a ball because it was annoying, but it was common for ordinary nobles to dream of having this kind of large-scale birthday banquet.


    "Oh my, Your Imperial Highness! You''re so pretty!¡± The maids all exclaimed and praised the princess.


    It was a pain for Arelia to just give her face to the maids, but it still felt good to hear that she was pretty.


    Knock, knock!


    Someone rapped on the door of the room designated to Arelia. Even though it was only a temporary dwelling, there were few in the empire who had the authority to come to the place where the princess of the imperial family was staying.


    "Who is it?"


    "I will go find out."


    When Arelia asked, one of the maids immediately approached the door and asked through a pipe connected to the guard outside the room.


    "Who has come to visit?"


    A soldier replied with a blunt and trembling voice through the pipe, "General William is here with his niece."


    It was essentially impossible for the guard to stop him from knocking. Usually, he would prevent knocking and announce in a loud voice, but William disliked the fuss and must have stopped the soldier.


    "Your Imperial Highness! General William has come to visit!" The maid cried out in surprise.


    ¡°Let him enter,¡± Arelia said calmly.


    The maid opened the door cautiously.


    "I apologize. I''m having my makeup done now, so it''s a little unnatural to move my head. My apologies to Yuria, too.¡±


    William smiled. "No, it''s my fault since I came suddenly."


    "That''s right. It''s all Uncle¡¯s fault. How could you think of entering a makeup room where a woman is putting on makeup? This is the women''s restroom. Women''s restroom!" [2]


    Yuria shook her head. There was nothing wrong with calling a place to put on makeup, a restroom, but William was flustered by his niece¡¯s words.


    Come to think of it, when he looked around, there were only women.


    "Ahem, I''m sorry. Shall we leave?"


    Arelia witnessed a rare occasion of William being surprised through the mirror, she was amused.


    "No, it''s okay. Yuria, you can''t make fun of General William." Although it was a joke that suited her taste, she was afraid of the maids'' nagging if she revealed her inner feelings.


    "No, it''s okay. My niece and I are very close, so this is common. Hahaha." William tousled Yuria''s hair as he spoke.


    "Hohoho, I¡¯m jealous. By the way, what brings General here?¡± Arelia asked.


    "Ah, I came to give my greetings and deliver Yuria to Your Imperial Highness, so my job is done." Saying his greetings, he made to leave the room. "I''ll look around the perimeter again. Please take good care of my niece."


    As her uncle stepped out, Yuria brought a chair and sat down next to the vanity table where Arelia was getting her makeup done.


    "Wow, very pretty! It¡¯s making me jealous." Yuria clapped and admired the princess¡¯s face.


    The maids were bewildered by Yuria''s abrupt casual speech and behavior. But Arelia answered casually as if nothing was amiss. "Do you want to put on makeup too? My maids are very good at makeup."


    After the first day of the magic school, they had ended up going to eat snacks. Arelia and Yuria decided to talk to each other casually while they were eating parfait, so this scene was natural. But the maids who did not know the situation were perplexed.


    "Oh, can I?¡±


    As Yuria¡¯s eyes glittered, Arelia burst into laughter.


    "Hohoho, you''re a woman too. When I first met you, you didn¡¯t seem to know anything but magic."


    "No, well, it''s a rare opportunity." Yuria was embarrassed.


    "Mmhmm~ To look good for a man named Den?" Arelia smiled gently seeing the other¡¯s cheeks turn slightly red.


    A startled Yuria fumbled as she said, "Ah, n-no. What do you mean?"


    "Ay, regarding that, when we went to eat parfait, you and Alice had a heated discussion about a man named Den.¡±


    Yuria raised her voice. "A heated discussion! It wasn¡¯t to that extent!"


    "Mmhmm. Was it not?" Arelia asked slyly.


    Yuria turned her head with a reddened face and avoided her gaze.


    ¡°So then you won¡¯t wear makeup?¡± the princess continued to ask.


    ¡°I- I will,¡± Yuria said as she pouted. Arelia found her cute.


    Naturally, Yuria sat next to the princess and also got her makeup done by the maids.


    "Later, I¡¯ll introduce you to all the people at the boarding house I¡¯m staying in. Since everyone goes to school, they will all be at the ball," Yuria said coyly.


    Arelia smiled. "I look forward to it."


    -o-


    I looked at myself in the mirror. There was a handsome man standing in the mirror as usual. What was different from usual was only that I wore a suit, which was rare. If it¡¯s around this much, then I wouldn¡¯t look out of place.


    I swung my arms lightly, tried sitting and standing up.


    Mrs. Arscilla''s luxury suit that she¡¯d lent me, fit perfectly on my body and did not make moving feel unnatural. Also, maybe because it was luxury silk, it felt nice to the touch. I put on a matching hat, picked up a cane, and turned around.


    Behind me was Alphonso, who kept moving about like his suit was uncomfortable, and Lisbon, who was sitting leisurely on the sofa in the knight school uniform.


    "The suit is very nice. Thank you, Mrs. Arscilla."


    I greeted Mrs. Arscilla slightly exaggeratedly by bowing with my arms bent inwards.


    "It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s fortunate that the suits my son used to wear were still left." Mrs. Arscilla smiled casually while drinking tea.


    Alphonso and I didn¡¯t have uniforms to replace a suit like Lisbon. In Alphonso¡¯s case, the low-rank knight school only provided training uniforms, not actual uniforms. Well, the entrance age of the low-rank knight school was basically sixteen, it would be a waste to give students who were still growing uniforms for ceremonies that rarely happened. It was said to be acceptable for rare national flag-raising ceremonies, but it was not enough to wear to a princess¡¯s birthday ball.


    Although, I didn''t know the details because I was not a knight school student. Considering the level to be admitted was high, the knight school students were generally rich, so cases like Alphonso not having formal wear was actually rare.


    1. An idiom that basically means their efforts were in vain.


    2. Yuria says makeup room with the same word for bathroom/restroom in Korean

 Chapter 60: Ball (11)

    Like Alphonso, I didn''t get a uniform from the training center. There were two reasons for this. One was so that you wouldn¡¯t get a uniform if you didn¡¯t complete the training. The uniform was proof of civil servants and provided one the prestige of a noble.


    For your information, there was an order of prestige from the highest first rank to the lowest eighth rank. First to fourth were called ¡°first¡±, while the fifth to eighth was called ¡°quasi¡± or ¡°second¡±. To put it simply, you could think of it as there being first-grade civil servants to eighth-grade civil servants.


    Although the title was easy to issue, the process to revoke it was complicated. So you would have to retake the civil service exam again if you failed the internal evaluation at the training center.


    The second reason was a little realistic because it was money. The civil servant training was six months at most. Trainees failing to pass the internal evaluation had to return their civil service cards and leave, so there was no way they would pay for uniforms for those who might be leaving. Moreover, all the civil servants of the empire had different uniforms for different departments, so even if they had uniforms of the training center, they would not wear them if they had completed the training.


    In other words, the day I wear a civil servant uniform would be the first day of work if I complete the training and I¡¯m appointed to a department appropriately.


    However, there were more than 100 suits in the wardrobe, ranging from small, suitable for a 3-year-old to a 20-year-old. The suits were all worn by Mrs. Arscilla''s son, Arcanta. The suit I was wearing was the one the prime minister wore when he was 17, and Alphonso¡¯s was the one he wore at 15. It must have been quite a while, perhaps because magic was used, it was in good condition.


    "Wouldn''t it be better for Lisbon to wear a suit too?¡±


    Lisbon shook his head at my question. "No. Most of my friends at school said they are wearing their uniforms, and also wearing such a formal suit makes me feel uncomfortable."


    Mrs. Arscilla said while putting down the teacup, "Oh no, it''s okay. My son doesn''t even wear these clothes anyway. You can feel free to wear it. I can just give it to you as a gift too.


    "Ahhaha, no it¡¯s ok. Actually, it didn''t fit well.¡± Lisbon smiled and declined.


    Looking at it, Arcanta''s suits were clearly very slim. Contrary to Lisbon¡¯s warm face, he had unexpectedly well-developed muscles, so it would make sense if the suit didn¡¯t fit.


    "Mmm, something is still uncomfortable."


    Alphonso still moved around like he was unused to the suit. I gave him a light tap on the shoulder and headed outside the boarding house.


    "Then, we''ll be on our way."


    Mrs. Arscilla waved like a noblewoman.


    "I''ll be there on the day of the emperor''s birthday, so don''t ignore me tomorrow?" Mrs. Arscilla made a light joke.


    I guess if you''re a duchess, you don''t have to attend the day before.


    "Hahaha, how could I ignore such a beautiful lady?"


    Although I said so with a smile, it would be dangerous to be with Mrs. Arscilla, the duchess. There was no guarantee that Uncle Bloody wouldn''t attend if it was at the level of a princess¡¯s birthday. I''d have to appropriately wear a white mask, kill my presence, and stay in the corner. The white mask had magic to disrupt perception, so as long as I killed my presence, I¡¯d be able to get around without having to meet anyone.


    "Hohoho, thank you for your words. Have a nice trip."


    The men-only group and I left the boarding house. Alice and Yuria had left earlier. They seem to have planned on meeting their friends from the magic school first.


    -o-


    Alice and Milpia headed to the terrace to escape the ball venue that was not fully prepared yet.


    "Where did Yuria go?" Alice grumbled.


    Milpia gave an awkward smile. "Since Yuria''s uncle is General William, maybe she went to see the Princess?" She prodded lightly, it was to find out how much the other knew.


    Honestly, Milpia didn¡¯t know the exact reason Big Mama wanted her to infiltrate the magic school. Initially, she thought she was being demoted as punishment for the Granwell Branch being discovered. Just having a customer who came to Granwell to buy information and not to an external branch, was tantamount to showing her inexperience in managing information.


    However, considering she met Yuria and Aria, who was believed to be Arelia according to classified information, she realized that Big Mama had her infiltrate the magic school for a specific reason.


    Milpia had asked the information agency to provide her with exact goals, but all she received was ¡®stand-by¡¯.


    So, without her, were they not aware of the fact that there was a person at the magic school who was a classified subject?


    Milpia shook her head. There was no way that could happen. Since she, whose authority to read information had disappeared, was suspecting it, there was no way her superiors would not be unaware of it. They likely knew very clearly what she was suspecting.


    Nevertheless, receiving no instructions meant one thing- She herself was being tested.


    What was the content of the test? Were they retesting her qualifications?


    They could be suspecting her of being a spy because of the leaked information...


    Milpia resolved. She didn¡¯t know about the former, but if it was the latter and she didn''t pass the test, an assassin would come for her.


    Unlike Milpia, who was filled with a heavy heart, Alice replied with a light smile, ¡°That¡¯s definitely a possibility.''¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Milpia smiled lightly like Alice. Nothing would change from worrying about it now.


    Standing on the terrace, Alice and Milpia chatted while waiting a long time for Yuria. Then, Alice found her brother walking into the entrance of the magic school from beyond the railing of the terrace.


    "Oh, it''s my brother. Den! Alphonso! Over here!"


    When Alice waved and shouted, Milpia smiled and stopped her.


    "They won¡¯t be able to hear from here. How about we go towards the entrance?¡±


    Milpia was rendered speechless at the sight of a white-haired boy waving his hands at the entrance of the magic school and a young man with dark blond hair waving his hands like Alice.


    "Seems like there¡¯s no need to go.¡±


    -o-


    With Mrs. Arscilla¡¯s care, we arrived at the magic school in a duke''s carriage, got out near the entrance, and walked in. We could have gone into the entrance with the carriage as it was, but I suggested walking to avoid drawing attention and being seen since the coach had the duke¡¯s crest on it.


    Lisbon and Alphonso agreed casually to my proposal and came out of the carriage. I also left after applying magic that disrupted perception.


    Although they didn¡¯t receive as much attention as getting off in the school, they were still seen getting off a duke¡¯s carriage. Now that Alphonso and Lisbon were known to have ties to the Duke, rumors would spread throughout the school.


    I didn''t want such a rumor, so I cast a spell to prevent people around me from recognizing me. I was just going to walk in the first place. But Alphonso and Lisbon took a liking to the comfy carriage and got on while ignoring my opinion, and thus I was forced to get on.


    Well, it was a carriage that didn¡¯t tremble and was more comfortable and spacious than a limousine from my previous life, but it was not my intention to ride the carriage. So it was probably unnecessary to cast the perception disrupting magic on this stupid duo.


    By the way, knights seem to have been placed in every corner of the magic school because it was the princess¡¯s birthday. If it was going to be like this, I didn¡¯t know why they wanted to hold the ball at the magic school instead of just at the palace.


    After entering the magic school, to reduce the attention around me, I gradually spread the magic that interfered with perception. If you spread the magic in stages like this, it won¡¯t give the impression that perception disruption had suddenly appeared. Instead, it would seem like you just aren¡¯t very noticeable. Of course, the magic needed to be maintained at a low level.


    By the time I had almost finished my magic, I could hear Alice¡¯s voice somewhere. Where is it coming from?


    I looked around and found the source of the voice. I could see Alice waving in the distance.


    ¡°Alice is over there.¡±


    ¡°What? Where?¡±


    After staring in the direction that I pointed to for a long time, Lisbon and Alphonso waved their hands brightly having found her waving her hands on the terrace.


    But could we not do it in such an open place?


    There was a lack of consideration for the person who didn''t want to be noticed.


    "Wow, good job noticing."


    Lisbon waved and admired. Although it was a terrace, it was still hard to find someone inside the building.


    "I''m a person who¡¯s very good at finding a man in a red striped shirt and glasses."


    "Huh? Alice isn''t wearing striped clothing? She¡¯s not wearing glasses either." Alphonso tilted his head after seeing Alice.


    He noticed, unlike his usual self.


    "Come, come, let''s go in quickly.¡±


    I avoided the question, and pushed their backs, and entered the magic school.


    Entering the magic school, we had to go through strict identification and affiliation checks as well as be confirmed on the invited list for the ball before we were able to go to the terrace where Alice was.


    On the way there, I took a glance and saw a lot of knights dressed up for the ball. I wouldn''t have known if I''d just looked, but compared to the students around, I was able to tell that there were quite a few magicians mixed in.


    Huh? Should I say that it was overwhelming compared to the surrounding? Anyway, when I looked towards where there was strong energy, there was a middle-aged man with slightly thinning bangs wearing a shirt that showed a deep chest drinking with a smile.


    That was definitely the man in the stands when Lisbon took the test. At that moment, I felt my face harden.


    "What''s wrong?" Lisbon asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing. Let''s go quickly."


    I pushed Lisbon¡¯s back. He had a curious look on his face, but it was all for Pushover¡¯s sake.


    When we arrived at the terrace, Alice and an unknown woman welcomed us.


    "You came early? You made it seem like you would come only when the ball was starting."


    I shrugged when Alice asked playfully. "It didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to come early and occupy a corner."


    My plan at the ball was to bring delicious-looking foods to the quiet terrace, eat it and leave quietly.


    Don''t get involved with the princess, just in case.


    "What about Yuria?" I couldn''t see Yuria who went out with Alice.


    Alice shrugged, saying she didn''t know.


    I felt uneasy for some reason. I hope it wasn¡¯t something like her bringing the princess here for introductions. She may possibly be acquainted with the royalty because she was the niece of William who was capable of meeting privately with the Emperor.


    Whenever I say perhaps, it almost always happens, so I prayed for it to not be true.


    "Oh, let me introduce you. This is a new friend from the magic school." Alice introduced the girl next to her.


    "Hello, I''m Milpia."


    When the girl named Milpia revealed her name, Lisbon was the first to greet her with his characteristic refreshing smile.


    "Nice to meet you. I am Alice¡¯s older brother, Lisbon."


    "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m receiving a lot of help from Alice." Milpia matched Lisbon and greeted back smiling.


    Alphonso, who wanted to introduce himself quickly, raised his hand and gave his greeting. "Hello! I''m Alphonso. So... Are you acquainted with Yuria?¡± He hesitated and glanced at Alice.


    Alice nodded lightly to affirm Alphonso''s gaze.


    "Oh! I''m her twin brother. Please take good care of Yuria from now on," Alphonso said sincerely.


    Usually, they often appeared to quarrel as expected of twins, but it was not a bad sight to see them support each other at times like this.


    "Yes, I''m getting a lot of help from Yuria too. Nice to meet you."


    Milpia greeted him like she had Lisbon. But it felt subtly different. In comparison, the former was being polite, while the latter seemed subtly sincere.


    How should I put it... It was a feeling that only I, a true-born liar, could feel.


    To express it in terms of taste, it felt like you could shout, "This is the taste of a liar!"

 Chapter 61: Ball (12)

    After greeting Alphonso, Milpia turned her gaze towards me.


    "I¡¯m Den." I greeted briefly. Unlike Alphonso or Flam, I wasn¡¯t a fan of the logic that friends of friends are friends.


    "Ah! That Den."


    Milpia''s reaction made me feel unpleasant. When I looked at Alice with the question of what does Milpia mean by "that Den¡¯, she avoided my gaze.


    What have you been going around and saying about me?


    Alice''s reaction made it even more unpleasant.


    "By that Den, what Den do you mean?"


    When I asked Milpia directly, she smiled strangely and avoided my gaze.


    "Hohohoho."


    What did you actually say about me! Alice!


    When I looked at them with a discontented gaze, both Alice and Milpia were busy avoiding my eyes.


    "By the way, have we seen each other somewhere before?" I asked Milpia.


    For some reason, I felt as if I had seen and heard the laughter and the avoiding eyes somewhere.


    "No, it''s my first time meeting you."


    I didn¡¯t feel any lies in Milpia''s words. Her seeming familiarity must have been just my mistake.


    Milpia looked at me amused.


    "Hmm, are you hitting on me?¡± Milipia said.


    It must be just my misunderstanding that this amused look didn''t feel much different from when she had said, ¡®that Den¡¯, right?


    "Was it a little old-fashioned?¡± I responded with a smile.


    "No, it was a little refreshing. No one has ever talked to me like that.¡±


    "Really? It''s a common phrase when you talk to a beautiful lady, so it''s surprising that it''s refreshing."


    There was a friendly but strange battle of nerves, but Alice suddenly stepped in.


    "Yuria will be arriving now, so let''s go back in!" Alice said.


    "Didn''t you say you didn''t know where she was?¡±


    Alice blushed and panicked at my words. "That¡¯s why! In case Yuria is looking for us. Yes. So, let''s go in!"


    Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the banquet hall. Why is she so excited all of a sudden?


    "Aly, calm down."


    When Lisbon tried to calm her down, Alice stared sharply at her brother and me.


    No, but what did I do?


    -o-


    William went around the magic school and checked on the guards once again. Any mishap would be a pain. While patrolling, he found a strong presence hiding near a warehouse in the middle of magic school and knight school. He approached, forming signs to be able to activate magic at any time.


    "Oong?"[1]


    In the warehouse, Bloody was crouched on the ground with a mouthful of meat. William sighed as his tension suddenly dissipated.


    "Ooohae? Woyer?¡± Bloody said with a mouth full of meat.


    "Phew, eat then talk. I don''t understand."


    "What''s wrong? Is something wrong?¡± Bloody asked after swallowing the meat.


    "No, I''m just on patrol. Where did you get the meat?¡±


    There was still some time left for the ball to start, so there was no food in the banquet hall.


    "They gave it to me when I asked in the kitchen."


    William sighed inwardly as he looked at the innocent eyes looking at him. At a glance, the amount of meat that Bloody brought would definitely make it quite difficult for all the food to be prepared in time for the ball.


    "Eat comfortably at the banquet hall. Why are you eating in a corner like this?¡± William asked.


    Bloody responded while eating meat on his plate. "I don''t want to go there. People keep looking at me.¡±


    "But there are many better places to eat than here, so why don''t you eat at a more comfortable place?" William looked around as he spoke. In the warehouse, there were dust-ridden wooden swords and protective gears. He thought he''d better nag the knight school instructor later to clean it up.


    When Orphina, currently placed at the Demon¡¯s Territory, was here, there was not a single speck of dust in the warehouse. But as soon as she left, it turned like this. A few months later, she would return to the capital. If she were to see this, it would be surprising to hear that the instructors and students alike were all dead.


    "Ay, whatever. It''s not bad here, either. No one''s nervous that I¡¯m here." Bloody laughed. He looked as if he didn''t care about the state of the warehouse.


    William was worried, later, when he went up to the Demon¡¯s Territory and Orphina came down, about how much the two would fight. He was worried just from looking at this warehouse.


    Bloody was free-spirited enough to dine quite naturally in this shabby warehouse. However, Orphina was a thorough former instructor (FM) who did not tolerate any amount of dust. Leaving the two polar opposites to the extreme to Arcanta alone and going up to the Demon¡¯s territory made his heart uneasy.


    "By the way, is your nephew¡¯s sketch still unfinished?¡± William asked after Arcanta''s earnest request from months ago.


    Currently, the only one who knew Denburg¡¯s face was Bloody. Even if a sketch of his nephew were made, it wouldn¡¯t be distributed. It would be a mistake to alert a snake hidden in the bushes. Still, the reason why Denburg¡¯s sketch was needed was because people who knew about his escape from home needed to know how he looked.


    "Ah, I''m done.¡±


    Bloody handed the wrinkled paper from his chest to William. The latter was delighted and unfolded the paper.


    "This, this is!"


    William was greatly surprised to see the sketch that Bloody gave him.


    "Can you even consider this as a sketch!?"


    William pushed the sketch back to Bloody. The crumpled paper had doodles drawn by a three-year-old child.


    "You said you were the best sketch artist in the village! Are you kidding me?!¡±


    When William got angry, Bloody pretended to not know anything.


    "I didn¡¯t lie!" Bloody said.


    "You could have called in an artist to draw! What is this? You didn''t show this to Arcanta, did you?" William looked at the Crow with disbelief in his eyes.


    "Yea, I haven''t shown it to him yet."


    William sighed at Bloody''s words. "Good job. If he saw this, he¡¯d get acutely poisoned by the stomach medicine he depends on."


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be left to just die even if he got acutely poisoned. There¡¯s no way William would let him become comfortable by himself.


    Perhaps because William shouted suddenly in a dusty place, he became thirsty. He took away the champagne bottle that Bloody was drinking and washed his throat.


    Responsibly, the champagne didn¡¯t have any alcohol in it.


    Keuhhh!


    William burped from the champagne''s carbonation and asked, "Do you want me to introduce you to an artist?"


    Bloody took the bottle of champagne from William''s hand and shook his head. "No. I got an artist to draw it, but it didn''t look very alike."


    "What? Where''s the sketch?"


    Bloody took out another crumpled paper from his chest. "Here it is."


    "Hand me the sketch!"


    Bloody sulked as the general raged.


    "Why do you keep yelling at me!"


    Bloody sulkily downed the champagne in one-shot. William''s interest was in the artist''s sketch of Denburg.


    After confirming the new sketch, William frowned with a serious look.


    "As I thought, I don''t know that face.¡±


    William was lost in thought. The face exuded a strong aura that resembled Bloody. Since they were family, having resemblance made sense.


    "But that doesn''t look like him at all."


    "Even if it doesn''t look alike, it''s still better than the doodles you drew." William snorted and shook Bloody¡¯s sketch.


    ¡°Woossi! I¡¯m saying that looks more like him!¡±


    ¡°As if.¡± William took the sketch. Of course, it was the artist''s sketch.


    "It¡¯s true!" Bloody said.


    "Don''t lie. You were lying that you¡¯re actually the best sketch artist in the village, right?¡±


    "I wasn¡¯t!"


    William held the sketch and shook for him to see.


    Bloody blushed and said with a small voice, "That... that''s because, under the curse of a Giant, the people in the village have terrible artistic dexterity! Seriously, I''m the best sketch artist in the village."


    Bloody spoke with all his heart, but William laughed, dumbfounded.


    "Hahaha, even if the curse was on artistic dexterity, you are referring to the Giants that went extinct 500 years ago?"


    The Giants, formerly one of the nine battle races, went extinct after the Great War. Due to the Great War, the nonet was reduced to a septet. And the knowledge that the Crows who participated in the war were the strongest battle race was solidified in the world.


    "But historically, the Crows were only active during the early part of the war and had few contacts with the Giants. So why are you saying that it¡¯s a Giant¡¯s curse?¡±


    "That I don¡¯t know. I have only heard it as a legend too." Bloody shrugged.


    William didn¡¯t pursue the matter and moved on. Rather than being curious about the past, the fire that has landed on top of the foot was much more urgent.[2] If possible, he wanted to send Bloody¡¯s nephew back home before going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory. Arcanta might really die of overwork if he couldn''t handle this by the time Orphina came back.


    Not because of Denburg, but because of the fight between Bloody and Orphina.


    "I''m going to go do another round, so you should eat moderately and go see Arelia. You should show your face at least once."


    "All right." Bloody answered absent-mindedly and kept eating the meat he had brought.


    William sighed, worrying about the future, and then left the warehouse.


    -o-


    Entering the banquet hall again due to Alice, we headed to the appropriately visible entrance of the banquet hall so that Yuria could find us.


    "Over here!"


    I turned my head to the place where I suddenly heard a voice in a very formal speech. As expected, the main culprit of the voice was Flam.


    "I didn''t even eat lunch in anticipation of today. So why is there still no food?"


    Flam was in a state of tears and grabbed a servant to complain to.


    "That is, because the ball hasn''t started yet." The servant was flustered momentarily but answered calmly.


    But that calm didn''t work for Flam. "How did it become this way? Are you saying that you can''t see all the people filling this banquet hall?" He grabbed the servant by the shoulder with one hand and pointed to the surrounding with the other.


    While I was out on the terrace, the banquet hall became quite crowded with students from the knight school, magic school, and training center for civil servants. Add to this the nobility of the capital, and there would no other time like this except during a state funeral.


    As for me, it was a good situation as I could hide among people.


    "It takes a little longer for the ball to start. If we were to serve the food already, the guests would be forced to eat cold food. As it is part of regulation to serve food at the appropriate time, we ask for your understanding."


    Without losing the friendly smile, the servant managed to calm down Flam. It seemed even Flam gave up at the word, ¡®regulation¡¯.


    "Lacks courtesy." Alice shook her head at the sight.


    Although I felt sorry for Flam, I decided to pretend that I didn¡¯t see anything.


    1. It¡¯s the sound of ¡®huh?¡¯ in Korea


    2. Meaning, present problems are of higher priority than future problems.

 Chapter 62: Ball (13)

    "Oh, if it isn¡¯t Den! You came early!"


    The sullen-faced Flam dropped his head and turned around, but then found me and waved his hand.


    No, you have the wrong person.


    I turned my head and tried to pretend I didn''t know him, but it was too late as Flam came towards me with a bright face.


    "You know him?¡± Alice asked me in disbelief.


    No. Right now, I don''t know him.


    I avoided Alice''s eyes. Flam, who approached me, found others and greeted them.


    "Oh, Mr. Lisbon is also here. It has been a while.¡±


    Flam approached Lisbon naturally and shook hands.


    "Yes, it has been a long time."


    Seeing Lisbon shake hands with Flam, someone seemingly uncivil, Alice looked on like a rabbit staring at a perverted bear being arrested.


    "Haha, please speak comfortably.¡±


    "Oh, uh... yeah."


    He still seemed uncomfortable speaking informally.


    "Who is that person?"


    Alice seemed to find it hard to believe that Lisbon and I knew Flam, a man who lacked courtesy even if you washed your eyes.


    "Oh! Alphonso, long time no see!"


    "Yea! Long time no see!¡±


    Flam hugged Alphonso as if they were good friends and urged me to answer.


    "Hmm, how should I say, a trainee colleague."


    ¡°So you''re saying you are friends?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Friends... Well, I guess I can¡¯t say we aren¡¯t necessarily."


    Alice sighed as she looked at me with eyes that seemed to advise me to be more selective about friends.


    "Ha, please tell him that such a discourteous behavior like that is dangerous. Especially at banquets hosted by someone of status." Alice added after a moment. "Because the sparks might fly towards you too."


    "Hahaha, I understand." I nodded with a smile.


    There was nothing wrong with what Alice said. The training center did not designate etiquette as a mandatory subject for nothing. If you were rude or lacked etiquette in front of a high-ranking person, not only would it undermine the dignity of the civil servant but there was also a risk of being executed on the spot.


    Of course, civil servants were the emperor¡¯s people in name, so unless they had a great amount of power, it would usually just stop at the level of disciplining and lecture. However, I learned in etiquette class that there were cases where civil servants made mistakes and were killed on the spot by Duke Asteria, one of the two biggest dukes.


    This was an empire of rank and status. It was not sinful to divide by a class in this world unlike in my past life. Even so, Flam wasn¡¯t a fool, he wouldn''t act like he just did in front of high-ranking people.


    But just in case, I''ll have to wake Flam up on etiquette.


    Flam, who was chatting with Alphonso, came to me shoulder to shoulder with Alphonso. For the tall Flam and small Alphonso to be shoulder to shoulder, Flam had to bend his knees slightly and Alphonso had to go on his tiptoes.


    I sighed and tried to give a warning, but Flam spoke first.


    "Hahaha, I''m going to explore the magic school with Alphonso. Would you like to join us?"


    "Let''s go together! Yea?" said Alphonso


    "It''s a magic school, so it¡¯s surely full of wonders!" Flam continued.


    "Right, right!" Alphonso happily agreed.


    They encouraged me with their sparkling eyes. Besides, Alphonso was from the Butterfly Tribe, which was likely surrounded by more magic than the magic school, so I didn''t know why he''s so excited.


    "No, I am ok." Honestly, it''s annoying.


    "Really? What a shame."


    Flam and Alphonso left to explore the school with a look of disappointment.


    Well, maybe Flam and Alphonso were wise. Attendance must have been checked on the list when we came in. With so many people here, I didn''t think anyone would notice that they were not in their seats.


    I''ll just fill up my stomach and disappear somewhere too. While I made up my mind, I heard Yuria¡¯s voice.


    "Alice, Den!"


    Yuria waved and came from behind the banquet hall.


    "Where did you disappear to without a word?"


    When Alice pulled Yuria''s cheek, the latter looked teary.


    "It hurts, it hurts."


    Alice let go of Yuria''s cheek, scoffing. Then she touched her finger.


    "Did you put on makeup?" Alice asked.


    "Ehehe. Yeah."


    Yuria blushed shyly and glanced at me for some reason.


    "You look pretty."


    I didn¡¯t notice much change, but I decided to start with compliments. Personally, I didn''t like the smell of makeup because my sense of smell became sensitive after my previous life.


    "Ehe, thank you."


    "Hmph, even though you detestingly say you don¡¯t want to when I ask.¡±


    Alice seemed a little sulky.


    "You look pretty like this."


    No, was she just a tsundere?


    I''ll recommend twin-tails to Alice later. Twin-tails were for tsunderes.


    Yuria looked around and asked Alice, "Did Alphonso not come?"


    "Den''s colleague or something went to explore the magic school with him."


    "Colleague? Oh, Mr. Flam?"


    At Alice¡¯s apathetic words, Yuria seemed to think about who it was but realized soon after.


    "Flam?"


    Flam quickly joined hands with Alphonso and disappeared, so Alice missed the introductions and didn¡¯t even hear his name.


    Alice gave me a side scowl. "Hnng, I guess I was the only one who didn''t know.¡±


    "Ahhaha, well about that¡ª¡±


    "Well, it¡¯s fine." Alice turned her head.


    Oh, jeez, she¡¯s really upset.


    "I had someone to introduce.¡± Yuria scratched her cheek with regret.


    But hearing that there was someone to be introduced made me a little nervous.


    "You mean Aria? Were you with her?¡± Alice asked.


    Yuria nodded.


    Aria was a name I''d heard before from somewhere. I was getting more and more nervous.


    "Yes, ah! Here she comes." Yuria pointed in the direction of a girl.


    "Kyak!"


    "What''s wrong, Den?"


    At the sudden choking sound, Alice was surprised and worried.


    "No, kmm, hmm. It''s all right."


    I coughed lightly and smiled at Alice.


    "Let me introduce you. This is Aria. She''s my new friend at the magic school."


    Yuria introduced Arelia, the Third Princess of the Empire wearing a magic school uniform, under the name Aria. Even though the main character of the ball definitely just appeared, the surroundings did not change in a loud manner. Not everyone would know the face of the princess, but it was strange that no one noticed it.


    That school uniform... I could feel a slight reverberation of magic from it. It seemed that the reason why people didn''t recognize Arelia was because of that uniform. It seemed a magic circle that prevented recognition was specially engraved into the lining of clothing.


    "Hello, my name is Aria." Arelia greeted politely with a smile.


    Damn, I should have followed Flam when he suggested exploring the magic school.


    Let''s calm down for now.


    When I met the princess, I was wrapped and wrapped around by my cloak and mask. Even if Arelia was an anti-magician and my perception-disrupting magic was ineffective on her, she still shouldn¡¯t recognize me.


    "Oh my, Den, why are you sweating so much?"


    When Yuria tried to wipe the sweat off my forehead with a handkerchief, I declined and took out my handkerchief.


    "It''s all right. I''ll wipe it with my own."


    But Arelia, who was certainly not acquainted with me, looked at me with glistening eyes.


    What, did I get caught?


    Where did I make the mistake? I haven''t even made a proper introduction yet.


    Ah, my voice!


    As a princess, she might have been trained to distinguish people by their voices. After all, voice is the most variable element to identify a person. Yet, I spoke without giving it a thought!


    ¡°You must be ''that'' Den!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡®That Den¡¯? What Den was she talking about? Was she talking about what happened in the palace? Then it was highly likely to be a threat.


    Are they threatening that if I don''t want to die of treason for trespassing the palace, then I should become their chess piece? Or they could be asking for the things I''ve robbed? Even with a glance, there were many corruption-related items, so there would be countless ways to use them politically.


    I waited for Arelia to finish, swallowing dry saliva.


    "I''ve heard a lot from Yuria and Alice.¡± Arelia shook my hand, holding back an odd laugh.


    I thought there was going to be a note left in my hand, but nothing was given to me.


    So what''s with this strange smile?


    I looked at Yuria and Alice for a moment. Yuria and Alice avoided my eyes at the same time as if there was something to be guilty about. Only then could I grasp the situation.


    What the heck did you say about me?


    Still, I was honestly relieved that Arelia didn''t recognize me.


    -o-


    Cardinal Fernando wore a golden mask and shouted at the three rows of the black-masked people in front of him.


    ¡°Are you prepared for the revolt?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We are!¡± The black-masked people answered aloud in unison.


    Fernando burst forth into a satisfied laugh at his own bloodthirsty limbs.[1] "Ahahahaha, that''s good. Eagle, I''ll ask. What is our mission?"


    A man standing in the front row of the black-masked people spoke in a disciplined voice. "Kidnapping Third Princess!"


    "That¡¯s right. Fox, what are the benefits we can gain from this?"


    This time a black-masked woman in the front row answered, "Acquisition of a route to hit the emperor''s neck, and the means to pressure the emperor and other imperial dogs!"


    Fernando gave a deep smile. "That¡¯s right! This is an opportunity that will never come again! We''re going to hit hard and hit fast!"


    "Yes!" Once again, the masked people answered in unison.


    Fernando shouted, taking a step forward, "Let''s go! It is time to lower God''s iron mace on the wicked!"


    -o-


    On one side of the sky, the sunset dyed it red, and on the other, violet light of darkness was devouring the sky.


    Now that the ball had begun in earnest, tranquil music could be heard from the magic school. From the roof above the clock tower between the magic school and the magic tower, a man wearing a brown mask looked down at the magic school that was painted red by the sunset.


    "Ominous," Taurus muttered.


    A woman with a red mask suddenly appeared from the opposite roof from where Taurus was sitting.


    "Ominous? What are you talking about?¡± Walking as if ignoring gravity, Scorpio approached Taurus and asked, revealing a captivating smile below the red mask.


    Despite the sudden appearance, Taurus answered without any surprise. "Well, I don''t know myself. That red-colored school looks ominous as if it¡¯s about to reek of blood right now."


    Scorpio laughed at Taurus''s answer. ¡°Oho, you have a good hunch.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Scorpio did not answer Taurus''s question. "I like misfortune. If it''s full of despair and screams, it''ll be perfect."


    Taurus felt goose-bumps. There was not a single hint of falsehood in her words. Feeling that he might rush into the magic school and start a massacre, he was on the edge.


    1. limbs refers to his subordinates

 Chapter 63: Ball (14)

    "Don''t move! If you do, you won¡¯t be forgiven!"


    The act of slaughtering innocent people went against Taurus¡¯ principles. Even if he wasn¡¯t the one doing it, ignoring the bloodbath involving innocents was contrary to his principles.


    Looking at him standing and adjusting his posture, Scorpio sat there and crossed her legs seductively. "Oh my, what are you getting so excited about? Don''t worry, Baby, I''m just here to spectate.¡±


    "What are you talking about?" Taurus didn''t understand her.


    Seeing him like that, she answered like he didn¡¯t need to know. "You can just take a look around. Of course, I don''t know if the principles you believe in so much will allow it."


    "What¡ª"


    "Should I lament that your information gathering abilities are low, or admire that you have a good intuition? Is it purely a coincidence that you are here?¡±


    He was confused by her words that resembled a complaint. "I''m just....¡±


    "Well, I have no need to know your situation. But don''t worry. I''ll just be spectating today.¡± Like her red mask, she spoke with tempting red lips. "We''ve always done what we wanted, have we not. No matter what others said or not."


    At the same time as the words, Scorpio disappeared as if she had never been there.


    Taurus looked down at the magic school, frowning under the mask.


    -o-


    It''s the worst.


    I thought, ¡°no way, no way¡±, but I really did end up meeting the Third Princess.


    Right now I managed to make all kinds of excuses and run away. However, the fact that Arelia was wearing a magic school uniform and was close to Yuria and Alice was no different from the saying that I could run into her anytime.


    I only looked briefly, but it didn¡¯t seem like she had recognized me. But, life didn¡¯t always go the way you wanted it to. Also, it pricked my conscience a little that I ditched Lisbon leaving him alone with just women.


    Well, Lisbon will be able to handle it. I decided to not worry about it and put some duck meat from the plate into my mouth.


    "Tasty."


    Wearing a mask that interfered with perception, hiding my presence, and sneaking food into the pocket space, I escaped to a remote part of the terrace.


    I''m going to eat and drink as planned and then go home. No one can interfere!


    Even the terrace didn¡¯t feel safe. But I was wearing a mask, so no one should be able to recognize me. However, if by chance, someone who came out to the terrace was trained in magic, there was a high chance of being noticed. Above all, the fact that this was the magic school where they taught people how to use magic made me even more nervous.


    Let''s go eat on the roof that''s completely deserted instead.


    Oot cha![1]


    I stepped on the railing of the terrace, jumped up, grabbed the floor of the terrace just upstairs, and flung myself into the air. I went up to the roof, alternately grabbing the windowsill and drainpipe. I looked up at the sky where the sun had almost fully set, and the stars were starting to shine little by little.


    "Delicious."


    What sauce did they put on to make it so delicious? I''ll have to stop by the kitchen on the way out to sneak some.


    I couldn¡¯t cook with my awful dexterity, but I was sure if I gave it to someone who cooked at the boarding house, they would take care of it. When I thought that my skills must have been better in my previous life, I realized that there was no food I had made other than instant ramen. After convincing myself quickly, my mouth was greeted with more duck meat.


    Delicious!


    As I welcomed the duck meat into my mouth, I moistened my throat here and there with the bottle of champagne that I brought along. The carbonated champagne prickled my throat.


    Keuuh-! There''s no alcohol in this.


    It was regrettable, but for some reason, there were no alcoholic beverages at all. Still, it was lucky they had some carbonated drinks. I¡¯ll have to study magic to dissolve carbon dioxide into water later.


    Sreung-!


    Hearing the sound of a blade whistling through the air, I quickly threw my body forward from my seat and dodged. In an instant, I could see a glistening blade pass through the spot I was at.


    While on guard, I looked at the thoughtless guy who suddenly wielded a sword at me.


    "Oho, you''re quick, huh?"


    A man holding a sword with his right hand and tearing the flesh off a bone with his left hand stared at me while smiling.


    ... Uncle Bloody?


    Why is Uncle coming out of there?


    I put my civil servant ID card with my picture hanging around my neck into the pocket space. Let''s move past why Uncle Bloody suddenly attacked from behind and get out of here.


    "Aigoo, where do you think you¡¯re going?"


    Uncle Bloody threw sword aura in the direction that I was trying to sneak away. I rolled and dodged.


    "Excuse me? What did I do wrong to Mister?¡±


    Me trying to escape aside, the killing intent that I was feeling from him was too strong. It¡¯d be a waste for the duck on the plate to be spilled, so I shoved it in my mouth.


    Delicious!


    Biting some meat, Uncle Bloody, answered, "No, more so than wrongdoing, you seem suspicious, so I¡¯m going to kill you for now."


    Oh, I see.


    It was reasonable logic, but I wasn¡¯t going to passively let myself be killed. Well, I knew Uncle didn''t intend to kill me when he made a sound as he pulled out the sword. But him saying that he was going to kill me was probably not an idle threat either. His real intention was likely that he couldn''t help it if I ended up dying.


    "By the way, it¡¯s my first time seeing your face?¡±


    Of course not!


    Then who was the one who kept bothering me every time he came home for vacation by invading my room, spreading erotic books all over, then calling my sisters over?


    Of course, the books are kept in my pocket space and are being used well.


    And besides, I¡¯m wearing a mask. What do you mean it¡¯s your first time seeing my face?


    Since I couldn¡¯t tell him my actual thoughts, I swallowed the duck meat and tried to calm Uncle Bloody down.


    "Ah, delicious!"


    No, that¡¯s not it.


    The duck meat was so delicious that I carelessly let out my thoughts. Uncle Bloody burst into a fit of laughter finding something funny in my words.


    "Ahahaha! You''re a funny guy!"


    I immediately denied Uncle Bloody''s words.


    "No. How could that be? I''m a serious person. I''m such a serious person that when I was born, I thought, ''Dang, I ended up being born,'' and seriously thought about my future life."


    I mostly thought seriously about how to replace the bidet. Anyway, who are you calling a funny guy?


    An actually funny guy is someone like Gallahad who always gets tricked. At my level of seriousness, it¡¯d be reasonable to be called a killjoy.


    I mean it!


    Keuhmm!


    Uncle Bloody laughed at my words.


    No! I¡¯m at least more serious than Uncle!


    I was about to lose my temper, but calmed down and pondered over how to run away. Despite how he seemed, Uncle Bloody used to be the leader of the warrior force that dominated the Olympus Forest. Although this was not a forest, I had to be prepared for the entire capital area to be half destroyed if Uncle Bloody was determined to come after me.


    While I was considering taking out a magic cane from the subspace, Uncle Bloody threw away a bone that he ate all the meat from and aimed the sword at me.


    "So, I''m going to ask you seriously. Who are you? Libra? Pisces? Ram?"


    "What are you talking about?¡±


    I couldn''t understand Uncle Bloody¡¯s words. If you suddenly ask me if I''m a Pisces or a Libra, what am I supposed to say?


    Uncle Bloody, however, must have thought I was trying to withdraw, and brought forth chaotic martial aura and wrapped his sword with it. Light poured out of his sword like an explosion, brightening the surroundings.


    "I said I was asking seriously.¡±


    I also released mana to match Uncle Bloody¡¯s martial aura. "But I also answered seriously."


    My mana and Uncle''s martial aura consumed the space and showed off each other''s strength while trying to secure dominance in the space. The space where mana met the martial aura became distorted and shot out sparks.


    This was trouble. Uncle was seriously thinking of killing me. If I were not careful, the surrounding area, instead of being half-destroyed, might just disappear without a trace.


    Uncle Bloody was surprised and laughed merrily as I got into a battle of aura without being pushed back. To think I¡¯d hear that laugh outside of the village...


    "I¡¯ll ask once again. Who are you?" Uncle Bloody said as if it was the last chance.


    I asked back with a light shrug, "Who do you think I am?¡±


    Who the heck do you think I am to be trying to kill me?


    "Well, I don''t know, but I think you might be the successor of ¡®him¡¯ who died at my hands or the ¡®twins¡¯ who died at the hands of William and Orphina. What do you think?¡±


    Him? Twins? Come to think of it, he also said things like libra, pisces, and aries. What kind of animal farm was this?


    I didn¡¯t know about the twins, but libra was an inorganic object, so it was not just an animal group. But I felt like I¡¯d heard of this association before.


    "Perhaps, are these zodiac signs or a person called Leo?"


    Uncle Bloody smiled coolly and nodded. "You know very well!" He got into a stance as if he were going to fight right away.


    "Wa-wait! Wait a moment, please. I think you''ve got the wrong person!¡±


    When I stopped him, Uncle looked at me like ¡®what bullsh*t is that¡¯.


    "What is that bullsh*t?¡±


    Gosh, saying that so bluntly was making it uncomfortable for someone who was going to keep saying nonsense.


    "Based on what I¡¯ve heard so far, it seems like you are looking for a member of an organization that has the names of the 12 zodiacs?¡±


    Since Uncle Bloody was pretty simple, let''s try shaking him off by talking.


    "And?"


    "Unfortunately, you chose incorrectly. I''ve never heard of an organization like that.¡±


    I spoke full of sincerity, but Uncle Bloody''s reaction was cold.


    "You think I''d believe that?¡±


    I thought if it was the simple Uncle, he would believe it. Still, this nephew felt relieved to see that he had grown up somewhat after having lived in the capital for a little while.


    Who''s nonsense was it that if you were sincere, the opponent would be understanding? Well, I wasn''t stupid enough to believe that nonsense. Normally, when you deceive a person, you need to mix in some truth. If it seemed like a lie, it might be better not to mix it in, but since I didn''t have any information, let''s just try going with the flow.


    Now, it''s time for the bullsh*t.


    "Think about it. You swung the sword as soon as you saw me. What was the reason? That''s because I looked suspicious.¡±


    Uncle Bloody nodded his head to my words.


    All right. To start, he showed signs of listening.


    "Well, it''s obvious I was being suspicious. My mask and the work I¡¯m doing is kind of like that.¡±


    "Work?"


    "Yes, I''m ashamed to say but I''m in poverty, so I''m surviving by stealing. I''d like to explain my long story, but neither you nor I have the time, so let''s just skip that part."


    To start, I laid the groundwork that I was just a simple thief.


    "Let''s look at the case where you wielded the sword again. Based on your uniform, you look like a knight, a very highly ranked knight at that. Such a knight, who values courtesy and tradition, ignored chivalry and wielded a sword for questioning and answering. Right?"


    I tone down my tempo a notch. It was not necessarily good to speak rapid-fire. It was important for the other person to listen in order to get them engrossed in my words.


    "As a high-ranking knight, your skills should also be good. I could tell Sir Knight¡¯s skills are brilliant just from looking at the neatness of your sword swing."


    I naturally changed the title from ¡®you¡¯ to ¡®Sir Knight¡¯. And Uncle Bloody nodded with a proud face.


    Oho, so you like that!


    1. Sound a person makes during physical exertion/activity

 Chapter 64: Ball (15)

    "There must be a reason why a noble knight, who can reason with words, wielded a sword for question and answer. I think that''s because the guy you were determined to cut is one of those very wicked people who don¡¯t require a prior warning."


    Now, I have to pull myself out of the ¡®wicked people¡¯ group.


    "Oh, of course, I''m just a little lowly thief, so I think I''d have to run away immediately if I met such wicked guys."


    "So?"


    Good. You''re still listening to my bullsh*t.


    "But considering you mistook a petty thief like me for one of those wicked guys, I can infer that there was information today that the wicked people would come to the magic school."


    Wait, something''s wrong! How did Uncle Bloody know that those "wicked bastards" were gonna show up here?


    "Keep going."


    When I stopped talking for a moment and fell deep into thought, Uncle Bloody urged me to continue with a look of interest. Something felt off, but the top priority now was to run away from Uncle''s grasp.


    "If my reasoning is correct, the wicked ones are coming here today. But I''m not one of them. Then while Sir Knight is distracted by me, the wicked people can break into this place--"


    KwaKwaaang-!!!


    My words were cut off by the sound of an explosion in the distance.


    ¡°-That a possibility, right?¡±


    Uncle Bloody looked at the place where the explosion occurred.


    "Damn it!"


    I took a step away from my uncle who had an expression of urgency on his face.


    "Then, excuse me."


    Uncle Bloody looked like he was about to run off to the explosion site, but then suddenly pointed his sword at me.


    "Wait, you''re coming too!"


    "What?! Why me?!"


    I didn''t want to get involved with those that I temporarily refer to as ''wicked people who would easily and silently stab you from the back''.


    "Don''t you yourself think that you''re pretty suspicious?¡±


    Uh... well, I was certainly suspicious. I was eating duck meat while wearing a mask on the roof where the princess'' birthday ball was being held. If I were him, I would have first started swinging a chainsaw as the best means of conversation.


    "No. Look at my kind gaze. What part of it looks suspicious?"


    I made my eyes as sparkly as possible. Look at my eyes that shimmered with kindness!


    "Get rid of those rotten eyes. There¡¯s no time, so come with me or die. Choose!"


    Rotten eyes! So mean! I¡¯m hurt!


    "Should I take the lead?"


    With a sword pointed at me, I had no choice but to lead the way to the explosion site.


    -o-


    The evening sun set and the ball began. At the same time, the banquet hall began to get crowded as the nobles living in the capital entered one after another.


    A court orchestra was on one side of the banquet hall, performing and filling the space with their music. Dishes cooked with all kinds of spices were placed in the center, the fragrant aroma enticing the appetite of the attendees.


    Arelia walked around the banquet hall in the magic school uniform that William had carefully made. Having been born as a princess, she attended various banquets and balls, but today was the first time she felt that the party was fun. At banquets like this, she was always surrounded by disgusting adults with greedy smiles. Her brothers and sisters shared her plight. But this time, it was different. No one knew that she was a princess, and there were friends around her who looked at her for who she was, rather than her status.


    "Yuria! Aria! That person¡¯s eating cotton!" Alice held up the cotton candy as if it was something amazing and called the two over.


    "You¡¯re right, he¡¯s eating decorations!¡± Yuria agreed with Alice and looked at the lady eating cotton candy like they were looking at a strange animal.


    "Puhat!"


    Arelia burst into laughter because they were so cute. There was no way it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant seeing these innocent people after seeing only adults who were just like cunning snakes but hiding those intentions deep within.


    "Alice, Yuria. It''s a popular snack amongst the noblewomen in the capital these days,¡± Arelia said.


    Alice and Yuria were perplexed and looked at the cotton candy.


    "What?! They eat cotton?" Alice looked at Arelia, her eyes full of disbelief.


    Alice was also a daughter of a noble family but was also a far-off country bumpkin. And after arriving at the capital, she had never attended any parties in the capital as she was preparing for the magic school entrance exam and adapting to school. Eating cotton that appeared to be for decorative purposes was out of this world for her.


    Yuria felt almost the same way, if not stronger than Alice. Growing up as a talented person in the Butterfly Tribe, even the last parfait she ate seemed to be a new world to her, let alone a cotton candy.


    With a smile, Arelia tore off a piece of cotton candy that Alice was holding and put it into her own mouth. Her dimples deeply showed as the sweetness spread in her mouth.


    "Come on, you can eat it.¡±


    Arelia tried it herself, but Alice and Yuria stared at the cotton candy with doubtful eyes.


    "Ayyt!" Yuria closed her eyes tightly, ripped some cotton candy, and put it into her mouth.


    It melted instantly in her mouth, becoming sugar water and the sweetness coated her mouth.


    "It¡¯s sweet!?" Yuria''s eyes twinkled with surprise. The magician¡¯s unique and inquisitive mind activated and she started wondering how cotton candy was made.


    When Yuria ate the cotton candy again, Alice also tried a little piece.


    "It''s sweet!"


    While Alice and Yuria were absorbed in the cotton candy, the 9 p.m. bell rang.


    Deng-! Deng-!


    It was now time for her to show her face as the princess, not Arelia.


    "Sorry, I''m supposed to meet someone, but I''ll be right back." With regret, Arelia took a little bit of the cotton candy that Alice was holding and stuck out her tongue.


    Being in the know, Yuria nodded, and Alice, who did not know the situation, also bobbed her head without thinking.


    As Arelia left her seat, Alice looked around. "Where the heck did Milpia go again?¡±


    At some point, Milpia had disappeared, leaving Alice and Yuria in the hall. When she looked around, all she could find was Lisbon. Before she knew it, her brother was waltzing and chatting with young women whom Alice didn''t even know. He had truly phenomenal sociability.


    "Alice, look at that!"


    Alice was admiring Lisbon¡¯s sociability, when Yuria called out, pointing to the large chocolate fountain.


    "Oh, my God!"


    The two girls enjoyed the ball on their own.


    -o-


    As I headed towards where the sound of the explosion came from, I thought about quickly escaping. If I tried to run away, Uncle, who was currently emitting a martial aura that was prickling at my neck, would definitely cut me down on the spot.


    But something was strange.


    If my reasoning was correct, Uncle and other imperial leaders knew that there would be a group of wicked people appearing today at Arelia''s ball. Two hypotheses could be established by that inference.


    One, that the goal of the wicked ones was Arelia, the princess. Two, this situation was a trap designed by someone.


    I know not why they would be after Princess Arelia. But based on the fact that Uncle and the other leaders knew that they were after her, I quickly realized that she was being used as bait.


    The reason why Uncle Bloody was so restless was probably that he didn''t like the fact that young Arelia was being used as bait and felt sorry.


    What I found strange was not that Uncle, who disliked involving the weak, agreed to use her as bait. It wasn¡¯t hard to pressure him with words. Rather, it was the explosion just now.


    According to my reasoning, the goal of wicked people was to kidnap or assassinate Arelia. Usually, the standard procedure dictates the mission to be carried out in secret.


    Yet, they were causing such a brilliant explosion? It wouldn''t be weird even if the ball was stopped right now.


    "Excuse me, Sir Knight. May I ask you a question?¡±


    "What is it?"


    "Why is the banquet hall quiet when there was such a loud explosion?¡±


    With such an explosion, there should have been screams as people fled. But it was quiet.


    Uncle Bloody answered casually, "Since they said they would cast a lot of spells including a soundproofing spell, would they even know that an explosion occurred?¡±


    Excuse me? Aren¡¯t things like these usually classified?


    It was a little scary that he told me so casually. If it were someone else, they would have thought that Uncle would kill them or not let them go off. But, well, Uncle was just simple-minded.


    "Then I suppose the ball is proceeding peacefully?¡± I asked.


    "Probably."


    I stopped walking towards the place where the explosion was heard.


    "What is it? Why did you stop? I told you we don''t have time.¡±


    "Wait a minute. Let me think."


    There''s an empire and a hostile organization. The organization was aiming for the princess for some reason. The empire was using the princess as bait. An explosion occurred. The banquet hall where the ball was held had soundproofing magic. Uncle Bloody casually told me information that seemed to be a secret.


    Wait, is this information really confidential?


    No matter how simple and brutish Uncle¡¯s thought process was, he would know to keep confidential information secure. Nevertheless, he had said it casually without even showing a look of ¡®oops¡¯. That was to say, it was not classified.


    As long as the hostile organization of the empire at least had the information gathering ability of a neighborhood woman, it was highly likely that they would already know this fact.


    Let''s think again. An explosion occurred. Common sense says that if such a noise was heard, security would be temporarily driven to the site of explosion. At the same time, the ball continues as if nothing happened.


    "I am done thinking now."


    Uncle Bloody wore a confused expression. Well, it did seem ridiculous to say that I was done thinking less than 10 seconds after I asked to stop and think.


    "Then, let''s go. Ah! Those masked men!"


    Uncle Bloody looked away from me and in the direction I pointed. It was nice that he was so simple-minded. I made a cross with my fingers.


    "Shadow Clone Technique!"


    A dozen or so phantoms of me appeared and began to flee in all directions. I mixed myself among them and ran away.


    Glancing back, Uncle had a blank face before he seemed to realize the situation and got angry.


    "This bastard!"


    Uncle quickly wielded his sword and rapidly dissipated the phantoms with nine sword auras, but besides me, five others remained. He looked as if he was considering whether to come after me or head to the explosion site but then ended up choosing the latter.


    I turned around and went back to the banquet hall.

 Chapter 65: Ball (16)

    Arriving at the space set up for her at the rear of the banquet hall, Arelia took off her magic school uniform and changed into a showy dress. After fixing her makeup, she had to stand in front of people as Arelia, the Third Princess of the Empire, not a student of the magic school named Aria.


    It was an all too familiar event. But why did it feel so uncomfortable?


    The corset she wore under the dress suddenly felt tight today. Unlike the uniform, this dress with a lot of embellishments felt cumbersome. But she didn''t think of it as a hindrance as she felt this should be natural. This was a duty for the rights she had enjoyed so far, so she would go out dignified to the banquet hall. But before that, she wanted to take a breather for a while.


    When Arelia''s makeup was fixed, she headed to the terrace connected to the space that was prepared for her.


    "Your Imperial Highness, where are you going?¡± asked the maid, who was busy selecting jewelry for the princess.


    Arelia looked at the clock hanging on the wall and said, "I''m going to the terrace to get some air. We still have a lot of time left, right?"


    The maid had served her the longest and was also her nanny. "I can''t allow you to be away for too long because I have to fix your hair again," she said with an apologetic face.


    Arelia smiled in response. "I know. I can''t be a baby on a day like this."


    The maids began to move busily again as Arelia went out to the terrace. The nanny understood Arelia, so she stopped a young maid from following after Arelia. Arelia was not even going far, so a small concession could be made.


    A grateful Arelia breathed in the clear air. It was still late summer, but it felt a little chilly because it was night. Looking from the terrace railing, the sky was full of bright stars.


    Come to think of it, the night sky was full of stars even before the summer began.


    Arelia smiled, suddenly recalling the half-white masked gentleman. Arriving like an angel when she was depressed, he gave her some courage and abruptly disappeared. It seemed like that man, whose identity she still didn¡¯t know, might just reappear.


    Yes, like that first time they¡¯d met when he¡¯d suddenly appeared as if falling from the sky, and smiled like a villain...


    Then, suddenly, a black object dropped from above and landed on the terrace railing. A man with a half-white mask, wearing a luxurious suit, holding a bloody long sword in one hand greeted Arelia while looking at her.


    "Oh, it has been a long time, Miss Aria?"


    Stunned by Lupin¡¯s abrupt arrival, Arelia was stumped for words.


    He came down from the railing, held her hand, and said, "Or shall I call you Arelia?"


    How dare he call the imperial princess by name and not even by her full title? No disrespect like this should be allowed!


    And yet, Arelia nodded unconsciously.


    "All right, Arelia. It¡¯s a bit sudden, but would you like to go on a date with me?"


    "Huh?"


    Before Lupin heard her reply, he quickly grabbed her waist. "In a moment, you¡¯ll feel like you¡¯re floating. You¡¯ll have to get used to it!"


    At the same time, Arelia''s body floated slightly. Then, he grabbed her and jumped up.


    Sorry, nanny. I''m going to be late.


    Arelia inwardly apologized since she couldn''t shout out otherwise.


    -o-


    As I went back to the banquet hall, I pondered over what to do.


    In a situation like this, there were a lot of options to choose from. But first, run away!


    It was the wisest thing to do. What did it have to do with me whether or not an unknown force was after the princess? I was just a humble citizen. What advantages were there for a civil servant, receiving a proper salary, to go and rescue the princess?


    No matter how much I thought about it, leaving the job of saving the princess to a heroic knight was beneficial to my physical self. However, I kept delaying the choice to run away kept being. It''s simple to escape on my own, but I was thinking about Pushover and friends who were still at the banquet hall. So then, I should simply take my friends and run away. Realistically, this was the option I must choose.


    However, it would take too long to get Alphonso and Flam, who were likely still touring the magic school, and persuade Yuria, Alice, and Lisbon, who would be at the banquet hall, to leave.


    As per common sense, if the sound of the explosion was to distract the guards, it would soon be discovered, so the wicked ones would try to hurry to accomplish their objective. In that case, there was a strong possibility that things would happen before I was able to run away. Of course, contrary to my conjectures, there was a possibility that the princess was not the target and that there was a separate agenda in play. A different goal would be unlikely on a day like today when the princess'' ball was underway, however. Against my expectations, the objective could be blowing up some facilities of the magic school.


    If that was the case, it was more efficient for Uncle to go that way. Of course, it was too much to figure out everything just from what he had said in passing. So I just ran away without telling him the possibility of a diversion.


    The last option, which I was very reluctant to choose, was to save the princess. To be exact, it was to rescue her incidentally ¡ª through intercepting those that wanted to kidnap Arelia by kidnapping her before the commotion broke out as if nothing had happened. The level of difficulty had suddenly increased, but I couldn''t help it.


    If there were a disturbance, there was a high probability that Pushover and Yuria would step forward. It was only my guess, but Yuria must know that the princess concealed her identity and became a student. Perhaps, she was even asked by her uncle William to be a secret escort. Since she could use magic, she wouldn''t have problems defending herself.


    However, I was worried about that Lisbon. I reckoned he couldn¡¯t control his pushover-ness and would attack without considering the fact that he was unarmed. Also, my tranquil life could be ruined if I stepped forward openly.


    Damn it! This is why you have to choose friends carefully!


    This was why I was reluctant to be friends with that Pushover. But there was nothing I could do. We were already friends now. I felt like I wanted to cut my head off. With a sigh, I opened my pocket space and took out a mana stone as big as two fingers and the eyes of the Demon Horus.


    Tsk, it''s a little wasteful to use it in a place like this.


    Demon Horus was a flying demon that was difficult to deal with even for the warriors who roamed the Olympus Forest like their own home. As such, Horus'' eyes were deemed as precious magic materials even in the village where they were overflowing with demon by-products. It was a precious catalyst that if sold to the magic tower, one could buy a mansion as big as a royal palace and still had money left over.


    Even so, I was glad to have some extra space in the pocket space. Well, Elder Mirpa¡¯s warehouse was as empty as my full inventory, but it would be fine.


    Before running away from home, I raided Elder Mirpa¡¯s private warehouse. However, I know not if he had noticed by now. He was good at passing chores on to his students, so there was a chance he didn''t know about it yet.


    Treat me to a meal later, Pushover!


    Feeling a bit wasteful, I used clairvoyance magic that utilized Horus¡¯ eyes as a catalyst. Usually, clairvoyance magic was just called clairvoyance but it was actually just a telescope substitute. However, if Horus'' eyes were used as a catalyst, one could observe from the top like a satellite.


    I calmly closed my eyes and looked through every corner of the magic school like using Google Maps. Divided into three groups, the black-masked people were located at the explosion site, the rear gate, and the roof of the magic school. At first glance, there was a disturbance team, a kidnapping team, and a retreat team. A group of black-masked people, who seemed to have caused the disturbance, just met with Uncle Bloody.


    I canceled the magic and flew up to the roof of the magic school.


    "Hectopascal kick!"


    The masked man, who managed to respond to my unexpected ambush, blocked by crossing his arms.


    Kkeuok!


    But it seemed his ribs and both arms couldn¡¯t handle my rage coupled with the precious catalyst and were crushed. Although he looked dead, his weak groaning could be heard, so he was definitely not dead.


    All right, we''re approaching the strength control master.


    I didn''t know if that guy I just attacked had a tenacious vitality like a cockroach, but let¡¯s be positive for now.


    ¡°Three!"


    "How dare he do that to Eagle Three!"


    What are you? The five eagle siblings? There''s a lot of people for that?


    There were 10 black-masked people, including the fallen one.


    The black-masked people pulled out their swords and swung them at me. As I ducked at a sword swung sideways at my neck, another one came at my leg. I leaped horizontally into the air as if I were lying on the ground, not touching the sword-swinging overhead.


    Then, yet another black-masked man, finding the gap between the two swords, above and below me, stabbed his sword towards my body.


    At the continuous attacks, I paused my breath and used all my might twisted my body in mid-air to narrowly dodge the sword. As I twisted, I kicked the side of a black-masked man. With the counterforce, I spun my body in the air in the opposite direction and kicked the back of the head of the black-masked man who aimed at my neck to send him into the ground.


    "Ugh!"


    Kwang!


    The masked person I kicked in the ribs held his sides tightly and struggled to breathe. The man that was smashed into the roof with his head embedded laid out flaccid without even a scream. It was unknown whether he had fainted or died.


    Phew~ That''s a relief! It seemed the experience of avoiding Kuzuryusen from my brother back in the village was still in me.[1] Unlike the battle with my brother, I was able to avoid it without magic since I was only attacked from three places at the same time.[2]


    For a magician, he was pretty good with a sword. To think that I would see such rare magic swordsmen here. But I felt something different from the magic that was used.


    Isn''t it normal magic? But I felt like I''d felt it somewhere before. Anyway, if the opponent became cool-headed, they would become difficult to deal with. I was worrying over how to make a good provocation...


    "You...! That mask!"


    A masked man shook his finger at me and pointed out my mask as if he had just realized something.


    Have I perhaps met these guys before?


    1. A sword move from Rurouni Kenshin (a manga/anime).


    2. The sword move from 1* consists of attacking 9 locations simultaneously.


    "Eight! Are you all right?"


    No answer. It seemed like an ordinary corpse.


    "You bastard!¡±


    The guy with the head on the roof must be No.8.


    Despite being enraged, the black-masked men did not attack rashly. Instead, the septet surrounded me.


    Excluding the two sprawled-out ones, there should be eight. Where''s the other one?


    Looking around through the corner of my eye, the masked man who was hit in the side was applying healing magic on No.3, the guy I took down first. Considering the level of injury, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he were to cross over the Jordan River. So, it seemed first aid was being administered.[ref]Aka, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to die.

 Chapter 66: Ball (17)

    How strange!


    Every time I wore this mask, I¡¯d killed my presence as much as I could. So, on the off chance that someone did see me, they wouldn''t think much of it. Besides, I had put magic on this mask so that I could visit the nobleman who¡¯d sprayed muddy water on me with his carriage to take my reve... Hmm, I mean, it was meant for a goodwill visit, so he wouldn''t even remember me properly unless he was a very competent person.


    Upon the words of the masked person who had pointed out my mask, this group of masked people was exuding a nefarious aura.


    What?! Did I do something that deserves such resentment?


    There was no way an upright young man like me could do something like that. Clearly, they were mistaken. I know not why, but I didn''t think I needed to bother with provoking them.


    "Die evil!"


    At the cry, the masked septet simultaneously attacked. When I dodged the sword that stabbed towards my right shoulder, another sliced towards my head from behind. At the same time, two others swung their swords trying to slice at my legs.


    I slightly jumped and lifted my whole body. Then, eluding the sword aiming at my right leg, I stepped on the sword aiming for my left leg and turned my body to the right, lightly pulling back as I did to avoid a spate of swords from above.


    Following up, I used the recoil from pulling back to bounce forward into a front flip like jumping over a horizontal pole, while using my back foot to kick the chin of the masked person aiming for my left leg. Then I put both legs on the shoulder of the masked man who was aiming at my right leg, tightened my legs around his neck, and fiercely rolled to the right.


    Kwang!


    With my legs still wrapped around the masked person, I smashed his head into the roof, rolled away, and quickly moved towards the one who had recognized my mask first.


    I regretted not taking out my sword from the pocket space before coming here. I felt like I was going to die trying to deal with them without a sword. However, even if I wanted to open the pocket space and take out a sword, these guys were rushing at me like crazy, so there was no way I could do it now.


    These guys were stronger than I expected. Who the heck are they? They seemed stronger than my big sister too. So let''s just take away their swords first.


    I swiftly arrived before the masked man, he swung his sword at me unsurprisingly. It was an excellent blow without unnecessary movements. However, I think I picked the wrong person.


    "Restrict!"


    "Keuk!"


    The masked person¡¯s movements were easily restrained by my magic. Using that gap, I quickly stole the masked person¡¯s sword.


    Well, you had to at least greet the person who gifted you a sword!


    "Thank you, Mario. But the princess is in another castle."


    It was good manners to stick your middle finger up when you said this sort of thing, but unfortunately, my hand wasn¡¯t free due to the sword I had been gifted. Instead, I sliced off his right arm.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    He was the most skilled and annoying guy, so I had to retire him before he got another sword from someone else. But then, I remembered there was a guy using healing magic, so I kicked his right arm far away from the roof. This way he wouldn''t be able to reattach it immediately. Even if reattached, it couldn¡¯t be used immediately. On the other hand, if I hadn''t tossed it afar, he would reattach and use it to balance himself to wield the sword with his left hand.


    In my hometown, it was quite common to lose an arm hunting demons. So even if an arm was lost, they were trained to reattach the arm using Elder Mirpa¡¯s special potion and keep fighting.


    "Sir Eagle!"


    Oh, considering the honorific, it seemed the one with the severed arm was No.1. I kindly kicked him, in order to return him to his subordinates.


    Go back to the flock, Eagle.


    Ugh!


    With the sound of air escaping his lungs, the leader settled in the arms of his subordinates.


    "You bastard!"


    ¡°How did he find out who we are?¡±


    ¡°Keuk, how is the princess in another castle!!¡±


    Their reactions were more intense than I had imagined. And speaking of your identity, what are you talking about? I was just joking. You don''t have to be so discouraged!


    The masked leader treated his sliced shoulder with magic. As expected, that magic was somewhat different. Nevertheless, it seemed as if I had seen it somewhere.


    "Don''t make a fuss! The princess is certainly down below! Don''t be fooled by the enemy''s false information!" the masked leader shouted.


    The other masked people stopped wavering and nodded. Then, they took up their swords again. Now, there were five people with swords including the one I had briefly taken out of the line after striking him on the side. The one who fell after the first hectopascal kick, another whose head was embedded into the roof at the onset, the one that got hit on the chin, and the second one with the head in the roof. Lastly, excluding the leader with the severed arm, five remained.


    "Here we go!"


    At the same time as the cry, the five masked men charged towards me. Approaching from all sides, they aimed at my neck, heart, solar plexus, and both sides. If they were to attack at once, they could only do so by stabbing.


    I leapt high and easily dodged. I expected them to stab each other since they were closing in from all sides, but they just pierced the empty air as if in sync.


    "Answer my prayer! Destroy my enemy!"


    When I leapt high and put some distance with the masked group, their leader attacked me with magic. It must be hard to concentrate because of the pain, but he used the magic well. Inwardly admiring, I cast a defensive barrier around me.


    "Shield!"


    The arrows of light struck the barrier I had laid out like rain. The attack magic stopped when my body was pulled down by gravity. Falling amid the masked people, this time I took the initiative.


    I listlessly slashed at a masked person with a sword. That one didn¡¯t try to dodge instead attempted to thwart with his sword.


    "Get away!" The masked leader shouted as he eyed for an opening.


    Too late!


    However, my sword was instantly wrapped with a strong aura and cut through both the sword and the masked person.


    Kang! Pook!


    First came the sound of the sword breaking, followed by the sound of flesh being cut.


    I escaped before the blood splattered and pounced on another masked person. Although he was momentarily surprised, he must have been well trained for he responded with his sword. However, without any willpower backing it, the sword lacked proper strength.


    Clang!


    I easily struck it away. Now that his stance was broken, I started swinging my sword down at his neck. But then, thinking that I was a little too excessive, I changed my trajectory and decided to cut his shoulder.


    If something went wrong, he wouldn''t be able to lift a sword for the rest of his life, but at least he wouldn¡¯t die.


    Aaack!


    Behind me, the masked person I cut with the sword screamed, spouting blood. Judging by the sound of that ear-piercing scream, he probably wouldn¡¯t die.


    A few seconds later, the masked man with the slashed shoulder, shrieked, clasping his cut shoulder.


    Keeuuk!


    One of the other masked sword-wielders approached his injured comrade and tried to cast a healing spell.


    How dumb! I should have been dealt with first before they started treating their allies, but the priority was reversed.


    The masked person, who had grabbed the opportunity to chant a healing magic spell, spewed blood as he received a strong kick from me and fell off the roof. It was eight stories high and my hard kick seemed to have ruptured some of his internal organs. But since they''d been trained like this, he likely wouldn''t die.


    Of course, if he were unlucky, he would die.


    In an instant, there were only two left, so the masked people backed away. Then he cast a spell on me.


    "Come! Chains of sin bind the person!"


    Following the chant, a magic circle spread out on the floor, and a chain of white mana popped out of it and wound around me.


    "You fool! In the city of sin, rain of fire will pour down!"


    Another masked person chanted, and I was bombarded with blazing arrows.


    "Hell is the only place for an unbeliever! Oh, God! Punish the wicked man who insults you! Heavenly punishment!"


    The leader, who was constantly vigilant of me from afar, kept shouting chants and fired a bolt of white lightning at me.


    Aha, I''ve seen this magic somewhere!


    The chant was long and the power remarkably weak. But it was definitely the same magic used by the old man called cardinal when I stole the golden goddess statue about a month ago. I thought their magic chants seemed awfully religious. But apparently, these masked people were the ones who had chased me back then.


    These few people panicked when the dust settled after their various attack spells demolished the roof.


    "Ho-how could you be fine after being hit by so many spells! Are you an anti-magician from the legends!?"


    It would have been nice to have such a legendary body, but all I did was merely dispel the magic before it touched my body. No matter how unique the mana pattern, if you keep showing it, I would get used to it even if I didn¡¯t want to.


    "Yes! I¡¯m an anti-magician!" I shouted as I posed like a mad scientist. It would have been nice if my white clothes were fluttering in the wind, so it was a bit disappointing.


    "That... that can¡¯t be! How could there be an anti-magician who has such a tough body and can even use magic!"


    "God! Who made such a horrific hybrid!"


    Hey, isn¡¯t that a little excessive? The reason I told unnecessary lies was not only because I didn¡¯t need to tell the enemy actual information about myself but also because giving false information could prove useful for finding weaknesses.


    It¡¯s definitely not because I have eighth-grader syndrome!


    I decided to quickly take care of the trio that was still standing in front of me. Thanks to the soundproofing magic cast on the magic school, those in the banquet hall didn¡¯t seem to know of this commotion.


    On the other hand, I didn¡¯t think that the masked people who were fighting against Uncle Bloody and those at the back gate would not have noticed either.


    "Now, let''s finish this. Heavenly punishment!" I appropriately copied the masked person¡¯s magic and cast it.


    When white lightning emerged from my hand, those masked few were so shocked that they got hit even before they could react properly.


    ¡°Such a... Aah!¡±


    ¡°No, no way! Kuaaah!"


    A pair of masked people collapsed after getting electrocuted, but the leader managed to fend it while holding on to his severed right arm.


    "Ugh! How can you have God''s grace!"


    But, blocking the magic just now, he must have used up all his mana as he fell on one knee gasping for breath, and stared at me.


    How very persistent.


    I looked down at him and said, "I told you. God is with me."


    Then, I kicked his chin. He rolled along the roof over to the edge and stayed down.


    Let¡¯s see. I took out a watch from my breast pocket and checked the time. About 10 minutes had passed since the first hectopascal kick. Things had been delayed far longer than expected. To take care of things with ease, I had to deal with it in two minutes, but it took five times longer than expected. It was partly because I had rushed in carelessly, but also because the skills of these masked people were unexpectedly good.


    Thanks to this, the masked people from the rear entrance of the magic school noticed and were now coming over while giving off a furious aura. In short, it was too late now to settle the matter quietly.


    "Phew--"


    I sighed and changed my plans of handling the matter of kidnapping the princess quietly. If I were to make a mistake, the ones from the back door and where the explosion happened could arrive at the same time. If that happened, there was a high possibility that I would suffer some damage unless there were two of me.


    There was uncle Bloody at the explosion site, but it was also important to consider the possibility that some masked people might hold him up. If so, this place would become a battlefield.


    I jumped down to the terrace below the roof. There was a girl named Arelia out on the terrace where I landed.


    "Oh, long time no see, Ms. Aria?"


    I greeted casually and observed the magic circle laid in the banquet hall. It looked very secretive and powerful.


    What''s this?


    The magic circle was linked to the princess. To be exact, it was linked to the bracelet that the princess wore. But this magic circle was vicious. It was thoroughly guaranteeing Arelia''s safety.


    No, I was ¡®only¡¯ guaranteeing Arelia''s safety.


    I was about to vomit from anger, but I calmed myself, came down from the terrace railing, and grabbed Arelia''s hand.


    "Or shall I call you Arelia?" I asked with a smile.


    As I spoke, I removed Arelia¡¯s bracelet with my middle finger and modified the magic circle linked to it.


    I didn''t know how many rabbits the guys who planned this were trying to catch, but since they dared to use my safety as collateral without my knowledge, they had better prepare themselves.

 Chapter 67: Ball (18)

    Chapter 67. Ball (18)


    When Bloody arrived at the site of the explosion, he saw the knights guarding the area on the ground injured. William was alone in a battle of magic with an old man in a golden mask.


    "William!"


    Bloody shot sword aura and blew away the black masked person attacking William.


    "Ahahaha! Looks like your colleague is here! Butterfly Tribesman!"


    "Yes, it seems like it, Leo!"


    William guarded his surroundings with his eyes closed. Seeing William with his eyes closed and focused on hearing, Bloody approached William and guarded against the masked people.


    "Your eyes!"


    "Sorry, I made a mistake."


    William''s eyes were temporarily blinded by Leo¡¯s magic during the interlude when his attention had been diverted to the injured knights from the explosion. Even under such circumstances, against the joint attack of 10 masked people and Leo, he had still managed to block them without major injuries.


    Rather, it was correct to say that the masked people were only able to face William because he lost his eyesight at the same time as the surprise attack.


    "It''s all right, let''s end it quickly."


    Bloody was still caught up on the half-white masked thief who had escaped, and wanted to handle this situation quickly and go back to the magic school.


    "All right, thanks." William unfolded his magic. "Frozen arrow!"


    William''s magic flew towards a masked person, but the other easily evaded it. Being unable to see and having to perceive the enemy¡¯s movements through mana, it was difficult to predict and thwart the enemy¡¯s movements. However, as long as Bloody was here, it didn¡¯t matter that he couldn¡¯t see.


    Bloody rushed toward the masked person in line with William''s magic.


    "Not on my watch!" Leo conjured a spell.


    Bloody stepped back at the suddenly rising ground, and an arrow flew to where he had retreated. Allowing close combat against a Crow was tantamount to suicide. Well-aware of the fact, the masked people wielded long range weapons.


    When Bloody struck down the arrow with a sword, Leo collapsed the raised land in Bloody¡¯s direction. As the land crumbled onto Bloody, an ice barrier formed between them and blocked it. It was William''s magic.


    Bloody darted towards Leo, slipping through a crevice made by the ice barrier. A shower of arrows was unleashed towards him, but he blocked it with his sword.


    Leo stabbed the staff into the ground, and white chains emerged from the ground tightly wrapped around Bloody.


    Reflexively, Bloody broke the chains with all his might but they leapt up and wound over the broken links.


    "You dare!"


    At the same time as shooting the ice arrow, William used magic to cut off Leo''s magic chains. As he was fending off the ice arrow with magic, Leo was unable to concentrate on the chains; Bloody escaped and attacked.


    Kang! Pook!


    A masked person shielded against Bloody¡¯s sword that was rushing toward Leo.


    Kuaaahhh!


    The masked person¡¯s sword was cut in half as Bloody¡¯s sword embedded itself into his body. The man screamed as he grabbed firmly onto Bloody¡¯s sword while his comrades shot arrows towards Bloody.


    Bloody tried to draw his sword from the masked person¡¯s body to deflect the arrows, but the other was desperately holding onto it and so couldn¡¯t be freed.


    "Let go!"


    "I can''t do that!"


    Pressed by the arrows flying at him, Bloody gave up on pulling the sword out, and instead grabbed the masked person by the collar to use him as a shield.


    Kulok!


    The masked person became a hedgehog instead of Bloody, but despite being dead, the sword still could not be pulled out of his body.


    Bloody gave up on his sword and lifted the masked person¡¯s half broken sword.


    "Making me feel dirty.¡±


    Bloody clicked his tongue at the attack that disregarded the safety of their colleague, and pounced on Leo again.


    It was then that he felt a strong mana wave from the direction of the magic school.


    "No way! William!"


    Bloody turned pale at the thought of the unknown half-white masked thief. Bloody was constantly bogged by the fact that he hadn¡¯t chased after the unknown half-white masked thief because he felt no hostility for some reason.


    "No, the magic cast on the magic school is still intact." William calmly responded as he cast an attack spell at Leo. The soundproof magic wasn¡¯t the only thing that he had cast. Alongside a variety of defense magics, there was also a spell to notify him in case of an invasion. In addition, the princess was wearing a bracelet to alert him of her location in real time so that he could respond even if she were kidnapped.


    Rather, it was Leo and the masked people who were flustered.


    "Sir Leo!"


    When a masked person called, Leo nodded.


    According to the original plan, while they held up William and Bloody here, those led by Leo''s subordinate, Eagle, would kidnap the princess. But such an aggressive mana wave in the midst of execution was no different from saying they had encountered enemies outside of their expectations.


    "Fox! Buy some time! I will head over there myself!"


    "Understood!" Fox attacked William at the same time as he spoke.


    "Where do you think you are going!"


    When Bloody tried to stop Leo, five masked people attacked at the same time.


    Leo took advantage of the gap and escaped from his location.


    William used magic to create a barrier to block Fox¡¯s attack and shouted, "Bloody! Let¡¯s go too!"


    "Yes!"


    Bloody covered the half-broken sword with sword aura and created a mana blade almost 3m long to push back the masked people. Then, he went to William, put him on his back, and fled.


    If William''s eyes were fine, he would have just flown, but flying blid was dangerous.


    "Chase them!" Fox cried.


    The masked people shot arrows and threatened Bloody, who was about to leave the scene, but the arrows bounced off William¡¯s barrier.


    The masked group was forced to chase Bloody and headed for the magic school.


    -o-


    While waiting at the back gate of the magic school, Malive sensed something strange and led the masked people to the magic school.


    "Eagle 9!"


    Malive was trying to heal his colleague when he found a subordinate who was kicked from the roof by Denburg and used a healing spell.


    "Keeuk! Sir Malive....¡±


    The masked person came to his senses, but fainted again before being able to speak properly.


    A solemn Malive climbed the wall to the roof of the magic school, the starting point of the operation. The scene on the roof was disastrous.


    "Who... Just who did this?!"


    Malive was furious but kept his head cool. He approached the leader of the kidnapping unit, who was lying on the edge of the roof, and performed a healing spell.


    The condition was serious. The right arm was cut off so he would never be able to lift a sword again. His bare face had turned black and swollen to the point the original face was no longer recognizable.


    "Paladin Mario." Malive called out his colleague''s name in grief.


    "Get up, Mario."


    Mario woke up, his eyes opening a tiny bit as if Malive¡¯s heart had touched him.


    "Uggh, Malive?"


    Though he had regained consciousness, Mario groaned in pain. Malive administered a drug to temporarily numb the pain.


    Seeing his mate¡¯s complexion clearly improve, Malive vowed, "I won''t forgive the one who did this to you." Then he barked orders. "Half will collect and treat the Eagle squad. The rest will accomplish the great task that the Eagle team failed to do."


    Right now, the priority was to accomplish the great task.


    "Understood!"


    According to the preliminary reconnaissance, the princess should still be in the waiting room.


    "Ready to descend!"


    "Ready to descend!"


    To stably enter the waiting room, the masked people attached ropes to the roofs.


    "Accomplish it in one go without giving them a chance to react!"


    Kang!


    Suddenly, Malive intuitively cut the magic arrow that flew at him from somewhere and shouted. "Cancel descent! Prepare for battle!"


    The masked people cut off the rope from their waists, drew their swords, took position, and were on high alert. Once again, Malive deflected the magical arrow that flew at him from afar, and noticed the sniper far away.


    The sniper was wearing a half-white mask and holding their target, the princess, in one hand.


    "The sniper has the target!


    ¡°Chase them!"


    "Got it!"


    It was clear that that person was responsible for Mario¡¯s plight.


    "I will not forgive." Malive exuded killing intent.


    "I¡¯m going too," Mario said, picking himself up despite a tottering body. Malive tried to shake his head, but when he saw fighting spirit in Mario''s eye, he nodded.


    "I''ll chase first. Come at your own pace."


    "Haha, mission comes first. I won''t fall behind."


    Malive and his subordinates jumped off the roof, leaving Mario behind. Mario healed himself first with a healing spell.


    -o-


    Wow! Their reaction was fast.


    Had they entered the ballroom, it would become quite annoying, so I intentionally showed them the princess. Carrots were the best way to make a horse run.


    I started sprinting with the slumbering princess on my back. I reckon I was going to see quite a few of them in the future, so I poured in a massive amount of magic power to barely put the princess to sleep along with a triple protective shield. With this much, Arelia likely wouldn''t get hurt. Maybe.


    As I started running away, arrows began to fly at me from the rear. I blocked them with the sword that was gifted to me by the masked leader.


    Kang!


    Compared to the arrows shot by Mac, the vice captain of the warrior group, it felt like they were shooting straws. Of course, even if it were a straw, it would still hurt to get hit, so let¡¯s avoid it.


    "You bastard! How dare you touch that sword with that filthy hand!"


    I stuck up my middle finger at the masked person who suddenly got angry.


    "There¡¯s no such thing as yours or mine these days! Your heart is stubborn!"


    "You bastard!"


    The sound of blood pressure rising seemed to reach all the way here. Then again, how could kidnappers call others dirty?


    For now, I had stopped them from going into the banquet hall, but now what?


    If I considered fighting, the princess on my back was a concern. However, a magic battle would also be difficult because of the amount of mana I had poured on Arelia was no joke. Usually, even if putting someone to sleep initially took a lot of mana, it was not difficult to maintain the sleep afterwards.


    But on the contrary, it took a lot of mana to put Arelia to sleep, and it took even more to maintain. However, the aggressive movements would certainly wake her if I lift the sleep magic.


    Then there was also the possibility of a ¡®blood flowing, flesh exploding¡¯ scene, and the princess was too young to witness it.


    Well, actually we¡¯re the same age. Anyways, she¡¯s eating up a lot of mana. It''s almost like a mana eating hippo.


    No matter how much magic I used after leaving my hometown, the consumption rate had never exceeded the mana recovery rate. But now, trying to put Arelia to sleep felt like a pipe had burst and mana was constantly leaking out.


    To exaggerate, if something were to happen to me today, it would not be because of those masked people, but because the princess drained my magic and turned me into a mummy.


    I have class scheduled for tomorrow at the training center, but I''m not sure if I would be able to make it now.


    "You bastard... No way, that mask!"


    The masked man who had been cursing at me shouted in astonishment.


    "I''ve heard that reaction before, and it''s getting tiring. I''ll give you one point."


    Normally, if someone copies someone else, you start growing cold to it. By the way, when I get back, I''ll have to re-cast the magic on my mask. It was meaningless to wear a mask when people were recognizing me because of it.


    "I''ll cut your head off and give it to him!"


    The guy who seemed like a leader came at me quickly. I easily flew away.


    "Flying! Ugh, I''m going to die."


    A groan came out of my mouth. The remaining mana was depleting quickly. Save me!


    ¡°Ten consecutive magic bullets!"


    Flying in the sky, I shot the masked people with magic bullets. Using a gravity field to stop their movements then shooting would have ensured that at least some of them got hit, but due to my lack of mana, it would have been too much to try to prevent their movements. Sure enough, they all dodged with swift movements.


    No matter how I thought about it, running away was the answer.

 Chapter 68: Ball (19)

    "You bastard! Flying away like a coward!"


    The masked people I had met on the roof could use magic well, but it seemed like these guys couldn¡¯t?


    I once read in a book that magic based on divine power was separated into classes and flying was forbidden depending on the religious class. If I remember correctly, it was probably because the sky was God''s territory and only the class chosen by God could fly.


    Did it say that flying magic is possible from bishop-level or higher?


    So then they won¡¯t be able to chase me if I fly away like this?


    "Good bye, everyone! I''m ridding myself of the fetters and shackles of this world and am leaving to find happiness. I wish you all happiness!¡± I soared higher as I cheerily greeted.


    "You bastard!"


    The indignant masked group threw sword auras in retaliation. But it was all blocked by my shield, never reaching me. The farther the sword aura from the sword, the weaker it was. So, it was only natural.


    "And this is my last gift! Justice is pouring from the sky!"


    Circulating the magic circuit at full power, I shot thousands of magic bullets at the masked people. The rising dust obscured the masked people, but regardless of whether they were hit or not, I continued to rain magic bullets. When I was slowly running out of mana and got tired, a bolt of white lightning suddenly came towards me.


    Kulok!


    As the powerful magic hit my shield, I felt a large chunk of my mana being shaved off. Of course, I stopped shooting the magic bullets and looked around to find the source of this magic.


    An old man in a golden mask was flying over.


    Is he with the masked people?


    "Who the heck are you!" The old man in the golden mask shouted at me and continued to attack without waiting for an answer.


    "Nevermind! Just die!"


    When the old man in the golden mask waved his ceremonial-looking staff, hundreds of magic bullets shot towards me. I cut off the mana that I was supplying to the sleeping magic on the princess and executed an emergency evasive maneuver.


    At the high-speed maneuver, the magic bullets barely missed my body, but the princess moaned in her sleep.


    "Hmm¡ª"


    Dammit, I¡¯ll have to see after I survive if I can wake you up.


    "Wind maiden!"


    Wind awls quickly surrounded the old man in the golden mask like an iron maiden.


    "Hnng! God''s iron mace!"


    The old man in the golden mask conjured a sphere of light, struck out a part of the wind''s awl to create a gap and escape.


    "Divine punishment!"


    White lightning flew out of my hands towards the old man in the golden mask.


    "You are a fool! Do you think you can hurt me with false light!"


    The old man''s beckoning deprived me of the white lightning¡¯s control, and the lightning flew back towards me. I was just going to use this magic to provoke him, but it was definitely better to not use magic that I had ridiculously copied.


    My opponent knew this magic a lot better than I did, and I only mimicked it after a side glance. So, it was natural to lose control of it.


    "Delete!"


    Easily erasing the white lightning, I cast another spell.


    "Minefield!"


    The old man wearing a golden mask seemed to be preparing for my magic, he laughed at me when nothing happened.


    "Hahaha! Did the magic fail? What a fool!"


    He raised his ceremonial-looking staff at me and flew towards me.


    Kwang! Kwakwakwakwang-!


    The old man in the golden mask was rushing at me when he touched a transparent magic mine I had laid in the air. As a result, due to being stunned or having fainted, he crashed down. However, he did not seem to have suffered major injuries so he probably had a magic shield up to cushion his fall.


    Personally, I was reluctant to kill people. But with my future in mind, it was better to end it here.


    My intuition was murmuring that this old man would bother me in the future. And if he were to disappear, that masked lot wouldn¡¯t be able to stand again. There was no basis for it, but it was better not to spare potential future trouble.


    Let''s completely crush their psychology, so that even if we were to meet again in the future, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be hostile.


    "That¡¯s one trajectory."


    I didn''t like this magic because the incantation was cheesy.


    "The ends of the seven spearheads fix the future."


    It was the best magic for the current situation, so I couldn''t help it.


    "What occurs is from a single result."


    It was magic that belonged to the great magic category, so my low mana was even further sucked out.


    Ah, ahh, mana depletion was making me dizzy.


    "Shortened incantation! Gae Bulg!"[1]


    A red flash of light came from my hand. It cut across the sky with a gleam of avarice as it shot towards the old man in the golden mask.


    "No!"


    As the dust settled, a masked man sprang from the ground. But it was too late. Even if he blocked it, that old man would die unless there was a miracle.


    At that moment, a white light barged in between the old man in the golden mask and the red light to block it.


    -o-


    Paladin Vibrio, the masked person called Fox, was chasing after Bloody and William. She saw Leo, Cardo Fernando, and someone, engaged in a battle of magic in the distance. Sensing something strange, she wondered why Leo was suddenly in a battle of magic in the air.


    Perhaps, is the opponent in that magic battle the source of the strange feeling she felt from the direction of the Magic School?


    Vibrio was not certain but assumed that that man was indeed the source.


    Then where were Paladin Mario and his subordinates who were supposed to be initiating the revolt?


    She spotted the Leopards led by Paladin Malive, just below the place where the magic war was unfolding. She felt momentary anxiety winding all over her body.


    There was no way he got done in by that guy who seemed to be the main culprit, right?


    No, there was no way. Vibrio braced her heart.


    Vibrio regretfully, but objectively, judged that the Eagles led by Mario were stronger than the Foxes she helmed. But even the Foxes had succeeded in tying the feet of the Crow, Bloody and the Butterfly, William.


    Although as a knight, she was a bit ashamed at achieving such a feat through long-range weapons instead of a close combat battle, she couldn''t help it. In swordsmanship, they were no match for Bloody. Also, she and her knights were not as skilled at hiding magical traits of divine power like Fernando.


    No, Fernando, who could easily hide the characteristics of holy magic in front of a Butterfly, was a ridiculous sham.


    "Fox!"


    A voice called Vibrio from behind.


    "Eagle!"


    It was Mario. Vibrio could tell even though he was wearing a mask. As she thought, there was no way Mario would have been done in, but then she couldn''t help but freeze when she looked at Mario again. His right arm that should have been attached to him was missing.


    "Wha-what happened!" Vibrio cried.


    Mario turned his gaze towards Bloody and William. "Later. We are on a mission right now."


    Vibrio gritted her teeth and continued to chase after Bloody and William.


    "Bloody! I sense Arelia is in the air. What¡¯s going on?"


    At William''s cries of confusion, other than Bloody, Mario and Vibrio also looked skyward.


    ¡°That-that¡¯s!"


    For some reason, Vibrio couldn''t recognize it until just now. The princess was lying on the back of a man wearing a half-white mask and a suit.


    Vibrio was astonished at the reason her superior was engaged in a battle of magic, and at the same time understood. But on the other hand, she started doubting her own conjectures.


    Man? Did I think he was a man just now?


    It was strange. She couldn¡¯t clearly recognize it. He was definitely right there, but she couldn¡¯t recognize him. This unfamiliar feeling seemed familiar to Vibrio.


    The engrossed Vibrio was suddenly struck by a realization.


    Half-white mask! Lupin!


    Before she could voice her realization, Fernando was already falling due to an unknown explosion in the air.


    You have to catch him! Vibrio thought as she binned the order to stall Bloody and William, and ran at full speed. While keeping her eyes on the falling Fernando, Vibrio noticed a chaotic red light in Lupin''s hand. Then, the ferocious red light turned into a beam and flew at Fernando.


    Malive was watching the scene as well. He jumped dozens of meters, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the red flash.


    No, no, no!


    Vibrio grasped the rosary around her neck and yelled a prayer.


    "God! Merciful God! Please save him! I don''t mind being a shield!"


    As if Vibrio''s prayers had been heard, a flash of white light burst out of the rosary. The brilliant white light was the light of a miracle.


    When Vibrio made a wish for a miracle, Mario had grabbed Vibrio''s hand.


    "Mario?"


    "I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. I''ll come back to pay you back for this sin."


    After saying that, he hit Vibrio in the stomach and knocked her unconscious. The white light moved him between the red flash of light and Fernando.


    "Ma...rio?" Fernando called out as his senses returned.


    "I will protect you," Mario said.


    "These¡­ foo...lish."


    Because of the golden mask, he couldn¡¯t see Fernando¡¯s face; but Mario had served him for a long time and could tell. He was sure that under the mask, Fernando wore an expression of sharp disapproval. No matter how hard he tried to block it, he realized that if hit, he would at best land up in a critical condition.


    "Please don''t reprimand Paladin Malive too much. He tried his best."


    Mario didn''t even check whether Fernando was listening or not. It was nothing more than self-consolation. Despite the red flash seemingly approaching slowly, being able to have a short conversation, was one of the little miracles bestowed by the white light.


    But even that miracle was running out of time.


    Mario cemented his determination, boosted his magic power as much as possible, and blocked the red flash of light. But the red flash still passed through the defensive magic he had put up with all his might and penetrated Fernando''s heart.


    "No!!!"


    Mario shouted a prayer in a voice full of despair.


    "God!"


    -o-


    The sacred-looking white light was blinding. It had emerged from the arm of the masked person. It was a waste of time. My magic was already flying towards its target ¡ª the old man in the golden mask.


    I indifferently watched the red light¡¯s trajectory pass through the heart of the old man wearing the golden mask. The magic seemed to successfully crush his heart.


    But at that moment, the white light seemed to blindingly explode encompassing the entire area. I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened my eyes, the one plummeting with blood spurting out of his chest was a masked person who had blocked the red flash of light. The old man was falling with blood pouring out from his left abdomen, not his heart.


    What happened? I was sure the magic had been successful.


    Did it fail because I shortened the incantation? It couldn''t be.


    If magic had failed by omitting incantations, all the magic I''d ever used in my life should have failed.


    Was it related to the white light? I don''t know.


    I took out a MP potion, or officially called, mana recovery potion, from my pocket space and drank it.


    "Keuh, gross!"


    Why were there no artificial flavoring agents in this world! I wasn¡¯t expecting flavors like cola, but it would have been nice if there were at least fruity flavors. Anyway, it didn''t matter if the magic failed or not. It¡¯d be over once I used the magic again.


    I waited for my mana to fill up again. The masked people on the ground caught the still warm body of the one whose heart was crushed in place of the golden masked old man.


    "Retreat!"


    The old man, my original target, was in such bad condition that he poured out healing magic while shouting in an urgent voice.


    I reached my palm out to the hastily fleeing masked group. I aimed at the poor golden masked old man who was being carried princess style, even though he wasn¡¯t a princess.


    "Huh?"


    The mana recovery potion that I drank was gross, but had an excessively fast recovery rate that put a strain even on my body. But even after that, I still had no mana. Realistically, it wasn¡¯t like a MP potion in a game that instantly filled up your mana tank, but mana should gather at least somewhat by now.


    However, my mana had not recovered even at the level of natural recovery. It was as if something around me was blocking the connection between me and the surrounding mana.


    It felt as if there was something that made my lethal move miss, kept that old man from dying, and prevented my mana recovery.


    1. Gae Bolg means ¡°a spear of mortal pain/death¡± from Irish mythology.

 Chapter 69: Ball (20)

    Ooohng~


    I didn¡¯t make that sound. Where is that coming from, ah!


    I had forgotten about Arelia¡¯s existence on my back. I started to descend before she woke up. As soon as my feet touched the ground, before I could even let out a breath, a sword aura flew over at me.


    "Bloody!"


    While I was dodging it, I heard William''s shout. It must have been Uncle Bloody who shot the sword aura.


    "It''s all right, it''s not like he can''t avoid it."


    From Uncle''s voice, I could feel a coldness beyond calm.


    "Eeya, this is too much, Sir Knight. I even protected the princess on your behalf."


    William was furious. "Don''t make me laugh! Had she stayed still at the magic school, she would have been protected by magic! Aren¡¯t you the one who took her out!?¡±


    He then aimed his magic staff at me with his eyes closed as if he were blind. I couldn''t stand the ridicule in his words.


    "You mean that magic circle that¡¯s like a piece of paper? Yes, I''m sure the ¡¯princess¡¯ would have been safe with that around."


    Maybe Yuria would be safe too. But what about the others? I couldn''t guarantee their safety. Perhaps some would have died if the masked people had invaded.


    "Isn''t the fact that I was able to get her out of the magic school in the first place proof of how lax it was?¡±


    Keuk!


    William was speechless. In fact, his magic circle wasn''t all that easy to deal with. It was so elaborately and skillfully placed that I didn¡¯t even know of its existence until I heard from Uncle Bloody that a magic circle had been installed in the school. Perhaps it would not have been easy for even someone like me to bring Arelia out like this had I not known of its existence prior.


    However, considering the skills of the masked people, especially the magic skills of the golden masked old man, there was ample room for breaching. Of course, there was Yuria in the banquet hall and some talented people too. Even so, if they had actually broken through, there would certainly be fatalities.


    And some of those could have been my friends!


    This isn''t a joking matter!


    Let''s calm down now. From William''s point of view, it was only natural that he could not tolerate an irregularity like me. I was taking a deep breath and calming myself when I heard a puzzled voice behind me.


    "Hmm?"


    I helped Arelia off my back and onto the ground.


    "Oh, did you wake up, Ms. Arelia?"


    She seemed so adorable in her half-asleep, half-awake state.


    "Lupin, where are we?"


    Let''s leave the reply to Uncle or William.


    "I''m afraid this is the end of our date. There are people here to welcome you."


    As I pointed at Uncle, Arelia became restless like a child caught in the wrong.


    I hope you learn from this incident not to follow those you aren¡¯t familiar with.


    Then suddenly, the magic recovery started up again. The mana around me suddenly began to gather. William and Uncle felt threatened by the mana movement and took a defensive stance.


    "Then I will be off. Don¡¯t chase after me. And¡ª"


    Ttak!


    I flicked my finger to remove the mana that was lingering around William''s eyes.


    "Don¡¯t be sloppy and go around losing your vision please."


    A surprised William looked at me with his eyes wide open. Looking at it, he probably thought it was a curse and tried to dispel it, but unfortunately, the magic around his eyes was not a curse.


    Rather, it felt more like a blessing. Like holy power.


    William would have figured it out soon too, but it was not unreasonable that he hadn''t resolved it yet considering how hectic the situation was up until now.


    "It''s autumn now, so be careful not to catch a cold."


    And with those words, I took to the skies. I concealed myself with magic high up in the air and landed back in the corner of the terrace where I had been originally. I took off my mask and put it in the pocket space.


    "Haha."


    I let out a tired laugh. Thanks to the mana recovery potion, my mana recovered completely in an instant, but the fatigue from mana exhaustion remained.


    Why did the MP potion suddenly start working? I guessed that the white light was the reason, but it was just a hypothesis.


    Even that was nothing more than a guess when I saw the masked people coming back after they had completely disappeared from sight.


    But now, it was time to worry about the aftereffects. Sure enough, even in the cool night air, sweat began to show on my forehead. My legs gave out and I leaned against the railing of the terrace.


    "Uuh, it''s cold."


    Additionally, I started feeling the chills.


    "Den?"


    Surprised by the sudden voice calling my name, I checked the entrance of the terrace to see Lisbon standing there.


    "Den, what''s wrong? Are you all right?"


    I smiled at Lisbon who had a look of concern for me, but I could feel that it was a powerless smile even without being able to see my own face.


    "Other than a little cold, hoo-ooh, I¡¯m okay."


    I felt like I was going out of breath now.


    Lisbon touched my forehead with a worried look. "Oh my gosh, you¡¯re burning up!"


    Haha, it''s so cold and I have the chills. What do you mean I¡¯m burning up...


    By the way, was Lisbon¡¯s hand always this cold? The hand on my forehead was cool. I stumbled as I tried to get up casually.


    "Uh uh!"


    Lisbon grabbed me by the arm while making a fuss.


    That''s strange. I didn''t suffer this much of an aftereffect when I was in my village. But considering the environmental traits, I think that was probably the reason for the aftereffects.


    It didn''t matter because the recovery rate had been low in Olympus Forest because the magic environment was crazy. But outside the forest, the efficiency was so good that I seemed to have been overloaded.


    In comparison, if the genuine Viagra has an effect of 1, it is as if the illegal Viagra from China has as little as twice and as much as ten times the efficacy.


    "I''m sorry, but could you... help me out?" A little out of breath, I asked Lisbon knowing that this Pushover, would readily help. It was foolish of me to have such a thought.


    "Okay!" Lisbon vigorously replied and lifted under my legs and back.


    Wait! This posture!


    "Hey, just!"


    Just give me a little support!


    I wanted to shout, but suddenly I was tongue-tied and I couldn¡¯t speak. Let me down, you Pushover!


    But this helpless body was limp and did not listen to me. Lisbon held me and walked across the banquet hall, where the ball was in full swing.


    My needlessly sensitive ears heard the voices of the noblewomen whispering in the distance.


    How rotten! This world is rotten!


    In the distance, I could see Flam carrying a sleeping Alphonso on his back, who had gone to explore the magic school.


    Like that! Carry me like that!


    But all that the helpless me could do was barely raise my hand to cover my face and use perception interfering magic to prevent anyone from recognizing my face.


    The already overloaded mana circuit stung.


    Damn you, Lisbon! I¡¯ll get you back for this!


    -o-


    Malive led his subordinates and brought Fernando to an emergency shelter. Watching him lying on the bed like a corpse and being treated, his heart was heavy.


    One of his comrades died because of his incompetence. In addition, Fernando, whom Mario saved by sacrificing himself, was also on the verge of death. They had failed to kidnap the princess, a vital key to bringing down the empire. It was all an absolute failure.


    Even if the kidnapping failed, they should have at least obtained the access cord she had on her.


    Arelia was a secondary target in the first place. Their real goal was to be able to move about freely in the palace that was under the protection of a massive magic circle and also be able to approach the emperor unrestrained. The access cord was needed for that.


    Both Malive and Fernando knew that this opportunity could have been a trap to some extent. Nevertheless, the reason they still proceeded with the rebellion was that they were confident as they had Fernando in the golden mask.


    They had thought, with such a powerful force like themselves, they would succeed. However, they were too conceited. Far from being able to approach the princess, they were thoroughly fooled.


    Facing the half-white masked thief, Lupin, Eagle suffered serious injuries that put his life in danger. Even if the four subordinates made full recovery, it was unknown whether they could hold a sword again.


    What made Malive even more heartbroken was the fact that Mario, who had been with him since his early days as a paladin student, had died.


    "Keuuuuuuuuh!"


    "Your Excellency, Cardinal! Have you came around?"


    At Fernando''s groan, Malive passed by the priest performing healing magic and approached Fernando.


    "Keuk! Ma... is it Malive?"


    "Yes, it is me, Cardo Fernando," said Malive, holding Fernando''s hand carefully.


    At the mournful look on Malive''s face, Fernando let out a hoarse breath and laugh.


    "Kuhuhu. It doesn¡¯t seem like you, kulok! You look like you''re going to cry."


    "Please save your words, Cardo Fernando."


    Fernando nodded slightly at Malive then asked with a somber face, "Mario and... Vibrio where, hoo. Where are they?"


    Malive swallowed dry saliva. "They''re both fine. So--"


    "No. Lies, hahaha. Don''t lie.¡±


    Fernando let out a hoarse cough and looked at Malive with a gloomy expression. His eyes were moist.


    Malive noticed that the tears were not due to pain.


    "Mario... Mario is dead, isn''t he?¡± Fernando said what Malive could not bring himself to say. "The young man died because of this wretched old man!"


    Large tears streamed down Fernando''s eyes. "Cough! Cough!" He coughed heavily and vomited blood.


    "Please calm down!"


    Despite Malive''s worried cry, Fernando did not stop crying. "So foolish, so foolish."


    Is he referring to Mario who died on his behalf? Or talking about himself, who made his men die in vain? Malive couldn¡¯t tell. He just stared silently at the sobbing old man''s shoulder.


    "Sorry Vibrio, keuk!" Fernando grasped his wounds while speaking.


    "Priest!" Malive cried out.


    A priest standing by rushed over to treat Fernando.


    ¡°I will tell Vibrio about Mario''s death."


    Mario was Vibrio''s lover. It was heartbreaking to have to bury a close friend¡¯s lover, but he couldn''t bear to burden Fernando, who was seriously injured.


    "No, it''s my fault. So it¡¯s more appropriate for me to deliver the news."


    Malive shook his head at Fernando whose breathing had stabilized from the priest''s healing magic. "I''ll deliver the news to Vibrio and to Mario''s family."


    "Don''t talk nonsense! Keuk!"


    ¡°Please calm down! Your Eminence!" The priest cried out.


    Fernando took a deep breath and closed his eyes helplessly.


    "I will take responsibility for everything. Even if I fall into the abyss. That is the duty of those who are above." Saying so, Fernando fell asleep again.


    A single drop of tear fell as his eyes closed as if saying this would be the last of his tears.

 Chapter 70: Ball (21)

    The first day of the ball, which also served as the Third Princess Arelia''s coming-of-age ceremony, ended safely.


    Arelia appeared later than scheduled but was received with applause and congratulations.


    The first day''s events were wrapped up with a dance between Arelia and descendants of several high-ranking nobles.


    For the second day, as it was Arelia''s birthday, it was decided that the festivities would be hosted inside the palace, following along with tradition.


    It was customary for a birthday banquet of the imperial family to be held at a designated place, so the ball being held at the magic school became quite a big issue among the nobles.


    Due to William and his subordinate¡¯s magic, most of those who attended the ball were unaware of the night¡¯s incident. There were some who noticed, but they had no choice but to keep quiet because it happened at an imperial event.


    Aside from that, students from the magic school, knight school, and civil servant trainees were not invited, as the birthday ball was held at the palace starting from the second day.


    Hearing the disappointing news from Arelia, Mrs. Arscilla tried to invite all the boarding students, including Yuria and Alice.


    However, as punishment for allowing Arelia to follow Lupin recklessly, Yuria was reprimanded and was not allowed to attend, even though she would have naturally been invited. That made the princess very gloomy.


    Upon hearing the news, Prince Zantes visited Arelia to wish her a happy birthday and offer small words of consolation. After a brief conversation, he told her to rest and left her room, heading for the secret conference room.


    After walking along the secret passage for a long time, he arrived at the secret conference room to find that all the seats except his and Orphina¡¯s were filled.


    "You''re late." The emperor greeted Zantes with a benevolent smile.


    "My visit with Arelia delayed me. I apologize."


    Seeing as Zantes apologized with his head lowered, the emperor nodded.


    "Good job. I¡¯m proud of you for taking care of your siblings."


    Zantes¡¯ brows twitched. He knew that the emperor did not go to see Arelia. To be exact, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t go but couldn¡¯t. And Zantes knew this.


    Despite this, he felt his anger rise slightly at the sight of his father using Arelia as bait but said nothing. He didn''t like using his younger sibling as bait in the first place.


    Calming down and moving past his apology, he sat down. Then he suddenly noticed a portrait hanging on the wall of the conference room.


    "What''s that drawing?¡±


    The painting that Zantes pointed to was a sketch of Denburg that Bloody had an artist paint.


    "Oh, that¡¯s a sketch of this guy¡¯s runaway nephew."


    "Is that so?" Zantes looked at Denburg¡¯s sketch curiously.


    ¡°No, I keep saying it doesn''t look like him at all!¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Seeing the strange expression on Zantes¡¯ face, William and Arcanta laughed.


    "Would you like to see the sketch that Bloody painted in his likeness?"


    Arcanta took out a crumpled paper and showed it to Zantes.


    "Woossi! That''s really what he looks like!"


    Zantes thought that the sketch he received was so messy that even a child could do better. He pondered how he should react.


    "Aren¡¯t we here to report the results of what happened today? Let''s get started." He decided to give up responding to it and avoid the subject altogether.


    Ignoring Bloody complaining about how the sketch truly resembled the said person, William pumped his mana into the magic circle on the table.


    The magic circle on the table glowed brightly, and a three-dimensional image of the magic school floated up on the table like a hologram.


    "I''ll give the report on Operation Anthill."


    William began to explain the operation. The plan used Arelia, who had the access cord, as bait to lure the Twelve Zodiacs into the magic school to arrest or kill them.


    "The first time we leaked information was to the individual known as ''Leo'' who wears a golden mask. Yet, it was Leo, red-masked Scorpio, and brown-masked Taurus that came to the magic school."


    "Scorpio and Taurus? The people whose powers we don¡¯t fully grasp showed up?"


    William nodded at Arcanta''s question.


    "Yes, although our side leaked information on purpose, it is thought that they have a formidable intelligence network."


    William manipulated the magic circle to change the hologram¡¯s video.


    Atop the clock tower in the video stood Taurus and Scorpio. Due to the masks, it was not known whether they were talking or not. However, while they were facing each other, Scorpio suddenly disappeared from the video.


    "I believe Scorpio used invisibility magic to disappear. After this, Scorpio did not reappear."


    "Then what about Taurus?"


    In response to Bloody¡¯s question, William manipulated the magic circle again.


    In a different video, a slightly balding middle-aged man wearing a deep v-neck was with Taurus.


    "It¡¯s the director of the Adventurer''s Guild." Zantes pointed out the middle-aged man in the video.


    William nodded. "The director of the Adventurer''s Guild was invited specifically for this operation.¡±


    This was off the record information William provided Zantes, the crown prince. The latter responded with a casual nod as if speaking informally was natural.


    In this secret conference room, it was an unwritten rule for its occupants to be unconcerned about status.


    "Also, this video has sound," William said.


    "How is that possible? Didn''t you say it''s much too difficult to include sound because the range of the video was so wide?" Arcanta queried.


    The hologram, which filmed the entire magic school was quite a bit of work to make. However, thanks to William, it was not impossible to include audio.


    "Yes, but it¡¯s a different story if someone in the video has a recording device." William acknowledged.


    In the video, the director of the Adventurer Guild was carrying a magic recorder. In addition, William and Bloody also had a recorder, so the conversation with Leo was included in the video.


    In this video, voices could be heard.


    - Hey, boy! Haven''t we seen each other somewhere?


    The Adventurer Guild Director licked his lips and questioned Taurus.


    - Kuhmm! You, you have the wrong person.


    Taurus tried to run away as if he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    - Oh my, no way. I''m sure I''ve seen you with an old man wearing a blue mask. Was the old man a "Zodiac"?


    - I don¡¯t know anything about that!


    Taurus shuddered and backed away.


    Bloody and Arcanta fully empathized Taurus¡¯s feelings.


    While the director was a good person, he wasn¡¯t someone they wanted to be around. They were sure that the director¡¯s gestures and tone were deliberately controlled to make the other person uncomfortable. They were confident of this.


    - Anyways, I¡¯m disappointed, boy! How could you have your hands in such a dirty business like kidnapping?


    Arcanta couldn¡¯t figure out if the director said that because he knew that the other was part of an organization hostile to the empire.


    - Who¡­ Who''s doing something cowardly like kidnapping? I don''t do anything that goes against my principles! Also, don''t come any closer! If you come even one step closer, I won¡¯t let you off!


    Taurus¡¯s voice in the video sounded somewhat frightened.


    - Oh my, oh my. You won¡¯t let me off? How naughty!


    Everyone watching the video, aside from William, felt pity for Taurus. How unfortunate it was to have gotten caught by someone like that.


    The only reason William didn''t pity him was simply that he couldn''t understand the words of the director of Adventurer Guild.


    Like a fire truck that quickly barrelled through a red light, the director approached. Disgusted, Taurus exchanged attacks quickly before fleeing and ending the fight.


    "Taurus has not been spotted since he ran away."


    The emperor stroked his chin. He didn¡¯t believe that Taurus was telling the truth when he said he wouldn''t do anything cowardly like kidnapping. However, there was no need to pay attention to a person who had never been seen again.


    "Then that means only Leo took the bait as planned.¡±


    William nodded at the emperor. He then played a hologram video of Leo and his subordinates, explaining what had happened.


    As the hologram video was playing, Zantes pointed out a person who looked hazy.


    "Why is this person showing up like this?"


    When Zantes pointed out this anomaly, William looked perplexed.


    "It¡¯s likely he used magic to prevent recognition or had a magic tool with similar effects."


    "So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s not possible to know his identity?"


    "Not really. According to Arelia, that person introduced himself as Lupin."


    "Lupin? Isn''t that the thief who was causing a commotion in the capital until recently? Why would he be there? He couldn¡¯t be a new member of Zodiac, could he?"


    William shook his head at Zantes'' question.


    "I don''t know. That¡¯s definitely a possibility, but there are some strange points about it.¡±


    "Strange points?¡±


    "Let''s just keep watching for now."


    They resumed the video that was paused for the question. As the scene in the video changed, Zantes freaked out.


    "Why is he flying around carrying Arelia on his back?"


    In the midst of the dangerous attacks, Lupin carried Arelia on his back and did aerial stunts.


    William calmed Zantes down and reported everything that had taken place up to the current point to the emperor.


    After hearing every report, the emperor groaned and gave his review of the operation.


    ¡°It failed in the end.¡±


    It was as the emperor said.


    In the first place, this was a large-scale operation involving two battle race combatants recruited to kill the Twelve Zodiacs.


    During the previous operation, "Spider Trap," they succeeded in killing as many as two Zodiacs but failed this time.


    Fortunately, Arelia was safe, and there were no losses, but a failure was still a failure.


    Zantes hit the table, unable to hold back his anger at the emperor''s sentiment.


    "Is that all you can say?"


    The emperor sighed at the sight of Zantes¡¯ rage.


    "Father! As bait, Arelia¡¯s life was in danger! All you can is ¡®it failed¡¯ after seeing that video!?¡±


    "Arelia knew this from the beginning."


    Zantes vented his anger at the emperor.


    "Arelia is Father''s daughter, and yet!"


    "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"


    At Arcanta''s call, Zantes realized his mistake. However, his anger did not dissipate despite this realization.


    "Father is too cold-hearted!"


    He clenched his teeth and stormed out of the secret conference room.


    "Crown Prince!"


    When Arcanta got up from his seat to try and catch Zantes, the emperor stopped him with a gesture.


    "It''s fine. He¡¯s not wrong.¡±


    "Shouldn¡¯t he know how Your Majesty felt regarding this operation?¡±


    The emperor gave a bitter smile.


    "Personal feelings are useless to an emperor. He doesn''t have to know."


    After saying that, he became startled. Before he knew it, he was telling himself exactly what his father had said to him.


    Looking back on his days as Crown Prince, he was no different from Zantes.


    He vented his anger at wrongdoings and didn¡¯t hold back his words, but in the end, he still ended up saying things he never thought he would say.


    There was a bitter taste in his mouth.

 Chapter 71: Ball (22)

    The ball was in full swing when Milpia received a sudden order and left the magic school. After a long walk, Milpia stopped at a deserted alleyway and took out a watch to check the time. As it was already past midnight, she assumed the ball would be over by the time she returned to the banquet hall. Nonetheless, it wasn''t exactly a shame. The most important thing was the Big Mama Information Agency.


    If an order was issued, she had to follow it.


    The second hand of the clock slowly pointed to the twelfth hour. In an instant, masked people surrounded her, preventing any escape. The roofs above the alley were blocked as well. Like prey caught in a spider web, she felt pressure from every direction.


    Milpia was not flustered. The people around her were all agents from the Big Mama Information Agency.


    The problem was--


    "What are all of you assassins doing here?"


    These assassins were the ones who punished traitors or those who were a threat to the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? Branch Manager Milpia."


    Appearing from a dark alley with no lights was the director of the head office located in the capital.


    "No, you¡¯re not a branch manager anymore, but just an agent. Isn¡¯t that right? Agent Milpia." Dressed as a bartender as usual, the director smiled.


    Milpia felt the smile very repulsive. "Are there idiots who ask a question they know the answer to? Head office director." Milpia responded leisurely.


    The director stood in front of Milpia with disapproving eyes. "Since you say you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll have to tell you. You''re suspected of treachery."


    "Suspicion of treachery?"


    Milpia had a hunch that the worst-case scenario had come true.


    "If it were just a suspicion, this many people wouldn''t have come here. Alright, show me some evidence."


    Milpia spoke calmly. Showing any agitation now would only make the situation worse. Maintaining cool-headedness was the only way to break through this predicament.


    The director laughed at the ridiculousness of Milpia''s calmness. "Milpia, you sold information about the important branch of Granwell to hostile forces."


    "I''ve never done that."


    Milpia didn''t raise her voice. She was well aware that losing control of her emotions would only incite the others.


    "Is that really the case? If that¡¯s true, then why did someone go to the office in Granwell to buy information?¡±


    "That''s..."


    Milpia had no excuse for that fact. "Still, that alone is not proof that I sold information about the Granwell branch."


    The director looked at Milpia with pity as he shook his head. "That''s correct. That incident was enough for some suspicion to arise but not enough to prove your guilt. So Big Mama decided to test you."


    "Big Mama did?"


    Milpia tensed up and swallowed her saliva, noticing that her mouth seemed dry. If Big Mama personally took action instead of the director, then that was no different from a judgment having already been made.


    "Yes, Mrs. Big Mama. Big Mama deliberately enrolled you in a magic school. She wanted to see if you were going to sell classified information again,¡± the director said.


    That sentence alone caused Milpia¡¯s calm demeanor to crumble.


    "In fact, you sold the information to Leo, one of the Twelve Zodiacs, a hostile organization of our Big Mama Intelligence Agency.¡±


    Leo was a character that even Milpia knew well.


    Although they didn¡¯t know exactly who Leo was, they had information about their purpose and a rough estimate of their force¡¯s size. This information was known by any branch manager.


    "Hold, hold on! What information did I give up?"


    "Gosh, are you still playing innocent?"


    Milpia was genuinely flustered. After falling to the level of an agent, she couldn¡¯t obtain any information.


    So what kind of information could I have possibly sold?


    "Huhu, the princess. You handed over the information regarding the third princess. Isn''t that right? Did you think we wouldn''t know that you''ve been hanging out with her ever since you entered the magic school?¡±


    Milpia felt like the puzzle of questions in her mind were coming together.


    With the information she just obtained, she confirmed her suspicions about Aria. She was indeed the Third Princess Arelia.


    She also realized that she was trapped.


    According to the head office director, Milpia purposely approached the princess for information and handed it over to Leo. Yet, Milpia didn''t obtain any kind of information.


    In order to prevent her from leaking anything, he blocked any information from reaching her to encourage her to approach the princess.


    He intentionally blocked incoming information, confident in the belief that Milpia would first approach the Butterfly tribesmen, Yuria.


    To think that he would prevent information from reaching her, knowing that she would take action without any further input from himself... The fact that the director was capable of such meticulous plans gave her goosebumps.


    Then a clear sound of heels came from the dark alley where the director had appeared from. The person whose face came out from the dark was someone Milpia knew well.


    "I greet Big Mama!"


    When Milpia and the director knelt simultaneously, the masked people around them also knelt and spoke at the same time.


    "We greet Big Mama!"


    Everyone got up with a gesture from Big Mama. However, Milpia was unable to get up.


    "Milpia."


    Hearing the emotionless voice, Milpia felt more sadness than fear.


    "Yes, please give your command¡­ Mother."


    Milpia knelt on the floor, ready to die. Her final utterance at the end was a testament to the knowledge that she¡¯d never be able to say it again.


    "Have you prepared yourself?"


    "...Yes."


    Big Mama beckoned with cold eyes.


    "Kill."


    Milpia closed her eyes tightly. She could hear the sword cutting through the air. However, Milpia opened her eyes at the lack of any pain.


    "Keuak! Wha-why!¡±


    The director of the head office looked at Big Mama, disbelief in his eyes as he was stabbed through the abdomen with a sword.


    Big Mama ordered the director¡¯s death with a chilling look.


    "Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know that it was you who sold the information about Granwell and the princess?"


    "Keuk, ho-ho-how?"


    Seeing his pierced abdomen and considering how he couldn¡¯t even speak properly, Big Mama looked at the director then pointed her finger.


    Then the masked person who stabbed the director in the stomach took off his mask.


    "You, you are. Cough!" The director began to vomit blood, surprised to see the masked person¡¯s face.


    "What do you think? This is Leo''s subordinate, the person you handed the information about the princess to, right?¡±


    When he looked at Big Mama with incredulous eyes, she smiled coldly.


    "Ah, the information about Granwell did get to Leo, so don''t be too upset. I didn''t know about your betrayal until recently."


    Keuk!


    "For your information, I prevented Milpia from receiving the intelligence about the princess you wanted to give her. My goodness, you can¡¯t give out information so blatantly if you want Milpia to move properly. Ha, so incompetent. Do you know how much effort I had to put in because I was worried that Milpia would notice and be on alert?"


    Big Mama slowly turned her head to Milpia and said, "Goodbye, then."


    The director''s head fell off at the end of her farewell. Big Mama reached out to the still kneeling Milpia.


    "Now, are you ready?¡±


    Milpia took Big Mama''s hand and asked, "Ready for what?"


    "What do you mean? Ready to be the next director of the head office?"


    Watching Big Mama smiling brightly, Milpia felt her tension gradually leave her body.


    "Wasn''t it possible for you to tell me everything in advance?¡± Milpia coyly asked.


    Big Mama was slightly embarrassed and came up with an excuse.


    "Sur-surprise?"


    Milpia thought that a mother and daughter weren¡¯t supposed to make excuses to each other.


    -o-


    In the middle of the southern region of the empire was a city called ¡®St. Percival¡¯. It housed the holy palace ¡®Percival,¡¯ which was inhabited by the pope, the head of the temple.


    The holy palace Percival was a vast palace that was built when the temple was most powerful, and, until 120 years ago, it was claimed to be larger and more luxurious than the imperial palace.


    One hundred twenty years later, as the authority of the temple still persevered throughout St. Percival, the city could be seen as a sacred place for the temple¡¯s forces.


    The Pope and Saintess were having a private meeting at the heart of the holy palace, Percival.


    "Welcome, St. Hillis." The Pope spoke while smiling gracefully while the Saintess also greeted him with a cross.


    "Thank you for your hospitality despite the late hour."


    "No. How could I treat the Saintess poorly after she has come back from a pilgrimage? Now, you must be tired. Please have a seat."


    The Saintess thanked the Pope and sat on the sofa.


    "Yes, how was the pilgrimage this time?" The Pope poured some tea while he spoke.


    Graciously receiving the teacup, the Saintess said, "There was a special person during this journey."


    "Ho-oh, I see. I¡¯m sorry for asking, given how tired you must be, but could I hear the story?¡±


    "Of course."


    In the midst of their long, friendly conversation, tears started falling from the Saintess¡¯ eyes.


    "Oh, my! What''s wrong?" At the sudden tears, the Pope was shocked and took out his handkerchief.


    The Saintess wiped away the tears with the Pope¡¯s handkerchief then looked at the Pope with sad eyes before speaking, "Something must have happened to my older sister."


    "By older sister, you mean Paladin Vibrio?" The Saintess¡¯ sudden remark dumbfounded the Pope.


    The Saintess¡¯ words were so shocking that even the famously imperturbable Pope was surprised. "How could that be? Paladin Vibrio has the ¡®miracle¡¯ Miss Saintess spent a year making.¡±


    Miracles were the absolute holy magic, which only Saintess Hillis could create in this day and age. It was difficult magic that required the Saintess to work hard for a year without a single mistake just to make one miracle.


    It was no exaggeration to say that the only people who had miracles were the Pope, the Saintess, and Vibrio.


    If there was a miracle besides those three, the only possible sources were the gems that were embedded in the holy sword. However, the holy sword disappeared with Galak Blade, who killed the Demon King 120 years ago.


    "The miracle was used. I have to go to the capital."


    "Saintess!"


    The Pope''s attempts to dissuade the Saintess did not change her mind. The Pope sighed at the Saintess¡¯ stubbornness, "Okay, then I''ll send a proper group of escorts with you this time."


    "No, it''s okay. I met some people on this pilgrimage.¡±


    "What do you mean by...?"


    Clap!


    As the Pope was wondering, the Saintess suddenly clapped her hands. Then the door opened, and three people came in.


    ¡°Uh, I''ve been waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°Mac Oppa!¡±


    "Vice-captain, sir!"


    The Pope was dumbfounded and looked at the Saintess. The Saintess wiped away her tears and introduced them. "They''re from the Crow Tribe."


    Surprised, the Pope¡¯s eyes widened. The Crows in front of him were more surprising than the intangible story that something might have happened to the owner of a miracle, Vibrio.

 Chapter 72.1. Lancelot’s Adventure (1) (1)

    A month and a half before Arelia''s birthday ball, the end of July.


    After exchanging money in Warrant, Lancelot and his group left the Olympus Forest and headed to the capital to persuade the runaway Denburg Blade. At least, that was supposed to be the plan.


    "Where are we!?" Leisha shrieked while pulling at her head.


    No matter how many times you looked around, all you could see were sand dunes and the clear sky. The temperature was too high to be called the beginning of summer. The experience of the harsh desert, which she had previously only read about in books, left Leisha desolate.


    "Sor, sorry," Lancelot apologized timidly.


    Leisha sighed, "No, you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Isn¡¯t. That. Right? Vice-captain, sir!"


    Leisha glared at Mac with eyes as fiery as the burning sun of the desert.


    "Hmm! That¡¯s right. Sir Diplomat has done nothing wrong. Well, of course." Mac dodged Leisha''s gaze and gave a fake cough.


    To start with, it was because of Mac that they made a wrong turn and ended up all the way south in the desert rather than going southwest to the capital. Despite Lancelot¡¯s suggestion to hire a guide from Warrant and take a train once they were halfway to the capital, Mac was confident that they didn''t need a guide.


    Lancelot shouldn¡¯t have believed Mac when he began to beat his chest. Mac started telling him to believe in the skills of the former division vice-captain who had experience traveling through Olympus Forest.


    Unlike the time in the forest, Mac didn¡¯t know how to orient himself in the grassland and gradually turned southward from the original southwest direction without even realizing it.


    However, Mac also had something to say, "But Miss can''t say that you''re innocent either.¡±


    "Well, that was an unavoidable accident. Yes, let¡¯s call it an accident." Leisha became red as if she felt guilty about something and turned away.


    Yes, Leisha had a hand in them being adrift in the desert now.


    After visiting the first village coming out of the grassland, the group realized they had gone astray from the original path.


    To be specific, Lancelot realized it, but the other two did not. Lancelot explained their situation and once again proposed his desire to hire a guide to travel back northward. Once that was done, they would try to get a carriage from a city and travel to a more bustling area where a train was located.


    Yet, when Leisha saw the merchants stopped by the village, she said it would be safer to move with the traveling merchants and offered a gold coin. Lancelot was worried about the display of such a significant sum, but he comforted and convinced himself into thinking he was being naive and that nothing would happen.


    He believed it would be more reliable to have traveling merchants as a guide than a person who did not leave the village often. However, he should not have hidden his worries this time.


    Instead of guiding them northwest where the capital was, the traveling merchants took Lancelot and the group south to the desert. Filled with greed at the sight of the bouncing coin purse that Leisha and Mac carelessly tied to their waist, the merchants immediately turned into bandits when they arrived in the middle of the desert.


    It was a small mistake made by two people born and raised in the forest solely because they didn¡¯t realize the value of money. The bandits picked on the wrong group, and every one of them had their graves dug there with Mac¡¯s fists.


    Mac was not good at controlling his strength, but he cautiously planned on leaving one alive to serve as a guide. However, he did not imagine they would die so easily. From this, you could tell how well Denburg managed to control his strength when he first fought the gangsters after leaving the village.


    The punks ended up surviving.


    Leisha pointed out that Mac didn¡¯t even leave one person alive, while Mac claimed that it wasn¡¯t all his fault. This was the situation just moments ago.


    "If only I had spoken a little more clearly...¡± Lancelot said critically.


    Leisha and Mac became flustered and consoled him, "No! You did a good job!"


    "Yes! Without Lancelot, I¡¯m afraid I''d cry thinking of the grim future!"


    Leisha looked disapprovingly at Mac, "No, a grown-up crying is a little...¡±


    "Ay, I''m just saying,¡± Mac gave a peculiar sly smile, and Lancelot quietly burst out laughing at the sight of it.


    "It¡¯s nice to see you laugh like that.¡±


    "Yes, yes, they say good luck comes when you laugh. Now let''s listen to Sir Diplomat''s valuable advice on how we should move forward."


    Lancelot blushed in embarrassment, "It¡¯s, it¡¯s not very valuable advice, but I think it would be better to find a nearby town."


    ¡°That''s a good idea!¡±


    ¡°That''s right!¡±


    Feeling a bit guilty, Leisha and Mac tried to encourage Lancelot.


    "Since Leisha noona is a magician, how about she tries to get a better view up in the sky?¡± Mac suggested.


    Leisha looked around awkwardly before declining, "Well, it''s a good method, but there are two problems.¡±


    "What is it?¡± Mac asked.


    "First of all, because it¡¯s a desert, even if I saw a village while flying, we may not end up heading in the right direction due to mirages created from differences in temperature," Leisha explained.


    "I can just go there myself and find it,¡± Mac stated.


    Leisha shook her head at Mac. "It would be different if we were familiar with this desert terrain, but I think that once you leave this spot, you won¡¯t be able to find the group again."


    Since villages were large, she would be able to find one quickly, but there was no way Leisha could find the two of them again in this desert where everything looked the same.


    "Then what if you took us in the air with you?" Lancelot asked.


    Leisha lowered her head towards Lancelot and muttered in a very small voice, "Sorry, I''ve never actually used flying magic before.¡±


    Mac heard the voice that was as soft as the sound from an ant and thought that Leisha was just joking. "What? The youngest son has been flying around the village since he was a kid.¡±


    Mac leaned over to see Leisha''s face, who was keeping her head down. When Mac made eye contact with her, Leisha screamed as if she was ashamed of her skills.


    "That¡¯s because he''s a genius! I had a hard time just floating off the ground while I was in the village!" Leisha was partially crying and began to lament her distress.


    "In the first place, people aren¡¯t supposed to fly! People have to live on the ground! It''s odder that a person can even fly in the sky!" Leisha continued.


    "Miss, it couldn¡¯t be-" When Mac began speaking with astonishment, Leisha turned her head away.


    "Yes! I''m afraid of heights! I''ve never used flying magic since I fell from a height of 20 meters while learning flying magic when I was young!"


    Only then did Mac realize why Leisha did not fly the same way that Denburg did to chase him when he ran away from home. It wasn''t that she didn¡¯t fly, but that she couldn¡¯t fly.


    Of course, she might be able to fly if she closed her eyes and used the flying magic. Unlike the time when she was young in the Olympus Forest, the current location was not a place where mana was chaotic. In addition, Leisha''s magic skills were obviously among the ranks of great magicians.


    However, Leisha, who had a fear of flying, felt unsteady just from lifting off the ground.


    Listening to Leisha''s lament, Mac stopped looking at her face and leaned back, smiling, ¡°Then there''s nothing we can do. Everyone has something that they¡¯re afraid of."


    Mac''s abruptly sincere eyes combined with his handsome face made Leisha¡¯s heart race slightly. However, after seeing him starting laughing slyly once more while stroking his goatee, all of her feelings dissipated.


    Still, perhaps due to a few lingering feelings, her face was a little red as she asked Mac, "Is there anything Oppa is afraid of?"


    Mac thought for a moment before he winked and brought his index finger to his mouth. "Huhu, it''s a secret.¡±


    As Mac¡¯s smile grew even more sly, a strong urge to punch him grew in Leisha¡¯s mind. However, her opponent was also one of the most powerful men in the Crow Tribe village. He was one of the most talented individuals in the younger generation of Crows. With such a strong physique, he could dodge a punch from a 10-year-old Leisha with his eyes closed.


    Leisha had no choice but to tolerate him, "What shall we do then?"


    As Leisha sighed, Lancelot was sent lost in his thoughts again.


    "Well, didn¡¯t Den use magic to find a vein of water back then? Can you use that magic?" He asked.


    Leisha quickly understood what Lancelot was trying to say, "Water vein? Ah! You''re looking for an oasis village! You''re smart."


    Leisha ruffled Lancelot''s hair while praising him as if she was proud.


    "Hehe, no. I just remembered what Den once said." Lancelot said.


    "What did Den say?¡±


    Lancelot answered Leisha''s question with a bright smile. "In the past, Den said that if we were ever lost in a remote place alone, we needed first to secure water then food.¡±


    Pondering on how they would get water, Lancelot recalled the existence of the oasis village, which he had learned about at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among the magical materials that Elder Mirpa asked for, there were some that could only be acquired in the desert, so luckily, he learned about them.


    "Really?"


    "Yes! And, and! Den also once taught me how to survive in the desert!"


    As Lancelot became excited and showed signs of going on a long-lasting ramble, Mac naturally interrupted him. "Then let¡¯s look for it! Miss!"


    Seemingly not wanting to hear Lancelot''s admiration for Denburg either, Leisha replied in an exasperated voice, "Shall we?"


    There was no stopping Lancelot when he started going on about his admiration for Denburg. It was amazing how his skillset was nothing like Denburg¡¯s, even though he talked about him so much. Both Mac and Leisha knew that the gap between Lancelot and the Denburg was too wide.


    Lancelot looked regretful as Leisha focused on her magic, choosing to wait for her to complete her work. Even if they couldn''t find a village, securing water in the desert was a matter of considerable importance.


    "I found it," Leisha said.


    "Oh! Where?¡±


    Leisha pointed south and spoke, "That way."


    Before heading for the oasis, they dealt with the former traveling merchant¡¯s belongings. They put the bandit¡¯s items into Leisha''s pocket space at Lancelot¡¯s suggestion. Leisha felt uncomfortable, but she followed along because she was guilty.


    "Do we have to take it?¡± Leisha asked.


    When Leisha spoke again after putting all the belongings into the pocket space, Lancelot nodded as if praising the question.


    "Den says that every action has a purpose, and if it has a purpose, the means-"


    "Now! Shall we head off before it gets dark?" Leisha interjected.


    Mac agreed with Leisha, who quickly cut Lancelot off.


    "Good idea!"


    Leisha and Mac held Lancelot''s arms as if they were arresting him, walking quickly in the direction of the oasis.


    "Huh? Uhh?"


    Lancelot was confused as he matched their quick pace, not understanding why Leisha and Mac were walking so fast. The desert sky was so clear that the North Star seemed to be visible already.


    Lancelot believed that every single one of Den''s words could serve as a guide, just like the Northern Star in the sky. Then he realized that the reason the group was walking so fast was to arrive at the oasis before nightfall.


    Of course, only Lancelot came upon this realization.

 Chapter 72.2. Lancelot’s Adventure (1) (2)

    The Desert Zaharam, located in the southeastern part of the Empire, was one of the territories incorporated into the Empire during its bloody past under Charlot¡¯s reign with his policy of expansion.


    Charlot was the father of the current Emperor and a former Emperor of Blood and Iron, who consolidated the powerful imperial power with extensive purges and territorial expansion.


    Charlot made great contributions and was accredited with making the Empire the world''s most powerful nation, but was also criticized for spilling innocent blood through the continuous purges and fighting.


    Charlot''s most celebrated achievement was the conquest of the Zaharam Desert. Ironically, Zaharam was a barren land where crops could hardly grow. Nevertheless, the reason why the integration of Zaharam was praised so heavily was only for religious reasons.


    During ancient times, Zaharam was known as an abundant land where the World Water was located. This was passed down, and the temple, the main religion of the Empire, considered it a sacred place. In fact, in the days when the temple was avoiding the empire, the temple continued to declare a holy war. It then went on to invade a country that had been based in Zaharam.


    However, the temple''s paladins continued to be defeated by the desert¡¯s harsh environment. In addition, the desert warrior¡¯s guerrilla warfare weakened the temple''s power, leading to its downfall during the reign of Demon King Kanglim.


    During that bloody era, Charlot succeeded in completing the task when the temple in its prime had failed. This led to the temple owing a huge debt and allowed him to show off the Empire¡¯s power. This resulted in the Empire acquiring the Zaharam Desert.


    There was a group of camels crossing such historically and religiously important lands.


    "Ah~ It''s hot!"


    In a camel pulled carriage modified to be open for airflow, a woman was drooped over.


    "Miss Saintess! No matter how hot it is, you can¡¯t be drooped over like that! You have to think about the eyes around you.¡± A servant nagged the woman and tried to get her up somehow.


    Yet, the servant did not dare touch her body. This was because she was the only saintess in the Empire, Saintess Hillis.


    Hillis was now on her way to the Holy Land at the center of Zaharam for a pilgrimage.


    Already feeling like she was dying from the heat, she smiled gracefully at the nagging servant and spoke quietly, "Be still and shut your mouth before I crack a walnut in it."


    "But, but Saintess-"  The servant closed her mouth as Hilis took a walnut out of her pocket.


    Seeing the servant who was about to cry, Hillis sat up and spoke, "There''s only sand around, so who''s going to see me?¡±


    "But the paladins that are escorting Miss Saintess....¡±


    Hilis whispered while patting the servant''s shoulder whose voice was trailing off, "That¡¯s bullshit."


    Then she laid back in her seat, crossed her legs, and asked loudly. "Hey! Is there a person who''s going to go talking about me?"


    The paladins guarding the surrounding area laughed and replied.


    "Hahaha! There can''t be a person like that!"


    "That''s right! Who would talk about Miss Saintess¡¯ behavior?"


    At the last paladin, Hillis raised one hand high and unfolded her middle finger.


    "You brat, what do you mean ¡®behavior¡¯? What about my ¡®behavior¡¯? Would you like to die?"


    One of the paladins smiled back and spoke.


    "Hahaha, it would be an honor to die by Miss Saintess¡¯s hand."


    "That''s right!"


    "And wouldn''t we be labeled a liar even if we did go talk about it?"


    Hillis sat back and laughed at the paladins looking for favor from Hillis.


    "That¡¯s right. That¡¯s freaking right!"


    Hilis took off her heels and threw them to the knight who wanted her favor. The paladin caught the heels as if he was used to doing so.


    It would be different if mana were imbued into it, but her body was even weaker than a normal person since she always traveled by carriage. Shoes thrown by such a Saintess couldn¡¯t threaten a trained paladin.


    "Aigoo! This is a reward in our field of work!"


    Hillis sighed and grabbed her forehead when the paladin who got the shoes smiled livelily and gave a thumbs up.


    "It¡¯s because I have these perverted bastards around that a spring day doesn¡¯t arrive in my life.¡±


    At 18 years old, thinking of having to spend her flowering years with these rowdy paladins gave her goosebumps and made her stick her tongue out at them.


    "Ahahaha! If someone dares to approach Miss Saintess, then they will have to deal with us!"


    "That¡¯s correct!"


    "Ahahaha!"


    Hillis glared harshly at the paladins who were laughing and said, "I prefer handsome men, unlike you guys! It''s even better if it were a guy who could joke around with me."


    Once finished, Hillis laid back down. "How much longer until we reach Oasis Village?"


    The servant clumsily took out the map and looked. "Yes! It seems we won¡¯t arrive until the evening at the earliest."


    "Really? Ah! If I knew it would be this hot, I''d have brought a magician!"


    Among the holy magic that Hillis could use, there was, unfortunately, no magic related to ice or temperature.


    * * *


    Arriving at the village of Oasis just before nightfall, Lancelot and his party visited the farthest inn in the village. Even if they immediately hired a guide in the village, a guide could not move at night unless they were Crows.


    "The desert night is cool. I suppose it''ll be cold once it¡¯s completely night?¡± Leisha asked.


    "I believe so,¡± Mac agreed with Leisha. Leisha simply warmed the surroundings with magic.


    "Excuse me," Lancelot said as he opened the inn door and entered. The temperature inside the inn was higher than outside due to the lingering daytime heat.


    In the middle of the inn, stones heated with sunlight during the day seemed to emit heat throughout the night.


    "Oh, it¡¯s magic," Leisha said curiously as she approached the stone in the middle. The stone had magic used to continuously accumulate heat, which was then combined with magic to preserve the heat.


    The magic on the stone was a crude magic that could be used with little learning of magic. Still, Leisha, who didn''t think she could see magic in a place like this, was pleased.


    "Excuse me, do you have a room for two and a room for one?" Lancelot went to the inn counter and enquired about the rooms.


    Unfortunately, the innkeeper shook his head with a perplexed look. "Oh no, what should I do? A guest has paid for all the rooms."


    "Excuse me? But, then where are you saying we should sleep?" Lancelot asked.


    The Oasis Village, which Lancelot and his party visited, was small, so this was the only inn.


    At night, the temperature outside the inn would drop as low as below zero due to the desert¡¯s climate, so trying to sleep outside would be difficult.


    From the inn owner''s point of view, merchants and pilgrims crossing the desert had no choice but to pass through here as it was an oasis village. However, perhaps because of the location, there were hardly any guests.


    Therefore, the innkeeper took care of the guests as much as possible while charging a high price, but somehow, the visitors this time asked to rent the whole inn. From the perspective of the innkeeper who earned their living from the occasional guest, rather than thinking of other guests that would likely not even come, he decided to sign the contract to rent out the whole inn. Therefore, he could no longer accept any more guests.


    ¡°That, I am sorry."


    When the innkeeper sincerely apologized, Lancelot asked with a sigh. "Then can we at least use the stable?¡±


    It was better to have a windscreen than to stay outside all night.


    "That''s, the stable is full of camels that the other guests arrived with...¡±


    As the innkeeper scratched his head and trailed off, Lancelot frowned. As he thought about negotiating with the guests who had rented the inn, a man came down from upstairs.


    The man was dressed in comfortable attire but wore a sword around his waist. The man was one of the paladins who came to escort the Saintess.


    "What''s going on?" He asked.


    It appeared that he decided to come down when he heard a conversation from the first floor, which was supposed to be quiet.


    "Aigo! Guest sir! What¡¯s happening is..."


    When he heard the innkeeper explain the whole story, the man sighed, "I''m sorry. I would have given you a room if we were alone, but today, an important person is staying at this inn.¡±


    The man spoke while keeping his gaze on Mac¡¯s sword. "We can''t have a foreigner in the same building where the important guest is staying, especially an armed foreigner. I''m really sorry, but could you sirs concede on this?¡±


    Lancelot was in a quandary when the man bowed his head for him. At the same time, it put him in a bad mood. He didn¡¯t know the importance of the person who was staying at this inn, but his group was also comprised of very important people.


    No matter how courteous the person was, at their words that were akin to a royal decree,  Lancelot was about to get enraged before Mac stopped him.


    The reason why Mac joined the group was for an escort, so he could not let Lancelot be the aggressor in a situation where weapons might clash.


    "Gosh. I don''t know how important this person is, but it doesn¡¯t seem proper to kick people out without even considering their circumstances." Mac said.


    When Mac looked at the man seriously, the man took a step back from the unknown momentum. The man felt ashamed to have taken a step back when there was no threat. At the same time, he felt nervous seeing Mac block his way. Not everyone could have an aura capable of naturally oppressing others.


    The man considered Mac''s age.


    Mid-20s, no, considering that beards make you look older, late teens.


    "Who are you, sirs?¡± The man asked, boosting his morale.


    Mac laughed as he felt energy radiating from the man. If he contained and shot his fighting spirit, it would be an aura, and if he sought to kill, then it would become a killing aura.


    The world outside of the village seemed so fragile as if it could be crushed like tofu. So Mac felt a little joy at the fact that it contained strong people.


    Although he was only as strong as a 10-year-old child in the village, at least he wouldn¡¯t die if he accidentally lost control of his strength.


    "What''s going on!?¡±


    Surprised by the sudden release of fighting spirit, the man¡¯s colleagues flocked to the first floor of the inn, all wearing swords.


    The men on the first floor of the not-so-wide inn were wondering what was happening. For now, they surrounded those who confronted their colleague according to their basic procedures, but they could not feel the tension present before a usual fight.


    However, the man who released his fighting spirit and caused all his colleagues at the inn to jump downstairs in surprise was sweating nervously.


    "Huhuhu, this will be fun,¡± Mac said.


    Mac looked at the people around him and measured the distance of his sword¡¯s reach. How many people could he kill in one go?


    Mac compared himself and his opponent''s strength out of habit.


    At that moment, the paladins who surrounded Mac felt that the situation had been reversed. It was them who were clearly surrounding him, but they felt the hairs rise on the back of their necks like sheep in front of a wolf.


    With the senses they honed through endless training and actual fights, their current fear was as if they were in a life and death situation.


    The paladins surrounding Mac rallied their spirits. Raising their spirits wasn¡¯t through will but something that occurred unconsciously but instead formed through experience.


    Under pressure from all sides, Leisha and Lancelot were nervous and put their hands over their weapons. Despite being Crows, Leisha and Lancelot had not lived a life closely related to fighting.


    Mac, on the other hand, felt light nostalgia from the wave of pressure and relaxed as if he had gotten into a nice warm bath. His body had been tense ever since leaving the village because he was nervous about accidentally injuring people or destroying things. Unknowingly stressed, he was finally able to relax his mind after a long time.


    Yet, Mac''s relaxation didn''t last long.

 Chapter 73.1. Lancelot’s Adventure (2) (1)

    "Stop! What are you doing?" A sharp, high pitch voice dominated the inn¡¯s first floor, forcing the paladins to suppress their spirits.


    The unknown power in the voice seemed to restrain the paladins. As a woman descended from the stairs, the paladins knelt on one knee in unison to show their respect.


    It was the person they admired, Saintess Hillis.


    Hillis passed by the kneeling paladins and approached Lancelot''s party situated in the middle of the first floor.


    "Lady Saintess! It''s dangerous!" A paladin objected.


    "Be quiet!" The saintess said.


    Once again, the Knights were unable to lift their heads as if a strong pressure was being exerted on them.


    The saintess approached Mac and bowed her head to apologize, "My subordinates have been rude."


    In Hillis¡¯s eyes, it seemed like her subordinates had surrounded innocent civilians and threatened them, but rather, Mac had deliberately lightly provoked the paladins¡¯ subconscious without anyone knowing. However, since the paladins remained unaware, there was no way that Hillis could have known, having come down late.


    When Hillis bowed and apologized, the men groaned indignantly. They blamed themselves more than anyone else for making the honorable saintess bow her head, but they were bound by Hillis''s orders and couldn''t open their mouths.


    Mac licked his lips at the change in the situation. In reality, it was better not to get in a fight as one of the group¡¯s escorts, but he couldn''t help but feel some regret.


    "I don''t understand what''s going on, so can you explain the situation to me?" Hillis enquired while tenderly smiling.


    Mac shrugged and gave Lancelot''s back a slight push. "I''m just an escort. The leader of our party should answer such a difficult question.¡±


    "Vice-captain?" Hillis pressed.


    Suddenly pushed forward, Lancelot looked at Mac in surprise, but Mac just returned a handsome smile. Lancelot wanted to ask why he should deal with a situation he didn¡¯t cause, but he couldn''t vent his feelings at this moment.


    Lancelot stopped himself from acting when he recalled Denburg¡¯s teachings. If the other party didn¡¯t notice your own side¡¯s faults and apologized, there was no need to tell them about your faults.


    Since the situation was already like this, he decided to be confident. Either way, their level seemed to be too insufficient to notice Mac''s provocation.


    "That¡¯s, maybe we could stay at the inn too, heuk!" Lancelot looked at Hillis with tearful eyes.


    It was Denburg¡¯s wise saying that those who cry first survive for sure. As a tear slid down Lancelot''s cheek, Hillis understood everything that Lancelot wanted to say.


    When they were forced to beg for a room and unable to stay because the inn was fully rented, the paladins tried to chase them away by raising their fighting spirits to the point where the inn was shaking.


    Her understanding wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong. Even the innkeeper who was watching the whole situation felt the same way.


    The reality was a little different, but it became true with Lancelot''s performance. Lancelot''s innocent-looking eyes were convincing enough to fool even Hillis, who was used to dealing with the old raccoons at the temple.


    "Do you guys have anything to say?" Hillis asked.


    The paladins had nothing to say in response to Hillis''s rage. To be specific, they were bound by the previous order of "Be quiet" and couldn''t open their mouths.


    At the lack of any response, Hillis admonished the paladins with cold eyes, "You all are priests. Of course, I know that it is your job to wield the sword, to become the shield of God, and to crush God¡¯s enemies, but before that, a priest must share God''s mercy. Yet, persecuting the innocent, do you think that''s what you should do as a priest?"


    Still, the paladins could not answer. Hillis continued to preach without caring.


    "Have you ever thought that each of your acts could dirty God''s name? The poor, the rich, the noble, and the wicked are equal before God. As the saintess, I am disappointed by this display. So-"


    Hillis, who finished speaking like a squadron leader, took a deep breath and shouted, "Drop your heads, you bastards!"


    At Hillis''s command, the paladins responded perfectly and put their heads on the ground, holding their hands behind their backs. [1]


    The sight made Lancelot flustered, "Uh, um, that might be a little excessive...¡±


    Looking at the paladins¡¯ veins bulging out of their necks and their heads supporting their body weight, Lancelot asked Hillis for leniency.


    At the very least, Lancelot had originally intended to get Leisha to be able to stay in the inn, not have the paladins be violently punished.


    "No, this is a trial from God. You don''t have to worry too much about it," Hillis stated.


    No, it''s not God. This is your trial, isn''t it?


    Lancelot thought so, but he couldn''t state his innermost feelings when he saw Hillis''s benevolent yet refreshing smile.


    Hillis continued while sitting gently on the back of the nearest knight. "I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. I''m Hillis and am known in the temple as a saintess, undeservingly. I¡¯m associated with the Great Temple Percival.¡±


    "Um, excuse me. Isn¡¯t that too heavy for him?¡± Lancelot asked.


    When Lancelot stated his concern for the paladin lying under Hillis, she looked shocked. "Oh, my! Do I look so heavy?"


    "No, that¡¯s not it," Lancelot said.


    Hillis smiled at the bewildered Lancelot. Then she patted the back of the knight she was on and asked, "Am I heavy?¡±


    The knight almost answered "Yes!" at that moment, but fortunately, he was still bound by the order "Be quiet" and could not answer.


    When there was no answer, Hillis frowned for a while then realized that he could not answer because she had previously issued an order with divine power.


    ¡°Answer! Am I heavy?¡± Hillis asked again.


    Upon the repeated order, the knight replied with a roar, "No! Miss Saintess is as light as a feather!"


    What Hillis ordered was to answer, not tell the truth.


    Hillis looked at Lancelot again and smiled, "So he says. Now, can you tell me who you are?"


    Lancelot realized that he had not introduced himself and began to speak, "Oh! I apologize. I''m Lancelot from the 3rd team of the Crow Tribe¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I was dispatched as a special envoy to the capital. I''ve heard much about Miss Saintess through rumors."


    Lancelot was quick to greet the saintess as he was trained at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    Hillis couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at Lancelot''s greeting. Aside from Bloody, who was the head of the Imperial Army, the Crows were closed off to the outside world, with the only external dealings being selling demon byproducts in Warrant.


    It was inconceivable that they would meet each other in Zaharam, so far from Olympus Forest.


    As per the rumors, he really had black hair and black eyes. The black hair was more common, but she had never seen black eyes.


    "I didn''t expect rumors about me to spread even to the Crows. It''s an honor." Hillis said.


    "No, even our village and military chiefs were interested to hear about the saintess. After all, one hasn¡¯t been selected since more than 80 years ago."


    Eight years ago, on the day of her 10th birthday, Hillis received divine revelation and became a saintess.


    The birth of a new saint came 80 years after the death of the former saint, so it had actually been 130 years after their death that a new saint was chosen. It became such a big event that Hillis¡¯ existence became known throughout the Empire and even the world.


    "Then are those people Crows, too?" Hillis asked.


    Lancelot nodded, "Yes, the one holding a magic wand over there is Leisha Blade. She''s the daughter of Doomstone Blade, known outside as the village chief.¡±


    Hillis was surprised to hear that Leisha was Doomstone''s daughter.


    "Ah! That legend!" Hillis exclaimed.


    The legend of Doomstone, in which he had blown half a kingdom away, was still being talked about.


    It was mainly used to tell crying children that Doomstone would come after them if they didn¡¯t stop crying. In fact, some people considered Doomstone to be a legendary beast or dragon rather than a real-life person.


    Hillis also heard about him a lot from her older sister, Vibrio, when they stayed up late at night when she was young.


    "How unexpected. I thought her daughter would be, how do you say, very muscular, but she''s so slender. Not to mention that she is a magician also."


    It was hard to imagine that there were magicians among the Crows, but contrary to what she thought, there were many magicians in the Crow Tribe.


    Although the number was small compared to the Butterfly Tribe, more than half of the village could use basic magic. The percentage of magicians who specialize in magical research was also several times higher than that of the Empire and other kingdoms. Of course, most of them could only use magic at the level of being able to produce light as bright as a flashlight.


    In the first place, the image that the Crows were unfamiliar with magic was not only because of Olympus Forest¡¯s environment but also because of Doomstone and Bloody. Although Doomstone traveled outside the village only for a short period, he was able to achieve things that couldn¡¯t even be done with strong magic using his bare hands.


    Bloody was also frequently unfriendly towards magic users, which gave the impression that the Crows were not amiable to the field of magic.


    Leisha waved at Hillis. "Only one of my brothers is as strong as my father. The other brothers are normal."


    "Come to think of it, the youngest son is even slimmer than Miss,¡± Mac said.


    Lancelot became furious at Mac, "No! Den¡¯s figure is! His figure... it''s not thick, but wouldn''t it be slimmer than Leisha noona?¡±


    Lancelot couldn''t say that Den had a thick figure.


    "Wait! My figure is thicker than Den¡¯s?! Lancelot! You have to be truthful!" Leisha suddenly felt insulted.


    Even if it was true, it was hard to ignore someone saying she had a thicker figure than a boy.


    Lancelot ignored the teary Leisha and gave a fake cough as he introduced Mac to Hillis. "Hmmhmm! This is the vice-captain of the warrior corps, one of the main armed groups of the Crows."


    "I¡¯m Mac,¡± Mac said.


    "Nice to meet you," Hillis replied with a smile.


    Looking past Hillis¡¯s graceful smile, Lancelot asked for leniency once again when he saw that the paladins still had their heads on the ground, sweating profusely.


    "Isn¡¯t it okay to stop now?¡± Lancelot asked.


    Seeing that his tactic of crying first to survive ended up in this scenario, he felt uncomfortable, as he felt that it was all his fault.


    At Lancelot''s request, Hillis shook her head. "No, they persecuted innocent people. As long as you serve me, if you''ve done something wrong, you need to be punished."


    "Even so, we are Crows and didn''t feel threatened.¡±


    The sight of Lancelot persistently persuading Hillis moved the paladins and made them feel guilty at the same time. It was because Hillis''s point was not wrong, even though they were unknowingly provoked into attacking.


    "However, did you all reveal that you were Crows first?¡± Hillis asked.


    Lancelot wanted to say yes, but looking at Hillis''s eyes, he felt that he couldn¡¯t lie.


    Lancelot was forced to remain silent.


    "If you didn''t reveal it first, they were just trying to intimidate innocent people. More than anything else, even if they knew, they shouldn¡¯t have raised their fighting spirits to that extent."


    Hillis was adamant. The innkeeper was holding his breath in a corner when Hillis approached him. The innkeeper was still shaking from the paladin¡¯s fighting spirits. The power of the paladins was too much for an ordinary innkeeper, and he was swept away by it.


    "It''s easy for those with strong powers to forget about their surroundings, but it¡¯s fine."


    Hillis hugged the innkeeper. She rubbed his back and released warm energy from her hand to calm the innkeeper, who had been shaking as if he had malaria.


    Everyone on the first floor of the inn was aware of the innkeeper but just realized that they had ignored him.


    The touch of Hillis was very pious and pensive and warm.


    1. The order that Hillis gave is a military punishment order where you are in a prone position with only your head and feet touching the ground, and your arms are behind your back.

 Chapter 73.2. Lancelot’s Adventure (2) (2)

    On a dark night after sunset, several men wearing a turban and a protective mask to guard against the sand got off their camels and looked around. They looked nervous as they lit up the surrounding area with torches.


    "Found it! It¡¯s here!"


    Hearing a cry from a little distance away, the men quickly headed in its direction. There were nine corpses carrying weapons and a wrecked wagon buried a little in the sand.


    "Captain Malecia! Welcome!" The man who cried out said.


    When the people who found the bodies saw the incoming men, they stopped searching and saluted.


    "It¡¯s fine. Keep going."


    When the oldest-looking middle-aged man called Captain Malecia spoke, the men resumed their search without even a glance needed.


    "You guys help, too."


    Malecia habitually massaged an old scar that took one eye and ordered. The men wearing turbans split up immediately and went to help with the search.


    "What happened?¡± Malecia asked as he lowered the protective mask.


    The highest-ranking young man in the search answered with a stiff posture, "Yes! He was already dead when we found him!"


    "I see that. What I asked is how they died and who did it."


    The young man responded to Malecia''s point with a stiff look. "I apologize!"


    Malecia gazed indifferently at the young man. Anyone could tell that the man was very nervous. There was no way he could do his job properly like that.


    Malecia, feeling helpless inside, turned his eyes to the bodies and continued, "It¡¯s fine. I''ll find out how he died myself. So where''s the luggage they were transporting?"


    The young man broke into a cold sweat. "That, That¡¯s... We can¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    When Malecia suddenly went from speaking quietly to yelling, the young man was terrified and apologized, "Sorry, I''m sorry!"


    "Damn it!"


    Malecia checked the bodies while ignoring the frightened young man. The chance that the killers took the luggage that these bodies were carrying was high.


    Malecia examined the bodies for as much information on the killers as possible. There were no sword injuries on the body. No, let alone sword wounds, the bodies were too clean. There was not a single sign of external damage.


    It was fortunate that the bodies were not decomposing yet and that there was no sign of a desert monster having dug up and eaten the bodies.


    Malecia stripped the bodies of their clothes. Perhaps because of the sweltering climate of the desert, the post-mortem rigidity was not in full effect yet, so it was not too difficult to strip the bodies.


    After Malecia stripped the bodies, he noticed one common factor with the bodies. Each had a big black, red bruise in the middle of their chests.


    Malecia gently pressed the body''s chest. The fingers that pressed the chest sunk in; he couldn¡¯t feel the ribs protecting the heart. Malecia picked up the dagger and slowly split open the chest.


    After opening each body, Malecia found that each body¡¯s heart and ribs were cleanly destroyed in one blow. This was the skill of an expert.


    Malecia was certain. It was such a clean murder that it made those who kill with a single stab to a vital point look like amateurs.


    Was it an assassin?


    No, there''s no sign of poison being used on the body. He never heard of an assassin that didn¡¯t use poison. If there were one, as an assassin, he would be nothing more than a third-rate fool, regardless of his skills were good or not. In addition, it seemed more appropriate to call it hunting rather than assassination, as it was such a clean kill.


    So was the killer a hunting expert? It wasn¡¯t possible to find out that much information.


    Malecia stood as his thoughts arrived at a dead-end.


    "You guys retrieve the bodies and continue searching the surrounding area,¡± Malecia ordered.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Leaving behind the rigid young man saluting, he called over the subordinates who had arrived with him.


    ¡°We''re going back,¡± Malecia said.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Malecia and the masked men climbed on their camels and began riding quickly. Their destination was Zaharam, the holy place that the desert was named after.


    * * *


    "Haaa~ That was a nice sleep.¡± Lancelot yawned and stretched as he laid in bed.


    Not only were they able to get rooms at the inn last night with Hillis¡¯s care, she even paid for all the accommodation fees as an apology.


    As Lancelot was getting out of bed, Mac came into the room. "Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Judging from Mac¡¯s damp hair, he seemed to have woken up early, exercised, and taken a quick bath.


    "Yes. Did you sleep well?¡± Lancelot asked.


    After greeting Mac, Lancelot smiled as he and Mac went down to the first floor of the inn for breakfast.


    "Oh! Crow Tribe friends! Did you sleep well?¡±


    On the first floor of the inn, the paladins were already sitting and eating breakfast.


    Lancelot greeted them brightly before asking the paladins carefully, "Yes, um. Did you even sleep last night?"


    At Lancelot''s question, the paladins laughed wildly.


    "Ahahaha! Of course, we slept well!¡±


    "Yes, yes. Miss Saintess mercifully stopped the punishment at only one o''clock in the morning."


    ¡°Yes, so merciful!"


    It was just past 9 pm when the paladins were punished with their heads on the ground. Lancelot calculated that the paladins had their heads on the ground for four hours.


    Nevertheless, the paladins¡¯ words didn¡¯t contain any trace of lies.


    While Lancelot was stuck dumbfounded, Mac naturally squeezed into the group of paladins and stole a piece of bread before saying slyly, "Wow! The saintess is so merciful. Don''t you think so, Sir Diplomat?"


    Mac''s cunningness made Lancelot speechless. The paladins nodded heavily at Mac''s words. "Ahahaha! So, this guy also knows!"


    "That¡¯s right! I know some stuff! Hahahaha!" Mac said.


    Lancelot took a step away from the group of paladins.


    "Why are you moving further away?"


    I just don''t want to be close to you sadistic perverts.


    Swallowing these words, Lancelot laughed instead and said, "Haha, I wonder what¡¯s for breakfast?"


    Lancelot moved through the group of paladins while the innkeeper diligently carried beer and food to the table, seemingly fine after being treated by Hillis last night.


    Somehow, Mac was already shoulder-to-shoulder with the paladins and looked like he was trying to throw a drinking party in the morning.


    "Don''t drink to the point of being drunk!" Lancelot said.


    Mac waved his hand as if telling Lancelot not to worry.


    "Kyah! That¡¯s the stuff!"


    The paladins cheered in admiration at Mac one-shotting the beer.


    "That¡¯s manly!"


    "That''s cool!"


    Drinking beer that was cooled by the night breeze of the desert, the paladins and Mac danced and sang.


    "Ohhh~! My friend! Don''t look over at that woman in the harbor! Don''t look over at her, for I''ve already been possessed by her red skirt!"


    "Don''t look!"


    "Drink!"


    They sang songs that one would have never thought paladins would sing and cheered with their glasses of beer. Lancelot sighed as he saw Mac in the center of it all, one-shotting a glass of beer that looked bigger than his head.


    "What''s all this about?" Leisha asked, having come down to the first floor at some point.


    Lancelot was thinking about what to say but just answered instead with a sigh. At his answer, Leisha gave up asking any more questions and ordered breakfast.


    After a long bout of drinking, they gradually calmed down when Hillis came down late, stopping entirely by the time she finished her breakfast.


    "Oh my? Why did you stop? Continue shoving the beer down your throats. You bastards."


    At Hillis''s benevolent smile, the paladins began to sweat.


    "Oh, no. It''s okay,¡± they said.


    "Why? It was so nice to see you guys ruining our future plans. Shall I also have a drink?¡± Hillis asked.


    "Sorry! Please, anything but alcohol!"


    "You can¡¯t! Anything but alcohol, please!"


    When they knelt down, trying to dissuade Hillis from drinking, Leisha suddenly became very curious.


    "I wonder what happens when she drinks that they are begging so much?"


    "Who knows?" Lancelot said.


    Lancelot was also slightly curious. Then he saw Mac opening a bottle of wine, and he approached Hillis.


    "Eeya, don''t be so upset. You¡¯ll feel better if you have a nice cold drink,¡± he said.


    After speaking, he poured the wine into Hillis¡¯s cup.


    "Thank you." Hillis thanked him and began to drink the wine.


    "Isn''t that wine?¡±


    Lancelot nodded at Leisha¡¯s question.


    Upon hearing that, the paladins began to shout.


    "No!"


    "Everyone run!"


    Hillis''s face started to turn red, and she started hiccuping. "Divine, hiccup! Punishment!"


    White lightning rose from Hillis''s hand and turned into the shape of a whip.


    "How dare, hiccup! You, hiccup! Run!"


    The whip swung at a paladin who was closest to the inn¡¯s entrance.


    Realizing that it was already too late, the paladin covered himself with mana for protection.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Though he was protected with mana, it was not enough to block Hillis¡¯s magic. He was electrocuted and pulled towards Hillis.


    "Oh my! Hiccup! Poor thing. Hiccup!"


    The paladin was unconscious from being electrocuted as Hillis stroked his head, healing him.


    "God¡¯s, hiccup! Mercy."


    Then hell began.


    * * *


    Malecia knelt on one knee in front of the altar to show his respect. Once finished, he got up and spoke to the man standing next to the altar.


    "I''m sorry, but the carnelian crystal appears to have been stolen by unidentified criminals on its way here."


    An old man wearing a black hooded cloak was enraged at Malecia¡¯s report. "What! You¡¯re calling that a report?!"


    "I''m sorry, I should have paid more attention to it. It was my incompetence that caused this."


    At Malecia''s apology, the old man let out a roar of anger. "You call that an excuse! Are you speaking like that because you don¡¯t know just how important that crystal is?!"


    The old man angrily tried to hit Malecia''s head with his staff but stopped when he saw Malecia¡¯s fierce eyes.


    "I request that you treat me with wisdom."


    Although Malecia was subordinate to the old man, his background prevented the old man from acting recklessly. The old man knew this well, so although he was angry, he could not express it anymore.


    "You...! You!¡±


    Malecia left his seat and the angry old man behind.


    "Where are you going!"


    At the old man''s cry, Malecia glanced back at him. The old man flinched at Malecia¡¯s gaze.


    "We have to find the criminals in order to retrieve the carnelian crystal.¡±


    "Whew, do you know who the criminals are?"


    Malecia replied with a grin at the old man¡¯s trembling voice.


    ¡°The last report said there were three rich young men and women with black hair whose wealth would be of great assistance. They said they were going to rob them on the way, so it is likely that those three black-haired individuals are the culprits."


    After he finished speaking, Malecia swiftly left the room. The old man vented his anger long after Malecia had left the room. "You...! A petty powerless prosecutor!"


    The old man wanted to break something, but there was nothing he could break in the altar room. Furthermore, he was not in a position to leave the room recklessly. He had no choice but to keep his anger inside and wait in the altar room until the ritual was over.

 Chapter 74.1. Lancelot’s Adventure (3) (1)

    At around lunchtime, Hillis got up while holding her head. After standing up and looking around, Hillis realized why she was back in her room, lying in bed.


    She had slept in a little before going down to the first floor for breakfast. As she thought that they needed to leave soon to go to the holy place of Zaharam, she saw the paladins having a drinking party, so she scolded them. Her memory ended there.


    "Uh, my head."


    Hillis woke up feeling like she was hungover. When she came to her senses, she noticed how thirsty she was.


    As Hillis scratched her head and thought about going downstairs for some water, she found a glass of water on the table in the room. Since it was already daytime, the room was getting hot. Hillis believed the water would, unfortunately, also be warm and decided to drink it as quickly as possible.


    "Huh?"


    Contrary to her expectations, the water was cool. Her thirst seemed to be quenched by the refreshing water that was not too cold nor lukewarm.


    How could the water remain so cool? When she looked carefully at the glass of water she was holding, she found that it had magic applied to it. Hillis knew holy magic well, but this was not holy magic. As such, she wasn¡¯t sure of the exact type of magic applied to it.


    Still, she could guess who cast this magic; it was Leisha. She was the only magician capable of using magic on the glass of water in Hillis¡¯s room.


    In the first place, not just anyone could enter her room due to the paladins¡¯ heavy vigilance. Even if there were other magicians in the oasis village, the paladins wouldn¡¯t have recklessly allowed them to use their magic.


    "Huhuhu.¡±


    Hillis laughed as if she were plotting. Come to think of it, she needed a magician to cool her down in the heat. It was for a selfish reason, but she decided to suggest that they travel together with the Crows.


    Besides, the Crows said they were going to hire a guide to get out of the desert anyways. It would be a satisfying give-and-take transaction with each other.


    Hillis hummed as she walked down to the first floor but couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at the scene awaiting her.


    In the middle of the first floor, Mac was bound by a rope and was hanging upside down.


    "What is this?" Hillis exclaimed, shocked by the unexpected sight.


    A servant rushed over and asked, "Are you feeling well, Miss Saintess?"


    "Huh? Yeah, I''m fine, but what''s going on here?¡±


    At Hillis''s question, the servant¡¯s eyes widened as she asked, "Do you not remember?"


    "Remember? Now that I think about it, I have a slight headache,¡± Hillis said.


    The servant quickly poured some water and offered it to her. "You will feel better if you have some water."


    "Thank you. Huh?" Hillis had a strange sense of deja vu when she received the glass of water from the servant.


    For some reason, she felt like she had received a glass just like this. Thinking it was just a passing whim, Hillis drank the water she received. Through the years, too much tea and drinks had been poured for her to call it a feeling of deja vu.


    On the contrary, situations where she poured her own drinks were rare.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" The servant asked.


    Hillis laughed, "It¡¯s nothing, but why is that person hanging like that?¡±


    The servant replied awkwardly, ¡°That''s, he is being punished.¡±


    ¡°Punishment? Who''s punishing him?¡± Hillis asked.


    "It is that person,¡± The servant said, pointing.


    Hillis looked to where the servant was pointing to see Leisha, who bore an angry expression that even Hillis could easily notice.


    "Eeya, Miss. Please, could you untie this now!¡± Mac asked.


    Despite hanging upside down, Leisha was stunned to see that Mac¡¯s smiling complexion had not changed one bit.


    "More than anything, didn¡¯t Miss say you were curious too? I''m only guilty of relieving your curiosity,¡± Mac tried to reason.


    "Is that what you should be saying in front of them right now?¡±


    When Leisha pointed this out, the paladins began cheering for her while groaning.


    ¡°That''s right! Miss from the Crow Tribe, please punish him a little more!¡±


    ¡°Miss, Fighting!¡± (1)


    Upon seeing this display, Hillis asked the servant, "What''s wrong with those guys?"


    The paladins were charred in various areas, almost as if they had been struck by lightning. The servant avoided her gaze while answering.


    "I am not sure... Well, I suppose you could say causal retribution."


    "Causal retribution?" Hillis tilted her head at the servant¡¯s incomprehensible reply.


    However, before hearing the details, it was time to leave for the holy place of Zaharam, as they were very behind schedule.


    Hillis went straight to Lancelot and his party to ask them to go with her.


    "Excuse me.¡±


    As Hillis approached, Lancelot flinched, surprised. The hellish experience from the morning had not yet disappeared from Lancelot''s mind.


    Hillis noticed something was wrong when Lancelot showed signs of being afraid of her. She felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing Lancelot hide behind Leisha.


    "Did you just wake up?¡± Leisha greeted, wearing a slightly guilty expression.


    With how odd everyone was acting, Hillis wondered what happened during the period where she lost her memory. However, she decided to put aside her curiosity.


    "Yes, I gratefully drank the water in the room. I noticed that there was magic on it. It was Miss Leisha who applied the magic to it, right?¡± Hillis asked.


    Leisha waved her hands and acted modestly. "Well, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    "Oh, come to think of it, didn¡¯t you say that you were looking for a guide to get out of the desert?¡±


    Leisha nodded, "Yes, the merchants I previously hired as a guide suddenly turned into bandits, and so we got lost in the middle of the desert.¡±


    Hillis clapped her hands as if they had come across a great fortune and gave Leisha her suggestion. "Then how about coming with us? There is no uncertainty about our identity, and we know the road well because it''s a pilgrimage route. Above all, we have camels and desert carriages so that you can travel through the desert more comfortably.¡±


    Hillis spoke as if she was being considerate, but in reality, she was eager to use Leisha''s magic to keep her cool from the heat.


    "That''s a very generous offer... But, I''m not the decision-maker," Leisha said as she sneakily looked at Lancelot hiding behind her.


    In the first place, Mac and Leisha were to blame for falling into that situation in the middle of the desert, so they had agreed to follow Lancelot''s instructions.


    Hillis only knew the rough details of their plight and not the full story, so she was surprised to hear that Doomstone''s daughter, Leisha, was not the decision-maker.


    Hillis''s gaze naturally turned to Mac, who was hanging upside down from the ceiling.


    "Hahaha, it''s not me either."


    "Then?" Hillis looked at Lancelot, who was slightly sticking his head out from behind Leisha.


    So you''re saying that Mac pushed Lancelot forward last night because he really was the decision-maker and not because he thought it would be bothersome?


    Hillis couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    "What do you think?¡± Leisha asked, turning to Lancelot as he pondered over it.


    "Well, to start with my conclusion, I think the offer is okay. First of all, it is a great merit that your identities are credible and can be trusted, in addition to you knowing the way, as you said. However, Miss Saintess''s group is on a pilgrimage route, so you will probably go around the shrine, not directly out of the desert. However, considering the speed at which guides from ordinary villages move, it is unlikely that there will be a significant difference in time compared to traveling around on camels and carriages. Therefore, I think it''s better to go with Miss Saintess¡¯s group, who does not need our protection."


    Hillis shot a surprised glance at Lancelot upon his cool-headed analysis, which prompted Lancelot to quickly hid behind Leisha again.


    "Well, I think it''s decided. Won''t you let me down now?" Mac asked.


    Leisha simply ignored Mac.


    "When are we leaving?¡±


    At Leisha''s question, Hillis smiled gracefully. ¡°As soon as everyone is ready?¡±


    ¡°I''ll quickly go get my stuff and bring it down.¡±


    Leisha and Lancelot went to their separate rooms.


    "Wait, hold on! Miss! Please untie me before you go!¡± Mac struggled as he hung upside down from the ceiling, but no one listened.


    * * *


    Malecia led his direct subordinates to the nearest oasis village from where the bodies were found.


    He couldn''t trace the trail of the black-haired people who stole the carnelian crystal in the desert, but he was certain of one thing. The criminals were the ones to approach his subordinates, who had dressed up as merchants. There were two reasons why Malecia was so certain of this.


    Firstly, all of the luggage his subordinates were moving was gone. The other reason was the last report from his men. According to the final report, the criminals gave them a gold coin under the pretext of hiring a guide.


    Gold coins were too much for just hiring a guide. Even the ignorant children of nobility knew the value of gold coins. His men should have been suspicious from the moment they were readily offered a gold coin to serve as a guide.


    Furthermore, the criminals carried bags of silver and gold coins on their waists as they were traveling. No matter how you looked at it, it was an act to provoke the men into attacking.


    Most importantly, if they had just wanted to hire a guide, they wouldn''t have taken all the luggage, which would have been cumbersome.


    If they wanted to rob the men, they would have just taken the gold-plated totem or the money pouches. However, not only the carnelian crystal but all the luggage that the men were transporting disappeared. The carnelian crystal was the most important item among the things his men were carrying, but it didn''t mean that they didn''t need the other luggage.


    They were items for the ritual at the altar. They weren¡¯t strictly necessary, but it would be best if they had it. The overall preparation of the ritual was being delayed because of the luggage¡¯s disappearance.


    The bandits had obviously approached with the aim of stealing the carnelian crystal and delaying the ritual.


    He had briefly turned his attention to the news that the saintess¡¯s pilgrimage had been decided, but then this happened. Such a pain in the neck was really too troublesome.


    Even if he tried to guess who was trying to disrupt the ritual, the possibilities included three, no, more than five organizations, so he couldn¡¯t figure out who did it.


    "Damn it." Malecia frowned and cursed in a low voice.


    All they had to do was just push the ritual back, but the old magician in charge of the ritual was afraid of unexpected occurrences, so he was pushing forward despite the unnecessary risks.


    Malecia believed that the old man guarding the altar was overconfident in his skills.


    When Malecia looked unhappy, the men who were accompanying him became very nervous. Malecia hated venting his anger on his men, but his men feared his anger itself. Malecia thought that maybe he should make a joke to ease his men¡¯s nervousness, but he stopped. He didn''t know why, but his jokes always made the atmosphere worse and gave the situation a bad ending.


    Malecia and his men wouldn¡¯t arrive in the oasis village until much later than noon.


    Malecia pointed at his men and ordered, "You, and you, start investigating the general store. You, you, and you go find the village head. And the rest of you will go to the inn with me."


    "Yes!" The men answered Malecia''s orders with a bang and scattered.

 Chapter 74.2. Lancelot’s Adventure (3) (2)

    Personally, Malecia thought the criminals would have stayed at the inn if they came to this village. The desert night was not easy to endure, no matter how well-trained a warrior might be.


    "Captain, by the way, is it possible that the saintess is staying in this town since it is near the Holy Land, Zaraham?" A subordinate asked with a nervous tone.


    Malecia shook his head at the subordinate, "No, the saintess will probably take a few more days to get here. Thinking logically, the saintess will be moving with a large group of paladins as escorts, which will inevitably slow her speed. You don''t have to worry about the saintess as long as she isn¡¯t moving with a small group. If the saintess notices us now, the ritual and everything else would be ruined."


    "Even so, don''t we still have the captain?" The subordinate believed that if it was Malecia, even the saintess could be defeated.


    That belief made Malecia smile bitterly. "Don''t look down on the saintess. Saintess Hillis is the most powerful user of holy magic. Even the famous battle priest Fernando must take a step back before the saintess."


    The subordinates swallowed their saliva as their mouth became dry. This stemmed from the fact that more than just a few of their colleagues had died at the hands of Cardinal Fernando.


    In the temple¡¯s eyes, they were pagan enemies, and the rituals they were attempting to perform in the holy land were also evil deeds that should never be performed. Therefore, the temple was Malecia¡¯s prime suspect among the organizations behind the criminals.


    With the unannounced pilgrimage of the saintess, the temple should be placed first under suspicion.


    "I¡¯ve heard rumors that the saintess can compete on equal footing against William of the Butterfly Tribe."


    "You mean that white devil!"


    The men were astonished at Malecia''s words. Some of the men became cautious as they had met Willam on the battlefield in the past.


    "Don''t be too nervous. It''s simply a rumor. Just be careful,¡± Malecia said.


    "Yes, we understand."


    Even with Malecia''s words, his men could not relax. As he entered the inn, this made Malecia think that he shouldn¡¯t have bothered saying them at all.


    "Welcome!" The innkeeper greeted them while hard at work cleaning the tables.


    As Malecia entered the inn, he frowned when he smelled something faint, "Strangely, there¡¯s a burnt smell.¡±


    The inn was clean without a sign of any soot despite the burnt smell. As such, Malecia assumed that they burnt some food in the kitchen and just let it slide.


    Looking around the inn, he couldn¡¯t sense any sign of anyone other than the innkeeper. It seemed that the saintess had not yet arrived at the village. He was worried about it for no reason. There was no way the saintess could have been this fast.


    Now that he had left the altar due to the carnelian crystal being stolen, it was difficult for him to respond immediately to the saintess¡¯s movements.


    The pilgrimage of the saintess was a sudden decision. Due to this, he was not able to bring along someone capable of deceiving the paladins for this mission. Therefore, he couldn''t keep an eye on the saintess properly, but it wouldn''t matter.


    "Owner, let me ask you something,¡± Malecia said.


    The innkeeper smiled broadly and said, "Yes, yes, of course. How much it costs per night is-¡±


    "No-" Malecia cut off the innkeeper. "We have no intention of staying here."


    At Malecia''s words, the innkeeper changed his smiling face to an expressionless one, then sighed and went back to wiping the tables.


    Malecia''s men were instantly outraged.


    "You bastard!"


    "Stop," Malecia ordered.


    When Malecia waved his hand, his men lowered their fists. Malecia approached the innkeeper.


    "Hey. Owner."


    When Malecia''s only eye glared at the innkeeper, the innkeeper dropped the rag he was holding.


    "Did you see a black-haired trio consisting of a young man, boy, and a girl?" Malecia asked.


    As soon as he saw Malecia''s eyes, the innkeeper felt his hair turning white.


    The innkeeper stammered in fear as if he was facing a wolf. "That, that is.¡±


    Malecia looked at the innkeeper with warm eyes.


    "Take your time," Malecia spoke politely, but the innkeeper¡¯s legs gave out, and he fell onto his butt from fear.


    "Heeek! There, there was! A black-haired three- I mean trio!"


    Looking at the blue-faced innkeeper, Malecia reached his hand out to help him stand. "When did they leave?"


    When Malecia extended his hand, the innkeeper shouted while covering his face with his arms as if asking not to hit him.


    "Uaack! Noon! They left around noon with the saintess''s party. Spare me!"


    Malecia hardened his face before his awkward emotions were revealed by the innkeeper''s reaction. Feeling urgent, Malecia raised his voice, "What! Saintess?! Where did they say they were going!"


    "The Holy Land! The Holy Land,  Zaharam! Heeuk!"


    Leaving behind the owner of the inn, who was trying to crawl away, Malecia shouted urgently, "We are returning to the altar immediately!"


    Malecia clenched his fist. He thought he was paying close attention to her movements, but the saintess¡¯s traveling speed was too fast.


    According to Malecia¡¯s logic, there should have been a few more days time before she arrived here due to the large group of paladins escorting the saintess on her pilgrimage.


    No. More than that, how could he not have noticed when the saintess had been so close by?


    In a desert¡¯s open environment, Malecia thought it was impossible to be able to hide a large group of paladins escorting the saintess.


    "Yes!" The men replied in unison, and as soon as they went out of the inn, they sent out an emergency signal in the sky.


    Red smoke embroidered the sky, and Malecia brought his scattered men back to his position.


    Malecia and his men went towards Zaharam at full speed.


    * * *


    In Hillis''s carriage to the Holy Land, Zaharam, there was not only Hillis and her servant but also Leisha and Lancelot. Mac said that not moving didn¡¯t suit his nature and decided to ride a camel with the paladins instead of sitting in the comfortable carriage. Perhaps it was due to the paladins¡¯ magnanimity that they got along with Mac, even after they went through Hillis¡¯s drunken hell because of him.


    Lancelot was dumbfounded at the sight of the paladins and Mac.


    On the other hand, however, to the paladins who sincerely revered and followed Hillis, Mac¡¯s unwitting hell-raising actions may have just seemed trivial to them.


    Of course, the theory that the paladins were perverts with strange tastes did not diminish one bit.


    "Ah~ Feels nice."


    Hillis was moved by the cool air that filled the carriage as she said, "Thank you so much!"


    Leisha felt a little uncomfortable when Hillis held her hand and looked at her with moist eyes, saying, "No, it''s just simple magic."


    For Leisha, this level of magic was as simple as breathing. Teacher Mirpa¡¯s spartan training allowed you to use magic more difficult than this as easily as breathing. Furthermore, there was stable mana everywhere, unlike when she was learning under Mirpa. To exaggerate, Leisha would, at times, sit dazed in the comfort of the carriage and forget that she was using magic.


    "I''ve heard that Miss Saintess can use holy magic, but is there no magic like this in holy magic?¡±


    Hillis smiled and shook her head. "No, as far as I know, there is. It''s just that I haven''t mastered it."


    To be exact, during the time when Charlot was coming into power, he had banned many spells that were developed to make people more comfortable. The reason given for the ban was that these spells would be disruptive to the capital. In reality, it was to prevent citizens from remembering the remnants of the temple¡¯s past glory.


    This reasoning was officially a secret, but anyone who knew the history of the Empire could easily infer it.


    "Oh, I see.¡±


    Leisha moved on without thinking, but Lancelot was well aware of the Empire¡¯s situation because he had been educated in many ways as a diplomat.


    Lancelot smiled awkwardly and avoided Hillis''s gaze. Hillis recognized Lancelot''s realization as soon as she saw his expression, but she pretended not to know.


    There was no need to let people know of the Empire¡¯s situation. Still, when she saw Lancelot, she felt like messing around. "Is there anything Mr. Lancelot is curious about?"


    "Yes?!" Lancelot, who had been avoiding her gaze, was surprised when Hillis spoke to him.


    Seeing him get so flustered, Hillis laughed inwardly.


    "Well, I have been thinking of one question. Aren''t there too few paladins escorting Miss Saintess?¡± Lancelot asked.


    Hillis''s party had 15 people, including Hillis, her servant, and 13 paladins. This was too small of an escort considering the ranking of the saintess in the Empire. If the 13 knights were in accordance with the imperial regulation, each of the 13 should also have two squires attached to them. In other words, the actual number of guards for Hillis was only one-third of what it should have been.


    Leisha thought 13 people were a lot and tilted her head.


    The question was raised because 13 strong men from the Crow Tribe could exterminate a monster colony before a warm glass cooled down. For reference, if a monster that "adapted" to the Olympus Forest formed a colony, the basic population was considered to be at least 1,000.


    Therefore, Leisha didn''t ask her question. It was because the world outside Olympus Forest had so many stories that went beyond common sense. Perhaps in the country called the Empire, 13 people could be considered a small amount.


    Leisha waited for Hillis¡¯s answer as she had answered her own question and also respected cultural differences.


    Hillis made an unexpected face as if she had not expected him to ask this kind of question, but she quickly returned to her graceful smile and replied, "Honestly, I ditched the normal knight division that would be attached to me because it¡¯d just be bothersome."


    The knights that Hillis was referring to were not the unofficial platoon of knights that were currently escorting her. At least two more platoons would have to be added to be an official knights division, which included squires.


    The knight division of the Empire normally consisted of five platoons. However, a knight division was a special unit, and so the formation could differ depending on the commander leading the division.


    "Huh? Is that okay?¡±


    Leisha did not know the size of a typical knight division, but she wondered if it was alright for a person of the saintess¡¯s stature to trek through a desert after ditching her escorts. Still, if there were regulations, she would not be able to do as she pleased, no matter how high a position she had.


    "Of course not. Huhuhu.¡±


    Leisha thought that Hillis laughing looked like Denburg.


    With a thought that would surely make Lancelot protest if he heard, Leisha looked at Hillis with curious eyes.


    Notes: 1) Fighting is a cheering phrase in Korea that is basically the same as, ¡°You can do it¡± or ¡°You got it.¡±

 Chapter 75.1. Lancelot’s Adventure (4) (1)

    "Then how did you do it?¡±


    "Huhu, I have my methods. In fact, this pilgrimage was decided without any advance notice."


    Lancelot and Leisha tilted their heads. If she didn''t want to have a knights division with her, couldn¡¯t she have just not gone on a pilgrimage? When Lancelot, the man known for his common sense, as well as Leisha, tilted their heads, Hillis realized that her explanation was lacking.


    "Oh, in our temple, high-ranking priests with some status must go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at least once in their lives. Usually, people go before they become high-ranking priests or grow too old, but I was too young to go.¡±


    No matter how much education Lancelot received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he wouldn¡¯t know all these trivial rules.


    Hillis continued to brag about her story, "So then I thought. How can I get rid of these annoying knights?"


    In fact, the more personnel that came with her, the more comfortable the pilgrimage would have been. However, Hillis''s personality was so free-spirited that if there were many servants around her, she would have felt uncomfortable.


    Hillis''s personality was thought of by others to be that of a living saint, except for her few close aides. That''s why she had to be careful of her words and actions. Technically, Hillis was indeed a living saint, but her personality was far from what people thought of a living saint.


    "After much consideration, it seemed the best way was to announce that I was going on a pilgrimage, convene the knights division, then run away before creating the itinerary."


    It sounded easy, but in reality, it was only successful after winning a heated discussion against the pope and other elderly high-ranking priests.


    As she continued to chat about her story, Hillis opened the window in the wagon and spoke, "Now soon, the Holy Land Zaha-"


    Kwang-!!


    The sudden sound of an explosion buried Hillis''s words. Just as the blast occurred, the carriage stopped abruptly. This caused its occupants to fall to the front of the carriage due to inertia.


    Hillis came to her senses quickly and urgently asked through the window, "What happened?"


    "It''s an attack! Miss Saintess, please don''t come out!¡±


    Hearing the paladin from outside, Leisha and Lancelot wielded their weapons and went out of the carriage.


    "Danger!" Thinking that it was too dangerous, Hillis tried to stop them but recalled that they were Crows.


    She forgot this fact because they looked so different from what she had imagined.


    Unable to do anything else, Hillis knelt down in the middle of the carriage and prayed. "My one and only Lord Mother, please give your children a merciful hand and heal your children¡¯s wounds-"


    With a series of prayers, Hillis¡¯s body lit up and blessed the paladins outside the carriage. As various blessings and healing spells constantly encircled the bodies of the paladins, they drew their swords and shouted.


    "Our God is with us!"


    "Waaah!¡±


    It was the birth of a true cockroach.


    * * *


    Attacked just shortly before reaching the Holy Land, Zaharam, the paladins halted and looked around. The ambush party seemed to be a battalion-level force containing many magicians. The paladins clenched their teeth when they saw the ambushing magicians on top of the sandhill, focusing on their clothes in particular.


    "Curse those black magicians!"


    For generations, black magicians were despised as enemies of most religions.


    According to religious passages such as the Holy Scripture, black magicians were descendants of those who sinned and drove out God from the world. For power, they betrayed God, the one responsible for creating the world and who lived alongside them.


    Of course, it was not possible to know if this was true or not based on old passages, but putting that aside, they were a group who performed human sacrifices and created undead. For this mockery of life, black magicians were treated as public enemies of the world.


    The paladins raised their mana and stared at the enemies with their blood boiling. Sensing this change, Mac felt a sense of excitement. He shuddered at the paladin¡¯s power, which was at a completely different level from last night. Suppressing his pure desire to fight the paladins, he deflected the magic flying towards him.


    The paladins¡¯ fighting power differed markedly depending on whether or not they had a priest''s support. Given that Vibrio and her men were able to stall Bloody and William when supported by Fernando and considering that Hillis had greater holy power than the pope, these paladins could be regarded as comparable to members of a battle race.


    "We are!"


    As the leader of the paladins started chanting, the other paladins responded with a chant.


    "Strong! Invincible! Strongest!"


    The leader of the paladins gave an order. "1st, 2nd, and 3rd squad stay here. The rest are charging with me!"


    "Yes!"


    Nine of the thirteen paladins remained, and the other four charged on their camels towards the group of people shooting magic from the sandhill. Normally, a force of only four people could have been ignored, but since Hillis''s support was concentrated on those four, they had to be treated as a powerful force.


    Mac drove the camel he was riding and charged with the paladins, as he said, "I''m coming, too! Lancelot, I leave Miss in your care!"


    "Yes!"


    Lancelot drew his sword. He made for a very delicate figure with his weapon, not at all appearing dependable. However, Lancelot spent his childhood with Den and was more than caught up in Doomstone''s education. After being forced to endure Doomstone¡¯s education to play with Den, Lancelot was at least as strong as a normal Crow.


    Hundreds of troops and only five people clashed against each other. Despite dealing with an embarrassingly small number of enemies, the black magicians did not ignore the paladins. With every stroke of the sword, two or three of their men fell with a spurt of blood, making it impossible to ignore the paladins.


    "Everyone take a power potion!" At the army commander¡¯s cry, the soldiers took a potion in unison. Afterward, black mana started to slowly flow out from the soldiers'' bodies.


    The potion they drank was a kind of mana bursting potion, and once the duration of effect was over, they would be wracked with severe pain for a week. The pain was so intense that it could lead to soldiers committing suicide, unable to endure the pain. Even so, if they did not use it, they would have to worry about the soldiers being murdered.


    "Spearmen!"


    Despite reinforcing the soldiers with the potion, the commander kept them from approaching the paladins and had them stab from a distance. The potion¡¯s effect lasted three days anyway.


    "Archers!" Upon this call, soldiers carrying bows loaded their arrows on the desert hill.


    "Shoot!" At the commander''s order, the flag bearer issued a red flag, and the arrows flew in unison toward the carriage where Hillis was located.


    The paladins clenched their teeth as they saw the scene. For now, they just had to trust the paladins guarding Hillis and quickly break past the blockade to take care of the archers and black magicians.


    "Breakthrough quickly!"


    Meanwhile, the paladins defending Hillis smiled and laughed at the flying arrows. It was a smile that only those who were prepared to die could make. They were determined to protect Hillis, even if they were to be burned alive.


    "Squad 1! Get on top of the carriage! Squads 2 and 3 to the front!"


    Squad 1¡¯s paladins climbed onto the carriage and lifted their shields. Even if they became a hedgehog with arrows here, they wouldn''t die unless Hillis¡¯s support was cut off. They closed their eyes in the face of the rain of arrows and prepared themselves by raising their mana.


    At that moment, a cry came from under the carriage. "Defense! Defense! Defense!"


    Leisha lifted the magic wand she bought in Warrant and unfolded a triple shield that encircled the carriage and the paladins. The arrows bounced off the shield.


    "Oh! Miss Crow!" The paladins exclaimed in joy.


    Yet, in spite of their exclamation of joy, the indiscriminate baptism of arrows caused a crack in the shield. The magic was released without any proper preparation or chant, so it was unstable and wavered. Leisha knew this would occur, so she created three layers of shields.


    Following one baptism of arrows, another came without delay, and a sharp sound was heard as the first shield broke.


    Leisha took out a magic reagent and a seed from her pocket space and threw them, chanting, "The breath of life is benevolent! Grow!"


    The seed that Leisha threw began to bud with Leisha¡¯s chant. The bottle of magic reagent thrown out of the shield was broken by an arrow, soaking the sprout and causing it to grow rapidly suddenly. In an instant, the sprout turned into a tree in the air and was shot with arrows. Despite this obstruction, it continued to grow and fell to the ground heavily.


    "It is the source of life, so shower it!"


    Leisha''s magic wand attracted all the water from the water veins in the vicinity. The large pool of water was slightly red as if it had also pulled in the blood of the black magicians and soldiers fighting a fierce battle ahead of the carriage.


    With Leisha¡¯s beckoning, the pool of water was shot at the tree currently spreading its roots in the desert. Pure water was best if possible, but considering the tree¡¯s environment, the water mixed with impurities was also acceptable.


    The water dried up rapidly as it soaked into the ground. The tree that Leisha created quickly absorbed it and expanded its body. In an instant, the huge tree grew big enough to replace Leisha''s shield and became battered with arrows.


    Seeing the tree that had grown large enough to hide the arrows from sight, the paladins cheered.


    "Woaaaah!"


    "Miss! Miss!"


    The paladins chanted, calling her ¡°girl¡± like Mac.


    "Don''t call me Miss!" Wanting just to be called by her name like normal, she frowned and shouted, but the paladins did not listen at all.


    Assuming that they called her this because of Mac, Leisha vowed to kick his shin when he got back.


    As if sensing Leisha¡¯s vow, Mac sneezed while he was working hard at the front lines.


    "Achoo!"


    "Got a cold, Brother Crow?" Asked the leader of the paladins, having just killed two soldiers in a single blow.


    "No, I think some sand just went into my nose,¡± Mac answered leisurely before instantly slicing the necks of three soldiers.


    "That''s good. Even dogs don''t catch a summer cold,¡± the paladins¡¯ leader said.


    "Hahaha, gosh. If I got a cold, I would be lower than a dog, Sir Paladin."


    They joked and rotated as they killed the enemy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Albatoss, Brother Crow.¡±


    ¡°Call me Mac, Sir Paladin."

 Chapter 75.2. Lancelot’s Adventure (4) (2)

    Mac advanced on foot and swung his sword. The camel that he was riding lost its life from an enemy soldier¡¯s spear. Mac had never run in the sand before, and his ride was faster than him, so he felt disappointed that he lost his ride.


    The leader of the paladins, Albatoss, had also lost his camel and felt sorry for Mac. Albatoss prayed that the camel, whose body was still warm, would go into God''s arms and become another companion for his camel.


    The bastards who sold their souls to the black magicians could not go to God''s side, but since God also made hell, he thought he could at least land in between the two.


    "What are you doing? There are only five enemies! Overwhelm them!"


    Despite the commander''s orders, the soldiers faltered. The momentum of the five soldiers who had broken through seemed to increase rather than decrease.


    "Keuk! Do these bastards not get tired?"


    The paladins were healed in an instant each time the spearmen injured them. It was like a healing power akin to the trolls, which were rare to encounter even in the monster paradise, Mount Alps. No, if anything, this healing ability was greater than a troll, not less.


    "Cockroach bastards."


    It was just 20 minutes since the battle started, but those five had already killed 60 soldiers. No, perhaps it was better to say that fewer enemies had died than expected. After all, they were paladins receiving the saintess¡¯s blessing.


    The reason for this lower death count was simple. The corpses of those who had died after taking the power potion were controlled with black magic and used as shields against the enemy. If their goal was to stall for time with these ordinary soldiers, you could say that they were used effectively.


    Comforting himself with these thoughts, the commander looked up at the sky. It was already evening when the fighting began, but now the sun was setting.


    Do we have to deal with those monsters in the dark?


    This prospect frightened the commander. Even if it were completely dark around them, the paladins would be able to see as if it were daytime with Hillis¡¯s blessing. To even the playing field, he wondered if his army¡¯s magicians would be able to cast the same magic on each and every soldier. At that moment, a thought flashed through the commander''s head.


    If it is impossible to cast magic on each soldier, then can¡¯t the entire battlefield be lit up?


    "Go back and ask the magicians to use light magic.¡± The commander ordered, sending his deputy to the rear.


    The reason that this was a request and not an order was because the magicians at the rear were not under his command. Though his command didn¡¯t extend over them, he was still technically their superior.


    Looking at the red-colored sky, the commander waited for the light to rise quickly. However, by the time the sun was almost behind the sandhills, no artificial light had risen. Towards the peak of the commander¡¯s restlessness, the deputy sent as a messenger returned in a hurry.


    "Battalion, battalion commander. They say they won''t use magic!"


    "What the f*ck?!" At the absurdity of his deputy¡¯s reply, the commander let out a torrent of curses.


    "That''s, we need magic to keep that magician with the saintess in check¡­¡±


    "F*ck! Are those words or farts! If those cockroaches break through right now, the magicians will be dead first!"


    The deputy was startled by his superior¡¯s anger.


    "Fire! Light all the torches!"


    "Ye, yes!"


    The new order spurred any soldiers with free hands into immediately lighting the torches. No matter how many torches were lit, the number of prepared torches was limited, so it would be impossible to make the battlefield as bright as daytime. However, just being able to secure the soldiers¡¯ vision was enough.


    "Damn it, if only Captain Malecia were here!¡± The commander gnashed his teeth.


    If there were at least one person who could deal with those charging men trying to kill the black magicians, he would be able to send the free soldiers to where the saintess was. However, if some of the troops were repositioned right now, this area would be breached.


    Right now, he wanted to pull out his sword and fight the paladins, but as the commander, he could not act rashly. If it were a duel instead, he would have stepped up right away.


    At that moment, a torchlight appeared in the darkness of the desert far away. Then the torchlight began running towards them. The commander panicked, assuming that it was more paladins arriving as reinforcements. Next to the torchbearer was a flag bearer on a camel. Seeing the flag¡¯s insignia, the commander felt a feeling of hot emotion dominating his whole body.


    "Open the way! It is Captain Malecia!"


    The soldiers cheered at the commander''s cry.


    "Open the way!¡±


    * * *


    Malecia quickly rode his camel and rushed in between the soldiers. Fortunately, the soldiers also saw the flag and quickly opened the way.


    In an instant, when he arrived near the paladins amongst the soldiers, he jumped off the camel and attacked. The paladin who received Malecia''s dark red sword aura felt his foot sink into the sand from the strong impact.


    The paladin felt his wrist go numb and groaned. "Keuk!"


    Malecia landed easily, heading for the temporarily stunned paladin. He stabbed his sword into the gap in the paladin¡¯s right shoulder. He planned to cut off the paladin¡¯s right arm and create a weakness for the enemy. The saintess could reattach a severed arm, but regrowing it would be near impossible.


    At that time, a sword struck Malecia''s from the bottom and pushed it up, making his sword just slightly cut the paladin¡¯s shoulder rather than chopping it off completely.


    The paladin screamed at the pain coming from his bleeding shoulder. "Kuaaak!"


    However, a white holy light soon healed the paladin''s shoulder. Malecia became speechless at the sight of this healing. With this, he could understand why the troops were struggling against just five people.


    "Thank, thank you, Mac." The paladin¡¯s pain had not dissipated, and he had cold sweat running down his body, but he still thanked Mac.


    Mac pointed his sword at Malecia and said, ¡°You can just buy me a beer later.¡±


    ¡°Then I''ll buy you a whole barrel!¡±


    Although Mac had a playful attitude, the power felt from his sword made Malecia realize that he was not ordinary.


    "Oh! You¡¯re a strong person. Who are you?" Mac asked playfully, but he remained vigilant of the turban-wearing men surrounding him and the paladins.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since Mac left Olympus, but Malecia was the strongest person he had encountered so far. One-on-one, he was confident of his victory, but it would not be easy in a group setting with paladins he had never fought with before.


    At Mac''s wariness, Malecia laughed, "It seems I still have a long way to go if I am being asked who I am.¡±


    It wasn''t an answer to Mac''s question, but ironically, it was a paladin who ended up introducing Malecia.


    ¡°Black Knight Malecia!¡±


    ¡°The Mercenary King!¡±


    At the paladin¡¯s shout, the soldiers surrounding them erupted in cheers. It was a cheer formed from both the pride and relief that such a strong man was on their side.


    "Well dang, to hear the words ¡®Mercenary King¡¯ from an Empire citizen, what an event.¡± Although Malecia said this, he enjoyed the title of mercenary king.


    Usually, the term "Mercenary King" in the Empire was used to refer to the leader of the current mercenary alliance. As such, someone being called the Mercenary King by an Empire citizen was no different from being recognized as having great skill. It was all the more notable because it was a title earned through a war with the Empire as an enemy.


    "Since this isn¡¯t a war started by my own will, I would like to be called Black Knight rather than the Mercenary King,¡± Malecia requested.


    "What does a title matter? Let''s cross swords,¡± Mac said, feeling his hands itch as he formed his martial aura.


    "Good!" Malecia shouted and went on to strike first. At the same time, Malecia''s men and the paladins began their battle.


    Malecia''s sword aura headed for Albatoss, who received Malecia¡¯s sword with hardened eyes. Against Malecia''s pressuring blade, Albatoss tried to push back with the help of Hillis¡¯s divine power.


    During this exchange, a turbaned man went after the back of Albatoss''s neck, saying, "Ahuh! Play with me too!"


    Kang!


    Mac threw the broken spear that was by his feet and saved Albatoss. The turbaned man aiming for Albatoss''s neck almost dropped his sword from the powerful impact of the spear that appeared to have been lightly thrown.


    Malecia let Albatoss go and retreated before his sword became filled with Hillis¡¯s power, following which two turbaned men naturally attached themselves to the paladins¡¯ leader. Albatoss had no choice but to give his full attention to the constant barrage of swords, left with no opportunity to thank Mac.


    Mac didn''t miss that opportunity and swung his sword at Malecia, aiming for his heart. The captain blocked Mac''s sword using his own. No, he thought he blocked it. He judged that such a sharp sword that was as cruel as it was accurate should not be blocked.


    They both began thinking at the same time.


    This blow resembled the blow that killed his subordinates who were transporting the luggage. After this thought entered his mind, Malecia realized that this was the killer he was looking for.


    Malecia quickly filled his sword with mana and rotated it. Mac''s sword was turned upwards by Malecia''s mana, and Malecia just barely managed to dodge the sword aimed for his heart by twisting his body. Unfortunately, the sword that he used to create the gap broke into two pieces.


    "Sword!"


    A soldier threw the sword that he was holding at Malecia¡¯s shout. Mac instantly struck at the sword flying towards them instead of striking at Malecia¡¯s life. Immediately after striking the sword, Malecia threw the broken half-sword without hesitation at Mac. Either way, Malecia¡¯s head would have been sent flying the moment he was about to receive the sword.


    Mac deflected the broken half-sword that flew straight at his neck. Malecia did not use the gap to attack but rather to escape from his position. It was a wise decision.


    Mac''s reaction speed was well ahead of Malecia''s expectation. It would be hard to kill Mac, even if he and all of his men rushed him.


    He wanted to kill Mac rather than the paladins, but even when his troops outnumbered the enemy, they were just barely maintaining an even match against the paladins strengthened by the saintess¡¯s power.


    No matter how strengthened the paladins became with Hillis¡¯s support, they were not used to handling that power and became unsteady, creating gaps. Thanks to this, Malecia¡¯s men alone were somehow able to match the paladins, but Mac was a monster that could disrupt the balance of the battle.


    In other words, Malecia had to deal with Mac by himself in order to maintain the current situation in the confrontation.


    "I''m going to go crazy."


    Malecia thought that this place might unexpectedly become his grave.


    Slightly distancing him from the battlefield with a laugh, Malecia stole the spears of the soldiers around him and threw them at Mac.


    "Don''t mind me, shoot arrows at him!".After saying this, Malecia approached Mac again.


    The commander paused for a moment before preparing the archers to shoot. "If possible, aim only at the enemy."


    "But Captain Malecia might get hit," one of the archers pointed out.


    "...Just believe, as I will too."


    The archers nodded at the commander''s stern look.


    Of the archers constantly firing arrows at the Hillis¡¯s carriage, some changed their target.


    "Deputy, covertly prepare to retreat.¡±


    The deputy nodded at the commander.


    The chances were slim, but in the case that the paladins guarding Hillis came over, it would be foolhardy to have the soldiers confront them. Moreover, it was also necessary to consider the possibility that the rest of the saintess¡¯s guards were on the way. If so, it would be safer to go back to the Holy Land Zaharam and hold the fort. At least there, the soldiers would have full visibility.


    The commander quietly watched the scene of the paladins and his turbaned men in a desperate struggle.


    Hitting the flying arrows with his sword, Mac burst out laughing for a long time. "Ahahahaha!"


    Mac deflected Malecia¡¯s sword that was rushing towards his throat. As Mac was about to cut downwards, an arrow flew towards him from another direction. Malecia also occasionally had to avoid the arrows shot by his subordinates, but most of the arrows flew at Mac.


    Kang! Kang! Kang!


    As Mac was striking away the arrows, Malecia picked up a spear rolling on the ground and launched a stab toward Mac¡¯s side. Mac tried to evade with a flick of his ankle as usual, but his foot sank into the desert sand.

 Chapter 76.1 Lancelot’s Adventure (5) (1)

    Mac missed the timing to avoid it and was forced to narrowly catch the spear shaft with his left hand. He didn''t like to resort to dealing with things by force but nonetheless attempted to lift Malecia up by the spear and fling him.


    However, Malecia, with his vast experience on the battlefield, let go of the spear and retreated with perfect timing.


    With Malecia¡¯s weight suddenly disappearing, Mac stumbled backward, and arrows flew towards him at the same time.


    Chaeng! Chaeng!


    Mac quickly regained his balance and struck down the arrows. He evaded Malecia''s sword, the other was attempting a quick stab and run. Then Mac crouched down and tried to slice his abdomen. However, Malecia quickly dodged, filled the sand with mana, and kicked it into Mac''s face.


    At the unexpected attack, Mac raised his left arm to shield his face and gathered mana to block it then he rolled on the ground once and quickly sprang to his feet.


    Since dealing with Malecia, the desert terrain had started to really annoy him.


    "Wow, I''ve never seen anyone fight so cowardly since the youngest master.¡±


    "Haha, that youngest master knows how to fight."


    Malecia struck back at the fuming Mac. Somehow, the way he talked even seemed similar, it scratched at Mac''s nerves.


    "Well, isn''t it too cowardly for a man called the Mercenary King?"


    "Mercenary King is a position that''s hard to survive in unless you are cowardly."


    "Who was it that asked to be called a black knight?¡±


    "Who knows? He¡¯s not here at least." Malecia rambled.


    "I thought he was in front of my eyes. Maybe it¡¯s someone else.¡± Mac took a jibe.


    "A person today is different tomorrow. Aren¡¯t you fortunate to be having such big realizations?"


    At the condescending teaching attitude, Mac decided to go all out.


    He hadn¡¯t been serious up until now, but he decided to fight seriously go all out.


    No, I''ll just kill you.


    "Huhu, die Youngest Master!"


    A terrifying sword aura came out of Mac''s sword and shot towards Malecia. It contained an aura that seemed to want to annihilate everything. The paladins, turbaned men, and even Malecia all rolled onto the ground.


    "Ahahaha! Do you know how much I was beaten up by the boss for losing the youngest master!!¡±


    Mac unleashed his sword aura as if he was pouring out all of his feelings.


    "Ahh! Mac has gone crazy!" Albatoss exclaimed in fright.


    The target was definitely Malecia, but the effects of his sword aura resonated everywhere. Meanwhile, Malecia, the quarry, continued to run away from the sword aura all along feeling this was unfair.


    "Retreat! Everybody retreat!"  Malecia cried.


    All his men began rolling and running away. The surrounding troops had already retreated. With only Malecia and his men left to flee now, there was no need to stall for time.


    Malecia and his men quickly got on the camels and ran towards the Holy Land Zaharam.


    Mac looked oddly relieved and did not chase after them. Rather than thinking that there was no need to fight if the enemy was running away, it was more because he was satisfied that all his stress was relieved. In addition, it would be annoying to chase after them and get lost while getting back to Lancelot and Leisha.


    When Albatoss saw the scene, he thought Mac had intentionally pretended to go crazy and all out in order to drive away the enemies. He felt that even if it was Mac, a Crow, he would still be exhausted after releasing sword aura like crazy.


    Even the paladins supported by Hillis felt fatigued from the great battle that resulted in thousands of cut wounds. So of course, he thought Mac would be even more exhausted since he did not receive any support.


    "We are returning to Miss Saintess."


    Around the carriage where Hillis was, there was a large tree with arrows stuck like a cactus. Under the tree, Leisha was meditating.


    After kicking open the carriage and coming out, Hillis exhaled deeply, sweat-soaked her entire body.


    "Oh, I''m gonna die, I¡¯m so tired! Water! Ha, ha."


    Feeling a sense of exhaustion in her whole body, Hillis looked for water first.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work! Here''s the water."


    Hillis, who received water from her servant, sank into a squat.


    She had been supporting the paladins with her divine power for a long time. She had remotely treated the wounded paladins who had charged to deal with black magicians a total of 3,796 times. If it was an ordinary priest, he would have reached his limit after just 10 minutes.


    As soon as she saw the five men trudging along, she first looked at Mac. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Hillis''s support and healing were set to respond to the paladins¡¯ divine power so Mac had received neither.


    "As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Seeing Mac raise his arms and gesture, Hillis was relieved and nagged at the paladins. ¡°I told you not to get hurt so much because it tires me out.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    Looking at the grim-faced paladins, Hillis sighed. "Phew, it¡¯s fine since you came back alive.¡±


    The paladins, who were depressed by her words, looked up emotionally.


    "Get ready for the camp. I''m tired."


    The paladins that remained to protect Hillis moved and immediately started to set up camp. Fortunately, thanks to the tree that Leisha had made, there was plenty of firewood. However, the problem was the black magicians and their troops that fled to the Holy Land Zaharam.


    -o-


    Malecia and his men pushed the weary camels and headed for the Holy Land Zaharam. When he saw the huge tree from afar even though it was at night, Malecia drove the camel slowly.


    That tree was the very reason Zaharam was called the Holy Land.


    As he approached the tree, a familiar village resembling an ancient ruin, came into sight. That village was Zaharam, the Holy Land.


    It was hard to see in the dark at night, but the tree boasted a size so huge that it could cover all of Zaharam.


    Not a sound could be heard when Malecia entered Zaharam. Unlike its name, here was a village of ruins that did not give any feeling of vitality. But this was a place that one would never expect to be in a desert.


    The crumbling stone structures that resembled ancient ruins were shrouded in ivy. And at the center of Zaharam, a huge tree that exuded a strong aura of vitality stood tall enough to raise the question of whether it could grow in the desert.


    The ruins looked like it should belong in the middle of the jungle but somehow was in the middle of the desert.


    Zaharam''s tree was called the Divine Tree or the World Tree and emanated a special power. That power prevented not only humans but also insects from living. Because of this, even the temple that managed it could not stay here, and could only travel from the remote oasis village to guard it.


    In reality, Zaharam was a place that did not need guarding at all. The power of the World Tree encompassed Zaharam, making it impossible to destroy the ruins here. It also made it seem as if it had stopped time.


    When Malecia entered Zaharam, the power that always enveloped him when he came made him feel nervous. He massaged his chest. There was a magic necklace resting on his chest. The magic on it scattered the power, allowing them to stay here for a long time.


    The necklace that most soldiers had was a crude item made by the black magicians that could not last over 15 days. However, Malecia¡¯s necklace was an item that was semi-permanent, and specially bestowed by the person he served.


    Going deeper, Malecia came to a wooden fence. He frowned.


    It was a barrier that was definitely not present when he had left Zaharam in the morning. There was only one reason for this wooden fence to be put up: they were holding a ceremony.


    "Stop! Stop or I''ll shoot!"


    On the wooden fence, their bows pulled back, the archers took aim at Malecia and his men. This was because it was the middle of the night and Malecia and his men did not have torches.


    And the reason they didn¡¯t have torches was that they had lit up the battlefield but still ended up retreating without being able to retrieve the torches.


    When Malecia and his men came to a gentle halt, the soldier on the wooden fence asked, "Who is it!"


    "Special Task Force Captain Malecia!"


    The soldiers guarding the wooden fence all hesitated at the same time. Even so, they did not put away the arrow on the bow.


    "Black!"


    "Starlight!"


    ¡°13!¡±


    ¡°37!¡±


    Having confirmed the passphrase and code, the soldier came down from the wooden fence and said, "I will now begin the process to verify your identity. Please wait a moment!" With a torch in hand, he opened the side door on the wooden fence and came out to approach Malecia. "Oh, I''m sorry!"


    Malecia patted the nervous soldier''s shoulder and spoke. "No, well done. But next time, just throw a torch from above and check the face. If I were an enemy, your life would have been in danger."


    "Thank you!" The soldier saluted, he seemed moved.


    Malecia smiled lightly and went into the barrier.


    Inside the wooden fence were tents originally erected outside of Zaharam. Malecia clenched his teeth at the sight. Those soldiers did not have the necklace made by the black magicians that Malecia and his men had. Deploying those ordinary soldiers that could not even handle mana properly in Zaharam was the same as shaving off the lifespan of those soldiers.


    Of course, there would be no issue if it was just for a day, but them being stationed there during the period of the entire ceremony at the altar was evidence these soldiers were expendable.


    As Malecia looked around the tents with a serious face, he spotted the commander in the desert setting up a tent with a hammer.


    The hammer was wrapped in bluish mana, but in order to hammer in holding pins into a land that was dominated by the World Tree¡¯s power, both the hammer and the pin needed to be wrapped in sword aura.


    "You¡¯re working hard."


    "Captain Malecia! I am glad to see that you are all right."


    The commander only noticed that Malecia had arrived when he spoke, but he was relieved to see him as he wiped off his sweat. The fact that he had left Malecia and just retreated with his own men had been bothering him. Although the decision was made to save the soldiers, it was inevitable that he felt guilty.


    Malecia, reading his mind, patted the commander''s back. "Did you think I was going to die because I couldn''t deal with five people?" His tone seemed light and he even smiled.


    But the commander shrank back seeing Malecia''s eyes that were overflowing with danger. He felt as if the other was yelling, "Did I look so weak to you?".


    "Ah, no. I''m sorry."


    Malecia was somewhat sullen. The reactions were always like this when he joked. Sighing inward, he whispered to the commander that it was a joke while patting his shoulder.


    ¡°Be prepared to leave any time.¡±


    ¡°Yes? But¡ª¡±


    The commander cast a curious look, but Malecia shook his head in silence in all seriousness. Then, he went straight to the altar.


    (End of Part 1)


    The altar was located in the largest building at the center of Zaharam. Perhaps the building was a temple in the past because it was imbued with the aura of holiness.


    Malecia couldn''t understand why the black magicians were doing black magic experiments in a place like this, but they who were preparing for the ceremony were serious.


    The altar was in the room that was furthest inside the temple. Out of the 300 people assembled here, twenty were black magicians and the remaining were ¡®rabbles¡¯ that did the bidding of the high-ranking black magicians.


    Malecia had fought countless battles, to him, the people here and those outside were far from being considered a magician. So he didn''t like the way they acted as if they were real magicians.


    "Ah, so you arrived?" One of the black magicians got up from his seat and approached Malecia.


    Malecia grasped the other¡¯s neck with one hand and hauled him up.


    "Kuh, Kuck! What... Why!"


    "What are you doing?" An old man in charge of the ceremony and in the highest seat among the black magicians was angry. However, Malecia ignored the old man.


    "Was it you? The one who rejected the request for magic?"


    The black magician who was being strangled by Malecia, realized that this was because he had refused the request to create light with magic when they were attacking the Saintess.


    "No... no... I!"

 Chapter 76.2 Lancelot’s Adventure (5) (2)

    Crack!


    Malecia broke the neck of the black magician who was trying to make excuses, tossed aside the corpse, and stared around. Then, he approached the black magician who had sand dust on his clothes just like his dead mate.


    "No! Not me!"


    Malecia grabbed and shut his mouth blocking all excuses. Then, he grabbed his shoulder and pushed hard to snap his neck.


    "You bastard! What are you doing?!¡± The old man roared and glared at Malecia, but the latter simply looked down at the spectators with cold eyes.


    "Ninety precious soldiers died in order to protect these insects. Don''t disappoint me any further.¡±


    ¡°You dare! You¡¯re nothing but a powerless swordsman insect. What?! Don''t let you down? You think you can say whatever you want just because you have that person¡¯s favor?!"


    Malecia closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. He spoke in a low voice, "Didn¡¯t I tell you not to let me down?"


    A black magician, seated on the ground, stood up and shouted. "Ha, so? What are you going to do about it?"


    At his cry, other black magicians rose from their seats and joined in.


    "You bastard! You definitely must be crazy to dare kill a magician!"


    "He just wants to die!"


    Malecia laughed at the fact that these black magicians, who would not have dared to make eye contact if it were one-on-one, were shouting angrily with glaring eyes.


    "I don''t want to talk to you anymore. I''m leaving."


    The black magicians flinched at Malecia¡¯s words.


    Right now, the Saintess and paladins, the natural enemies of the black magicians, were just around the corner. So if Malecia didn¡¯t protect during the ceremony, they had no idea of knowing just how many of them would die.


    Malecia turned and was walking away when an old man guarding the altar caught him.


    "Carnelian, yes, did you find the carnelian crystal?!"


    Malecia stopped walking at the old man¡¯s shout.


    "No."


    Malecia''s answer brightened the black magician¡¯s complexion. This was a justification for holding back Malecia.


    The old man said in a bright voice, "Then this place! So¡ª"


    Before the old man finished speaking, Malecia cut him off without so much as a backward glance. ¡°Go talk to that person about this.¡±


    With that, he left the room.


    -o-


    Hillis gathered the paladins and began the meeting. The topic was, of course, what to do about the black magicians who seemed to have occupied the Holy Land.


    "We have to charge in right now! How can we allow the Holy Land to be occupied by the dirty black magicians!"


    At the words of one paladin, another shook his head.


    "No, I understand that sentiment, but the first thing to think about now is Miss Saintess¡¯s safety. If we charge in, who will protect Miss Saintess?"


    Another paladin spoke as he folded his arms, "We can do it if we leave a section to protect Miss Saintess while the rest attack."


    The paladins turned noisy.


    "Quiet! We are in the presence of the Saintess!" Albatoss roared.


    The paladins shut their mouths and looked at Hillis. This was because, despite all this chattering, Hillis¡¯s decision would determine their course of action.


    While contemplating, Hillis glanced over at Lancelot¡¯s party and asked, "What do you all think?"


    The paladins¡¯ opinions were all predictable anyway. Therefore, it would not be a bad idea to listen to the opinions of people with a different perspective.


    "Well, I don¡¯t know. I''ve never learnt military strategies or tactics,¡± Leisha said.


    "It''s okay. I just want to hear the opinions from those outside of the temple." Hillis smiled playfully. In the first place, it was not a question of how to fight, but a question of whether to fight. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to consider strategies after.


    "May I say something, then? Your Highness, Saintess."


    Hillis nodded at Mac''s words. "Of course."


    "If you decide to attack, I''d like to move separately.¡±


    "Yes?" Hillis didn''t understand just who he wanted to move separately.


    Knowing that his explanation was probably lacking, Mac explained further. "So what I mean is that I''d like for Miss Saintess¡¯s party and us to attack from different directions.¡±


    Having gotten the point now, Hillis shook her head. "No, this is our work. We can''t put you in danger because of our situation." She was already feeling bad about getting them involved with the black magicians previously, so she definitely didn¡¯t want to make them do this.


    But Mac put on a sly smile. "No, aren''t we already in the same boat? Let''s just go together." He couldn''t miss out on such a fun opportunity. In particular, he wanted to fight against Malecia again, the so-called Mercenary King. He was annoyed when they fought, but on second thought, he thought it seemed fun.


    It was shallow, but even in the Crow Tribe village, there were only a few who could last that long against Mac.


    "How about Sir Diplomat? Don''t you want to fight?¡±


    "I don''t really¡ª"


    Mac put his arms around Lancelot¡¯s shoulder and cut him off from saying that he didn¡¯t want to.


    "Hey, Sir Diplomat says he wants to fight too.¡±


    "Nuoo!" Lancelot denied it but couldn''t get the words out properly because his cheeks were being sandwiched by Mac''s arm.


    Leisha smacked Mac on the back hard with her magic wand.


    "Ow! It hurts! Why are you hitting me?¡±


    As Mac rubbed his back and looked at Leisha, she prepared to swing the magic wand again. She said, "Did you or did you not say that you would follow Lan¡¯s opinions?¡±


    "Oh haha, I did. But¡ª" Mac looked towards Lancelot with a sad face.


    Lancelot sighed seeing Mac''s face which resembled that of an abandoned puppy. "Phew, let¡¯s fight together if you decide to fight."


    "Hahahaha! Thank you!" Mac hugged Lancelot as if he had barely managed to receive the present he wanted.


    Lancelot spoke in a tone of ¡®since I¡¯m giving you a puppy as a present, you should be the one to take him for walks¡¯. "If they decide not to fight, then we are just leaving."


    "Of course!" Mac was all smiles.


    "Will it be ok?" Leisha asked with a look of concern.


    "Yes, we¡¯re late anyway. If we split here, we will have to go back to the oasis village and find a guide first anyway.¡±


    Lancelot wanted to quickly go to the capital and find Denburg. He didn''t want to waste any more time.


    "So what would Miss Saintess like to do? We can give you advice on how to fight, but there''s nothing we can say about whether to fight or not since we don''t know how important the Holy Land is to Miss Saintess and your paladins."


    For the Crow Tribe, if the Holy Land Zaharam was like Doomstone or his successor Denburg, they would send out everyone, weak and strong, to defend them no matter how many died.


    Hillis was troubled by Lancelot''s words.


    "I... want to protect the Holy Land."


    It may have been just greed, but it was what Hillis really wanted. She didn''t want to see the Holy Land in the hands of those insolent people even for a moment. It was all the more so when the hands belonged to the evil black magicians.


    The paladins affirmed Hillis''s desire. "Our swords will always carry out the will of the Saintess." They drew their swords in unison and saluted Hillis.


    Hillis spoke with a hardened face, "Get some rest for now. Save up your stamina. The attack will be at dawn." Then she lowered her head towards Lancelot¡¯s party. "We will gratefully receive your help.¡±


    -o-


    "Are you going to let him leave just like that?" a black magician asked the old black magician guarding the altar.


    The old man clenched his teeth. He was the only one who could stop Malecia by force, but his mana was all tied to the altar. He sighed as he glanced over the surrounding black magicians.


    They had no talent. Even if they went out to stop Malecia right now, would they be able to even deal with his soldiers, let alone the man himself?


    No, the old man was doubtful. If it weren''t for the fact that this place was Zaharam, he felt that defeating the soldiers would not only be a simple task but he could also make Malecia crawl in between the black magician¡¯s legs.


    But Zaharam was a place that the temple called the Holy Land. The power of the World Tree that filled Zaharam was deadly to the black magicians.


    The old man rubbed his chest. On it was a necklace similar to the one that hung around Malecia¡¯s neck.


    The power of that person, a great magician, did not yield to the power of the World Tree. Rather, it was a power that even forced the World Tree¡¯s power into submission.


    The old man had no doubt in his belief. The ceremony he was doing now would create a new future for black magicians. It would make that sl*t and her followers that threatened them, kneel before them.


    In his heart, the existence of that person was already a belief like faith. And he was the truth.


    The old man closed his eyes and swept over the altar. This beautiful formula was the path to believe and follow. It was the target of reverence. He opened his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "We are starting the ceremony now."


    The other black magicians were agitated.


    "No, the preparations are not ready yet!"


    "Even if we were ready, what about the carnelian crystal necessary for the ceremony?¡±


    The old man passed between the black magicians and approached the two corpses of the black magicians that were laying on the floor. He then put his hand on the chest of one of the bodies and began to absorb the mana.


    "Kulkulkul, greed is the essence of man."


    The black magicians turned pale watching the old man''s behavior and tried to run away. What he was doing was something that even black magicians regarded as an implicit taboo.


    "You dare! This is a place where the great darkness dwells, so everyone stop moving!"


    With the old man''s magic incantation, everything was shrouded in darkness except for the altar and the black magicians.


    The black magicians despaired as they were surrounded by endless darkness. They wanted to tremble in fear, but even such an instinctive act could not be done in this space.


    "Keulkeulkeul, yes, yes. I''ll give it to you quickly so don¡¯t rush me."


    The old man felt that when mana was created, it was quickly absorbed into the altar. He looked dotingly at the altar that was greedily extorting mana and slowly approached the black magicians.


    They wanted to yell, "Get away from me right now!" but couldn''t budge as if time had stopped. Without being able to move a single eyelid nor even their pupils, the black magicians died like mummies after having their mana drained.


    When all the black magicians died, the old man sucked in all the darkness and it disappeared.


    He shouted with a joyful voice, "Starting the ceremony!"


    As if resonating with the shout, the altar trembled and began to emit light from the magic formula that filled the altar.

 Chapter 77.1 Lancelot’s Adventure (6) (1)

    At the darkest time before dawn, Lancelot looked towards the sky. The sky here was no different from the sky of his hometown. Beautiful stars embroidered it forming a river and the moon glowed like jewels.


    Would the night sky also be as beautiful where Den is? Would he be looking up at the same sky? Lancelot snickered at the thought.


    Den had once said he liked the night sky. He¡¯d said that at times only after seeing a starless night when he encountered a beautiful scene, one would be moved to tears.


    Lancelot was a little scared thinking that he had never seen a night sky without stars. A starless sky would be very dark and lonely.


    But when had Den seen such a lonely night sky?


    Lancelot answered his own question. Den was a magician, so he should be able to see and hear anything.


    "I want to hang out together."


    Thinking that Den might be able to hear him, Lancelot let the words escape his mouth, but it only added to the loneliness. It was as if the starless night sky that Den had mentioned had settled into his heart.


    "What are you doing there?"


    As Lancelot was looking up at the night sky in front of the bonfire, Leisha came out of the carriage and asked.


    "Nothing, I was just looking at the night sky."


    Leisha took a pot out of her pocket space. Then, she made water with magic, poured it into the pot, and hung it on a thin rack over the bonfire to boil.


    "Um, There¡¯s no blood in there, is there?"


    Seeing Lancelot''s reluctance, Leisha tousled his hair.


    "No, I made it in a hurry last time, so I drew in all the water around me. But this time, I extracted it from the water mana, so don''t worry." Leisha waved a bluish stone at him.


    The stone that Leisha was holding was a natural mana stone and had only one attribute, unlike the demon byproducts. It was known as ¡®nature stone¡¯ because it was born in nature, as well as ¡®spirit stone¡¯ because it could be used for spirit magic.


    The Olympus Forest was an environment where spirits could not exist, so Leisha had never learned spirit magic. However, a spirit stone could be used for various magic besides spirit magic.


    "I''m glad to hear that.¡±


    Seeing that Lancelot was relieved, Leisha chuckled and took out something from the pocket space to add to the hot water. "What would you like to drink? There are Mandrago flower petals, fruit of Fragach, and 1000 year honey."


    All of them were sold at astronomical prices in the market, but in Olympus Forest, they were food and magic materials that were scattered around the earth just a short distance away from the village.


    "Then I''ll have the fifth flower petal of the Mandrago."


    Although each Mandrago petals had a slightly different fragrance, the scent was maximized by boiling them with 83 degrees of purified water, allowing each scent to be distinct.


    ¡°How many spoons of the 1000 year honey do you want?¡±


    ¡°Three spoons please.¡±


    "Your teeth will rot." While speaking playfully, Leisha put three spoonfuls of the 1000 year honey and the fifth petal of Mandrago in the cup. She took the pot of boiling water out of the bonfire and cooled it down to 83 degrees using magic. She then poured hot water into a cup and cast a spell to keep the temperature from dropping.


    "Thank you." Lancelot took the cup and waited for the spell to disappear.


    About three minutes later, the spell slowly disappeared and the temperature began to gradually drop. Three minutes was enough for the flavor of the petals to come out.


    "Oh! Can I have a drink, too?¡± Mac approached the bonfire and asked after having smelled the sweet aroma while patrolling the surroundings.


    Leisha nodded.


    "I¡¯d like the third petal. Oh, and no honey is fine. Sweet things aren''t to my taste."


    "Yes, yes."


    Leisha put the third petal of the Mandrago in an empty cup and handed it to Mac.


    As he received the cup, Mac took a slightly cooled pot and placed it on a bonfire. Then, before the water even boiled, he poured hot water into the cup and wrapped it with mana to maintain the temperature. After about three minutes, the aroma wafted.


    "Wow, how do you get the temperature so accurately?" Leisha stuck her tongue out and asked.


    Mac smiled slyly. "If you want to seduce a woman, being able to make tea with the right temperature is basic.¡±


    Leisha snorted. Despite him saying that she had never seen Mac with a woman.


    "Oh my, such a nice aroma."


    Hillis spoke in a slightly tired voice while stretching as she came out. Leisha poured a lot of water into the pot and began to boil it. As the paladins crawled out of the tents one by one, she made tea for them all.


    "Thank you, Miss Crow!"


    "Wow! I don''t think I''ve ever had such a fragrant tea even in St. Percival."


    The paladins drove out the coldness of the desert night from their bodies and warmed up as if they were imminently going to charge in.


    "So now, let''s divide the men who will stay to protect Miss Saintess and those that will go to the slaughter of the black magicians.¡±


    Hillis shook her head at Albatoss. "No, I''m going too.¡±


    "Miss Saintess"


    "You can¡¯t! It''s dangerous!"


    Despite the paladins¡¯ dissuasion, Hillis was resolute.


    "The power of the World Tree in the Holy Land is the same as poison to the black magicians. I¡¯ll be fine."


    She looked in Zaharam''s direction. Although still far away, she could feel the power of the World Tree, which filled Zaharam. Others didn¡¯t know it, but the power of the World Tree was welcoming her. It was not possible to know why. But Hillis could feel it.


    She could feel a scent of loneliness from the power.


    "But it isn¡¯t only the black magicians who are in Zaharam. You must also consider the existence of the Mercenary King, no, the black knight."


    Inside the Holy Land, the power of black magicians was greatly reduced. But the black knight, Malecia, and his men were just pure soldiers who had nothing to do with black magic.


    But Hillis was confident. "It''s all right because no one can harm me if it''s in the Holy Land."


    It was not conceit but certainty. It was something that couldn¡¯t be explained, but kind of an intuition that Hillis could feel because she was a saintess.


    "And didn¡¯t you say that as you stood on your watch, you saw the black knight and his soldiers go out of the Holy Land?"


    The paladins shook their heads.


    "That''s why it is dangerous. It could be an enemy strategy to cause confusion."


    "Even if there are only black magicians in the Holy Land, it is still dangerous."


    Hillis faltered in the stiff opposition of the paladins.


    Then Lancelot asked the paladins, "If the black knight and his soldiers went out of the Holy Land, isn''t it dangerous out there?"


    "What do you mean?" The paladins looked at Lancelot with questionable eyes.


    After flinching at the sudden attention, Lancelot spoke with courage because he did not want to waste any more time. "Honestly, isn¡¯t it so? If you split the guards and enter the Holy Land, Miss Saintess¡¯s guards will be reduced. Shouldn''t we consider the scenario where the troops who came out of the Holy Land would attack Miss Saintess?"


    The paladins¡¯ faces stiffened at Lancelot''s comments. It was a probable theory.


    Nevertheless, Albatoss shook his head. "If the ones that remain receive Miss Saintess¡¯s blessing then they will be able to fend off the attackers," he said as he recalled that the five of them had an equal fight with an entire battalion of troops.


    But Lancelot sighed. "Think about it. If that''s the case, it doesn''t make a difference whether or not she enters the Holy Land."


    "But considering the possibility of danger and jumping into enemy territory is a starkly different story," said Albatoss.


    "Yes, it is. But that possibility will force you to increase the number of people who protect Miss Saintess, right?¡±


    Albatoss nodded. The first thing was to ensure Hillis¡¯s safety.


    "Then, if the number of men going into the Holy Land will be reduced, will it be enough to recapture it? If we don''t recapture the Holy Land, it''s the end. No, there''s a possibility that it''ll become even more dangerous for Miss Saintess and others waiting outside."


    "That''s¡­," said Albatoss.


    "Or just back off altogether. Let''s step back, get some support, and take back the Holy Land."


    The paladins were silent at Lancelot''s words. It didn''t matter to Lancelot whether they attacked the Holy Land or not. He just wanted to go to the capital and find Denburg as soon as possible.


    Hillis looked at Lancelot and made a declaration. ¡°No. We can''t back down.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lancelot looked straight into her eyes and asked.


    When Lancelot, who had been afraid of her until yesterday, looked at her so confidently, Hillis was slightly shocked.


    "That''s¡ª" Hillis searched for a reason to answer Lancelot''s question. We must not back down as it is. Why not?


    Thinking rationally, it was right to step down as Lancelot had said. But they couldn''t. Because of religious teachings?


    No, Hillis thought that actual life was more important than a phrase that was only written.


    And yet, why didn''t they step down?


    Come to think of it, why did she want to make an unplanned pilgrimage to the Holy Land? Because she thought having a large group of escorts would be bothersome?


    No. No, that wasn¡¯t it. That was just a reason she used to justify her action afterwards. The reason that the escort was bothersome was not wrong because it was what she actually thought.


    But the action was an impulse that came before the reason was given. What for? Why did she leave on impulse?


    Hillis felt indescribable displeasure pondering over it.


    No, was it anxiety?


    Yeah. It was anxiety. There was uneasiness at the root of Hillis''s behavior. Because of this uneasiness, she had left on an unplanned pilgrimage with a minimum number of people to quickly get to the Holy Land.


    Perhaps the uneasiness was a sign from the feeble foresight given only to a Saintess, or a signal from the Holy Land''s World Tree. Or it was possible that religious thinking which she had been taught since childhood had dominated her subconscious.


    Complex emotions entwined in Hillis''s mind revealing themselves through her expression.


    The paladins were startled by the sight of the Hillis struggling. This was because she didn¡¯t show her emotions easily. Seeing her distressed mired in the complex emotions, the paladins interrupted.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Saintess. We will do as you wish."


    "Yes, if you want to go to the Holy Land with us, we will follow. So¡ª"


    "Please don''t make such an expression.¡±


    The paladins knelt down. They felt a pang of unbearable guilt seeing a Hillis very different from her usual bright and cheerful self.


    Hillis closed her eyes. "Thank you." She was sure that she was someone who had received a blessing. She felt like her heart was filled just by the fact that there were people who cared about her with all their hearts and not in pretense.


    "Everyone, let¡¯s go to the Holy Land."


    "Yes!"


    The paladins answered Hillis with a roar.


    Lancelot nodded and backed away as the direction was set. Whether they attacked or retreated, it didn''t matter if they could just head to the capital quickly.


    Hillis silently thanked Lancelot and looked towards Zaharam.


    Then she said softly but powerfully, "I don''t know what the black magicians are planning on doing in the Holy Land, but let''s teach them how foolish it is to camp in Zaharam."


    -o-


    The old man persistently memorized the incantations in front of the altar. The preparations for the ceremony were insufficient and the most important item, the carnelian crystal, was not present. However, it was possible to fill the gaps with the flesh and soul of the black magicians that he had just killed.


    The mana, which was supposed to be dense, was rather loosely woven as it entered the altar, even so, the ceremony continued. It felt like he was walking on a tightrope, the old man concentrated on not failing even as he broke into a cold sweat.


    "We¡¯re in big trouble! The paladins, huck!"


    The black magician that hurriedly entered the room was startled at the sight of the ceremony.


    The old man, the head of the black magicians, was working hard to adjust the mana in front of the altar. The problem was the sight of the black magician¡¯s teacher and others that had turned into corpses and were being used as offerings for the ceremony.


    On the surface, it was a crazy act to use human sacrifices. However, even in the eyes of black magicians, it was not something that humans should do. It was even more frightening to see it from the eyes of a black magician as his greater knowledge would allow him to understand the scene better.


    The black magician, who came to tell the news, backed away in a dilemma. Right now, the Saintess had arrived and started a massacre, and right in front of him, his superior was carrying out a ceremony that violated a taboo amongst taboos.


    Turning on his heel, the black magician went out of the temple. If he died fighting outside or was caught by the paladins and handed over to the heresy interrogators, at least his soul would be safe.


    Of all the worst options, he chose the one that seemed the least bad.


    To the darting black magician, there was no such thing as the lesser of two evils.

 Chapter 77.2 Lancelot’s Adventure (6) (2)

    Hillis had done away with the walls of the carriage as she drove into Zaharam in a now open carriage. Accompanying her was Leisha, she created barriers with magic where the walls would have been and looked at the carriage with amazed eyes.


    "Wow, was it capable of opening like this?¡± Leisha said in admiration.


    Hillis shrugged. "It''s a special pilgrimage service carriage from the temple. It''s nice and cool to ride it like this!"


    "I think the sand will come in though?"


    "If it couldn¡¯t even stop that much, it would be undeserving of the word ''special''. Do you see that over there?¡±


    There was a magic circle drawn where Hillis was pointing. Leisha was amazed by the magic circle.


    "It''s a magic circle that even blocks dust depending on the size. If they were going to engrave something like this, I''d rather they put magic to make it cold inside." Leisha pointed.


    It was really the height of inefficiency. Hillis smiled bitterly. Even if she wanted to, those spells were listed under forbidden magic as they had been banned in the past.


    "I see the wooden fence! Be careful!"


    At the paladin¡¯s warning, the servant who was riding in the carriage with them, crouched between the carriage chairs. They determined that it would be more dangerous to leave the servant alone outside of Zaharam just because she was a non-combatant. So, she had had no choice but to follow along.


    Standing at the front, Leisha aimed her magic wand at the wooden fence.


    "Fireball! Ten shots!"


    A series of fireballs as big as camel heads were fired from the magic wand.


    Kwang! Kwang! Kwagwagagwang!


    The wooden fence was blasted apart and burned down at once.


    "Keupl!"


    Leisha resisted the power of the World Tree governing Zaharam, she started feeling tired as a result of using magic.


    The flames created by the fireballs quickly died down under the power of the World Tree.


    "Are you all right, Miss?!" holding a bow on the wagon and guarding the surrounding area, Mac asked.


    "It''s okay! It''s much more comfortable than in Olympus Forest!" Leisha replied.


    At least here, she didn''t have to worry that magic would suddenly make a U-turn and attack her. Using magic in Zaharam felt like running in a space with five times the gravity. Although difficult, it was not an environment where magic could not be used for a magician at her level.


    ¡°Still, it''s harder than in the village,¡±  Leisha muttered as she got ready to use magic again. She had to be prepared in case magic was shot at them at any moment.


    The initially nervous paladins couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded by the sight inside as they passed through the broken wooden fence.


    It was because black magicians were already fighting against paladins.


    "Die, dirty black magicians!"


    "Keuk! Devastating Wind Blades!"


    Ten paladins holding large shields blocked the black magician¡¯s magic as they continued to cut down the black magicians.


    Albatoss had thought it was going to be a lonely fight, now, he couldn''t hide his confusion.


    "What is this?"


    They hadn¡¯t even informed the temple and rushed to recapture the Holy Land from the black magicians, but the support forces were already here.


    At that time, one of the paladins in battle raised his helmet visor shocked.


    "Paladin Albatoss?! How come you are here?!"


    The face beneath the raised visor was one that Albatoss knew.


    "Paladin Mario! How come you''re standing here?"


    These people who were fighting the black magicians first were paladins following Cardinal Fernando.


    Fernando was a hard-liner priest working with the capital as his base. As such, he never thought he would see them in Zaharam, so far away from the capital.


    Mario tried to say something to Albatoss, but stopped to block a black magician¡¯s attack with his large shield. With that, Albatoss realized his priorities and drew his sword.


    "First, we will take care of the black magicians!"


    "Ohh!"


    The paladins on the camels rode fast and quickly began to cut down the black magicians. Thus the black magicians began to attack Hillis¡¯s paladins.


    "God, protect your children!"


    For those paladins under her that did not carry shields, Hillis performed defensive holy magic.


    The sight astonished Mario.


    "Sa... Saintess?! No! Paladin Albatoss! Are you out of your mind? How could you have brought your Saintess to the battlefield!" Mario reprimanded.


    Albatoss swung his sword looking ashamed.


    "Keuak!"


    One black magician was killed by Albatoss''s sword.


    "Sorry! Paladin Mario!"


    Mario bit his lips at Albatoss''s apology.


    "Eagle squad! As of now, we are changing priority from destroying the altar to safeguarding the Saintess!"


    "Yes!"


    The paladins under Mario moved in their squad and surrounded the area to guard the carriage that Hillis was on.


    Perched atop the carriage, Mac looked for Malecia amid a battlefield filled with paladins and black magicians. He clicked his tongue. "Chet, he isn''t here as I thought.¡± He wanted to try fighting him again if possible, so it was regrettable.


    Mac shot the arrows and hunted the black magicians. Each of his arrows struck and cut through in between the brows of the black magicians.


    Mouths agape, the paladins admired Mac''s archery skills as if there was nothing left for them to do.


    "Paladin Albatoss, just who is that person?" Mario asked admiringly


    Albatoss took a moment to look for the apt explanation and then replied, "He is Miss Saintess¡¯s guest."


    Mario was genuinely concerned. "Are you sure of his identity?"


    Apart from Mario''s relationship with Hillis''s older sister, Vibrio, the position of Saintess was too important in the temple. It was impossible to allow anyone near the Saintess without knowing their identity with certainty.


    "I''m sure. If we hadn''t been sure of his identity, would we have let him approach Miss Saintess?"


    After Hillis had offered to have them join their party, Albatoss, had confirmed Leisha''s identity by looking at her identification card without Hillis''s knowledge. Thus, he believed that they were from the Crow Tribe. Moreover, he was convinced by Mac. And above all, being that strong at that age, it was impossible not to believe it.


    Mac had been constantly shooting arrows from atop the carriage, he came down below the carriage when he ran out of shots.


    "Are you out of arrows?¡± Leisha took the arrow out of her pocket space and asked.


    Mac flashed his characteristic sly smile. "Yes, that¡¯s the case. It doesn''t look very dangerous, so I think I¡¯ll go jump in." He pulled out his sword and tried to run toward the group of black magicians.


    "Wait!"


    As Leisha stopped Mac, he cast her a curious look. Leisha spoke as she descended from on top of the carriage.


    "I''m coming with you."


    Mac looked at Leisha incredulously and said, ¡°It could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That''s right!¡± Lancelot agreed with Mac.


    Leisha, seeing Lancelot¡¯s worried gaze, patted his head and said, ¡°It''s okay. I''m pretty strong too, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know that, but¡ª¡±


    Leisha smiled at Lancelot.


    "And besides aren¡¯t we curious as to what the black magicians are trying to do in places like this?¡±


    The reason why Leisha wanted to go with Mac was because of her the intellectual curiosity of the magician within her.


    Lancelot nodded determinedly. ¡°Then I''ll go too!¡±


    ¡°What? But¡ª¡±


    Leisha honestly couldn''t trust Lancelot.


    To be exact, he was reliable for common sense and knowledge outside the forest, but she did not want the delicate Lancelot to witness the bloody battleground.


    Sensing Leisha''s thoughts, Mac patted Lancelot''s shoulder. "I leave my back to you."


    Lancelot answered vigorously, "Yes!"


    "Oppa!" Leisha looked at Mac in surprise. When Mac fought, he fought alone and was never someone to easily hand his back to others.


    Mac shrugged at Leisha. ¡°Even though Lancelot looks like this, he is about as good as a warrior from the village.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When Leisha looked at Lancelot with astonished eyes, awash with embarrassment, he scratched his bright red cheeks. Playing with Den and often getting caught up in Doomstone''s education had naturally strengthened him.


    "I''m confident."


    Lancelot''s words helped Leisha nod.


    "Sir Paladins! We¡¯ll be right back. We''re going to go sightseeing for a little bit!¡±


    Then Mac began to run forward. Lancelot and Leisha also followed with a sprint.


    Unlike the outside, Zaharam was not a desert but solid land, so it was easy to run.


    "Wa... Wait! Paladin Albatoss! Is it okay to let them go?¡± Mario asked.


    Albatoss smiled meaningfully. "It''ll be alright. Miss Saintess¡¯s guests are strong."


    Mario briefly glanced at the trio who had run over before refocusing on the battle, holding the shield against the fierce attacks of the black magicians.


    -o-


    Mac was dashing to the center of Zaharam cutting down the black magicians. He asked Leisha, "Now, where shall we go?"


    As Leisha used magic to obstruct the black magicians¡¯ magic, she shot back magic bullets. The use of magic was suppressed by the power of the World Tree, but that was true for the black magicians as well.


    ¡°Over there! I can feel a strong mana wave over there!"


    The place she pointed to was the temple in the middle of Zaharam. The black magicians blocked their way to the temple.


    "You mustn''t let them enter!" a black magician said.


    Mac whistled at the sight.


    "Wow, so kind."


    It was like telling them that there was something important there.


    "Let''s go! Lancelot!"


    "Yes!"


    As Mac pointed his sword and rushed amid the black magicians, Lancelot followed, drawing his sword.


    "Block them!"


    Black magicians gathered black magic and fired magic bullets, but Mac and Lancelot both avoided them with light movements. Thanks to that, the black magician''s magic bullets flew straight at Leisha.


    "Barrier! Kyak!"


    Leisha shouted as she tried to block the sudden mass of magic bullets with a barrier.


    "You¡¯re able to deflect them! Deflect it!"


    She wouldn''t have said this if this was outside Zaharam, but it was unnatural to use magic inside Zaharam. It was like running in the water.


    "Oh, my bad!"


    Mac and Lancelot had overlooked the fact that Leisha was slow because she was a magician. So, instead of dodging the magic bullets, they charged into the group of black magicians. The duo cut down the black magicians one by one, securing each other¡¯s backs.


    Thanks to Leisha''s magic that hit the group of black magicians from time to time, the black magicians blocking the way were quickly wiped out.


    Lancelot and his party quickly started heading for the temple again but stopped when they were right in front of it.


    "Phew! This is getting exciting.¡±


    Mac felt tense at the powerful mana that was seething out from inside the temple. So it was inevitable that the corners of his mouth would go up.


    Leisha tightly gripped her magic wand at the mana that leaked out of the temple. She had only felt this much magic when Elder Mirpa was actually angry or when Denburg had used his magic blast while escaping from the forest. Feeling a force two to three times the power of her own magic, she gulped hard.


    Lancelot clutched the two swords in both hands and said, "Let''s go in."


    Lancelot was the first to step inside the temple. He was fully aware of how powerful the power coming from the temple was. Nevertheless, the reason he was the first to move was simple.


    "There''s no time to lose here."


    He had to go deal with the black magicians inside quickly so he could go see Den.


    At the sight of Lancelot''s imposing gait, Mac and Leisha followed with a smile.

 Chapter 77.3 Lancelot’s Adventure (6) (3)

    The old black magician who continued the ceremony in front of the altar felt its power. Due to the absence of the carnelian crystal that was supposed to suppress the World Tree¡¯s power and ensure the stability of the ceremony a great deal of power was being consumed.


    The old man had even used his men''s mana and soul as a sacrifice to forcefully start the ceremony. But now was the limit. It was self-evident that the ceremony would fail at this rate.


    He then sensed the footsteps coming from behind.


    Is it the black magicians waiting outside?


    No. It was obvious that if it were the black magicians, they would have felt the mighty power coming out of the altar and not approached it. If so, the sound of the approaching footsteps meant that the paladins had arrived.


    The old man bit his lips. He didn''t even know when they had charged in because he was too engrossed in the ceremony. However, reaching this far was no different from saying that they had dealt with all the black magicians outside. It was obvious that he would fail at this rate.


    The old man got rid of his nervousness and let go of the control of the ceremony.


    "Glory to the great person."


    The old man sacrificed himself to make the ceremony a success. The mana of the altar greedily tied up the body of the old man eventually swallowing him.


    The altar began to emit black light.


    -o-


    "Get down!" Leisha exclaimed as she suddenly felt the mana wave intensify.


    Lancelot and Mac crouched.


    Leisha quickly conjured up a spell so that they wouldn¡¯t be blown away by the mana waves. She let out a coarse breath after enduring a few minutes of violent waves.


    "Huha!"


    The perspiring Leisha ran to the source of the mana wave without even taking a break to wipe off the sweat. Feeling nervous and tense from the unknown ominous mana, she prepared herself.


    In the room deep inside the temple, there were the bodies of the black magicians, an altar, and an old man.


    The old man stood dazed at the altar. Then his head turned in the opposite direction of his body and looked at them.


    Seeing the old man¡¯s head turn at an impossible angle, they realized that he was no longer a human but something that was in the shape of a human.


    At that moment, Mac quickly wielded his sword and shot a sword aura towards the monster in the form of an old man. It was the result of instinctual discomfort and rational judgment that the monster needed to be eliminated immediately.


    The monster raised his hand and tried to stop the sword aura by shooting out black mana, but the arm was cut off before it could conjure up the black mana.


    - Akniatkyu Yiseokyi. (Is this a body?)


    The monster shook its truncated arm in a strange manner while making an incomprehensible sound as if the sound was being played in reverse. Then the black mana wrapped around its severed arm and turned towards the truncated arm. And in an instant, the severed arm clung back to its shoulder.


    Then the monster looked at Leisha.


    - Ahnookssi ohkyiak reungukryuk yigohok. (You have the carnelian crystal.)


    At the same time as the sound, the monster gave off a grotesque laugh.


    - Ahtssuhssi ootreuduh reunitgyu. Ahdnatah mak akehun. ( I¡¯m thankful to you. I was able to gain a body because of you.)


    Leisha didn''t know what it was saying, but feeling goosebumps from it, she poured a lot of mana into attacking it.


    - Apnuap anah reugitaht uinakni. Ahknigitap uiahtniahtmak yiseokyi. (Is this how humans respond to thanks? I¡¯m learning something about human common sense.)


    Despite Leisha''s attack, the monster''s body quickly regenerated.


    Mana exhaustion made Leisha''s body tremble. She felt like she was going to faint immediately, but she still closely observed the monster¡¯s regeneration.


    "The altar...! Ugh! Ha-ah-ha-ah. The monster''s mana is coming from that altar!"


    As Leisha pointed to the altar with a trembling hand, without a word, Mac immediately rushed at the monster. Lancelot followed.


    The monster shouted as he saw Lancelot swinging his sword wrapped in sword aura towards the altar.


    - Yanyissik neutoom! (What do you think you¡¯re doing?!)


    The monster ignored Mac slicing its body and tried to attack Lancelot. However, due to its physique, it could not chase after Lancelot as it kept having to regenerate from being repeatedly cut apart by Mac.


    When Lancelot hit the altar without mercy with his sword aura, it cracked and began to break.


    - Utbuh neunoot reugut eckhurri! Ehtninit kyu the ekhutt! Whetna! (No! I just gained a body! I can''t die like this!)


    Mac thrust his sword into its head. The monster wildly shot out mana in every direction to get rid of him.


    "Hurry!"


    Sensing Mac''s urgency, Lancelot smashed the altar with even greater strength.


    Mac flew toward the wall from the monster''s mana. Recovering from Mac¡¯s cut, it attacked Lancelot.


    Kang!


    As the monster was about to strike Lancelot, the altar was completely broken and the black light that was emitting from the magic circle on the altar began to fade. At the same time, the body of the monster began to turn to dust from the tip of its body, and the unmatched ominous mana scattered.


    - Leseok lesanna neunyitgut ehkurri ohtohssuhbuh namnitgyu. Ehtnineup reussehnwuh reuni gyuuhjeul¡­ (I just wanted a body. I wouldn''t have died like this if I didn¡¯t have a body...)


    When the monster disappeared completely, Lancelot collapsed on the spot after seeing its attack that had reached as close as his nose.


    "Hua! That was scary." Lancelot wanted to cry right away from relief and fear.


    After seeing the monster disappear, Leisha finally fainted after barely holding on to her consciousness.


    "Oof!"


    Mac was flung with force enough to smash the walls of the temple, which had been supported by the power of the World Tree. Nevertheless, he ran over quickly and caught Leisha''s body as it fell down.


    "Aigo, my body is aching all over."


    Mac slowly put Leisha on the floor and tried to move his body. He felt he had about three broken ribs.


    Mac, whose ribs had not broken just once or twice, naturally tried to take the Mirpa Special medicine out of the pocket on the belt.


    "Oh no. Lancelot, I think you should carry her on your back."


    The impact from flying into the wall broke the bottle containing the medicine.


    "I can''t move my legs."


    As Lancelot looked at Mac with moist eyes, Mac sighed.


    -o-


    The paladins had wiped out all the black magicians in the holy ground. They shook off the blood from their swords and resheathed them.


    "Thank you, Miss Saintess. Thanks to your support, we were able to wipe them out quickly."


    At Mario''s greeting, Hillis smiled with benevolence. "No, it''s all thanks to the strength of the paladins. Rather, I feel that I was insufficient and was just a shackle to you all, so I¡¯m sorry."


    That smile, which seemed more sincere and holy than anyone else, seemed to purify his heart.


    Mario was convinced of the rumors that the Saintess was kind to everyone and disliked those who were evil. His colleague and lover, Vibrio, always had a troubled smile whenever there was talk regarding Hillis. He assumed that she had that smile because she worried that if she openly boasted about her sister, then she may look foolish.


    "But Paladin Mario, how come you are here?" asked Albatoss.


    Mario hesitated before he answered, "Actually, I came at the behest of Cardo Fernando."


    "His Excellency, Cardinal Fernando?"


    "Yes. He obtained information that there might be heretics in the southeast of the empire and told us to come check it out."


    Albatoss nodded in response. "I see. Indeed, His Excellency is always at the forefront in punishing heretics."


    Inside the temple, Fernando was with the hardliners. He was a devout believer serving as the head of the heresy interrogation department when he was young. If there were rumors about heresy, it was quite understandable that he would send his own paladins.


    "But how come Miss Saintess is¡ª¡±


    As Mario tried to ask, there was a sudden fluctuation of ominous mana.


    "There must still be some black magicians left!"


    Hillis and the paladins quickly headed to the source of the mana in indignation. The said source was inside a temple in the heart of Zaharam. The paladins became more resentful of the fact and went in.


    As they entered the room at the deepest part of the temple, they saw the bodies of the black magicians, the broken wall, and the mysterious altar that was destroyed.


    "Oh, you¡¯ve arrived? Miss Saintess, I¡¯m sorry, but could you please heal me?"


    When Mac raised his hand from in between the black magician corpses, Hillis was shocked and quickly treated him.


    "Eya, thank you.¡±


    After his ribs stuck back together in one go, Mac moved his body about. He found no abnormality. It seemed to be even more effective than the Mirpa Recovery Medicine.


    Hillis asked after the ominous mana that still lingered in the room, and Mac told the truth.


    "The altar was certainly destroyed."


    Mario checked the front of the destroyed altar.


    After pondering over Mac''s explanation, Hillis spoke, "Could you perhaps come with us to St. Percival? I really want to give you a reward for this.¡±


    Mac stared at Lancelot, the latter naturally shook his head.


    "We have to go straight to the capital. We don''t have time to go all the way to Percival."


    Mario and his subordinates were about to fume at Lancelot for daring to refuse Hillis''s offer, but Hillis was quick to act.


    She approached Lancelot and said, "Who did you say you were looking for in the capital? The capital is very wide. It''s going to be hard for just the three of you. But in our temple, there are so many believers. If I cooperate with you, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find a single person in the entire empire, let alone just the capital."


    Lancelot said without even a moment¡¯s thought, "We will go. St. Percival."


    If they could get Hillis''s help in finding Denburg, it may take less time.


    In the past, Denburg the wise man told him to use all the things that could be used.


    -o-


    In the middle of the mountains somewhere, a middle-aged man rode a horse to visit an old mansion that had ivy and vines climbing its walls.


    Malecia, the one-eyed man, had been riding for days without even being able to bathe. He tied his horse to a nearby tree and went straight into the mansion.


    He entered the mansion without knocking or wiping off his shoes and headed straight to the second floor. He took a deep breath in front of the largest room in the mansion.


    Knock, knock!


    The door opened on its own.


    Inside the room, an old man in a black mask sat still in his chair, looking out the window.


    When Malecia entered the room, the door closed by itself. He knelt on one knee on the spot.


    "I am sorry. I failed the ''experiment'' you ordered."


    The old man in the black mask spoke calmly, "Is that so."


    The reaction indicated that everything that happened in the Holy Land Zaharam was good. He wondered if he should ask for the name of the old man, who had commanded him to try and succeed. But the question was truly useless.


    "I''ll have to prepare for the next experiment.¡±


    The old man in a black mask got up and picked up the letter lying on the table. The paper had twelve constellations and a picture of a sheep.

 Chapter 78: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (1)

    Deep in the Olympus Forest, a diplomat rushed into the town hall in the middle of the Crow Tribe village. He hurriedly entered the office that said, ¡°Chief¡¯s Office¡± with a box full of letters in hand.


    "Vice-Chief! A letter from the young chief is here!"


    Hestia put down the documents she was examining and spoke. "I''ve told you so many times. It''s not Vice-Chief, but Vice Village Head."


    With the desire to reform the somewhat closed-minded Crow Tribe, she had started by changing the title of chief. But no one used the new title Village Head.


    While pondering about whether she should just go back to using the title of chief again, Hestia received the letters from the diplomat.


    When Denburg escaped, he left a letter saying that he would send a letter to relieve their worries every month. This was already the sixth letter.


    Denburg''s letter had been delivered to the diplomat through one of the businesses that the Crows engaged with, Asteria.


    The Asteria Market was run by the Duke of Asteria, one of the two great dukes of the empire. Although it was not able to match up to Druval Market, it still boasted a considerable size.


    Hestia opened the letter and laughed at its contents. It said that Denburg was going around hunting demons in Demon¡¯s territory.


    "You''re really good at lying," Hestia exclaimed.


    Even when he was a child, Denburg had been strangely good at lying. At a glance, he¡¯d describe the scenery of each part of Demon¡¯s Territory, it was detailed to the point she could visualize it. So, it really felt like he was going around Demon¡¯s Territory.


    The previous letter had described such detailed scenes that she wondered if it was actually true. So much so that she had even asked Asteria Market to find out the route of the letter. However, they said the letter was flown over by a bird made from magic to the Warrant City branch and as such, they couldn¡¯t trace the route.


    One time, the Asteria Market tried to even capture the bird to find out where it came from. However, Denburg¡¯s bird caused a rampage and destroyed the building, leaving only the letter. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the Crow Tribe remembered it clearly because they had paid for the damage.


    Hestia, admiring the clever and savage methods, gave up tracking down Denburg through the letters.


    "Oh my, it says he sent me a birthday present."


    The diplomat seemed to remember something and took a wooden box out of his bag. "Ah! So this was the Vice-Chief''s birthday present.¡±


    In fact, her birthday was supposed to be a little later, but by the time the next letter would arrive, it would have already passed.


    She received the wooden box and asked while looking at the black burn mark on the box. "Is this a burn mark?"


    "Yes. Originally, there was sealing magic that prevented it from being opened, but as I entered the Olympus Forest, the mana went wild and the magic exploded. But the contents are fine."


    Seeing that the wooden box was intact even though the magic exploded, she thought it must have been a small spark and moved on.


    "Really?"


    Hestia opened the box. Inside was a white star sapphire in the shape of a cross.


    "The letter says it is a jewel called, ¡®Goddess¡¯s Blessings¡¯ that he acquired by chance at a black market."


    She could tell at a glance from its soft sparkles it was a rather expensive gem.


    "Oh, and this is a report from Lancelot."


    When Hestia finished reading Denburg''s letter, the diplomat handed her the other letter.


    According to Lancelot''s report, he and his party seemed to be heading for the capital with  Saintess Hillis and outlined the details of the daily activities of the group. She laughed reading it.


    "They seem to be having fun. You did a good job. You can leave now and go about your business."


    With a bow, the diplomat exited.


    Hestia was about to review the documents again but then sighed while looking out the window.


    "Where are you, Father?"


    Hestia was too soft to handle all the work in the village.


    -o-


    I woke up in the morning and opened the window. As the cold air unique to winter drifted into my room, a vapor escaped my lips. Outside the window, a thin layer of snow had formed from all the snowing at night. Since it was still early winter, it didn¡¯t seem to have snowed much. But with a slippery road, it would make commuting to the training center more difficult.


    In a few days, it would already be time to flip to the last page of this year¡¯s calendar. It meant that I had been in the capital for half a year since I left after becoming an adult in late May.


    Feeling like time was passing by fast, I closed the window after the room had been sufficiently ventilated and went down to the first floor.


    "You¡¯re up?"


    As I arrived, Lisbon was the first to greet me.


    "Yes."


    "Yay~! It''s Den!"


    Alphonso shouted and rushed to hug me as usual. As usual, I grabbed his head with one hand and stopped him.


    After living as a knight school student, I felt like he had seriously started gaining some muscles. I felt like now it would be okay to use a little more force to stop Alphonso. Thanks to him, I have finally mastered controlling my strength.


    It was annoying that he rushed at me every morning, but I was also thankful for that. As expected, he had a strong body as the Butterfly Tribe was also a battle race.


    I spoke to Yuria who was smiling from behind.


    "I''ve read all the books you lent me from before. As expected, the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s magic has a lot of novel magic."


    I was borrowing the magic book from the Butterfly Tribe in exchange for teaching Yuria some tricks for alchemy. Although it was the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s magic, it was magic that the Butterflies only learned up till adulthood. Still, as expected of them, there was such a wide range of topics that there was plenty to learn. Thanks to this, I was able to create a carbonated drink by developing magic to dissolve carbonation into water. I felt like I was one step closer to coke.


    "Oh my, already?"


    Yuria was surprised to receive the book I was handing over. I shrugged as I released Alphonso''s head.


    "Well, I just read through it."


    Of course, I learned it all after reading it once, but let''s keep it a secret because I''m just an ordinary person who''s interested in magic.


    "If there are any parts you don''t understand, feel free to ask any time."


    I thanked Yuria and headed to the kitchen for breakfast along with everybody in the living room. Mrs. Arscilla and Alice were already chatting at the table.


    "Good morning.¡±


    I greeted Mrs. Arscilla and sat down. When all the seats were occupied, the men working in the mansion began to serve food.


    "Yes, it was a comfortable night thanks to you." Mrs. Arscilla greeted back in the style of a noblewoman then asked, "Come to think of it, is it starting today? Going around to each department and living a probationary life?"


    I nodded. "Yes, now the good times are gone." I jested and picked up the knife and fork.


    But actually, I was not kidding. Until now, it was not bad because it was like college in my previous life, but now I had to go to work as a probationer. From today on, I had to go to the designated department instead of the training center. But anyway, the breakfast at the boarding house was still delicious. I took a bite of the bread and talked to Alice, who looked a little tired.


    "You look tired?"


    "Yeah, because of an assignment. I have to prepare for my final exam now. I¡¯m screwed."


    It was a very student-like remark. I looked at Yuria sitting next to Alice. Unlike Alice, she looked lively.


    Yuria noticed my gaze and laughed while Alice''s eyes turned gloomy.


    "Stop comparing me with her. They are a cheat race in the world of magic."


    Yuria puffed out her cheeks at Alice. "If you say it like that then I won''t help you with the assignment?"


    Alice grabbed Yuria''s arm, truly desperate. "No, please!


    It was nice to see them joking and getting along with each other. Anyways, I didn''t want to go to work. I could only hope that there were no overbearing people in the department.


    -o-


    The training would be for a week at the Magic Tower, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the Mercenary Alliance, and a department in the imperial palace. In the end, each trainee would have to take a test before being assigned to a region of the empire depending on the grades.


    My goal was to be an external office worker in the capital, not one that moved all over the empire, nor someone that worked in the internal office at the imperial palace. In terms of percentage, I had to be below the top 5 percentile and above the 70th percentile. Twenty- five percent of the total trainees would be assigned to places like the district office where they would be on a probationary period for a week. These were what usually came to mind when you thought of civil servants. So far, I had been sneaking around the treasury office and the training center to look at the trainees¡¯ grades. I was roughly in the top 10 percentile.


    It was all thanks to getting hit with a bunch of point reductions for making aphrodisiacs in every magic class. I didn''t like that petty professor, but thanks to him, I would be able to safely avoid the internal office in the imperial palace. Let''s thank him for that.


    I was about to enter the district office when I heard a familiar voice from far away. This direction was from the training center.


    "Oh! You''re early!"


    Sure enough, the old-looking young man waving at me was Flam. Come to think of it, he was one of the five trainees who would be doing the probationary training in the same place.


    For your information, Flam was in the top 20 percent, maintaining a relatively excellent performance. In particular, I remember that his answers to the history exam, which was kept in the safe of the training center, were quite original.


    How should I say it? His view of history was quite concerned with the defeated party¡¯s position. His unique view of history was highly evaluated in the history class, which made up for the point reductions he got for making aphrodisiacs with me in magic class. If this continued, he could also end up working in the capital.


    I waited at the entrance of the district office for him, then as he approached, I entered the district office and said, "Let''s go in."


    Flam also followed in and wiped the snow off his clothes.


    "There was some traffic on the road because of the snow. I don''t understand what people are thinking by bringing out carriages when it''s snowy."


    It seemed he had taken a roundabout way to get here because the carriages had stopped on the road. Certainly, the way from the training center dormitory to here was a well-traveled path for carriages. On the first day, I came to the capital and got splashed with muddy water, that road was probably the same one.


    Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I¡¯m starting to feel unpleasant again. I''ll have to make a secret goodwill visit to Marquis Balthain. I hope he had saved up a fortune again.

 Chapter 79: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (2)

    Come to think of it, it would be my big sister''s birthday soon. I sent her Goddess¡¯s Blessing. I hope she received it well.


    Originally, I was going to send it as a necklace or make it into some other jewelry, but it was too famous of a stone for me to leave it to a craftsman. However, I was worried about ruining such a precious stone if I tried myself, so I just sent it as is. Unlike me, the village¡¯s master craftsman was good with his hands, so I reckon he would be able to make it into something.


    When I entered the district office, a warm breeze blew out towards me. Looking at the flow of mana, there seemed to be a magic fan inside the building.


    "Oh, it''s warm inside."


    Flam also felt the warm wind and his face relaxed.


    "The inside is cleaner than I thought."


    It was much cleaner than the office I saw when I went to report the transfer in the capital.


    "I''m in the third department. Where are you, Flam?"


    "Yes, I am in the fourth department."


    The district office had a total of five departments, and each department received one trainee. If it were other training sessions to be held later on, it would be with many others like taking a class. But there were dozens of district offices in the capital, so individual training was possible. As Flam and I were at the top of the list, we were assigned to the district office, the lower ranks had been assigned to a local town office.


    For your information, I visited a local town office once to report my transfer, but it was not a good environment. It was my first time coming to the district office. But the fact that the district office had a heater running because it was winter, the difference in work environment between the district and local town office was very clear. The building of the district office was so neat and nice that it made me want to just slightly raise my grades to get into the district office.


    Flam and I went up to the second floor to go to the department we were assigned to. As soon as we went up, we noticed a banner saying, "Selected as the best district office by the imperial family¡±. There was also a small phrase below, "Thank you very much for your hard work¡±.


    I almost burst into laughter at the banner that really seemed appropriate hanging in a national institution. It seems every world has this kind of thing hanging up.


    When it came to the level of a district office, it seemed things were managed by the imperial family.


    "I am over here," Flam said, pointing to where it said Fourth Department.


    Let me see.


    "I''m over there."


    Right next to where it said Fourth Department, it said Third Department.


    "See you later, then. A drink later?"


    Flam made a drinking gesture in front of the entrance door and I nodded.


    "Sounds good to me."


    It was a little too noisy to drink alone in the boarding house. But to drink together... Mrs. Arscilla was the only one who drank, besides me. However, she preferred wine and that too the high-end ones that it didn¡¯t really suit me. Considering my tastes were cheap lager beer made from barley and a lot of other grains, I couldn¡¯t really make any recommendations either.


    I entered the door marked Third Department.


    "Huh?"


    I could see a wide-open space, not a small room. There was a group of desks under a wooden board hanging from the ceiling that said, "The Fourth Department" right next to the place where there was a wooden board that said, "The Third Department".


    And when I turned my head, Flam and my eyes met. If it was going to be like this, why did you make two doors?


    Flam and I smiled embarrassedly and approached the desk with the nameplate "Department Director¡±.


    At the desk, a stern-looking, skinny, middle-aged bespectacled man in his 40s was sitting and perusing the documents. His neat black-brown hair, which was split 2:8, and the creases in the middle of the forehead made him look strict.


    Third Department Director Pelgrant von Bologneo. Confirming the name on the plaque, I bowed and greeted.


    "Hello! I am a trainee assigned as a probationary worker, Den von Mark! I look forward to working with you for the next week!"


    Good. A 60-degree lower-back angle with a strong voice that was neither too loud nor too small and sounded polite; both hands politely hovering over the belly button. This was a perfect score for the first greeting.


    Glancing over, Flam was greeting like he was greeting a brother with his arms slightly spread out in a loud voice.


    Oh, my! I was a little worried about Flam, but the director smiled kindly and received Flam''s greeting. I bowed my head and greeted, but the director who received my greeting didn¡¯t respond.


    I slightly looked up at the director''s face, but he bluntly looked down at me with a face full of dissatisfaction.


    "You... What time is it right now?"


    At the rather grumpy voice, I answered while slowly straightening my back. "Yes! It''s 7:50!"


    "Why did you come so late!"


    What kind of nonsense is he spouting?!


    I definitely received an official document telling me to come by 8:30. So I aimed to arrive by 8 a.m., 30 minutes prior to the appointed time but still arrived 10 minutes earlier because of my strong legs. But what? Late? I am?


    "If it''s your first time, you should have been here by 7:30!" the director hollered.


    I bowed my head again. "I¡¯m sorry!"


    How unlucky! It was not the time for me to worry about others. Damn it, how could I get this unlucky!


    It wasn''t a matter of my behavior, but rather that person. Suddenly, I became envious of Flam. Was it too late to swap now?


    "Is it over if you¡¯re sorry!?"


    At the roar, I just stared at the director¡¯s necktie pin and not his face.


    At times like this, if you looked down at the floor, you would get yelled at for looking elsewhere, but if you looked at him, you would get yelled at for being audacious. You had to look at a place where he couldn¡¯t get angry at you properly, bob your head, and acknowledge that you were listening to the nagging.


    "No, it is not."


    "Tsk, this is why kids these days won¡¯t work out."


    I wanted to hit the director clicking his tongue with all my might, but this man would be the one scoring me. No, before that, if I hit him with all my might, he''d die. I wasn¡¯t such a bad guy as to kill a man for this kind of thing. Of course, of course. Let''s be moderate and spit in his tea instead.


    When I stood still and waited for the nagging, the man shouted angrily, "Go!"


    "Yes!"


    I can¡¯t get sullen here. It was still not enough to judge what kind of person the director was, but there were cases where they would get scolded more if they were too sullen.


    When I backed away carefully, a chubby man who seemed to be from the same department approached me.


    "Ahhaha, ha. You said Mr. Den, right? You can sit here.¡±


    The seat he pointed to with an awkward smile was closest to the director.


    When I gave a look of, ¡°are there no seats farther away¡±, he quietly whispered, "This is the trainee''s seat."


    Since the director was the evaluator, it seemed that trainees were assigned where he could easily keep his eyes on them.


    "Cheer up!"


    The chubby man looked at me with sorry eyes and went back to his seat.


    Judging from that reaction, the Director seemed to be of that personality.


    Dammit. I¡¯m f**ked!


    -o-


    Around evening Pelgrant got up from his seat to get ready to leave work.


    Then the new trainee seated closest to him stopped what he was doing and stood up to greet him.


    "Are you leaving work now, Director!"


    Pelgrant recalled the name of the trainee. Did he say his name was Den? It¡¯s nice to see him working hard and brimming with laughter.


    "Are you stopping now after you¡¯ve finished your work?"


    Unlike his innermost thoughts, Pelgrant pretended to be overbearing and glared at the new trainee.


    "Yes! Everything you asked me to do is done."


    Pelgrant was surprised by the trainee. What he had ordered Den to do couldn''t be completed all in one day.


    "Let me see." Pelgrant sincerely narrowed his brows and reached his hand out to the trainee.


    If he had done a half-ass job because he wanted to leave early, he would have to actually scold him sincerely, rather than getting just a little upset.


    "Here you are."


    Den handed Pelgrant a thick pile of papers, the latter quickly examined the pile.


    What Pelgrant¡¯d asked the trainee to do was to arrange the accounts for the year-end settlement. It wasn¡¯t a task he had assigned with the intent of seeing its completion. It was just arranging many accounts for the year-end settlement.


    It was a job that Pelgrant didn''t even ask new recruits to do. It was a job he had assigned the new trainee, Den, along with a single abacus so that when Den came crying saying he couldn¡¯t do it, he would be able to remove Den from the task and keep Den away from approaching him in the future.


    However, at a glance, the accounting seemed perfect. To be sure, he would need to double-check all the receipts they had and the bank accounts, but it roughly matched the one from his memory.


    "And here are the receipts and authorization documents in chronological order."


    Pelgrant was frightened. What is this guy?


    He had gone to the market in the morning to get tea and snacks for the department staff, helped them move heavy items, and ran errands for them, but still had time to finish his work?


    What kind of monster was this?


    The number of receipts and documents for authorization was so high that even he wouldn¡¯t be able to complete it after working all day. He wondered if the trainee got help from the other department staff, but this trainee with innocent eyes had been under his watch since the morning. He had thought the guy had given up since he hadn''t even touched the abacus, but it seems he just did the math in his head.


    Should he scold him here? Pelgrant¡¯s conscience wouldn''t allow him.


    "Hmm! Everybody can leave work."


    Pelgrant threw the accounting papers onto his desk and left. From behind rose the joyful cries of the department staff.


    The director smiled and quickly left the district office. He checked his watch as he hurried through the streets thinking time was a little tight.


    Standing in front of a closed tavern in the back alley, Pelgrant let out a coarse breath and brought his civil service card to the door.


    Beep!


    When he heard the sound, a man of sturdy build came out of the tavern.


    "You are a little late."


    "You know it¡¯s always busy at the end of the year. You''re a civil servant too, so you should know."


    The man smiled at Pelgrant¡¯s words. "I know. You¡¯re killing me these days."


    Pelgrant smiled at the man¡¯s bluntness.


    "But still, didn''t you get off work this early this time because of the work hours set by His Excellency?"


    "Thanks to you, the number of times I¡¯ve gotten off this early can be counted on one hand."


    As Pelgrant and the man chatted, a voice came from inside the tavern.


    "What are you guys talking about over there? Come on in."


    Pelgrant went into the tavern. When the tavern door closed, it locked automatically with a clank.


    Pelgrant couldn''t feel it, but he knew the inside of the tavern was protected by all sorts of magic. He took a step closer and bowed his head in greeting.


    "It''s been a long time. Your Excellency, Prime Minister."


    Arcanta smiled at Pelgrant.

 Chapter 80: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (3)

    By early evening, it was already getting dim as daylight had shortened. It seemed that winter had arrived. The good thing was that they let me go home on time.


    "Come on, cheer up. I''ll buy the drinks today."


    "Thank you."


    I sighed and thanked Flam.


    Flam¡¯s director laughed it off with a ¡®hahaha¡¯ when Flam made mistakes, but mine was like a knife. No, rather, he seemed like a man who was dissatisfied because he couldn''t push me around. I wondered if I had an enemy in my previous life.


    Of course, I did a lot of this and that as I lived in my previous life. Since there were so many potential candidates that I could point at, let¡¯s just move on.


    I think on the last day of training, I should have a face-to-face meeting with the overbearing director. That way, he can reflect on his past and say that he will be born as a flea in his next life.


    We went into a nearby bar that seemed decent enough.


    "Did the dormitory rules say that you were allowed to drink?"


    As far as I knew, the dormitory housemaster was very strict.


    "Hahaha, it''s all right. Yesterday, he announced that we were allowed to drink, but also said we had to come back sane."


    It seemed the housemaster was becoming a little more lenient because the training was reaching its end.


    "That''s good. Oh, two lagers and a plate of sausages, please.¡±


    After I ordered, two frighteningly large glasses of beer were served. The snacks had yet to arrive, even so, I took a swig of the beer.


    "Keeuuu!"


    That director was definitely crazy. How could one give a newbie a pile of receipts, a bunch of paper, and an abacus and tell him some crap like make a year-end settlement?


    I didn¡¯t know how old the pile of receipts was, but they weren¡¯t even organized, so I had to start by organizing them. If I hadn''t made an excel sheet on the spot with magic while organizing the receipts, I would have been still touching the abacus.


    But actually, I was not entirely sure if it was accurate because I had made it from just the accounting ledger books and didn¡¯t double-check the bank records. I wasn¡¯t even in a position to check it anyways. Still, I calculated all the receipts I was given. Just in case a different bank record showed up later, I left enough blank space so I could change it. So I was sure I would be able to work something out later.


    After encountering Director Pelgrant, he seemed to want to give me a failing grade, so it looked like I had handled it as perfectly as possible. He would likely give me a mid-range score even if he didn''t want to.


    The glass of beer was empty before I knew it.


    "One more drink!"


    "Aren¡¯t you drinking too fast?"


    Flam worried, but the Crows also had stomachs of steel!


    -o-


    Sitting next to Arcanta, Pelgrant sighed as he was given a glass of beer by the prime minister.


    "Didn¡¯t I request many times not to send me a trainee?"


    "Haha, I send trainees to all the district department directors, so I can''t just not send you one, can I?" Arcanta laughed and took a sip of his drink.


    However, Pelgrant only looked at Arcanta with a stiff face.


    Arcanta wiped the smile from his face and put down his glass. "You still haven''t been able to forget the old days?"


    Pelgrant bowed his head as if he was ashamed.


    "I''m sorry."


    "It''s already been four years, no, almost 5 years since the trainee under you got caught up in your work and died. I won''t tell you to forget. But it''s all over. If you''ve done that much atonement already, you should stop and be comfortable."


    Pelgrant frowned and shook his head. "If I can¡¯t forget and keep it in my mind, I don''t know about anyone else, but it¡¯s still the present for me."


    Arcanta impolitely looked at Pelgrant''s frown. Pelgrant''s forehead had deep wrinkles that resembled a frown even though he wasn''t actually frowning.


    He knew Pelgrant''s wrinkled forehead was a direct result of his agony and atonement.


    "Is that why you still harass the trainees when they arrive? So they don''t come near you?" Arcanta said.


    Pelgrant smiled bitterly. Looking back on his behavior, it may have been a trauma-induced obsessive-compulsive disorder. That the trainee might have died because he had gotten close to him.


    "Yes, I''m sorry about the trainee, but I unconsciously keep thinking of things to scold about.¡±


    Arcanta smiled lightly and jested. "Yes, how many hours did this trainee last? If he managed to last for about three hours, I''ll have to scout him over to the Treasury.¡±


    Pelgrant laughed.


    "The Treasury that¡¯s being ground up by that person? Would three hours be enough? Don¡¯t you think he would have to last at least three days?"


    "Hahaha, is that so?"


    "Well, in that sense, this trainee might be deserving to get scouted."


    Arcanta was surprised by Pelgrant. This director was so meticulous and strict with people that it must have been a person of considerable talent for him to say so.


    "Who is it for you to say that?"


    "He said his name was... Den," Pelgrant said.


    Arcanta thought to himself, ''No way.''


    Come to think of it, he had heard a report that the student named Den living at his mother, Arscilla¡¯s, boarding house had passed the civil service exam and was now a trainee.


    "If you''re interested, would you like for me to investigate and include it on the next report?"


    Arcanta shook his head at Pelgrant.


    "No, a personal investigation isn¡¯t necessary. Aren''t you busy too? I''ll just check the training evaluation you give him later."


    "Ok, I understand."


    Pelgrant gulped down his drink and brought out an envelope from his bag.


    "This is a document regarding the investigation of ¡®Scorpio¡¯."


    "I''m forever sorry about this."


    As Arcanta bowed his head, Pelgrant felt awkward and waved his hands.


    "No, it¡¯s ok. They are my enemies too."


    Arcanta immediately checked the documents in the envelope. It tracked one person''s past movements.


    "This person," Arcanta said.


    "It''s an informant I barely managed to find."


    "The bowl is too small for this person to be called ''Scorpio¡¯s'' informant¡±


    The director nodded his head. He totally agreed with the prime minister.


    Arcanta was lost in thought as he checked the documents. "It could be bait.¡± If he touched it hastily, it could become more dangerous.


    Pelgrant understood Arcanta''s meaning and smiled bitterly. ¡°But it''s also the only clue.¡±


    ¡°You could die.¡± Arcanta warned


    Pelgrant rose from his seat and said with a bitter smile, "Then my present will be over."


    Arcanta was saddened by his words. He should have shouldered all the sins, but the fact he couldn''t felt so cruel.


    "Then excuse me first."


    The tavern became very quiet when Pelgrant bowed out. Arcanta held his glass heavily in a space full of silence. The sound of the ice in the glass clinking sounded sad.


    -o-


    I woke up in the morning and grabbed my head as it felt like it was going to shatter. This hangover was no joke.


    "Water."


    Making water by magic, I drank the floating water from the air. Then I got out of bed, opened the window, and cast magic.


    "Oxygen Agglomeration."


    Oxygen gathered around me according to my mana and the other molecules were pushed out. This magic was from a magic book borrowed from Yuria and was touted as the must-have magic of the Butterfly Tribe people living in the highlands.


    "Hoo-ha, hoo-ha!"


    As I temporarily breathed in the high concentration of oxygen around me, I felt like my headache fading away. I didn''t know if it was because alcohol interfered with oxygen going to the brain, but it worked. Considering that I drank last night, could it just be a placebo effect?


    What was more shocking was that the Crows¡¯ stomachs were not made of steel. I don¡¯t even know if I threw up a few times on my way back to the boarding house yesterday. I only drank 30 glasses of beer half mixed with liquor, but this scene was a disgrace to the Crows!


    I''m so ashamed that I don¡¯t think I can reveal that I''m a Crow now. Oh, I never revealed it before to begin with.


    Struggling with a hangover, I went down to the first floor while thinking about this and that.


    "Oh, did you wake up?¡±


    As usual, Lisbon greeted me in the morning. Considering that it was about 6:40 now, when did that pushover wake up?


    Unlike his usual soft and smooth-looking self, his clothes were wet with sweat. He seemed to have exercised early in the morning.


    When he came to the capital, I don¡¯t think he woke up this early. But he seemed to be concerned about training after obtaining a goal since entering the knight school. His goal was to join the Black Water Buffalo Knight Division led by Uncle Bloody.


    I couldn¡¯t understand him. It seems he had heard some good things during the entrance exam.


    "Aren''t you cold?"


    It was winter now. It was still dark outside, and the coldest time of the day.


    "Hmm? Ah. I¡¯m all right. But rather, it¡¯s a little hot?"  Lisbon shrugged.


    "Oh, come to think of it, what you said yesterday wasn¡¯t sincere, was it?"


    What did I say yesterday? Ah!


    "You came, Pushover?"


    "Yes, that! What do you mean by a pushover? You said that because you were drunk, right?¡±


    Lisbon looked at me with a rare sulky face. I naturally nodded.


    "There are things called drunken truths in this world.¡±


    Lisbon looked shocked as if he had been betrayed. "So mean! How could you call me a pushover too? Since Aly heard that last night, she says that every time she sees me!"


    I laughed at Lisbon who was on the verge of tears.


    "Hahaha, that''s understandable for Alice. It was because of you that you guys were so strapped for money when coming to the capital."


    "That''s true. But it¡¯s still too much!"


    Pushover ran towards the shower with a tearful look. If it were Pushover, he would forget everything after work today anyways. Would a person be called a pushover for nothing?


    I went into the kitchen and tried to find something to eat.


    "Oh, did you sleep well?¡±


    There was a worker in the kitchen hired by Mrs. Arscilla.


    "Is there perhaps something to eat?¡±


    As I grabbed my stomach, she laughed and took an apple out of the refrigerator.


    "Please wait a little bit. I''ll cut it for you."


    Mrs. Arscilla took the apple from the worker as she spoke.


    "This will be fine for my breakfast. I think I''ll have to go a little early today."


    "You drank that much, but do you think that will be enough to handle it?¡± said Mrs. Arscilla as she blocked the girl trying to take something more out of the refrigerator.


    "Thank you for your concern, but I have a strong body. Thank you for the apple, Miss Plina."


    I think her name was Plina. Judging from her surprised reaction when I said the name, I must have been right.


    I ate the apple as I got ready for work. For a fruit that was a little out of season, it was very fresh and delicious.

 Chapter 81: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (4)

    "Good morning!" I bowed and greeted the director energetically. He always went to work early in the morning when no one else was there.


    Currently, it was 7:20 am, which meant that I arrived at work 15 minutes earlier than when that damn director told me to get here. Come to think of it, the normal workday started at 8:30, but the director was here an hour early.


    Director Pelgrant had a bewildered expression on his face before it transformed into a look of disinterest as he quickly passed me and went to his seat. Then he bluntly said, "You must have nothing else to do if you came to work this early."


    Hahaha, I wonder if he would still say that if I hit him on the head with a stone.


    Despite my true feelings, I still spoke with a big smile, "I was late to work yesterday, so I reflected on my actions and came earlier today."


    Who said you can''t spit on a smiling face? The director looked at me with an expression of disapproval and clicked his tongue. "Tch, how unnecessary."


    Ududuk!


    "Huh?"


    Oops! I inadvertently clenched my fist just then. The director seemed to have heard the noise as he looked at me. I smiled and stretched, facing the director.


    "Haha, I think my body is still stiff because it''s morning."


    I resisted the urge to add, "Can you act as a sandbag for me to warm up?"


    "Do things like that before you leave for work. This is a workplace, not a place to exercise."


    That said, Director Pelgrant handed me a bunch of documents from inside his drawer.


    "This is a record of individuals registered in our district. Sort it by age, then bring it to me."


    The thickness of the pile was almost one meter. Where did you get this from? Actually, why does it need to be sorted by age anyway?


    "Yes, I understand!"


    I answered bravely, putting aside my doubts. This isn¡¯t useless work that you¡¯re making me do for nothing, right?


    I sat down and began to sort through the documents.


    * * *


    After lunchtime, at around two o''clock in the afternoon, I finally finished sorting the documents into various age groups and went to put them on the director¡¯s desk.


    "It has been completed,¡± I said.


    Director Pelgrant spoke without even looking at me, "Really? Then re-sort them from youngest to oldest."


    Hahahahaha! I had already expected that!


    I grabbed the pile of documents and started the re-sorting on the spot. People aged 11-19 were found 63, 40, and 57 pages from the top of the pile. Those in their 20s were 155, 68, and 120 pages from the top. I sorted it this way in the first place and brought them over.


    The director was looking at me like I was a madman, but whatever.


    After I finished re-sorting the documents on the spot, I smiled and said, "It''s done."


    How was that, you damn director? I had a hard time sorting the documents, but somehow it felt satisfying. Yet, that feeling of satisfaction quickly disappeared when Director Pelgrant reached back in the drawer and pulled out another pile of documents. The new stack was still thick enough to fill up one hand.


    ¡°This is a list of deaths which occurred this year. Remove anyone who¡¯s died from the other registry."


    Unlike the previous documents, which had one person per page, the list of deaths given by the director had multiple people per page.


    "Yes!"


    For now, I answered cheerfully and lively- this bastard!


    * * *


    "Would you like to go for a drink?¡± I asked Flam on the way home from work.


    For the entire time I was at work, the director continued to give me all kinds of documents and ordered me to sort them in various ways.


    Hahahaha, should I kill him? No, not yet. Let''s put up with it a little longer.


    Flam shook his head at me. "No, in consideration for your health, I think we should pass today. I was really surprised when I saw you drinking a glass of beer half mixed with liquor."


    "Why? Aren¡¯t you supposed to drink liquor by mixing it since the liquor has a high alcohol content?¡± I asked.


    "Who mixes alcohol with alcohol!¡±


    Are you saying that alcohol isn¡¯t supposed to be mixed with each other? Well, I guess the beer at the tavern yesterday had a strong lager flavor, so it masked the scent of the liquor. Korean beer in my previous life wasn¡¯t tasty because the flavor was light, but if you mixed it with soju, the taste was good.


    "Anyway, I am not going."


    I licked my lips at Flam''s resolute reply and said, "That''s too bad."


    "If possible, just go back to the boarding house."


    "Well, I guess I should."


    It was unfortunate, but I couldn''t do anything. It wasn''t that I couldn''t make it home by myself when I was drunk, but rather, I thought I might worry everyone if there was no one to help me. As such, I decided to put it off for another opportunity.


    It was a while since I last drank alcohol, so it seemed I wasn¡¯t able to control myself.


    After separating with Flam on our way home from work, I started to head back to the boarding house when I saw Director Pelgrant quickly disappear into a back alley. The scene seemed like he was quickly running away from a pursuer.


    Hmm, I have a hunch that something interesting is going to happen.


    I wore a smile that would make others think of the devil and decided to follow him while concealing my presence.


    * * *


    Pelgrant packed up his suitcase and got up from his seat earlier than usual.


    "Have a good evening, Director!¡± At the same time, a trainee who was sitting in front of him stood up and greeted him.


    All the department members turned their attention from the trainees'' greetings and looked at Pelgrant with anticipation. However, Pelgrant would not live up to their expectations.


    "Finish everything that you are currently working on before you all leave. You can¡¯t start pushing off your work and going home later just because it¡¯s the end of the year. You know this, right?¡±


    The department staff had no choice but to look at Pelgrant with gloomy eyes as he left, saying that he would check their assignments when he went to work the next morning. In fact, Pelgrant wasn''t wrong. It¡¯s possible that it would be a different matter at a time with a little more wiggle room, but it would be hard to cope if the work began to get pushed back during the period when they were having the year-end audit.


    Still, no one could stop him from leaving work because he arrived earlier than anyone else and finished all of his work. Either way, department workers would be able to leave work at a normal time if they completed all their work.


    Leaving the district office, Pelgrant slowly wandered around the market before sneaking away into a back alley. Pelgrant walked quickly to the east side of the capital and went into an obscure bar in the corner.


    As expected of a back-alley bar, bottles of liquor rolled around the floor, and a bunch of people who looked like gangsters were drinking. Yet, there was no stale smell, and not a speck of dust could be seen, even in the corner. These were very minor details, but they convinced Pelgrant.


    Pelgrant went deep into the bar and approached the bartender. He took out five iron coins and said, "I''d like the cheapest drink here, please.¡±


    Pelgrant''s wage was not low enough that he needed to find the cheapest liquor in these corner bars.


    The bartender scanned Pelgrant from top to bottom and said, "You¡¯re asking for the cheapest drink while wearing a nice suit.¡±


    At the bartender¡¯s somewhat derisive tone, Pelgrant felt a little embarrassed, but he gave a dry cough and said to the bartender, "That¡¯s not something pertinent to you, is it?"


    The bartender snorted at the remark, "So, what can I get you?¡±


    Although he spoke bluntly and without using honorifics, Pelgrant did not care. "The Sun¡¯s Daybreak...¡±


    "Ha, five iron coins for such an expensive liquor? Hey, guys!"


    The gangsters sipping their liquor rose from their seats and approached Pelgrant when they heard the bartender.


    "You shouldn¡¯t make a scene here, brother."


    The sturdy men who surrounded Pelgrant grabbed his arms and headed for the back door of the bar.


    "Where are you dragging me?!"


    Despite Pelgrant''s cry, the men dragged him to the back door while ignoring him. When the men opened the back door, rather than leading outdoors, there was a staircase leading underground.


    After entering the stairs and closing the door, the men released Pelgrant''s arms. Pelgrant stretched out his crumpled suit and went down the stairs without saying a word. At the end of the stairs, there was a door. Pelgrant knocked on the door, and the door slid open sideways.


    Pelgrant felt a sense of disharmony when the door with a turning handle slid open sideways, but he quietly walked through the opened door anyway.


    Past the door was a fairly large room adorned with extravagant decorations. In the center of the room was a luxurious sofa and table, and on the sofa sat a woman covered with a veil.


    "Welcome. Should I call you Director Pelgrant von Bologneo?¡± The woman''s voice was light and playful as she spoke.


    Pelgrant sat across from her and said, "Call me whatever is convenient. However, can''t you change the secret rendezvous method?"


    He thought the rendezvous method wouldn''t matter because it was a kind of a gimmick, but the way he was dragged in seemed a bit unseemly.


    The veiled lady pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh, I guess you didn''t like our Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s play, Agent Bologneo White."


    At the woman''s words, Pelgrant frowned. He told her to call him as she pleased, but to refer to him as ¡®Agent White¡¯... Just how much did she know about him?


    As Pelgrant thought of this question, the woman in front of him recited his profile as if she had read his thoughts.


    "Pelgrant von Bologneo, born as the third son of Count Bologneo, the family of Duke Artemis, and brother of the current Count Bologneo. Currently working as a department director at the district office. He used to belong to the treasury office but was appointed as the director of a district office, which was rumored to be a demotion. Despite this rumor, due to his significance in the "Spider Trap" operation four years, nine months, and 13 days ago-¡±


    "Stop!" Pelgrant cut her off with an angry shout.


    As Pelgrant breathed harshly with a red face, the veiled woman bowed her head and apologized, "I''m sorry. I was accidentally rude because you seemed to have questions about us."


    After saying this, she grabbed the kettle of hot water on the table, filled the teacup, and handed it to Pelgrant.


    "This is a tea that''s made with herbs that help stabilize the mind and body. Thank you for your first visit to Big Mama Information Agency. We''d like to offer you a free request for information to apologize for our rudeness."


    Pelgrant looked at her face. He couldn''t see her face because it was covered with a veil, but the gaze he felt through the veil was cold.


    Pelgrant was able to see that everything that had happened was part of this woman''s test. No, there wasn''t even a need to call it a test. It was likely that this was a process of verifying whether the information they had obtained was true.


    Pelgrant was overcome with displeasure but did not act rashly. Rather, he calmly judged that it was time to retire from the job because his big flaw had been discovered by someone else.


    "You said you''d give me free information one time?"


    The veiled lady nodded lightly at Pelgrant¡¯s question. "Yes, of course."


    "Then give me all the information you have on ''Scorpio.''¡±


    The woman pretended to exaggeratedly cover her mouth when she heard the request. "It seems I¡¯m going to have to pay a high price for that moment of rudeness.¡±


    Even while saying so, there were no changes in her emotion. Pelgrant marveled inwardly at how she acted as if everything had been intended. He also noticed that she was purposely trying to hand over some of the information he asked for. Otherwise, she would not have deliberately said she would give the information for "free."


    As if she had prepared it in advance, when she beckoned with her hand, a man opened the door and brought a document envelope with him.


    "Here you are."


    Pelgrant received the document envelope from her and asked, "Who are you?"


    The veiled woman smiled and answered, "Just call me the Director of Headquarters."


    Her voice sounded very young.

 Chapter 82: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (5)

    Having decided to follow the director, I observed him closely. It would be nice if I could uncover some information that would allow me to screw him over. Even if I couldn¡¯t, it would also be good to check and see if there was a place where I could have a face-to-face meeting with him on his way home from work.


    The director was walking through the back alley while tightly holding a document envelope, treating it like his prized possession. I was certain he left the office empty-handed, so where did he get that document envelope? Well, it was fine either way. Whether it contained classified documents or erotica was none of my business.


    I felt that there was something odd as I stalked the director. We had already passed this place once before. Could he be lost? No, no matter how complicated the roads in the back alleys were, there was no way he could get lost unless he had a horrible sense of direction.


    Come to think of it; there were other abnormalities with this situation. In the first place, why would Director Pelgrant be walking in the back alleys where gangsters would normally be roaming about?


    Aside from that question, I wonder if he sensed any strange presence in this deserted back alley? As that thought popped into my head, the director suddenly threw the envelope that he was carrying over the wall.


    Yet, the funny thing was that I couldn''t hear the envelope land, which meant someone on the other side of the wall received it. However, the director didn¡¯t break his stride and continued walking, with no sounds from beyond the wall.


    Rather than a fun discovery, would this instead turn out to be bothersome for me to find out? I had a bad feeling about this. After wavering between curiosity and not wanting to get involved, I decided to turn around. At times like this, it was better just to go home, wash your feet, and sleep.


    Maybe I should halt my plan to mess with him on his way home. What shall I do instead? I¡¯ll need to think about it.


    * * *


    Arriving at the district office early in the morning once again, I continued to work hard and listen to the director''s nagging. As I handled the documents, I wondered why I was still doing this. Since I was getting reprimanded even when I did my work, I thought about not working and just accepting the scolding.


    However, if I didn''t work, it wouldn¡¯t just end with being yelled at but would be reflected on the training evaluation. As such, I had no choice but to cry and accomplish the tasks forced onto me with my best effort.


    Judging from Pelgrant''s words and actions, it didn¡¯t seem like he would give me a good score. From the way he looked at me, his eyes seemed to advertise their owner¡¯s intent to give me a failing grade.


    For your information, if a trainee got just one failing grade during the probationary period, they had to start the training again from the beginning. After three days of probationary life, all I felt was that the director had a shitty personality. I assume he was giving me all this crap because of his twisted nature.


    As I was swearing mentally with a smile on my face, the official sitting next to me grunted and glanced at me. It was a blunt signal ordering me to make some tea. Did he not have hands or feet? Still, it seemed he had some conscience left, albeit the size of an ant, as he did not ask me directly. Anyways, the trainees were the best.


    I stood up with an amiable smile. At the same time, I heard Director Pelgrant¡¯s voice say, "What are you doing instead of working?¡±


    At this point, the nagging was almost at the level of spinal reflexes. I roughly evaded it with laughter and headed to the pantry. I closed the pantry door and took out enough cups to match the number of departmental staff.


    "Ka-ak! Tweh!¡± I spat in one of the cups. My body was so healthy that the spit did not have any phlegm. For situations like this, it was a pity that I was born as a Crow.


    Even though I wanted to make bubble tea for the first time in a while, I couldn''t get any phlegm to spit into the drink, so I had to settle with mixing my saliva in it.


    While I was pouring the tea into the cups, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Keuh, you are a genius!"


    If there were no pheasants, then a chicken would do. I opened my pocket space and took out a hergamorphin root, a medicinal herb used to make magic reagents. This root had a sweet taste and was slightly toxic, causing stomach aches. When I was in the village, my sisters often used it as constipation medicine.


    I extracted the juice from the hergamorphin root into an empty cup and poured tea into it. The stomachache that this caused wouldn¡¯t happen immediately after consuming it anyway, so it¡¯d be fine. I added the same amount that my little sister used to eat, just enough to cause the desired effects but not enough to kill someone.


    I decided to give the cup with spit in it to the guy who asked me to make the tea, allotting the special tea to Director Pelgrant. I picked up the tray of tea and refreshments, leaving the pantry.


    "Take it easy, everyone." I gave out the tea with my first sincere laugh in a while.


    "Thanks."


    "Thank you."


    I handed out the tea one by one, making sure to give the person who ordered me to make tea the cup that I spit into.


    "Enjoy."


    "Haha, thank you,¡± the jerk laughed and drank the tea. Yes, drink it well.


    I left my cup at my seat and smiled as I approached Director Pelgant, "Have a cup of tea, director."


    The director didn¡¯t even respond as he grabbed the cup while still looking at the documents on his desk. Come on, drink it! Feeling some strange tension, I watched as the cup slowly approached the director''s mouth. Hurry, hurry and drink! The time it took for the cup to go to the director''s mouth somehow felt stretched out.


    As soon as I heard Director Pelgrant''s slurping, I had a strangely pleasant feeling.


    "Mmm, sweet," the director said.


    I smiled and said to the director¡¯s unsavory face, "Next time, I''ll make it less sweet."


    As I tried to turn around, the director made a strange noise and spat out something. "Uwak!"


    A handful of dark red blood splattered and stained his desk. Immediately after, the director dropped the cup, and it fell to the floor.


    What''s going on here? For a moment, I couldn''t grasp the situation and just stared blankly.


    Clank!


    The moment the cup fell to the floor and broke, I snapped out of it and realized the whole situation. Damn it; I¡¯m f**ked!


    "Priest! Call over a priest!" I shouted as I laid the director down on the floor.


    "Kyaaaaak!


    "What?!?"


    Everyone panicked and shouted, but Flam ran out as soon as he saw the blood, throwing the documents he was holding.


    "I''ll go call one!"


    Damn, I''ll buy you a meal, Flam. Somehow, Flam was the only one who was cool-headed.


    I formed water out of magic. Originally, this was supposed to be done with saline, but there was no way to get it right now. I quickly pushed the water into Director Pelgrant''s mouth. I had to wash out his stomach somehow.


    "Oowuk!"


    As I made him vomit everything out with the water I created, I tried to figure out the cause. Damn it, what happened? Hergamorphins¡¯s effects did not include vomiting blood.


    I scanned through the knowledge that was forcibly taught to me by Elder Mirpa, as he lacked a student to take after him in alchemy and medicine. There were no medicinal herbs or food that induced vomiting blood when combined with hergamorphins.


    If the medicinal effect occurred too quickly and he defecated on the spot, I would have thought I used too much of it. However, as far as I knew, it didn''t have this effect of vomiting blood.


    "Healing! Restoration!" I tried to maximize the director''s condition as much as possible when the stomach wash was done.


    Damn, I wish there was magic to treat every poison like from the novel I read in my past life. Unfortunately, there was no such nonsense magic as far as I knew. Although divine power was able to produce similar results, unless it was performed by someone at the level of the saintess, it wouldn¡¯t be perfect. In fact, I didn¡¯t call for a priest for the purpose of detoxification but rather the divine power¡¯s special ability. There was nothing as excellent as divine power for prolonging life.


    The incident at the ball left me very curious, so I conducted a detailed investigation, which was how I was able to come to this decision. Rather than me providing small bits of vitality, a priest pouring divine power into him would increase his chances of survival much more. Of course, if the priest who was coming were unskilled, then things would be different.


    I kept up the healing spell and dug through the director¡¯s vomit with my bare hands. Based on the sound of vomiting accompanied by blood rather than coughing, I could tell that the blood came from the stomach and not the lungs. However, that realization wasn¡¯t why I administered the stomach wash. Instead, I thought there was something wrong with what I had fed him.


    As I washed his stomach, the amount of blood gushing out gradually began to decrease. Even so, for someone like me who didn''t know anything about modern medicine, there was no way to do any surgical operations. However, I was very up-to-date on this world''s herbal medicine, so I decided to figure out the problem from the things he kept throwing up.


    I found a dissolved blade of grass in the director¡¯s vomit, bringing it up to my nose and smelling it. The disgusting smell and aroma of gastric acid were mixed in, and the dark red blood made it hard to tell the color, but I was able to deduce that this was a poisonous plant called the horn. This time, I was surprised by my superhuman sense of smell.


    I decided to leave the detoxification to luck. Making sure that no one could see, I secretly took out some hergamorphins and herbs from my pocket space. These would be used to detoxify the horn''s poison as I chewed them.


    Hoping my hunch would be correct, I put the chewed herbs in the director''s mouth and used magic to put it into the director''s stomach. Then, I saw Flam rushing in with an old priest on his back.


    My work was done. I would have to go in and out of the bathroom due to the hergamorphin juice left in my mouth, but I couldn¡¯t help it. If anything went wrong, my civil servant career would be ruined.


    * * *


    Director Pelgrant was eventually taken to the hospital. He had yet to come to his senses, but they said his life was safe. In addition, I had to hear this news from a cold interrogation room.


    The knight in front of me looked at me with cold eyes and asked, "Didn''t you poison him?"


    No, I did feed him poison, but the poisonous herb I gave him was stomachache medicine, and it would only cause a stomachache for a day. It was understandable that they would suspect me since he threw up blood after drinking the tea I had made, but it still felt unfair. Moreover, the herb I fed him was a poison that would detoxify the horn¡¯s poison.


    "No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I said.


    "By the way, what''s that, whatchamacallit, morphine?"


    "Hergamorphins. Morphine is an opium drug that comes from poppies."


    This knight is saying some dangerous things. How dare he turn me into a drug dealer? That being said, there were poppies in my pocket space that were ingredients for morphine, and because they were made in Olympus, they were highly toxic and of high quality.


    "Yes, that. You had it, that poison, the name which was whatchamacallit...¡±


    "Horn?"


    The knight clapped his hands as if it just popped into his head. "Yes! Didn''t you have that horn too?"


    "No."


    "What do you mean ¡®no.¡¯ You even know the name of the poison, but you still say it wasn¡¯t you?¡± The knight pressed.


    "I knew the name of the poisonous plant because I saw it in the vomit that came out from the stomach wash. Hergamorphin is an antidote to the horn, which is why I fed it to him,¡± I said.


    "Uh-huh!"


    I almost sighed in the pushy knight¡¯s face. I was thinking about giving him a good smack when the door of the interrogation room opened, and a man came in.


    "Salute!" The knight who was interrogating me stood up and saluted.


    The saluted man glared at the knight and said, "Didn''t I tell you not to accuse him unilaterally?"


    I guess the interrogation room wasn''t soundproofed at all.


    The knight responsible for interrogating me was shocked speechless, while the recipient of the salute seemed to be a high-ranking knight.


    The higher-ranking knight clicked his tongue as he ordered, "Get out."


    "Yes?"


    "I said get out."


    The shocked knight quickly abandoned his interrogation and left with a frightened face at the sight of the other knight speaking in a low voice. I was disappointed that the knight''s life had just been extended, but I breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if someone capable of communicating had arrived.

 Chapter 83: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (6)

    The man apologized as he sat in the previous knight¡¯s seat, "Let me apologize for my subordinate¡¯s rudeness. I''m really sorry."


    I waved away the man''s apology. "No, it¡¯s alright." I was thinking about sneaking in at night and half-killing him anyways.


    He shook his head, not noticing what I was thinking. "No, my subordinate will certainly receive disciplinary action in the name of my White Deer knight division.¡±


    When he said that, I felt sorry for my previous thought to half-kill him. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I was going to not half-kill him. Discipline is discipline, and revenge is revenge.


    More importantly, I was surprised this man was the head of the White Deer knights charged with the public security of the capital. Compared to my previous life, it was akin to the police chief coming down to the interrogation room and apologizing to me. That is if you could compare the knights to the police.


    "Pelgrant. He''s been my friend since childhood. I heard that you saved my friend''s life. Truly, thank you,¡± the man said.


    I was surprised once more by the knight division captain¡¯s thanks. The director¡¯s connections were more widespread and higher-ranked than expected. At the same time, his friend''s personality seemed respectable, but I couldn''t tell how the director¡¯s personality became so twisted.


    "No, I''m glad to hear that there is no risk to his life."


    When he saw my smile, the captain of the knights gave a slightly astounded look. "The trainees under him are usually cursing at him to go die, but it seems you have an impressive personality."


    Ah, it seemed that as a friend, he knew full well of the director¡¯s personality.


    The knight captain pulled a pile of papers out of his desk¡¯s drawer and said, "Hmmhmm, I''m sorry, but I''ll have to interrogate you from now on. Oh, that doesn''t mean that I think you''re the criminal. It''s more of a procedural necessity.¡±


    This meant that he didn''t think I was the criminal, but he also didn''t believe I wasn¡¯t the criminal. In other words, he was saying that if there were enough reason to suspect my guilt, I would be accused of being the criminal.


    "First of all, the hergamorphins you used were not something a typical trainee would have. I¡¯ll ask directly, why did you have it?¡±


    I had all sorts of miscellaneous things in my pocket space, especially materials related to magic.


    "Actually, I was going to put it in Director Pelgrant''s tea and feed it to him."


    "...What?" The knight captain looked dumbfounded. My words could be misleading at first.


    I continued before the knight captain could analyze the situation, "Hergamorphins have an effect of causing an upset stomach. Knight captain also seems to know of this, but I wanted a little payback for his nagging and all the strange things he made me do for the last three days.¡±


    The knight captain¡¯s face briefly appeared understanding before it disappeared as he asked, "Then where is the source of the hergamorphin?"


    I cunningly responded to the expected question. In the first place, it was natural to ask for their source, as hergamorphin was a medicinal herb not available from a market stall.


    "They¡¯re from my hometown. As you can see from my ID, my hometown is the Dume mountain range, and I usually pick herbs around there.¡±


    In fact, the items that my hometown mainly dealt with were by-products of demons, but it was not entirely a lie because magicians led by elder Mirpa sold herbs that we collected to the Empire. My words were not easy to prove, so the knight captain frowned.


    Then I added, "For reference, hergamorphins are not even plants prohibited by Empire law, and they do not require a license to handle and trade." It was just that this herb was a bit of a rarity and wouldn¡¯t grow anywhere except near Olympus forest.


    "Hmm, you''re a civil servant trainee. This means you haven''t left the capital, so where is the person who gave or sold you the herb?"


    "Who knows? Maybe he''s heading back to his hometown by now? It''s already been more than 15 days since I bought the herb." Actually, he¡¯s right in front of you. I dug it up myself.


    "So you''re saying that you acquired the medicinal herb before you were assigned your probationary location," the knight said.


    His eyes were quite piercing. I suppose not many people would just ignore their friend¡¯s issues, but if looks could cut, I would have been a thousand pieces by now.


    "Yes, I learned alchemy when I was young. The herb was transported here through the air from my hometown. I wanted to teach my friend some alchemy tricks,¡± I said.


    "Alchemy! That''s why you were able to handle it so accurately.¡±


    In this world, alchemists often worked as doctors in areas that lacked temples. Alchemy was closer to oriental medicine than Western medicine. The former used herbal medicine and acupuncture for treatment, while the latter relied more on surgery. In addition, alchemic medicine combined with magic was surprisingly effective.


    "I see. Then can you tell me about the friend you¡¯re teaching alchemy to?" The knight captain¡¯s tone seemed to have softened a level.


    I obediently nodded. There was no reason not to tell him. Even if I told him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything either way.


    "Yuria Fendria."


    "Mmmhmm, Yuria Fendria."


    The knight captain wrote down the name I said before muttering as if he had noticed something strange, "Fendria?"


    The knight captain¡¯s eyes were filled with a feeling of doubt, "It¡¯s not perhaps the Fendria I know, is it?"


    "Well, who is the Fendria that you¡¯re thinking of, knight captain?" I played dumb. Ah ah, a playful smile seemed to keep climbing up my face.


    "Is this Yuria, by any chance, white-haired?"


    At the man¡¯s slightly trembling voice, I almost burst into laughter, "Not only that, her eyes were red too."


    The knight captain was shocked at my words. "You''re that talented of an alchemist?"


    It was as if he was asking why such an alchemist was not a court magician but instead training to be a civil servant. It seemed there was a chance he might not believe me.


    "No, actually, my skills aren¡¯t that great. According to Yuria, her hometown¡¯s environment is not a place where you can learn alchemy to your heart''s content. Due to that factor, this novice was given the opportunity to serve the role of teacher for a Butterfly Tribe member. It is a new experience for me,¡± I said with a pleasant smile.


    Actually, in terms of alchemy tricks, she learned it the first time I taught her. At best, all I taught her were some ratios for mixing. The ratio mixing was a little awkward for her because it did not involve mana, but I could say she was fairly talented.


    The knight captain did not appear to believe me but finally accepted my explanation when he heard how I addressed myself.


    "So when am I able to be freed? I was in the middle of a training evaluation.¡± The evaluation¡¯s importance for a probationary trainee was quite high, as mistakes could drastically affect one¡¯s chances to get a job.


    The knight captain sighed, ¡°Unfortunately, regulations require you to remain in custody for at least a week.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    "I ask for your understanding. This is because the person who was nearly poisoned was given the highest prestige directly from the Emperor."


    What nonsense are you saying?


    "In fact, the period is only a week because you saved Pelgrant. If you hadn¡¯t, then...¡± The knight captain said as he trailed off. He was probably going to state at the end that I would have likely been charged as a criminal.


    Damn it, I was planning on getting released quickly by using my connection with Yuria, but based on the knight captain¡¯s expression, it seemed Director Pelgrant was a bigger figure than I thought.


    This was a very bad sign for me. If Director Pelgrant wasn¡¯t able to regain consciousness and something went wrong, I was certain that there was a high chance of me being accused of the crime.


    Perhaps if Yuria or Mrs. Arscilla found out, I might be able to use William or the Prime Minister¡¯s power to get out. If that happened, there was the possibility that my story would get to Uncle Bloody, who knew my face and was close to the other two.


    No, in this case, there could be an attempt to get rid of me by branding me as a possibly dangerous person. I don¡¯t know about William, but if it was the person who held me under close surveillance for a month, Arcanta, he could certainly do it.


    Now that it had come to this, there was only one solution. "Knight-Captain, can you believe that I''m not the criminal?"


    At my question, the knight captain¡¯s eyes opened wide. Then he shook his head, "No, I can''t believe it."


    The knight captain saying that he ¡®can¡¯t¡¯ believe it meant that he didn¡¯t believe me. From his tone, it was close to him saying that he couldn¡¯t conclude anything.


    It was both bad and good for me. It was bad because if the culprit was not caught, I could be accused of being the criminal. On the other hand, it was good because I saved the director, so there was a small spot in the knight captain¡¯s heart that wanted to believe me.


    I spoke with a smile, "It¡¯s okay if you don''t believe in my innocence. No, in fact, you shouldn''t believe it."


    He looked at me with surprise. Speaking like this could earn trust from someone who appeared so loyal.


    ¡°However, I have a favor to ask,¡± I said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The knight captain asked.


    I put on a confident expression, "Please give me a day. I''ll catch the criminal in one day."


    The knight captain looked as if he had heard the most absurd bullshit. If it were a stranger who talked like this, it was normal not to believe them, but I''m not normal. I''m going to use any means, including the more illegal kind, to catch the one who f**ked me over.


    "As I said before, I¡¯m an alchemist. If it¡¯s matters regarding medicine and poison, I''m confident that I¡¯m better than the knights."


    The knight captain¡¯s face appeared to show his desire to listen rather than refuse me. Perhaps it was an opportunity given for saving his friend.


    "I¡¯ll ask one more question. Is the analysis of the materials from Director Pelgrant¡¯s vomit complete?"


    If the director were an important person, they would have already started analyzing the materials with magic.


    The knight captain shook his head at my question. "No, not yet. It''ll probably take at least three days to finish the component analysis."


    What? It takes that long? It seemed the magician analyzing the materials wasn¡¯t good at all, but that was good for me.


    "Three days is too long. While you¡¯re waiting on the analysis, isn''t that enough time for the criminal to cover his tracks and run away?"


    The knight captain agreed with me, "That¡¯s right."


    "If you give me a chance, I''ll analyze and obtain the information from Director Pelgrant''s vomit."


    "How? The vomit is with the court magicians as important evidence. Now that it has been sent over there, even I can''t bring it back."


    I smiled at the knight captain, "You don''t have to bring it here. The information about the vomit¡¯s materials is already in my head."


    The knight captain¡¯s expression betrayed his desire to know how I knew this.


    I said with a playful smile, "You seem to have forgotten, but I''m the one who administered the stomach wash and used the vomited materials to procure the antidote."

 Chapter 84: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (7)

    The knight captain looked like he was just struck in the head with a hammer. "I guess that does make sense.¡±


    "Yes, the horn found in the director''s stomach poisons you as soon as you consume it. However, there''s a way to slow down that toxicity."


    "What method is that?"


    "The most basic process is to wrap the poison with a thin film to delay contact with the stomach, but this wouldn¡¯t work if you wanted the director to consume it without knowing,¡± I said.


    "Why?"


    "When people eat, unless they purposely swallow their food whole, they usually chew. If that happened, the thin film would break and render itself useless. However, for horn, there''s a way to temporarily reduce the toxicity and slow down the effects using a special process, but this doesn''t last long. That means if we find someone who can use that method within a day, we can track the culprit or someone who''s been in contact with him."


    The knight captain still appeared doubtful. "Do you even know the number of people in the capital who are aware of this method?"


    I smiled at the remark. "Do you know of the Big Mama Information Agency?"


    The knight captain looked at me with surprise.


    * * *


    In the end, I was released on parole for one day under the condition that I¡¯d be accompanied by a knight. This made it easier to run away if I wasn¡¯t able to apprehend the criminal. Of course, I was definitely going to capture the criminal. After I catch him, I¡¯m going to stick a hergamorphin in his butt. For bothering me, I''ll make him crap until his anus becomes raw.


    However, there was no need to limit me to only one option idiotically. Life didn¡¯t always go the way you wanted. If things were to go wrong, I''d run away without looking back. Running was the best tactic.


    "What are you so deep in thought about?" The somewhat rambling voice shook me awake from my various thoughts.


    "I was thinking about how to catch the criminal," I said.


    The knight assigned by the knight captain nodded. He looked like a gangster, but in fact, he was the vice-captain of the White Deer knight division.


    "So what are you going to do?" He asked.


    "First of all, let''s go to the Big Mama Information Agency."


    The vice-captain sighed, indicating that he saw this as a bother, and asked, "Do you know where the Big Mama Information Agency is?"


    Of course, I knew. When I arrived at the capital, I came across an external branch by chance. Additionally, they told me to find them if I needed information and gave me a map with a contact method.


    There was one thing that bothered me about visiting the Big Mama Information Agency. That one thing was the knight attached to me, but I had no choice in the matter.


    "I know where it is, so please follow me." As I started forward, the vice-captain followed me with an air of annoyance.


    I headed towards the market, recalling the map of the capital and the external branch''s location in my head. When I arrived at the market, I followed along its streets then went into a back alley.


    Come to think of it; it was around here that I saw Director Pelgrant last night. I wonder if the director also stopped by the Big Mama Information Agency. It was a ridiculous notion, but if by chance he did, it would help me find the culprit if I knew the reason for Pelgrant¡¯s visit.


    "How much longer do we have to go?"


    Upon the vice-captain¡¯s question, I answered with my own, "Don''t you know the location?¡±


    The vice-captain spoke proudly, "How would I know the location of such an illegal information organization?¡±


    Excuse me? You should at least know where in the capital the base of such a criminal organization was located.


    The fact that this guy was the vice-captain of the division charged with the capital¡¯s security made me worried for the capital. Either way, whether the capital¡¯s security was good or not, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with me.


    "We''re almost there."


    Then we entered a bar in the corner of the back alley. The inside of the bar had liquor bottles rolling about, making it feel like a sacred site for all the gangsters. Yet, there was no stale smell that you would expect from places like these. Well, whether a person was looking for alcohol or information, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d want to come to a place that smelled. That was a relief. It seems we came to the right place.


    As I walked in, the gangsters in the bar rose from their seats and became vigilant. I was momentarily confused before I realized that their eyes were not on me but behind me. The vice-captain looked like a bully, but he was actually a knight.


    "Could you leave for a minute?¡± I said this because it would be annoying for all the gangsters to have their guards up against me, but the vice-captain looked at me as if I was joking. I clicked my tongue in my mind. This guy was a total burden.


    This was why being suspected was so annoying. With no choice, I took the burden with me and headed directly to the bartender.


    "What would you like?" Wary of the burden behind me, the bartender didn¡¯t even make eye contact with me as he spoke.


    ¡°Give me a drink,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, what do you want to drink?¡± When the bartender bluntly asked this, I thought of the passcode. What was it?


    "Give me Mother''s Blessing?" I couldn''t remember if this was the passcode for the Big Mama Information Agency in the capital or a branch office in a city near the capital.


    Hearing my order, the bartender suddenly looked at me. Then he looked at me with conflicted eyes and asked, "What would you like to eat?"


    He suddenly changed to honorifics. Fortunately, it seemed my passcode was correct.


    "Cook the back meat moistly,¡± I answered.


    ¡°The back meat will have a strong smell,¡± the bartender responded.


    ¡°Then let''s eat somewhere else.¡±


    Seeing the burden behind me, the bartender stopped the well-flowing conversation. ¡°Wait a minute. I''ll go check if there''s any back meat."


    The bartender entered the staff lounge behind him, but him saying that he would check for the back meat wasn''t in the passcode. Strange.


    Then the burden behind me poked me in the back and asked with a suspicious look, "Is this the right place?"


    "Maybe. I don''t know for sure because I found this place by chance."


    "You don''t know? You''ve never been here before?"


    "This is my first visit,¡± I said as I shrugged my shoulders. The burden behind me frowned like he had a problem with something.


    The burden was going to say something to me, but the bartender came out of the lounge and guided us to the back door.


    "There was indeed back meat. I''ll show you to your seat. The person behind you... can also follow me."


    I followed the bartender without any qualms while the burden accompanied me with a distrusting look. As I followed him through the back door, I saw a staircase leading to the basement. When I went straight down the stairs, there was a door with a handle for opening outwards.


    I thought this door would be a sliding door rather than an outwards opening door, but when the bartender knocked on the door with a unique rhythm, the door slid to the side and opened.


    "What is this?!¡± The burden behind me was greatly surprised to see the sliding door, acting as if he was seeing a sliding door for the first time or something. I looked at him in a way akin to a city person glaring at a country bumpkin, then went inside.


    Wow! In Granwell, there were only tables and chairs in an apartment-sized room, but perhaps because this was the capital, it was a spacious room with luxurious decorations on the walls. Still, aside from the big picture on the wall, there were all kinds of magic placed, and I could feel the presence of people. Based on that, this office was not much different from the one in Granwell.


    "You can sit here."


    I felt like I was visiting some rich person¡¯s place when a woman sitting in the middle of the room pointed to a seat across the table in front of her. Wasn¡¯t this girl the one I met at Granwell? Perhaps she got a promotion during the time I hadn¡¯t seen her, but I did not expect her in the capital.


    I sat down comfortably in the chair, thinking that moving from such a tiny room in Granwell to this luxurious room was definitely a promotion.


    "Welcome to the Big Mama Information Agency. You''re both new, right?¡± Sounding out of place for an informant, she spoke with a lowered voice.


    However, I felt an intimate feeling from her voice. It was an inordinately familiar voice that I had heard half a year ago.


    "Yes, I''m here because I have some information I want to buy." Well, whether her voice was familiar or not, the important topic was to find evidence of the criminal.


    "I¡¯m looking for any information regarding places that deal with horn and a record of Pelgrant von Bologeno¡¯s movements for the past month. In addition, I want all the information that Pelgrant von Bologneo has bought here."


    The burden sitting next to me and the informant was surprised. Actually, the last request was something I just threw out there. Director Pelgrant''s behavior last night was suspicious, so I prodded just in case. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, but it seemed I unexpectedly hooked a large fish.


    "What do you-"


    I looked at the informant, cutting off the question the burden was about to ask.


    The informant pondered and said interestedly, "This is unexpected. I thought he wasn¡¯t raising a successor, especially trainees."


    What the hell is she saying? More importantly, she seemed to know that I was a civil servant trainee. Let''s settle my business first.


    "I''m sure you know, but Director Pelgrant almost got poisoned today." If it was an information agency, I figured they would know about it even if the incident happened only a few hours ago.


    "Yes, and you were arrested as a suspect, Mr. Den von Mark."


    What, you also know my name? Yet, seeing that they didn¡¯t know my real name, I felt proud. If they had suddenly said my real name here, I would have run away from the capital and gone to another country.


    "Alright, I''ll give you all the information you asked for." The informant moved on coolly. As I was about to start admiring her reaction, she took out an abacus and started to move the abacus pieces. This wasn''t free, of course.


    "Let''s see. It¡¯ll just be two gold coins."


    For your information, six gold coins were a month''s budget for a small territory.


    I looked at the burden and said, "That''s the cost."


    "What? I don''t have that kind of money!" The burden looked at me with bewildered eyes.


    The burden was a burden to the end. I looked at the informant again and said, "Let''s put it under the name of the White Deer knight division."


    "Hey!" The burden shouted urgently, but unfortunately, the informant saved him.


    "I''m sorry, but credit is not allowed,¡± she said.


    "Whew~!" The burden breathed a sigh of relief. Tch, that''s too bad.


    I pretended to search in my breast pocket and took out two gold coins from my pocket space. The expense wouldn¡¯t matter as the money would be taken from Director Pelgrant and the criminal later with interest. If they refused to cough it up, then I would just have to make a friendly visit.


    When I took out the money with ease, the burden sitting next to me looked at me in surprise while the informant simply received the money from me as if she had expected it.


    Something felt off. Why was that informant not surprised and just acted as if everything was normal when I presented such a large sum of money? I''ll have to pry into the Big Mama Information Agency later. I definitely felt like something was up.

 Chapter 85: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (8)

    When I received the requested document and stood up, the informant asked, ¡°Oh, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    "How did you figure out that contact passcode for the Big Mama Information Agency?"


    I became nervous at the informant¡¯s question. This contact method was obtained by disguising myself with magic in Granwell while I was on my way to the capital. If that informant had given me a special contact code that could be recognized, she might be able to connect me to the middle-aged man from that time.


    Yet, at a quick glance, there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems. There was a massive difference between my disguise and my current appearance, so there was no way she would think we were the same person. However, for those who handled information, this clue could potentially be used to deduce the fact that I was Denburg.


    At that time, I casually walked away while carrying a bag weighing about 500 kilograms. From that point alone, they may have already realized at the time that I was part of a battle race. As such, this contact method might connect me to the middle-aged man with the scar and lead to them discovering my identity. In the end, my one worry ended up catching my ankle.


    Unlike my inner self, I responded with a seemingly indifferent tone, ¡°How much will you pay for the information?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    "This is where information is sold. So I can sell information too, right?"


    The informant didn¡¯t respond. Due to the veil covering her face, I couldn¡¯t tell if she was stunned or enjoying this.


    "I see. How much will you sell it for?" She asked.


    I pointedly looked at the two gold coins in front of the informant.


    "Two gold coins? That''s quite expensive."


    "Would you like to buy it?¡±


    The informant burst into laughter at my provocation. "Puhaha, no. We are an information agency after all. We''ll figure it out."


    "Give it a try." I gave a slight smile as I left the room, the burden following me.


    Damn it, I''m going to have to pay attention to my surroundings for a while.


    * * *


    As the customer left the room, Milpia sighed with relief and removed the veil. "Whew, I didn¡¯t get noticed."


    Not knowing that Den would suddenly barge in, Milpia lowered her voice as much as possible and tried to hide her identity the best she could.


    She had occasionally gone to Arscilla''s boarding house to find out more information from Yuria under the pretense of being close friends. When she would go there, she sometimes ran into Den, which made her very nervous.


    Den, in particular, was strangely quick-witted and able to judge situations quickly, so she believed that she would truly be caught. If she was discovered here, her relationship with Yuria might be okay, but her relationship with Arelia would be completely over.


    Information about the imperial family was difficult to obtain. If discovered, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be limited to the loss of a pipeline providing detailed information about the imperial family. The fact that she approached the imperial princess was enough to be convicted of treason, which would force her to flee the capital.


    It would be a real demotion to have to go to the countryside after a promotion like this. Her current position was precious to Milpia because until a few months ago, she had been demoted to a field agent with her life constantly in danger.


    As Milpia imagined this potential scenario and started sweating, a large picture hanging on the right side of the room moved upwards. Then Big Mama, the head of the Big Mama Information Agency, came out carefully.


    "Well done.¡±


    At Big Mama''s encouragement, Milpia stood up and bowed her head, "No, this is my job."


    "Jeez, I said you don''t have to be so polite." Big Mama smiled merrily and sat on the opposite side of Milpia. As Big Mama sat down, Milpia also seated herself and started boiling water by pouring mana into the magic kettle on the table.


    "So, what do you think?"


    Despite Big Mama''s sudden question, Milpia did not panic and grasped the point of the question. "I think he is the successor to Pelgrant von Bologneo, one of the most prominent agents in the Empire."


    Milpia realized that Big Mama''s question was regarding Den¡¯s identity, as he showed up with the vice-captain of the White Deer knight division. Her understanding was not wrong. In fact, Big Mama was asking about Den.


    "And the reason you think so is?"


    "There are three reasons why I believe this,¡± Milpia said as she made tea with the boiled water.


    Big Mama spoke as she received the tea, "Let me hear them."


    "Yes, first of all, he was arrested as a suspect in the information classified as ''the attempted poisoning of a civil servant incident'' but was released from custody within a few hours. I think this was decided based on their belief he''s not the culprit."


    At Milpia''s words, Big Mama slowly nodded. "And?"


    "And he was accompanied by a knight. That knight is a high-ranking official from the Empire, in addition to serving as the vice-captain of the White Deer knight division. If they just wanted to keep watch over him, assigning a normal knight would have sufficed. Considering that they attached a talented high-ranking official instead, I judged that this was not solely for surveillance but to protect him from potential enemy forces of Pelgrant, the prime minister, or the emperor."


    Big Mama slowly drank the hot tea and waited for Milpia¡¯s last reason.


    Milpia spoke with a serious expression, "Lastly, he knew Pelgrant bought information here last night. We have determined that Pelgrant is not someone who reveals information if it¡¯s not related to his work, no matter how close he is to an individual. This means that he wasn¡¯t unrelated to Pelgrant''s work. Taking into account his age and the timing of his assignment as a probationary trainee under Pelgrant, we concluded that he is a successor or at least someone receiving his teachings."


    After the long explanation, Milpia slightly moistened her throat with the tea and continued, "Yet, there''s one thing that¡¯s bothering me."


    "What is it?" Big Mama looked at Milpia, seemingly assessing her.


    Milpia was briefly intimidated but didn¡¯t hold back and expressed her doubt, "It is that he used the normal contact method, not the one discussed with the imperial family or prime minister Arcanta."


    Contrary to Den''s concerns, Milpia had given him a standard contact method at Granwell. This was done because they thought that handing over an identifiable contact method could cause the middle-aged man¡¯s organization to become vigilant. This was not desirable due to the enormous intelligence-gathering power they believed the organization possessed.


    Since Den went to the Big Mama Information Agency by chance, there was no way for him to know whether the contact method he received was unique or common. However, that was not the case for Milpia. She thought her opponent was from a large-scale organization, seeing how they confidently walked into one of the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s most important bases and purchased an absurd amount of information.


    Milpia assumed that since the individual¡¯s organization knew where one of the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s most important secret bases was located, it would have no issue discovering a standard contact method passcode.


    Therefore, what would the opponent have thought if she gave a different passcode than normal without consulting them first? If this happened, Milpia naturally assumed that her agency would think that the opposing group went ¡°on alert.¡±


    It was key for an information organization not to be hostile to any group. This held true if they were to be attacked for showing weakness as well. Despite this aggression, they should avoid making enemies that couldn¡¯t exist with them under the same sky. Even if the Big Mama Information Agency was vigilant, careful, and cautious, the opponents were not necessarily the same. That was the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s law of survival and business guide.


    "I think Pelgrant blocked him from approaching the ''Scorpio'' he had been chasing. It makes sense considering that his past trainee¡¯s death traumatized him to the point where he was forced away from the front lines. First of all, Pelgrant likely didn''t tell him how to contact us, meaning he figured it out on his own and approached us. This is why he didn¡¯t use the agreed-upon contact method.¡±


    Milpia gave a plausible answer to her own question before continuing, "So I''d like to investigate how he found the method to contact us."


    Milpia''s words were natural. In the Big Mama Information Agency, their contact method was one of the most tightly controlled information. It was no exaggeration to say that it was their lifeline. The fact that Den somehow knew how to contact the Big Mama Information Agency meant that they could have unexpected guests in the future. The real issue was that there was no guarantee that the unexpected guest would not be hostile to them.


    However, Big Mama shook her head at Milpia. "No, don''t approach him."


    Milpia was taken aback by the unexpected response, but she did not express it outwardly.


    "May I ask why?¡± Milpia asked carefully, but Big Mama just smiled and gave no answer.


    "It is an order. Furthermore, any information gathering related to it is prohibited.¡±


    At Big Mama''s order, Milpia¡¯s face stiffened as she tried to recall if she had overlooked something. However, even after going over the situation a few times, she felt her logic seemed reasonable, and there were no risks.


    Still, Milpia had no choice but to say her predetermined line, "I will receive your orders."


    If she didn¡¯t, for disobedience, only death awaited.


    Big Mama rose from her seat with dull, emotionless eyes. Yet, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised. Milpia failed to notice the tiny smile as she continued to clear up her disordered thoughts.


    * * *


    As soon as I left the bar, I opened the information that I had just bought. First, I looked through Pelgrant''s movement history over the past month. Frankly speaking, I wasn¡¯t expecting much when I first asked for this information.


    It would¡¯ve been different if it was a request to track future movements, but it was natural for any information agency not to know a mundane and unimportant figure¡¯s past movement history. To have handed over this information as if it were natural meant that Director Pelgrant was doing an important job worthy of being marked by the information agency or was an equivalently important person.


    Receiving the information, I thought it would have been acceptable if it only contained things like who he met, but it included his past activities down to the minute detail.


    What''s this? Did you meet the prime minister in secret? This feeling that I don¡¯t want to get involved keeps growing. Damn it. Why did I have to run an errand at that time? Because of that, things have become really annoying.


    This was all because of that guy who forced me to make tea. Let''s pray he doesn¡¯t walk the streets at night. You just can¡¯t ever know when something unfortunate might happen. I went through the documents again while imagining using a rock to smack the head of the assistant manager who wanted the tea.


    The detailed portion of the director¡¯s past activities only began when he visited a tavern and met the prime minister ten days ago. Before that, only normal things about commuting time were recorded.


    Rather than Director Pelgrant being a big enough figure to have been marked, it was likely that he started something interesting enough to garner the interest of the Big Mama Information Agency after his meeting with the prime minister.


    It was just a guess, but I felt like the attempted poisoning case may have something to do with it. As for his activities, I could probably learn them based on the information he purchased here, but the information regarding those who handled horn came first.


    I was finishing my thoughts and trying to take out the documents regarding people who could handle horn when the burden shouted, "Hey! Are you ignoring me!"


    "Yes?"


    When I turned to the burden with a look of ¡®what crap are you spouting¡¯, he spoke in an irritated voice, "What? What''s that reaction? I was speaking to you several times!"


    "Oh, I was just thinking." I just ignored whatever the burden was saying next to me. Well, I''m sure he was asking about what happened in the information agency.


    "Then about what I asked..."


    "Let¡¯s go since we¡¯re busy.¡± As I said that and moved forward quickly, the burden shouted something from behind. I casually ignored him and read the documents as I walked.

 Chapter 86: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (9)

    As I walked quickly, I took out a map of the capital from my coat and drew Director Pelgrant¡¯s movements from today on top of it.


    "What¡¯s that scribble?" The vice-captain asked. My will to ignore the noisy burden following me was reaching its limit.


    "It''s a map of the capital."


    I looked at the burden as if saying, ¡®you didn¡¯t even know that?¡¯ Yet, the burden laughed at me with a "poot" sound.


    "That''s a map? Even a child can draw better than that."


    How dare you spit out such ludicrous words? This map was meticulously copied from the one bought at the Big Mama Information Agency. What, could it be that you had two lives?


    Despite the map¡¯s appearance, I proudly thought that I was better than my Uncle Bloody, the man known as the village¡¯s best artist. How dare you injure my pride? This was especially valid when considering that you''re only a burden.


    "Poot, are you mad? Still, that¡¯s too far. A map should at least look like this." After saying this, the burden took out a piece of paper from his bosom.


    Although I was angry, just one glance told me that it was a much more sophisticated map than the one I drew. It was still lacking compared to the map I bought at the Granwell branch of the Big Mama Information Agency, but with its detailed side roads, it was a map for military use.


    I snatched the map from the burden¡¯s hand with a quick flourish. It was quite a sight to see him shocked. He probably hadn¡¯t even imagined that it might be taken away.


    "Hey, that''s only for manager-level use!" The burden tried to snatch the map from my hand, but of course, that was not possible.


    This man was weaker than my eldest sister, the one with the lowest constitution in the village. Despite this, he tried taking the map even though it was still a hundred years too early. If he wanted to take the map from me, he¡¯d at least need to have the power of my big brother or the quickness of my younger brother.


    More importantly, this map must really be military supplies. If I told the knight captain that I took his vice-captain¡¯s map, it might not be enough for imprisonment, but it was probably enough for a demotion. Then, let''s use it gratefully. I drew Director Pelgrant¡¯s movements on the map.


    "Ahhhh! I told you that was military supply! Damn it! Losing or damaging military supply is punished with a no-magic 40-kilometer march!"


    It sounded like there was a shriek from somewhere, but I must have heard wrong. Even if I was wrong, there was nothing we could do now. This military item had already been stained with black ink. Hahaha! Feels good! It''s like walking in the snow that no one stepped in yet!


    For your information, a march in the Empire was with full gear. This was probably true considering the assistant teacher at the training center said so when he taught us how to pack military equipment in the comprehensive weaponry class.


    I quickly copied the path of the director¡¯s movements from today and drew a perimeter with a 500-meter radius around it.


    "Ahhhhh! No!"


    After creating the perimeter, I left behind the very frustrated burden and confirmed the list of people who could handle the horn. The perimeter was the area that they could probably move with the horn. The length of time that the special magic treatment could be maintained was not long. As such, it would not be feasible in terms of time to transport the horn after processing.


    Horn was especially toxic, so unless it were an alchemist at elder Mirpa¡¯s level or someone able to move at the speed of a battle race, it would be impossible. As for the time problem, carriages wouldn¡¯t be able to help, as the capital¡¯s roads were not asphalt but bumpy stone roads.


    If the magic placed on the horn was released due to the carriage''s shaking, the toxicity could become even worse. The toxicity sealing special treatment did not allow for the reagent bottle to be shaken.


    Let''s see. Twenty out of thirty-six were members of the imperial court magicians and lived in the outer palace. Two went missing a long time ago and were considered dead. For four of them, it had been a while since they left the capital to get some materials for magic potions. Seven of the remaining ten were too far, so the suspects were narrowed down to three.


    If I knew when Director Pelgrant had eaten the poison, I could pick one right away, but unfortunately, I didn''t have his vomit to find out. I was able to rummage around it, but without a detailed component analysis, it was an impossible task even for me.


    This was unfortunate, but even if I did have it, in the time it would take to complete the component analysis, I could have gone to the magic workshop of the three suspects and made a ruckus to find the culprit.


    I gave the burden a map with the identities and locations of the three suspects marked on it. The burden was frustrated once again when he saw the scribbled map.


    "Hey, there''s no time to be frustrated. We have to hurry and beat it, hmm! Let¡¯s go now to arrest the criminal.¡±


    In regards to military supplies, they were things that would pop up out of nowhere even if you cut off the supply. For him to be tearing up from this even after becoming a vice-captain, this man¡¯s weak-heartedness had no equal.


    "Keup! The captain said he''d kill me if I messed up one more military supply item!"


    Oh, it was indeed worthy of being frustrated. The captain did seem like a person who would be scary when he got angry.


    I smiled nicely and kindly extended my hand to the burden, "Just think of it as nothing out of the ordinary."


    As the old saying goes, it''s more convenient to give up. This wouldn''t have happened if he didn''t make fun of my map in the first place. Thanks to him, however, I didn¡¯t have to compare the map in my head with the one I drew, which made it much more convenient for me. So let''s thank him for that point, at least.


    The burden didn¡¯t take my kindly offered hand and rather looked to be in more despair. Looking at the burden, I had a thought: Truly a burden.


    "Get up, hero!" Remembering the strength control I trained by grabbing Alphonso¡¯s head; I lightly kicked the burden¡¯s butt.


    "Ack!"


    I was finally convinced when I saw the burden holding onto his butt. I had mastered strength control! He didn¡¯t die, and I didn¡¯t feel any bones break. I just had the feeling that I hit him very well.


    "Come on! Let''s go!" I snorted as I pulled the burden by the scruff of his neck.


    Let''s hurry up and torture the suspects!


    * * *


    I kicked down the door of the alchemy workshop, which also served as the residence of the first suspect, and shouted, "Get over here!"


    Kwang!


    Perhaps due to the impact of the kick, the door easily broke apart and flew away.


    "The door¡¯s open, so let''s go in,¡± I said.


    "Hey, they don''t usually say it¡¯s open for situations like this."


    Ignoring the crybaby burden who was still rubbing his butt, I went into the alchemy workshop. As I entered the house, I saw a man who seemed to be the owner urgently running out of the house.


    "What, what is this?" The man panicked as he looked back and forth at the broken door and us before pointing his finger at the burden next to me.


    "What are you doing! How can you just go around breaking doors!¡±


    Suddenly being pointed at, the burden looked at me tearily. Rather than someone who was thin and innocent looking like me, the gangster-like burly burden was certainly more suspicious-looking.


    I said with a nod, "That¡¯s right! Breaking the door all of a sudden is too much!"


    "No! You...!¡± The burden choked on his own words.


    I smiled at the burden and approached the man who seemed to be the owner of the house. "Let¡¯s see, are you Mr. Capol?"


    "Yes, I''m Capol. But..."


    I presented a badge made from a steel plate that bore the insignia of the White Deer knights to the flustered first suspect. "This is where we¡¯re from."


    This badge, which was something like a police badge, belonged to the burden behind me.


    "Huh? Huh?!" When I took out the badge, he panicked and searched his pocket, but no matter how much he looked for it, it would never show up. After all, his badge was currently in my hand.


    When I returned his military supply map, I sneaked his badge from his pocket. Seeing that he was unable to notice it until now, I was unsure whether the capital would be safe or not with such dull knights.


    "What brings you here from the White Deer knight division?" The alchemist looked at us with rather wary eyes.


    "There have been reports that you and your workshop have been producing and distributing drugs. As long as you cooperate with the search, there will be no bloodshed,¡± I said.


    The first suspect and the burden both looked at me in shock. I understood the alchemist¡¯s feelings, but honestly, things were too complicated to explain. To have to explain the situation and wait for consent to begin searching would take too much time, and frankly, it was annoying.


    "What nonsense! My workshop is clean and innocent!"


    I patted the shoulder of the first suspect, who was shouting with a bluish face. "That''ll be confirmed after we see inside. Let''s go search, vice-captain!"


    The burden looked at me as if the situation was absurd and whispered, "Hey, do you even know how a drug offender is treated with the way you''re threatening him?¡±


    "Of course I know. At the training center, I was number one in grades for imperial law. A first offense is at least ten years in prison or capital punishment. A second offense is at least 30 years or capital punishment."


    For your information, this law was only for nobility. For commoners, it was just capital punishment, whether first time or second. The Empire was an absolute monarchy, so the laws for the common people and nobility were different. As an uncommon offense, all drug offenders were punished equally, except for nobility with a lot of power.


    In other words, to rebel here meant to be marked as a drug offender and be sent to the guillotine. As in most pre-modern countries, trials often took place with the presumption of guilt rather than the presumption of innocence. Come to think of it; I''m really glad I saved the director.


    If Pelgrant simply died, I would not have been able to find the criminal myself and would have had to try to prove my innocence while in custody. The alternative would have been to throw away my position as a civil servant trainee and run away.


    "I have to do at least this much for him to cooperate easily.¡± I smiled brightly.


    The burden had a rather tired face, but unless this suspect was the person I was looking for, things would be fine. Drugs wouldn¡¯t actually turn up during the search, right?


    I went into the workshop and observed the interior. In the middle of the room, there was a large pot, and next to the pot was a desk with magic reagents on it.


    "Let¡¯s see." With just a rough look, I was able to see that there were magic reagents needed to magically treat the horn and some others that were not.


    I stood on my tiptoes and looked inside the pot. It was empty, but there was a smell left inside. I focused my mind on the scent.


    "Moonlight plant, Moon Toad''s essence, Aindra grass, sixth petal of the Mandrago flower...¡±


    When I recited the herbs just from the pot¡¯s smell, the owner of the workshop looked at me in surprise. Being able to distinguish this much was only natural after being trained by elder Mirpa.


    "...the blood of hell dogs, hmm, don''t know, don¡¯t know, fairy powder, don''t know...¡±


    The herbs that I didn''t know were odorless in the first place, or three days had already passed, allowing the smell to mostly dissipate.


    In order to temporarily seal the poison of the horn, the digestive fluid of the Giant Nepenthes and the blood of an ice troll were essential. However, the workshop did not have the smell of either of these materials.


    Even if they were placed in a safe or a secret place and sealed with magic, there was no way there wouldn¡¯t be a smell if they had done the special treatment on the horn today.


    Unfortunately, the first suspect was not the criminal. Just in case, I decided to open the little space that was being magically protected underneath. The magic was placed on it so poorly that it may as well have been saying, ¡°Here I am.¡± In that case, it would have been impolite not to take a look.


    "Vice-captain, sir. Can you push this pot for me?¡±


    "Why?"


    "Just do what I say. Didn¡¯t you follow me to do the physical work?"


    "No, I''m keeping watch..."


    ¡°Ssseup!" I opened my eyes wide.


    The burden touched the pot and muttered, "Why me?"


    The owner of the workshop immediately panicked and stopped the burden, "Excuse me! The location of the pot has a fairly important and magical meaning-"


    "There isn''t. You can push it as it is." I cut off Capol and urged the burden to push quickly.


    Who are you trying to cheat? After the burden pushed aside the large pot, a small door was found underneath.


    "Let¡¯s open it."


    I grabbed an iron skewer on the floor nearby and poked it into the crack in the door. I wiggled the skewer around to break the crystal that was the core for the magic. To think that this magic would be broken by an iron skewer... This was another level of poor quality.


    The door naturally lifted up when the magic was broken and revealed inside was paradise.


    "...your tastes are bold."


    The various pornography books inside seemed interesting enough to even tempt me into reading them once.


    The owner of the workshop¡¯s face became red as he shouted, "Get...! Get out now!"


    That''s how the burden and I were kicked out of the workshop. I wanted to try reading the books. That¡¯s too bad.

 Chapter 87: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (10)

    While we were on our way to find the second suspect, the burden reached his hand towards me and said, "Hand it over!"


    "Hand what over?"


    His demeanor, along with his face, gave the impression of a gangster trying to mug someone. "The badge! Hey, you ass! You were impersonating a knight! That''s a felony! Do you want to eat oatmeal for the rest of your life?"


    When the burden asked if I wanted to eat oatmeal, it was like asking if I wanted to eat rice with beans in my past life. It was an idiom that arose from the fact that oatmeal wasn¡¯t eaten even in the slums but was served as the main diet in imperial prisons.


    I clicked my tongue. "Tsk. Here."


    The burden growled as he took the badge, "You''ll pay for this when we get back."


    I just snorted, "Try it. I''m going to say that you were an accomplice."


    "...What?"


    Looking at the bewildered burden, I gave a victorious smile. "Think about it. The captain is definitely going to believe that a weak civil servant trainee like me stole a badge from the vice-captain."


    "Well, that''s-"


    "Even if he were to believe you, you''d be in trouble for allowing a weak civil servant trainee like me to steal it from you.¡±


    The burden was speechless.


    "If you''re going to get punished no matter what, it¡¯d be better just to keep your mouth shut. If we don¡¯t say anything, who¡¯s going to find out? Oh, the owner of the alchemy workshop just now? If we say the same story, we can bury such testimony. Huhuhu." For some reason, I felt like a devil dragging him down an immoral path, but it didn''t really matter.


    The burden shouted, conflicted, "Look at what you¡¯ve done! If that guy from before files a complaint, I''ll be disciplined!"


    The complaint that the burden was talking about was not regarding the fake identity but the sudden raid. Come to think of it; the first suspect definitely had enough for a complaint. We suddenly broke the door, accused him of being a drug offender without evidence, then conducted a search without consent and exposed his secret porn stash. I think I''d file a complaint, too.


    "It''s alright. It''s none of my business," I shrugged.  The burden¡¯s face showed a flash of anger, and he clenched his fist but then relaxed.


    If he were really going to hit me, I would have yelled, "You gonna hit me?" and "Neighborhood people!" but what a shame.


    The burden shouted as if he had realized something, "No way! Are you still sulking because I made fun of you for not being able to draw a map?!¡±


    The burden looked at me as if he was shocked.


    "Ahahaha! No way,¡± I laughed and kicked the door of the second suspect''s alchemy workshop.


    Kwang!


    Just like before, the door broke into pieces and flew away.


    "Get over here!"


    "See, you''re upset!"


    No, I said I wasn¡¯t. Jeez, the burden really doesn''t believe what people say. Still, he had good intuition as a detective. How unhelpful.


    I grasped the collar of the second suspect, who was in the midst of fleeing just like the first suspect.


    "Are you Mr. Dwen?¡±


    Having his collar suddenly grabbed before he could speak, the second suspect nodded in panic. "Can, can you let go?¡±


    I ignored the second suspect and spoke, "There have been reports that you''ve been manufacturing and distributing drugs here. If you obediently cooperate with the search, there will be no bloodshed."


    "What the hell!" The second suspect turned pale, and the burden frowned like he knew this would happen.


    The reason I was so aggressive now compared to the first suspect was that the burden had taken back the White Deer Knights badge. I secretly shot a glance at the burden, and he sighed, showing his badge.


    I let go of the second suspect''s collar and headed inside without delay.


    "Wa, wait!" The second suspect reached out and tried to grab me, but I easily dodged and started searching the entire workshop.


    The layout of the workshop was similar to the first suspect¡¯s, Capol. So, this was the popular style of alchemy workshop in the capital. If Yuria later said that she wanted to learn alchemy properly, then a place like this could be useful. After all, I''m also part of a new generation that''s quite style-conscious.


    Unfortunately, in the alchemy workshop, Nepenthes¡¯s digestive fluid could be found, but not the blood of the giant ice troll. The second suspect was sadly not the culprit. I felt a little anxious about whether I was going in the wrong direction, but it was too late to change course now.


    I looked around the workshop and searched for a secret space again. The floor, ceiling, and walls were the three places where mana was roughly gathered. I approached the secret space in the wall, which had the most mana aggregated there of the three, and ripped off the wallpaper.


    "No!" The second suspect shouted, but the burden blocked him.


    On the surface, this was a drug investigation. The burden wore a reluctant expression, but no matter if it was for me or to catch the real criminal, he was doing a good job.


    "Come out, hidden porn stash!" I chanted an incantation and dispelled the magic on the wall. I opened the door to the secret space, hoping that paradise would welcome me again.


    "What is this?" I asked. The secret space was full of sacks containing some white powder.


    "This bastard was actually a real drug offender.¡±


    The second suspect retreated from the burden when I took out the sack of drugs.


    "Keuk! I don''t know how you figured it out, but you¡¯d better regret the fact that only two of you came here!¡± When the second suspect uttered a typical villain''s line, gangsters crawled up from the secret space on the floor.


    Surrounded by the gangsters, the burden stepped forward to protect me and drew his sword, saying, "Damn it, I shouldn''t have gotten involved with a guy like you!"


    Although he looked like he was truly regretting it, his desire as a knight to protect me was still admirable.


    "I''m gonna need to have you guys spill where you got the information.¡±


    It was laughable to see the second suspect shout in triumph.


    "Make sure to stick close behind me. I think it''s going to be hard to protect you against this many people,¡± I sighed and continued, "After a good night''s sleep, it''ll be all over."


    "What?"


    I secretly showed the gas mask to the burden, who looked back at it. Then I took out the sleeping bomb I made in the village from my pocket space and shook it.


    "You! Wait!" As soon as the burden felt something ominous and was about to say something, I threw it at the floor.


    "Have a taste of my bomb!"


    Pang!


    The sleeping bomb hit the floor and gave off the sound of a small explosion before it began to release sleeping gas.


    "What, what is that?!¡± The gangsters panicked, but it was too late.


    The gas filled the room in an instant, causing everyone in the workshop to collapse except for me.


    "Nice. It works well.¡±


    Actually, I had made this sleeping bomb in anticipation of leaving home, but it wasn''t until I finished making it that I realized that I had to go outdoors to escape. Inevitably, this type of bomb worked well indoors, but not so much outside. Furthermore, the sleeping bomb worked by entering the respiratory tract, but considering the lung capacity of those from the village, it was essentially useless. Honestly, I don''t know why I made it.


    In addition to sleeping bombs, I had many different types of flash bangs, tear gas, and smoke bombs, but if I had put a little more thought into it, I would¡¯ve realized they weren¡¯t useful for escaping. Back then, perhaps due to my youth, I made a lot of these useless things.


    I pulled out a rope I bought in Granwell and tied the drug offenders'' arms and legs. Just in case, I strengthened the rope with magic then took the military supply map from the drooling burden.


    "I''m going to borrow this for a moment.¡±


    Ah, I can finally ditch this burden. Just to make sure, let''s take the map so he can¡¯t follow me. I chose to use the sleeping bomb because I wanted to hide my strength as much as possible, and also, it was easier to get rid of the burden this way.


    After catching the criminal, I would have to torture him behind the scenes. It would have been annoying if he showed a sense of justice when we interrogated the suspect. I left the workshop before people reported the smoke and the guards showed up.


    * * *


    The captain of the White Deer knight division was working on a report to present to his superiors regarding Pelgrant¡¯s attempted poisoning. Although the captain was the highest rank in the capital¡¯s security, Pelgrant was a senior member of Prime Minister Arcanta¡¯s secret intelligence organization and was his direct subordinate. In other words, the report he was writing now was going up to Arcanta.


    The captain stopped writing the report and sighed, "Why did I let him leave?"


    He was referring to Den, the man arrested on the spot as the prime suspect. Ever since he was told that Den knew about the Big Mama Information Agency, he began to feel a strange sense of trust. Thus, he assigned his most trusted subordinate to keep watch over him. He admired Den''s clever ways of speaking, as he would have never allowed this to happen normally.


    At the same time, he began to worry about what to write in the report. He wasn''t aware of it, but he was being hypnotized by magic ever since he had the strange sense of trust in Den''s words. Now there was not even a speck of magic left for evidence, but still, there was an intangible remaining feeling of trust.


    The gratitude for saving Pelgrant''s life amplified the sense of trust, but it would fade in a few days. However, as he began to go over Den in the report, he wasn¡¯t sure what to write.


    As he sighed again, his subordinate shouted in an urgent voice and came into the office. "Captain! There¡¯s a big problem!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "There is smoke suspected to be toxic gas rising from within the capital!"


    "How''s it being handled?¡± Though the captain¡¯s voice was as calm as usual, his composure was bound to be broken due to his subordinate¡¯s words.


    "Everyone who inhaled a little bit of the smoke has lost consciousness, so they aren¡¯t able to deal with it right now. However, some eyewitnesses said the vice-captain entered the area before the smoke showed up."


    "What! Where is this?" The captain urgently asked.


    His subordinate informed him that this occurred at Dwen¡¯s alchemy workshop. As soon as he heard the location, the captain quickly left his office and headed to the scene. The captain started to get a headache as he hurried to his destination. The man assigned to watch Den while he tried to catch the criminals had gone to that workshop.


    Thus, the person in the workshop was either the criminal or a suspect. In other words, the suspected toxic gas may have to be considered as a kind of terrorism rather than just an accident in an alchemy workshop. Whether it was a terrorist attack or an accident, he just wanted the vice-captain to be safe.

 Chapter 88: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (11)

    I stood in front of the third suspect''s workshop and took out the all-purpose key, Alohomora, that I had made before. Naturally, the door of the alchemy workshop was locked. I carefully put Alohomora into the keyhole and moved it around.


    Chulkuk!


    I heard the sound of the lock releasing, allowing the door to swing open. As expected, I went into the workshop without saying anything. I could feel several presences busying themselves in the workshop, so I decided to head in their direction.


    There was a man who seemed to be the owner of the workshop. He was packing his bags in a hurry while talking to someone, "Damn it, damn it! You never said we would have to run!¡±


    The owner wore white clothes, which clearly marked him as an alchemist. He was addressing a gray-haired old man in a tailcoat, which made him resemble a butler.


    The old man criticized the owner, "What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t this happen because you didn¡¯t do your job properly!"


    The man protested at the unjustified remarks, "I did it right! I made it so he¡¯d die as you requested!"


    "Then why is he still alive?"


    When the old man grew angry, the man pulled at his head. "I don''t know! Damn it, unless someone washed out his stomach as soon as the poison took effect, he couldn¡¯t have survived!"


    "Either way, he survived, and an unmelted horn was turned over to the court magicians. It may take some time to analyze the components, but it¡¯d be better to run away now,¡± said the old man.


    Horn! That''s a relief. I was worried that I was wrong about the suspects, but they just happened to be spilling everything.


    "Damn, once the component analysis is complete, I won¡¯t be free from suspicion either! If I flee now, I''ll probably be made out to be the criminal!"


    "No, luckily, they said a civil servant trainee was caught as a suspect. If things go well, I think the trainee will be framed as the culprit.¡±


    The alchemist was pleased with the old man''s words. "Is that true? Then why do we have to run away?¡±


    The old man sighed, "Just in case. Don''t you like playing it safe, too? You have to think about the worst-case scenarios as well."


    "That''s true, but....¡± The man trailed off, seeming displeased with having to run away.


    The old man spoke, "Even if things go wrong, the master said he¡¯d give you a new identity. So don''t worry too much and pack your bags.¡±


    The man''s dark expression brightened. I also smiled. Without even needing to search, I clearly saw ice troll blood, the digestive fluid of the giant Nepenthes, and the horn just go into the man''s luggage.


    Those materials were rare and expensive. In particular, the blood of an ice troll was a super rare magic ingredient that I didn''t even have. Not needing to hear anymore, I quickly jumped out and hit the back of the man''s head without giving him time to react.


    "Uhk!" The man fainted after suddenly being hit in the back of the head.


    The old man became frightened at my sudden appearance. "Who, who are you!"


    I smiled at the old man, who got into a fighting stance rather than trying to run away. They were truly a ridiculous pair. Who are you getting ready to fight?


    "Huhuhu, just who are you trying to frame as the criminal?" I barreled between the old man''s arms and punched him lightly in the stomach.


    "Keuok!" The old man''s stance and his abs were strong, as if he had trained them quite a bit.


    He should have run away as soon as he saw me. Perhaps my appearance made him careless, and he believed he could overpower me.


    I grabbed the crumbling old man by the collar and forced him upright.


    I held the old man at eye level as his gaze blurred with pain. I looked into his eyes and smiled gracefully, "Don''t worry. You won''t remember me because all your memories will disappear."


    There were many ways to erase memories, whether that be through physical means, magic, or drugs.


    The old man nervously stared into my eyes. "What¡­!"


    It was time for a behind-the-scenes interrogation. To put it another way, it was time to make him regret messing with me. Hahaha.


    * * *


    When the captain of the White Deer knights arrived at the reported scene, the building was surrounded by a ¡®do not enter¡¯ rope that prevented entry. From a distance, only a small amount of smoke could be seen coming out of the building, as it had been a while.


    As he stepped over the ¡®do not enter¡¯ rope to go inside, a guard saluted him. "Salute!"


    The captain raised his hand and headed straight to the tent in front of the building.


    As he entered the tent, two subordinate knights saluted. "Salute!"


    "What happened?¡±


    When the captain asked about the situation, one of his subordinates explained, "Yes! We suspect that an accident occurred during an alchemy test in the workshop, and we are currently investigating."


    "I heard there was an eyewitness who said that the vice-captain went in there. Did you check whether that¡¯s true or not?"


    "About that, I''m sorry. The smoke hasn''t cleared yet, so it''s going to be difficult to get inside."


    The subordinate¡¯s reply made his anger rise, but he suppressed it and continued, "I heard there were some people who collapsed trying to get in. How are their conditions?"


    If the smoke were composed of a toxic substance, it would be dangerous to let the soldiers and knights enter, no matter how worried he was about the vice-captain.


    "Yes, I can''t say for sure because the court magicians and the priests haven''t arrived yet, but I think they just fell asleep."


    "Sleep? I heard from the report that it might be toxic.¡±


    The subordinate answered with a perplexed look, "Those were our thoughts when we made the report because we were panicking. However, I used magic to check the physical condition of those afflicted, since they were speaking as if they were sleep talking.¡±


    The captain glared at his subordinate. "You''re saying you filed the report without even knowing the exact situation.¡±


    "I''m sorry."


    "No, I''m glad it''s not a big deal.¡± He said, leaving the tent and standing in front of the building where smoke was still leaking out.


    "Captain! It''s dangerous!"


    "It''s alright." The captain beckoned his subordinates to back away and drew his sword.


    After taking a deep breath, the captain injected mana into the sword and swung it toward the entrance of the building. Mana-infused wind from the captain''s sword entered the building and swept through the building''s interior. Then, the remaining sleeping gas inside the building was pushed out by the sword wind.


    "Uek!" The knights and soldiers standing nearby withdrew to escape the smoke, and the captain ran into the building while holding his breath.


    Inside the building, similar to an alchemy workshop, there was a large space in the middle with several small rooms for storing magic ingredients. The captain headed straight to the source of the smoke.


    At the smoke¡¯s source were multiple collapsed people. There was a man who seemed to be the owner of the alchemy workshop, a bunch of men who looked like gangsters, and his subordinate, the vice-captain.


    The vice-captain was lying with his hands gently placed together, wrapped in strange sacks as if he had been investigating the accident. He was about to move the vice-captain outside when he saw a note with writing on it and a flower in the vice-captain¡¯s hand.


    - Fell asleep here while fighting the drug offender.


    Surprised by the note, he checked the vice-captain to see if he was breathing. He was relieved to see that the vice-captain was breathing properly. The sleeping portion of the note was not a metaphor; it literally meant that he fell asleep.


    The captain was worried about the phrase ¡®drug offender¡¯ used in the note. He thought it over as he carried the vice-captain on his back. Thinking he couldn¡¯t possibly be right, he opened the sacks surrounding the vice-captain and found white drugs in them.


    Although the note provided insight into the situation, it did not make sense overall. The fainted gangsters around the vice-captain were drug offenders, and the vice-captain had been fighting against them.


    The vice-captain had been assigned to follow the trainee as he went to catch the culprit of Pelgrant¡¯s poisoning. As such, why had he suddenly confronted a group of drug offenders? How come he didn¡¯t see the trainee that was with the vice-captain?


    He¡¯d be able to hear the whole story once the vice-captain woke up. Sensing that his lungs were reaching their limit, the captain quickly left the building.


    * * *


    After interrogating the old man, I laid him beside the alchemist sprawled on the floor. The old man didn¡¯t appear to have any external wounds or clues, but his mind would be in tatters. Well, the memory seems to have been erased properly, so I was sure it wouldn''t affect his daily life, but if he saw my face, there was a high chance that he¡¯d start having convulsions.


    It was a pretty intense interrogation, but I didn''t feel guilty when I thought of the old man''s past activities. On the contrary, I thought it was regrettable that I didn¡¯t do more. The old man was the one who splashed muddy water at me previously. He was also Marquis Baltain¡¯s butler, the one who used to take care of the dirty work.


    The slave trade was prohibited by law. It was said that the old man was assigned with finding victims to serve as human sacrifices for a witch, who had joined hands with the marquis. In addition, the old man used to offer young girls and boys to match the marquis¡¯ sexual preferences.


    Marquis Baltain was very perverted trash, but the butler could stand his own as trash himself. Personally, I loathed the butler¡¯s kind. They were a waste of time.


    I took the written statement with a thumbprint to serve as a signature, as well as the old man¡¯s wallet. Then I approached the alchemist who was with the old man. This was a funny guy too. According to the old man''s confession, the alchemist would have been disposed of if he had fled.


    Even if Director Pelgrant pointed his finger at Marquis Baltain, he would require the culprit, the alchemist who was first found to be a reasonable suspect. Therefore, the old man was planning to get rid of the alchemist completely.


    In a word, the previous display was just an act. In addition, the alchemist had done too much for Marquis Baltain, which meant he knew too many secrets. It also implied that his disposal was inevitable; it just happened to be now.


    At first, he was forced to take these jobs because he needed money, but now he was someone who enjoyed poisoning innocent people. Therefore, I had no sympathy for him.


    I raised the fainted alchemist¡¯s hand and pressed his thumb under the old man''s on the written statement. Now he was also an accomplice to everything the old man had stated.


    Even though he was innocent of slave trading and would be sentenced to death, it was none of my business. In any case, the attempted poisoning of Director Pelgrant by itself would be cause for the death penalty under imperial law.

 Chapter 89: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (12)

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that civil servants could act superciliously. The Empire was clearly a despotic country that recognized the class system as a law. So, even if one was a civil servant, if they carelessly provoked the nobility, they could be beheaded instead.


    If a nobleman felt insulted and threw his gloves, the civil servant had to use his small wallet to find a representative. If he couldn¡¯t find one, he had to go to the duel himself. However, a nobleman had knights to represent him in the duel. So a paper-pushing civil servant would be killed on the spot.


    By the way, if I had known this butler would be here to spill the truth behind the incident, I wouldn¡¯t have bought a record of Director Pelgrant¡¯s movements in the past month. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m lucky or unlucky.


    I was planning on catching the real criminal and trying to find out what was happening behind the scenes by combining the real criminal¡¯s statements and Director Pelgrant¡¯s past activities, but I think I ended up wasting my money.


    With that, let''s leave a little of the ice troll¡¯s blood from the alchemist¡¯s luggage for evidence and take the rest. It was a very valuable item that could not be found unless you went deep into the demon¡¯s territory.


    Elder Mirpa also kept nagging the Foreign Ministry to obtain it. Thinking about this point, I was proud to see it go into my pocket space. It was something I had to obtain when the chance arose because I didn''t know when I''d need it.


    After that, I wrapped the old man and the alchemist with rope and magically strengthened the rope over three times. They may not wake up for the next few hours, but just in case, I put up a simple, transparent barrier with magic. Even if they were spotted, whoever showed up from now wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about these guys unless they were a greater magician than me.


    Now that I¡¯ve got the real criminals, it''s time to go beat up the guys pulling the strings. Fortunately, I knew the location well because it was a place I had robbed once before.


    I took out the second version of the white half-mask from my pocket space and flew through the blue sky over the capital. Not only did I upgrade the perception disrupting magic, but I also put the number two in Roman numerals under the right eye so that no one would be able to recognize me as Lupin.


    * * *


    In his study, Marquis Baltainwas having trouble calming his heart rate as he kept biting his nails. If his butler were to return, he should have come back long ago, but he still hadn¡¯t.


    Did something go wrong?


    Feeling a vague sense of unease, he nervously shoved the luxurious books stacked on his desk to the floor.


    "F**k!" Marquis Baltain spat out curses and messed up his disheveled hair.


    No, let''s calm down. He kept reminding himself to calm down, but that was easier said than done. For someone who had always had his way since childhood, like Marquis Baltain, it felt like a part of his mind was falling apart just thinking about the possibility of something going wrong.


    "Damn it, all I asked was for him to kill a troublesome fly,¡± He murmured and told himself that there probably wasn¡¯t anything wrong.


    Marquis Baltain couldn''t understand what difficulty had popped up that would cause his butler to be late after being sent to deal with a trivial alchemist. He didn''t even want to understand.


    Let''s just punish him when he comes back. With this thought, he started biting his nails again. He would punish but not kill. There were few butlers this competent.


    Dozens of people died by his hands after being used as tools, but Marquis Baltain didn¡¯t think anything of them. No, he couldn''t. The trivial insects that had died had already disappeared from his memory long ago.


    Marquis Baltain kept biting his nails to relieve his anxiety. He turned the globe on his desk meaninglessly and fiddled with the books nervously.


    "Kiduk!" He looked back, surprised by the sudden laughter.


    On a large sofa on one side of the study, a woman wearing a red mask sat cross-legged, laughing at Marquis Baltain.


    "H, how? No, it¡¯s not strange if it¡¯s you, Scorpio," Marquis Baltain muttered to himself, looking at the woman in the red mask who broke through his mansion¡¯s security.


    Scorpio uncrossed her legs, got up from the sofa, and approached Marquis Baltain as she caressed the chin of her red mask, saying, "I heard things went awry. Huhu."


    Marquis Baltain was furious at her nonchalant tone, but at the same time, he was moved by the enchanting voice.


    "I''m glad you heard. I¡¯m going to have you people put it back on track, as you¡¯re the ones who messed it up."


    Scorpio roared in laughter at Marquis Baltain. "Oh my, why would I?"


    "What, what do you mean why?!¡± Marquis Baltain was flustered


    Soon, his emotions turned into rage, "All this happened because of you guys!"


    Scorpio found Marquis Baltain¡¯s anger to be funny and laughed, "I wonder why it¡¯s my fault~?"


    Marquis Baltain became angry at her playful, feminine tone. "Are you messing around? Didn¡¯t this all happen because those guys were chasing the prime minister¡¯s hounds for you?!"


    "Oh my, is that so?"


    As soon as Scorpion raised her voice whimsically, Marquis Baltain''s face turned red with fury. "You, you...!"


    Scorpio mocked Marquis Baltain, the marquis speechless from his anger. "I think you''re confused. You''re the one who left a trail. Isn¡¯t it because of your carelessness that our noble prime minister smelled it and sent the hounds our way?"


    "What- for what reason did the tail get caught! It¡¯s because we tried to meet your excessive demands that this happened!¡±


    Scorpio¡¯s reply was no longer playful but rather cold and sharp, "So you should have been careful. Besides, I''m sure you didn''t get caught simply trying to listen to my demands?¡±


    "Ugh!" Marquis Baltain had no reply.


    Scorpio whispered into Marquis Baltain¡¯s ear, "If your greed was satisfied thanks to me, you should have known better."


    "You, you wench!¡± Marquis Baltain was dumbfounded upon hearing that from the greedy Scorpio.


    However, Scorpio moved away from Marquis Baltain and shrugged as if she had read his mind, "I may not know the limits of my greed, but I have the power to control it. Yet, I don''t know if you do? Oh, the hound you tried to kill won¡¯t try to bite back when he wakes up, will he?"


    The playful tone came back, but Marquis Baltain was cool-headed this time. If he didn''t kill Pelgrant now, Pelgrant might point towards him as the culprit. There likely wasn¡¯t any evidence, but there was circumstantial evidence in his hand that he and Scorpio had communications between them.


    Since Pelgrant had almost died, Marquis Baltain was certain that at the testimony, they would make up evidence that the prime minister didn¡¯t have and attack them. This was a kind of political fight, and the battle would be decided by the one who justified their position first.


    In a dog fight where you get bitten in the nape if you didn¡¯t bite first, it was Marquis Baltain who provided justification. The attempt to attack first for his own safety led to a counterattack made possible by Pelgrant''s survival. No matter how much of an obstinate child he was, the political sense he had developed over the years in politics gave him a sense of crisis.


    Turning pale, the marquis pleaded with Scorpio, "I¡¯m begging you! Please kill that hound! If it¡¯s you, you can kill him without anyone knowing!"


    Right now, it could be said that Pelgrant was safer than Arcanta, the prime minister. It was clear that the prime minister would protect Pelgrant with very tight security since he was a precious friend and an important political weapon.


    Obviously, the guards would not allow any chance for Marquis Baltain to even dare slip through. However, the monster capable of publicly announcing her desire for the fall of the Empire, the most powerful nation, was different. If it were the witch in front of him, she¡¯d be able to assassinate Pelgrant while ridiculing every security measure.


    "Well, that is possible. Hmm~ What should I do?" The playful tone of Scorpio made Marquis Baltain¡¯s insides burn up.


    "Well, I''ll do it if you give me what you were supposed to before."


    "Before? What, what are you talking about?" Marquis Baltain was overcome with anxiety.


    "Eyy, you know. The Goddess¡¯s Blessings."


    The marquis despaired at Scorpio¡¯s cutesy tone. "That, didn''t I say I''d give it to you once the thief is caught?"


    Despite the desperate voice of the marquis, Scorpio laughed playfully, "Oh dear, you still haven''t caught him?"


    The laugh convinced the marquis. She had posed the question knowing full well what the situation was. This woman was only making fun of him.


    "If I get caught, you won''t be safe either! Everything! I''m gonna spill everything to the prime minister! And your hideout! Power! Everything!"


    At the angry voice, Scorpio couldn''t hold back her ridicule and burst out laughing. "Puhut! Puhahaha!"


    Marquis Baltain was flustered by Scorpio¡¯s laughter. "Why, why are you laughing?!"


    "Ahhahaha! Ah~ It''s been a while since I had such a good laugh. Did you really believe everything I''ve said and shown you up till now? Wow, I didn¡¯t know, but I guess our marquis is really a pure man.¡±


    "What...? The marquis¡¯s face suddenly turned white as he stared blankly at Scorpio.


    Scorpio smiled with her eyes through the mask. "Next time, please prepare something that will satisfy my desires so that I can do a favor for you. That is if there is a next time."


    After finishing, Scorpio somehow disappeared before the marquis¡¯s eyes. As if he had spoken to the air from the beginning, the marquis felt a strong sense of separation and betrayal and couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    Where did it go wrong? Was it when he tried to kill the prime minister¡¯s hound that was digging after him? Joining hands with that witch due to being drowned in greed? No, it wasn¡¯t at any of those moments. If he didn¡¯t try to kill the hound, the hound would have certainly tried to bite his neck. He would have found someone to satisfy his greed even if he didn¡¯t join hands with the witch.


    Marquis Baltain found the root of the destruction from elsewhere. Lupin, yes, Lupin was the root of all evil. In the first place, if the thief named Lupin had not stolen the Goddess¡¯s Blessing that he was going to give to Scorpio, then she wouldn¡¯t have made those excessive demands.


    If a thief named Lupin hadn''t stolen the entirety of his fortune from his mansion, his tail wouldn''t have been caught due to a sudden lack of funds. Everything, everything was because of that thief, Lupin!


    Yet now, it all became useless. Now, he just wanted the butler to come back soon after taking care of the alchemist.

 Chapter 90: Attempted Poisoning of a Civil Servant (13)

    After arriving at Marquis Baltain¡¯s residence, I infiltrated the mansion, evading the guards and servants. The goal was to locate documents or items that would prove Marquis Baltain¡¯s corruption before sunset.


    To be honest, I was reflecting on the past. When I robbed him previously, I knew he was a scumbag solely because he didn''t reimburse my clothes. However, I didn''t realize he was trash that couldn¡¯t even be recycled.


    I felt a kind of dereliction of duty from not knowing the extent of his trash character even after having robbed his mansion once. If I had stolen the evidence back then, I wouldn¡¯t have had to visit the jail, and I wouldn¡¯t have suffered the humiliation of having my drawing skills mocked by the burden.


    So let''s take this opportunity to completely erase those with a laurel tree and silver wolves on the family crest. First, I decided to rob one room at a time and headed to the area where the safe used to be.


    To rob the safe without any interruptions, I attacked the guard in front of the door from a blind spot and knocked him out. Then, using magic, I made the unconscious guard keep standing and carefully entered the room.


    "Oh my?" When I sneaked in, the visitor who was already in the safe room looked at me with surprise.


    What is this? There were definitely no signs of any presence in the room, but why was there a person?!


    I spoke to the visitor in the red mask without revealing my surprise, "Oh man, I didn¡¯t realize there was already a visitor."


    The woman in the red mask spoke with her ear still leaning against the safe, "Since I didn''t know a visitor would be coming either, aren¡¯t we the same?¡±


    "Haha, is that so? Then let''s consider it the same and move on." I smiled but stayed vigilant against the woman in the red mask. I couldn''t see her face because of the red mask, but I could make out signs of her wariness towards me.


    "However, since I was here first, I''ll eat this meal,¡± she said.


    I shrugged at the woman in the red mask. "Really? I''m here to collect a debt from the marquis, so it¡¯d put me in a difficult position if you eat here."


    "Is that right? What should we do? I have a debt to collect from the marquis too.¡± Red Mask looked at me with greedy eyes that penetrated beyond the mask. Given that she was gradually increasing her aura, it seemed she was getting ready for a possible fight.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t feel like fighting, it just wouldn¡¯t be desirable if the fight demolished the marquis¡¯s mansion and all the evidence disappeared.


    "Hmm, I see. Alright. Then I''ll let you have this place. However!" I paused.


    "However?"


    "I''ll eat the other places." I gave a playful smile. Red Mask seemed to have understood my meaning and smiled back.


    "Oh, is it a competition?¡±


    "It''s good that you''re quick to understand. Do you agree?"


    Red Mask set the correct code for the safe and opened its door, nodding at the same time. "Sounds good to me, but what are you going to do if I have something you want?"


    I rubbed my chin and replied, "We¡¯ll exchange it for something of mine. And vice versa if I have something that you want.¡±


    "How clear-cut."


    As soon as we had agreed, we set appropriate rules.


    "We¡¯ll come back after one hour. The safe will belong to the person who entered the room first."


    "This is where we will meet again. And of course, we''ll have to show everything we gain, right?¡±


    After we nodded at the same time, Red Mask and I quickly left the room. I assumed that there would be no overlap in things that she and I both wanted. I was already aware there¡¯d be a battle if there was overlap anyways.


    Then, it''s a competition from now on.


    * * *


    Soldiers stormed into the alchemy workshop after all the sleeping gas had disappeared and dragged out the drug offenders sprawled on the floor.


    Following procedures, the White Deer knights tried to tie up the drug offenders with rope once more. It was unknown what the ropes were made of, but when they failed to untie the rope, the knights tried to cut it and still failed. Thanks to this, they had no choice but to handcuff the offenders over the rope using a large wooden board with iron on it.


    As a result, the drug offenders¡¯ hands became bluish, as if the blood flow to their hands had stopped. These drug offenders would be executed anyways, so no one cared about whether their blood was flowing well or not.


    "Kkeung!" Lying amongst the collapsed soldiers who tried entering the building full of sleeping gas, the vice-captain groaned and woke up.


    "Are you awake now?"


    "Cap...Captain?" The vice-captain grasped his head as if he had a headache and spoke in a rough voice as if he had just woken up.


    "Yes, it''s me."


    The vice-captain tried to get up but then noticed the note and flowers stuck to his left hand. "Oh, why isn''t this coming off?"


    The captain looked at the vice-captain, who was currently trying to remove the flowers and note somehow. "The court magician who was dispatched said there is magic on it to prevent it from falling off your hand."


    "Yes?" The vice-captain was perplexed by the captain¡¯s remark and read the note.


    "Ah damn, how unlucky."


    When he saw the phrase, "I fell asleep here trying to fight drug offenders," the vice-captain frowned.


    The captain sighed, "The court magician said that the note had magic on it that resisted half of the sleeping gas. Flowers were the catalyst."


    Den¡¯s intention of blocking ¡®half¡¯ of the sleeping gas was to prevent the vice-captain from overdosing on it while still making sure he would inhale it and not wake up.


    Of course, only the magic formula on the back of the note meant something, while the phrase written on the front meant nothing.  Unaware of the truth, the captain and the vice-captain moved on, thinking that the phrase was part of the magic.


    "However, I¡¯d rather be briefed on what has happened so far. Why were you sleeping here like this?¡±


    At the captain¡¯s indifferent glance, the vice-captain shrank back and told him what had happened.


    "...that''s why that cheapskate trainee wore a gas mask alone and blew up a sleeping bomb before running away." The vice-captain muttered that he was a cheapskate, but the captain thought differently.


    Although the vice-captain worked well in situations where he was surrounded and outnumbered, the captain judged that the vice-captain would have been seriously injured if he had tried to protect Den. Under such circumstances, if there were a sleeping bomb and only one mask, the most effective method would be to wear the gas mask himself and set off the sleeping bomb.


    From Den''s point of view, he must have considered that he was still a suspect and could be accused of being the criminal if he could not find evidence. If that was the case, he likely chose to move by himself rather than trust the vice-captain, whom he had only met today.


    The problem was that the use of this sleeping bomb could not be ignored by the White Deer knights. If it were just an accident, it would have ended up as a fine, but if it were used intentionally, there would be problems. That wouldn¡¯t be good for Den, who was currently a suspect.


    "We will treat this sleeping gas incident as an accident."


    "Yes?" The vice-captain was surprised by the captain¡¯s unusual response. The captain was usually strict about protocol.


    This was the result of Den''s suggestion and the hypnosis from earlier.


    "I have to repay him for saving my friend."


    It was a welcome change for Den, as he was planning on handling it by threatening the vice-captain with his weaknesses (damage to military supplies and sympathizing with an impersonator).


    * * *


    After a breathless hour, I arrived at the room with the safe where I first met Red Mask. There were 38 safes that I went through, including some secret safes, while Red Mask had 51.


    Although I lost in quantity, I don''t think that I lost in the value of the safes¡¯ contents. No, rather I was definitely ahead in terms of quality.


    "Oh, I only knew of 64 safes. Where did the other 25 safes come from?¡± Red Mask asked.


    "Oh, these 25 vaults had no magic on them at all. It took me a while to find them because of it,¡± I said.


    This was the reason some safes escaped my grasp the last time I robbed this place. It felt like there was still a lot to learn in this world. I missed those safes because I was tricked by the opposite of what I had thought.


    "Hoh, indeed a greedy raccoon,¡± Red Mask gritted her teeth.


    Judging from her reaction, it seemed that these safes didn''t have magic on them specifically because of her. In fact, most of the things in the secret safes were piles of documents with no monetary value. However, it was mostly evidence of Marquis Baltain¡¯s corruption and crimes, so I managed to accomplish my goal.


    "Let''s make a deal." Red Mask took out what used to be Marquis Baltain¡¯s fortune and offered to make a deal.


    "I wonder? I don''t know if there''s any benefit for me.¡± After I deflected her offer, Red Mask opened her pocket space and began taking out various rare magic materials.


    Many of the magic ingredients were things I didn''t have. The only magic materials I didn''t have were materials found deep in the demon¡¯s territory or ones exclusively managed by the fairy tribe, one of the battle races situated in the southern part of the continent.


    "What would you like, customer? Just tell me. This isn¡¯t your everyday opportunity."


    To be specific, this wasn''t a common opportunity for me. My mouth was watering over the rare magic materials. My desire was so great that I wanted to get my hands on them even if it cost all the platinum coins I had in my pocket space.


    In the past, I went to an auction run by the Magic Tower as an excuse to buy the necessary materials for the magic class taught at the training center. However, except for a tiny amount of rare materials, most of them were things already overflowing in my pocket space. After disguising myself, I bought all of the rare magic materials, buying so much that even they were overflowing now.


    When I rubbed my hands and put down the documents, Red Mask looked at me with a ridiculing smile, but it didn¡¯t matter. Even without this evidence, regular friendly visits once a month would be enough to bring about his downfall.


    "Among those documents, is there a book called ''The North Continent¡¯s Cry,'' and documents called ''The End of the Holy Family,'' ''The Prophecy of the Holy Family,'' or ''The Breath of the Holy Family¡¯?" Red Mask asked.


    "Let''s see. There''s a book called ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯ and a document called ¡®The Breath of the Holy Family.¡¯"


    Both were old documents that seemed to be hundreds of years old.


    "Is there anything else?¡±


    I answered Red Mask, imitating Mac hyung, "Hahaha, there isn''t. Would you like to take a look?"


    "Yes,¡± Red Mask answered immediately and rummaged through the documents.


    Yet, unable to find it, she glanced at me. "You''re not hiding it by any chance, are you?"


    "Aigoo! How could I do such a thing? This is everything.¡±


    At my playful banter, Red Mask¡¯s hands trembled, almost as if she felt it was a waste, and she handed over Marquis Baltain¡¯s entire fortune and the various rare magic materials.


    "Aigoo, I¡¯m thankful!¡± All these documents had been copied anyways.


    I didn''t know why she wanted those documents, but I decided to read them slowly later. I put all the magic materials and the fortune in my pocket space. Maybe because he wasn¡¯t able to accrue much since the last time I robbed him, the fortune wasn¡¯t that grand.


    Now, let''s put some of these corruption ledgers back into the safe and send a few of them as a gift to the prime minister.


    "Did you know that this is the first time someone has taken this much away from me?¡± Red Mask was about to leave through the window, but she turned around and spoke.


    I responded by bringing in my arms exaggeratedly and said goodbye, "It is an honor.¡±


    "You just wait and see. Hohoho!" The laughter was not pleasant, but what could I do? My pocket space was already full; it was time to go back now.


    * * *


    On the way back, I retrieved the old butler and the real criminal, heading back to the interrogation room. Once there, the burden nagged me in the interrogation room.


    Of course, I let it go through one ear and out the other as I handed over the real criminal, accomplice, and evidence to the captain to become a free man¡­ Or that would have been nice, but I had no choice but to sleep in jail for today.


    That jerk¡¯s principles...


    The next day, I sent back the visiting crybaby siblings and the Butterfly siblings. Then, as I was taking a nap and enjoying life in jail, there was news that Director Pelgrant had woken up. The captain took me out of jail and brought me to visit the imperial hospital where Director Pelgrant was hospitalized.


    I didn''t know why he was taking me with him, but as I entered the hospital room, I had no choice but to see Director Pelgrant with tears streaming down his face.


    "I''m sorry. I heard you''ve had a hard time because of me,¡± he said.


    Surprised by the sudden situation, I put on my usual fake smile. "No, it''s not your fault, director, so don''t blame yourself so much."


    Suddenly, he grabbed me by the arm and began to mutter words of thanks over and over again. I thought that being at death¡¯s door had fried his brain, but since I saved his life, I felt that he might give me around an average score.


    However, when I checked my grades later, I had received a perfect score on the evaluation. Still, it was unexpected that he would give me a perfect score for saving his life.


    Wait. Doesn¡¯t this mean my grades are too high now? Damn it; I¡¯m f**ked!

 Chapter 91: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (1)

    At 10 a.m., the train station in the eastern part of the capital was unusually quiet. Besides the station workers, not a single soul was in sight..


    - The train is now entering East Capital Station. Passengers, please take a step back for your safety.


    The pre-recorded voice resounded throughout the station despite there being no passengers,. The station workers waited for the train to roll into the station, their faces unusually tense.


    The train gradually slowed down before coming to a complete stop at the East Capital Station.


    - When the train door opens, please wait for passengers to exit before boarding.


    A recorded announcement played again, and the train door opened.


    A few minutes passed, yet no one stepped out through the open train doors. However, none of the station workers dared to relax.


    After a wait, strong young men in fancy silver uniforms got off the train first, glancing around as they stepped onto the platform, before speaking into a magic radio.


    "All clear on the train platform."


    - Copy that. Don¡¯t lower your guard even if it''s clear.


    The men in silver uniform became on guard again at the staticky voice from the radio.


    "Understood."


    Shortly after the reply, a girl delicately stepped off the train, guarded by men in silver uniforms.


    "There is a wide gap between the car and the station. Take my hand, Miss Saintess."


    Albatoss, the leader of the paladins serving the Saintess, extended his hand. Hillis smiled and whispered, "My stride is wider, so stop being a fool."


    Albatoss burst into a loud laugh, although he quickly felt awkward due to the quiet surroundings and tried to cover his embarrassment with a dry cough. "Ahem, if that is Miss Saintess¡¯s will."


    Once Hillis alighted from the train, the paladins dressed in silver like Albatoss swiftly filed out of the train and surrounded her in escort.


    Hillis sighed at the sight.


    "Ehew, being ridiculous."


    Hillis'' words were barely loud enough for the paladins surrounding her to barely hear. They wanted to laugh out loud as usual, but there were station workers here. As paladins, they had to protect the Saintess¡¯s prestige.


    At this time, a middle-aged man in a high-class suit, who was obviously of a higher position than the station workers, approached Hillis. The paladins naturally stopped him.


    Hillis sighed inwardly at the sight, while her face showed a perfectly benevolent smile.


    "It''s all right."


    The paladins dropped their arms that had been blocking the middle-aged man¡¯s approach, but they maintained their vigilance towards the middle-aged man¡¯s movements.


    The middle-aged man approached Hillis, unconcerned as if he thought the paladins¡¯ actions were only natural. Still, he stopped his approach and kept a certain distance.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Miss Saintess. Although I am lacking, I am the chief of the Imperial Railroad Association and am called Jemuir."


    The railroad chief did not bother to give his last name. In the temple, once one reached a certain rank or higher, they would abandon their last name and use only their name, position, or even just their baptismal name. Therefore, Jemuir was accommodating their practices.


    "It is nice to meet you, Sir Jemuir," Hillis greeted by simply drawing a cross.


    Just as the railroad chief was trying to continue the conversation, a frivolous voice came from behind.


    "Iya! A train is so nice! Don''t you think so? Sir Paladins?"


    As Mac got off the train, the paladins avoided his eyes as much as possible and evaded his question.


    "What''s wrong with you all? This is unlike you all."


    When Mac looked on with a playful smile, Leisha hit Mac in the back.


    "Get a grip, look at the atmosphere!"


    "That''s right!" Lancelot agreed with Leisha.


    Hillis burst into laughter at the sight and explained to the railroad chief. ¡°It¡¯s my traveling party.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see.¡±


    The railroad chief was inwardly flustered, although he tried to hide it. Hillis took advantage of the railroad chief being flustered to pose a question.


    "By the way, I heard there were people down there who came to welcome me. Is this the way down there?"


    Rather than waste time listening to the railroad chief prattle on with some boring and tedious chatter, Hillis preferred to seize the initiative in the conversation. "Oh, yes! That is correct."


    The railroad chief showed signs of regret as he guided them down the train station.


    "As you know, under imperial law, carrying weapons inside the train and at the station is strictly controlled. Because of me, the paladins who came to receive Miss Saintess have had a hard time waiting in the cold."


    Hillis thought he was being superfluous since she was already well aware of everything he was saying, but still she smiled quietly and followed the guide.


    Unless the train station was enclosed, it would be cold all the same regardless of whether the paladins came into the station or otherwise.


    As Hillis and the paladins went down the stairs, Lancelot called Hillis from behind.


    "Excuse me, Miss Saintess."


    "Yes. Go ahead."


    "We have somewhere to go, so we will have to separate here."


    Hillis widened her eyes, then spoke with a look of regret. "Yes, you said you were looking for someone. Alright. Then are you going to General Bloody''s residence?¡±


    Lancelot nodded. "Yes, our plan is to operate out of Lord Bloody¡¯s residence."


    "I see. Come to think of it, it seems you were late getting to the capital because of our situation."


    Hillis apologized. After a pilgrimage in Zaharam from late July to early August, she had persuaded the trio to go with them to St. Percival in order to reward and thank them.


    It had been around mid-September when they had arrived in the holy city of St Percival, and considering it was December now, it had taken them around two and a half months in total to get to the capital.


    There had been the Zaharam incident but it was also largely due to the serious injury of Cardinal Fernando and news of Mario¡¯s death, one of the three head paladins under Fernando.


    "As promised, I will do my best to search for the person you are looking for within the limits of my ability."


    "Thank you." Lancelot bowed his head.


    "Let''s have a drink later."


    The paladins nodded silently at Mac.


    "It''s been a pleasure being with you guys. Let¡¯s meet again later."


    Hillis genuinely smiled at Leisha and said, "Come to the Great Temple any time. May God bless you."


    Mac naturally picked up Leisha and jumped down the railing.


    "Hold, hold on! Kyaaaaaaaa-!!" Leisha, who had a fear of heights, screamed.


    A somewhat embarrassed Lancelot also followed. "Ah! Wait for me!"


    The railroad chief was stunned, but Hillis and the paladins headed out of the train station as if it was only natural.


    Eyes wide, the railroad chief stared  at the paladins confusedly..But when he saw Hillis go ahead, he came to his senses and hurried over to the front to guide them again.


    -o-


    After somehow completing my training at the district office, I returned to the training center in a week.


    I headed to the lecture room where I had the magic class before the start of the probationary training.


    After the training in the district office would be the training in the magic tower. Therefore, now I was heading for  the lecture room to be assigned a magic tower to go for training.


    Thinking back to the novel in my previous life, the magic tower in that novel was a kind of school where a group of magicians got together to research magic, and was often beyond the purview of the national authority.


    Hence, the leader of the magic tower would often be corrupt and end up being robbed by the munchkin main character, or caught by the munchkin main character because they were basically a group of pushover wise men who were truly removed from the world.


    But not in the empire.


    In here, the magic tower was a kind of public company made up of magicians. To be exact, one could think of it as a group of magicians researching magic, magic scrolls, and magic tools under the control of the nation.


    Oh, but didn¡¯t magic towers in the novels of my past life do those things too? Now, that¡¯s something to ponder on.


    Well, a magician¡¯s work was as such anyway. But what mattered was not what the magic tower did, but that it was ¡®managed by the nation¡¯.


    In other words, research that posed a threat to the nation was not allowed. You could not do unethical research. Above all, all the research that the magic tower had done needed to be shown to the empire.


    Although it was granted some autonomy, a considerable amount of the profits earned by the magic tower was given to the empire, which in turn supported the magic tower¡¯s operations.


    From the empire¡¯s perspective, it was very matter-of-fact. Magicians had a special position as a magic researcher and as a tactical weapon that made their lives very comfortable. In other words, powerful weapons that should only be found on the battlefield, were roaming the city center. This was a group that had the freedom to judge and analyze situations.


    From a politician¡¯s point of view, they were still less dangerous than a powder keg filled with gunpowder and cannonballs. From the empire¡¯s perspective, if they weren¡¯t controlled and something were to go wrong, terrible things could ensue.


    That was why civil servants were sent to the magic tower and its branches: to help with its work and at the same time monitor the work inside it.


    Entering the lecture room, it was packed with trainees. Usually, the class was divided into multiple sessions, to the point where the lecture room looked uselessly large. But today, it didn¡¯t look all that spacious.


    I found Flam among the crowd of people packed tightly as bean sprouts, and sat next to him.


    "You''re here? You came a little late today."


    ¡°I stopped by the White Deer Knights on the way back and wrote a testimony."


    Flam was surprised. "Weren¡¯t you completely released?"


    "I¡¯m free from being investigated so it is true that I have been completely released. It''s kind of a witness testimony and a formality." I answered with a shrug.


    Even though I had gone out of my way to give them clear evidence, they still called in a busy person like myself to get a written testimony, claiming that it was protocol.


    The attempted poisoning incident had occured 4 days ago, and I knew they had to fill out reports, but what did that have to do with me? It seemed like I¡¯d be called in two or three more times. How annoying!


    "It hasn¡¯t been announced yet, has it?"


    Flam nodded. "That¡¯s right. I don''t know which tower I''ll be going to for training, but it¡¯d be nice if we went together again."


    "I agree."


    If Flam had been late in bringing the priest during the recent attempted poisoning incident, Pelgrant probably would not have died, but he would have likely still been comatose. By then, no matter how much evidence I gathered and brought back, I likely wouldn''t have been released this early.


    Even that gangster Burden, a vice captain, had said that Director Pelgrant¡¯s influence was something that couldn¡¯t be ignored for securing his release.


    I''ll buy Flam a drink later. This time, I¡¯d have to lower the ratio of liquor mixed with beer to less than half. Otherwise, he might panic again and refuse to drink with me.


    While I was thinking about this and that, the door to the lecture room opened and one of the professors who taught the magic class came in.

 Chapter 92: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (2)

    The professor put down a wooden box about the size of a person''s head on the platform and spoke.


    "There are 23 magic towers that have applied to receive probationary trainees this time, which is more than the last time. Among these are the magic towers that are so famous that you would''ve probably heard of them at least once in your life. But at the same time, there are others so small that you¡¯ll wonder if a place like that even exists.."


    I wasn¡¯t sure of the exact number of magic towers, but there were approximately 150 in the empire. The reason I didn¡¯t have an exact number was that each year, some would disappear or some new ones appear, depending on their productivity or research results. Therefore, there were often cases where a magic tower would disappear within a year of being sanctioned.


    When magic towers disappeared, civil servants were reassigned to other magic towers and the magicians would just relocate to another since they were still valuable resources.Of the 23 towers that the professor mentioned, there were probably only two or three that anyone would have heard of, and the rest were likely small and medium-sized magic towers that no one would have heard of unless they were aware of them already.


    The professor continued while tapping on the wooden box he had brought. "Since small magic towers often have environments that aren¡¯t as good, there are often complaints about sending trainees in the order of academic ranks. So, our Magic Tower Alliance has agreed not to send the trainees in order of academic ranks, but instead by drawing lots."


    At the professor''s words, the expressions of the top trainees became distorted and the faces of the bottom trainees brightened. However, their eventual job assignments were based on academic ranks so they would only be disappointed later. It seems the environment of the local offices they were assigned to was really bad.


    "How come you look so calm? You''re not just at the top, but the very top of the ranks. Shouldn¡¯t you express some kind of dissatisfaction?" Flam tilted his head at my overly relaxed face.


    "I''m usually lucky.¡±


    To be exact, rather than luck, my eyesight was good. Even if one were to peek inside that box, they wouldn¡¯t be able to read the letters on the paper because the inside of the box was dark. But my eyes were good enough that I could read them even in the dark.


    Magic tower training was the most anticipated part of the training schedule. It was one of the few opportunities to gain insight into what the empire¡¯s magicians were researching and what kind of new cutting edge tools were being developed. It was said that a tool that¡¯s too good would worsen your skill, but that was for people with mediocre skills. It had nothing to do with me, someone in his prime and confident. But still, it would be sad if I lost the chance to see such high-tech tools by getting sent to an out-dated magic tower from drawing lots.


    It would be so sad that the professor who sent me to the small-medium magic tower might even shed tears. In that sense, I was relieved to know that I had magic to view inside the box and that my eyes were very good. I¡¯ll be thankful for the fact that the professor won¡¯t have to shed tears.


    "Haha, I¡¯m jealous. I''m usually unlucky," Flam said, getting up to go draw lots.


    The order of drawing lots was in the order of seats, but since the seats were not assigned, choosing a seat was essentially drawing a lot. Thanks to Flam sitting in front, my turn was also early. Seeing this, neither Flam nor I seemed to be unlucky.


    When Flam put his hand in the box and pulled out a note, I got up from my seat.


    "Red Magic Tower. Here''s the magic tower pass for trainee use.¡±


    The professor handed Flam a pass for staff to enter the Red Magic Tower.


    The Red Magic Tower was one of the seven colored giant magic towers situated in the center of the capital, and was also one of the three that I was considering picking from the box.


    It was attractive considering that other small and medium-sized magic towers were situated towards the outskirts of the capital and were barely three stories high, with some even being located in the satellite cities outside of the capital. Above all, there was the geographical advantage that it was not far from the boarding house that I was staying at. However, the usual magic and alchemic research at the Red Magic Tower consisted of chimeras, homunculus, and artificial magic life. Alchemy didn¡¯t interest me, but I was interested in the life magic of the Red Magic Tower.


    Since Flam just picked the Red Magic Tower, I''ll have to pick that one too.


    Truthfully, I had just been thinking about picking the Green Magic Tower of the seven colored magic mowers. However, even though the fields were different, the Red and Green Towers shared a similar reputation. So, I decided to go where I knew someone.


    It was my turn next, so I put my hand in the wooden box and drew lots.


    "Red Magic Tower. Here''s your pass."


    "Thank you."


    Having received my pass from the professor, I went back to my seat.


    "Oh, it seems we''re going to the same place." I smiled playfully at Flam¡¯s awed face. "I told you. I''m lucky."


    The drawing of lots continued. Once done, the professor gave us some points of caution when living as a probationary trainee in the Magic Tower.


    Ah, I''m looking forward to it.


    * * *


    Lancelot stared blankly at the huge mansion before him.


    "Is this really where Lord Bloody lives?" Mac asked as he came up rubbing his bruised left eye with an egg.


    The bruise was the price of fooling around and jumping off a high place while carrying Leisha, who had a fear of heights.


    "Yes. Wow~ it''s really big! I think it''s even bigger than the town hall or the Warrant branch of the Druval Market." Lancelot also couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in amazement.The house that Bloody lived in was the second largest building they had ever seen. The first was the Holy Palace Percival, which they had witnessed when they had traveled with Hillis. However, considering that the mansion in front was for Bloody¡¯s use alone, it felt bigger than the Holy Palace Percival.


    "Excuse me, Miss. I was wrong. Can you stop hitting me?" Mac said to Leisha, who kept hitting him in the back with mana infused strength.


    "Get rid of your defensive barrier first then speak!" Leisha shouted in a venomous voice and continued to beat Mac, but a barrier naturally formed around the area she struck and blocked her.


    What made her even angrier was that she couldn''t feel the recoil force that a defense barrier should have.The lack of recoil force meant that her striking force was being dispersed somewhere. The fact that he was being strangely considerate of her by using a technique that couldn¡¯t be imitated at ordinary levels fueled her anger even further.


    Mac became perplexed and tried to turn it around. ¡°Now, now, what''s the use of just standing here? Let''s go in.¡±


    "Wait a minute!" Lancelot tried to stop Mac, but Mac was quicker and grabbed the gate and opened it with some force.


    Kang! Kagagagang!


    The door opened wide as the lock on the gate cracked and broke.


    "Huh?" Mac was flustered by the sound.


    This disaster had occurred because Mac was born and raised in the rural Crow Tribe village where there were no thieves, so he did not consider that the door would be locked.


    Mac was the one who forced the gate open, but Leisha was also shocked and stopped hitting Mac¡¯s back. Then, they heard a loud siren go off.


    Aaaaang~!


    ¡°What... What¡¯s that?!¡± At the sudden sound, Mac instinctively gathered Lancelot and Leisha behind him and posed for battle. The only reason he hadn¡¯t drawn his sword was because of Lancelot''s constant nagging that he shouldn¡¯t act recklessly.


    Dozens of armed soldiers jumped out of the mansion as soon as the loud siren sounded. They aimed their rifles (muzzle loading) at Lancelot and his party and attached a bayonet onto their rifles. "Who goes there?!"


    Lancelot stepped forward and replied to the cry of the person who seemed to be the commander of the soldiers. "We have come from the Crow Tribe to see Lord Bloody!" Although he was afraid of the bayonets that were suddenly pressed towards him, he was more afraid that Mac was going to cause trouble.


    The soldiers faltered at Lancelot''s reply, then the commander asked, "If you are from the Crow Tribe, then why didn''t you request an audience following the procedure instead of trying to force your way in?"


    Lancelot had no reply for the commander¡¯s suspicious gaze. Requesting an audience just meant if you pressed the doorbell and waited, a servant would come out and guide you to a reception room to wait. But this situation occurred because before they could do such a simple thing, Mac thoughtlessly tried to enter as though it was an acquaintance¡¯s mansion. Hestia had assigned Lancelot to the party for fear of this happening, and it was his job to resolve issues like this. He wanted to cry. "There should have been communication from before. Could you check the name Leisha Blade?¡±


    "Blade?" The commander¡¯s eyes widened..


    The fact that they identified themselves as the Crow Tribe and had the same last name as Bloody meant that they were the family of his superior. For a moment, he wanted to put away his weapon and salute, but he had to confirm if it was true first.


    "Hey, go and confirm." The commander pointed at a soldier who quickly ran into the mansion.


    The atmosphere fell into a strange silence where it was awkward to say anything on top of not knowing what to say. So everyone just stood and faced each other. Fortunately, the soldier''s feet were fast, and a butler dressed in a tailcoat came out running along him. The butler, who had c hurried over, swept back his disheveled salt and pepper hair and said, "May I ask which one of you is Leisha Blade?"


    Leisha raised her hand. "It''s me."


    "Hoo, I see.¡± The butler bowed his head and apologized after confirming that she matched the characteristics that he had heard from Bloody previously. "I''m sorry that the soldiers on guard were rude. Put down your weapons."


    The commander swallowed dryly and ordered them to put away their weapons. Even though the butler did not have the authority to order the soldiers, there was no soldier bold enough to ignore the middle-aged butler, once a famous knight on the battlefields of the past.


    "It''s been more than three months since we heard you were coming, so the soldiers seem to have forgotten by mistake and showed disrespect. Please forgive them with magnanimity as large as the rivers and sea.¡±, the butler said, giving the commander a slight side glance.


    The commander received the sharp gaze and screamed inside, thinking that he surely was a goner now. But he didn¡¯t show it on the outside, because he might really die if that happened.


    "No, it was us who made the mistake first." Seeing the butler bow so politely, Lancelot felt pressured and waved his hands.


    "Thank you for your words, Mister Lancelot."


    "Huh? Did I introduce myself?¡± Lancelot tilted his head and the butler smiled gently.


    "Of those that were supposed to come, the lady who knows how to use magic is Miss Leisha, the tall and very handsome, but weird... Hm! Unique way of speaking and long beard is Mister Mac, and the one who is very cautious and knows the empire¡¯s etiquette well is Mister Lancelot. This is what I heard previously."


    "I think you just tried to say it was a weird way of speaking and a beard,¡± Mac looked at the butler and said boisterously, but the butler acted like he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about and led them into the mansion.


    "His Excellency Bloody is waiting for you all. Please go inside."

 Chapter 93: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (3)

    The day after I was appointed to the Red Magic Tower, I went to work with a restless heart. I was saddened by the fact that I had to deliberately drop my grades during this training to ensure a safe appointment.


    Since I was also a magician, I knew what magicians hated, so it wouldn''t be hard to drop my grades. However, if performance during training was poor, it was unlikely to land an appointment at a magic tower later. To send a type of person that they hated to the magic tower was no less than telling the person to go die quietly.


    But the number one place in my mind was the Giant Magic Tower. I could embezzle a whole variety of magic ingredients that came here. In addition, it was a good location to sneakily read the magic books housed here. Also, magicians didn¡¯t come out of their labs easily, so I wouldn¡¯t get scolded by the old magicians.


    It was a dream position considering I would only have to treat the few customers who came to buy magic equipment and magic supplies. However, if I didn''t lower my grades this training session, there was a 100 percent chance that I would be appointed to a department somewhere within the imperial palace.


    I did consider that I could lower my grades later because I still had other probationary training. However, no matter how much I thought about it, now was the only chance I had to lower my grades.


    After this, the next probationary training was with the Mercenary Alliance or Adventurers¡¯ Guild, and next with a department in the imperial palace. There were two total probationary training sessions left. But neither presented the right opportunity to decrease my grades.


    In fact, at the Mercenary Alliance and the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, the probationary training was more like just taking a class as a student. To top it, there were hundreds of civil servant trainees but only two places that received these trainees- the headquarters of the Mercenary Alliance and the headquarters of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Even if the hundreds of trainees were split in half, managing them properly would paralyze their workflow. Because of this, the training just took the form of a class, and most usually received perfect scores for grades.


    But I couldn¡¯t do it at the department within the imperial palace, because I had to consider my safety. There was also a possibility that I could meet my uncle, Bloody, while I was a trainee at a  department within the imperial palace. Because I would have to act like I was kind of there, but kind of not, I didn''t think there would be any opportunities for me to cut my score.


    Now I was going to have to be a troll at my number 1 choice just because that damn Director Pelgrant unnecessarily gave me a perfect score when I was training at the district office last time.


    Sigh. I entered the Red Magic Tower.


    As I headed to the place where the trainees were gathered, the magician standing in front of the trainees got angry at me.


    "What time is it right now!"


    I took out my watch and checked the time.


    "Damn! It seems to be 9:10?¡±


    The original time for the assembly was nine. Most magicians are sensitive to time, I¡¯m not. It was understandable as it was a kind of an occupational disease caused by the fact that magic could possibly fail from just being a second late.


    This was definitely a deduction. This way, if I got a lower score than average and got an average score in the next two probationary training sessions, I would be able to get appointed to the district office or a town office in the capital.


    The magician frowned and calmed his anger. "Forget it. Next time, don''t be late. Take a seat!"


    "Yes, yes."


    The magician¡¯s frown wriggled once again at my reply.


    Magicians were sensitive to manners. A culture of courtesy was established because they knew that they wielded strong power and that once they fought, the fight would not end until they saw blood. In addition, magic was often inherited by apprenticeship, so it was even stricter. This was another deduction.


    As I sat next to Flam, he whispered in a small voice. "Why are you so late?"


    "I had some things to take care of," I said with a bitter smile.


    The magician standing in front let out a dry cough.


    Keheum!


    This was another deduction. Flam would have received one as well, but he spoke to me first, so it wasn¡¯t something I needed to feel bad about.


    The magician gave the same warnings as the professor yesterday on how to behave in the magic tower. There were a series of detailed nagging explanations such as "don''t make noise, don''t run, don''t touch without permission," and so on. Then, he led us on a tour inside of the tower.


    "This is where you will frequently visit for the next week and also where magic tools are kept. Didn''t I tell you not to touch earlier!?"


    The magician angrily scolded a trainee walking in front of me.


    Shoot, I should have touched it! I never thought he''d be mad for touching such a trivial magic tool. Let''s call that magician Squidward hereon.[1]


    "Keuhmm! The magic tools here are important items made by the magic tower. You have to handle them carefully so that they don''t get scratched."


    I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. They were selling this crap for money! Where did they sell their conscience?


    Even at a glance, these magic tools were made by trainees for the sake of practice. Though I couldn¡¯t make a pocket space, the things I made when I was five were still better than these.


    The trainees without good eyes for magic tools were simply in awe. If the prices of the magic tools written here were not low enough for ordinary people with some wealth to buy them, some curses might have flown out of my mouth.


    "Well, the quality doesn''t look very good."


    I nodded in agreement with Flam, who unexpectedly, had good eyes.


    "The quality looks like a student from the magic school made it for practice.¡±


    It was really only slightly better than the magic tools Alice made for class.


    "You there! Don''t make noise!"


    Squidward pointed at me and Flam. All right. Let''s try to bring down my grade, a little by little, this way.


    The next place that Squidward guided us to was the Chimera Research Facility, the pride of the Red Magic Tower.


    "This is a place you are normally restricted access to. But how would you be able to say that you''ve trained here without having seen the facility that is the pride of this place?"


    In short, he was showing us this place just to show off.


    The Chimera Research Facility was dark. Squidward explained that it was because some magical creatures were sensitive to light. Let''s make a note of this.


    One chimera was in a glass container filled with magic solutions, while another was wandering around a huge glass room. As I passed by looking at them, I felt like I was visiting a zoo from my previous life. It looked like the laboratory of a mad scientist. If it had been my previous life, this sight would have been enough to make animal lovers go on protest.


    Squidward roamed amid the breeding grounds containing chimeras and gave magic heavy explanations such that other trainees wouldn¡¯t even be able to understand.


    He even talked about things that seemed to be classified research information, probably because he thought no one would understand it anyway, but it was an unexpected gain for me.


    I''ll have to wear my mask and make a visit to the magic towers later too.


    While I was observing the chimeras interestedly, Squidward stopped in front of one. This chimera resembled a dog.


    "This chimera can speak a human tongue.¡±


    Squidward¡¯s face was full of pride. Flam, on the other hand, was terrified by his words.


    "Did you, perhaps, combine a human and a dog?!"


    He looked like he would immediately beat that magician to death if he had really combined humans with dogs.


    At Flam¡¯s forcefulness, the magician faltered and stammered. "There, there¡¯s no such thing!"


    The magician''s words softened Flam''s momentum. Perhaps, feeling embarrassed at having stammered due to a trainee¡¯s forcefulness, Squidward gave a dry cough and resumed explaining.


    "Ahem! This chimera can only imitate a person¡¯s voice because we have inserted in it vocal cords similar to a parrot¡¯s. But it does not understand human speech nor is it able to speak like humans," he said as he glared at Flam. "Of course, the ultimate goal is to have it understand humans and for it to be able to learn to a certain extent."


    Flam bowed his head at Squidward¡¯s gaze. "I''m sorry. I have a tendency for being unable to control myself when blood rushes to my head."


    "Keuhmm!" Squidward quickly turned his head away as if he was still feeling uncomfortable.


    Human experimentation in making chimeras was taboo amongst taboos. However, those who dealt with life magic often received gazes that were suspicious of human experimentation. So from Squidward¡¯s perspective, Flam¡¯s remark was quite rude.


    "That goal is what we call man-made intelligence, an artificial intelligence." Squidward continued to explain while ignoring Flam.


    I whispered quietly to Flam. "You should go and apologize formally later."


    Flam put on a somber face interspersed with a sigh. "I¡¯ll do that."


    "Cheer up." I patted Flam''s back and consoled him.


    Flam had an old and a little aggressive-looking face, but he was a good guy.


    Then Squidward picked up the microphone lying in front of the chimera cage and asked the trainees, "Who wants to teach some words to the chimera?"


    "I do!"


    I raised my hand as soon as I heard Squidward.


    Perhaps because I raised my hand too aggressively or because they felt uncomfortable about the chimera, other trainees did not raise their hands. Thanks to that, the mic landed in my hands.


    "You can''t teach sentences that are too long yet, so keep them short. And say one word at a time first and make a sentence after."


    "Yes!"


    I answered energetically. Then, turning on the microphone, I spoke a word.


    "Edward."


    When a sound suddenly came into the completely soundproof glass cage, the chimera raised its head.


    "Eh... de... ward."


    When the chimera followed along, I said the next words with a pause in between.


    "Oppa."


    "Play."


    "With me."


    The chimera slowly repeated my words.


    ¡°Edward oppa, play with me.¡±


    ¡°Ed... ward, oppa, play... with me."


    I felt goosebumps at the chimera''s speech.


    Squidward, watching from the side, asked, "What does that mean?"


    I shrugged and replied, "It doesn''t have any meaning."


    If I were to tell the truth, he might try to kick me out, unable to fully vent his anger.


    Squidward looked at me strangely. I felt guilty for no reason, so I avoided Squidward¡¯s eyes.


    "Well, if it doesn''t mean anything, that''s fine. All right everyone, let''s go to the next place."


    He led the trainees out of the Chimera Research Facility.


    1. Squidward is the grumpy character from the show, ¡°Spongebob Squarepants¡±.

 Chapter 94: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (4)

    On the outskirts of the capital, a man wearing a black hooded cloak leaned against a wall in a back alley and breathed out smoke from his cigar. White smoke wafted along with his breath and slowly dispersed into the sky.


    The man muttered as he watched the smoke scattered from under the hood, "Are you here?"


    A man wearing a similar hooded cloak appeared in the alley.


    "So it¡¯s the Mercenary King. I heard you usually hide your presence, but for me to have noticed you right away¡ª¡±


    Malecia pulled back his hood. "I asked you to call me Black Knight.¡±


    The man in the hooded cloak burst into laughter. "Oh, well, it seems being in the capital has made me call you the Mercenary King rather than the Black Knight."


    With a bitter smile, Malecia threw his cigar and stepped on it to put it out. "Seems like something Eranto would hate.¡±


    Eranto, that Malecia spoke of, was the name of the head of the empire¡¯s Mercenary Alliance. Malecia was thought to be competing for the title as he was inadvertently called the Mercenary King.


    But in fact, Malecia was not very happy with the title of Mercenary King. He thought that Eranto would be angry if he knew what he was thinking. Because he had crossed swords with him hundreds of times on the battlefield, it sometimes felt they were old friends instead of enemies.


    If Eranto, the head of the Mercenary Alliance, heard it, he would have foamed at the mouth in anger and tried to attack him saying, ¡°Don¡¯t insult me.¡± But, Malecia truly felt that way.


    "So why did you come all the way to the capital personally?"


    Malecia smirked. "There''s only one reason I would come to the most dangerous place for me."


    The capital was no different than a place of death for Malecia. In addition to the leader of the Mercenary Alliance, Bloody, William, Adventurers¡¯ Guild, there were the generals in charge of the capital and dozens of top knights under them residing in the capital, thirsting to kill him immediately.


    The capital was overflowing with strong people intent on killing him. Furthermore, even though the generals¡¯ knights may not be a match, the generals¡¯ top knights were strong enough to be comparable to a battle race.


    Malecia was similar to them in skill, with only a slight difference in ability. Competing one-on-one, even a small difference in their conditions could lead to one¡¯s death. Nevertheless, there was only one reason he came here.


    Having noticed the reason, the man in the hooded cloak got excited. "Th-then!"


    "Yes, his errand." Malecia took out a piece of rolled-up parchment from his chest.


    "Oh, oh! Miss Ram! Finally!" As if he had seen an object of worship, the man in the hooded cloak dropped to one knee and extended his hands towards the parchment.


    The sight of the man in a pious posture as if worshipping God, Malecia couldn¡¯t quite fathom. He was from a realm that the swordsman and warrior, Malecia, would never be able to understand.


    Malecia thought this was why one could never understand the magician lot.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    As Malecia handed over the parchment, the man in the hooded cloak reverently accepted it and carefully reeled in his arms.


    Malecia smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Around when the experiment succeeds, I¡¯ll erect a tombstone in that person¡¯s courtyard." There was sorrow in Malecia''s eyes.


    However, the man in the hooded cloak gave Malecia a bright smile without any regard for it.


    "Don''t say ridiculous things. If that person¡¯s experiment succeeds, I''ll be reborn. Still, I like the idea of putting it in his courtyard."


    "I''m glad you like the idea. Then farewell, my friend."


    At Malecia''s farewell, the man in the hooded cloak said with a puzzled look.


    "It''s you who''s leaving, so farewell to you. I''ll be staying here.¡±


    At such a confident retort, Malecia burst out into a fake laugh. "As expected, I can¡¯t understand a magician."


    "Me too. A warrior doesn''t make sense to me."


    Malecia thought it was the first time that the two had come to an agreement like this. The two said goodbye to each other.


    Malecia¡¯s steps, as he departed from the capital, were endlessly heavy.


    -o-


    After completing the tour of the magic tower with Squiward, the trainees and I were then handed over to a manager-level civil servant officially appointed to the Red Magic Tower.


    "Good work."


    The manager civil servant would be the one to evaluate the trainees and teach them how to do their jobs. When he greeted Squidward with a big smile, the latter grumbled.


    "Hnng, I had no choice but to do it because having trainees roam around without a magician guide could potentially cause a lot of damage."


    "Come on, everyone. Let''s give magician-nim a round of applause in gratitude."


    The trainees clapped their hands in response to the civil servant who spoke like a teacher.


    Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!


    At the applause, the corners of Squidward¡¯s mouth subtly rose.


    The training evaluation at the magic tower was conducted simultaneously by these two people in the presence of the trainees. The scores would be averaged to provide the final score for the training session.


    In other words, I had to get a low score from that civil servant manager as well. It seemed like it would be a busy week in many ways.


    -o-


    Edward, the young magician who was called "Squidward" by Den, left the trainees to the magic tower''s resident civil servant and climbed up the tower. The lord of the tower had summoned him to his office before lunchtime.


    Edward got into a magic-powered elevator and went to the top of the magic tower. Inside the quiet elevator, he eyed himself in the wall mirror, checking if his robe was messy or had wrinkles, and patted them out.


    The Tower Master was the foremost of the seven great magicians who led the seven magic towers in the empire. He was like an object of admiration for young magicians. Feeling the excitement of an innocent young man going to welcome a prima donna, he tidied his unkempt hair that was usually not taken care of.


    Then suddenly, he remembered what a trainee had taught the chimera that could learn to speak.


    "Edward oppa, play with me. Was it? Hut."


    Edward thought it was funny. The trainee was late and had not heard his name. He wasn''t even wearing his name tag and didn¡¯t want to reintroduce himself because of a tardy trainee. Still, coincidentally or not, for him who sincerely cared about and loved the chimera, he really liked that phrase. Of course, that didn''t mean he had any thoughts to reinstate the trainee''s deducted score.


    Come to think of it, who made that talking chimera again?


    The elevator suddenly arrived at the top floor when Edward had just thought of the question. He erased the random thoughts he had just had and got off the elevator.


    Standing in front of the Tower Master¡¯s office full of nervousness, he stabilized himself and knocked.


    "Tower Master-nim! It is Edward! May I come in?" Edward spoke loudly so that one could hear it well from inside. Then he bent his back and put his ear to the door in case he could not hear the answer.


    But there was no answer, and the door slowly opened by itself.


    "What are you doing?¡± from beyond the opened door, the Tower Master asked.


    Edward blushed with embarrassment at being caught with his hand on his ear and bent back.


    "No-nothing!"


    It was his first time coming to the Tower Master''s office, so he didn''t know that the door would open automatically. He straightened his back and went into the Tower Master¡¯s office.


    The Tower Master rolled up the parchment he was holding in his hand. "You''re in charge of managing the chimera breeding room these days?"


    "Yes! That is correct!" Edward answered with a disciplined voice.


    The Tower Master smiled and put his chin on his hand while leaning on the desk. "Don''t be so nervous. For an old man like me, it¡¯s enjoyable talking to a young person like you. Wouldn''t it be better to be natural?"


    "Yes, it would. It''s an honor!"


    As he still seemed nervous, the Tower Master brought up the reason for Edward''s summon.


    "About test number 46A-10346."


    This number referred to the chimera that could speak, the one he had just introduced to the trainees.


    "It seems like the growth is a little fast. Have you been taking any other actions by chance?"


    Edward harked back to his management of the chimeras. "No, there is nothing in particular."


    As he answered, Edward became slightly depressed because he felt that he had not answered the Tower Master¡¯s question properly.


    "Hmm, is that so?" The Tower Master read the document with the chimera¡¯s information and spoke as if he had found something interesting. "How many hours are you usually in the breeding room?¡±


    Edward replied, "I haven''t timed it exactly, but I think it is around eight to ten hours a day."


    "Oh! You stay for quite a long time. Very good. You are very passionate."


    Edward was at a loss when the Tower Master praised him with joy. "No, I simply did what I should have done."


    "No, no, it''s a problem these days because all the magicians are obsessed with their own research. They don''t care about the shared things used in research."


    The Tower Master clicked his tongue.


    However, magicians were devoted to personal research in any time period so it was hard to point at the modern magicians specifically. Edward knew that fact, but he didn''t want to unnecessarily ruin the moment when he was being praised. Rather, he was moved. Just having a conversation with the great magician he admired was overwhelming by itself.


    However, he was now receiving praise as well. It would be fine to say that he would remember this moment forever.


    "Oh, I called over a busy man and I¡¯m just wasting his time.¡±


    Edward shook his head enthusiastically. "No! Rather, it''s an honor."


    The Tower Master laughed loudly with a joyful face. "Haha, thanks for saying that. Actually, the reason I called you like this is because it''s a bit personal.¡±


    "Please give me your command. It''s an honor to help you."


    "Hmmhmm, then I''ll ask you for one thing. Can you give special attention to the chimeras I tell you about when you work in the chimera breeding facility? I''d like you to keep a constant watch if possible."


    The Tower Master''s request was not such a difficult task. Edward gladly agreed and nodded.


    "Hahaha, thanks for being so willing. It''s a secret, but it¡¯s because I''m going to do some experiments tomorrow or the day after and I need some chimeras. You¡¯ll just need to provide care until the experiment."


    Edward became nervous at the word ¡®secret¡¯. He wondered just what kind of experiment it would be to be called a secret. However, when the Tower Master said he trusted him and would leave it to him.


    Edward threw away the useless questions into a corner of his mind and confidently said, "You can leave it to me!¡±


    After finishing his business, Edward left the Tower Master¡¯s office.


    Left alone in the room, the Tower Master reopened the rolled parchment and admired the contents inside.


    "Amazing! Such a method!¡±


    The Tower Master¡¯s eyes were filled with joy and strong desire.

 Chapter 95: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (5)

    Losing points on the first day went smoothly. The civil servant manager who conducted the training evaluation was so nice that I couldn¡¯t do things to make him openly express his anger, so instead, I just made small mistakes during the easy parts.


    For example, while moving an empty flask, I pretended my hands slipped and while turning around, I pretended to accidentally hit a precision magic tool with my elbow. Flam was next to the empty flask and barely managed to catch. For the precision magic tool, I made sure to hit it, and at the same time, made sure that the tool was obviously not broken.


    It was not difficult for me for I had now mastered strength control. Even if it broke, it didn''t matter because I could fix a magic tool of that level even with my eyes closed and that too with my toes.


    If I really ended up not being able to fix it, then well, I could always just pay for it.


    As I made a series of mistakes that I usually wouldn¡¯t, Flam looked at me with strange eyes. But since the evaluator was ignorant, he hacked away at my score.


    This was my intention, after all, they couldn''t award a good score to those that frequently made small mistakes in places such as a magic tower.


    And today, at dawn, after the first day of training, I was sneaking into the Red Magic Tower. There was no particular reason. It was because of the precision magic tool I elbowed in the afternoon.


    Hmm, it wouldn¡¯t be broken, right?


    I stood in the dark magic tools storage room and looked at the precision magic tool I hit.


    No matter how much I had mastered strength control, the precision magic tool could be really delicate and I could have accidentally broken it.


    It''s really not that I made a late-night visit because I wanted to rip it apart to view the inside of the precision magic tool.


    Of course, of course, I was visiting just in case.


    Even if I was acting like this to get a low score, I wouldn''t be causing actual damage.


    Huhuhu.


    I hummed and carefully disassembled the body of the magic tool with a precision driver. As far as I knew, this precision magic tool was a tool for checking the genetic makeup before synthesizing a chimera.


    Life magic, including chimeras, was not an area I specialized in, so I wasn¡¯t sure. But in terms of chimera compatibility, there were entities that merged well or not, even if they were of the same species. In other words, this tool played a role in reducing the probability of failure in chimera creation.


    Ohh!


    Inside the body was magic formulas that complicatedly entwined mana lines that connected mana.


    Notes, notes.


    I brought out my pen and notebook from the pocket space and took notes on the magic formula inside the precision magic tool.


    It would have been nice to sketch along the arrangement of the mana lines, but it was too much for my drawing skills. So I just wrote down which parts had mana lines and my conjectures on why it was arranged in this way.


    "The mana power is 320MV, the mana quantity is 500MP, and both are imperial standard. Given the size of the mana stone used, the mana stone is from an upper-middle rank monster. Based on the smell from the mana stone, is it from a Pilagrop? Judging from the faint smell, the mana stone was used for at least three months. Based on the remaining mana, it seems quite efficient."


    I mumbled and jotted down the analysis to decipher the formula.


    Pilagrop was a two-headed monster with a long neck commonly found in the monster territory and in the outskirts of Olympus.


    Personally, I had named it "Doduo," but it looked more like a crawling reptile, rather than a bird, and it wasn''t even that cute.


    In fact, it looked rather gross. In short, besides being a common monster and being a commonly captured monster in my hometown for the coming-of-age ceremony, there was not much else about it.


    From my pocket space, I took out an insulating rod, a tool used in alchemy, and carefully moved the mana lines to see where I couldn¡¯t before.


    Mmm Mmm, as expected. It''s not broken.


    After examining the inside of the magic tool, I reassembled it. If it was only this much, I think I could make it if I just had the materials.


    Of course, making the mana lines would need to be outsourced, but that wasn¡¯t hard.


    This accursed dexterity!


    Come to think of it, how were the weaponsmiths in the Crow village so dextrous?


    Well, considering I could also draw delicate magic formulas without much trouble, I wasn¡¯t in a position to question them. Even the weaponsmiths in the hometown had terrible artistic sense other than in making weapons.


    I was trying to leave the magic tool storage room, but then I suddenly thought that this might be an opportunity.


    The opportunity to explore every corner of the magic tower...


    The magic tower pass I had was essentially a magic tool to help getting into places and avoid the protective magic surrounding the magic tower. Similar to the pass was the access cord needed to cross the sword line in the imperial palace.


    Compared to the access cord, this pass was child''s play, and the range of entry was limited in normal cases.


    For example, if the magic tower''s defense and protection magic circles were security servers, this pass was a terminal that could contact the security server. Normally, breaking through a security server and breaking into the magic tower would require three days of preparation even for me. However, if there was a terminal that could contact the magic circle like this, then the story was different.


    What shall I do?


    I was conflicted as I took out and rubbed the half-white mask thinking about potential unknown situations.


    Should I quietly leave or see if there is any secret research nearby in the magic tower?


    If it was the usual, I would have searched without hesitation, but the fact that it was the Red Magic Tower¡¯s workshop made me hesitate.


    There wouldn¡¯t be any danger in this magic tool storage room as it was accessible to civil servants as well. But the actual research facilities were different.


    Since it was a magician¡¯s workshop, it was a basic principle that the inside would be designed to be able to deal with magicians a few levels higher than the owner. The better the skills of the workshop owner, the stronger magician.


    I had never seen the Tower Master, but I didn''t think his skills would be better than William¡¯s. However, the owner of a Giant Tower would at least be a great magician, so it would be dangerous to recklessly roam about in a great magician¡¯s workshop.


    After thinking about it, I broke into a grin.


    Let''s just do it and see what happens.


    It wouldn¡¯t be hard to escape with just my body if I try my best. I mean, the worst thing that would happen would be the magic tower being destroyed.


    I didn''t think I would be able to get appointed to the magic tower anyways, so it would be a waste to miss this opportunity.


    Still, let''s be careful not to cause any damage since it¡¯d be a headache if I get caught.


    -o-


    Edward did not leave the chimera breeding facility until late at night and checked the chimera¡¯s conditions. He paid particularly more attention to the chimeras requested by the Tower Master. The chimeras did not have a long lifespan, so they all required delicate care.


    "Haaa~!"


    Edward yawned from exhaustion but did not stop writing in the daily log to record the status of the chimeras.


    Then a voice started to sparsely come from somewhere.


    "Let''s play."


    Surprised by the sudden sound of a voice, Edward looked around and soon found the owner of the voice.


    "Number 46A-10346. So it was you."


    Calming his startled heart, Edward sighed in relief.


    "Edward Oppa.¡±


    It was a quite bizarre scene to see a dog-shaped chimera calling Edward, but Edward replied with a very happy face. "Yes, what shall we play?¡±


    Even as he replied, he knew that the chimera didn''t understand him. Furthermore, the glass-walled breeding facility was soundproofed by all kinds of magic, so the chimera could not even hear anything.


    Edward hummed and poured mana into a magic circle like pouring water. The magic circle maintained the entire breeding facility and the habitat of the chimeras.


    His mana flowed through the magic circle to a large magic stone in the center. Then it fused with the mana stone¡¯s mana and spread throughout the chimera breeding facility.


    "Woah--!"


    Edward admired the slightly dark aurora that arose as the magic circle reacted with the mana. The sight of the beautiful scene that always unfolded with magnificent magic was one of the few pleasures for Edward, someone who lived a difficult life as a researcher at the magic tower.


    -o-


    "Ha~."


    When I yawned, Flam looked at me with surprise.


    "What is going on that you would be yawning?¡±


    I laughed as I rubbed my eyes that were still a little sleepy.


    "What, I¡¯m capable of yawning too, you know."


    Having decided to look around the magic tower, I had ended up exploring until late last night. Of course, the opportunity wasn¡¯t just limited to yesterday. There were still six days left for training at the magic tower. However, I thought I would be able to see everything in two days at the most if I searched like last night.


    I planned to start searching systematically, from public space used by the magicians to where the magician¡¯s research results were kept then the Tower Master¡¯s research.


    "No, it¡¯s because it¡¯s my first time seeing you yawn. You didn''t even yawn in that boring magic class."


    The magic class at the training center was definitely boring as it was at the basic level, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t interesting parts. In fact, during the boring parts, I created an illusory clone of myself in my place and took a nap behind the lecture room. Even then, I had never been caught because of my sensitivity to people¡¯s presence.


    "That¡¯s because I am a model student."


    If you didn''t get caught sleeping secretly, you''d still be a model student. Since I managed to keep my magic class grades from getting poorer, I was booed by Flam for showing off.


    "We made the aphrodisiacs together, so how come your grades were higher than mine?¡±


    "Hut, this is the difference in ability."


    With that, I stretched to try to wake myself up. I needed to take a nap as soon as I got off work today.


    Tuk, chang!


    At that moment, I felt something get caught on my hand and I could hear something falling and breaking on the floor. It seemed the arm that I had been stretching had hit the shelf where the empty flask was, causing it to fall off.


    "Ah, I made a mistake."


    The evaluating civil servant looked at me with eyes that said, ¡°Again?¡± But this time, it was truly an accident. Really.


    The deductions were going as planned, but somehow it felt unfair.


    -o-


    The Tower Master of the Red Magic Tower knelt reverently before a parchment paper that was neither very luxurious nor clean.


    "Oh, Great Ram! This weak one offers my humble gratitude for allowing me to see your knowledge."


    Like a fanatic was with the Bible, the Tower Master carefully picked up the parchment he had read over and over, and read it once again.


    "I can''t believe there had been such a method!¡±


    He blamed himself for being insignificant before having read the parchment despite already knowing the contents.


    The endlessly unsatisfied magician, the Tower Master, read the parchment again and again. He checked and rechecked to see whether he had misread or misinterpreted anything. He read it like so hundreds of times. Then he finally put it down carefully after having gained confidence in what he had read and interpreted.


    The Tower Master kowtowed heavily to the parchment in a reverent manner.


    "Thank you for teaching my inadequate self, oh, great magician.¡±


    Tonight, the magic experiment of Ram, who the Tower Master followed, would begin.

 Chapter 96: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (6)

    At dawn, I roamed about the library of the Red Magic Tower excitedly, reading through research papers. Although the research papers were all written unnecessarily hard to read, the key points recorded the behavior of the chimeras, their mana frequency, etc.


    Among them, there was a paper that attracted my interest. It was research to artificially create a  mana stone. If mana stones were to be artificially produced, then the price of items that are powered by magic stones would suddenly drop. That would only be after preparations for mass production were complete.


    However, the research was still at a developmental stage with only hypotheses and no trials. So it seemed likely to take another 200 years for the research to be carried out in earnest.


    Still, it was an interesting research topic, so I didn''t think it would be a bad idea to try it myself.


    Notes, notes.


    I took notes of the research papers, or if it was too much to take notes, then I just made a copy with magic.


    After leaving the library, I headed to the equipment room where only high-ranking magicians of the magic tower were allowed entry.


    Oh! I wonder how this works?


    I was touching magic tools I had never seen before and trying to figure out the principles of how it worked when I heard a sound outside the equipment room. I put the magic tool I had in my hand down to its original location and quickly hid.


    Did I perhaps get found out?


    No, it might just be a guard on patrol.


    I hadn''t even gotten to look at the magic tools properly yet, but I might have to prepare to escape. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to suppress the guard without a sound when he came in.


    However, it would be quite annoying to make future visits again if the guard woke up later and alerted that there was an intruder. In that case, it would be safer to retreat now and visit again tomorrow since I still had time left.


    Well, duplicating the entry pass and making a visit after the training session was another possibility. But if possible, I wanted to finish seeing all of the Red Magic Tower while I was still in training.


    This was because this trainee pass was only a kind of an instant code. After the training, it was certain that the magic circle in charge of security would remove the authority on the pass unless the person in charge was quite lazy. If that happened, the pass I planned to duplicate later would become meaningless trash. Of course, since it had once been connected to the magic circle, it would still contain a certain amount of information. That was why it would be more convenient than bypassing the magic circle without any information, but the fact that it would be annoying remained the same.


    Or there was also the method of taking away the right to operate the magic circle of the Red Magic Tower.  But it would take too long and wasn''t worth the effort to invest that much in the Red Magic Tower.


    In any case, even if I stole the rights to operate the magic circle, the owner of the huge workshop in the magic tower called the Tower Master would certainly notice. If that happened, it would turn things into a big deal and become annoying.


    I was leaning towards running away, but then the person believed to be a guard finally came into the equipment room. I took a peek at the face of the person who dared to interrupt my fun time.


    Huh? It¡¯s Squidward?


    The man who entered the equipment room was Squidward.


    Did Squidward normally also have guard duty?


    As far as I knew, Squidward didn¡¯t need to do this kind of troublesome work because he had experience and a high enough rank. It was reliable information since it came from a civil servant who had worked for quite a long time in the Red Magic Tower.


    Entering the equipment room full of magic tools used in various experiments, Squidward stood in front of a particular magic tool. This tool he was trying to take was one that could perform an inspection several times more precisely than the precision magic tool I had disassembled yesterday.


    The magic tool that I looked at yesterday was for new magicians who had just entered the magic tower as it was stored in a public space where civil servants based in the magic tower could also access. On the other hand, the magic tool that Squidward was carrying now was a super expensive one for the high-rank magicians.


    Was Squidward suddenly trying to do an experiment in the middle of the night?


    Let''s sneakily follow him just in case. It was a great opportunity for me, who had never done or seen a life magic experiment.


    I laughed mischievously as I touched the half-white mask on my face.


    -o-


    Edward went out of the equipment room with the expensive precision magic tool in a cart. He walked energetically to the elevator despite it being early in the morning.


    Although it was very early, there was no way he would feel sleepy. He was now so excited at the honor of being able to participate in the Tower Master¡¯s experiment that he could barely hold it in. He pinched his cheeks thinking about how he was able to enjoy a situation that every magician in the magic tower dreamed of, despite him being just in charge of managing the breeding facility.


    "Ouch!"


    His cheeks hurt, but Edward couldn''t hold back his laughter. It just signified how much of a golden opportunity the experiment with the Tower Master was. And it was likely never going to happen again.


    Humming, he pushed the precision magic tool into the magic-powered elevator and climbed aboard himself.


    "Huh?"


    The elevator shook slightly and tilted when he got on. This would usually happen in cases where there were many people in the elevator or when someone got on top to repair it.


    Edward sighed, thinking that the old elevator might be causing trouble again.


    Once upon a time, when he had just entered the magic tower, he remembered that the elevator often broke down and he had to often call a magician to have it repaired. Now that he was in a mid-management position, he didn¡¯t have to go around calling magician repairmen.


    Still, thinking about the time when he had just come into the magic tower to do magic research, it felt sentimental but also unpleasant. If he could go back to the time around when he entered the magic tower, he would rather take the test to join the imperial magician division.


    Edward pressed the top floor where the Tower Master¡¯s office was, thinking he should ask the new magician to fix the elevator. The elevator quickly climbed to the top floor of the tower. When the door opened, the elevator shook slightly even though he didn''t move.


    Is it really broken?


    Edward slowly pushed the precision magic tool out of the elevator. When he got off the elevator, the door to the Tower Master¡¯s office was open.


    "You''re here! Good to see you. Come on in."


    The Tower Master welcomed Edward, beckoning him to come in with a bright face.


    Feeling proud of the Tower Master welcoming him, Edward quickly, but cautiously, pushed the precision magic tool and walked into the Tower Master¡¯s office.


    On the floor of the Tower Master¡¯s office floor was a magic formula that Edward could not comprehend. The magic formulas drawn on the floor gathered together to form a single magic circle.


    Edward looked at his surroundings, his eyes opened wide at the sight of the magic that he could not comprehend.


    "Wow!"


    Edward stared in amazement. Although he didn''t understand it, he still felt a vague grandness from it.


    When Edward was absorbed in the magic circle as if he were appreciating art, a familiar voice came to him.


    "Edward oppa... Play with me..."


    The place where the voice came from was a square box covered with black cloth.


    "Number 46A-10346? Tower Master-nim, why is that chimera here...?¡±


    As Edward trailed off his words and asked with caution, the Tower Master put his hands behind his back and approached the box containing the chimera.


    "Number 46A-10346 was selected as the chimera to be used in this experiment. Of the chimeras I asked you to pay special attention to, this one turned out to be the most suitable for this experiment.¡±


    "Is¡­ that so? Edward looked at the chimera worriedly.


    Experimenting with life magic meant that the safety of the chimera, the subject of the experiment, could not be guaranteed. Since chimeras were made and raised to be experimental animals, one could say that it was the fate they were born with.


    Although the thought of using Chimera Line Number 46A-10346 bothered Edward, he was also a life magician researcher who handled chimeras and researched life magic. It would be a great disgrace for a magician to not be able to properly handle the subject due to emotional attachments.


    The Tower Master looked at Edward with a nice smile. "Now, let''s start with an exam before we start the experiment."


    With that, the Tower Master took off his robe and stood in front of the precision magic tool that Edward had brought.


    "Why are you standing over there?" Edward asked with confusion.


    The direction that the Tower Master stood was where the subject was supposed to be examined.


    "It¡¯s not a big deal. I always examine myself before I do experiments. How should I say this... Although chimeras are used as test subjects, they have life just like us. So it''s kind of a jinx or belief of being on an equal footing when doing an experiment." The Tower Master swept down his beard and broke out into a frenzied laughter. "Isn''t it foolish for a magician who rose to the top to believe in jinxes?"


    Edward vehemently shook his head at the Tower Master. "No, it is not! Didn¡¯t it all come from the heart of caring for the chimeras? I am very touched!"


    Edward was genuinely moved by the Tower Master. He was also really grateful to be part of this experiment.


    "Hahaha, thanks for understanding. How about it? Would you like to try participating in my jinx?¡±


    Edward nodded gladly at the invitation. "Of course!"


    Edward and the Tower Master were each examined, followed by Chimera No. 46A-1036. Soon after, the test results came out on paper and the Tower Master carefully examined them.


    "Good, it seems we can start the experiment right away. Are you ready?" The Tower Master asked with a bright smile.


    Edward nodded enthusiastically.


    The Tower Master was delighted with Edward''s drive. He pointed out where Edward and the chimera should be positioned and explained how the magic experiment would proceed. Finally, he stood in the middle of the magic circle, which he plastered the whole room with, and began to pour the mana in.


    "Now!"


    Under the Tower Master¡¯s instruction, Edward pointed at the magic circle on the floor and poured his mana in.


    "Good! Keep pouring it in!"


    As the Tower Master shouted with joy, Edward tried to pour more mana in.


    "Hectopascal kick!¡±


    That is until someone wearing a half-white mask from outside the Tower Master¡¯s office suddenly came and did a double-side kick.


    Keuok!


    Edward screamed and flew into the wall of the Tower Master¡¯s office.


    "Ah, NO!!"


    The Tower Master turned deathly pale at the sight and screamed.

 Chapter 97: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (7)

    After having secretly climbed onto the elevator that Squidward was riding and arriving at his destination, I killed my presence and observed the situation from the shadows.


    Squidward got out of the elevator and went straight into the room that was labeled the Tower Master¡¯s office. The old man beckoning him over seemed to be the Red Magic Tower¡¯s Tower Master.


    Hmm, by the way, why was the mana flow like this here?


    The mana here was calm and heavy as if it had precipitated somewhat. Usually, for mana to precipitate to this extent, hundreds of lives had to have been killed here or there had to be a special mana stone in place.


    The only time I had felt this kind of mana was when I was young on the peak of the mountain behind my hometown. The mana I felt back then was pure, but now it felt like someone was spreading a putrid smell of corpses.


    Did life magicians usually require this type of unpleasant mana for experiments?


    The Tower Master''s room had lots of peculiar magic formulas drawn all over it. I eagerly jotted down the magic formulas in my notes. While I was quickly scribbling, I felt something strange.


    What¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t this forbidden magic that black magicians used?


    There were curse magic, alchemy, and other unknown magic mixed in, but the basic framework of the magic circle was curse magic, and the core was black magic.


    Shouldn''t this be stopped?


    Of course, not all black magic was evil. The basis of black magic was sacrifice, and in that self-sacrifice. Therefore, in ancient times, there were also records of black magicians being revered as sages.


    However, over time, the direction of sacrifice changed from self-sacrifice and developed into sacrificing others.Then they called over the Demon King, and soon black magic became a condemned profession. The records were lost.


    Although I didn''t have black mana, I still lightly knew a couple of black magic spells. Black magic was that standard.


    Why? Everybody knew of the Demon King¡¯s summoning magic. It was also in my father''s study. Well, I did use it as firewood to make roasted sweet potatoes. Anyway, black magic wasn¡¯t bad. The person who used it was bad.


    Therefore, I decided to take a look first, to see if the Tower Master was going to perform a self-sacrifice experiment that would go down in history. I was definitely not waiting to find out how that magic circle worked. Of course not!


    After properly preparing for the experiment, the Tower Master and Squidward each stood in their respective positions and began to infuse mana into the magic circle. And inside it, a magic formula that had not been there before, appeared.


    I was making a note of the quickly appearing formulas but then paused my pen.


    "Now!" the Tower Master cried.


    Squidward infused his own mana, pointing to the magic circle on the floor.


    "Good! Keep pouring it in!"


    You bastard!


    "Hectopascal kick!"


    Squidward, the recipient of my fierce hectopascal kick, flew into the wall.


    "Ah, NO!"


    At the deathly pale Tower Master, I flipped my middle finger and yelled, "You XX bastard! I''ll just X the XXX and XXX then dip it in salted anchovies, you bastard!"


    The Tower Master was stunned from the curses he had never heard in his life. Such a XX idiot didn''t even have the qualifications to make that face. He was openly offering Squidward to the newly appearing formulas. I couldn¡¯t tolerate human sacrifice as a magician.


    "What¡­ What are you doing!" Squiward, throwing up blood after getting flung into the wall, barely got up and protested.


    "You''re the same, you XX bastard! God damm*t, XX why is a life magician bastard doing human experimentation?!"


    Squidward looked genuinely enraged, like when Flam had accused him of experimenting with humans.


    "Who... Who''s experimenting with human beings?"


    "You, I¡¯m talking about you! You XX-like bastard, you didn¡¯t even know that you were the human sacrifice for this human experiment? What a moron!"


    "What... What are you¡ª"


    While Squidward was panicking, the magic circle was raging amok due to the sudden loss of mana.


    Keuk! Aaaahhhk!


    The Tower Master tried to stop the raging somehow, but it must have been painful as he let out a scream.


    Kking! Kkkiiiing!


    From behind, the chimera that was still tied to the magic circle whined as if in pain.


    "46A-10346!"


    Squidward called out to the chimera and tried to approach it. I grabbed his arm and restrained him.


    "Let go!"


    "It''s too late. If you go now, you''ll also be caught up."


    Scarily, as I finished speaking, the chimera''s body split apart and began to crumble.


    "Eh, Ed...Ward¡ª¡±


    The chimera crumbled into ashes as it spoke its last word.


    "Ah... AHHHH!!"


    Squidward was kneeling and crying in despair. It was not impossible to understand his heart. It probably felt like his beliefs as a magician were falling apart.


    Even at a glance, I could tell Squidward was not handling the chimeras just for academic research. He probably felt even more despair knowing that he was also the subject of human experimentation, which was the worst taboo as a life magician.


    However, sadly, there was no time to console him.


    The Tower Master finally caught a hold of the raging magic circle. I took out a sword and a magic wand from the pocket space.


    Kuahhhhhh!


    As if he was stepping out from the flames of hell, the Tower Master let out a horrible shriek and was released from the magic circle¡¯s restraint.


    Tch, I felt a little regret about not having attacked the Tower Master regardless of whether Squidward would have died.


    "Was this a magic circle to become a lich?¡±


    I muttered to myself when an emaciated-looking skeleton with eye sockets containing naturally burning flames instead of eyes yelled at me.


    "As if it is!¡±


    I just shrugged when the skeleton got angry.


    "Hey, what are you so upset about? Baldness, it¡¯s something everyone will come across in life. Just think of it as having come a little early.¡±


    The teary-eyed Squidward was looking at me with a ¡°what kind of person is that¡± expression, but I cleanly ignored him.


    "Damn you!"


    The skeleton raised its skinny hand that was bare bones and attacked me with magic.


    "Hellfire kill!!¡±


    I pushed Squidward behind me with the sheath, and poured mana into the magic wand. The floating mana stones around the Dragon Heart quickly circulated and amplified mana.


    "Barrier!"


    It was only one layer, but the barrier was strong enough to block the fire magic of the skeleton. However, the problem was that although I had a large amount of MP, the mana was amplified, making it a little more difficult to handle it. If I had used this in my hometown, it would have run amok a hundred percent.


    "Hey, survive on your own."


    I warned Squidward and aimed the magic wand at the skeleton.


    "Yes?"


    Leaving the startled Squidward behind, I shot a spell at the skeleton.


    "One shot for now!"


    I lightly fired a mana bullet, but it came out the size of a cannonball because of the magic wand. The skeleton wrapped black mana around the magic wand it was holding and struck away my mana bullet. It resembled sword aura, but it was a kind of magic, not sword aura.


    Kwang!


    My mana bullet hit the ceiling and made a big hole. Based on the Tower Master¡¯s magic control, he seemed to have broken down the wall of the Magic Way.


    It was believed that there were three walls in the magical world. The first was an introductory wall, a wall that must be overcome to learn magic. The bulk of people couldn¡¯t cross it and gave up being magicians.


    The second referred to the wall of the Magic Way, the state of realizing the path beyond the laws of magic. Majority of magicians never reach this wall within their lifespan. A person who has seen this wall was an extraordinary magician and was called a great magician.


    And finally was the wall of transcendence. It was a wall that could only be reached by those few who had passed the wall of the magic way and had reached the extreme in their own path. As far as I knew, there was no existence that had seen this wall yet in history. It was just a word that expressed a state of one¡¯s imagination.


    The "Four Great Magicians" were just monikers given by people who had guessed that they were the ones who came closest to the wall of transcendence.


    Now, that skeleton was no longer a great magician, but a madosa[1]. Damn it, it just became annoying.


    "Ahahaha! Great! Great!"


    But still, it''s not great enough for you to call yourself great. You''re too cocky. Are you a narcissist?


    "What a great thing this is! Even though the experiment failed, it was still enough to break down the wall! Aah! I will praise that great person!"


    Oh, it seems he didn''t say that to himself.


    I released my mana as I ran towards the skeleton who was still being deeply moved.


    You won¡¯t be able to deflect this!


    "Fus Ro Dah!!"


    The mana I released pushed the entire space in the room, making him crash into the wall. Brute force was the best! How thrilling! So effective!


    Uek!


    Jjuhjuk! Kwang!


    The skeleton that hit the wall was thrown out of the tower as the wall broke. The Magic Tower was its space. If the skeleton had broken past the wall of the Magic Way and had become a madosa, then the magic tower would be too disadvantageous for me.


    I jumped out of the magic tower and attacked the skeleton.


    "Lady of the Wind!"


    Wind spikes were shot off in all directions towards the skeleton. Having come out of his euphoric state, it also urgently used magic.


    "Hell¡¯s Heat Waves!"


    The space around it shimmered with heat as waves of hot wind swirled it, blocking the wind spikes.


    Usually, such heat waves would cook the user¡¯s own flesh and hence were not used for defense purposes. But since it only had bones left anyways, it used it without any qualms.


    The skeleton and I each used flight and stayed in the air.


    "Summon! The Guard Dog of Hell!"


    A huge magic circle formed over its head as the air became distorted.


    Keuaaahhh!


    A three-headed mutt wailed in surround sound as it tried to crawl out of hell through the crack in the distorted air.


    Wow! I thought I was at a movie theater. The head alone seemed to be twice as big as the three-headed dog that was being raised as a pet in my hometown.


    "Catch!"


    I created a long spear with magic and threw it at the middle head of the three-headed mutt from hell.


    Kkek! Kkeng!


    The hell dog was hit in the center of the forehead, it fell backwards and went back over through the gap in space. I took the opportunity to take out a tear gas from the pocket space, pulled out the safety pin, and flung it.


    "It''s a parting gift!"


    Beyond the gap in hell, the tear gas exploded, and I could see the mutt in distress.


    Try crawling out one more time. Next time, I''ll put it directly in your nostrils and blow it up.


    I fired a magic bullet at the summoning magic circle that the skeleton had made and closed the passageway.


    "Impossible! Ceroberos!"


    The skeleton tried to make a summoning magic circle again with a dumbstruck face, but the hell mutt didn¡¯t want to come and never made an appearance again from the summoning magic circle.


    Good. It would be a nightmare if a mutt like that was summoned in the middle of the capital. Thousands of people would disappear on the spot just from the unruly panicking.


    "Divine punishment!" I made white lightning with magic and launched it at the skeleton.


    The skeleton ran away in a hurry instead of blocking my white lightning.


    "You bastard! Are you a priest!?"


    No, I¡¯m not.


    "That¡¯s right! You black magician who is about to receive divine punishment!"


    For your information, the magic I just shot was just imitating divine magic, and there was not a trace of divine power. I tried to imitate the divine power itself, but since I was not religious, not even a speck of divine power appeared.


    In other words, it was not divine power the opposite of black magic. So even if that lich looking skeleton blocked my attack, it wouldn¡¯t matter. However, the skeleton didn¡¯t realize it and was breaking out in cold sweat.


    Or perhaps it was just dewdrops forming on the skeleton because it was dawn?


    1. It seems the author makes a differentiation between magician and mage in Korean, with mage being a magician who has broken past the wall of the Magic Way. I felt that it would be confusing to try to make a magician and mage distinction here in english as many people colloquially think magician and mage are the same. Therefore, I am using Madosa which is the korean word for mage that the author uses. So it seems a magician is one who has gotten past the first wall. Great magicians are ones who have seen the second wall, the wall of Magic Way but not passed it. Madosa are magicians who have passed the wall of Magic Way, but not the third wall of transcendence.

 Chapter 98: A skeleton, Oh So Scary (8)

    I rushed at the skeleton and swung my sword.


    It quickly flew higher to avoid my sword then shouted, "You bastard! So you weren¡¯t an ordinary priest! To be able to use a sword too, you must be a bishop-level great priest with paladin roots!"


    Oh right, priests could only use flying magic starting from bishop-level. I forgot.


    "Hahaha, if you know, just obediently receive this iron mace of justice, Baldy!"


    The skeleton sneered. "Puhahaha! If you were a paladin, your divine magic would not be at the level of a bishop! You can''t hurt me with such divine magic!"


    Yeah, I can''t use divine magic anyway.


    Totally different from just before when it was dodging in panic, the skeleton was now looking down at me with a haughty air. I didn''t know what it was being so arrogant about when it couldn''t even tell if my magic contained divinity or not. But let''s be thankful to it for letting its guard down and hit it in the head.


    I raised my sword and shouted, "But I will make this heretic who has disrespected the great goddess kneel down before my sword!"


    Uuack, that was cringy! But somehow, paladins and priests often said things like this. Well, I knew that these words inspired one''s own faith and strengthened one''s divine power, but to me, it was just saying nonsense because it didn''t have that effect on me.


    "Hahaha! Why don¡¯t you try it!"


    Um, Mr. Skeleton. Are you sure you didn¡¯t get brain damage from having your head turned into a skull?


    How could you just receive such cheesy lines? Did you get so shocked from suddenly becoming bald that you lost your sense of shame?


    I raised my altitude rapidly and flew at the skeleton. I wrapped my sword with sword aura and tried to cut off its ribs.


    But it went further up perhaps feeling threatened by me and shot magic from a distance.


    "Rain of hellfire!"


    "Barrier! Thermal Insulation!"


    The high-heat flames that looked like black lights rained down from above. I surrounded myself with a barrier and broke through it.


    The temperature of the flames that the skeleton fired must have been quite high. Even though I used magic to block out the heat, the temperature that was transmitted to me still felt quite warm.


    When I broke through the rain of flames with brute force, the skeleton¡¯s eyes of fire shook.


    Was it panicking? A skeleton¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t be read, so it was hard for me to gauge its mental state.


    For someone like me who lived off of scamming and bluffing, the skeleton was a difficult opponent.


    Wary of the sword in my hand, the skeleton created several layers of shields at once.


    "Haha! How is it!?"


    The skeleton¡¯s shields seemed too thick to break them all with a single swing. So, all I had to do was attack several times. I swung my wand instead of the sword.


    "Magic bullet, mid-level machine gun version! Fire!"


    I casually fired a thousand rounds of magic bullets at the skeleton. Its hastily made shield was easily broken by the randomly fired magic bullets, forcing it to do random maneuvers as it shot down the magic bullets with its own magic bullets.


    "You, damn you! Aak! Aahaak!"


    However, after being hit by one or two bullets, it was driven into a corner by a stray bullet.


    "Space movement!"


    The skeleton avoided the crisis by urgently using space-movement magic. The urgently performed space-movement magic was something that could make the caster lost in the space-time dimension if something were to go wrong. But with good reflexes, it managed to teleport the magic bullets I shot, instead of itself.


    Now, when and where those magic bullets would appear was unknown, but the skeleton had managed to overcome the crisis.


    Normally, space magic itself was very difficult to cast in one go, but I guess since its life depended on it, it managed to succeed.


    Still, it was not perfect. It seemed to have been hit by dozens of shots as there were plenty of holes in his robe.


    Kuok! Huk, huk!


    The skeleton let out painful breath from having rapidly consumed its mana. Considering it used such high-level magic without prior preparation, of course, a large chunk of mana would get taken out.


    But how was it breathing hard when it only had bones left? Perhaps its body still had memories from when it was a human.


    I dispersed the careless thoughts and spread invisible mines made from magic into the surrounding area without letting the skeleton notice.


    "Be prepared! It''s time to receive God¡¯s punishment!"


    Then I infused mana into the sword to create a huge sword aura and charged at the skeleton.


    Keuk!


    The skeleton shirked backwards to avoid my sword. But the surrounding space, except for the direction I was flying in, was already full of mines.


    In the natural order, it ran away from me and hit a mine in the air, causing it to immediately explode.


    Kwang! Kwagwagwagwagwagwang!


    Ah, I was too close to the skeleton and got caught in the radius of the chain explosions.


    "Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!"


    The first of the quickly raised three-layered barriers was caught in the explosion and was immediately destroyed. The second layer barely hung on and managed to retain its shape. Ever since I managed to lose the old man wearing a golden mask, I increased the power of minefield magic, but as I used it with my magic wand, it was much more powerful than I expected.


    It was my first time using this magic wand in battle, the output was so high that it was rather difficult to use. If I accidentally slipped and a mana bullet that I shot landed in the capital¡¯s downtown, it would be no different from the military firing cannon shells at civilians. If I want to control the force, I would have to either get used to it or make an additional mana transformer to attach to it. Or another way was simply using it at full output.


    At this rate, if I used this magic wand with all my might, the only person who could handle being an opponent was my father back in my hometown. Even if I went all out with this magic wand, the chance of winning was probably just under fifty-fifty.


    When I think about my father''s power, it was a very subjective and hopeful interpretation for me.  But that¡¯s better than nothing. Just being able to contend against my father meant that there was a probability that I could run away even in the worst-case scenario of having to face him.


    I shook my head and got rid of the useless thoughts and approached the skeleton, who made me wonder if its bones could be cremated. Surprisingly, though only its upper body remained it still managed to retain its shape.


    The skeleton looked at me with its weak flames where the eyes were supposed to be.


    "So it seems... you are not...a priest¡ª"


    If I had been a priest who could use divine power, even if only a tenth of the mines had exploded, he would be walking along to Hades right now.  But right now, although I couldn¡¯t say it was fine, the skeleton was still alive even after that massive explosion.


    I smirked and laughed. "You just figured that out now?¡±


    "Damn... It! You bastard, huk! If only I had known that you are not a priest!"


    It definitely would have attacked me more aggressively. Perhaps it might have made the right strategic judgment and tried to draw me back into its workshop in the magic tower, then attacked me with the support of the workshop. Then it might have been a struggle.


    "But you thought I was a priest and didn''t even try to drag me into the workshop within the magic tower."


    The skeleton spoke in a tearful voice, exasperated with anger, "Yes... But it would not have been very effective to drag a bishop-level priest into the workshop full of black magic."


    It could have worked well enough against an average priest if the workshop was not full of black magic. However, a black magician¡¯s natural enemy was a priest, and against the priest of the highest rank, the bishop, black magic would not have worked.


    That is, if I were an actual bishop-level priest.


    "In addition, you probably couldn¡¯t drag in a bishop who used to be a paladin into the narrow passageway of the magic tower where the withdrawal path was not optimal.¡±


    "That''s right¡­!"


    I asked the affirming skeleton, "Any last wishes?"


    "Could you spare me?¡±


    I shook my head at the desperate skeleton, who used to be the Tower Master.


    "If you were still the living Tower Master, then I would have considered it."


    The skeleton in front of me was just a monster who had already given up on being a human. I couldn''t spare such a monster. It was a ¡®responsibility¡¯ I had as a magician. One of the few responsibilities that I had.


    "I am! I am... The Tower Master."


    Suddenly, the skeleton stopped talking as if it just had lots of thoughts going through its head, then groaned.


    "Is that so... Am I no longer the Tower Master?"


    I could tell that the tower master that the skeleton was referring to was not the position but as a living person.


    "So that was it. That was why you said you would erect a tombstone in the courtyard."


    Suddenly, the skeleton muttered something I couldn''t understand and gave a sigh as if he had given up.


    "I just wanted more knowledge. Just, to be healthier, more energetic, and to be able to live more passionately. I wanted life. Not this dying body¡ª¡±


    It repeatedly clenched and relaxed its hands that had already become emaciated bones. It seemed to be looking at the wrinkled hands it had just before, instead of the skinny bones.


    Perhaps what it was seeing was a type of life flashing before its eyes.


    "But it seems I am already dead. Haha." The skeleton burst into a dejected laugh.


    "Are you going to leave a name for the tombstone?"


    It was already accepting his death. It shook its head with difficulty.


    "My tombstone, no, the tombstone of my former self. A friend of my former self said he would set up my tombstone. Could you just write down on the tombstone that there was an unnamed skeleton here?"


    "Is that enough?"


    The skeleton simply nodded. "What more can I hope for? Please don''t become a monster like me."


    I didn''t reply. There was no need to answer because no matter what happened, I would never become as hopeless.


    The skeleton chuckled at my silence. I don''t know exactly why it laughed, but I reckoned I might have a vague idea.


    I put my hand between the skeleton¡¯s ribs and grabbed the black mana stone serving as its heart.


    "Thank you."


    With its last words, I strongly pulled on the black mana stone and cut off the connection between the mana stone and the skeleton. It completely crumbled into ash.


    After watching the scene to the end, I looked around for something to use as a tombstone. When I discovered a camellia tree about 10 meters away, I used magic to move it to the place where the skeleton had crumbled away.


    -A nameless skeleton fell asleep here while pursuing his dream.


    I carved it into the camellia tree and turned around.


    The aftertaste was somehow bitter. It''d still be a while before sunrise, but I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.


    As I looked up into the sky, there were so many stars. As I tried to lower my head again, space opened up in the sky and large lumps of mana began to pour down.


    Ara?! Aren¡¯t those the magic bullets I had shot?!


    Hundreds of magic bullets quickly rained down from the opened space and crashed directly into the magic tower.


    Kwagwagwang-!


    The Red Magic Tower began to crumble due to my magic bullets as if it was following the master''s footsteps.


    While looking at the falling magic tower, I had a thought...


    Is this all my fault?

 Chapter 99: A Skeleton, Oh So Scary (9)

    Bloody was walking through a corridor leading to the secret conference room with his niece, Leisha, Lancelot, and Mac, who came as envoys from the Crow Tribe.


    "Uncle, why is it so winding and complicated here?¡± She complained even saying that it was humid and smelled of mold.


    Bloody gave a light smile. "When inviting anyone other than the originally designated people to the secret meeting room, it was decided that we would only use this closed path."


    The secret passageway that they were walking on was so dilapidated that it was closed and the work to dig a new passageway was in full swing.


    ¡°Do you have any questions before we arrive?¡±


    ¡°I do! Bloody-nim!¡± Lancelot¡¯s hand shot up.


    "Without the nim. Yes, Lancelot."


    "How much progress has been made in finding Den?¡±


    After giving permission to ask questions as if he were a teacher, Bloody turned his head away when Lancelot queried.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡±


    "Yes? What did you say?"


    With his eyes wide open and head tilted, Lancelot¡¯s gaze fell on Bloody. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not.


    Bloody walked one step faster and avoided his gaze. "Sor-sorry. We couldn¡¯t find him.¡±


    "Yes? What did you say?"


    At the same tone and expression as just before, Bloody quickly clung to Leisha and whispered, "I think his personality has changed."


    The Lancelot he had seen after arriving at the capital was definitely a na?ve and shy boy. But suddenly, his voice had changed as if he had done a complete turn and became a little scary.


    Leisha whispered back with a forced smile, "He becomes like that when it comes to Den, but it''s okay when you get used to it."


    "Is that so?" Accepting it with a slightly quivering voice, Bloody changed the conversation. "But there are people who can help us at the place where we are going. So yeah, you can just tell Arcanta!"


    Bloody handed the baton over to poor Arcanta, who was already busy because of the collapse of the Red Magic Tower.


    But Mac smiled mischievously at the sight. "Ay, Bloody-nim. You shouldn''t give your work to someone else.¡±


    Bloody shot Mac a look, telling him to be quiet but the guy didn''t stop his playful smile.


    "Don''t you agree, Lancelot?" Mac put his arm around Lancelot¡¯s shoulder and asked into his ear.


    Lancelot nodded. "Yes, I agree. What should I report to the Village Head?" His lips were smiling, but his eyes were absolutely not.


    "Come on, wait! Hold off on telling hyung-nim!" Bloody waved his hands in a hurry and at the same time, he hid behind Leisha''s back.


    Bloody, who was trying to figure out how to deal with the current interrogation, looked at Mac. "Yes! I¡¯ll tell you why Mac grew such a strange beard and has a strange way of speaking!"


    "Hold... hold on! Why are you dumping this on me!" Mac was so surprised that he even forgot to use his unique speech.


    "You started it first."


    "Bloody-nim! No, Sahyung! How can you do this when we are disciples under the same master?!"[1]


    The desperate Mac even brought up and complained about their old relationship. Both had followed under Elder Weger of the Crow Tribe. So Bloody had always told Mac to call him sahyung when he was back in the hometown. However, Mac had always politely called him Bloody-nim.


    "Shut up! How long has it been since I left from under Weger ahjussi!"[2]


    "It''s my fault! Sahyung!"


    Bloody smiled triumphantly at the sight of Mac who seemed ready to kneel down.


    Leisha was struck by Bloody¡¯s words. ¡°So why is Mac oppa like that?¡±


    ¡°That''s--¡±


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    As Bloody tried to answer, Mac shouted strongly. Then suddenly, the place above the secret passageway wall opened, and a person popped out of it.


    "Just how long are you going to keep making a racket?¡±


    It was Arcanta with dark circles under his eyes. Everyone became silent at his appearance.


    "Oh, are you here to pick me up?"


    When Bloody greeted him gladly, Arcanta nodded with a tired face.


    "Yes."


    "You look tired?"


    Arcanta roughly scratched his head. "Ah, someone knocked down the Red Magic Tower last night. We don''t know who, why, and for what purpose they destroyed it. So I got up at day break to order an investigation, get a damage report, and create a plan to rebuild the magic tower."


    "I saw it in the morning too, but that huge building was really broken down." Bloody stuck out his tongue.


    Arcanta rubbed his face from the fatigue. "Hahm~, but we can take solace in the fact that there were luckily no injuries or deaths. Just this once, I¡¯ll have to thank the guy named Lupin.¡±


    According to the testimony of the magicians and guards who were still researching in the magic tower, they said a person wearing a half-white mask came and rescued them from the falling magic tower.


    Taking the lead as he yawned, Arcanta opened the door to the secret conference room.


    "Come on in. I apologize for having called the envoys from the Crow Tribe so secretly. But I thought that if I had met you in the imperial palace following official procedures, it would have been a nuisance for you. Thus, I called you here.¡±


    Lancelot bowed as the representative and replied, "The emperor is immeasurable. Your Majesty, We are humbled that you thought of us-"


    "No, no. This isn''t such a formal place, so you don''t have to observe court etiquette." The emperor cut off Lancelot and looked at him curiously.


    "So there is a person in the Crow Tribe who knows court etiquette."


    When Arcanta gave Bloody a side glance, the latter clasped his fingers behind his head and pretended to be oblivious.


    After everyone gathered in the secret conference room and introduced themselves, they all sat at their own seats and began the meeting.


    "For the special guests, during this meeting, we will discuss the escapee, Small Chief Denburg Blade of the Crow Tribe."


    With Arcanta words, a discussion on capturing Denburg began. Everyone spoke their minds, but there were no actual practical plans offered.


    Mac, the only one to keep mum during the discussion, asked, "But whose portrait is that?¡±


    The portrait that Mac pointed to was the result of Bloody hiring an artist to sketch Denburg.


    "What do you mean who, of course, is that not the Denburg you are looking for?"


    At the crown prince¡¯s reply, Leisha and Lancelot looked confused while Mac burst into laughter.


    "Puhahahaha! You are saying that that¡¯s the youngest master? It¡¯s my first time seeing a portrait that looks so dissimilar.¡±


    Leisha elbowed Mac and hinted at him. The people who were gathered here were all powerful. She was worried that the vice-captain¡¯s lack of etiquette would appear disrespectful at a time like this.


    But no one pointed out Mac''s behavior. On the contrary, everyone looked at Bloody with embarrassment.


    "See? I told you! It doesn''t resemble him at all!"


    They looked at him with a look of injustice. At that time, Arcanta took out and showed the portrait that Bloody himself had painted, just in case.


    "Yep, it''s Den."


    "Yes, it''s Den."


    "It is the youngest master.¡±


    Arcanta tore at his head at the sight of the Crows saying, "It¡¯s Denburg" from looking at a portrait that could have been better drawn by a child.


    It was the moment that proved that Bloody was indeed the Crow Tribe''s best artist.


    -o-


    Malecia entered a mansion situated deep in the mountain with a large marble lifted over his shoulders. He inserted the marble deeply in front of the simple burial mound in the courtyard of the mansion.


    The only things in the burial mound were a magic wand and an old battle-scarred armor that his friend wore in the past when they used to go into battle together as youths.


    When they were young, his friend was so lousy at magic that if he didn¡¯t wear armor, one would have wondered if he could have survived a day in the battlefield. He was that much of a weakling.


    "Such an idiot." Briefly recalling the days of their youth, Malecia murmured dejectedly. He opened the cheap wine that his friend had liked and poured it in front of the burial mound. "What¡¯s so important about the truth? It''s natural for a person to die of old age."


    After pouring about half of the wine bottle on the burial mound, Malecia drained the remaining in one go. Perhaps he felt it even more with his aging body.


    The mighty mana of a magician doesn¡¯t deteriorate, but a warrior''s strong body would rust easily.


    "Keuu, I don''t even know why he loved something so much that doesn''t even taste like alcohol."


    Malecia roughly brushed the red-flowing wine around his mouth with his sleeve and pulled out his sword. He focused his mana on the tip of the sword to create sword aura and etched letters on the marble.


    -January 1562 A.D ~ December 1625 A.D. Smith Adam Farhan.


    Pursuit of the endless truths.


    The words were so elegantly engraved that no one would have believed that it was roughly dug out with a sword. The wind blew away the marble dust from the tombstone.


    Malecia looked back in surprise at the sudden gust of wind.


    Aries, donning a black mask, slowly walked out of the mansion from behind Malecia.


    The mansion belonged to Aries, but it was located within the empire, so he never thought Aries would come all the way here.


    The fact that the Aries, who usually never left his base located outside of the empire, came all the way here meant that he had teleported.


    "Salute! Welcome."


    When Malecia quickly sheathed his sword, knelt and prostrated, Aries raised a hand and gestured to say that it was not necessary.


    Malecia quickly stood up and bowed his head in shame. "I am sorry. Without permission¡ª"


    "No." Aries cut off Malecia and spoke. "It¡¯s fine. Is this Smith''s grave?" he said in a dry tone.


    Malecia nervously replied, "Yes, it is."


    Aries was usually not interested in anything but magic, so he tried to explain just enough to pass by. However, the other somehow arrived just when the tomb was built. Malecia was worried that he might go on a rampage.


    But  Aries''s behavior was the exact opposite of Malecia''s worry. He took out a bottle of liquor, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand from the pockets of his robes, and opened the lid.


    The bottle opened with a ¡®pong!¡¯ and a profound aroma spread out.


    Malecia had a hunch that it was not ordinary liquor. He swallowed the saliva in his mouth and quietly watched the other.


    Aries freely poured the liquor over the burial mound.


    "Ah!"


    The heavy drinker, Malecia lamented the fact that a liquor that was certainly world class, was being poured out. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t understand why the other would come all the way out here and pour alcohol.


    "The experiment failed. It seems Smith is gone too.


    Malecia¡¯s lamenting mouth suddenly closed at Aries''s words.


    "Is that so?"


    Malecia was thinking about how to face his friend who succeeded in the experiment, but realized it was unnecessary.


    Why was his heart in so much pain when there was no need to worry? The death of a friend was something that was familiar. Was it because it had been too long since a friend died?


    Aries turned around and headed back inside the mansion.


    "Don''t die.¡±


    Entering the mansion, Aries closed the door without looking back.


    After gazing at the door of the mansion for a long time, Malecia answered with a hoarse voice.


    "Yes."


    Tears poured out endlessly from his eyes like rain.


    The sky was definitely clear. It must be a sun shower.


    1. Sahyung is a korean word that refers to the first disciple of the same master. Mac and Bloody have the same master but Bloody was the first disciple.


    2. Ahjussi is title that korean people use to refer to a middle aged man.

 Chapter 100: New Years Festival (1)

    In the middle of the barren demon territory wilderness, absent of any vegetation, Gawain tried to regain his breath and swung his sword. Gawain''s opponent was a large rhino demon called a collabulgon. It had the body of a rhinoceros and was more than 5 meters tall.


    Gawain slashed at the black collabulgon¡¯s horn but wasn¡¯t able to cut it off. Despite only leaving a scratch, the collabulgon became furious at the damage on its big, tough horn. He shook his head wildly, striking powerfully at Gawain.


    "Keup!" Gawain tried to reduce the impact as much as possible with his sword, but the collabulgon¡¯s strength sent him flying. Swinging his sword widely in the air and turning his body, Gawain looked for a place to land.


    Unfortunately, another collabulgon was rushing towards him in the direction that Gawain was flying towards. It was evident that if this continued, he would be hit by the collabulgon¡¯s horn before landing on the ground and wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid immediate death.


    As Gawain''s body gradually fell and approached the collabulgon, Gawain let out a strong shout and poured mana into his sword. Then he gave a powerful swing, released a huge amount of mana, and shot an aura blade [1]at the ground.


    Seeing the tremendous number of aura blades being suddenly shot towards it, the collabulgon tried to stop, but its weight and momentum prevented it from stopping where it wanted.


    The incoming aura blade accumulated damage and scratches on parts of the collabulgon¡¯s horn as if it had been weathered by time. In addition, the left shoulder and front leg were covered with weak leather in comparison to the horn.


    As a result, it became blood-stained, and the white bones could even be seen on its thick leg.


    "Moo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!!¡± The collabulgon screamed in pain, and Gawain used the aura blade he shot towards the ground to twist his body in mid-air, landing on the back of the suffering collabulgon.


    From the top of the violently trembling back, Gawain concentrated on the sword aura and slashed the back of the collabulgon¡¯s neck. With this deep gash on its neck, the collabulgon collapsed.


    Gawain jumped off the limp collabulgon¡¯s back and checked his remaining mana. From now on, he could use his sword aura five times and the aura blade once before his mana was drained, and he collapsed from exhaustion.


    Realizing this possibility, Gawain smiled. "That¡¯s enough."


    After Gawain landed on the ground, he immediately rushed to collabulgon, as it sent him flying through the air once more. The collabulgon was angry at the death of his friend and decided to charge at him.


    Five meters before Gawain and the collabulgon would collide, Gawain wrapped his sword in sword aura and swung it at the floor. He also jumped as if he was doing a pole vault.


    Despite seeing that Gawain was jumping over his head, the collabulgon was moving too fast to slow down.


    Gawain leaped into the air and shot two sword auras into the ground to create a cloud of dust. This was meant to block the collabulgon¡¯s view and lower its movement speed.


    Landing behind the collabulgon''s butt, Gawain ran towards its head. Although it was moving wildly, it was not enough to make up for its obscured vision.


    After he arrived in a flash, Gawain cut off at the back of the collabulgon¡¯s neck with his sword aura. The collabulgon rolled forward with the momentum from his charge as it lost its life.


    Gawain jumped sideways before the collabulgon¡¯s large body could fall forward. The collabulgon continued rolling for a long time and made a cloud of dust.


    Gawain sat down and provided sweet rest to his nearly exhausted body. After a moment of time, the dust settled, and the collabulgon''s corpse could be seen lying on the ground.


    Gawain looked around disinterestedly and checked his condition. Gawain''s body didn¡¯t have any major injuries and only bore slight bruises and small scratches from rolling on the floor.


    Despite the minor injuries from hunting thirteen large demons alone, Gawain was still depressed. This was because the blade of his mithril sword had become chipped from colliding with the collabulgon¡¯s horn.


    Fortunately, his reserve sword was made out of the strongest metal, adamantium, and was still intact. However, to better suit Gawain¡¯s skillful swordsmanship, the mithril that conducted mana was better than the hard adamantium.


    "Ohh, are you done with the hunt?" Asked Elder Mirpa as he walked from a distance. He was dragging a dragon corpse that was tens of meters long.


    Gawain stood up and answered, "Yes, it is over."


    Mirpa looked around Gawain and clicked his tongue, "Tch, you''ve mangled all the important parts."


    "I''m sorry. My skills were insufficient,¡± Gawain said, as he had no choice but to lower his head.


    This was because the dragon that Mirpa hunted had no wounds other than the killing blow. Considering that even a dozen collabulgons combined couldn¡¯t handle a dragon, the gap between Mirpa and Gawain was clear.


    "It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s still very impressive considering your age. Besides, that kid Mac isn¡¯t here. It can''t be helped since you can only display your full abilities alongside Mac."


    Mirpa''s words pierced Gawain''s heart. It was no different from saying that he couldn¡¯t display his skills properly without Mac.


    He knew that he had always partly relied on Mac. And yet, without Mac, it felt as if he couldn¡¯t muster even a quarter of his strength when he battled great demons.


    "Don''t be too hard on yourself. It''s all because of the way that old man Weger taught you. Well, to be honest, putting you with him helped you two grow faster, so I can''t say that it was necessarily wrong."


    Gawain and Mac were disciples who had trained under Elder Weger. Gawain was planning to take this opportunity to train himself to be able to show his skills even by himself.


    Having rested enough, Gawain got ready to move out and asked, "Do you think I can be Den¡¯s opponent outside of the forest?¡±


    Mirpa thought for a little bit before replying, "By yourself, no, but if you team up with that kid, Mac, the chances are low, but I think it is possible.¡±


    "Is that so..."


    Seeing the somewhat disappointed look, Mirpa laughed, "Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul, but don¡¯t you have an advantage inside the forest?"


    Mirpa said that Den caught a dragon when he was 12, but considering his personality and having seen his brothers before, he likely wasn¡¯t just thrown in front of a dragon. The odds leaned greatly towards him digging all sorts of traps the day before, or even two days before, and then barely managing to capture it.


    That reality was something that both Doomstone and Gawain had guessed. However, no one paid attention to the fact that in the Crow Tribe, the wisdom of digging a trap was part of one¡¯s power and ability.


    In the first place, there was no way he could catch a dragon even with traps if he didn¡¯t have the strength to support it.


    "Den can''t use his power in the forest." Despite saying so, Gawain¡¯s eyes were burning with triumph.


    Mirpa spoke to Gawain as he put the carcasses of the dragon and the collabulgons into his pocket space, "Even I¡¯m not certain I can win against that brat, Den, outside of the forest. So, of course, it¡¯s impossible for someone who isn¡¯t even an adult such as yourself."


    Gawain swallowed, his mouth dry, "Is the difference that great?"


    "Yes, under the premise that magic would be allowed, the chance of me winning is high in a short-term battle. However, a long-term battle would be advantageous for that Den brat. The kid¡¯s got a huge mana tank. As far as I know, even when compared with the Butterfly Tribe known for their naturally large mana capacity, he has a larger tank than even the crazy old man, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe.¡±


    Simply put, Mirpa was above them in terms of magic level.


    It was only natural that the skills obtained through Mirpa''s teachings still did not reach Mirpa''s own level, which had been developed through many years of living and learning countless magic.


    Yet, fighting with magic was another story. This was because there were other factors that decided the outcome outside of just simple things, such as who prepared more and one¡¯s current condition.


    Of course, inside Olympus forest, one¡¯s level would determine the outcome. The Olympus forest was an environment that prevented intervention of external factors. Olympus was not a place called the Magician''s Hell for nothing.


    "I see,¡± Gawain mumbled bitterly, then continued as if he had thought of something suddenly.


    "Oh, Miss Orphina called to ask if we could stay where the imperial army is positioned for a few days until someone comes to replace her, as she is leaving in a few days.¡±


    Mirpa stroked his chin. ¡°Orphina? That Dragon Tribe broad?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Gawain nodded, Mirpa asked with a worried face, "Who''s coming along this time? Bloody? Or the Butterfly Tribe?"


    "They said it was someone named William, so I think the Butterfly Tribe."


    Mirpa looked at the imperial army camp in the distance with an interested gaze. "Really? Seems like someone who can communicate with us is coming this time. That Dragon broad is too closed up. Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul."


    At Mirpa''s laughter, Gawain asked, "What should we do?"


    Mirpa pointed above a large mountain. "What do you mean ¡®what should we do¡¯? The Chief is here, so we should follow Doomstone¡¯s decision."


    Mirpa did not believe in Doomstone''s wisdom but definitely believed in Doomstone''s almighty instincts. Doomstone''s instincts were at a level of foresight that could be considered to have reached the field of magic.


    "By the way, it seems Father is running late."


    Mirpa laughed once again at Gawain, "Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul, he¡¯s probably running late from facing five dragons at once. For him, it¡¯s probably more difficult dragging the carcasses back than it is hunting them.¡±


    Dealing with the five dragons was something that Doomstone used to do easily in Olympus Forest. As such, there was no way it would be difficult to deal with five dragons when the restraints on mana were lifted outside of the forest.


    "Anyways, it¡¯s almost that time. In a few days, the capital will be lively with the New Year''s Festival.¡±


    "Is the capital¡¯s New Year''s Festival different from the New Year''s Festival in our village?"


    Gawain¡¯s question made Mirpa recall some old memories. "Well, could I say it¡¯s the same and different at the same time? Having fun and watching fights are the same."


    "Oh! Is that so?" Gawain¡¯s eyes glittered like a grandson listening to his grandmother''s old story.


    Seeing such a sight, Mirpa told the story of his New Year''s Festival from the past like a kind grandmother. "Well, for the Crow Tribe, it¡¯s probably boring, but there used to be a martial arts competition at the New Year¡¯s Festival. When I was young, there were no such things as civil servants in the Empire, so I don''t know about now but at the time....¡±


    * * *


    "Achoo!" While in the midst of volunteer training for the martial arts competition, I suddenly sneezed. Who was talking about me?


    "Are you all right?"


    "Oh, I¡¯m fine." I received the handkerchief that Flam handed over worriedly and blew my nose into while speaking.


    Paeng-!


    "Uh... well, just keep it.¡±


    I laughed mischievously as I saw Flam looking at me with a wry smile. "Why, what¡¯s wrong, aren¡¯t we close?"


    "No, no matter how close you are, isn¡¯t snot a little, you know."


    "What, what¡¯s the matter? Here." I separated my snot-filled handkerchief that I had hidden under Flam''s handkerchief and returned Flam''s dry handkerchief.


    Flam received his handkerchief in amazement.


    1. Aura blade is a stronger manifestation of sword aura

 Chapter 101: New Year’s Festival (2)

    "Oh! Amazing! Magic?"


    "Well, rather than magic, it¡¯s a magic trick with a hand skill."


    "What hand skill is that? Can it be done by someone barely capable of using magic like me?"


    I pretended to put my handkerchief in my pocket but instead placed it in my pocket space and answered, "It depends how much you practice.¡±


    Saying so, I lightly stuck a coin between my index and middle finger and showed him. Then I quickly increased the number of coins to two, then to three, and then reduced it back to one. As the coins repeatedly increased and decreased in quantity, Flam looked at my hand in astonishment.


    I gave a small smile and taught him the principles of the skill. "I hid the coins here in my sleeve, and then I used the snap of my wrist to pull them out."


    Of course, the coins were originally placed in my sleeve by taking them out from my pocket space.


    It was the end of the year, and New Year¡¯s Day was in a few days, so I tried a magic trick to celebrate the New Year, but the reception was unexpectedly good. Shall I show it again at the boarding house later?


    "So that¡¯s how it was done, but it''s still amazing."


    As Flam and I were chatting, the civil servant in charge of my probationary training evaluation pointed at Flam. ¡°Be quiet over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡± After getting put on the spot, Flam shut his mouth with a red face and looked straight ahead.


    Currently, Flam and I were at the ceremony department, one of the departments in the imperial palace, for the last probationary training. The training at the Red Magic Tower was kind of just skipped due to the unexpected collapse of the magic tower, which was handled as an unknown cave-in accident.


    Fortunately, they used the score that the trainees had received so far, so my grades were lowered. My efforts to try and reduce my score in the first half of the training ended up bearing fruit. Still, it was a close call, as I was still in the top rank, but I couldn''t help it.


    After the magic tower, I trained for a week during class in the mercenary alliance. After that, my final training commenced. In the ceremony department where I was currently receiving probationary training, they mainly focused on hosting and supporting national events or welcoming important foreign personnel. It was a pretty important department, and perhaps because they had a large budget, their workplace was large and nice, but I wasn¡¯t exactly sent to this department by chance.


    Just like the New Year''s Martial Arts Competition that I was being trained to volunteer at, the New Year''s Festival would feature various events organized by the imperial family. Therefore, most of the trainees were sent to the ceremony department to help cover multiple events during the New Year''s Festival.


    To be honest, it felt more like being hired as a day laborer instead of being a trainee. The trainees were given training at an imperial department while simultaneously getting used as a labor force for a short period of time, allowing the Empire to avoid wasting money on acquiring labor. From the Empire¡¯s perspective, it was killing two birds with one stone.


    It seems they had a really good head for saving money. Still, this wasn¡¯t bad for me. If it was like this, it was highly likely that they would overlook mistakes I made on purpose. Although I would have to be careful, I decided to slowly get point deductions and lower my score into a safe range.


    * * *


    Zantes, the crown prince of the Empire, sighed in the carriage.


    "Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. You are sighing. Is there something causing you discomfort?"


    When the servant on standby next to him asked with a worried face, Zantes smiled bitterly. "How could I possibly be uncomfortable? I''m more comfortable than ever, so don''t worry."


    The servant bowed his head and said yes.


    Zantes was in an environment where he could not feel uncomfortable even if he wanted to. The carriage was plastered with all sorts of magic. The carriage shook so little that he couldn¡¯t even discern whether he was sitting in a carriage or his bedroom.


    The chair on which he was resting his arm was an expensive sofa made of precious wood. In addition, if the Crown Prince was thirsty, the carriage had a refrigerator and a magic kettle installed so that he could drink cold beverages and warm tea. If he was bored, he could read a book from the bookshelf in the corner of the carriage.


    Yet, all that made Zantes feel uncomfortable. He felt stifled at the sight of the servant rigidly watching his manners as if he was a cog in a machine. Zantes needed to maintain strict discipline and tradition as the next emperor, but he was too young to uphold all that.


    He enjoyed learning the sword more than how to fulfill government affairs, and instead of reading the writings of the old scholars in the library, he preferred to read the autobiographies of adventurers secretly.


    Passion and enthusiasm. Those two words were the words used to describe Zantes. However, in reality, his appearance displayed the state of his passion, bottled up and trapped. And most of all, the person he was going to meet now made Zantes the most uncomfortable.


    "Your Highness, we have arrived."


    Hearing the knight¡¯s voice from outside, Zantes rid himself of his sighs and gloom, rising from his seat with a bright display of confidence.


    "Here you are, Your Highness." As soon as Zantes got up from his seat, a competent servant immediately came prepared with a cane before he said anything.


    The cane was a symbol of a gentleman. It was somewhat incomprehensible to the young Zantes, but it would have been rude to the guest not to hold a cane during formal situations. Just like going in a fancy suit, shoes and white socks. Strange things seemed to be considered rude, but that was just naturally the law in the world of nobles.


    The crown prince confidently stepped out of the carriage with the cane. High-ranking knights stood guard on the left and right sides of the carriage door. In front of Zantes, there was a stone statue of a goddess that looked sacred, and behind that, a huge temple was showing off its majesty.


    "Welcome to the Great Temple, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."  Fernando, the cardinal of the Great Temple, approached Zantes with a cane. Fernando wasn''t holding the ceremonial wand and instead was using a cane to support himself.


    As Zantes noticed this, he was able to deduce that the cardinal''s wide-spread robes were intended to mask Fernando''s uncomfortable movements. Fernando wanted to conceal it as much as he could, but it was not enough to avoid Zantes''s sharp eyes, which were trained from dealing with the old raccoons in the political world.


    "Thank you for your hospitality, Cardo Fernando."


    "Those are unnecessary words. May God bless you always." Fernando smiled benevolently and drew the cross sign.


    The crown prince looked at Fernando with a warm smile and drew the same sign. "May God bless you, too."


    Zantes sharply observed Fernando''s complexion as he drew the sign. Fernando was a typical hard-liner in the temple. Most of the temple''s hard-liners did not express their feelings, but they hated the imperial family for having destroyed the temple''s old glory. As such, it would be normal for Fernando to Zantes.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t find any signs of this hatred from Fernando at all. In other words, the cardinal before him was hiding his feelings deep in his heart like a serpent that had been tied up for a thousand years.


    Of course, he took into account the possibility that Fernando might be favorable to the imperial family, unlike other hard-liners. Despite this,  Zantes leaned towards believing that Fernando was more of a snake than favorable towards the imperial family. This was because Fernando was one of the few people who survived despite rebelling against his grandfather, the Blood Emperor.


    Zantes swallowed his saliva as he was guided into the Great Temple, his mouth becoming dry. The reason why the crown prince himself came to the Great Temple was to ask for the attendance of Saintess Hillis at this New Year''s Festival, as she was staying at the Great Temple.


    Since New Year''s Day was an important event to welcome the new year, the saintess personally blessing the Empire would not only move the people but was also a good political gesture for the imperial family. As such, Fernando would use whatever method he could think of to refuse.


    Having sensed that the cardinal was more of a snake than expected, Zantes judged that the negotiation would be quite difficult and hardened his heart. Then again, Zantes¡¯s thoughts became complicated, noticing the fact that this snake wasn¡¯t able to hide all of his movements.


    Zantes wondered if the rumor about the cardinal was true. The rumor stated that the cardinal¡¯s wounds caused from fighting the heretics a few months ago were still not completely healed.  He strolled around inside the Great Temple and pondered how to use this knowledge.


    * * *


    "Ha-ap!"


    Chaeng!


    Around sunset, I was in the middle of entering the boarding house after work. Yet, hearing the sounds of weapons clashing behind the residence, I turned my feet towards the garden in the back.


    Kang! Kang!


    There, Lisbon and Alphonso were sparring with a practice sword that lacked a blade. Although I had seen them train together, it was the first time that I had seen the two of them spar with each other.


    Thinking that I should watch them for once before heading in, I put my commuting bag on a table in the garden and sat down on a chair. It would have been nice to have a can of beer and chew on dried squid legs while watching, but neither were available in the capital. (1)


    Although it would be difficult, it was possible to get dried squid in the capital for a great expense, but canned beer was something that didn¡¯t even exist in the first place. It''s too bad.


    The spar between Lisbon and Alphonso was not bad to watch. Alphonso lacked skill but utilized his battle race physique when attacking Lisbon. Lisbon, on the other hand, compensated for his lack of strength with his skills and boldness.


    As Alphonso attempted a large diagonal cut upwards, Lisbon quickly retreated three steps. Aiming for the gap caused by Alphonso''s big move, Lisbon quickly charged and targeted Alphonso''s shoulder.


    Seeing the sword stabbing towards his right shoulder, Alphonso generated armor with mana. Rather than this being an advanced self-defense technique, it was an instant armor made by pouring mana into the hem of his garment.


    Kang!


    The bluish mana armor and the blunt sword collided, the sharp sound of iron colliding ringing out. Alphonso''s method just now was what 10-year-olds with good sense would often do back in my hometown. It was a method that I also learned when I was five years old from being thrown in front of a monster.


    So other battle races used it too. I didn''t know that.


    When his stab was blocked, Lisbon immediately lifted his sword and struck down right away. Alphonso raised his sword to block before he could regain his posture.


    Kang!


    Alphonso blocked it, unable to position himself properly. Under normal conditions, the other person wouldn¡¯t have been able to block the attack, so it was a victory for Lisbon, but Alphonso was able to stop it with his strong physique and instinctive mana control.


    Ssss-Kang!


    Lisbon didn''t pull back the blocked sword but instead interlocked with Alphonso''s sword and slid down. Then, he hit Alphonso''s sword guard with a powerful strike.


    It was clearly meant to smack down Alphonso''s wrist. Oh my gosh. Was that the Pushover Lisbon that I knew?


    It was a quick and bold move without mercy. This time, even Alphonso''s physique was not able to withstand it, and his sword was clearly moved out of position.


    When Alphonso grabbed his left wrist with his right hand, Lisbon pulled his sword toward his body then moved it downward.


    I was wondering if the spar was about to finish, but Lisbon quickly struck his sword upwards and completely sent Alphonso''s sword flying.


    When Alphonso''s sword fell to the ground, Lisbon put his sword in the sheath. Only then did Lisbon start making a fuss while approaching Alphonso.


    Notes: 1) Dried squid legs are a popular snack that¡¯s commonly eaten while drinking in Korea.

 Chapter 102: New Year’s Festival (3)

    "Is your wrist all right?"


    What is this? You beat someone up, then give them medicine?


    Alphonso looked like he was about to cry but faintly smiled. "Yes! It''s fine!"


    I was surprised once again to see the crybaby Alphonso smiling as if he was okay even though his wrists probably hurt. Most of all, the lousy swordsmanship that was unbearable to watch during the entrance exam had now developed into lousy swordsmanship that was bearable to watch.


    Alphonso was steadily growing somewhere away from my eyes. He might one day be able to rid himself of the child and crybaby titles.


    I clapped my hands, realizing that even as friends, one wouldn¡¯t know everything about them. "It was a great spar."


    As soon as I clapped my hands, Lisbon and Alphonso looked at me in surprise, having just realized that I was here.


    "Wow~! It''s Den!"


    As soon as he saw me, Alphonso tried to charge in for a hug as always. As customary, I stopped him by holding his head in one hand and smiled refreshingly. "Wipe away your sweat at least before you come rushing towards me."


    Alphonso struggled to wipe the sweat off his face with the hem of his clothes.


    "Using your clothes to clean the sweat defeats the point!¡±


    The sweat was not even being wiped properly because the shirt was already soaked with sweat.


    "Hing!" Alphonso looked teary.


    I let go of Alphonso and asked Lisbon, "So why are you two sparring all of a sudden?¡±


    Lisbon scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Actually, I was going to try participating in this New Year¡¯s Festival Martial Arts Competition."


    Lisbon¡¯s words were quite unexpected, as knight school students usually didn''t participate in the martial arts competition. The New Year''s Festival Martial Arts Competition was mainly a competition involving wandering knights, adventurers, and mercenaries who were not in the military. It served as a kind of gateway competition.


    Students at the knight school had many opportunities to be scouted by various knights while attending school. Furthermore, since there were even entrance exams for graduates, the intention was to give a chance to those who didn¡¯t have such opportunities.


    For the same reason, active knights who already belong to a knight division did not participate in the martial arts competition. Even so, it was only a tradition, so there were no actual rules to prevent participation. As such, it was up to the individual''s choice to participate.


    "Alphonso too?"


    "Yea! I''m going to go out and win!" Alphonso shouted gallantly, but it seemed too exaggerated.


    Aren¡¯t you getting too confident in your victory after losing to Lisbon just now? Well, I didn''t hate that kind of stupidity.


    "Do your best.¡±


    "Yep!" Alphonso gave a sunflower-like smile at my encouragement.


    As he wiped away his sweat with a towel, Lisbon looked at me and asked, "Come to think of it, Den, you said you learned swordsmanship, right?"


    At this reminder, I remembered that I had told him that I learned swordsmanship before. "Yes, well, I learned it, though it''s only to the level of self-defense to protect myself.¡±


    In my hometown, being able to protect yourself with your swordsmanship meant that you were at a level capable of creating an aura blade. For your information, on average, those in their late 20s could safely return to the village even if they roamed the forest alone.


    "Then how about a spar with me?" Lisbon smiled refreshingly and pointed his sword at me. I refused, pushing away the blade.


    ¡°Are you going to break my wrist too?¡± I asked playfully.


    Lisbon shook his hands as he became flustered, "Ah, no! I only struck down because I knew Alphonso''s body was so strong. Would I do such a thing when I''m sparring with you?"


    My body was stronger than Alphonso¡¯s, though. However, I was thin compared to my father and older brother.


    "Well, I''m tired after a hard day of work. Let¡¯s do it next time we get a chance."


    Lisbon replied with a regretful look. "Really?"


    I changed the topic before he could repeat his request. "From the look of it, it seemed like you strengthened your clothes with mana. Does the Butterfly Tribe have that kind of technique too?¡±


    Alphonso shook his head, ¡°No, Uncle''s friend told me about it.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± For some reason, I felt uneasy.


    "Yeah. It was a man named Bloody Blade, and he said he''d come to see the martial arts competition."


    Ah, I''m screwed.


    * * *


    The crown prince arrived at the prime minister''s official residence in the palace. Arcanta guided Zantes to the reception room. The prime minister gave the crown prince the table in the reception room while he sat in the guest seat.


    Zantes and Arcanta were the crown prince and a duke. In terms of position, they were both called ''Your Highness,'' having the same ranking according to the Empire''s statuses.


    Yet, Arcanta was sitting one step below Zantes despite being the prime minister. In addition, the official residence was located in the imperial palace, so he had given the owner of the house the higher seat. (1)


    Zantes had also lived in the palace since he was young, so he naturally sat in the higher seat.


    "I apologize. I should have originally gone to see you instead...¡±


    Zantes waved his hand and laughed at Arcanta¡¯s apology, "No, it¡¯s fine. The prime minister is busy as well, right? I''m still in a position of learning state affairs, so I''m not as busy as the emperor or the prime minister, so it¡¯s only natural for me to come and see you."


    "I''m very grateful to hear that. Actually, there''s been backlash from other cabinet members about where to take out the budget for the reconstruction of the Red Magic Tower." Arcanta rubbed the deep, dark circles around his eyes to relieve his eye strain.


    The prime minister said the cabinet members were protesting, but in fact, each cabinet member was holding onto his pant legs and begging him not to cut their budget.


    Since he was young, Arcanta was someone who never shed any blood or tears when fulfilling tasks for the former emperor, the Blood Emperor. So right now, he was squeezing out the budget from each department.


    "Hahaha, is that so? The prime minister is going through a lot of trouble."


    As Zantes laughed, Arcanta sighed, "Ha-ah, I''m not joking. I''m currently squeezing out the budget for the Imperial Railroad Association, and the Chief laid down on his stomach begging me to spare him and really tried to lick my boots. I was so annoyed that I kicked him away."


    It was an inevitable situation ever since they spent unnecessary money for the saintess¡¯s ceremony. So he thought it was good that money was urgently needed.


    "Kk-kk, is that so?" Zantes tried to hold back his laughter when he heard Arcanta''s grumbling, but the laughter kept leaking out of his mouth.


    Arcanta asked while drinking herbal tea poured by a servant, "So then, did your work go well?"


    The prime minister was referring to the prince¡¯s task to head to the Great Temple and make contact with the saintess.


    The crown prince shook his head with a dark face. "No. It turned out that Cardinal Fernando was a snake. He wouldn¡¯t even let me meet the saintess while saying that the saintess¡¯s opinion was the most important. I was amazed by the monster-like surviving skills that allowed him to escape from my grandfather''s grasp."


    Arcanta nodded. At present, the temple was not powerful enough to ignore the imperial family. However, the saintess, as an individual, was a symbol that they couldn¡¯t treat recklessly.  Fernando knew that fact too well. He was an experienced politician who knew how to use the saintess to exist as more than simply an individual.


    "It is as expected. Thank you for your hard work." Arcanta said, partially giving up on the saintess giving a blessing during the New Year''s Festival.


    In fact, spanning from half a year ago, there were many events that he had to worry about, ranging from the cases of the mysterious thief, Lupin, to what happened at Arelia¡¯s ball. In addition, the increasing activity of the demons within their territory, the veteran civil servant who almost got poisoned, and the corruption of Marquis Baltain were all things he had to address.


    Then there was the collapse of the Red Magic Tower and the New Year''s Festival. There was too much to worry about. And soon, the civil servant trainees would be graduating, so he would have to worry about their appointments.


    Yet, Zantes asked with a sad face, "Is there no other way?"


    Zantes felt too regretful to miss this opportunity. There was too much political merit in the saintess, the symbol of the temple, blessing the imperial family.


    To further explain this great impact, this could solidify the public¡¯s support, and less importantly, it could keep the growing noble faction in check. It could also possibly lead to a couple of the religious bigwig nobles switching camps to the emperor¡¯s faction.


    As Arcanta was well aware of that fact, he brushed his chin as he pondered, "Mmm, I''m not certain, but there''s one possible way."


    The crown prince¡¯s eyes widened. In reality, although he thought it was regretful, he had practically given up because he had no way to approach the saintess. His question about the presence of any other methods was just him complaining in regret.


    "What is it?"


    Arcanta smiled at Zantes¡¯s urgency. "It is said that there are three envoys from the Crow Tribe who are close with the saintess and are currently staying in Bloody''s mansion."


    "Is that true?"Zantes asked, surprised enough to make him stand.


    Arcanta nodded. "Yes, when the Chief of the Imperial Railroad Association went to welcome the saintess, she included three men and women with black hair and black eyes amongst her party."


    "Three men and women?" Zantes tilted his head. The Crow Tribe did have black hair, but it was not like there weren¡¯t other people with black hair in the Empire.


    "Yes, as soon as they got off the train, they said goodbye to the saintess then jumped off from the East Capital Station. Considering that, it is certainly them."


    "From that high place? It seems they are from the Crow Tribe." Zantes was speechless at Arcanta¡¯s story. East Capital Station was high enough to see the whole view of the capital.


    This was one of the things said by Jemuir, the Chief of the Imperial Railroad Association, as he tried to say anything to keep his budget intact. Of course, the Prime Minister still kicked away the Imperial Railroad Association Chief without any reservations and slashed his budget for next year.


    "Shall I try to set up a meeting?" Arcanta asked whether he was going to proceed.


    Zantes moistened his throat with the herbal tea that had cooled from the prolonged conversation and shook his head. "I''ll take care of it. It would be rude to ask a busy person to set up a meeting."


    What Zantes said meant that Arcanta didn''t have to worry about it anymore. He was being considerate of Arcanta, who wished he had ten bodies for the heavy workload he had.


    Arcanta felt pleased with Zantes'' concern and nodded."Thank you for your consideration. Please do not be too upset if things do not turn out well."


    Being advised not to be afraid of failure, Zantes nodded. "Of course. One can¡¯t become discouraged from failure, even though I''m not in the barracks."


    Zantes drank the remaining herbal tea in one go and got up from his seat. "You don¡¯t have to see me off."


    "Then I shall bid you farewell from here." Arcanta rose from his seat and said goodbye.


    As Zantes left the reception room, Arcanta headed straight to his office in his residence. Even after work, the prime minister¡¯s tasks continued.


    Notes: 1) The owner of the house refers to Zantes as the owner of the imperial palace in which the residence is located. Aka, giving your landlord your seat.

 Chapter 103: New Year’s Festival (4)

    Hillis stood in front of the tightly closed door and knocked carefully. "Unni, can I come in?¡±


    Despite Hillis¡¯s words, there was no sound from inside the room. It was unimaginably disrespectful not to answer the saintess''s question in the temple, but the owner of this room was Hillis¡¯s biological older sister.


    "I''m going to come in?¡± Hillis gave a unilateral warning and carefully opened the door, entering the room. When she saw the empty eyes of her older sister Vibrio, her heart felt like it was being torn.


    Under Vibrio''s eyes were dark circles, and the veins of her eyes were clearly visible as if her eyes were dry. The target of her empty gaze was not looking at Hillis. It was as if her soul had been sucked out.


    Hillis approached Vibrio without saying a word and hugged her. In this Vibrio, she couldn¡¯t find any semblance of the old Vibrio, who was full of vigor, charismatic laughter, and who would pester Hillis.


    After Hillis had become the saintess, if anyone gave her trouble, even her own parents, Vibrio was the one who had been the most tender to her. Yet, this Vibrio was not her. She was just a young maiden who had been scarred deeply due to losing half of her beloved soul.


    After repeatedly crying and falling asleep from exhaustion, Vibrio¡¯s eyes had no more tears left, and her soul felt like a dried-up desert.


    Hillis held Vibrio tightly, tears falling from her eyes, "I''m sorry. I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to be by your side."


    When Vibrio''s chest became wet with Hillis''s tears, Vibrio stroked her head slowly with great difficulty.


    "No,¡± Vibrio spoke in a dry, cracking voice as she closed her eyes.


    No more tears came out now.


    "It''s all my fault."


    She was losing consciousness when her lover¡¯s heart was destroyed by an ominous red flash of light. At first, she resented her lover for failing to keep their promise to come back. It did not take long before she despaired God for failing to protect her lover.


    Then, the despair had turned into hatred for her sister, who had made the miracle that failed to prevent her lover¡¯s death. However, seeing her younger sister crying in her arms, she realized that everything was due to her powerlessness.


    "I wish I had strength.¡±


    Hillis laid in her arms, her body warm.


    "The power to stop those who are evil.¡±


    But the warmth could not reach Vibrio''s heart, which had turned cold. Vibrio slowly opened her eyes, but they were still empty.


    * * *


    Why was I assigned to serve as staff for the martial arts competition when there were so many other New Year''s Festival events? If you asked someone working next to you this question, they¡¯d answer, "It''s because the martial arts competition is the most labor-intensive event."


    Most trainees were sent to the ceremony department, and of those training at the ceremony department, it was safe to assume that more than half were assigned to the martial arts competition.


    "What happened with the stages for the preliminary rounds we asked the knight school about?"


    When a civil servant from the ceremony department asked, I checked the documents and answered, "I received a reply saying that we can rent five from the low-rank knight school and three from the middle-rank knight school."


    The civil servant frowned. "That''s less than usual. What happened?"


    Excuse me, I''m just a trainee being used as a temporary labor force, so I don''t know how it was last year?


    "Are we also sending an official letter of cooperation to the mercenary alliance and adventurers¡¯ guild?"


    The civil servant nodded. "While you are at it, please ask the knight school again."


    "Okay, I will do that."


    I filled in the empty official document with information about the cooperation and the location before getting up. All right. Let¡¯s play hooky with the excuse of going out to distribute the official document.


    Originally, the ceremony department was one of the departments known among the trainees for having a lot of free time, but it was almost as busy as a war zone right now.


    I had to deal with cooperation with the location, dispatch of personnel, safety control, securing supplies, and checking the route. I was so busy to the point that I had my hands in everything. This was like doing a year¡¯s worth of work at the end of the year.


    Considering the national festivals, the Founding Day Festival, or the emperor¡¯s birthday, it seemed like they worked three times as much as other departments. Moreover, since small ceremonial events couldn¡¯t be omitted, the department was complete hell.


    In reality, civil servant trainees from the first half of the year were assigned to the Founding Day Festival. The trainees from the second half of the year were recruited for New Year¡¯s Festival, allowing the department to function normally.


    I''m going to escape from this hell!


    "I''ll be right back."


    In my previous life, there were many methods such as a phone call, e-mail, fax, etc., but this world was not as developed. I had no choice but to go in person, deliver the official letter, and get a reply.


    "Okay, I''m busy, so come back as soon as possible." The civil servant was so busy that he said this without even looking up to see me leave.


    "Okay,¡± I said as I left, but I had no intention of going back quickly.


    If I wanted to, I could move fast enough to traverse from one end of the capital to the other end in a short amount of time, but I planned on going at a pace of not too slow and not too fast. I intended to procrastinate as much as possible while simultaneously staying within the evaluator¡¯s tolerance.


    Shall I go to the mercenary alliance first?


    * * *


    Zantes stood alone in the middle of the market without any attendants, massaging his chin as he said, "Mmm, where am I?"


    Zantes looked at his surroundings and thought about his current situation cool-headedly. He had become a lost child. It was funny to see that a fully grown adult in his 20s was lost, but it also couldn''t be helped. Since he always rode in a large carriage, there was no way he would know the roads properly.


    Of course, he had brought his entourage to meet the Crow Tribe envoys who were staying at Bloody¡¯s residence. Then, thinking that he was safe with the Crows, he sent the entourage back first. Zantes¡¯s entourage couldn¡¯t disobey the crown prince¡¯s orders, so they had no choice but to head back.


    Zantes asked the Crow envoys to help create a bridge between him and the saintess, and they agreed to his request. Then he smiled playfully and energetically asked if they doubted whether a grown man could get home by himself or not.


    Zantes''s entourage naturally thought that even with this statement, the Crows would still escort him back to the palace. However, unfortunately for the entourage, the only Crow with enough common sense to handle the situation was not present. Lancelot was visiting Count Druval for business, so he was completely unaware of Zantes¡¯s visit.


    Since they lacked common sense in the world outside of their village, Mac and Leisha did not see anything wrong with letting Zantes travel by himself. As such, when Zantes announced that he would go back alone, Mac and Leisha accompanied Zantes up to the exterior of their residence without feeling that anything was strange. And so, Zantes arrived at the current situation.


    "Hahaha, things have become a little difficult." Despite saying this, the lost Zantes¡¯s face was not a worried one.


    Zantes wandered around the market with an interested look. He had always wanted this kind of freedom; he was envious of the bustling liveliness of the market. In front of him, everyone became polite and solemn.


    As his friends grew older, they began to speak respectfully instead of casually to each other. And unlike the old days when they smiled when their eyes met, now they bowed their waist and heads and did not dare to raise their faces.


    Zantes thought it was beyond his control as the next ruler of the Empire. He also didn''t believe it was bad to learn about government affairs for the Empire. But still, he wanted to catch his breath from time to time in places like this where no one would recognize him.


    Come to think of it; it seemed his younger sister, Arelia, made an excellent choice. In return for serving as bait once, she would be able to enjoy this kind of freedom until she graduated from the magic school.


    While he was touring the market, Zantes suddenly felt thirsty. Although he was not tired due to his regular physical training, he seemed to have inhaled some dry dust from walking along an unfamiliar road.


    Just as it so happens, Zantes saw a cafe. Thinking that it was good to see a small cafe, Zantes entered. After going inside the cafe, he stood in front of the menu. He thought about what to order before searching for his wallet.


    "Huh?" Where is it? Zantes searched everywhere but couldn''t find his wallet.


    Then he heard a voice from behind him, "Are you looking for this?¡±


    When Zantes turned around, there was a young boy with dark brown hair holding the wallet and looking at him like he was pathetic.


    "Ah! That''s right. That wallet belongs to me. Thank you. I must have dropped it by mistake.¡± Zantes spoke to the boy naturally while receiving his wallet. Then as he was looking at the boy, he noticed that there was a civil servant ID hanging on his neck.


    "Is your name Den? I''ll give you a reward for picking up my wallet."


    The civil servant ID said Den von Mark.


    * * *


    I was on my way to the adventurers'' guild after distributing the official letters to the mercenary alliance and receiving confirmation on renting two locations. I hid in a cafe that was a little less crowded to play hooky and decided to spend an appropriate amount of time at the cafe before leaving.


    Sitting in a corner with the coffee I ordered, I felt a strange pleasure in not working when others were working. Did I have an affinity for being unemployed by any chance? No, this was the pleasure that came from cutting work when a job was given.


    Phrasing it like that made me feel like I was acting like trash. However, when the mercenary alliance had only offered one location, I managed to get two places by eloquently pressuring them. So, this much luxury could be given as a reward to me.


    Even if I were to go back now, all that would happen would be a "Good job," so I had to take care of my own reward. At the same time, I would get point deductions for having taken my time, so it was killing two birds with one stone.


    Mmm~ For a cafe in a corner, the smell of the coffee was good.


    While I was in the midst of enjoying my freedom, a handsome blonde young man came into the cafe. The reason why my gaze instantly landed on the newly-arrived blonde young man instead of the customers was that he didn''t fit in with this cafe at all.


    As if the young man was asserting that he was of high nobility, even at a glance, one could tell that he was wearing a coat made of high-quality material. The shoulders had an epaulet embroidered with threads that seemed to be made of genuine gold, and the buttons on the sleeves looked like they were made of real silver. In addition, the scarf wrapped around his neck like a tie was clearly made of high-quality silk.


    I don''t know why a young noble who seemed to lack knowledge of the real world came all the way to a corner cafe, but let¡¯s try to remain uninvolved as much as possible.


    As soon as I was about to remove my attention from him, a stupid little boy carefully approached the young man without any fear. Then, he took the wallet out of the young man¡¯s pocket as he was engrossed in the menu, put it in his pocket, and tried to leave while pretending nothing happened.


    I got up from my seat, clicking my tongue inside. The little boy seemed to have no eye for people because he was still young, but no matter how you looked at that young man, he was the kind of person who shouldn¡¯t be touched.


    There was no way to know the personality that the young man had, and it wasn¡¯t my business, but just by looking at the way he held himself, his position and power were not low. To be exact, even if I didn''t know, I would eventually find out as a civil servant trainee.


    With his status, even if the young man tried to overlook the boy, the people around him would cut off the boy¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 104: New Year’s Festival (5)

    I picked up my finished cup of coffee and passed by the boy as I headed to the cafe counter. The boy tried to look natural, but his actions had countless flaws.


    The little boy left the cafe happily, and I went to the young man who was feeling his entire body as he searched for his wallet and said, "Are you looking for this?¡±


    "Ah! That''s right. That wallet belongs to me. Thank you. I must have dropped it by mistake.¡±


    What a stupid person. No, should I say instead that he¡¯s someone who¡¯s unaware of the ways of the world? Such clothes naturally attract those stupid little boys. In those cases, it''s not the young man who gets harmed; it''s the stupid boy.


    "Is your name Den? I''ll give you a reward for picking up my wallet."


    I realized that I was wearing my civil servant ID card.


    I responded as I naturally stowed away my civil servant ID in my inside pocket. "That¡¯s okay. I just found it on the floor first. It would be too shameful to expect a reward for such a thing."


    "No, no need to refuse. It seems like you are a civil servant, so I''ll buy some refreshments for you to share with others."


    The young man opened his wallet and looked at the menu. I closed the suddenly opened wallet while covering its opening. The slight gap inside the wallet showed that it was filled with a gold shine.


    What is this lunatic trying to do by opening a wallet full of gold in a place like this? Did he want to die quietly in a back alley without anyone ever finding out?


    Actually, when I looked closely and saw the sword on his hips, the bracelet, and the belt, I noticed that his body was essentially covered with magic tools. With these, he probably wouldn¡¯t get killed quietly. Rather, the robbers going after the wallet would probably get killed one after the other.


    "It''s really alright. I actually received a bit of money to buy some snacks."


    When I was getting his wallet back from the boy, I had also taken another wallet from his pocket. This wallet was probably one that was stolen by that pickpocketing boy anyways. I''m sure it was fine to accept this as payment for keeping his wrist.


    When I opened the boy''s wallet, it was quite full. It seems like he was a pretty good pickpocket.


    As I took out a few bronze coins from my wallet, even this stupid noble finally realized that he only had gold coins in his wallet and became flustered. "Uh, mmm. I, I see. If that¡¯s the case, it would be rude for me to keep insisting."


    He may not know the ways of the world, but fortunately, he seemed to have common sense. Following through with my story, I bought cookies in bulk from the cafe. I could share it when I got back or just shove everything in my pocket space. I''d probably eat them all at some point.


    Since the pocket space was a complete vacuum and was not a suitable environment for microorganisms, dehydrated foods like the cookies would not rot. Also, I didn''t think it was a bad idea to keep it as emergency food. With both hands full of cookies, I tried to say goodbye and leave the cafe.


    "Wait."


    When I stopped walking and turned around, the young man looked embarrassed, and his face turned red as he said, "By any chance, do you know what direction the imperial palace is located? I am unfamiliar with the roads here."


    "If you walk straight along the market street, you''ll find a three-way intersection. If you go right from there, you will see a wall that is far away but surrounds the palace. If you can see the palace wall, you can just roughly walk in that direction by following the main roads. You¡¯ll be able to see many civil servants preparing for the New Year¡¯s Festival. I don''t know your destination, but after that point, you can just ask anyone for further directions."


    At my kind explanation, the young man bowed his head. "Thank you. I will definitely return this favor later."


    I didn''t know when he planned on seeing me again to return the favor, but I simply nodded. He appeared to be a high-ranking noble, but given that he bowed, he seemed to have been well educated at home.


    Leaving the cafe, I put the cookies in my hands into the pocket space and headed toward the adventurer''s guild.


    I stopped by the cafe to take a break, but it didn''t feel like a break for some reason.


    * * *


    In the middle of the dark chamber that didn¡¯t allow even the smallest bit of light to enter, five people dressed in black sat around a large table. The only source of light in the dark room was from five candles lying in front of the five people in black.


    Libra was wearing a half black and half white mask and spoke with his characteristic voice that was indistinguishable from an old or young person. "It seems there are five people at the meeting again."


    Scorpio, wearing a red mask, smiled and agreed, "Oh, seems so. Huhut."


    Libra glanced indifferently at Scorpio and looked at the old man in a pure white mask sitting next to her. "I don''t know why you bother holding these meetings if it''s just going to be like this, Sagittarius."


    The old man called Sagittarius laughed pleasantly, "Keuhaha! I know, right? Just who decided to hold such meetings!?"


    At Sagittarius¡¯s laughter, Libra slammed her hand on the table. "Isn''t it always you who calls these meetings? And what about when you never attend the meetings!?"


    "Ara? Did I do that? Jeez, they do say that you should die when you get old. I must be getting forgetful. Keuhaha!"


    When Sagittarius laughed loudly, Libra clenched his fist with a look of genuine annoyance.


    Scorpio was sitting next to Sagittarius, and she crossed her legs, saying playfully, "Oh, weren¡¯t these meetings originally an option? Isn¡¯t that right, Virgo?"


    Scorpio directed her words towards the woman in a light pink mask. Yet, the woman called Virgo just shrugged her shoulders and did not answer. One could say she agreed with Scorpio since she didn¡¯t attend the last meeting either.


    "Keuhaha! Don''t nag me too much, Libra. I had something come up during the last meeting, so I couldn''t help it."


    The blue masked man who was sitting next to Virgo sighed at Sagittarius. "Was that something plundering the Crow Tribe¡¯s sacred land?¡±


    Sagittarius winked and laughed pleasantly. "Correct, Aquarius. Puhaha!"


    Aquarius grabbed his forehead as if he had a headache, while Sagittarius smacked the table again as he rose from his seat. "Is it your fault that the Crow Tribe Chief is running wild in the demon¡¯s territory?"


    "Yes. Hehe, he was stronger than I expected by several levels."


    Libra exploded in rage at Sagittarius, who made a gesture like he was embarrassed. "You bastard!"


    When Libra looked like he was about to jump at Sagittarius immediately, Scorpio, Virgo, and Aquarius aimed their respective weapons at Libra. Aquarius held a sword against Libra¡¯s neck, allowing him to cut Libra¡¯s throat at any moment.


    "Private battles are not allowed here,¡± Aquarius said.


    Aiming her double swords at Libra¡¯s heart and forehead, Virgo agreed with Aquarius. "Your actions are crossing the line, Libra."


    Scorpio had instantaneously moved behind Libra, and she laughed while pointing her staff at him. "Well, I do like to fight, but since this is what Sagittarius had decided, we should follow it, right?¡±


    Feeling strong pressure from all sides, Libra relaxed his clenched fists and raised his hands. "All right. I got a little too excited this time."


    When Libra surrendered, the three masked individuals put away their weapons and returned to their seats. Even as they turned around and went back to their spots, the three masked individuals did not show even a single opening. There were no gaps at all, as if they had eyes on the back of their heads.


    Libra sighed and buried himself deeply in the backrest. "But Scorpio, didn¡¯t the Crow Tribe Chief running amok in the demon¡¯s territory also cause you a great deal of damage?"


    When Libra glared at Scorpio, she pretended to dig her ears with a pinky finger. "Who knows? It is true that my home base is within the demon¡¯s territory, but I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say there was damage."


    "You¡¯re saying there was no damage?" Libra was dumbfounded by Scorpio.


    "Yes, of course. As long as I¡¯m not the one not receiving the damage, it¡¯s fine.¡± Scorpio¡¯s red lips smiled cruelly.


    "Ha, you''re one to talk when your fellow compatriots might die at the hands of the Crows."


    "Who knows? We will have to see about that. Well, it¡¯s not my business whether my fellow compatriots die. Hohoho."


    Hearing her terrifying, mischievous laugh, Libra thought Scorpio wasn¡¯t a woman who should be associated with and looked at Sagittarius. "Sagittarius, hey you. Since you were the one to gather the 12 Zodiacs, how about you show a little interest?"


    Sagittarius laughed cheerfully at Libra¡¯s criticism. "Hahaha! Did I create this organization? Didn¡¯t you guys get together on your own?"


    Despite his demeanor, Sagittarius¡¯s eyes were not smiling at all. Libra felt instinctive fear at Sagittarius¡¯s cold eyes. Although Libra felt a sense of dread akin to a predator turning into prey, he shuddered more because of his injured pride rather than fear.


    "If you all gathered here on your own, you should handle things on your own. You shouldn¡¯t pass it on to others."


    Sagittarius was not wrong. He had only gone around saying things like, ¡°I wonder what it¡¯d be like to make an organization like this.¡± Although one could argue that he had gathered them, in the end, the 12 Zodiacs had gathered because of their own personal decisions.


    In reality, this meeting was just a gathering of the leaders of organizations who had their own agendas.


    Then, with his chin in his right hand, Aquarius spoke, "But since Sagittarius was the one who called this meeting, I don''t think Libra is necessarily wrong."


    Sagittarius laughed joyfully when Aquarius sided with Libra. "Ahhahaha! Is that so?"


    "Even though Sagittarius is the one who¡¯s calling the meetings, can¡¯t you count the number of times he¡¯s attended them on one hand?"


    Sagittarius shrugged at Aquarius. "Well, if Aquarius says so, it¡¯s likely true."


    At Sagittarius¡¯s playful smile, Libra clenched his fists so hard that a drop of blood fell from his fist. However, this time, he had no choice but to curb his anger. It was clear that if he showed his fury again now, he would lose his neck to the three masked individuals.


    Libra asked in a sharp voice, "So what is the purpose of the meeting this time?"


    Sagittarius smiled at Libra. "Not much. Don''t you think you should show your face at least once at my request?¡±


    Libra frowned, but it was impossible to see his expression below his mask. "Okay, then I''ll tell you my affairs just once."


    Libra rose from his seat. "None of you interfere with my work next time."


    After snappily saying his business, he picked up the candle that laid before him.


    "Worship our God! Prosit!"


    Then he blew out the candles. However, it was unknown whether those who gathered here had the same objects of worship.

 Chapter 105: New Year’s Festival (6)

    The New Year''s Festival was a festival that combined the year-end party and the New Year''s party from my previous life. As such, the New Year''s Festival was held for a total of five days, from December 30 to January 3. Since it was rare for the Empire to dedicate five days to national events, the New Year''s Festival was a big enough event to be called a festival.


    In addition, the ceremony department¡¯s probationary training spanned across the four weeks of December. Ending exactly on December 30, I¡¯ll have finished my probationary training career and will be graduating from the training center with my final grade.


    Although the preparation for the New Year''s Festival events was a huge pain, the actual operation of the events did not require that much manpower. That was a relief. If I had been held for work even after the probationary training was over, I would have personally visited the Minister of the Ceremony Department and smashed his head.


    Looking at the calendar, I saw that tomorrow was the last day of my trainee life. The experience felt similar to school, but, at the same time, they felt different, so I didn¡¯t feel like I would miss it at all. Even after the training was completed, I¡¯d only be assigned to a public institution somewhere anyways.


    Still, the reason why I was looking forward to tomorrow was that they would give us two weeks of vacation after our training¡¯s completion for having worked hard.


    In fact, these two weeks were a period of organizing grades and deciding where to appoint everyone based on the grades. So it felt like they were giving us a break because they had no choice, but it was still better than nothing. This break would provide more productivity than immediately sending everyone off to work.


    It was early enough to be called dawn, but Alice came downstairs and asked, "Den, are you going to work?"


    "Yes, it''s the busiest time when preparing for the New Year''s Festival."


    "Haam~ Really? You''re working hard." There were deep dark circles around Alice''s eyes as she yawned loudly.


    "Did you stay up all night again?"


    "Yeah. It''s hard because the final projects overlap with the final exam."


    Yuria seemed relaxed and lively, but Alice must be having a hard time keeping up with her studies.


    Well, it is a little cruel to compare someone to a member of the Butterfly Tribe. However, Alice''s grades were still called top class within the same grade, and her skills were rapidly improving because she was with Yuria one-on-one.


    When we had first met, Alice was a beginner who only knew the basics of using magic. Now, her skills had grown to the point where even I thought she was capable of being called a magician. If she had grown to this level in half a year, Alice¡¯s talent couldn¡¯t be ignored either.


    "Damn it! Professor! Your class isn¡¯t the only one that we have to take!"


    When I saw Alice yelling and pulling at her hair, I thought of my past life. You stupid middle schooler who doesn''t know the truth that giving up is easier.


    "Cheer up, Magician-nim!"


    "Ok, Civil Servant. Fighting!" Alice snickered, but I was rather strict about things regarding magic.


    I couldn¡¯t call someone with poor skills a magician. Alphonso could use magic as a member of the Butterfly Tribe, but I didn''t think of him as a magician. Yet, to say he was a knight, one would tilt their head in confusion, but at least he was showing growth.


    Come to think of it, the knight school and magic school trainees would soon be on break as well.


    "So, when is your vacation?¡±


    Alice looked at the calendar and answered, "Tomorrow."


    "Then it seems you won''t be able to watch Lisbon and Alphonso participating in today''s martial arts competition preliminaries."


    By the way, I wonder if those two signed up after the knight school went on break.


    "Right..."


    "You should try to take a brief nap. I heard you have a test today."


    "Yea... I should. Just one or two hours." Alice stumbled like a zombie, trying to climb back up to her room.


    I called and stopped Alice for a moment, then threw her a bottle of liquid medicine. "It¡¯s medicine for fatigue recovery. You''ll feel a little better if you take it and sleep for a while."


    Alice caught the medicine, opened the bottle, and drank it on the spot.


    "Keu, gross. Thank you,¡± Alice thanked me and stumbled back to her room.


    What Alice just drank was my special fatigue recovery medicine, so she should feel refreshed after a nap.


    "Ah, I don¡¯t want to go to work."


    I tied my shoelaces and left the boarding house. It was winter, so it was still too early for sunrise.


    * * *


    Among the crowd gathered at the middle-rank knight school¡¯s training hall five, Lisbon was warming up with a slightly tense face. The middle-rank knight school that Lisbon attended was not yet on vacation, so he had to go through quite a complicated process to participate in the martial arts competition.


    Whether it was fortunate or not, the final exam, which was his biggest obstacle, was able to be taken early in return for a higher level of difficulty. The early test Lisbon was taking had been created in the past because of students who wanted to participate in the martial arts competition.


    In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that the method was designed to discourage students from participating in the martial arts competition. Saying that the already difficult final exam would be even more challenging was no different from saying that they would flunk you.


    Barely managing to pass the early final exam, Lisbon had two reasons why he chose to participate in the martial arts competition despite the risk of failing the early final exam. The first was the spirit of wanting to test his skills, and the other was because of the prize money.


    Prize money was given to those who made it to the New Year Festival Martial Arts Competition finals, and the higher one¡¯s ranking, the higher the prize money would be. Since Lisbon¡¯s family controlled a large territory as a viscount, there was no shortage of allowance money transferred to his bank account.


    However, Alice managed most of the money, so Lisbon couldn¡¯t just randomly give it all away. Therefore, Lisbon only used a little of the allowance to maintain his weapons and for donating to orphanages. The funds under Alice''s management were to be used later to buy horses and other equipment for when Lisbon became a knight. So, for now, he was poor.


    Lisbon vowed to advance to the finals and receive the prize money to increase his donation funds and to buy a birthday present for his sister¡¯s upcoming birthday.


    "Wock!"


    "Uu-ah! You surprised me!" Lisbon was startled and looked behind him after someone suddenly shouted and pushed his back, rousing his will to fight at the same time.


    Behind him was Den, who stood smiling mischievously with his civil servant ID around his neck.


    "What were you thinking about so hard that you didn¡¯t even notice me coming?¡±


    "Oh, you know. Self-determination to make it to the finals." Lisbon gave a refreshing smile. He was surprised by Den''s prank but felt relaxed for some reason.


    Den looked around and pointed to one person. "As long as you¡¯re careful of that red-haired woman, making it to the main draw won¡¯t remain just a dream.¡±


    In the direction of Den¡¯s finger, there was a beautiful woman with as large of a frame as Lisbon, resting a huge ax on her shoulder and counting the clouds in the sky with a bored face.


    "Wow, she¡¯s using such a big ax as a weapon. Who is that person?¡± Lisbon asked admiringly, but Den shrugged his shoulders.


    "I don''t know."


    "You tell me to be careful, but you don¡¯t even know that person?" Lisbon tilted his head, but Den smiled and slapped him on the back.


    "Ack!"


    I didn''t think I hit him that hard, but he jolted in pain.


    As Lisbon over-exaggerated when it came to pain, Den just looked at him pathetically. ¡°What, such a drama queen. Just be careful if I tell you to be careful. Here''s your number ticket."


    Den handed Lisbon a number ticket that was being distributed to those participating in the preliminary round.


    "Is Alphonso participating in the preliminary round somewhere else? I don¡¯t see him."


    Lisbon nodded at Den, "Yeah, I heard he¡¯s participating at training hall number seven in the low-rank knight school."


    "That''s a relief. Since Flam is there, I won¡¯t have to go there in secret. That guy is very nosy. I''m sure he¡¯ll cheer for us.¡±


    Den told him to work hard and left to hand out the number tickets to other participants.


    Lisbon smiled dejectedly and stroked the sword handle, calmly raising his fighting spirit.


    * * *


    After handing out the number ticket to Pushover, I glanced at the red-haired woman with braided pigtails. Like a completely crazy person, she was constantly shooting off a weak martial aura, making her unmatched in unpleasantness.


    She was releasing a martial aura into the crowd of martial arts competition participants but seeing how the aura was so weak that no one would notice, she seemed to be searching for someone who could be her proper opponent.


    I suppose if you reacted to this martial aura and approached her, then you were skilled enough. Unfortunately, however, it seemed I was the only one who felt her martial aura here.


    Lisbon didn''t notice it, but he subconsciously felt the martial aura and was tense. So I slightly blocked her martial aura towards him. Nevertheless, there were few people here who could even subconsciously feel the martial aura of that woman.


    At this rate, those who had a similar skill level to Lisbon would get eliminated early, unable to show off their skills properly due to being tense. Well, that has nothing to do with me.


    But anyway, not mentioning her personality, it was clear that she was considerably skilled. Even back in my hometown, there were few people who could control their martial aura to this extent.


    Well, actually, it was mostly because there was no need for them to have such control over their martial aura. Still, even when considering this, what the red-haired woman was doing was an ability that only skilled warriors who hunted in the Olympus Forest could do.


    However, if you asked if she was as strong as the warriors in my hometown, then the answer was no. Yet, if there was going to be a winner of this martial arts competition, I thought it would be that Red Hair.


    In fact, being able to use martial aura in a fight freely provided a significant advantage. It could be used to intimidate those who were weaker than themselves and to disperse the fighting spirit of those stronger than themselves.


    Martial aura was essentially no different than the intangible sword aura. Perhaps, if you were around the level of my second brother, the leader of the warrior group, or Mac, the right-hand man of my older brother, you could kill a person with just martial aura alone.


    "Here''s your number ticket."


    When I gave the red-haired woman a number ticket, she received the number ticket with a bored look.


    I wondered why she would come to participate in such a competition if she was going to be so bored, but when I thought about the prize money, then it was worth enduring the boredom. In the end, money was good.


    Having handed out all the number tickets to the preliminary round participants, I was about to go back to the barracks and organize the documents in the corner, but the red-haired woman called and stopped me. "Wait a minute."


    "Is something wrong?¡± I was momentarily surprised, thinking that I had accidentally reacted to the Red Hair¡¯s martial aura. I was certain I didn¡¯t show any reaction.


    No matter what, I was an ordinary and fragile civil servant. I was not a person who would gain the interest of someone who was pumping out a faint martial aura like that.


    "By chance, did you happen to see a person?"


    "A person?"


    Oh, thank goodness. She was just talking to me because I was a staff member. Are you perhaps looking for your lover who came to cheer you on?


    "Yes, he''s about 193 centimeters tall, is balding a little in the front, and he''s a muscular middle-aged man who often wears lacey v-neck."


    What? The description was weird. A lacey v-neck? You¡¯re saying a middle-aged, muscular man is wearing that? What capitalistic society are you in? Furthermore, this was a strangely familiar description.


    "I¡¯m not sure? I think I''d remember if there was someone like that, so I don''t think I¡¯ve seen him."


    Red Hair frowned at my response. "Is that so? I see. Sorry for stopping you when you are busy."


    The red-haired woman lowered the huge ax from her shoulder and went off to somewhere.


    Seeing an ax reminds me of my older brother.

 Chapter 106: New Year’s Festival (7)

    The depressed Vibrio was sitting in the corner of her room when Hillis forced her out of the temple. Hillis¡¯s paladin escorts wore casual clothes so they wouldn¡¯t stand out and could guard her in secret.


    "Unni! It''s a nice day, isn''t it?¡±


    Hillis smiled brightly, but Vibrio lifelessly smiled and nodded. "That''s right."


    Vibrio''s lifeless smile bothered her, but Hillis tried to ignore it and held Vibrio''s hand. "I heard there''s a market over there? It''s my first time in the capital, so can you show me around?¡±


    Vibrio tried to reason with Hillis, who was dragging her in the direction of the market. "Go slow. If you fall, Albatoss will come running in panic.¡±


    "Hehe, really?" Hillis stuck out her tongue and smiled, and Vibrio stroked her head.


    * * *


    "Huha! This is hard!" Flam sat next to me with an exhausted sigh.


    "Did something happen over there?¡±


    Flam was located at training hall seven of the low-rank knight school. Our duties were to distribute the number tickets and some items to the preliminary round participants, as well as crowd control. So, he and I should have had very similar work.


    "It was because a general named Bloody visited, and people got too excited and went a little wild. I tried to stop a few of the preliminary round participants, but they were aggressive about getting autographs, so I had a hard time."


    Wow, I''m glad I didn''t go there. If I got unlucky, I would have been filming another escape scene once more.


    ¡°You went through a lot of trouble," I said as I gave a cold bottled drink to Flam.


    He received it with thanks and poured it down his throat. "Keu-ah, how refreshing. Thanks for the drink. Anyways, the wild crowd was kind of scary."


    "It is." I received the empty bottle from Flam and nodded.


    Certainly, for those who knew how to handle the sword, my uncle was an existence like an idol. Whenever Uncle Bloody was mentioned, even Lisbon would get excited and chatter about Uncle¡¯s achievements. As his nephew, it was kind of ridiculous.


    Uncle''s great achievements that they often talked about were merely him killing a large-scale demon in one blow or blocking 1,000 knights alone on the battlefield. When I heard the stories, I cursed at myself for even questioning whether it was worthy of making a fuss. In all honesty, it would be stranger if a Crow couldn''t even do that much as an adult.


    Although I was called talented by the people in my hometown, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for Uncle not to be able to accomplish what I could at only 16 years old. It made even less sense when considering that Uncle was stronger than me if we fought with just our bodies and swordsmanship, no magic.


    "Come to think of it, I think I heard that Alphonso was being taught by General Bloody, so maybe that¡¯s why he went over there."


    If Alphonso''s skills were still only at that level despite receiving guidance from Uncle, he must not have a good talent for it. Uncle Bloody was a simple person, but he was surprisingly good at teaching. This was expected, of course, considering he was the first disciple of Elder Weger, the best master swordsman of the Crows.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t say that Alphonso was devoid of talent. In terms of talent, he would probably be between common and brilliant? If he didn¡¯t give up, I could probably see Alphonso pulling off an aura blade in his mid to late 30s.


    "I see. No wonder." Flam nodded with an understanding expression.


    "Oh, now that I¡¯m remembering, Alphonso looked like he was going to cry because you didn''t come to cheer him on."


    "No, but how could I go over there when I¡¯m working?"


    Actually, I had no plans to go in the first place. How could I go cheer him on when I might run into Uncle Bloody?


    "Haha, that¡¯s what I told him too. He seemed to accept it immediately when I told him that if your grades fell, you¡¯d be sent to the countryside and be separated from him."


    "Hahaha. I see.¡±


    While I was resting and chatting with Flam, a civil servant from the ceremony department rushed over to us.


    "I have some urgent documents that need to be delivered to the temple. Who wants to go?"


    The civil servant seemed to have come over while busy with something else, as his hair was scattered and he was short of breath.


    "I-"


    "No, I will go." I cut off Flam and got up from my seat.


    "Get some more rest. You just went through a lot of hardship."


    Even I wouldn¡¯t be so heartless as to send someone who had just gone through a lot of trouble.


    The civil servant handed me the documents with a relieved look and spoke, "Thanks! You look like a trainee for the martial arts competition. I''ll give you extra points later!¡±


    "No! That''s all right!"


    I was already close, so I didn''t need any more points.


    When I fiercely refused, the civil servant took a step back and nodded. "Uh, okay."


    "Then, I''ll be right back. I will just say it again, but I don''t want any extra points." After making the request again to the confused civil servant, I lightly ran off in the direction of the temple.


    * * *


    The New Year''s Festival had not even begun yet, but the market was packed with an energetic and bustling crowd.


    "Kka-aht!" Hillis looked like she was about to fall from being swept by the crowd. However, one of the paladins escorting her from a distance quickly rushed over and caught her.


    "Thank you."


    The paladin smiled brightly at Hillis''s thanks. "No, I just did what I¡¯m supposed to do."


    When Hillis regained her balance, the paladin disappeared into the crowd to not make her feel uncomfortable. The scene of the paladin disappearing was so natural that you could have believed he was an assassin. It was all because of Hillis''s personality, as she hated her surroundings being controlled just for her sake.


    Hillis looked around for Vibrio but could not find her. Vibrio seemed to have been swept away by the crowd when Hillis had almost fallen over.


    Unlike Hillis¡¯s escorts mastering the skill of moving freely through the crowd, Fernando''s escort, Vibrio, was used to regulating the surroundings thoroughly and was not used to such a skill.


    "Albatoss."


    "Did you call for me?" Albatoss, dressed in everyday clothes, immediately went to Hillis¡¯s side as if he had been walking next to her the whole time.


    Hillis spoke naturally to Albatoss, "I''ve been separated from my sister. Find her."


    "I understand. We''ll start the search right away and leave behind only the minimum needed for the escort." Albatoss immediately disappeared into the crowd.


    Hillis looked around and decided to get out of the crowd. "Excuse, I''m passing through.¡±


    Even when she struggled to pass through the crowd, the paladins did not come forward. This was partially because most of the guards went to search for the missing Vibrio and also because they knew she didn''t want the help.


    Hillis had just passed through the crowd and was heading toward a quiet alley when at the same time, her foot got caught on a stone, and she almost fell again.


    "Are you all right?" When Hillis was about to fall over, the person who grabbed her this time was not one of her paladin escorts.


    "Ah! Thank you." Hillis smiled kindly as if it was habit and greeted the boy who caught her.


    "So¡­ Mr. Den?"


    When she read the name on the civil servant ID card on his neck and made eye contact, the boy gave a mischievous smile with his eyes and spoke, "No, it was nothing."


    When she saw him smile with his eyes, she discovered that he was a mischievous person like herself.


    * * *


    I arrived at the temple and delivered the urgent document. The temple skillfully handled the documents as if they were used to this kind of situation and gave me wheat bread used for offerings, a temple specialty, as a gift. While eating the offering bread that tasted like rice crackers, I slowly walked to where I was originally located.


    The New Year''s Festival was busy not only for civil servants but also for those in the temple who worked for the imperial family¡¯s temple events. Although there were temple events, it was no exaggeration to say that most of the New Year¡¯s Festival events were held in conjunction with the temple.


    In the old days, the imperial family had nothing to do with the New Year''s Festival. However, a former Emperor changed the supervision of the New Year''s Festival from the temple to the imperial family, saying it was necessary to keep the temple in check.


    Of course, as it was difficult to suddenly start something with no experience, cooperation with the temple was absolutely necessary in order to hold the New Year''s Festival.


    The temple was displeased with losing the event they used to supervise, but the New Year¡¯s Festival was an important rite where they gave offerings to the Goddess of the temple. Therefore, the temple had no choice but to accept it.


    By the way, this was pretty tasty. Is it okay to have such delicious offering bread?


    According to the temple''s doctrines, the bread was designed so that anyone could find it delicious. The temple said that everyone was a child of the Goddess regardless if they were a believer, so long as they weren¡¯t a black magician.


    Well, I do know some ancient black magic spells, but I don''t have any black mana, so I''m sure I won¡¯t get anything like divine punishment. Now that I thought about this, if I were to receive divine punishment, I should have received it when I stole the goddess statue.


    I threw the rest of the offering bread in my mouth and headed for the shortcut to the market.


    Even if I went back quickly, I would just have to work more. But also, because the New Year''s Festival was nearing, the streets were so crowded that it was hard to find a corner to rest secretly. Even if I had to work, working in a sparsely populated place would be more comfortable.


    "Wow, that''s no joke."


    The market was filled with people even though the New Year''s Festival had not begun. Well, it was understandable for merchants to snag a stall spot a day before the New Year''s Festival. They needed space to sell their local specialties that were rare in the capital. Still, this crowd was too much.


    I had to make a little detour, so I slipped into the back alley of the market and went through the complicated road. This path would allow me to reach the destination more quickly than other ways through the market. I was passing through an alley when a girl suddenly popped out of the market street and rushed towards me.


    I started to subconsciously quickly dodge, but then thought she might end up falling onto the ground and caught her. "Are you all right?"


    The girl who barely managed to keep her balance raised her head and answered, "Ah! Thank you. So... Mr. Den?"


    The girl looked at my civil servant ID card and said my name. I gave a friendly smile and spoke, "No, it was nothing."


    The girl had a benevolent smile, but it somehow felt like a disguise to hide her dark inner self. It seems this girl is the same kind of person as me.


    The girl fixed her disheveled appearance from having waded through the crowd and introduced herself. "Since it''s not polite to know the other¡¯s name and not introduce yourself, my name is Hillis."


    "Ah, yes, I''m Den." The girl in front of me already knew my name, but I still introduced myself.

 Chapter 107: New Year’s Festival (8)

    The girl who introduced herself as Hillis smiled brightly after seeing the offering bread in my hand. "Oh my! You are a believer of the temple!"


    I¡¯m not. That is what I wanted to say, but something about her looking so happy made me uneasy.


    "Yes, I am. Every night I fall asleep looking at the goddess statue in my room."


    The last part was not a lie. Every night, I observed the plastered up golden goddess statue that I stole from the temple before falling asleep. I still could not find an explanation for why it would not enter the pocket space.


    "I see! You are so religious that you even have a goddess statue in your room!"


    Hillis nodded to herself with a proud face, saying, "Yes, yes.¡±


    For a moment, I thought she might have been an unfortunate person with a head injury, but seeing the pattern on her clothes protruding from under her thick overcoat, she seemed to be a priest. It was hard to notice because it was embroidered with white thread on white clothes, but that pattern was part of the embroidered design on a priest''s uniform.


    I guessed that there was probably a priest''s uniform made of pretty luxurious silk underneath that coat. Looking at the tip of Hillis''s hair, it didn¡¯t have any split ends despite being long. It was like the girls in my hometown who infused mana into their hair to boost its vitality, similar to how you would infuse mana for sword aura.


    That hair belonged to the head of a person who has been under constant care. The same went for her hands. I don¡¯t know about 120 years ago, but nowadays, low-ranking priests had to do physical labor for the operations of the temple.


    Of course, if she belonged to a temple that received a great number of donations, the story would be different, but most of the priests who belonged to such temples were higher-ranked. As such, seeing that Hillis¡¯s hands seemed soft, her position must be high. In addition, the buttons on her coat being made of silver and her white skin with visible blue blood vessels further displayed her high standing.


    However, what made me certain most of all, although I pretended not to know, was the fact that five men surrounding this area were staring at me.


    By the way, if you openly display such a vigilant aura, anyone would notice even, if it wasn¡¯t me. Do they actually want to guard properly? I don¡¯t know.


    Still, the escorts¡¯ levels were quite high. Roughly three out of five of them were similar to the wimpy Burden, the vice-captain of the White Deer Knight division, and two of them were even stronger.


    The escorts made me want to tease them a little. Should I test out the escorts'' reactions?


    I discretely used magic to splash some muddy water and pulled at Hillis''s hand. "Oh, it''s dangerous."


    From the escorts¡¯ point of view, they would not be able to see the muddy water move on its own.  It would only seem that the muddy water on the floor was splashed by the crowd. Grasping Hillis''s hand, I held her waist and naturally changed our positions as if we were doing the waltz.


    There was a little splatter on my clothes, but it wasn¡¯t expensive, so it didn''t matter. In fact, I could have avoided the muddy water, but there was a risk that if I did, the escorts might realize I was not a mere passerby from seeing my movements. There was no need to take that kind of risk for this little bit of teasing.


    When they saw that Hillis was in my arms, the escorts immediately sent a vigilant aura mixed with martial aura towards me, but I did not respond. The moment I felt the sudden martial aura, I almost flinched, but ordinary people usually could not feel martial aura.


    Puhaha! It was funny to see the escorts struggle and hold back from trying to jump over here at any moment.


    No. I can''t laugh. I have to hold it in.


    "Oh my, you got muddy water splashed on your clothes because of me." Hillis took out her handkerchief in surprise.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. I''ll wipe it with mine." There was no need to defile a handkerchief that looked like it was made of expensive silk just for my fabricated scenario. I roughly wiped the parts with muddy water on them with my handkerchief.


    "It got splashed because of me, so I¡¯ll wash it for you."


    "No, it¡¯s okay. It''s just casual clothes I wear when I work." I waved my hand at Hillis¡¯s guilt.


    These clothes could be bought with just a single refined bronze coin. It was at least ten times cheaper than Hillis¡¯s handkerchief. The cost of washing the handkerchief was probably more expensive. Personally, expensive clothes and cheap clothes both became ruined if I sincerely moved about, so I was treating them as consumables.


    But can''t you get off now?


    I had already released my hand, but Hillis was still holding on. Hillis¡¯s escort was now staring at me as if he wanted to kill me immediately. Thinking that I should stop now, I took a step back, but Hillis matched me and took a step closer.


    Hillis was smiling. I realized the situation the moment I met Hillis''s eyes. This girl! She''s making fun of her escort!


    As expected, my eyes were not wrong. The girl in front of me was my kind.


    Hillis sneakily looked around and smiled benevolently as if she had tricked some wicked people. "Could you hang out with me for a moment?"


    Her smile was an expression that indicated that she wanted to tease them more. That smile was very much to my taste.


    "Well, as you can see, I''m a civil servant, so I am busy." I showed the civil servant ID card hanging around my neck. To follow my tastes, there was a risk.


    The escorts were staring at me as if they were going to ambush me in a back alley if I provoked them too much. Furthermore, it was not desirable to establish a close relationship with a high-ranking priest.


    "Oh my, really? But it says trainee here? I don¡¯t know anything up until yesterday, but there''s almost nothing for trainees to do, right? That''s what I¡¯ve been told."


    Once again, I was convinced that she was a priest of high status. The only people who knew about the trainees¡¯ movements during this period of time were civil servants or high-ranking people in the temple.


    The high-ranking people of the temple cooperated closely with the ceremony department during this time, so even if they didn''t want to, they couldn¡¯t help but know.


    "But trainees are given grades."


    Hillis took a step back with a regretful look. "Then it can¡¯t be helped."


    It was surprising to see her give up quite easily, but when I thought about it, we had just met for the first time. Her social status was so high that it was strange that she was asking to hang out for just a little bit.


    At that time, a middle-aged man who looked strong and had been staring at me the most intensely amongst the escorts approached Hillis and whispered, "Saintess-nim, Vibrio has been found."


    Wait, what? Saintess?


    That man probably thought I wouldn''t hear him if he whispered, but unfortunately, my hearing was so sensitive that I could listen to sounds even quieter than a mosquito.


    Damn it, just who have I been talking to? Why is it that a person I met while passing by the street is a saintess!? What''s the difference between this and meeting the crown prince on the street!?


    For some reason, I feel like I¡¯ve been so unlucky these days. I¡¯m afraid I might actually meet the crown prince at this rate.


    With the best straight face I could muster, I pretended not to have heard anything.


    Hillis nodded. "Some work just came up for me. May the grace of God be with you."


    When Hillis said goodbye while making a cross, I said the same thing and drew a cross. "May God¡¯s blessing be with you."


    After Hillis entered into the crowd, the escorts glanced at me once then followed her.


    The winter sun was slowly sinking, and the sky was trying to shine a mysterious scarlet glow with the sunset.


    * * *


    Separated from Hillis, Vibrio sat on a fountain in a crowded square near the market, staring blankly at the sky. Then she dipped her left hand into the water of the fountain behind her. Perhaps because it was winter, the water was very cold.


    She had come out like this due to her beloved sister¡¯s suggestion, but she did not want to be outside. No, the truth was that she knew she had to go outside of the Great Temple. She couldn''t stay stuck inside forever.


    She knew better than anyone else that her lover, Mario, would not want her to be depressed. Her lover was more faithful and sincere than anyone else and loved the weak.


    "Mmm, is that so?"


    Vibrio suddenly stood up, surprised at the voice coming from beside her. Next to her sat a man wearing a half black and half white mask.


    Vibrio briefly felt goosebumps all over her body, and she positioned herself to be able to attack at any moment. The movement was unbelievably swift, unlike what one might expect from the body of a warrior who had been in despair for three and a half months.


    "Who are you?" Vibrio blamed herself even while asking.


    It didn¡¯t matter how much she neglected her training due to losing her lover. As a warrior who had honed her sword her entire life, the fact that she didn''t notice him until he was sitting next to her was shameful.


    The masked man slowly rose from his seat, holding his cane. Then he stared straight at Vibrio and answered the question. "My name is Libra. Is it enough to introduce myself like this?¡±


    Vibrio became warier of Libra. She judged her opponent to be in the same class as the person she followed, Cardinal Fernando, and she retreated to widen the distance. Fernando was considered one of the most prominent battle priests in the temple¡¯s forces and was an existence who had risen to the level of madosa by ordinary magician standards.


    Vibrio knew better than anyone that she was no match for him if he was in the same class as Fernando.


    "Mmm. You seem to be mistaken about something." Libra faced Vibrio with his index finger pressing his temples.


    Even though Vibrio didn''t say anything, he spoke as if he was reading her thoughts. "I''m not looking down on Leo, but Leo is the weakest in terms of military force in the 12 Zodiacs."


    "That¡¯s nonsense!"


    When Vibrio grated her teeth at Libra, he reached out his hand and tried to calm her down. "I''m not looking down on Leo. I''m just telling you objective facts.¡±


    Vibrio was furious and tried to pull out her sword. However, when she only grabbed air, she realized that there was no sword on her waist. What a disaster. No, before that, it was a disgrace as a knight.


    She was walking around the streets defenseless without her sword. Even a squire wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake. Vibrio realized what a hopeless state of mind she was in.


    Libra smiled when he saw Vibrio¡¯s actions. "Don''t be so angry. I just said so because I think Leo¡¯s strength lies in the power of the group, not the power of the individual."


    Libra''s words were not wrong. Leo''s true weapon was his ability to instigate the religious public. If Leo truly provoked the believers, it would not be too difficult to make the Empire fall into chaos.


    However, doing such a thing could only cause temporary chaos. The end result would only eat away at the temple forces. Cardinal Fernando was well aware of this fact and so did not use this method.

 Chapter 108: New Year’s Festival (9)

    Even so, none of the 12 Zodiacs could ignore Leo unless Fernando¡¯s support base disappeared.


    "Didn¡¯t Leo get seriously wounded because he was forced to fight in a confined space where the power of his group was suppressed?¡± Libra was trying to comprehend why Leo was still unable to recover from his injuries after falling for the prime minister¡¯s delicious bait.


    "Uududuk!" Vibrio gritted her teeth at Libra.


    This reaction wasn¡¯t only because he stabbed her weak spot; it also reminded her of how helpless she was at the time.


    "So, why did you approach me, Libra?"


    Libra removed his index finger from his temple and opened his arms wide. "I¡¯m just here to give you advice."


    "Advice?" Vibrio doubted Libra. She was wary and distrustful.


    "I say advice, but it¡¯s not anything big. Just leave the Great Temple."


    Leaving the Great Temple wasn¡¯t a big deal? What kind of nonsense was he spouting? She could not leave the Great Temple. She had so many precious colleagues, the cardinal who they respected more than anyone else, and the Great Cause they risked their lives to follow.


    All of this was at the Great Temple. Above all, she could not understand receiving such advice from Libra.


    Vibrio just stared at Libra without saying anything, but Libra burst into a cheerful laugh. "Puhahaha! You don''t have to understand. I¡¯m just telling you to look at the reality of the situation. What can you do while you¡¯re at the Great Temple? Just sit helplessly in a room?"


    Vibrio exploded at Libra¡¯s ridicule. "Shut up!"


    Despite Vibrio''s cry, no one in the crowded plaza looked over at her. It appeared as if they were in an isolated space that she couldn¡¯t recognize. Yet, Vibrio¡¯s anger had gotten to her head, and in her rage, she didn''t notice it.


    Libra was looking at Vibrio with eyes full of joy when he suddenly turned his gaze to the right. "Mmm, I guess that''s it for our meeting."


    Libra clicked his tongue like someone who was just disturbed and raised his cane. "I hope to see you again, Vibrio."


    When Libra placed his cane back on the ground, his body disappeared from sight. It was as if he was never there in the first place.


    "What¡­."


    Despite Vibrio''s trained senses, she could not find any signs of Libra. If he had moved with teleportation magic, she should be able to sense the lingering mana, but even that couldn¡¯t be felt.


    "Unni!"


    Vibrio stared at the spot where Libra had been as if she were possessed by a ghost. She was interrupted when she heard a voice calling for her and she looked to the right. There, Hillis was approaching her as she pushed through the crowd while waving her hand.


    "Hillis."


    Vibrio stroked Hillis¡¯s hair as Hillis went into her arms, and she looked at the fountain in the center of the plaza. The fountain¡¯s water had been emptied to prevent it from freezing in the cold weather, and young children were running around it happily.


    She felt as if she had emerged from a black and white world into a colored world.


    Vibrio fiddled with her left hand. There was still some water on it that had yet to dry.


    * * *


    Lancelot sighed as he grabbed his head. "Ehew~"


    Mac and Leisha bowed their heads with ashamed faces.


    "So when His Highness, the Crown Prince, asked you to build a bridge with Saintess-nim, you said yes without hesitation, right?"


    "Uh¡­ that¡¯s right," Leisha affirmed in a slightly dispirited voice.


    Lancelot''s sigh deepened. "Ha-ah~ And so that¡¯s why His Highness, the Crown Prince, is coming here now?"


    Lancelot looked up at the vast temple from the entrance of the building.


    "Haha, that''s correct.¡± This time, Mac answered while avoiding Lancelot¡¯s gaze.


    Perhaps because he felt a little guilty, he wasn¡¯t speaking to Lancelot in his usual manner.


    Lancelot rubbed his face as he felt a headache come on. "Didn''t military affairs ask you not to get involved with the Empire¡¯s politics before you left?¡±


    Leisha became flustered, "No, I didn''t know it was political. Really!"


    "That¡¯s right. We didn''t know.¡± Mac copied Leisha.


    Lancelot suddenly burst into a fit of rage, "There''s no way the Crown Prince of the Empire officially meeting someone is not political!"


    The raging Lancelot took a deep breath and quickly apologized, "I''m sorry I yelled. I should have explained it better before I left.¡±


    When Lancelot blamed himself, Mac and Leisha spoke in panic.


    ¡°No, it''s all my fault!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It''s all Miss¡¯s fault!¡±


    Leisha looked back and glared at Mac. Mac turned his head away to avoid Leisha¡¯s gaze.


    "Hmmhmm, anyway. Lancelot didn¡¯t do anything wrong, right?"


    "That''s right."


    "Actually, I still don''t understand why this is political,¡± Mac said.


    Lancelot¡¯s eyes looked like he had given up. If he explained it again, it would be the third time.


    "To explain in a way that¡¯s easy to understand, the royal family and the temple are not on good terms. In comparison, it''s a relationship between the guard dog in hell and the stone monkey in hell." (1)


    In short, it was a mutual dislike.


    ¡°Mmm, I understand up to there.¡± Mac nodded.


    "But at the same time, the royal family and the temple have a symbiotic relationship. The temple needs a safe fence called the Empire for the sake of the believers¡¯ safety, and the imperial family needs the support of the faith for unified and stable governance of the Empire."


    "Uh... I understand.¡± Mac¡¯s face showed that he didn''t understand at all.


    He couldn''t understand how two groups could want to kill one another and have a relationship of mutual dislike while simultaneously being in a symbiotic relationship. To explain the relationship between the royal family and the temple, it wouldn¡¯t work unless the details of 200 years of Empire¡¯s history were explained at the minimum.


    For someone as ignorant of the Empire¡¯s history as Mac, it was practically impossible for him to understand. At the same time, it would be going overboard to explain that much history in a short time.


    He wanted to make him understand but couldn''t. And so he stopped thinking about it.


    "Don''t give up!¡± Mac cried out.


    Lancelot smiled dejectedly while staring off at a distant mountain. "Huh-huh-huh. I wonder what I should report to the Military Leader...¡±


    Mac and Leisha became pale at Lancelot¡¯s murmuring.


    "Plea, please, anyone but the Military Leader!"


    "That''s right! There¡¯s no need to go so far as to tell Unni!"


    As soon as this news entered Hestia''s ears, it was clear that Doomstone''s iron fist sanctions would be imposed with a great deal of nagging.


    The Crow Tribe was extremely reluctant to be involved in the internal politics of other countries. This held true not only for the Crows but also for the Butterfly and Dragon Tribes. If the battle races interfered with other countries at any level, there was the risk that they might affect that country¡¯s state of affairs.


    Let¡¯s look at it in pieces. Suppose that the actions of the battle races led to countries implementing anti-battle race policies. If this occurred, the battle race tribes located in remote, difficult-to-reach areas would face considerable challenges in the supply and demand of materials from outside the tribe.


    In fact, 500 years ago, there was a period when public opinion toward the battle race was extremely poor due to the war between the now-extinct Holy Tribe and Giant Tribe. As a result, most of the battle races lost trade deals with the outside world. Therefore, they had to be more cautious now.


    Of course, that didn''t mean that Lancelot¡¯s party would be reluctant to act. The Crows were also leaders in society, and as a village-level force, they possessed a strong power comparable to the Empire.


    Even if they had difficulty trading with the outside world, it was not too hard to wage war for their compatriots as needed.


    Nevertheless, the reason for the battle race¡¯s slightly excessive cautiousness was that they felt the need to continue communications with the outside world. Therefore, it was necessary to establish a stable and continuous relationship with friendly allies.


    As a result, each of the battle race tribes dispatched various talents as a token of their alliance for the sake of safe and stable trade. This was why Bloody, William, and Orphina were currently members of the imperial army.


    Just Bloody, William, and Orphina.


    These three left their tribes and were associated with the Empire, ensuring that they had some political activities within the Empire. At the same time, however, they could not receive protection from each of their respective tribes.


    Of course, this lack of protection only extended in cases with clear and justifiable reasons, such as being killed or injured during war with other countries. For deaths with unclear reasons such as assassination and poisoning, thorough blood revenge had been carried out after investigating the truth.


    For reference, in the past, there was a time when Doomstone running away from home had caused issues. The father of Doomstone and chief of the previous generation, Zendia Blade, had resolved the situation through active trade (and force).


    This was a diplomatic strategy that used the Crow Tribe¡¯s image of being simple and barbaric, as well as the Crow Tribe¡¯s past achievements of defeating the Demon King Kanglim, to resolve the issue without any damage.


    In addition, there were battle races that were the exception and engaged in outside activities as the ruling class of a nation in place of building this type of alliance. This was the case for the now-extinct Holy Tribe and the Fairy Tribe currently located in the southern part of the continent.


    Lancelot sighed again at the sight of the fully grown adults clinging to him. "Still, it''s a mistake we made, so we have to report it, but don''t worry too much. This isn''t that big of an intervention.¡±


    "But! It¡¯s scary!¡± As Leisha''s eyes became moist and she trembled in fear, Lancelot patted Leisha''s shoulders with eyes that seemed to have given up on everything.


    "As Den said, it''s comfortable if you give up. Give up. Hahaha." Lancelot''s dry laughter forced Mac and Leisha into despair.


    Lancelot still thought it was lucky to have a minor accident like this before they could cause a big one. At least now, they would be extra careful in fear of Doomstone¡¯s iron fists.


    At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind them. "Leisha? You came earlier than promised."


    Leisha turned around and found Hillis walking over, arm in arm with her sister Vibrio. Lancelot didn¡¯t have to explain the situation once more, as he had sent a letter in advance to clarify what had happened and make an appointment.


    At the same time, a huge carriage with an imperial flag was approaching from far behind Hillis. The dice had already been thrown. Lancelot sighed at the fact that he was not the one who threw the dice.


    It wasn¡¯t his business whether the crown prince achieved his goal. He was just interested in finding Den.


    Notes: 1) I believe Guard dog in hell is referring to Cerberus and the stone monkey is referring to the Monkey king who defied Hell¡¯s attempt to collect his soul.

 Chapter 109: New Year’s Festival (10)

    People flocked to the plaza in the center of the capital. It was located between the imperial palace and Great Temple. The reason why people showed up despite the early time was that there was a prayer meeting to announce the start of the New Year''s Festival.


    Thanks to this, the other trainees and I had to manage the horde of people who were filling the plaza. Looking at the crowds gathered in the plaza, I wondered if they had come to see the striking of the bell ceremony.


    It was a little difficult because I was afraid that I would accidentally use too much force if someone didn¡¯t obey while I was controlling the crowd. Still, since today was the last day of my trainee life, I was feeling exuberant.


    Considering that Yuria and Alice had vacation starting tomorrow, thinking about being dragged around by them sapped my energy. But anyway, my vacation would start after today.


    As the distant bells began to ring, the priests of the Great Temple started to climb onto the platform. The Archbishop, the Cardinal, and lastly, the Saintess came up to the platform as representatives of the Great Temple. The Saintess could be seen wearing a white veil.


    As Saintess Hillis stepped closer to the platform, the buzzing noise of countless citizens in the plaza became quiet all at once. The plaza became covered with an indescribably large amount of divine power.


    Hillis''s divine power shined like diamond dust in the air, and the Saintess knelt on the platform in reverence as she recited prayers. A charming and divine voice resonated in the ears of every citizen in the plaza. It was even sweeter than a siren¡¯s voice which was supposedly capable of captivating people.


    The voice I heard yesterday was definitely not this beautiful. Some citizens shed tears at Hillis''s prayer. Was this kind of thing possible with divine power? How interesting.


    As she slowly rose from her seat after the prayer, the Cardinal beside her shouted, "From now on, in the name of the great God, I declare the beginning of the New Year''s Festival!"


    It was the beginning of the New Year''s Festival.


    * * *


    Lisbon collected his mind in preparation for the main draw round of the martial arts competition. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could really get to the main draw, but everyone he met in the preliminary round who seemed strong failed to show all their skills and were knocked out of the preliminary round.


    Those who were in the preliminary round group alongside Lisbon were the mighty silver plate adventurer, Lalker, and the third class mercenary, Kavan. Considering this, it was almost a miracle that Lisbon, being only a knight school student, managed to reach the main draw.


    The adventurers and mercenaries were divided into six ranks according to their abilities. In the case of the adventurers'' guild, they distinguished their abilities and performance by a plate made of platinum, gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood. And mercenaries were simply classified with numbers from one to six.


    The silver medal adventurer and the third-class mercenaries in Lisbon¡¯s group may have seemed ambiguous in terms of their ranking, but in reality, they were skilled people who could be considered high-level adventurers and mercenaries.


    Yet, for some reason, they suffered humiliating defeats to those who were clearly weaker than them. Lisbon thought something was strange about this, but thanks to this oddity, he got through the preliminaries easily. Although he was lucky, in any case, his advancement to the main draw was due to the skills he had accumulated.


    Lisbon was preparing for the upcoming main draw and taking care of his sword¡¯s cold blade when a red-haired beauty with a huge ax on her shoulder spoke to him, "Hey, you."


    Lisbon looked around, then pointed to himself. "Do you mean me?"


    "Yes, you."


    When the red-haired beauty nodded, Lisbon put the sword he was working on back into the sheath.


    "You can keep working on it."


    Lisbon responded with a refreshing smile, "No, it¡¯s all right. I''m done with my work, so it¡¯s fine.        But what can I help you with?"


    "Really? Then I have a question. How did you get to the main draw?"


    Lisbon¡¯s face hardened at the red-haired beauty¡¯s question. "Are you saying my skills are not good enough?"


    She laughed loudly when Lisbon made a serious face, "What? Ahhahaha! No, no. Rather, it''s the opposite. I thought you were pretty good.¡±


    Lisbon couldn¡¯t understand what she was going on about. "What are you talking about?"


    "Mmm, didn''t you do it on your own? Then who was it?" She massaged her chin, still saying incomprehensible things.


    "Ah, I¡¯m saying that it''s very rare for me to acknowledge someone else''s skills. If my acquaintances knew, they might want to kill you out of jealousy. So anyway, what''s your name?¡±


    "My name¡¯s Lisbon. I''m a student at the knight school." Lisbon answered with caution, unlike his usual self.


    Nevertheless, the red-haired beauty introduced herself with a cheerful smile. "I''m Rosellis, an adventurer. I¡¯ll remember the name Lisbon. Feel honored."


    Rosellis gave Lisbon¡¯s shoulder a squeeze and departed with a puff of air. Lisbon was left staring in confusion after Rosellis suddenly spoke to him and left after saying what she had to say. However, the name Rosellis felt somewhat familiar to him.


    "No way. The platinum plate, Bloody Rosellis?" Lisbon shook his head.


    If she were a true platinum adventurer, she wouldn''t have participated in this martial arts competition. If she did, it would be no different than an adult participating in a children''s competition.


    The platinum plate was the pinnacle of adventurers that only five in the entire Empire had. If she decided to dedicate herself to the imperial army right now, she could start from the general rank. Why would such a monster bother participating in a martial arts competition?


    "Haha, that''s ridiculous." Lisbon soon denied the idea.


    * * *


    A man wearing a blue mask, Aquarius, looked down at the capital from the city wall surrounding the capital. Of course, it was impossible to see the whole area because the capital was too large of a city.


    Still, in one glance, it was possible to see the palace, the streets of the market, the plaza that marked the beginning of the New Year''s Festival, and the place where the martial arts competition was underway.


    Originally, the place where the martial arts competition was being held would not have been seen due to the Red Magic Tower, but now the view was wide open due to the magic tower¡¯s sudden collapse.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to stop Libra?" A woman wearing a pink mask, Virgo, asked as she stood behind Aquarius.


    Aquarius smiled. "Do you know what Libra is trying to do?"


    Virgo nodded at Aquarius. "Wouldn¡¯t he be aiming for the Saintess? Since he lost the child he had before; he¡¯s going to want a replacement."


    The Aquarius tilted his head at Virgo''s answer. "Mmm, you aren¡¯t wrong. Aiming for the Saintess is correct, but it''s probably not in the direction of what you¡¯re thinking."


    Virgo didn¡¯t understand Aquarius. "So you''re saying he isn¡¯t going to kidnap the Saintess?"


    Aquarius nodded. "Yeah, that child is in a completed state. Libra won''t be able to control her at will."


    "Then¡­"


    "She will be a hindrance in the future, so Libra will probably try to kill her. New Year''s Festival is a rare and good opportunity where the Saintess¡¯s location will be known."


    As the Aquarius said, the location of the Saintess was one of the most closely guarded secrets. In fact, if the Saintess were in the capital, one would assume she would be staying in the Great Temple, but Hillis was staying in a top-secret safe house that only her closest aides knew of.


    At Aquarius¡¯s guess, Virgo came and stood in front of him. "Then shouldn¡¯t we be blocking him? In our plan, the Saintess has a pretty important position."


    "I know, but it''s not the time yet." Aquarius patted Virgo on the shoulder.


    "If the Saintess dies, then that''s all," Aquarius said in a tone that it was natural. Virgo sent a sad look towards the martial arts competition.


    * * *


    I was slacking off and hiding in the corner of the arena where the main draw of the martial arts competition was being held. In reality, all the work preparing for the New Year''s Festival was finished yesterday.


    The situation was the same with the other trainees, so I was sure they were playing around in the office. Nevertheless, the reason I was hiding here was simply because of the annoying possibility that I might be called back to work if I was in the office.


    I also advised Flam to play hooky with me, but he refused, saying it was not in line with his beliefs. He was truly an old man living life in a tiring manner. If it was actually busy, my conscience might have been pricked a little, but it was fine to slack off a little when there was free time.


    I took out the cookies I bought a few days ago from my pocket space and watched the main draw of the martial arts competition. It was said that very prominent figures were participating because it was advertised that the winner of this martial arts competition would receive the Saintess¡¯s blessing.


    To be honest, I wasn''t that interested, so I let Flam¡¯s words go in one ear and out the other. However, he talked about the champion candidate, Bloody Rosellis, so much that it ended up remaining in my ear.


    To start, feeling like I was doing some illegal gambling, I followed Flam¡¯s advice and bet on Rosellis. I didn¡¯t know if this person was famous or something, but the ratio for her was only 1 to 1.07. Well, it didn''t matter if the ratio was low since I made a profit from Lisbon making it to the main draw.


    For your information, the betting ratio for Lisbon advancing to the main draw was 1 to 37.8. An unknown knight school student with no performance history was in the same preliminary group as a famous adventurer and mercenary, so this ratio was natural.


    I wanted to bet with platinum coins, but the limit was up to 10 silver coins. That''s why I could only get 377 silver coins.


    The reason why it was 377 coins, not 378 coins, was because I bet one silver coin on Alphonso, but he was eliminated. So I just removed the lost money, my precious money.


    Well, I didn''t think Alphonso would make it to the main draw in the first place. It would have been different if he could use magic, but he had no chance since the rules of the martial arts competition prohibited the use of magic.


    Alphonso was not yet able to use even a quarter of his body¡¯s capabilities properly. Alphonso said he was getting some pointers from Uncle Bloody, so he would probably be able to deal with one or two average knights easily in about three years.


    Additionally, a family of four can live for a month on a single silver coin. My gains were enough to pay for the Horus''s Eye that was used up at the ball and still have some leftover. I should buy Pushover a meal later.


    The bell rang to announce the start of the main draw of the martial arts competition, and the shouts of the audience filled the stadium. The main draw participants came up onto the match stage, and the martial arts competition began.


    The betting ratio for Lisbon advancing to the round of 16 was 1:28.3. Go Lisbon!

 Chapter 110: New Year’s Festival (11)

    As Lisbon entered the stadium filled with spectators, he felt his whole body tremble from all the shouting. Still, compared to the first round of the main draw, there was much less of a crowd, so he was able to recollect himself.


    The martial arts competition was set up in a tournament style with a total of 32 competitors.


    Alphonso regrettably was eliminated just before the main draw, but he still smiled brightly and waved his hands from the front of the stands. "Lisbon fighting!"


    Lisbon also waved his hand, thinking that it would have been nice if Alphonso had also made it to the main draw. Yuria and Alice were with Alphonso as the magic school seemed to have started vacation since yesterday.


    For a moment, Lisbon wondered why Den wasn¡¯t there; then he realized that Den still had civil servant training. Lisbon was disappointed when he realized that Den probably didn¡¯t get to see his matches, but he thought he should treat everyone with the prize money from being one of the final 16.


    However, he didn''t know that Den had gambled and bet on him, pocketing more money than the prize money for the martial arts championship. Luckily, Lisbon met someone who was even more nervous than he was in the first round of the main draw and was just barely able to win.


    Now, Lisbon could be considered skilled as someone who proudly made it to the round of 16. As a man, he wanted to aim for a higher ranking, but Lisbon neatly surrendered in his mind when he saw his opponent. The opponent he met in the round of 16 was Rosellis, with who he had a brief conversation before the start of the main draw.


    Rosellis was swinging a long ax shaft with a huge ax blade as if she was handling a spear. What was astonishing was that the action was not a threat but merely a warm-up.


    He had thought, ¡®No way, no way,¡¯ but to think that it was actually Bloody Rosellis. He wondered why such a monster would even come to the martial arts competition. However, he decided to be satisfied as he could buy Alice a more expensive birthday present with the prize money from reaching the round of 16.


    Rosellis giggled as she looked at Lisbon with a liberated expression. "Hey, you didn''t give up, did you? That wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡±


    At Rosellis''s fierce gaze, Lisbon began to cold sweat, and he laughed helplessly. "Haha, actually, I was thinking about withdrawing."


    Lisbon drew his sword as he violently raised his martial aura. "How many opportunities will I have to be taught by an overwhelmingly strong person?"


    Rosellis looked at Lisbon with an interested gaze when she felt his martial aura. "Good, Lisbon. That¡¯s how it should be.¡±


    ¡°I will receive your lessons!¡±


    "Come!"


    At Rosellis''s cry, Lisbon quickly narrowed the distance. Rosellis''s giant ax was as powerful as it was big, but on the other hand, it was vulnerable to super-close combat.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Rosellis quickly swung her ax to stop Lisbon¡¯s approach.


    Looking at the ax being swung towards him, Lisbon lowered his body and tried to pass under the ax¡¯s trajectory. However, the ax was so big that it produced a raging wind mixed with mana that forced Lisbon to retreat. The ax wind sat on a completely different scale from a sword wind; the wind''s pressure was like a small typhoon.


    Swallowing his saliva, Lisbon regained his posture while Rosellis posed with an ax in her hand, resembling a giant fortress. Lisbon couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge her. The opponent was more powerful than anyone he had ever seen.


    She was stronger than Molk, a veteran knight of the Black Water Buffalo Knights who he competed against in the entrance exam. Her platinum plate was definitely not won at a gambling house.


    "You''re not coming? Then I''ll go!" Rosellis approached Lisbon so quickly that he couldn¡¯t believe she was holding a giant ax.


    Then she swung the ax down. Lisbon dodged sideways to avoid the ax being swung down on his head while simultaneously taking a step forward. The pressure generated by the ax being swung down behind him gave Lisbon¡¯s back a push.


    Lisbon took advantage of the pressure from the ax to successfully break into Rosellis''s space in an instant, and he stabbed his sword at Rosellis''s neck. It was not enough space for Lisbon to use his full strength either, but Rosellis¡¯s ax was still stuck in the ground, and her situation seemed dangerous.


    However, Rosellis easily moved the ax shaft to the side to deflect Lisbon¡¯s stab.


    Kang!


    Lisbon¡¯s sword was blocked by Rosellis¡¯s ax shaft, and it passed by her left cheek, but it could not leave a single injury. Rosellis kicked Lisbon before he could recover and attack her again.


    "Keuok!" After receiving a powerful kick to the abdomen, Lisbon rolled on the floor as the sound of air could be heard escaping from his lungs.


    After rolling on the floor for a moment, Lisbon immediately got up and regained his stance.


    "Oh! You have some guts.¡± Rosellis smiled brightly. Judgment, boldness, talent. She looked favorably at him as he wasn¡¯t missing a single aspect.


    Most of all, she didn''t hate a man with guts.


    Although he was a talent that she wanted to try raising, Lisbon¡¯s sword skills were based on traditional imperial swordsmanship. Since her style relied on power, it would rather hinder his future.


    "How old are you?"


    Lisbon replied to Rosellis with a pained breath, "I''m 20 years old."


    "Mmm, you''re not much different from me. This noona is 24 years old.¡± Rosellis was only four years older than Lisbon.


    "No way!" Lisbon was shocked. He couldn¡¯t understand how she could have this strength at such a young age.


    He wondered if she was from one of the battle races, but from what Lisbon knew, there weren¡¯t any battle races with red hair. Of course, she could have dyed her hair, and he was not certain that no one had red hair amongst the many tribes associated with the battle race Hunter Tribe.


    However, he didn¡¯t think that someone from the Hunter Tribe would confidently stand in the middle of the Empire¡¯s territory, as they were a battle race allied with the Empire''s enemies.


    When Lisbon looked at Rosellis distrustfully, Rosellis frowned, "What''s with that reaction? Are you saying I look older than that?¡±


    Lisbon¡¯s surprised reaction wasn¡¯t caused by this, but it was not necessarily the wrong interpretation. Normally, Rosellis¡¯s level was not something that could be achieved at such a young age.


    "Ah, that¡¯s not it!" Lisbon was startled by Rosellis, and he tried to correct the misunderstanding, but Rosellis''s mood had already deteriorated.


    "I don¡¯t believe you." Rosellis pulled the ax lightly out of the ground and pointed it at Lisbon.


    "You''ve regained your breath now, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯m going again."


    The conversation was also in consideration of Lisbon, who had just received a hit to the abdomen. It was because she thought it would be a waste to finish off talent like him immediately.


    This time, Rosellis also let out her martial aura like an explosion. Lisbon¡¯s legs shook from the overwhelming martial aura, but he tightly clenched the sword handle.


    Rosellis approached Lisbon at a light, moderate pace, but Lisbon couldn¡¯t move away from his position. He could not move because he was fighting the fear that would make him run away without looking back if he took his foot off the ground.


    "Ahhhhhh!" Lisbon screamed to overcome the terror, and he finally barely managed to take a step forward.


    Rosellis was surprised when Lisbon took a step towards her. The martial aura she was currently emitting was not soft enough for someone of Lisbon¡¯s level to be able to penetrate and advance through.


    It was a level of martial aura that would even cause the posture of many veteran knights to crumble. Amid such martial aura, Lisbon was able to overcome the overwhelming fear and take a step closer.


    "So you were a genius." Rosellis genuinely admired this display. In her opinion, it was not the technical skills of swordsmanship that distinguished a genius from a common person in battle. Instead, it was whether one could overcome fear and make it their own.


    In many cases, a life and death situation in battle was determined by whether one could move a step. The step that Lisbon took was not just a step but an ideal improvement.


    Rosellis swung her ax at the confidently approaching Lisbon, not holding anything back. A lack of sincerity now would be a disrespect for Lisbon, who overcame his fear.


    "Haahp!" Lisbon let out a shout and swung his sword at the ax that was brought down towards him.


    Kang!


    When Rosellis''s ax and Lisbon''s sword hit, a clear metal sound was heard, followed by Lisbon''s sword breaking. It was a natural result.


    The difference between Lisbon and Rosellis''s ability was significant, but most of all, there was a difference in the materials used to make their weapons. Lisbon''s sword was simply made of steel, while Rosellis''s ax was made of an alloy mixed with mithril and adamantium.


    When Lisbon¡¯s broken blade spun in the air and then embedded itself into the ground, the referee shouted, "Winner! Rosellis!"


    As the winner was decided, Rosellis immediately withdrew her martial aura, and Lisbon sat down as the strength drained from his legs.


    "I have lost."


    The crowd roared when Lisbon conceded defeat.


    "Wooooow~!"


    In terms of the match, there weren¡¯t that many moves exchanged. It was a match that showed a wide gap in skills, but the crowd surrounding the stadium cheered and applauded.


    Rosellis tried to avoid letting her martial aura get near the spectators as much as possible, but as she explosively emitted her martial aura, the spectators could also feel the tension. Also, the other knight school students, instructors, and active duty knights sitting as spectators were able to easily imagine the fear and pressure that Lisbon must have felt.


    It was natural to give sincere applause to Lisbon for overcoming such fears.


    Rosellis smiled cheerfully and reached her hand out to Lisbon, who was sitting on the floor. "You were cool, Dongsang!" (1)


    Before Lisbon knew it, Rosellis was calling him dongsang, but he didn¡¯t find it unpleasant. Rather, feeling that he had been acknowledged, he smiled refreshingly.


    "Thank you, Noonim." (2)


    Lisbon rose from the floor while holding Rosellis''s hand. He forcibly put strength into his still trembling legs to greet the spectators.


    "Please win.¡±


    Rosellis laughed loudly. "Of course!"


    * * *


    I generously applauded Lisbon''s fight. In fact, I thought about using a little magic in the middle to help Lisbon out, but I quit because I didn''t think it would help his growth.


    Above all, it was also worrisome that the adventurer named Rosellis occasionally looked around instead of giving Lisbon her full attention. It was as if she was wary of something.


    I ended up not helping Lisbon. I was afraid Rosellis discovered that he hadn¡¯t escaped from her weakly emitted martial aura on his own before the preliminary rounds. Looking at the result, it was good that rather than just the prize money, Lisbon gained more valuable experience and growth.


    Notes: 1) Donsang is a Korean word for a younger sibling. In Korea, just like unni, noona, oppa, hyung, people use these terms as the word for brother or sister or as a replacement for their names. In cases where they use it as a name or attached title, then I use the Korean word. But when it is used to describe a relationship, then I just use the English word ¡°sister¡± or ¡°brother.¡±


    2) Noonim is noona + nim. More polite/formal way to address an older sister/woman.

 Chapter 111: New Year’s Festival (12)

    After Lisbon¡¯s match, the main draw of the tournament continued quickly and was eventually won by Rosellis the adventurer. It seems I just earned seven more silver coins. Let''s buy Flam a meal, too.


    - The winner¡¯s award ceremony will start now. The winner of the martial arts competition, please come up to the platform.


    When the winner was called up by the announcement, Rosellis, the winner of the martial arts competition, proudly carried her ax and climbed up to the podium.


    At that moment, the event staff blocked Rosellis from coming up to the platform. "I''m sorry, but the weapon...¡±


    I couldn''t hear them very well because they were far away, but roughly, it seemed like he wanted her to put down her weapon. Perhaps it was because the saintess was going to bless the winner of this martial arts competition personally.


    Usually, the captain of one of the knight divisions stationed in the capital or a high-ranking priest of the Great Temple awarded the trophy. This year, however, as it was rare for the saintess to come to the capital, she appeared in several events wearing a veil.


    As the civil servant acting as event staff held up Rosellis, another civil servant rushed to the platform, scolded the event staff who had stopped her, and apologized.


    Rosellis smiled and waved her hands before continuing to go up to the platform. As Rosellis walked up, the stadium resonated with a hymn. The saintess came up while being escorted by the paladins from behind the stadium.


    "It''s an honor to meet the famed platinum plate adventurer."


    As Hillis spoke, Rosellis burst into a cheerful laugh, "Hahaha! It¡¯s usually the opposite, Miss Saintess."


    The priests briefly looked angry but did not open their mouths when they saw Hillis''s gesture. On the other hand, Hillis''s paladins responsible for escorting her for the past half-year looked at Rosellis with an interested look on their faces, not minding the situation at all.


    The escorts¡¯ reaction was very different from yesterday even though I was more polite than the winner of the martial arts competition. Maybe they were discriminating against me.


    Hillis and Rosellis briefly smiled and talked, and the trophy was handed to Hillis.


    "Congratulations on winning.¡±


    "No, it''s natural that I won, so it''s not something to be congratulated for.¡±


    Hillis handed Rosellis the trophy in her hand and congratulated her.


    Rosellis scratched her head shyly, then suddenly gave off a burst of killing intent and pulled out the huge ax on her back. At that moment, the paladins became on guard and pulled out their swords at the same time.


    In that instant, the situation developed so fast that despite watching from the stadium, I didn''t even feel anything strange. Rosellis turned around and used her ax to deflect a magic spear that came flying towards her from somewhere.


    "Protect the Saintess-nim!"


    At the cry of the paladin appearing to be the leader of the escort, the paladins held up large shields to protect Hillis.


    "Commission time!" Rosellis left Hillis behind and proceeded down the platform. She exuded killing intent as she went down, and the adventurers in the crowd pulled out their weapons and surrounded her.


    Wait, what''s going on? I couldn''t understand the situation for a moment, so I blanked out, but I suddenly came to my senses when I felt the massive amount of mana in the sky. Floating in the air, a mysterious man wearing a half black, half white mask was flying.


    What¡¯s up with that very similar-looking mask?


    "What a shame! Saintess! I wish we could have met earlier!" The Half-half Mask lifted his wand high.


    "F**k?!" I momentarily spat out curses and took out a white half mask and the wand, Dragon Heart, from the pocket space.


    "Die!" A very dark and pure-looking black mana formed on the Half-half Mask¡¯s wand, and an enormous amount of magic arrows poured down. It was a complete disaster.


    "Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!"


    The mana stones of my magic wand spun as fast as atoms and poured out mana. I created three layers of a barrier that surrounded the entire stadium and blocked the black mana arrows. If they had not been stopped, the magic arrows aimed throughout the stadium would have caused massive casualties.


    "This crazy bastard! Who¡¯s supposed to deal with the aftermath?" If things took a turn for the worst, besides the New Year¡¯s Festival being ruined, I would be forced to give up my vacation to deal with the aftermath.


    I will never allow such a thing! No one can die here!


    "Who is it!?" As his magic was suddenly blocked, the Half-half Mask seemed to be looking for the person who had set up the magic barriers. Since you¡¯re looking for me, I''ll break your head myself.


    "It''s me! You son of a b**ch!" As I jumped out of the corner of the stadium and shot a magic bullet, the Half-half Mask quickly avoided it.


    "Who are you!?"


    While I was briefly distracted, he tried to break the barrier again by shooting magic bullets with black magic.


    "Hahaha! This is a bulletproof barrier, you son of a b**ch!"


    His anger growing at my shout, the Half-half Mask suddenly doubled the number of magic bullets being shot. Perhaps the flag was set incorrectly, but the very top of the barrier shattered from the strengthened magic bullets, creating a hole and allowing magic bullets to enter. However, the Half-half Mask¡¯s magic bullets were blocked without a fuss by the second barrier.


    "Tsk! Rise! Puppets!" The Half-half Mask clicked his tongue and made hundreds of shadow dolls inside the stadium with black magic.


    Seeing that the shadow dolls were created by a simple order trigger, it seems he made preparations all over the stadium in advance. Chet, if I had been in charge of the main draw stadium, I would have found them.


    I didn''t know there were such devices here because I came to the stadium for the first time today. I could feel a repugnant evil aura from each shadow doll, and they were eating away at people¡¯s vitality.


    "Kill the living! Release your hatred!"


    At the cry of the Half-half Mask, the faceless shadow dolls jumped into the audience with swords made of shadows.


    "Stop them!" Rosellis cried out.


    The adventurers began to engage the shadow dolls, but the evil aura that the shadow dolls possessed was too powerful for a living person to handle. Once a person began to die, it was clear that the shadow doll would become stronger from the unique mana that came from death.


    "Summon! Chirps!" A summoning magic circle was created from my wand, and bird-shaped alchemic magic lifeforms sprang out and circled around me.


    Besides the catalysts, the birds were made of pure mana and were not really alive, so they would be able to withstand the evil aura of the shadow dolls to some extent. In the past, there was a time when I used a chirp to send a letter to my hometown, and it was almost caught.


    Considering that it beat the soldiers in Warrant and smashed the firm building at the time, a single chirp¡¯s power was probably stronger than the adventurers below who were struggling to survive.


    "You dare! Death will be your friend when that person comes!" As I was trying to deal with the shadow dolls first, the Half-half-a-lot-of-radishes took aim at me and attacked. (1)


    A sticky-looking darkness quickly flew out towards me from the masked guy¡¯s wand.


    "Go, chirps! Take care of those black things!" To start, I gave orders to the chirps. Three hundred chirps flew fast and rushed to the shadow puppets. With this many chirps, I don''t know about injuries, but there probably won''t be any deaths.


    The sticky darkness that flew towards me was blocked by the barrier, but the darkness quickly began to melt it.


    "Aigoo! Barrier! Barrier!"


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of magic that darkness was, but no matter how strong a normal barrier was, it seemed like the darkness was impossible to neutralize. This didn¡¯t surprise me since I also knew one or two magics that could do the same.


    For now, I added two more barriers, but it was just to buy time. It didn¡¯t seem like it was going to be able to stop the Half-half Mask¡¯s magic.


    What should I do?


    While I was analyzing the magic of Half-half Mask, divine power began to radiate out of Hillis''s body. "God commands, find my land!"


    At the same time as Hillis¡¯s shout, the stadium began to be filled with divine power. The shadow dolls began to weaken rapidly due to the divine power.


    "I won''t let you do that!"


    I flipped my middle finger at Half-half Mask¡¯s cry. "What are you going to do about it! Add attribute! Light!"


    Since it was darkness, I guessed that light might help, and I covered the barriers in light. Then, as it seemed to have worked, the speed of erosion from the darkness decreased significantly. Yet, it didn¡¯t seem to be perfect, as light magic was not my specialty.


    But also, the flow of divine power felt unusual. This was something that required one to be at least a madosa to be able to evoke.


    "To the south! To the south! As the starlight of hope guides us, the saint leaves with his decrepit donkey!"


    At the saintess¡¯s prayer, a holy light centered around Hillis began to appear from the floor, its size large enough to engulf the stadium.


    "The holy land that the saint will finally arrive at will certainly be the right one!"


    The evil aura that the shadow dolls had now disappeared completely.


    "How dare you make such proclamations! This is the domain of God!"


    I could feel the nature of the space itself changed from Hillis''s cry. This was definitely a domain proclamation. This magic, called the ultimate magic, had an absolute adverse effect on magicians other than the caster.


    The domain proclamation was extremely rare, even among madosas who had crossed the wall of the Magic Way. Considering the level of difficulty, I couldn¡¯t stop being amazed that the saintess could use this magic.


    However, as I was in Hillis¡¯s domain now, it was difficult to use magic even if I tried because my mana kept scattering. Since divine power dominated this space now, that Half-half Mask bastard was probably worse off.


    I released my barrier magic. With this, there was no need to use my mana and maintain my barrier magic. When my barrier disappeared, the darkness eating away at the barrier became buried in divine power and was extinguished.


    "Keuaaakkkk!"


    When the barrier blocking the divine power from the Half-half Mask disappeared, the divine power in the stadium rose to the sky. When the divine power touched Half-half Mask, he twisted and screamed in pain.


    "Wow, is he a true black magician?"


    Even some black magicians don''t suffer this much from touching divine power. Then, let¡¯s aim for this opportunity!


    "Chains of Restriction, add light attribute!"


    Twenty chains of mana shot out from my wand and tied up Half-half Mask.


    "Kkeuaaahhh!" Half-half Mask struggled in agony while he was tied up by my magic chains.


    It would not be easy to escape from these two high-level magic spells. This was especially true with the addition of the light attribute, which was especially effective against black magicians. Fortunately, in the situation below, there were minor injuries, but no one was seriously hurt or dead.


    I opened the summoning magic circle again and called back the chirps, "Come back!"


    The chirps that were destroying the core of the shadow dolls throughout the stadium quickly gathered at my command and returned to the summoning magic circle.


    Let''s see, I sent a total of 300, and 273 returned. Approximately 10% of them were killed by the shadow puppet¡¯s evil aura. Among the returning chirps, about 60 were severely injured by the evil aura, and the rest had minor injuries. If I hadn¡¯t released the chirps, the stadium¡¯s occupants probably would''ve all died.


    The ones with minor injuries were no problem as they would automatically repair themselves, but I had to fix the 60 severely injured ones myself. For 20 of the 60, it was probably less expensive just to destroy and remake them, so the loss was not small.


    It took approximately one platinum coin to make five of them, so the total damage was a loss of about ten platinum coins. (2) Also, the repairs called for about five more coins, so the damage would be around a total of 15 platinum coins.


    It looks like a year''s budget for a Count¡¯s large territory was going to be blown away. Well, I think it¡¯s better than a vacation being blown away?


    Notes: 1) In Korea, some people say half and half with a lot of pickled radishes when ordering Korean fried chicken (half order of regular, half order of spicy) as pickled radishes come free as a side dish. Since the character is being referred to as Half-half Mask, the author was making a reference to how people order fried chicken.


    2) 1 platinum coin to make 5 chirps. Author wrote that 20 chirps would need to be re-made, which would be 20/5 = 4. So that¡¯s 4 platinum coins, not 10. But that¡¯s only taking into account the severely injured chirps that returned. Author mentioned that 27 died and didn¡¯t return. So that¡¯s 47 chirps. Roughly 50. 10 platinum coins would make 50 chirps.

 Chapter 112: New Year’s Festival (13)

    No one died, and there was no damage to the stadium. Even the Half-half Mask madman who committed the crime was probably captured. I''ll have to make up for my loss with this guy''s wealth.


    The man seemed to be a madosa-class magician capable of using magic strong enough to melt the barrier I put effort into making. So, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have at least that much money, right?


    I didn''t know this when I was young, but being a magician is a money-eating job. A magic wand for beginners started at a minimum of one silver coin, but the price of a proper magic wand could reach gold coins and even platinum coins.


    I transported the materials and personally made the wand that I was holding now, but if it were to be valued, it wouldn''t be strange if it was treated as a national treasure.


    When I thought about it, my wand would be equivalent to the wand given to the grand elder of the Butterfly Tribe that was passed down from generation to generation. Or it might be comparable to the wand made of dragon hearts that elder Mirpa forcibly had my father collect by hitting him in the back of the head.


    Other than them, the Curse Magician and the Spatial Magician of the 4 Great Madosas might have a wand of a similar level.


    For now, I decided to interrogate Half-half Mask later and went down into the stadium. Then the paladins and adventurers surrounded me with weapons.


    "Hmm, what is going on here?¡±


    Why are these people emitting killing intent and surrounding me all of a sudden? I just saved your lives. How ungrateful.


    A paladin who appeared to be the leader of the Hillis¡¯s escorts answered me, "Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know!"


    "Are there fools who ask when they already know the answer?¡±


    When I asked with a shrug, the paladin stared at me fiercely. "Shut up! I¡¯m sure you know that you''re under suspicion of being a heretic!"


    Heretic? What kind of bullshit is that?


    "Excuse me, Saintess-nim. Helping to catch that person wasn¡¯t part of the commission." Rosellis aimed her huge ax at me and glanced at the paladins with a perplexed gaze.


    "What are you talking about? That person is Lupin, who is suspected of being a heretic by the temple! I think we''ve agreed to work together to eradicate the heretics!"


    Rosellis shrugged her shoulders at the paladin. "No, look here, Sir Paladin. Even if your mouth is crooked, you have to say it correctly. The commission was to eradicate heretics who want to harm the Saintess-nim. It wasn¡¯t to eradicate the guy who saved our colleagues and attacked the heretics.¡±


    The paladins groaned at Rosellis''s words.


    "And are you even sure that white mask guy is Lupin? I don''t know why, but I feel that he is just a guy wearing a white half mask.¡±


    The paladins nodded at Rosellis. "We¡¯re certain of it. It''s not common in the capital for someone to be wearing a white half mask with perception disrupting magic powerful enough to prevent us from properly recognizing him.¡±


    My goodness. I didn''t think that using perception disrupting magic to prevent any features from being recognized would become a recognizable feature in itself.


    It seems it¡¯s time for me to slowly retire from being Lupin. I put aside all the unnecessary thoughts for now and asked, "But why am I charged with the suspicion of being a heretic?¡±


    The paladin grew angry at my question. "Are you pretending not to know!"


    "No, how many times have I told you I don''t know!"


    Ah, this was the second time. I guess it¡¯s understandable if it was only the second time.


    "You bastard! How can you say that after seriously injuring Cardo Fernando and killing Paladin Mario!¡±


    Cardo Fernando? Paladin Mario? Who are they? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing about it.


    "Hey, I think you''re mistaking me for someone else. I''m not familiar with the names of the two people you just said.¡±


    "Are you going to keep claiming innocence till the end!" The paladin¡¯s yell was so loud that it was deafening.


    Jeez, my keen hearing was not helpful during times like this. Someone might have thought you were some kind of lion. Yet, a cardinal and a paladin? Were they the ones trying to kidnap the princess at the ball in mid-September? I definitely sent a golden-masked old man called Leo and a man who used divine magic to meet their makers in the past.


    "Mmm, can I know when this happened?¡±


    The paladin answered my question without a hitch, "It was mid-October!"


    Rather than answering without hesitation, he seemed to have lost his reason from his overflowing anger. As expected, it was good to question people who let their emotions get ahead of them. Either way, the imperial knight divisions seemed to think that it was taboo to express their feelings recklessly.


    Anyway, if it was in October, then it was definitely not me. Of course, they could have given a fake date to cover up the criminals¡¯ attempts to kidnap the princess. This was possible since, at that time, Uncle Bloody saw the scene where the Golden Mask was hit by my lethal move (failed). Still, that was just my unconfirmed hypothesis.


    ¡°Mmm, I don''t think that was me.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± The paladins looked at me like my words were absurd.


    "So are you saying you didn''t steal the golden goddess statue either?"


    "Ah, that was me." Well, it was true. I even left a letter telling them to go harass the treasury office, so there was no need to try and hide it.


    "You bastard! You dare mock the temple!"


    I tilted my head at the angry paladin. "Why is that mocking the temple? I declare before the Goddess that I am not lying. I''ve never met the Cardinal and the person named Mario in October."


    "Didn''t you steal the golden statue!?"


    "Yes, I stole it." I nodded.


    ¡°Then!"


    "So, why would I harm the great Cardinal and the paladin who administers justice?"


    Of course, of course. I may have launched my lethal move (failed) at the person performing the evil act of kidnapping, Doom. However, I''ve never shot my lethal move (failed) at a paladin who carries out justice.


    "In the first place, the time I took the golden goddess statue was in mid-August, and it sounds like the accident occurred in mid-October, so I don''t know where you are finding this connection with me."


    "You punk!"


    "Stop!" A voice mixed with mana stopped the paladin as he tried to attack me.


    Was this perhaps a word containing compulsory force? There was a person in this day and age who was still used this crazy magic?!


    The compulsory word was one of the most vicious magic I knew. This magic was one that required two people, the master of the word and a slave of the word, to be established. The scary thing about this magic was that the word slave was forced to obey the master¡¯s commands unconditionally.


    This magic was thought to have died out due to the insanely difficult requirements. It needed a sincere pledge of loyalty from the slave to the master through a fairly complicated magic technique.


    In particular, it boasted an extreme difficulty in that being ''sincere'' was an indeterminable condition. For this reason, the history books called this slave contract ''the loyalty of a true knight.'' In my opinion, it was just a crazy slave contract.


    Hillis walked past the paladins and came towards me.


    "Saintess-nim! It¡¯s dangerous!"


    "It''s all right." Hillis repelled the paladin who tried to stop her. Since the stadium was now Hillis¡¯s proclaimed domain, no one could dare approach her.


    Of course, domain proclamation, called the ultimate magic, was not without weakness. If I proclaimed a domain here, then Hillis¡¯s and my domains would overlap, creating a strange space that gave both of us an absolute advantage.


    Of course, if I tried to proclaim my domain here, not only would the paladins and adventurers surrounding me not stay still, but Hillis, the owner of the current domain, would not let me go. In short, the player had already been caught.


    Hillis stared at me through the white veil. ¡°I''ll just let you go.¡±


    ¡°Saintess-nim!¡±


    "Of course, it¡¯s not that I believe you are innocent. I believe that you hurt the Cardinal and brother-in-law, no, Paladin Mario. I believe in my family and colleagues who have been with me for a long time over you, who I just met for the first time.¡±


    I nodded. "Of course. I would also rather trust people who I¡¯ve known for a while."


    "I''m glad you understand. Just know that the reason I am letting you go right now is because of all the lives you saved during this incident." Hillis¡¯s hand trembled, clenched tightly into a fist. I could feel pure anger from the eyes beyond the veil.


    I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you."


    "I¡¯m not thanking you."


    I grinned at Hillis. "Of course. No one would thank an enemy."


    "You mean I am not your enemy?" Hillis asked quite sharply.


    "Yes, I, at the very least, don''t think of you as my enemy."


    Hillis smiled with a small sigh. "Is that so? Then why are you surrounding the air with a magic chain.¡±


    I couldn''t understand Hillis''s question. What is she talking about? Half-half Mask should be wrapped in... He wasn''t. Ha, hahaha. No way.


    "Was it hypnosis?" I removed the magic chain that was hanging in the air. My god, to think I would get tricked by hypnosis.


    Half-half Mask, he''s pretty good. I didn¡¯t even see the hypnosis. When did it start? I was sure that I bound him with the magic chain.


    Well... I see. Did he disrupt my senses from the second scream? He must have aimed at a gap in my attention from maintaining my magic not long after I was exposed to Hillis''s domain. Things have suddenly become enjoyable. As expected, the magical world is still full of strong people I don''t know about.


    I was so happy that I felt like I could just burst into laughter. How dare you affront me like this? I''m really looking forward to paying him back manyfold.


    "Since you said you¡¯ll let me leave, I¡¯ll go ahead and take off." I lifted off the ground with flying magic and flew high up. Now, it was time to go to an appropriately gloomy alley to wrap up my mana and head to the office that Flam was in.


    After robbing Half-half Mask¡¯s wealth, I was going to try to speed up the plan to mass-produce the dragon tooth soldiers in preparation for the war against my father. However, I missed the opportunity to do so and was left with only losses.


    Well, the dragon tooth soldiers were there just in case I needed them, so they wouldn¡¯t be useful under normal circumstances. To be honest, even if I made the dragon tooth soldiers, they could only be used to buy time against my father, anyways.


    Over the sky, my last day as a trainee began to grow dark.


    * * *


    Libra felt the damage given by the divine power was akin to a burn, but he didn''t let out any sounds from the pain. This was all due to that White Half Mask who used some perception disrupting magic. His plan to blitz and massacre the crowd to shake the immature saintess¡¯s heart and kill her in that gap was ruined from the start.


    Inside the mask, he was filled with anger and bit his lips tightly, but he didn''t show it on the outside. Disguised, Libra calmly stood on top of the fountain in the plaza located in the center of the capital, where he had met Vibrio.


    Beside Libra, Vibrio looked into the fountain with slightly blurry eyes.


    "How is it?"


    Vibrio did not answer Libra. Rather, because she did not answer, Libra smiled under the mask. The main plan went awry, but the other plan was successful.


    Vibrio etched the scene of the waves rolling in the fountain into her eyes. Inside the fountain, the saintess was stopping the paladins from trying to attack the white half-mask man and was allowing him to leave.


    A clear tear fell from Vibrio''s eyes. The tear that had fallen to the ground was tinged dark red.


    Vibrio put her hand in the fountain that had no water in it and stirred her hand. Something spurted from the hand that was moving strongly. Vibrio¡¯s hands were dry, and her fingertips were split.


    Libra made a cruel smile.

 Chapter 113: The Daily Lives of Three Servants on a Sudden Vacation (1)

    As of yesterday, the last civil servant probationary training day had ended.


    A shocking incident occurred where the Saintess was attacked by a black magician, but fortunately, the damage was almost nonexistent and the incident was quickly settled.


    Of course, senior civil servants, the imperial family, the temple, and the upper echelon of the imperial army would have begun to get busy with yesterday''s incident, but it didn''t affect junior trainees like me.


    And so, it was none of my business.


    After the end of the martial arts competition which marked the first day of the New Year¡¯s Festival, there was a completion ceremony for the trainees late at night followed by a small banquet along with professors at the training center. However, due to the aftermath of the attack, the size of the banquet had been significantly reduced. I liked it because I was very tired and could go back to the boarding house early, but most of the trainees felt regretful.


    It was natural to feel regret for not being properly congratulated, considering all the hardships they had gone through. However, if I didn''t participate at the time, the ceremony would have been delayed and we would have been hectic taking care of the aftermath. So, let¡¯s just be thankful for even these small congratulations.


    Well, honestly, what can I do anyway! Now the only important thing was that I had a long vacation before getting my appointment and that I was buried under my blanket even though it was late in the morning.


    The heat in the fireplace overnight had dissipated and the temperature difference from under the blanket, which was still warm because of my body temperature, was very pleasant.


    All right, I¡¯m going to stay in my blanket all day today.


    Physiological phenomena could be controlled by superhuman physical abilities.[1] If it¡¯s urgent, let''s take care of it with magic.


    In my mind, no magic seemed as difficult compared to getting out of the blanket. If I get hungry, let''s just eat cookies still in the pocket space that were enough for tens of people.


    Mmm, I''ll have to fill up on this kind of emergency food in the pocket space later. I think I''ll need some snacks to eat when I don''t want to leave the blanket. Now, let''s go back to sleep.


    I drew the curtains with magic and enjoyed the darkened room again and wiggled to get comfortable on the bed. Then, suddenly someone knocked on my door.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    "Den, what are you doing? It''s already ten o''clock. You promised to hang out today!¡±


    Is this Alice?


    I wondered if I had made such a promise, but thinking about it, I did seem to have told Alice something like that to cheer her up when she was exhausted from preparing for the final exams and assignments.


    "Den! Are you still sleeping?"


    When I didn''t answer, Alice knocked on the door hard this time.


    Kwang, kwang, kwang!


    "Den! Get up! We''re supposed to go out!"


    I don''t want to get up. It''s a hassle.


    "I''m not here right now, so please leave a message after the beep. Beep-!¡±


    "Hey! You''re in there! You better come out right now!" Alice knocked harder on the door.


    Tsk, I guess I can¡¯t fool her. Too bad, Alphonso or Lisbon would have been fooled.


    Despite it being a hassle, I was thinking that I had to go out, but my body crawled deeper into the blanket. The cozy blanket was really nice. My current blanket was not as easy to get out of as the luxurious latex blanket of my previous life.


    I rubbed my face against the pillow, declaring surrender.


    At some point, the presence outside had disappeared. It seems Alice had also given up.


    All right. Let''s stay this way for the day.


    That was what I was thinking, but not long after, I suddenly felt a mana reaction outside.


    Wait, no way!


    "Den! I said, `Get up!¡¯"


    Opening the window, Alice and Yuria flew into my room with magic from outside the boarding house.


    Wait, this isn''t right!


    "Get up! We''re supposed to go hang out!"


    Alice and Yuria pulled my lovely blanket and tried to take it away at the same time.


    No! I tried to prevent it from being taken away, but it ended up being taken away.


    Yuria was also a battle race, so there was a chance that the blanket would be torn if something were to go wrong.


    Ah, was this how the mother felt about giving up her child when Solomon called for splitting the child in half?


    It was very tragic!


    What was more tragic was that in that scenario, the child was returned to its original mother, but these two had no intention of returning the blanket to me. It was an extremely unreasonable tragedy. Sure I did promise to hang out together, but I never agreed to have my blanket taken from me! It was like offering to give a pound of breast meat to a loan shark in Venice, but not agreeing to see the blood. It was clear that the court would side with me. But that this was not a court was another tragedy.


    Ahhh, the issue is, do I sleep with or without the blanket?!


    My poor body, deprived of the blanket, had been tossed out in the cold like a wrecked ship caught in a raging sea.


    "Wait, aren¡¯t you being too dramatic for just having a blanket taken away?¡±


    Alice looked at me absurdly.


    Ahh, look at that cruel thief''s eyes. Look at those greedy, barbaric eyes.


    It would be natural for someone who covets another¡¯s belongings to not know how it feels to be robbed.


    Alice pinched and pulled my cheek up.


    "Just who is a greedy, barbaric thief?"


    Shoot, it seems I accidentally let out my inner thoughts!


    "Nuo, that''s nuat... Ahhh, it hurts!"


    Alice hmmphed and let go of my cheeks. Her hands were quite vicious.


    "Hmmph, hurry on out. We are all ready except for you."


    Alice opened the locked door and went out. Yuria gave a small wave and followed her out of the room.


    "Come out, quick please."


    Left alone in the room, I grumbled to myself.


    "At least leave the blanket."


    Phew, I had no choice but to change out of my pajamas and get ready to go out.


    -o-


    Cross-legged, Arcanta sat at the head of the cabinet meeting and looked out the window. The cold blue winter sky caught his eye, but it did not relieve his pent-up frustration.


    Due to yesterday''s attempted assassination of Saintess Hillis, the negotiation efforts by Crown Prince Zantes to have the Saintess offer blessings to the imperial family had disappeared.


    Originally, the schedule was set to have the Saintess directly bless the imperial family at the plaza during the peak of the New Year''s Festival at midnight of December 31 just as it became January 1. However, the Saintess¡¯s activities for the remainder of the New Year''s Festival were canceled. In addition to the political advantages from having the Saintess simply bless the imperial family, all the plans to use her during the New Year''s Festival had been disrupted.


    As everything related to the Saintess disappeared, Arcanta got a headache. However, the director of the Department of Ceremonies had life return to his face as he had much less work to do.


    If Lupin had not appeared at the award ceremony of the martial arts competition and prevented the assassination of the Saintess and other damage, the guy who was being jubilant right now would have been having the hardest time. He hated the sight of that guy being so cheery. To be exact, he didn''t want to see that face full of life when he was struggling to do his best.


    However, at the same time, if there had been numerous casualties, Arcanta himself would also have struggled quite a bit from the aftermath.


    Arcanta sighed and shook off the thoughts of the enormous political gains he could have gained. While feeling regretful, he thought that feeling sorry about something that was already lost was not fitting of a prime minister.


    As Arcanta undid his crossed legs and sat down properly, the voices of ministers and chiefs of each department filling the cabinet conference room suddenly stopped.


    "Now, let¡¯s stop with the battle of nerves. Does anyone like any of the new recruits?" Arcanta asked while picking up the personal information document of the top civil servant trainees.


    However, the ministers and chiefs could not carelessly open their mouths. It was because the prime minister was holding tightly onto their lifelines- budgets. Of course, next year''s budget plan was already in place, but until the prime minister and the emperor put their stamp of approval on it, the budget could be cut at any time.


    Arcanta knew no one would open their mouths. At this time of year, it was customary for the prime minister to choose a new civil servant first.


    Arcanta smiled coyly and said as if he was helpless to do anything else, "No opinions. All right. Then ¡®this time,'' let''s start by picking out new recruits for the treasury department.


    The treasury department always said, "this time," despite always being the first to select the best recruits. Considering the rank of cabinet members, it was natural. However, saying it like that was an act of formality, a mark of respect for each minister, and an indication there was no superiority or inferiority.


    In a bureaucracy, such formalities were more important than one would think. It was because each act of formality could become a shield in an unexpected situation, and prevent potential criticisms.


    Arcanta had picked out the personal information documents of the trainees he had thought of first and was trying to put them on the desk so that everyone could see. But then a tackle came in.


    "Wait."


    Arcanta stopped what he was doing and looked at the man who had stopped him.


    "What can I do for you? Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director Glont."


    It was Glont, the director of Adventurers¡¯ Guild who stopped Arcanta.


    "This time, our Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters would like to pick first. Hohoho!¡± Glont laughed, covering his mouth with his left hand with only his pinky sticking out.


    The cabinet ministers in the conference room admired him for daring to block the prime minister, but they also thought it might be possible if it was him and looked on.


    Arcanta became a little nervous at Glont''s sudden tackle. Glont was a man even he could not treat recklessly despite being at the peak of bureaucratic society. He was currently discharged from the military, but in the past, he was one of the three most powerful men in the empire, aside from the battle race. For reference, it was Bloody who filled the vacancy created by Glont''s departure.


    When Bloody had just been dispatched to the empire, he was the head of the Black Water Buffalo Knight¡¯s Division working as a deputy directly under Glont. As such, he still had a close relationship with Bloody.


    Glont currently still held great influence in the imperial army. It was hard to find anyone who did not admire him among the active generals and officers.


    There were even funny rumors that said that if he were to request soldiers to immediately retire from the military and become an adventurer under him, he would be able to gather enough knights to be able to form a few knight divisions. Of course, it was a joke that couldn¡¯t be laughed at from Arcanta''s point of view.


    In reality, it was clear that not only high-ranking knights directly under the imperial family but also the heads of knight divisions would request to leave immediately. If knight divisions were to actually be formed like that, they probably wouldn¡¯t even lose out to the imperial knight division.


    "Is that so?"


    Even Arcanta owed Glont a lot, such as asking help in catching the Twelve Zodiacs.


    As the prime minister forced himself to smile, Glont smiled and took out the personal information documents of two trainees.


    "We would like to take these two."


    1. Physiological phenomena referring to having to pee, poop, eat, etc¡­

 Chapter 114: The Daily Lives of Three Servants on a Sudden Vacation (2)

    Arcanta sighed when he saw the personal details of the trainees that Glont brought out.


    One person was near the top but not at the very top of the list, and would have likely been assigned to a normal local town office or a district office in the capital.


    However, the problem was the other one. The person had the top grades but narrowly missed being within the top 5%. Even so, of all the people, this trainee was the one that Arcanta had been eyeing.


    The prime minister sighed as he placed the personal information document of ¡®Den von Mark¡¯ on the desk.


    "Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director. Unfortunately, it overlaps with a talent that I want. Is there a particular reason that it has to be this person?"


    Glont shrugged. "Well, since Prime Minister-nim is eyeing him, it means he is capable enough that I don¡¯t necessarily need a reason, right?" He flashed a lopsided grin.


    Arcanta was flustered by the smile. He knew the other¡¯s habits well as he had known the director for a long time.


    Glont''s current smile was the smile he showed when he was going to stubbornly push ahead with his agenda.


    As far as Arcanta knew, there wasn¡¯t a time when things did not go the way Glont intended when he had that smile.


    "Is there any reason why Prime Minister-nim has to pick him?"


    Arcanta nodded.


    "There was a recommendation from Pelgrant von Bologneo, a former treasury civil servant and my direct subordinate. He asked me to put him in the treasury office because he is a talent I want.¡±


    In a way, it sounded like a request.


    Most of the cabinet members in the conference room had been acquainted with Pelgrant since he was still a member of the treasury office before he was appointed as the director of a district office. The ministers gathered here did not know why the man had gone to the district office as if he was half-retiring.


    But they knew that Pelgrant was not the type of person to ask for anything.


    The cabinet conference room was full of tension courtesy the battle of nerves between Arcanta and Glont.


    -o-


    If there was a word that could explain my current situation, it would definitely be a servant.


    After being dragged around for shopping by Alice and Yuria, both of my hands were already full of shopping stuff.


    Is there any other word to express such a sight other than a servant?


    Oh, there¡¯s slave!


    "I''m sorry. Unfortunately, my pocket space is full."


    I shook my head at Yuria''s apology. "No, it''s okay."


    The size of a pocket space was determined by the amount of mana possessed by the person creating that pocket space. Since Yuria could create a pocket space, she was likely a great magician just in front of the wall of the Magic Way. But perhaps because she was still young, compared to the level she was at, her mana capacity was small.


    Of course, as a Butterfly, her small amount of mana was still 10 times larger when compared to Alice of similar age.


    Alice was said to possess a large amount of mana compared to her classmates at the magic school, but from my point of view, small was small, so I couldn¡¯t tell the difference.


    In any case, considering the amount of mana that Yuria had, the size of the pocket space was likely as small as 10 pyeong and as large as 13 pyeong.[1] At that size, there was enough space for experimental tools and magic catalysts, so it would not be a problem. But it was a little small to put in additional things.


    "I think I¡¯m actually holding less things.¡±


    Because I was servant No.3, I had less luggage than servant No.1.


    I asked servant No.1, Pushover, "Do you want me to hold some more?"


    Lisbon shook his head at my consideration. "No, it¡¯ll be hard with those thin arms.¡± Saying so, he flashed a refreshing smile.


    In terms of pure strength, I would be the strongest, but I didn''t refuse Pushover being considerate of me.


    Lisbon¡¯s pushoverness had already exceeded 530,000, causing the meter to almost explode. It made the kindness inside me feel sorry for him.


    "Wow! Den! Look at that!" Alphonso, the servant No.2, waved Yuria¡¯s loot and pointed to a private stand.


    "Kyaak! Alphonso! Don''t shake it!"


    Startled, Yuria put down her belongings and hit Alphonso on the back. Among the things Yuria bought, there were magical catalysts that would break when struck like glass.


    Mmm, if I were her, I would hit him too. To dare to treat a precious magic catalyst recklessly, it was not allowed.


    "Now that I think about it, didn''t Alphonso say that he created a pocket space too?¡± Lisbon asked.


    Alphonso nodded. "Yeah!"


    What?! Alphonso''s answer surprised me.


    I was in no place to talk since I was only six years old when I made my first pocket space, but creating a pocket space was a very difficult magic. At the least, Alphonso''s magic skills would not allow him to create a pocket space. Of course, it wasn''t completely impossible since I could also teach someone who didn¡¯t know anything about magic how to create a pocket space. However, even if it was taught, the size of the pocket space was determined by the caster''s mana. Therefore, if one didn¡¯t have the ability to make a pocket space, then it would be completely useless. To be honest, considering Alphonso''s mana, even if he made a pocket space, it would be less than a foot long.


    Alice looked at Alphonso full of astonishment as if she had long known of his skills. "Then can¡¯t we put the luggage in the pocket space?¡±


    Alphonso shook his head with a sullen face. "My pocket space is too small, so it won¡¯t fit everything."


    "How big is it?" Lisbon queried.


    Alphonso opened his index finger and thumb to about 10 centimeters wide. "About this much?"


    It was smaller than I¡¯d expected, but it was still surprising. I thought I should probably have an earnest conversation with Alphonso later.


    -o-


    Hillis went back to the room with the lights off. The owner of this room was her older sister, Vibrio. A stream of light entered through a crack in the dark curtain, but the room was still dark.


    "Unni?"


    Vibrio was sitting on the floor in the middle of the dark room meditating. If up till now, Vibrio¡¯s face was full of haggardness, her current meditating visage contained peace.


    But Hillis felt ominous about the serene facade. Even though it was the peace from her sister, she felt something was different.


    "Unni." Hillis called again


    Vibrio slowly opened her eyes. She picked up the sword next to her and slowly got up. "Have you come?"


    It was the face of her usual caring sister. It was the voice of her sister who she was proud of more than anyone else. But Hillis somehow felt something was off. "Unni, are you all right?"


    Vibrio smiled as if she was looking at a shrewd villain and stroked Hillis¡¯s head. "I¡¯m all right. Unni is invincible."


    Ah ah, she was the usual sister. It was the smile she always held toward Hillis, like when Hillis was scolded for causing trouble like a delinquent before becoming a saintess.


    As Hillis felt tears come up, she slipped into Vibrio''s arms and buried her face into her shoulder. Vibrio patted her on the back.


    ¡°Are you all right now?¡± asked Hillis.


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    Vibrio gave her a gentle hug. Her eyes were like the deep sea, an abyss where not even a single ray of light could reach.


    ¡°Yea, I''m fine,¡± Vibrio muttered.


    -o-


    After a shopping spree, it didn¡¯t seem like we could go around like this any further, so we went back to the boarding house and put down the luggage.


    "Wait, Den. Where are you going?" Alice put down her luggage and asked.


    "What do you mean where am I going? I¡¯m going to put away the luggage."


    I picked up and showed Yuria and Alice their luggage. But Alice looked at me like I was trying to be sneaky.


    "But why are you trying to go to the second floor where your room is?¡±


    Tch, you''re so quick-witted. I was going to go up and sleep, but I was blocked.


    "That¡ª"


    "Just put it down over there and come."


    Alice stopped me from making excuses and beckoned me to come back.


    I sighed inwardly, put down my luggage and approached Alice.


    Ah ah, is this how the head of the family feels when he is forced to go on a trip during his break?


    Unfortunately, I decided to give up on relaxing today. While I was feeling dejected, Yuria took Alice by the arm with an excited face and held up a pamphlet that she seemed to have picked up from somewhere.


    "Aly! Look at this. There''s a special play at the New Year''s Festival! Let''s go watch it!"


    The pamphlet read, ''The Last Queen and the Traitorous Knight¡¯. It seemed to be the title of the play.


    "Oh, this."


    Alice looked at the pamphlet and pretended to know it.


    "Do you know this play?"


    Alice nodded at Yuria. "Oh, it''s a play based on a famous legend. It''s performed almost every year at the New Year¡¯s Festival."


    Alice made a slightly bitter face as she spoke.


    I could roughly understand Alice¡¯s mood.


    It was probably like watching the same program on TV of a kid at home alone during the holidays. Even if the content was fun to watch, it would be hard to keep watching it over and over.


    Yuria also read Alice''s expression and looked sullen. Then she glanced at me.


    Considering Yuria had lived on Mount Everest, deep in the Alps mountain range, one of the restricted lands, she probably had never seen such a play. Since a play like this would be a first for me, who had lived deep in Olympus Forest, it was probably the same for her too.


    To be honest, I wanted to eat tangerines alone in my room and read novels or magic books rather than go to plays like that. Or mess around with a magic circle like making a computer program.


    "If you really want to watch it, let''s go watch it."


    I smiled and shrugged. Whether I was dragged off to a play or shopping, I wouldn¡¯t be able to relax anyways.


    In the first place, I gave up being able to relax today. Honestly, if I had to choose between shopping or the play, the play was better. At least the play wasn¡¯t draining like shopping.


    I definitely had a strong body of the Crow Tribe, but somehow, being dragged around by girls for  shopping felt difficult.


    "I''ve never seen this play before, so it might be good to give it a try."


    Yuria''s sullen face brightened again at my words. She was as clumsy at hiding her expression as Alphonso.


    "Yes! Let''s go!" Yuria took my hand with a happy face, shook it vigorously up and down, and shouted towards the kitchen.


    "Al! Let''s go see the play!"


    "A play?!"


    When Yuria called Alphonso, who was eating bread from the kitchen, he ran over energetically like a puppy being called to go for a walk.


    "What play? I''ve never seen a play!"


    Alphonso''s response left Alice unable to continue expressing that she didn''t want to go. She snuck up on me and asked, ¡°You really haven¡¯t seen this play?¡± She looked at me with doubtful eyes.


    It made sense for Yuria and Alphonso who grew up in the Alps Mountains, but it seemed she didn¡¯t believe that I hadn''t seen it.


    Just how often was this play performed that you would look at me with such suspicious eyes for saying I haven¡¯t seen it?


    "Yes, I lived in a remote area so far that theater companies didn¡¯t come."


    If you compare the danger level of the restricted lands, Olympus Forest was several times higher than the Alps Mountains. Wouldn¡¯t a normal theater company be immediately attacked and killed by demons and monsters the moment they sat foot in the forest? Even if they got escorts from a village, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make it considering the distance was 1,000km and that the perilous path of the Alps was called a paradise on earth.[re]Paradise on earth for monsters/demons.[/ref]


    "Really?"


    Alice looked me up and down helplessly.


    1. 1 Pyeong is ~35 sq.ft

 Chapter 115: The Daily Lives of 3 Servants on a Sudden Vacation (3)

    I smiled at her gaze.


    "Well, I do know the legend that inspired the play.¡±


    Although this wasn¡¯t well known to the outside world, the motif of the traitorous knight in the play, "The Last Queen and the Traitorous Knight," was the Crow Tribe.


    It was not simply the Crow Tribe, but specifically one of my ancestors who was the chief of the tribe at the time.


    Was the name Modred?


    I think there was another name, but I can¡¯t remember.


    Considering that it was a person from 500 years ago, it was amazing that people actually remembered the name Modred.


    Approximately 500 years ago, when the Giant-Holy War was ongoing, the Crows had established diplomatic relations and trade with the Holy Kingdom, where the now extinct Holy Tribe of the battle races had reigned as king.


    However, it was said that my ancestor, who was the motif for the traitorous knight, made some mistakes that led to the end of diplomatic relations between the Holy Kingdom and the Crow Tribe.


    If the diplomatic relations were simply severed, there would have been no major problems. However, in the aftermath, the last Holy Tribe member, the Queen, died during the Giant-Holy War, resulting in the extermination of the Holy Tribe and the fall of the Holy Kingdom.


    That was the reason why my ancestor was called a traitorous knight.


    For your information, after the fall of the Holy Kingdom, it split into the Empire, the Republic, and the Imperial State to begin the Three Kingdoms Period.


    Of the three kingdoms, the Republic became isolated due to the formation of the Demon Territory brought about by Demon King Kanglim and was declining in a progressive manner


    The Imperial State had been destroyed by the former Blood Emperor¡¯s conquest war and was absorbed and unified into the Empire.


    In fact, the reason why the Republic was able to survive at the hands of the Empire and still exist today was due to the Demon Territory.


    The Republic had already become an island of land due to the Demon Territory.


    From the Empire''s standpoint, occupying it would only widen the border with the Demon Territory and so it was not beneficial.


    Furthermore, if unified by the Empire, all the migrants from the Republic would need to be taken in. But considering the societal costs from it, no matter how you calculated, it would still end up being a big loss.


    If it were not for the Demon Territory, it would have been a land flowing with milk and honey.


    The Republic, a powerful nation comparable to the past Empire, had declined due to the Demon Territory. So it was ironic that its life was being extended by the same Demon Territory.


    Although I went off on a little tangent, the story of the last queen and the traitorous knight of the play was not irrelevant since it was tantamount to the founding myth of the Empire.


    There wouldn¡¯t be any plays more suitable for the New Year''s Festival than the founding myth.


    Alice nodded when I told her that I knew the legend that was the motif for the play.


    "Really? Well, the story of the play is a little different from the legend, so it''s not  a bad watch."


    Then Yuria, who was looking at the pamphlet with Alphonso, asked with sparkling eyes, "What time should we go to the play?¡±


    I smiled awkwardly at Yuria. "Let''s at least have lunch." When I rubbed my stomach, she quickly nodded.


    "Oh right, Den skipped breakfast."


    The clock in the living room just struck twelve.


    -o-


    After a quick lunch, Alice, Yuria, Alphonso, and I headed to the temporary theater.


    Alphonso tilted his head as he stepped out of the house. "What about Lisbon?"


    "Oppa said he had something to do and left," Alice replied.


    Like a pushover, after receiving the prize money from advancing to the main draw, Lisbon immediately left to donate to an orphanage.


    When I gave 10 silver coins to Lisbon to donate to the orphanage, he refused to accept it, saying it was too much money. Even if it was the prize money from reaching the round of 16, it was probably only around 5 silver coins after taxes, so it may have been a burden for him.


    When I told Pushover, who didn''t want to receive the money, that it was actually money that I won by betting on him, he received the money without much trouble.


    At that time, Lisbon¡¯s expression looked like he was debating whether to be happy with my donation or be angry that I dabbled in gambling, but oh well.


    It wasn¡¯t even illegally gained money. The Empire allowed it as long as it wasn¡¯t gambling in the black market where the flow of money couldn¡¯t be traced.


    To be honest, if it was a black market gambling house, there wouldn¡¯t have been a 10 silver coin limit. If there was no limit, I would bet a platinum coin. What a shame!


    If I could have bet a platinum coin, I would have disguised myself and entered the competition too. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered even if they said they weren¡¯t going to pay up. I was confident that I would be able to get my dividends somehow.


    "I hope the play will be fun."


    Alphonso smiled and walked along the street looking at the pamphlet in anticipation.


    "Look ahead while you walk.¡± I nagged Alphonso while stealing the pamphlet.


    Alphonso had a strong body, so getting hit by a carriage wouldn¡¯t hurt him, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case for the person who got hit by the parasol he was carrying.


    Just from looking at it, I could tell that the parasols that the twins were using were made of monster by-products and even had magic cast on them, basically making them lethal weapons.


    Yuria was capable of mana detection at a base level, so even if she walked while looking at the pamphlet, she wouldn''t bump into anyone. However, her brother was not skilled in mana detection or presence detection.


    Come to think of it, did I meet Alphonso for the first time due to a quarrel with gangsters who bumped into the parasol?


    A familiar voice called me as I was heading to the temporary theater and nagging Alphonso.


    "If it isn¡¯t Den!"


    Turning to the familiar voice, I saw Flam waving at me while holding hands with a young girl who looked about 10 years old.


    I told the group to go on ahead first, then shouted as I approached Flam.


    "When did you give birth to a daughter? Where is your wife?" Saying so, I started looking around.


    Flam burst out in anger. "She is not my daughter!"


    From just the appearance, they looked like a daughter and a father.


    "Then, no way!"


    When I looked at Flam as if I was looking at dirty garbage, he responded while being half teary.


    "No! She is just my younger sister!"


    He was definitely a fun person to tease. I smiled and shrugged.


    ¡°But you guys don¡¯t resemble each other at all?¡±


    ¡°To be exact, she is my sister in name. She is a child that my teacher raised." Flam smiled bitterly and stroked the little girl''s head.


    There seemed to be a heavy story behind it.


    "Oh, really? Hi. What''s your name?¡±


    I kneeled to get an eye-to-eye level with Flam''s sister, but she just looked at me and said nothing.


    "This child can''t speak. I was told she has her own circumstances. This is something that was acquired, but she can still understand, so you can just speak to her. Her name is Arwen."


    There may be a heavier story than I think.


    I smiled and greeted Arwen. "I see. Hi?"


    At my greeting, Arwen took my hand and wrote on my palm.


    ¡°Don''t make fun of our Fool.¡±


    By Fool, do you mean Flam?


    Flam just smiled brightly oblivious to what he was being called and looked at me and Arwen.


    Flam definitely was a fool.


    "Haha, okay."


    I smiled and stroked Arwen''s hair. Then I straightened my bent back and asked Flam, "Anyways, you had a teacher?¡±


    I had thought this before, but Flam¡¯s hands and muscles clearly showed evidence of martial arts training. If he had a teacher, it was probably a martial arts teacher.


    Flam scratched the back of his head as he replied, "Oh, come to think of it, I never said anything about it. I was an orphan. A long time ago, my teacher took me in."


    "Oh... I''m sorry."


    Flam waved his hands like it was nothing. "No, it¡¯s ok. It was a long time ago. And orphans like me are quite common. There was a war until a few years ago. In the border areas in the southern part of the empire, there are probably still quite a few war orphans.¡±


    Even I knew that the empire had been at war with an enemy country around five years ago. At that time, Uncle Bloody returned to the hometown on the pretext of vacation and asked my father to send troops. He got massively scolded by my father and hence still lingered in my memories.


    Having gone to ask for troops, if it weren''t for Elder Mirpa at that time, Uncle Bloody would have been beaten by my father to the point he would have had to lay in bed and not even be able to participate in the war. Considering that, the scale of the war was probably quite large.


    Eventually, Uncle Bloody was able to take a group of 30 guards by clinging on to my big sister.


    After the guards returned, they told war stories and said that the most fun part was when they fought against the Hunter Tribe of the battle races.


    I still remember how I was deciding to escape when I saw that all the villagers were releasing martial aura saying that they should have gone too at the time.


    "By the way, did you perhaps also come here to see the play, ¡®The Last Queen and the Traitorous Knight¡¯?"


    "Yes, that''s right.


    "Oh, did you get separated from your group because of me?¡±


    Flam looked sorry, so I waved my hand.


    ¡°Ah it¡¯s fine. The temporary theater is not far from here. Let''s go together."


    "Would that be ok? I have an additional person with me."


    I tilted my head at Flam. I hadn''t seen this middle-aged man hang-out with anyone else before.


    "Do you have another younger sibling?"


    "No, rather than a younger sibling, there¡¯s a noonim that I know. Ah, there she is."


    In the direction that Flam pointed, a beautiful woman with red hair in twin tails was walking with her hands tucked into her coat, looking annoyed.


    "That person there?¡±


    Flam nodded. "That''s right."


    "Isn''t she Bloody Rosellis?¡±


    "Oh, you recognize her. I thought you would not because I heard she''s famous among adventurers and mercenaries."


    How would I not know?


    Yesterday, at the arena of the martial arts competition, she was unphased by the evil aura of shadow dolls and split them in two with her axe.


    It left quite an impression on me to see her completely sweep them away after Hillis¡¯s domain proclamation erased the evil aura.


    "Uh, what¡¯s this?" Rosellis pointed at me and asked Flam.


    "My friend."


    Rosellis clicked her tongue and said to me, "Tsk tsk, you should be selective about making friends. Why did you become friends with such an old fool?"


    That''s almost what a biological sister would say.


    "Haha, I know. My name is Den." I smiled and introduced myself.


    Rosellis made a blank face. "You are a civil servant?¡±


    "Yes."


    I nodded. But how did you know that I¡¯m a civil servant?


    Did Flam really only have civil service trainees for friends? Or maybe she remembered me as the one who gave out the number tickets during the martial arts competition preliminaries.


    "Ah jeez, I didn''t expect to see a new recruit already."


    From what she said, it didn''t seem like she remembered our encounter in the preliminary round.


    "What?"


    "You''ll know when you get there later."


    Despite my question, Rosellis said something incomprehensible and hugged Arwen with an affectionate look.


    "You missed Unni, didn''t you?"


    With an annoyed face, Arwen struggled to escape from Rosellis''s embrace.


    "Yes, I know everything even if you don''t tell me."


    I think she was openly showing her dislike. I asked Flam, "So how do you know each other?¡±


    Flam responded with a perplexed face.


    "Haha, it''s quite complicated to explain. I think the play is going to start soon so we should get going quickly."


    Saying so, he took the lead towards the direction of the temporary theater.


    Hmm, maybe it¡¯s something I don¡¯t necessarily need to know? I followed Flam to the temporary theater.


    The play in the temporary theater was more fun than I thought due to the enthusiastic performance of the actors.


    Alice, who looked bored at first, became absorbed in the play in no time.


    It was a peaceful day of vacation.


    -o-


    After the cabinet meeting, Arcanta invited Glont to the reception room. Pouring him an aromatic high-class black tea, he asked, "Do you really want him?"


    Glont laughed leisurely as he drank the black tea.


    "Hoho, if I do?"


    "We have a lot of other talents, you know? What about the guy that the Railroad Association Chief is supposed to take? In terms of physique and comprehensive weaponry grades, don''t you think this guy will be good to deal with the tough adventures of the Adventurers'' Guild?"


    The Railroad Chief would have freaked out and clung on to his pants had he heard, but Arcanta said it as if it was nothing and carefully observed Glont¡¯s face.


    "Mmm, he certainly is tempting. I think I would have chosen him if it were the previous years."


    Arcanta''s face brightened.


    Having seen Pelgrant''s assessment, Den was a coveted talent for Arcanta. An affable personality, and the ability to immediately correct himself at any criticism.


    Above all, he had the ability to complete the year-end accounts, which would otherwise take several days, within a single day. That kind of calculating ability was needed more than anything else at the treasury office.


    On top of that, just looking at his test taken at the training center, there were traces of him deliberately manipulating his grades so that others wouldn¡¯t get jealous.


    He didn¡¯t know if Den made a mistake while controlling his grades and did not rank in the top 5 percent, but the evaluation standard for cabinet ministers was the top 10 percent anyway.


    The reason why the institute was ordered to say 5 percent was to encourage the trainees to make greater efforts.


    ¡°Then."


    "But!"


    But Glont cut off Arcanta.


    "I have my own circumstances, too."


    Arcanta became serious.


    "What is your circumstance?¡±


    "There were two kids I said I''d take, right? This kid named Den is his friend."


    Glont''s answer drew Arcanta¡¯s attention to the personal information document of "Flam Dainter."


    "Is it simply that reason?"


    When Arcanta spoke like it was absurd, Glont glared at Arcanta while releasing a sharp aura.


    "Simply¡­?"


    At Glont''s aura, Arcanta¡¯s face flushed.


    The knights waiting outside the reception room were also suddenly surprised and entered it.


    "What''s the matter!?"


    Glott spoke in a low voice to the knights who opened the door hard and came in.


    "It''s nothing. Get out."


    The knights flinched, but they could not leave Arcanta beside Glont, who was still releasing aura.


    This was because Glont was retired and no longer their superior, and the knights'' mission was to protect Arcanta.


    "As the Guild Director says. Get, get out."


    In a cold sweat, Arcanta barely managed to open his mouth and ordered them.


    The knights faltered but left the reception room.


    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister. No, Arcanta. No one can say ¡®simply¡¯ about this matter.  Especially you."


    Glont picked up the two personal information documents and got up.


    "I¡¯ll take it that they will be transferred to the Adventurers'' Guild headquarters."


    Arcanta could not stop Glont from leaving the reception room. He knew that the reason the other reacted like that was related to a mistake Arcanta made a decade ago.


    Because of the mistake, Glont tried to kill Arcanta 10 years ago and consequently forced him to withdraw from the position of the head of the government. And so, Arcanta could not do anything but just watch Glont leave the reception room.

 Chapter 116: Appointment (1)

    Orphina stood straight atop a black scaled dragon flying in the sky and looked down at the capital.[1]


    "A little slower, Hargan."


    At her instruction, the dragon, Hargan, reduced its flight speed. The beast didn''t actually understand her words. It was thanks to the power of being able to communicate emotions to the dragons using telepathy that was unique to the Dragon Tribe. It was a power comparable to the strength of the Crow Tribe and the mana of the Butterfly Tribe.


    The Dragon Tribe used this telepathy from generation to generation and could be called dragon tamers. In terms of individual power, they were weaker than the Crow Tribe, but with their dragon partner, they had the synergy to overcome any of the battle races.


    Her pale golden hair tied behind, Orphina flew and took in a breath of the cold air.


    Although the temperature was below zero due to it being winter and over 1,000 meters above in  the sky, it was still warmer than the severe cold of the Demon Territory.


    Returning after six months, the landscape of the capital seemed to have not changed at all.


    Huh? Where''s the Red Magic Tower?


    Orphina tilted her head as one of the tall seven magic towers seemed to have disappeared from the capital.She had not received a report on the major incident of the collapse of the magic tower that had stood tall for hundreds of years.


    She suddenly felt unpleasant. It was the first displeasure she had felt since she heard from the Great Madosa Mirpa and the Crow Tribe Chief who were visiting the Demon Territory that Doomstone¡¯s successor, Denburg, had run away from home.


    Clearly, Bloody was present in the capital. And if he had heard the news, he would have certainly informed the emperor, William, the prime minister, and Zantes. Since he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle the incident of Denburg¡¯s running away with just his stupid brain. She was certain.


    The problem was that she still had not heard any news about the Denburg runaway incident. Thinking that this was a major problem, she decided to kick Bloody¡¯s shin. It was the emperor and the prime minister who decided not to announce it, but she did not like the Crow.


    As she mulled over kicking Bloody¡¯s shin once again for not having told her about the magic tower collapsing, a radio sound came from a military magic radio attached to the saddle.


    - Ah-ah, this is the control center. You must comply with the communication of this control center under the Special Air Defense Act!


    Because she was high up in the air, despite William having made her the radio, there was some static noise. Considering that 1km was a distance beyond the limits of a portable magic radio, Orphina''s radio performance could be said to have exceeded the current magic radios by generations.


    - If you do not reply to this communication, you will be judged as an enemy and we will attack. State your friendly identification number.[ref]Friendly as in friend or foe.[/ref[]


    Orphina picked up the radio receiver and answered.


    "This aircraft is D-001. I repeat. This aircraft is D-001.


    - D-001, friendly identification number confirmed. I will check the password assigned to the identification number. Bloody is.


    At the passphrase from the radio, she spoke without hesitation and full of emotion.


    "This country¡¯s son of a b!tch!"


    - The assigned password has been verified. Congratulations on your return. D-001.


    Orphina laughed at the welcome greeting.


    "Don''t mention it. The main force, including the Red Dragon Knights division, will not return until late in the evening. Could you tell the White Deer Knights division to finish all the bothersome procedures before then?"


    Orphina''s request was readily accepted beyond the radio.


    - I understand. I will go through the trouble for the soldiers who worked hard in the demon territory.


    "On behalf of the main force, I will thank you."


    - It''s a great honor. For the landing port, we request you use the landing pad No. 78 west of the capital.


    "Copy, I will turn my direction.¡±


    Hargon turned towards the west of the capital.


    -o-


    After the two-week vacation, the location for the appointment had been decided.


    I was assigned to the Adventurers'' Guild headquarters in the eastern part of the capital.


    Countless trainees were appointed to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but only Flam and I were appointed to the headquarters. What a relief!


    I was worried that because the grades were close, I might end up being appointed to the inner palace, but I guess I had been worried for nothing.


    The Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the magic tower were the two famous plush jobs, so I didn¡¯t have expectations, but it seemed like my luck was finally looking up.


    To be honest, even though I had been unlucky up until now, I was really just too unlucky.


    After being reincarnated, I was born into the battle crazy Crow Tribe, and my training-obsessed father threw me to a demon and a dragon. After somehow surviving to adulthood, I asked to leave the village to which my father said no. And so I ran away from home, but they chased after me in droves.


    In addition, when I had barely managed to successfully run away, the money I had could not be used in the market. Even after somehow getting by and arriving in the capital, I kept getting wrapped up into strange incidents.


    If I had a status window like a game, I thought my luck would probably be marked in the negatives. Still, even if it wasn¡¯t to the level of the person who heard that the sun would rise after difficulties then fell into another world after dying from an epidemic, it seems I finally got some luck.


    I prepared to go to work for the first time at the appointed place in a civil servant uniform provided by the Adventurers'' Guild- A white button up shirt and a red tie with an adventurer''s guild pattern. Wearing black pants and a black top and I tightened the belt and the shoulder straps that supported the holster for the pistol. Finally, I donned a rather thick winter coat supplied by them and put on a red armband which was indicative of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    Only the first two sets of the uniform were provided. Afterwards, one had to put forth a commission with the sewing shop and had to supply the uniform oneself. Fortunately, I was given five high-grade silk uniforms as a first appointment gift from Mrs. Arscilla. The extras would have cost me a gold coin, so luckily I didn¡¯t have to have more made. I didn''t ask how much it would cost to make the uniform on purpose. I didn''t think I''d be able to wear it if I knew.


    These days, money was quickly disappearing from buying this and that in preparation for the war against my father. I didn''t really think I would end up meeting my father, but considering my past luck, I thought I should be prepared just in case. I was making preparations purely because I had a bad premonition.


    Thinking that I might have to take a look at Count Druval''s corruption ledgers to rob the slush funds of the nobles again, I did a spin in front of the full body mirror.


    Mmm, I¡¯m so handsome. This much should be considered pretty good looking.


    I went down after getting ready. On the first floor, Alice and Yuria, who still had disheveled hair, were sitting on the sofa.


    "Are you up now?¡±


    It was now eight o''clock sharp. If it were usual, they would have made a fuss saying that I was late, but nothing happened.


    "Yeah. It''s vacation. Gotta enjoy the freedom." Alice looked into the empty space with a liberated face.


    It seemed because the magic school¡¯s class schedule was so crammed, she was relaxing as a reward as soon as vacation started. Of course, because of Yuria next to her, she couldn¡¯t be too lax in her magic training.


    ¡°Huh? Is it the first day of work today?¡±


    Yuria looked at me in surprise.


    "Yes, the good old days are over now."


    To be honest, I envied Alice and Yuria. Vacation? I had to work, but they were on vacation! Still, I had enough time off with my two week vacation. I felt like I would actually become really lazy if I took more time off here.


    "Oh, there was a place I wanted to visit."


    Yuria looked at me with regret.


    Haha, honestly, I didn''t want to be dragged around anymore. Even during vacation, I was often dragged here and there which made the vacation feel shorter.


    "There¡¯s Alice too. And there''s also that friend named Milpia."


    "Yea, but¡ª"


    Alice pulled on the sad Yuria¡¯s cheeks. "Stop holding up the guy who¡¯s going off to work. We have the weekend.¡±


    "Ah-hing, it hurts!"


    Yuria became teary, and her words leaked through her horizontally-stretched lips.


    No, but more than that, it feels like my weekend just got taken?


    That¡¯s probably not right, I thought it must have been just a feeling.


    "Then, I¡¯ll be off."


    "Ok. Go ahead."


    "Take care."


    I left the boarding house and headed for the Adventurers'' Guild.


    -o-


    Orphina, who landed on the west side of the capital, took her dragon Hargan to its nest in her mansion then headed to the palace.


    As soon as the palace guard saw Orphina, he stood straight with military discipline and saluted.


    "Loyalty! All clear on duty!"


    "Good job."


    Orphina gave the guard a pat on the shoulder and headed straight inside the palace. She acted with the assumption that the news of her return had already been transmitted.


    No one stopped Orphina on her way to the inner palace. As soon as she arrived at the palace, the emperor''s closest confidant, the chief attendant, greeted her.


    "His Majesty is waiting for you in the audience room. I know you are tired but please head to the audience room."


    The chief attendant¡¯s words were ceremonial. Whenever Orphina returned from the Demon Territory, she always came straight to see the emperor without missing a single time.


    As a result, the chief attendant prepared for the Orphina¡¯s arrival by getting the audience room ready.


    "Okay. Please take the weapons."


    Orphina was used to it and handed her long sword and whip on her waist band to the attendants.


    When she had first come to the capital, it hurt her pride to entrust other people with weapons that felt like her own life. However, now that she had become used to it after living in the capital for several years, it instead felt uncomfortable if her waist band was heavy while she met the emperor.


    "We will make sure to take good care of General-nim¡¯s weapons."


    Orphina laughed cheerfully at the chief attendant, who bowed his head and received the weapons.


    "Ahhaha! How long are you going to be so uptight for? It''s been a long time since I''ve stuck out my pride in this place, so you don''t have to say that every time you take the weapons. And lift your head."


    "No. How could I raise my head while receiving General-nim¡¯s precious weapons. These weapons protect the empire and the imperial family so it is natural for us lowly ones to be courteous."


    The chief attendant¡¯s conduct lifted Orphina¡¯s mood.


    "Haha, you look like you''re making a fuss today. Did the prime minister make you do it?"


    "How could that be? It is just an expression of my heart."


    Orphina did not believe those words.She was sure that the old raccoon-like Prime Minister, Arcanta, likely expected her to be in a bad mood and urged him to do some lip service.


    "Huhu, then I¡¯ll just take it at that."


    Even though Orphina knew the truth, she didn''t say anything to the chief attendant. She didn''t want to embarrass him because few people knew as much courtesy as he did in the empire.


    She quickly went through the process and moved into the audience room.


    Inside the audience room were the emperor, the prime minister, the crown prince, and the still stuck up Bloody.


    1. This dragon is the eastern dragon, not the western one. The eastern one resembles a serpent.

 Chapter 117: Appointment (2)

    "Oh, you are here?"


    Orphina ignored Bloody''s greeting with a snort. Then she bowed and greeted the emperor. "I, Soldier Orphina, have returned after defending against the Demon Territory."


    The emperor acknowledged her salute with a nod. "Good work. I heard it was hard because of the increased activity of the demons in the Demon Territory.¡±


    "No, thanks to the united soldiers, the demon subjugation was easier than previous years."


    Bloody clasped his fingers behind his head at the very formal Orphina and retorted, "Yes, it must have been easy for just you."


    At the sight of the irksome Bloody, Orphina clenched her fist. She wanted to beat him right away but barely held it in because she was still in the audience room. On the other hand, she was amused that Doomstone, who was currently in the Demon Territory, was able to completely suppress this wild daredevil.


    When she had met Doomstone, his powerful body definitely seemed like it had surpassed human limits. As far as she knew, the head of the Dragon Tribe, the Dragon King, seemed to be the only one who could match Doomstone.


    Orphina thought it was disrespectful, but objectively, even she felt that the Dragon King alone would not be a match for Doomstone. She realized that it was why Doomstone''s activities from twenty-six years ago, when he left the Olympus Forest, were talked about as a legend.


    "Well, why don''t we go to the conference room now? I miss William at times like this. It was so convenient to teleport."


    Arcanta clapped his hands and cleared the air. Everyone in the audience lightly laughed at his joke and agreed.


    For William, it was quite a difficult magic even with the help of a magic circle. However, there was no way to know his struggle because no one could use teleportation magic except him.


    Still, the audience room and the secret conference room were not too far away, so it didn¡¯t take too long to get there.


    As it was her first visit in half a year, Orphina went to her seat and rubbed the table first with her fingers.


    "Hey, Bloody. Why is this not cleaned?¡± Orphina glared sharply and asked.


    Bloody shrugged and turned to Arcanta in return. "So she says- why isn''t it cleaned?"


    As Bloody passed it on to him, Arcanta frowned and said, "I''m already working beyond my limit. What do you mean, why is it not cleaned?"


    With that, Bloody shot Orphina a glare of criticism. "That''s right! Arcanta is already busy, but you¡¯re asking him to clean on top of his responsibilities? Are you out of your mind, Orphina?"


    "I¡¯m talking to you! You good-for-nothing!


    Orphina wanted to pull out her whip right away, but she had left it with the chief attendant before coming into the audience room, so her waistband was empty.


    Bloody grumbled at Orphina, who was looking at him with irritated eyes. "Ayy, isn¡¯t it like this in secret conference rooms normally anyways? Servants can¡¯t even come here to clean, so aren¡¯t you being too uptight?"


    "Cleanliness is a must for soldiers! You rude b*stard!¡±


    Bloody responded with a look of provocation. "Nay, nay, then please do your best to clean up ¡®General¡¯ Orphina, who is a real soldier."


    He purposely pronounced ''General'' strange to attack her pride as a soldier.


    "I¡¯ll kill you!"


    Finally, Orphina¡¯s lid blew off. She went beyond martial aura and straight to a killing aura, wrapping her fist with mana.


    Despite her explosive aura, the faces of the trio, except for Bloody, were calm. It was evidence that Orphina was thoroughly focusing her killing intent on the Crow.


    "Shouldn¡¯t we stop them?" Prince Zantes asked, feeling uneasy about them fighting and not just Orphina''s killing aura.


    The emperor and the prime minister were used to it. They took out a piece of jerky from a space expansion bag, and took a bite.


    "Why would you stop such an entertaining scene?¡± The emperor gestured towards Arcanta''s back.


    When the prime minister pulled a book from the bookshelf on the wall of the conference room, the wall opened and revealed a secret space. There were four luxurious chairs in the secret space, and the words, "viewing room" were written on the wall of the revealed space.


    "Let''s just watch, it''s not like it happens all the time."


    Zantes, who hadn¡¯t come to the secret conference room in over a year, was dumbfounded.


    When the emperor, the prime minister, and the crown prince sat down, the viewing room became isolated from the secret conference room with powerful defensive magic.


    "Crown Prince, have a bite too. You can''t miss out on beef jerky for such an entertaining match."


    Receiving the jerky from his father, Zantes looked dazedly at the prime minister.


    Arcanta responded with a dejected smile. "Well, I tried to stop them at first. But how can we stop them without William?"


    It turned out that Arcanta was right. Equally powered peopled needed to intervene to stop the two. But among those who could enter this secret conference room, who else but William could dare to stop them?


    The former head of the state, the current director of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, who used to have authorization for entry, might have been able to just somehow stop them. However, the said man was not authorized to enter this place.


    "The answer is to eat jerky and wait for them to stop on their own," the emperor stated.


    Zantes watched Orphina and Bloody''s fight as he took a bite of the beef jerky. In the absence of their swords and whip, the hand-to-hand fight was full of tension.


    Orphina hit Bloody with her elbow, and at the same time, he kicked her leg, shaking her balance to weaken the elbow¡¯s power. They stared at each other with bloodshot eyes, wiped the blood from their mouths, and opened their fists.


    Zantes, who had a desire to see all the martial artists of the empire, sat eagerly watching the battle in front of him as he bit into the jerky.


    "It''s tasty."


    Zantes picked up some more jerkies.


    -o-


    I looked at the exterior of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters before I entered. For the large entity that it was, there was an equally giant headquarters that was about five floors tall.


    It wasn''t my first time coming here. I had stopped by several times during my civil servant training and visited to seek cooperation with the venue for the preliminary round of the martial arts competition.


    Feeling a little nervous, I entered the building where I would be going to work in the future.


    As soon as I entered, I saw a counter where civil servants sat and worked.


    On the wall left of the counter was a bulletin board packed with a list of requests that adventurers could take. And on the other side was a store selling simple groceries for their convenience.


    It was still before the opening time, so there were no adventurers in sight, but during the day, quite a few adventurers would come and crowd it.


    It felt strange to think that this was where I would be working from now on. It may be all the more so because in my past life I had only passed the civil service exam before coming into a very strong intimacy with the truck-kun.


    "Oh, you came early." Flam greeted as he entered.


    Of course, Flam¡¯s outfit was no different than mine, a uniform provided by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. But unlike myself, it felt like he was a retired adventurer who couldn¡¯t forget the work of an adventurer and got himself re-employed here.


    "Never mind me, Flam, you are here early too? Didn¡¯t you say that you were so busy moving out of the dormitory?"


    "Haha, what are you talking about? It''s already been a week." Flam slapped me on the back and laughed cheerfully.


    There were two groups of people working in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. One was appointed here after passing the civil service examination like me, and the other was local residents hired by the branch themselves. Those in the former group were simply called civil servants and those in the latter group, guild workers for ease of distinction.


    As there was a limited number of civil servants that could be sent every year, it was natural to select guild workers. In fact, the guild workers of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild''s local branches were retired adventurers in many cases. And so, there were rumors that locals did not look kindly upon the civil servants sent to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    Certainly, there was no way former adventurers would look kindly upon newcomer civil servants being their superiors when these newcomers didn¡¯t even know the ¡®adventure¡¯ part of adventurer.


    Putting it in context, it was like a second lieutenant with zero experience of being a sergeant was commissioned to be a platoon commander for a platoon of sergeants.


    I''d heard that the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters, to which I was appointed, was filled with civil servants, perhaps because it was located in the capital. It remains to be seen whether it is a good thing or not, but at the least, since civil servants were the majority here, one could say that there were no adventurers who looked down upon the newcomer civil servants.


    While talking to Flam about random topics, a man with disheveled hair wearing comfy clothes came out of a place marked as a ¡®night-shift room¡¯.


    "Ha-am~"


    He looked like an unemployed person, yawning with a blank face and scratching his back like that.


    When the man appeared, Flam stopped talking and looked at the other, while the latter was surprised when he saw us.


    "Huh? Are you perhaps newcomers?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be that that older guy who looked like an unemployed man was our senior civil servant, right? The man scratched the back of his head and spoke bluntly.


    "Ee-ya, I¡¯m showing an embarrassing view of myself in front of my juniors. I was on night duty yesterday."


    Don''t you usually have to wear a uniform on night duty?


    No matter how you looked at it, the man''s outfit was a tracksuit that he wore comfortably at home. Furthermore, looking at the drool mark around his mouth, it seemed he slept very well.


    The man looked at the clock and yawned. "You''re early. You could have just gotten here by nine o''clock.¡±


    It was eight-thirty now, which was quite early.


    Looking at the man in front of me, it seemed that this position truly lived up to being called an awesome job.


    "Hmm, introductions will be later, but I''m Demuir. I''m your senior by one cycle." Demuir spoke as leaned onto a nearby table.


    If he was one cycle our senior, then it meant he passed the civil service exam half a year earlier than us. If so, he would be like a newcomer like us, but he already looked like this.


    I¡¯ll have to use him as my role model.


    The appearance that Demuir briefly displayed was my ideal.


    ¡°I am Flam.¡±


    ¡°I''m Den.¡±


    Demuir looked surprised at our introductions.


    "Den? You are Den?¡±


    Demuir approached me and shook my hand.


    "Ee-ya, nice to meet you. I¡¯m meeting you here like this when I¡¯ve only been hearing about you."


    "Yes?"


    Unable to understand Demuir, I clumsily shook hands.


    I¡¯m meeting this person for the first time, so where did he hear about me?


    Demuir smiled brightly and waved my hand.


    "Ahaha. I heard you took my study notes. My mother is a real estate agent on Welcon Street."


    "Ah!"


    Only then did I understand what Demuir was talking about. Demuir was the son of the real estate agent who connected me to Mrs. Arscilla¡¯s boarding house.


    "I made good use of the notes. Thanks to you, I passed the exam and managed to become your junior here."


    It wasn''t a lie that Demuir¡¯s notes were used well. Although I had peeped at the question papers before the exam, I had referred to his notes to manipulate my score.

 Chapter 118: Appointment (3)

    I used the notes of the real estate agent¡¯s son because I was told he passed the exam. Considering that I used his notes to manipulate my grades, but still ranked fifth in the exam scores, Demuir was quite a smart person.


    "Ahaha! That''s right. Who would have thought this would happen?¡±


    "Thank you for your welcome. Senior-nim."


    Demuir waved his hands at my greeting.


    "Ayy, you don''t have to call me senior. Just Demuir is fine. Our Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters is not such an uptight organization.¡±


    "Yes, it seems so."


    Judging from Demuir''s outfit, he seemed to have no freedom.


    Demiur laughed cheerfully. "Ahaha. It''s all thanks to our director of the headquarters. He''s quite a lax person."


    From what I knew, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director was also the director of the headquarters. I''d never seen him before, but considering Demuir''s free-spirited appearance, I reckon he might be quite an interesting person.


    "Please address me comfortably, Mr. Flam," Demuir said formally.


    Flam nodded and replied, "All right, Demuir. But you''re older than me, so you don''t have to speak formally to me. I''m only seventeen."


    Demuir looked stunned for a moment. Flam definitely looked old enough to dumbfound people.


    "Hahahaha! Okay. I''m 23, so I can call you Flam, right?¡± Demuir smiled cheerfully and asked.


    Flam nodded. "Yes."


    Considering Demuir''s age, he passed the civil service examination at a fairly early age. Flam and I were unusual cases as we passed the civil service examination in our teens, but usually, most people passed when they were in their late 20s.


    "Ah, shoot! I might be taking up too much of the newcomers¡¯ time. If you go through that door, you''ll find a strict-looking, bespectacled guy with a 2:8 hair parting. He''s supposed to be in charge of guiding the newcomers. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have taken charge of guiding the newcomers.¡± Demuir talked loudly, pointing to the door next to the counter in the center.


    He was as talkative as the real estate agent lady. Demuir said he was going to go wash up briefly and then went back into the night-duty room.


    Flam and I headed to the door as told.


    The space past the counter was quite spacious. Several large wooden desks were set out, and each desk had a large cabinet and bookshelf next to it.


    The space for adventurers outside was quite large, but the space inside where work was done was fairly large. I could finally get a sense of the scale of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    In the midst of surprise, a young man with a strict-looking face and 2:8 hair parting came to us, as Demuir said.


    "Hmm, are you the newcomers appointed here this time?¡± the senior with a strict-looking face, pushed up the glasses that were sliding off and asked.


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    The strict-looking senior took a watch out of his chest and looked at the time before nodding as if he was content. "You''re quite early. Great."


    He put his watch back in his chest and introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. My name is Organ von Fabian. I have been tasked to be the guide today and I will also be the one tasked with directly giving you work in the Adventurers'' Guild."


    Organ seemed as impeccable as the impression he gave.


    "My name is Den von Mark. I look forward to working with you."


    "I am called Flam Dainter. Please take good care of me."


    Organ nodded.


    Considering that he didn¡¯t show any reactions to Flam¡¯s oddly formal speech, it seemed, despite his strict-looking appearance, he wasn¡¯t as uptight.


    "Then, I''ll start with explaining the basics. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s workday starts at nine. But if you can, please come to work 10 minutes early or at the minimum 5 minutes."


    "All right."


    It was an exceedingly natural thing to say.


    "When we get to work at nine, we take thirty minutes to prepare to receive adventurers. The guild doors open at nine-thirty. As to what we prepare, you¡¯ll learn gradually. I¡¯ll take you to your seats."


    Organ took the lead, telling us to follow.


    The seats he guided us to were in a corner of the workspace. He spoke while pointing to two desks in the corner.


    "These two seats are reserved for you two. You two decide which one to choose."


    Flam gave me the first choice.


    "I don''t really care about my seat. You can pick first.¡±


    The two seats we were assigned to were so close that it didn''t matter where we sat.


    "Then I''ll take a window seat by the wall."


    The seat I chose had a large window behind the seat and a cabinet just below the window to store items. There was a bookshelf on the wall, and quite a number of worn-out books occupied about half of the bookshelf.


    "Then I will take this seat," Flam spoke as he took his spot.


    Touching the books on the bookshelf, I asked, "Are these books for public use?¡±


    Organ shook his head.


    "No, these are the books your predecessor left behind when he retired. Since you are the owner of this seat now, I¡¯ll leave it up to you to decide what to do with them."


    "May I?¡± I asked.


    Surprised, Organ nodded.


    "The predecessor also said that the new owner of the seat could do with them as he wanted.  Actually, he said he''d give it to other civil servants, but everyone refused and so it was left here."


    Certainly, the books on the bookshelf had very diverse genres, and the difficulty level was quite high. This book was a Fairy Tribe language dictionary; it was almost an alien language. This was a magic book about circle theory that was abolished more than 400 years ago because its limits were clearly revealed. And this was a recipe book written by Patissier that was famous 100 years ago, and a picture book of monsters that have been extinct for more than 300 years...


    I don''t know what kind of person the previous owner of these books was to have all these. If it was just a collection, he would have taken it when he retired, so I didn''t think it was a collection.


    It was high in value but only in historical research as most of them had lost their practicality as books. If I sold it to a history researcher, I could probably earn quite a bit of money, but I felt that my own research would produce more results.


    To be honest, even if I sold it, it would only fetch a small sum.


    "Then I''ll accept them gratefully. There are many interesting books."


    There was a novel on the bookshelf but it was written in an ancient language. The paper was relatively new, so it wasn''t an ancient book. Just which oddball wrote the novel in an ancient language?


    Oh, maybe it was a transcribed manuscript of an ancient book?


    "I see. The previous owner would be pleased to hear that. Personally, I don''t know why he collected these weird books, but I''m glad there are more eccentrics like him in the world." Organ nodded and added that it was a relief.


    I thought I heard something I couldn''t agree with, but I decided to move on.


    "Then, since we''ve gotten your seats taken care of, let us go meet the Guild Director.¡± Organ suggested.


    Flam had a rare look of reluctance.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Haha, it¡¯s nothing." Flam lightly laughed it off.


    Organ took the lead again and spoke as we headed upstairs. "The second and third floors are reserved for adventurers who reside here or wish to lodge here for a while. Those who reside here are mostly at least silver plate adventurers, so please be cautious."


    Since adventurers had a difficult job of dealing with monsters and demons, there were many rough-tempered people. Of course, not everyone was like that, but it was better to be careful.


    "Do we take a fee from adventurers who wish to lodge here?¡±


    Organ nodded at my question. "Yes, we do. It''s usually about three refined iron coins a night, around the same as a cheap inn, but we are at a level of a high-quality inn, so a lot of adventurers use our lodgings."


    Flam asked, "Then who cleans the room after check out?"


    It was definitely an important question. If I were unlucky, I might have to do the cleaning. If I had to, I would, but it was still bothersome.


    "We have a cleaning service, so you don''t have to worry."


    I felt relieved. Come to think of it, even with the cleaning service, the Adventurers'' Guild was so rich that it didn''t matter. This guild made a considerable profit by exclusively trading items hunted by adventurers and collecting membership fees from the adventurers. In addition, because this was an empire organization, there were even civil servants who worked there and even allotted a spending budget.


    Of course, the budget was smaller than other departments because it could make a profit on its own. However, from what I understood, the budget was still large because the guild size was large.


    While we were climbing the stairs from the third to the fourth floor, Organ stopped briefly.


    "The fourth floor is a place where our seniors, from the 4th rank to 1st in prestige, work. These people manage the guild''s funds, budgeting, and local branches, and hence are frequently on business trips. So you won¡¯t get to see that many times in a year. Because of the frequent business trips keeping them very busy, there are quite a few people who are always on edge. So please be extra careful when going up to the fourth floor."


    "Yes."


    "All right."


    With that, Organ went up the stairs again.


    ¡°On the fifth floor, there is the Guild Director¡¯s office and reception room. And there are accommodations and amenities for the platinum plate adventurers. We have two platinum plate adventurers who are currently staying at our headquarters. Fortunately, both of them have good personalities, so you won''t have any difficulties dealing with them."


    One of the two would be Bloody Rosellis, the champion of the martial arts competition. Come to think of it, I found out during vacation that Flam and Rosellis were close. However, we weren¡¯t able to talk to each other when we went to watch the play together. Since then, I wasn¡¯t really curious as to how they got to know each other, so I just moved on without asking.


    Arriving on the fifth floor, we stopped right in front of the door marked as the Guild Director¡¯s  Office.


    "Guild Director-nim. New civil servants have arrived. May we come in?"


    As Organ knocked and asked aloud, there was a call telling us to come in. He opened the door and entered without hesitation.


    In the middle of the Guild Director¡¯s Office, Rosellis sat on the sofa with her legs crossed on top of the table.


    "Oh, you''re here?" Rosellis greeted from the sofa with a slight lift of her arm. Then she looked around searching for something.


    "What about Arwen?"


    She was looking for Flam''s younger sister.


    Flam laughed pleasantly and said, "Hahaha, you can''t bring your sibling to work."


    "Tch, I don''t need an old man.¡±


    Rosellis clicked her tongue as she turned her head back and waved her hand, telling us to leave.


    "Guh, that''s mean."


    Flam laughed it off as if he was used to it.


    "Although she is acting like that, she is a really caring Noonim," Flam said.


    Rosellis flicked her middle finger at him in response. "Who''s your noonim, do you want to die?"


    Are you not actually related? [1]


    1. Noonim is the formal version of noona, which just means sister. But in Korea, noona is used by men when referring to women older than them whom they are friends with or are close to, not only for biologically related sisters.

 Chapter 119: Appointment (4)

    Organ seemed surprised by Flam¡¯s conversation with Rosellis.


    "Do you two know each other?" he asked.


    Flam and Rosellis turned their heads in opposite directions.


    ¡°Haha, we know each other a little.¡±


    ¡°Tch, it''s a bothersome relationship.¡±


    Flam laughed subtly and Rosellis clicked her tongue.


    No matter how I looked at it, although they looked different, their behavior seemed just like a real brother and sister.


    When Organ looked at me as if I knew of their relationship, I shook my head.


    "I don''t know of their relationship very well."


    Organ nodded, then looked around.


    "But where is the Guild Director?"


    Rosellis sighed and pointed to the door next to the Guild Director''s office.


    "He''s baking cookies for the newcomers. I didn''t expect you guys to come this early," Rosellis said as she lowered her legs that she had put on the table.


    "Sit down. It''s going to take a while anyway, so are you going to keep waiting while you stand?¡±


    Flam and I followed her suggestion and took seats from across from her.


    "I''ll let Guild Director know that the newcomers are here." Saying so, Organ disappeared through the door.


    It didn¡¯t really seem necessary to me. The Adventurers'' Guild Director probably knew that we had arrived from the moment Flam and I came up to the fifth floor.


    As soon as I landed on the fifth floor, I could feel a subtle mana spread out everywhere. With this level of subtle mana, the mana of the entire fifth floor was probably under his control.


    At first, it felt similar to the mana that Rosellis wielded during the martial arts competition, so I had thought for a moment that it was her in control of this area. However, I couldn¡¯t smell the scent of mana from her.


    I thought it might have been the other platinum plate adventurer¡¯s mana, but given that I could only feel the presence of a quintet, it was likely the mana of the Adventurers'' Guild Director.


    Thinking about the most likely reason for doing this, it was probably training.


    Spreading out such fine strands of mana like a spider web to detect the surroundings like this was one of the most difficult techniques. I only felt a little bit, but this level of skill was enough to be acceptable in my hometown.


    Considering that only a few could handle mana so delicately even in my hometown, even the warrior or guard divisions wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore it.


    If I had not known that Adventurers'' Guild Director was an ordinary person, I would have been able to believe that he was a battle race. Even at the minimum, he was likely skilled enough to use aura blade freely.


    After Organ disappeared, there was an awkward silence. It was different for someone who was close, but with a person who was indifferent, the silence was somehow burdensome.


    I spoke first to try to break the silence.


    "So how did you two get to know each other?¡±


    Rosellis looked at Flam and clicked her tongue. So Flam answered.


    "I''ve told you before that I have a teacher, so you probably know."


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about what you said when we went to the play?¡±


    Flam nodded at me.


    "Yes, I''ve had exchanges with her since childhood because my teacher and Noonim¡¯s father knew each other."


    Speaking of Flam¡¯s childhood, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t imagine it. If it were Flam, rather than cry when he was born, he would probably be more like, "Are you well? I am well".


    "So you two are childhood friends?¡±


    Rosellis looked disgusted by my words.


    "Who said I was childhood friends with that old man?! I''m seven years older than him."


    Flam was seventeen, so she was twenty-four... Soon to be halfway to 50.


    If it¡¯s seven years apart, it would probably feel more like an older neighborhood sister than a childhood friend.


    By the way, twenty-four was younger than I thought. Considering her performance in the martial arts competition, I thought she would have been almost forty.


    If one possessed a lot of mana, like a Ripple Warrior, aging was slower and there was even a propensity to becoming younger.[1] Therefore, if a knight could at least use sword aura, it was normal for them to be older than her.


    From my observations, Rosellis''s skills were higher than Burden, no, the vice-captain of the White Deer Knight Division, so I thought she was about that age. But I reckon she must be one of those people who are called a genius.


    I smiled and said to Rosellis, "You look younger than I thought. I thought you were around my age."


    I''ve never seen a woman who didn¡¯t like to be told that she looked young. I didn''t know how often I would run into her in the future, but there was nothing to lose from becoming close with a platinum plate adventurer, of which there were only five in the entire empire.


    "Hmhm! Mmm, yeah?"


    Rosellis didn¡¯t seem to be good at hiding her feelings as she slightly blushed and avoided my gaze.


    "Ayy, that''s not true. You always hear that they thought you were older.¡± Flam smiled and shook his head like it was absurd.


    It seemed to me that the reason Rosellis was told that they thought she was older was because of her abilities, not because of her looking old. However, Flam didn''t think about that and spoke out.


    Rosellis quickly pulled out a dagger from her waist and flung it at Flam.


    At the sight of the suddenly flying dagger, Flam panicked and quickly dodged.


    "Uuh-ak! What are you doing!?"


    "Shut up! Who''s telling who that they look old!"


    Indeed, Flam, the ultimate king of looking old, was not in a position to point out anyone''s appearance.


    When Rosellis flicked her middle finger at Flam, he took out a hand mirror from his chest and pointed it at her.


    Rosellis, who ended up swearing at herself, rose from her seat and fired a knee kick at Flam, he flew himself to the side and dodged.


    Are they really not real siblings? It looks like common brother-sister fighting.


    The scene of Rosellis throwing a dagger at Flam was like seeing my small sister shooting magic at my big brother in my hometown.


    Come to think of it, I wonder if my family is doing well. Well, my family were people who would be doing better than anyone else, but I still thought I should think of ways to send my regards.


    By the way, Flam''s ability to escape was no joke. Seeing that from time to time, Flam picked up Rosellis''s dagger from the floor and fought back, he was of no ordinary skill, as I had thought.


    I didn¡¯t know why such a skilled person was working as a civil servant. I should be watching this knife fight while eating popcorn, but unfortunately, there was no popcorn.


    When I was being sullen that I didn''t have popcorn, I heard a sound from the door where Organ had gone in... the door opened.


    A slightly bald man in an impressionable feminine v-neck appeared with cookies.


    "Hohoho, you''ve been waiting a long time, haven''t you? I didn''t know you''d be coming this early."


    I thought I''d seen that ahjussi somewhere, but he was the one who was in the stands during Lisbon¡¯s entrance examination for the middle-rank knight school. There was a scent of mana filling the fifth floor from that ahjussi.


    I had felt during the entrance exam that he was not an ordinary person, but I guess he was the director of the Adventurers'' Guild.


    "Oh my, kids! Are you fighting again?"


    The Adventurers'' Guild Director put the cookies in his hand on the table and stopped them.


    Rosellis shouted resentfully at the Adventurers'' Guild Director.


    "No, Dad! He called me old first!"


    Dad? Wait, who''s calling him Dad?


    Flam said, looking resentful at Rosellis''s cry.


    "Who said old person!? I never said that! I just said that people around her think she looks older!"


    "That''s the same thing!"


    Emitting a martial aura, the director forced the two, who had started throwing the dagger at each other again, to stop the fight.


    Wow, when was the last time I felt such a strong martial aura?


    At the least, it seemed to be the first time since leaving my hometown. Even when I met Uncle Bloody at the princess¡¯s birthday ball, he didn¡¯t release such a strong martial aura.


    Well, the ballroom was right below at the time, so Uncle probably held back.


    "Hohoho, how many times have I told you two to not fight?¡±


    When the director tightened his big fist, a bluish mana formed around it.


    The soft voice and the contrastingly threatening fist, stopped them.


    "And how awkward would it be for Den for you two to be suddenly fighting like that?¡±


    Flam and Rosellis immediately apologized to me.


    "I see. I became crazy and did not consider that. I apologize."


    "Ku-hmph! Sorry."


    I wonder if they were apologizing because they were actually sorry, or because their lives were in danger. I''d like to send a vote for the latter.


    I smiled and shook my head. "No, it¡¯s ok. They are just fighting because they are very close.¡±


    Honestly, it reminded me of my family and it felt nice.


    Sometimes, when my small sister was angry with me, she would throw a mana-infused mithril dagger at me when magic didn''t work.


    But I didn¡¯t want to go back to my hometown...


    "Thanks for understanding. Those two always fight when they''re together. Ah, do you want some cookies?¡±


    The director picked the cute cookies with his rough, callused hand and handed them to me.


    I introduced myself as I accepted the cookies, ¡°It is my first time meeting you. My name is Den von Mark and I have just been appointed to the Adventurers'' Guild headquarters."


    The director gave a caring smile and introduced himself.


    "Yes. Nice to meet you. I''m Glont von Asilante, the director of the Adventurers'' Guild."


    Glont von Asilante, I think I¡¯ve heard it somewhere. I searched the other side of my memory for the familiar name.


    Come to think of it, I saw it in Uncle''s letter about 10 years ago. At that time, I thought it said he was learning strategic tactics under a general named Glont, but I didn¡¯t delve into it because I didn¡¯t think that they were the same person.


    It probably wasn¡¯t. It surely wouldn¡¯t be.


    Organ, who came in late, brought a kettle of black tea.


    "Thank you."


    The guild director took the kettle from Organ and distributed warm black tea to everyone.


    Then, little by little, he explained to Flam and me what we were going to do in the future.


    I drank tea and listened to his explanation while observing his actions. The eyes, gestures, accents, and even the wrinkles on the clothes could reveal many things about a person.


    After talking to him in person, I wondered if I had judged him too much by his appearance. Of course, it was not possible to completely grasp a person''s personality from a brief conversation especially since I was quite different on the inside from what I objectively looked like.


    Even still, I thought it would be hard to get used to the v-neck with girly frills on that exploding muscular body.


    1. Ripple Warrior, is a reference from JoJo¡¯s Bizarre Adventurers. Rippler Warrior is someone who can use the Ripple which is a form of energy.

 Chapter 120: Appointment (5)

    Arcanta sat in his seat and scolded Bloody and Orphina.


    "How old are you to fight like that? Grow up!"


    The furious Bloody and Orphina, who were touching their bruised faces, pointed at each other.


    ¡°But that guy!¡±


    ¡°But that guy!¡±


    Having shouted at the same time, the two looked at each other and shouted.


    "Don''t copy me!"


    "Don''t copy me!"


    The two, who said the same thing at the same time again, raised their fists and shouted.


    "You punk!"


    "You punk!"


    "Enough!" The emperor roared at Bloody and Orphina, who were about to fight again.


    With that, the two relaxed their fists and went to their respective seats.


    As everyone sat down, Arcanta gave a couple of dry coughs and cleared the air.


    "Hmhm, first of all, Orphina. I''d like to hear what you''ve been up to in the Demon Territory. There was a code in the report that said that the report could be peeked at while being sent, so the important things had been omitted.¡±


    Orphina nodded.


    Even if the report from the Demon Territory was confidential, considering the distance between there and the capital, there was a risk that confidential information could be leaked in the process of delivering the report. For that, she had expressed her intention to report face-to-face by placing a specific mark at the end of the report.


    "I''ll be blunt. In the Demon Territory, Doomstone Blade, the chief of the Crow tribe, is currently there."


    Everyone turned stiff at Orphina¡¯s words.


    "What? Hyu... Hyung-nim has left Olympus?!¡±


    Bloody''s eyes shook fearfully. The reason Bloody was so afraid after hearing of Doomstone''s departure was simple- he had yet to catch his nephew, Denburg Blade. More accurately, let alone not catching him, he didn¡¯t even know where he was.


    As long as Doomstone was not in Olympus, he could visit the capital at any time. If Bloody didn''t even know where Denburg was, it was clear that more iron fist punishments, which were more painful than death, would be imposed upon him.


    Even if he did not meet his brother right away, he would have to go to the Demon Territory in half a year. So his fate was as good as sealed.


    Arcanta ignored Bloody who was shivering with fear and asked Orphina, "How many people know this?"


    After thinking carefully, Orphina unfolded some fingers.


    "First, except for the ones here, I delivered the message to William as we exchanged posts, and my two assistants, the 7th Corps commander, the 26th Division commander, the captain of the Red Dragon Knights, and finally my dragon Hargan."


    Arcanta counted the number of members, excluding William, in the same secret conference room, and Hargan, whom Orphina added at the end.


    "So five."


    "Seven."


    Arcanta nodded dismissively at Orphina''s correction.


    "I only counted those who aren¡¯t associated with this secret conference. Isn''t Hargan counted as one with you?"


    In fact, he wanted to say that it was strange to count a dragon that couldn''t speak. However, Arcanta¡¯s life would be in danger if he said such a thing to Orphina of the Dragon Tribe for she she would hit him in a fit of anger.


    Orphina nodded at Arcanta and agreed.


    "I see."


    Arcanta was too hectic to respond to Orphina''s agreement. Doomstone leaving Olympus was a very serious matter.


    With the existence of Doomstone, the neighboring countries, including the empire, could enter a state of tension with a quasi-war status, and the economy would be forced to prepare for tight finances. This was the level of preparation for the Four Great Demons of legend, far beyond human power, but Doomstone was a monster comparable to the aforementioned quartet.


    "If Doomstone had been active in the Demon Territory, there would have been traces of him, so how did you handle it?¡± Arcanta couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness at the possibility of the worst-case scenario that Doomstone''s departure would be found out by the public.


    "Oh, you won''t have to worry about that. Externally, I handled it as being the actions of Mirpa Ainsmall and Gawain Blade, who accompanied Doomstone to support him," Orphina replied.


    Arcanta sighed with relief.  "Phew~ That¡¯s one good thing amongst all the misfortunes. With Mirpa, one of the Four Great Madosas, it would be easy to erase traces or make excuses.¡± He wiped off his cold sweat and asked, "Did you by chance hear why he left the Olympus Forest?¡±


    Orphina shook her head. "No, I asked, but Mirpa-nim said it was the Crow Tribe¡¯s affair and refused to say more, so I couldn''t press further."


    Arcanta nodded. "I see, then who''s in charge of the Crow Tribe now? Doomstone, the chief, and Denburg Blade, the small chief, are absent. Oh, is the former chief, Zendia-nim, in charge again?"


    Bloody answered Arcanta''s question while touching his chin, "No, wouldn¡¯t Hestia be taking care of all the work right now? Or maybe it''s Mr. Weger, the head of the elders? I don''t really know either.¡±


    "I''m sorry Bloody, but could you ask why Doomstone-nim has left?¡± Arcanta asked carefully.


    Interfering in the affairs of the Crow Tribe was extremely dangerous for the empire, just as the Crows were careful to interfere in the politics of the empire. From the standpoint of the empire, the Demon Territory and the enemy nation were at their border at the same time. Therefore, a rift in relations with the Crow Tribe due to reckless actions had to be strongly avoided. Considering that the collapse of the empire''s former state of prosperity began with the discontinuation of exchanges with the Crow Tribe, it was bound to be more cautious.


    Bloody frowned and nodded. "Okay, but it¡¯d be better to not expect an answer. If Mirpa drew a line saying that it was the Crow Tribe¡¯s affairs, there¡¯s a high possibility that not only Hestia but also other elders will draw a line. Even if they tell me the circumstances, I can''t tell you if they tell me not to.¡±


    Bloody was associated with the empire but was a member of the Crow Tribe at the core. The reason he was there was for the benefit of the Crows, not because he had sincere loyalty to the empire and the imperial family.


    The emperor and Arcanta were well aware of this and were not disappointed. On the contrary, they were grateful because of the fact that Bloody said it showed he had a lot of affection for the empire.


    At Bloody''s acceptance, Arcanta exhaled heavily. "I''m guessing... But as long as there''s a straw of possibility, we need to try to catch it."


    The world now felt like it was being sucked into a strong current without anyone knowing it.


    -o-


    Flam and I went back to the first floor after the meeting with Guild Director Glont and reporting our appointment.


    In addition to Demuir, whom I encountered as soon as I came to Adventurers¡¯ Guild, there were three other civil servants.


    "Yahoo! It¡¯s the newcomers!"


    Unlike before, Demuir was in a neat uniform and cried aloud. The civil servants who were looking at the documents or moving things looked at us all at once.


    "Keuhmm, Demuir. Calm down."


    When Organ frowned and warned Demuir who was causing a ruckus, the latter locked his fingers behind his head and said playfully, "Ayy, Organ, are you picking on me because we are in the same class? Aren''t you always only picking on me too much?¡±


    "That''s because you are always too distracted. And even if we are in the same class, I¡¯m older. I won¡¯t expect you to speak formally, but please keep your manners. And try to take after some of the seniors."


    Demuir held his chest in an exaggerated gesture as if he had been hurt by Organ''s nagging. "Ayying, you¡¯re too mean!"


    Organ casually ignored Demuir and turned to us. "The five people here, including me, are the seniors who will be working with you two in the future."


    The senior civil servants took turns introducing themselves. The first person to raise his hand was Demuir.


    "Let me introduce myself first. As I said before, I''m Demuir. My main job is accounting, but I basically do everything.¡±


    After the energetic Demuir was a calm-looking woman with light brown hair in a bun.


    "My name is Fiona. I am in charge of counter and external affairs as the main tasks. I basically do everything too, but everyone here can do everything, so there''s nothing special about it."


    I had met Fiona briefly before when I had stopped by here to rent a place for the preliminaries for the martial arts competition. I remember her being a pretty gentle but determined person.


    Following Fiona, a large man with short dark brown hair introduced himself.


    "I¡¯m Dano. The main job is to deal with claims and deal with adventurers. It''s similar to Fiona¡¯s, but I come forward when more strength is needed. Other than that, I''m mainly in charge of the paperwork."


    Next, a middle-aged man with curly hair and a mustache leaning slightly on a desk next to Dano introduced himself with a gentle smile.


    "I''m Roseland. I have the highest seniority here and you can consider me the manager who mediates all the work. Unless it''s serious, I''m responsible for most of the problems, so if you have any problems that arise, please tell me right away."


    Roseland¡¯s civil servant ID said 5th rank prestige. A 5th rank prestige was about equivalent to a deputy director in my previous life.


    Roseland was definitely the highest in rank, given that Fiona was 6th rank, Dano 7th, and Demuir and Organ 8th.


    Demuir nodded enthusiastically. "That''s right, that''s right. Roseland really does take care of all the problems."


    Roseland sighed deeply at Demuir. "It¡¯d be nice if you stopped causing any more trouble.¡± His face looked old for a moment as he spoke. It seemed Demuir had caused a lot of accidents.


    Good. That means it¡¯s ok to cause some accidents within limits.


    Finally, Organ introduced his work.


    "I''ve already introduced myself, so I''ll move on. My main job is to classify requests. It is an important task to classify requests for adventurers by field and level of difficulty. And I''m in charge of collaborating with the guild workers."


    After the seniors¡¯ introduction, Flam and I briefly introduced ourselves.


    "It is my first time meeting you all. I am Den, and I will be with you all from today."


    "Nice to meet you. I am Flam."


    Demuir clapped and laughed at our greeting. "Yahoo! Escaped from being the youngest!"


    Organ began to nag at Demuir.


    "Why are you always...¡±


    As Organ began to nag, Fiona started to talk to Flam and me as if she was used to it.


    "It''s about time to receive the adventurers. Do you want to go with me and take a look at the counter first? I think it''s better to get acquainted with the adventurers who will bother you in the future."


    Flam and I gently nodded our heads and followed her, leaving behind the nagging Organ and Demuir who was being scolded.


    Mmm, I¡¯ll have to cause the right amount of trouble... Since I don''t like being nagged.

 Chapter 121: Appointment (6)

    Flam and I sat quietly next to Fiona, clueless as to what to do.


    If someone asked me what I was doing, I thought it would have been acceptable to reply, ¡°Ah, yes. Just breathing.¡±


    "Excuse me, Senior Fiona. I am curious about something. May I ask you?" Flam asked.


    Fiona nodded with a caring smile. "Of course. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."


    I opened then closed my mouth. For some reason, whenever someone said, ¡°ask anything¡±, I wanted to see them struggle trying to answer. But it was the first day of work, so I should avoid being marked by my seniors.


    Flam asked with a pretty cautious expression, "What kind of work do you usually do when you have your own major tasks?"


    It was definitely important. I don''t know if it was because it was my first day at work, but I still had no grasp of the type of work I would be doing. I didn''t know if I would share the work of people who were doing various tasks or do things that I have not heard about yet. Perhaps I would be given the job of the retired civil servant who left me the books.


    I didn''t know what kind of work that retired person did, but since he left, I was sure there was a vacant position.


    "Well, I¡¯m not sure. For now, you will be focusing on small things such as filing documents and managing supplies. Since we still don''t know what you guys are good at."


    "I see." Flam nodded, convinced by Fiona.


    Fiona clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something. "Ah, one of you two could take the counter work as your main job."


    "Why is that?"


    Fiona answered with a regretful smile, "Mr. Roseland''s promotion is just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°What will happen if he gets promoted?¡± Flam asked an obvious question.


    "I''ll fill in Mr. Roseland¡¯s vacancy. Then the window will be empty, so someone else will have to sit at the counter.¡±


    Fiona''s answer suddenly made me wonder where Roseland would go if he got promoted.


    "Then where will Mr. Roseland go?" Flam asked.


    "If Mr. Roseland is promoted from the fifth to the fourth rank of prestige, he will either be appointed as the head of a local Adventurers¡¯ Guild branch, or he will be on the fourth floor of the headquarters working to manage the entire Adventurers¡¯ Guild."


    Fiona said it was something to celebrate, but she looked lonely.


    If I were to be promoted, I would like to be the head of a local Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Based on what Organ explained in front of the fourth floor, it would be more comfortable to go down to the provinces.


    This time I asked a question. "By the way, there are only seven people even though the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters is quite big. Won''t there be a shortage of hands with just six people after Mr. Roseland¡¯s promotion?¡±


    Fiona thought for a moment and replied with a lively smile, "That won¡¯t necessarily be the case. We''re usually not too busy as our main job is connecting clients and adventurers."


    Certainly, when the clients came to fill out the request forms, all they had to do was sort it out and post it on the bulletin board. Since the headquarters was in the capital, there were fewer jobs such as monster eradication and farm assistance than in the provinces.


    More than half of the posts on the bulletin board were dispatch requests from the local Adventurers¡¯ Guild asking for help because they were short of hands. The cases where clients came directly to the headquarters were few.


    On the contrary, the busy ones were those in the monster by-product business, which was like the Adventurers¡¯ Guild side job. In provincial areas, there were often cases of people not being able to afford it and the strong ones who hunted came to the capital on their own, so the by-products were being absorbed by the headquarters.


    Come to think of it, this seemed to be the reason why Roseland was cutting Demuir, the troublemaker, some slack. Looking at the situation at the headquarters, the work was somewhat focused on accounting.


    "Oh, come to think of it, I heard Mr. Demuir was on night duty. How does night duty work?¡±


    There were currently seven people, so if night duty was on rotation, I would have to be on night duty once a week. That would be six people to rotate around if Roseland was promoted. But Fiona''s answer was completely different from my calculations.


    "Usually, once a month for night duty. Two times if a lot.¡±


    "It¡¯s not once a week?¡±


    "Yes, we employ retired adventurers at our headquarters like the branch offices. There are currently 20 guild workers, and they are also included in the rotation, so there won''t be any difficulties due to night duty.¡±


    I cheered inwardly at Fiona''s answer.


    "And it''s not necessary to be awake even on duty. You can take a nap around midnight and dawn."


    "Oh, are you allowed to do that?"


    Fiona smiled slightly mischievously at Flam. "The Guild Director said that there was no need to stay up all night since it wasn¡¯t even the military. Past 11 p.m., the protective magic will be up, so even thieves wouldn¡¯t be able to break in.  Ah, perhaps it''s possible for the thief named Lupin who robbed Count Druval."


    Fiona may have mentioned Lupin as a joke, but Lupin, who heard it, felt guilty and flinched.


    "Ahahaha, why would Lupin rob the Adventurers¡¯ Guild?¡± I said with a laugh. If I robbed this place, I might end up working overtime, so there was no way I would rob it.


    If there''s anyone who would dare rob the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, I''ll rob him of even his soul.


    "Hohoho, right? Actually, there are some adventurers who live here 24 hours a day, and moreover, Guild Director and Rosellis live on the fifth floor. So even if Lupin comes, he will probably get beaten to a pulp in an instant.¡± Fiona laughed, pretending to flex the muscles on her thin forearm.


    "Hahaha, that''s true!¡±


    Hahaha, I wonder if that¡¯s true? I said the opposite of what I thought and changed the subject.


    "By the way, I heard Miss Rosellis call the Guild Director her father. I was surprised to hear that."


    It wasn''t a topic I was particularly interested in, but it was better than the one about Lupin. However, Fiona had a lively face and clapped her hands like she was interested in the topic.


    "Yes! I heard so! Actually, it''s not very well-known because she and the Guild Director don''t resemble each other much...¡±


    Afire, Fiona constantly talked about Rosellis without a break. In hindsight, Lupin might have been better instead.


    Fiona''s fan sentiment toward Rosellis not only made me and Flam sick of it but also kept adventurers who had begun to show up from getting near the counter.


    "Tsk, tsk, are you new? I can''t believe you talked about Bloody Rosellis in front of Fiona. What''s your teacher doing that he didn''t even tell you about the taboo word you shouldn''t mention before her?"


    The adventurer clicked his tongue and shot me a look of pity. Seems like I really screwed up.


    Some adventurers went away just moments after they came in saying that today was a bust.


    No, how famous are you that people are saying that today was a loss so quick?


    While thinking about how to get out of this hell, I heard some unwanted information about Rosellis. She was a squire in the Black Water Buffalo Knights until the age of 17, and that she had studied under Uncle Bloody.


    My goodness! She was a high school military girl. I changed the subject around to try to stop Fiona for now.


    "Oh, come to think of it, there''s a holster on the uniform. Do we get a pistol supplied to us?¡± I took the gun holster off from my side and shook it in front of Fiona.


    "Pistol? Ah, come to think of it, Rosellis-nim once took on a request to transfer 10 latest pistols and 20 muskets, and a group of bandits aimed at the empire''s military technology ambushed them. That was four years ago, or five years ago now since it¡¯s past the new year...¡±


    This was wrong. Whatever the topic I threw out, it''d end at Rosellis. How do we get out of this hell? The only way I knew was to impose an iron fist on the person who kept running their mouth. However, I couldn¡¯t possibly throw a punch at a weak woman who was also my senior colleague.


    If Fiona was a man, I would have punched her first and see what happened after. The devil seemed to whisper to me in the face of a dilemma. If I followed the devil''s whispers, I would be able to get out of this place safely.


    However, I was hesitant about whether it would be okay to do such a thing.


    "So, Rosellis-nim successfully repelled the bandits and proudly defended the pistols and muskets and returned to the capital. And with that achievement, she had fulfilled the conditions to be promoted from silver to gold plate. When adventurers meet their promotion requirements, they have to take the promotion test, and so did she. However, her promotion test opponent was...¡±


    I can¡¯t take it anymore. As soon as the story of defeating the bandits was over, the story of Rosellis''s promotion test began.


    I''m sorry! Forgive this unfaithful friend!


    "Oh! Come to think of it! Flam was childhood friends with Miss Rosellis!¡±


    I spoke as loud and clearly as possible so that Fiona, who never stopped talking, could hear.


    "Wha-what! What are you doing!?"


    Flam must have realized the intention behind my words, so he pointed his finger at me. If someone else had pointed at me, I would have broken the finger-like one of the gangsters Alphonso encountered, but I decided to let it go because it was Flam.


    I was only letting it go because it was Flam. It wasn¡¯t because I felt like the hair of my conscience was being pulled out.


    Fiona looked at Flam with jealous eyes.  "Uu-hic!" Her fan sentiment was so crazy that even the quite tough Flam was frightened.


    Fiona spoke slowly, gradually holding Flam''s hands carefully, "Rosellis-nim¡¯s, childhood, what was it like?"


    I''m gonna run away from here! I never heard there was a monster like this here!


    "Don''t leave me behind!"


    Flam asked me for help, but I had no choice but to swallow my tears and run away, leaving him behind.


    Forgive me, Flam!


    The effectiveness of my statement was better than expected as Fiona''s presence seemed to have disappeared.


    Thanks to you, I was able to get out of there safely.


    Maybe because I misplaced the flag, but I never imagined that running away now would have caused me to be dragged into a more annoying situation. But actually, thinking about it, was it better than dealing with a fanatic?


    It was close. I was only able to run away for a little bit but I think it was better.


    For reference, it was only three days later that he got away and I offered the finest aphrodisiacs to soothe the abandoned Flam.

 Chapter 122: Appointment (7)

    Having run away from Fiona, I entered the office for the civil servants behind the counter through the back door.


    "Huh? You weren''t working at the counter with Fiona?¡± seeing me come through the back door, Demuir looked at me and the door alternately and asked.


    I grabbed Demuir by the shoulder and shook him.


    "Why didn''t anyone tell us not to talk about Miss Rosellis with Miss Fiona!"


    Demuir and Organ, who was working on documents next to him, were silent with mouths agape.


    "I''m not in charge of the newcomers."


    I moved my gaze away and let go of Demuir¡¯s shoulder as he shifted the responsibility onto Organ.


    "That is certainly my mistake. I apologize. I forgot to explain the precautions because I was scolding Demuir."


    Organ acknowledged his mistake outrightly and bowed his head. Demuir, on the other hand, looked at me with wonder.


    "Wow, but how did you get out of there? Once Fiona starts talking, it¡¯s no different from an antlion¡¯s pit.¡±


    I sold Flam to get out.


    "Ah, seeing that you¡¯re here alone, you must have passed it on to Flam and left!" Demuir said, elated by his reasoning. He had a needless good hunch.


    "That''s not the important thing, is it? Please just tell me how to stop Miss Fiona."


    I didn''t know if there was a way to stop her, but if there was, I would go rescue Flam right away. Otherwise, there would be no way to calm the sulky guy later.


    At my request, Organ hesitatingly opened his mouth.


    "There is a way, but¡­"


    ¡°What is it?"


    At my urging, Organ told me the method as if it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    "It is to put Miss Rosellis herself in front of Miss Fiona. Because she doesn''t like anyone talking about her so much, Fiona will be quiet."


    I could now see why he hesitated. Rosellis was a platinum plate adventurer. To compare her relationship with me, it was like a major league opening player and a supporter associated with the club.


    On top of that, I was also a new supporter. The other difference was that there was only one club and other civil servants and I were at no risk of being fired.


    If you had a bad relationship with a platinum plate adventurer, from the civil servant''s point of view, you could be transferred to another branch, or, in severe cases, to a department other than the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    "Is there any other way?"


    Organ and Demuir shook their heads at the same time.


    "When will Miss Fiona stop?¡±


    "Who knows. Probably the longest was when it was accidentally brought up during lunchtime and she continued until we got off work?¡±


    If it was as Demuir said, it would be a little less than five hours. Then, Organ pulled down on his haggard face and denied it.


    "No. I listened to Rosellis¡¯s saga past work hours and through the night during night duty."


    "What? Wasn¡¯t Fiona very lively the next day?¡±


    "Wasn¡¯t I more dead than alive during work at that time?"


    Oh, it must have been from his own experience! I did think Organ''s face seemed a decade older. Was it that traumatic?


    "Hmm, then, at least until the end of work today, she¡¯ll be a fanatic and be attached to Flam.¡±


    "Yes, I think so."


    Demuir and Organ¡¯s words poked at my conscience. I was even more guilt-stricken because I gave Flam an armful of bombs so I could escape.


    "Shouldn¡¯t we make a simple counter or something? If Fiona is in that situation, adventurers won''t be able to accept requests."


    "I think we will have to do that. Is Mr. Dano currently free?¡± Organ asked.


    Dano shook his head in response. ¡°I have to go on a business trip in a little bit. There''s a report that ruins were found in Lotten City, so I have to go check.¡±


    After saying that, he went away with some documents.


    Occasionally, ruins were discovered or excavated in the empire. Ancient ruins were often dangerous because of the presence of necromancers, the undead that haunted it, or monsters such as goblins and ogres that built their nests there.


    However, magical relics from the era of the Holy Kingdom were sometimes found in ruins. Sometimes they possessed magic unique to the now extinct Holy Tribe, so they could be sold at a very high price as soon as they were excavated.


    The ruins were like a lottery for adventurers who dreamed of becoming a big hit. As such, because they flocked to the ruins, there had to be civil servants to control them.


    Listening to their conversation, I sighed.


    "I''ll try visiting Miss Rosellis."


    Organ and Demur looked at me again with astonishment.


    "What? Why? Are you perhaps going to tell her about Miss Fiona''s fanaticism?"


    "You should stop. The adventurers won''t let you go."


    "That''s right. Miss Fiona is the idol of every adventurer in the capital!"


    "If you make Miss Fiona cry, you will become the common enemy of all the adventurers of the capital."


    Organ and Demuir spoke so naturally and without a pause as if it was one person speaking and not two, and tried to stop me.


    According to the duo, Fiona was the mascot of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. There were many male adventurers who adored Fiona. Thanks to her amiable personality and patience at lending an ear to their husband-woes, it was said that the female adventurers considered her a haven of solace.


    Indeed, there was a reason why no one complained even though she was talking about Miss Rosellis and abandoned her counter work for a day. It was the result of all the benevolence she had bestowed.


    I smiled and said to the two people who were stopping me, "Isn''t it all right to bring Miss Rosellis to the first floor without mentioning Miss Fiona?"


    "Hmm, I guess so."


    "I won¡¯t mind if that¡¯s even possible."


    Demuir and Organ looked at me with doubtful eyes.


    Well, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. All it would take was a proper excuse to bring her down to the first floor. I''ve never lost in terms of speaking skills except to my big sister. Well, if it doesn''t work out, I can just give her a little hint so that she¡¯ll want to go down to the first floor.


    "Don''t you think you should not do it?"


    "Demuir is right. Miss Rosellis is easygoing, so she''ll let slide most rudenesses, but it could become a problem."


    I told the worrying pair that it would be fine and confidently headed to the fifth floor where Rosellis''s lodging was. Then, I knocked in front of the room with her nameplate.


    "Miss Rosellis?"


    There was no response. It seemed like an ordinary empty room. I strained my senses and examined the surroundings for any presence.


    Currently, on the fifth floor, I could only feel the presence of one person in Guild Director Glont¡¯s room. I reckoned that maybe Rosellis was out, but the presence I felt was too weak compared to Guild Director Glont.


    Come to think of it, I couldn''t feel the mana I felt during the interview at all right now.


    So then who was in Guild Director Glont''s room?


    Perhaps a petty thief?


    It must be an incomparably daring thief to rob an Adventurers¡¯ Guild full of adventurers in broad daylight, not to mention it was also the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director''s room.


    I completely killed my presence and approached the door of the Guild Director¡¯s room without a sound. I touched the handle, the door was unlocked. What a careless thief to not lock the door.


    The thief was moving quite briskly based on the sound.


    I opened the door in one go. And I couldn''t keep my mouth shut at the sight of what was happening.


    On a large bed in the middle of the room, Rosellis was rolling around, hugging a giant teddy bear with her happy face planted into it.


    "Heehee, Angelica! I got a compliment!"


    Rosellis, who was giggling, was surprised by the opening of the door and made eye contact with me. She was frozen for a moment and couldn''t budge.


    "Excuse me."


    When I tried to close the door, Rosellis ran quickly with a bright red face and stopped me from closing it.


    "Hold, hold on! It''s a misunderstanding!"


    Rosellis tried to open the door with an urgent voice, and I wanted to close it quickly and escape this situation.


    Between me trying to close the door and her trying to open it, the door made of high-quality wood seemed to be screaming.


    Rosellis shouted in a perplexed voice as the door did not open easily.


    "What? Why are you so strong?!"


    I wasn¡¯t even putting in any strength because the door might break.


    "Ahaha, I didn''t see anything."


    "Don''t lie!" Rosellis shouted and pulled harder on the door.


    "It was all done by the house cat, Judge-nim!"


    I also pulled harder to prevent the door from opening.


    "Don''t be ridiculous! What cat! You made eye contact with me!¡±


    ¡°That did not happen.¡±


    Kwajik!


    An ominous sound came from the door.


    "Wait a moment, Miss Rosellis."


    "Open up!"


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a strange noise coming from the door?¡±


    ¡°Don''t change the subject!¡±


    Rosellis pulled the door harder. Ah, no!


    Kwajijik!


    The tug-of-war between me and Rosellis ended with a victory for her as the door handle, which had barely been hanging on, was broken. She was flustered to see the lump of a door handle in her hand.


    "What? Why did this break?"


    "Didn¡¯t I tell you! I heard something strange from the door!" I cried.


    Rosellis¡¯s red face got even hotter and she got angry. "Shut up! You¡¯re saying it¡¯s my fault?¡±


    "Then is it my fault as a weak civil servant?"


    Rosellis was speechless at my rebuttal.


    If anyone saw a weak civil servant and an adventurer of a platinum plate in a tug-of-war with a door handle, they would say that the platinum plate adventurer was in the wrong. In fact, I was controlling my strength because I was afraid it would break, but it broke anyway from Rosellis adding more strength.


    After being briefly flustered, Rosellis suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Caught you."


    Oh jeez, I got caught!


    "Please let go, Angelica."


    Rosellis blushed and stuttered. "What... What are you talking about!? Who¡¯s An-Angelica!


    I turned my gaze to the doll she had just been hugging on the bed.


    "No, I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s a misunderstanding!" Rosellis said as she avoided her gaze and blushed with a face that was saying it¡¯s unfair.


    "Misunderstanding¡­ Yes, that''s right. I believe you. It''s a misunderstanding. I didn''t see anything."


    "You aren¡¯t believing me!¡± Rosellis pulled my arm, sat me on a chair, and grabbed my shoulders.


    "You. How much do you know about the Guild Director?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Guild Director?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I obediently answered Rosellis''s question.


    "It was my first time meeting him today, so I only know his name and face."


    "Yes, you know him as a great general... What?"


    Rosellis, who was nodding at my answer, looked at me with surprise.


    "Really? You don''t know anything even after hearing the director of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, no, the name Glont von Asilante?"


    "Do I need to know more than the fact that he is my direct boss?"


    Rosellis glanced at me as if I were a spy.


    "Are you really a citizen of the empire?"


    I nodded nonchalantly, although I felt a little warm at her question. "Do you want me to show you my ID?"


    Look at my ID card that was able to trick the bank and Prime Minister right now!


    "No, it¡¯s fine. How old are you?


    I couldn''t figure out why she asked me about my age all of the sudden.


    "I''m sixteen."


    Rosellis sighed as if lamenting.


    "Ha-ah- I guess you might not know at that age? No, but how could you not recognize the name of the greatest war hero after hearing it?


    At those words, I could only tilt my head.

 Chapter 123: Appointment (8)

    "Was he that famous?¡± I asked.


    He looked like he wouldn''t even stand on a red light like a fire truck, let alone look like a war hero. Of course, considering his skills, he did seem like he could wipe out an ordinary infantry battalion by himself.


    However, war was not something where the tide could be reversed just because there was one strong person. Even if you were a powerful person recognised as an overwhelming force, if you encountered a unit that specialized in dealing with people with monstrous power, a struggle would be unavoidable.


    In fact, the empire had established the Black Water Buffalo Knight Division with the special purpose of dealing with the Hunter Tribe, a battle race that was cooperating with an enemy nation.


    Oh, of course, if you were as strong as my father, you could be called a war hero single-handedly.


    Once again, Rosellis let out a deep sigh. Then, with enthusiasm and sincerity, she began narrating the Guild Director¡¯s biography.


    "Listen well. When the Guild Director was in the imperial army....¡±


    To sum up the great work of the Guild Director Glont that she was telling me about...


    One, alone, he crossed the Mephisto Canyon, one of the 10 restricted lands, and succeeded in negotiating with the Dragon Tribe that resided there to cooperate with the empire. It was Guild Director Glont who established the current system of the three battle races.


    Two, when he was just commissioned, he led a squad of cavalry to destroy the leaders of the enemy''s regiment, leading his overwhelmingly inferior forces to victory.


    Three, he established anti-war tactics for battle races and the Black Water Buffalo Knight Division, which learned the tactics. For your information, the first captain of the Black Water Buffalo Knights was Uncle Bloody.


    Four, just before the fall of the final city of Warrant due to demons flooding in from the Demon Territory, Guild Director Glont quickly led just the Black Water Buffalo Knights to support them and endured for 15 days until the main forces arrived.


    Five, after retirement, as a legendary doll craftsman...


    No, wait! Listening to Rosellis''s story, letting go of the last strange bit, her admiration of Guild Director Glont was not much different from Fiona¡¯s of Rosellis.


    Why am I in hell again when I just got out!?


    To break out of this irrational situation, I cut her off and interjected, "Please wait. I understand how great the Guild Director is."


    "No, I haven''t even talked about half of it yet.¡± Rosellis shook her head firmly. Her eyes seemed much weaker than Fiona¡¯s, but there was madness behind it.


    "Come, look at this doll. This softness, this supreme cuteness!" She pushed her doll at me, her eyes were scary.


    I calmed down and changed the subject. "No, I''ve heard enough. So what is it that you want to say?¡±


    Rosellis let go of my shoulder that she had been holding and backed off. Then she blushed slightly and coughed drily in embarrassment.


    "Uh-hmm! So what I¡¯m trying to say is that what you saw is not weird at all.¡±


    What kind of logic is this? It was like suddenly saying, ''Socrates is dead'' without the process of ''A human is dead'' then ''Socrates is human¡¯.


    "Um, don''t you think you skipped too much in the middle?"


    Her face burned up in an instant. The red hair and red face went well together.


    "So, so what I¡¯m saying is!" Flustered, she started speaking a bunch of gibberish. "I did well in the martial arts competition. I did well in the assigned job, you know, and the Saintess was safe, then I beat some weird shadow dolls¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. But listening to it, I roughly got an idea of what she wanted to say.


    I calmed her down and sorted out her words.


    "So to sum up, first of all, the Guild Director is a man that any soldier would admire. And also as a doll craftsman."


    Rosellis nodded.


    "At the sudden request of the Guild Director, during the martial arts competition, you participated in a low-level martial arts competition that was not appropriate for you and secretly guarded the Saintess."


    "That''s right."


    As I thought, it was strange that Rosellis would come to such a martial arts competition when she wasn¡¯t even in need of money or fame. It was all planned in advance by Guild Director Glont after gaining information about the strange Half-Half Mask¡¯s surprise attack.


    "He didn''t say anything about it before, but today you were praised by the Guild Director, who you long admired, and while he was out, you were feeling really happy, and I saw the scene. Is that right?"


    "Yes! That''s what I wanted to say!"


    Rosellis nodded with a refreshed face as if all of her pent-up frustration was let out. She couldn¡¯t even say such an easy thing and spoke gibberish instead. This is why people who use the sword are no good.


    I sighed inwardly.


    It was understandable for her to be happy after receiving praise from Guild Director Glont who was a respected knight and the object of admiration of soldiers, adventurers and mercenaries. However, no matter what, she was a grown adult who had snuck into her father''s room and talked to a doll. She probably didn¡¯t deserve her nickname, Bloody.


    I thought about pointing that out, but I kept quiet because I thought it would make things more annoying.


    Ah ah, is this what work life is like?


    "Yes, I understand now. I think I misunderstood before."


    "Right? Mmm-mmm. I''m glad you understand.¡± Rosellis nodded, relieved.


    People like knights and adventurers who put their bodies ahead of their brains were so simple that it was nice.


    "So what is going to happen with the door handle?¡±


    When I pointed at the door handle in her hand, Rosellis laughed casually as if she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding it this whole time and said, "Hahaha. I''ll fix it myself." She put the handle down and patted me on the shoulder. "So, can you keep what happened here a secret?¡±


    Seeing that she was slightly blushing, it seemed she was embarrassed by the fact that she was hugging Angelica on the bed in Guild Director Glont¡¯s room. Considering that this feminine aspect of hers was not being circulated by the crazy Fiona, she must have hidden it well.


    Oh, was it because she thought the atmosphere of the room would keep me quiet and the matter of playing with Angelica in the room could be glossed over?


    "Shall we talk as we have a cup of coffee at the caf¨¦ on the first floor?" I said with a playful smile.


    My original purpose was to naturally prompt Rosellis into going to the first floor.


    Rosellis was a little flustered, but in a way, I had grasped her weakness, so she obediently went down to the first floor with me.


    While there, I found that Flam¡¯s complexion had very much deteriorated in the short time I was gone. Fiona, who was propagating the story of Rosellis with all her might, saw the heroine herself come down with me. She immediately stopped talking and could not even meet her idol''s eyes like a shy little girl.


    Gosh, to think that people can change 180 degrees just like that. Even I couldn''t alter my expression that fast. But I felt like I had found something that I could learn from my senior.


    Freed from Fiona, Flam approached me and looked at me with resentment. "How could you do that!? Even the devil would not do that!"


    I had no choice but to promise to make the finest aphrodisiacs for him to soothe his anger towards me.


    And like that, the long first day of work went by. I was certain I did very little, but I was extremely tired.


    -o-


    Bloody looked around while drinking black tea.


    The inside of the caf¨¦ was full of lace, teddy bears, and rabbit dolls. There was a mythical scene depicting the descent of large and cute baby angels embroidered on the wall.


    Looking inside the caf¨¦, which was close to the opposite of his tastes, Bloody got goosebumps.


    "Do we have to meet at a place like this?"


    Glont, who was holding a teacup with his little finger out, shook his hand. "Oh, you. It''s my taste. I may be your old boss, but once a boss, always a boss."


    Bloody was horrified when Glont laughed femininely. "Hohoho!"


    ¡°Kkeung! You¡¯ve liked cute things for a long time, but it wasn''t this bad."


    "Back then, I was forced to wear dull clothes because of my position."


    Bloody sighed as Glont smiled and talked.


    "The Director of Adventurers¡¯ Guild is not a low position."


    The Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director also served as a reserve commander in charge of nearly 100,000 reserve forces in case of emergency, so it was not a position that could be ignored. However, compared to Glont¡¯s former position, it was indeed lower.


    Glont clapped his hands in congratulations. "Yes, good talk. Please ask His Majesty, the Emperor or His Highness, the Prime Minister to hurry up and relieve me of this annoying position."


    Bloody flashed a fake smile. "Yes, I¡¯m sure those two will be happy to take away Hyung-nim¡¯s position."


    Glont was currently sitting in the seat of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director because of the emperor''s earnest request. Ten years ago, when Glont decided to retire, he tried to go down to the countryside living his days farming.


    Contrary to his will, the reason he was in the position of the Guild Director was that Arcanta clung to his pants and refused to eat or drink for 15 days.


    Bloody clicked his tongue at the rather disinterested Glont. "Tch. It¡¯s because Hyung-nim is acting like this and neglecting your family that Rosellis is still acting like a tomboy."


    "Oh my, you! Are you suddenly attacking my weak points?¡± Glont smiled as he spoke but couldn''t hide his slightly distorted bitterness.


    He was well aware of the reason Rosellis was deliberately trying to look strong. It was because her mother died of an illness early in her childhood and Glont was at war. Nevertheless, he was grateful to his daughter for not falling into the dark path and growing up so brightly.


    Bloody put down the finished teacup and got up. "It''s late, but he asked me to thank you for protecting the Saintess during the New Year¡¯s Festival and cleaning up the aftermath.¡±


    He didn''t say who asked to deliver it, but Glont could tell that it was Arcanta. The reason for not being able to deliver the message directly was probably because the prime minister offended this director during the cabinet meeting. He probably originally intended to say it after the cabinet meeting, but it would have been difficult to say thank you after making him angry.


    "Stay a little longer, why are you leaving already?"


    Bloody very much didn¡¯t want to when Glont caught him. "If you''re going to hold me up, at least do it at a bar instead of a place like this? Oh, in addition, Orphina wants me to tell you that she wants to have a cup of tea with you sometime."


    "It''s already time for Orphina to come. Time flies."


    Glont felt himself getting old. He sat there for a long time after Bloody left the caf¨¦. Then, after drinking the cold tea, he spoke into the air.


    "You''re past the appointment time. Aren¡¯t you going to show yourself?¡±


    A man with plenty of gray hair wearing a blue mask revealed himself.


    "Hahaha, this place isn¡¯t to my taste either. Is there anywhere else?"


    Glont shrugged his shoulders at Blue Mask and asked, "I''ll move if you want. Where would you like to go? Aquarius-nim."


    ¡°I like wherever you''re comfortable.¡±


    Glont smiled playfully at Aquarius¡¯s answer. "I''m comfortable here."


    Aquarius took the lead with a smile at Glont¡¯s reply.


    "I know a good teahouse. Let''s go."


    Glont smiled and stood up when Aquarius beckoned him to follow.

 Chapter 124: Underground Undertaker (1)

    Hillis sat on a chair in her room alone, her arms laying on a table as she stared up at the sky grumpily. The cloudless winter sky was so clear that it made her feel frustrated. She was sitting here because, after Libra targeted her in a surprise attack during the New Year Festival¡¯s martial arts competition, she was half-forced into quarantine.


    From the temple''s perspective, this measure was necessary to ensure Hillis¡¯s safety since she was as important as the pope. But she was dissatisfied with her situation.


    Who would dare hurt the saintess who stood at the highest peak of holy magic? As long as she had the "miracle" that she created, the number of people in the world that could hurt her was very low.


    Certainly, Libra¡¯s surprise attack scared her a lot. You could say she felt a profound sense of crisis. However, during Libra¡¯s surprise attack, she wasn¡¯t afraid for her own safety but for the well-being of the audience who were gathered there. Hillis had more confidence than anyone else about her own safety, but other people were a different story.


    She sighed and made plans to go abroad. She felt her heart pound just like when she would prepare to play pranks without her parents¡¯ knowing before she became a saintess.


    * * *


    It had already been 15 days since I was transferred to the adventurer¡¯s guild headquarters. Flam and I were able to get the hang of the work at the adventurer¡¯s guild. Working in this relaxed manner was also due to the adventurers'' guild¡¯s lack of work in the first place.


    Ah, of course, that was according to my standards. At my seat, I easily organized the accounting documents Demuir asked for and magically drilled holes at the top of the pile of papers, tying them together with a string.


    "Here are the finished accounting documents you asked for."


    When he received the bundle of documents, Demuir hugged me with a deeply touched expression.


    "You¡¯re my savior!" Demuir began to praise me with his hands together like usual.


    If you praise me so much, I''m going to be conscience-stricken. In fact, I finished the accounting documents that Demuir asked for in 10 minutes and spent the rest of the time playing around.


    People who have never experienced the feeling of pleasure from playing while others worked would not know of this new world. Of course, the story would be different if it was something like a mandatory break from work.


    "No, it wasn''t that fast.¡± I worked for 10 minutes and played for 40 minutes, so I was reluctant to get compliments.


    Yet, Demuir shook his head enthusiastically and offered me a snack. "What do you mean not fast? You finished an entire morning¡¯s worth of work in under an hour! Even Roseland says that having too much modesty is bad manners!"


    True, the amount was a lot to calculate with just one abacus. During my probationary training days, I had made a magic excel sheet, so I just entered it there to finish it quickly. If Demuir had not asked me and worked on it by himself, he would have had to do calculations all day.


    "If it¡¯s just calculations, I can help. Would you like for me to help you more?"


    At my suggestion, Demuir¡¯s eyes actually started to moisten, and he prayed, "Oh, God. Thank you for sending me an angel!"


    Demuir bowed at the waist and politely handed me the accounting documents. "Here you are, Den-nim!"


    "Haha, such exaggeration." I smiled and received Demuir''s accounting documents. It was half the number of the documents I had just finished and given back.


    "I¡¯m counting on you, Den-nim!"


    Organ saw the accounting documents being handed to me as he passed by and he frowned and started to nag Demuir, "Didn''t I tell you not to pass the work on to the new guys?"


    At the sudden nagging, Demuir protested with a look that showed how unfair he thought the situation was, "I didn''t pass it on! Den! Den said he would do it for me!"


    "And so you passed it on because he said he would do it? It''s your work!"


    "But I''m the only one who can do accounting here! Mr. Dano is too slow at calculating, and Miss Fiona is busy at the counter! You make too many miscalculations! Mr. Roseland helped me, but he got busy with the promotion this time!¡±


    As Demuir despaired and clutched at the floor, Organ became flustered and tried to pick him up. ¡°Keuhmm! All right. Get up."


    It was definitely true that there was a lot of accounting work because the adventurer¡¯s guild also did profit-making activities. However, given Demuir''s calculation speed, it was not too heavy a task to take on.


    "What''s wrong with asking for help from someone who''s good with calculations?"


    In a word, that despairing face was all acting. As evidence, Demuir closed his eyes and avoided eye contact with Organ, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.


    "Yes, it''s my fault. I know you''re busier than anyone else, so get up now."


    Demuir looked like he was about to cry when Organ apologized with a nervous face. However, after this apology, Demuir tapped Organ on the shoulder with an energetic face as if he was never on the verge of crying.


    Only then did Organ realize that he had been deceived. He clenched his fist but soon sighed. "We certainly needed another person to work in accounting too. It''s weird that only one person is in charge of all the accounting."


    Organ looked at me and said, "I''m sorry, but can you help with the accounting?"


    I nodded lightly at the request. "Yes. Well, simple calculations are not difficult."


    This was rather welcome for me. I could get a job that seemed to take a long time, finish it quickly, and then pretend to work.


    "Den! Thank you!" Demuir took my hand and shook it up and down.


    "I know that you¡¯re thankful, so let go of my arm and stop exaggerating."


    Demuir put my arm down, and Organ nodded calmly. "Then I''ll talk to Roseland and Fiona. They probably won¡¯t order you to do any more miscellaneous chores."


    Yahoo! Simple calculations were more convenient than tedious chores.


    I was starting to assimilate into the adventurer''s guild.


    * * *


    "Come, it¡¯s time to stop working." As it approached 6 p.m., Roseland clapped and got up.


    "Good work."


    Since he said it was time to leave work, everyone stood up and got ready to go home.


    "Who''s on night duty today?¡±


    Organ raised his hand. "It''s me."


    Hmm, Dano was definitely listed as on duty on the night duty chart, but Organ raised his hand instead.


    "Ah, Dano went on a business trip yesterday, right? Then please work hard."


    "I will." Organ nodded. He seemed to be the substitute for night duty.


    Roseland handed the keys of the adventurer''s guild facility to Organ and went over to Flam and me.


    "Come to think of it; you two will be included in the night duty rotation starting tomorrow, right?¡±


    "Yes, that¡¯s right."


    I was assigned to be on night duty tomorrow, and Flam was on night duty the day after tomorrow.


    When I nodded, Roseland massaged his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "I''m sorry, but could you stay until 10 p.m. today and learn about night duty from Organ?¡±


    Organ was in charge of our training, so it seemed like he was trying to get us to learn together while Organ was on night duty. Indeed, it would be a significant burden on Organ if he had to be with Flam and me separately during our night duty shifts. In terms of efficiency, it was good for me and Flam to observe Organ on night duty.


    "Yes, I will do that."


    "I have no objection."


    Roseland smiled and nodded when we agreed. "Thank you. I''m sorry, but I don''t think you two will be able to leave early tomorrow."


    The adventurers'' guild allowed people to leave work early around lunch the next day as compensation for night duty. Originally, work began at 9 a.m. when the day was bright. However, they guaranteed the right to sleep during night duty, so we were ordered to work in the morning. Still, it was true that we had to work late into the night, so they were being considerate of those who worked night duty.


    "As you know, since Dano is on a business trip, if Organ goes home early along with the two of you, there will be only me, Fiona, and Demuir in the afternoon."


    The adventurer¡¯s guild employed retired adventurers as guild workers, so there was no shortage of manpower for physical and miscellaneous work. However, in terms of paperwork, it was difficult for the three of them to do it all because there were many things that could not be passed on to the guild workers. Of course, it wasn''t impossible.


    "Of course. How can we ask for a reward when we are being asked to learn?" Flam nodded with a straightforward remark.


    His thought process was as old as his face. He was definitely a middle-aged man.


    "I don''t mind either. I''m on night duty tomorrow anyway, so I can''t get off work."


    Roseland was very apologetic when he heard my joke, "I''m sorry. It seems you¡¯ll be working overtime today and tomorrow.¡±


    "No, it''s really okay."


    I shook my hands and said it was okay, but Roseland worried anyway. "I''ll think about compensation. Tell me if there''s anything you want later."


    "Okay, thank you." I sincerely thanked him. The welfare of the adventurers'' guild was better than I expected.


    The adventurer¡¯s guild that I had in mind before my appointment felt more like the military. To be exact, I thought of the adventurer''s guild as a sort of reserve force. So, I thought they would run their operations very strictly.


    However, the management of the adventurer''s guild was quite sophisticated. Before Flam and I were appointed here as newcomers, only five people worked in administration.


    "Good luck!" Demuir was waiting to leave as his work was finished a long time ago with my help. He waved at me energetically and left work.


    "Good luck."


    Flam spoke as Fiona and Roseland also left work, "Should we eat dinner first?"


    We headed for the restaurant. On the first floor of the adventurer¡¯s guild, there was a cheap restaurant with large portions. It was one of the welfare facilities for adventurers and was an in-house restaurant restricted to adventurers and associated civil servants.


    Since the headquarters of the adventurers'' guild was large, sales were quite good even though the food was cheap. The restaurant''s sales served as income for the adventurer''s guild, so the opinion of whether to open it up to outsiders or not had been deliberated.


    However, the restaurant remained a facility exclusively for adventurers and civil servants officials. This was due to opposition from guild workers who ran the restaurant, saying it was already hard just accepting all the adventurers.


    We sat amongst the noisy adventurers who were laughing and talking and ordered food. While waiting for our order, someone suddenly sat next to me and put their arms around my shoulders.

 Chapter 125: Underground Undertaker (2)

    I turned and looked at the person who suddenly put her arm around my shoulder. A beautiful woman with her red hair put up in a twin tail made eye contact with me.


    "How come you civil servants still haven¡¯t left work at this hour?"


    Rosellis smiled and waved her free hand as she ordered, "Owner! One Tomahawk here and a good amount of any stew!"


    "Okay!" A guild worker in charge of operating the restaurant skillfully received any orders from a distance.


    Rosellis laughed vigorously and said, "The Tomahawk steak here is the best! Try it. Even if that ahjussi can¡¯t cook anything else, he cooks one hell of a steak."


    Certainly, the guild workers were all adept at cooking stew and grilling as they were retired adventurers. There was a limit to how complex meals could be in the field. So, by the time they retired, they were masters of cooking simple dishes.


    "But what brings you here? You always have dinner with the Guild Director.¡±


    At Flam¡¯s remark, Rosellis threw a punch at him with her arm still on my shoulder. "Get lost!"


    Hold on. This made it look like she was hugging my head. Well, I''m not saying I dislike it. Let''s be thankful that Fiona isn¡¯t here.


    "Gah, Den is suffering! Hurry and let go."


    No, it isn¡¯t that bad.


    When Flam made this point, Rosellis snorted but still punched him. Flam looked at Rosellis and me strangely. "You two seem to have gotten close all of a sudden. When did you get so close?"


    Obviously, anyone would think that Rosellis and I were close if they saw her suddenly sit next to me and put her arm around my shoulder.


    I agree with Flam. When did we get so close that she would put her arm around my shoulder?


    Rosellis smiled cheerfully and spoke as if it was nothing. "It''s been a while. About 15 days ago?"


    15 days ago? That was when I ran away after abandoning Flam to Fiona, who was in fanatic mode. Thinking about it, it was truly a shocking scene.


    "Yes, it was an informative time where I learned a lot about the Guild Director."


    Rosellis said with a grin, "That¡¯s right. It was an informative time."


    There was no pretense in Rosellis''s tone. She actually seemed to think it was really beneficial.


    Perhaps Rosellis''s favor towards me increased since I hadn¡¯t spoken about the conversations we had during the past 15 days. Even so, it was only to the level of recognizing each other nonchalantly.


    "But really, what are you guys doing here? Aren''t you going home after work?"


    Organ answered Rosellis''s question, "I''m on night duty tonight, so I will be teaching these two about the night duty work."


    "That''s right. I think it is necessary since we will have to do it soon." Flam said as he nodded. Organ also bobbed his head in deep agreement.


    I guess both of them felt connected to being uptight.


    "Huh, really? So you''re both sleeping here tonight?¡±


    Flam shook his head at Rosellis. "No, Mr. Roseland says we can leave around ten."


    "That late?¡±


    When Rosellis looked at Organ, he replied slowly, "If we do it quickly, it¡¯s possible we could even leave before eight. There really isn¡¯t much work to do. We¡¯re just keeping them until ten to tell them when night duty should be finished."


    Rosellis replied with a deep smile. "Really? Then can I take this one and that guy around eight?"


    Rosellis spoke while pointing to Flam and me. Organ¡¯s face hardened. "Are you perhaps trying to take them to that place again?"


    Hearing Organ¡¯s worried voice, Rosellis shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing. "Ayy, it¡¯s fine. It''s customary for newcomers."


    Organ shook his head. "It''s a bad habit rather than a custom."


    "Ayy, what''s wrong? That punk, Demuir, said he had some fun there.¡±


    Rosellis giggled and laughed, but Organ was still pessimistic. "Aren¡¯t places like that where he shines? At worst, he wouldn¡¯t lose everything. But even so, I don''t think it''s going to be a positive influence."


    Rosellis murmured at Organ¡¯s firm words, "And I heard you were emptied out?"


    Then Organ got up in a fit of rage. "Who, who said that? Was it Demuir? Demuir, right? It must be Demuir!"


    Organ was certain of the culprit even before Rosellis answered, and he gritted his teeth at Demuir, who had already left work.


    "Puhaha, no? That''s what Dane Walker ahjussi said." Rosellis laughed loudly, grabbing her belly.


    Organ frowned at Rosellis'' confession. "Mr. Dane Walker!"


    Dane Walker was one of the five adventurers with a platinum plate in the adventurer¡¯s guild, and he was nicknamed the Magic Swordsman of Thunder. Although we hadn¡¯t met yet, as a civil servant in the adventurer¡¯s guild, I knew the personal details of the platinum plate adventurer.


    As far as I knew, he was one of the elites who rose to a high rank in the former court magician division and was an eccentric among eccentrics who suddenly resigned and turned into an adventurer. He was an elemental magician who mainly used lightning-based magic, fitting his nickname of Magic Swordsman of Thunder.


    According to the personal details, he could only produce a weak sword aura, meaning his level with the sword was only at the level of self-defense. He was more of a magician rather than a magic swordsman.


    Jeez, they treated anyone who knew a bit about the sword like a magic swordsman. For someone like me who was an actual magician, it was deplorable. I also learned swordsmanship, but in my own opinion, I was a pure-blooded magician.


    Compared to my level as a magician, my swordsmanship was at the level of self-defense. So it was saddening to be called a magic swordsman back in my hometown just because I used a little bit of aura blade. As such, I thought I would be able to sympathize and get along quite well with the gentleman named Dane Walker.


    "Where will you be taking us?" I asked.


    Rosellis picked up the arm that was still hanging on my shoulder and messed up my hair. "Hahaha, you¡¯ll know when you get there."


    "Hmm, but Mr. Roseland said ten. Can we finish early just like that?" Flam asked as he looked at Organ with uneasy eyes.


    Organ nodded with an uncomfortable face. "That''s right. Don''t you think we should keep to what our supervisor, Mr. Roseland, said?¡±


    Rosellis laughed at Organ as she said that it didn¡¯t matter. "It''s fine, it''s fine. I''ll let Mr. Roseland know when he comes to work tomorrow. He won''t be able to say anything if I tell him that I forcibly dragged you guys away."


    Rosellis spoke to Organ informally despite him being older. So, seeing how Rosellis used formal speech with Roseland, you could really feel his age. Well, it would be strange not to speak with honorifics considering that he was older by more than ten years.


    Organ sighed. "That''s true."


    Rosellis smiled triumphantly as Organ agreed. The power of the platinum plate she had was incomparable to Roseland¡¯s age. The platinum plate adventurers acted as commanders of large-scale adventurer units in times of national emergency, so they had equivalently powerful authority even during a typical day.


    Using the military as an example, Rosellis taking Flam and me away was akin to taking away an officer in a different chain of command. One could even say that we had just been commissioned in another commander¡¯s division.


    For your information, our ranks would be as follows: Roseland was a lieutenant colonel, Fiona was a major, Dano was a captain, Demuir and Organ were first lieutenants, and Flam and I were around second lieutenant.


    Organ looked between Flam and me and said, "That''s not good. Please don''t lose your self-control."


    "Ahahaha, don''t worry so much. If they go too wild, I''ll make them stop even if I have to beat them half to death."


    Organ nodded at Rosellis. "Definitely. When Demuir tried to keep going, Mr. Dane Walker electrocuted him to near death with magic. He didn¡¯t even go near the place afterward."


    Organ once again looked at Flam and me and sighed. "Please come back safely."


    I felt uneasy about Organ''s words, and I wondered if we were being sent to a dangerous place.


    * * *


    After a day''s work, Milpia laid her tired body on the sofa. It was fortunate that the magic school was on vacation. This allowed her to just focus on the work at the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s headquarters. Otherwise, she would have died while doing the homework from the magic school and work at the same time.


    "Well done.¡±


    When Big Mama came into Milpia''s private room and praised her for her hard work, Milpia briskly got up.


    "No, you¡¯re fine laying down."


    Milpia shook her head. "That''s okay. I''ll get some black tea."


    "Ah, I''ll do it. Since you''ve used your brain, it''d be good to have some sugar, right?¡±


    Big Mama slowly boiled the water and prepared refreshments. Milpia was restless but soon gave up preparing the refreshments herself. She knew full well that even if she tried to do it, she would only be nagged.


    When Big Mama set the refreshments on the table and poured the tea, Milpia thanked her and slowly drank the black tea. "Oohoo, I feel like my head is clearing up.¡±


    Big Mama smiled as Milpia''s stiff face relaxed into a happy expression, and she asked, "What''s going on with the problem regarding the demon¡¯s territory these days?¡±


    Milpia answered with a small sigh. "I think it is unusual."


    "The movement of the demons?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct."


    Milpia got up from her seat, grabbed the data, and placed it on the table. Among the many pieces of data, Milpia pointed to a map with multiple lines drawn. The map she pointed out was one that distinguished the areas of the demons within the demon¡¯s territory.


    "This is a map from half a year ago when the demons¡¯ movements became active."


    Next to the map from half a year ago, Milpia opened another map. "And this is the territory distribution chart of the demons which just arrived at headquarters."


    Looking at the map shown by Milpia, Big Mama''s face became serious, and she said, "This is dangerous."


    Even at a glance, you could see that the distribution chart of the demon¡¯s territory began to move in the direction of the capital.


    Milpia showed Big Mama an additional bundle of documents. "The first page is the statistics of the deaths and injuries of the imperial army serving in the demon¡¯s territory, compiled by the Warrant branch over the last half-year."


    "It has definitely increased." Big Mama frowned and moved on to the next page.


    "The next page is a graph of demon by-products released into the market."


    The graph showed an increasing curve. This was proof that many of the demons were being caught. Yet, it was also evidence that there was an overflow of demons lately.


    Milpia continued her report, and Big Mama listened with a serious face. "The strangest thing is definitely the demon¡¯s territory distribution."


    Milpia affirmed Big Mama''s assessment.

 Chapter 126: Underground Undertaker (3)

    Milpia compared the two maps carefully.


    "The territory distribution chart is too dense compared to half a year ago. There are no buffer zones between the demons¡¯ territories. At this point, the territories of the demons will inevitably overlap. Attached at the end is the analysis report indicating that this could not have happened naturally."


    Big Mama read the last page of the report and handed the bundle of documents back to Milpia as she said, "Clearly, it seems like they are losing their territory and being pushed out by something."


    "I agree."


    Milpia gulped down tea to wet her throat, the tea cooling down during the conversation. The reason why Milpia was so busy these days was because of her work regarding the demon¡¯s territory.


    "There have been further reports that Doomstone Blade, the chief of the Crow Tribe, may be in the demon¡¯s territory."


    "Doomstone?" Big Mama looked at Milpia with an interested expression.


    "We haven''t confirmed the information yet. We are just considering it as a possibility."


    Big Mama nodded at Milpia''s report. "What is this based on?"


    "Please look at this report first."


    After receiving the report from Milpia, Big Mama read the report with attentive eyes. "This is classified information about the imperial army."


    Milpia nodded at Big Mama. "Yes, it is. Recently, one of the four great madosas, Mirpa Ainsmall, was reported to be in the demon¡¯s territory. It says a man named Gawain Blade came with Mirpa Ainsmall as a porter. However, given that his surname is Blade, he is considered to be part of the Crow Tribe chief¡¯s direct lineage.¡±


    As Big Mama turned the pages of the report, Milpia continued. "And here''s information about the two men''s food supply and demand. Even at a glance, the quantity of food does not fit only two people. Given the supply and demand, this implies that they ate a majority of their enormous food stockpile in a short amount of time, so it does not make sense."


    "So there is likely more than two people?"


    Milpia nodded at Big Mama''s question. "Yes, it seems so. Of course, it may not be the chief, but there really isn¡¯t a reason to hide their activity unless Doomstone Blade is there."


    If dozens of Crows were visiting the Empire or other countries, it would be worth hiding. But the demon¡¯s territory was no man''s land. As such, there was no reason for the Crows to conceal their activity in the demon¡¯s territory unless they were a unit of a few hundred people. This was even more valid considering that the Crow Tribe often roamed the demon¡¯s territory to trade with the Empire and the Republic.


    "I see. It certainly makes sense since Doomstone Blade¡¯s departure from Olympus will put some countries in a semi-state of war,¡± Big Mama said.


    "It''s understandable to thoroughly conceal the information considering it could trigger a war if something were to go wrong.¡±


    Big Mama agreed with Milpia. "That''s right. This information has not been confirmed yet, but please set it at the highest level of information confidentiality."


    Milpia nodded as she received the report from Big Mama. "I will do that."


    Top secret information was only accessible to the head of the Big Mama Intelligence Agency, Big Mama, and three executives. One of these executives was Milpia, the director of the information agency headquarters charged with overseeing all the information in the Empire.


    In short, it was classified as information that was absolutely not allowed to be sold. Doomstone''s departure belonged to the category of such dangerous information.


    Milpia left a top-secret seal and her signature on the front page of the report and sealed it five times with magic.


    "Do some more investigation into the demon¡¯s territory."


    When Big Mama sighed and ordered, Milpia bowed her head. "Yes, I''ll give a report as soon as the cause is found."


    Big Mama spoke while putting away the finished plate of refreshments. "Then, since we are done with the urgent work, shall we go get some fresh air?"


    "¡­Yes? "Milpia was flustered by Big Mama''s sudden suggestion, and she continued, ¡°But there''s still work left.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay. You can just do it tomorrow.¡± Big Mama happily smiled and took out a colorful butterfly mask and a swan mask with a white feather from the drawer.


    Milpia couldn''t bear to refuse Big Mama''s happy smile and prepared to go out.


    * * *


    The clock¡¯s bell rang out, indicating that it was 8 p.m.


    Organ put down the document he was holding and asked, "You have to be on night duty alone tomorrow. Will you be okay?"


    "Yes. Well, I''ve learned everything I have to do, so I don¡¯t think there will be any problems."


    Night duty work just required me to be familiar with the emergency manual in case of any incidents occurring. First, check the number of pistols and muskets assigned to civil servants, then check the gunpowder and lead bullet stores.


    After 9:30 p.m., force the adventurers who are drinking and chatting in the restaurants to leave. Then I would do a roll call of the adventurers who were staying the night. The roll call was only a procedure to check who had which room number.


    At 10 p.m., all lights are to be turned off, and the request forms for the next day will be organized and posted on the request board. By this time, a small number of guild workers who stay and work overtime will be returning home, so I had to see them off and lock the door.


    Afterward, by 11 p.m., if all the work for the next day was completed, the entrance properly locked, and the security magic activated, then the night duty work would be finished. Then you could just sleep in the night duty room.


    The next morning, wake up at around 7 a.m. to release the security magic and grab some breakfast. Around 8:30 a.m., put on the uniform and do a morning roll call of adventurers who stayed the night, then prepare to receive visiting adventurers. The only problem was that the mattress in the night duty room was not very good, so it was uncomfortable.


    Let''s buy a luxury mattress to put in my pocket space later so I can use it for night duty. While I¡¯m at it, should I put in some scented candles that supposedly help you sleep well?


    Organ nodded when I recited the series of things to do on night duty. "There¡¯s no more to learn if you already know that much."


    "I''ve learned everything as well."


    Organ sighed at Flam. "It''s not a good custom. No, it might as well be a bad habit, but it will be an experience. Although, I can''t guarantee it will be a good experience."


    As soon as he finished talking with a bitter smile, scarily enough, the door by the counter opened, and Rosellis came in and asked, "Are you ready?"


    "This is a restricted area for adventurers."


    Rosellis ignored Organ¡¯s nagging and continued, "I know. That''s why I didn''t go in.¡±


    Indeed, Rosellis was just outside the door. I shrugged at Rosellis''s question. "Well, I need to know where we are going to get ready."


    Rosellis replied with a mischievous smile. "Ahahaha, it won¡¯t be fun if I tell you. You''ll find out when you get there. If you have a bank book where you keep your paycheck, you can bring that with you."


    Rosellis held up a bank book that showed certifications of deposits. The bank book was basically no different from one in my previous life.


    "Miss Rosellis!"


    When Organ called Rosellis in surprise, Rosellis burst into laughter. "Ah, you took it with you last time and donated your salary to your ¡®rich¡¯ neighbors, right?¡±


    Organ¡¯s face became bright red as if he heard a dark history when Rosellis mocked him. "Who, who said that!¡±


    Rosellis laughed mischievously at the stuttering Organ. ¡°Of course, it was Mr. Dane Walker.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dane Walker!¡± Organ ran over to the window and yelled in anger. It was as if he was yelling, "Did you have to take it all!¡±


    Rosellis laughed even more at Organ''s yelling. Again, Dane Walker, the target of the anger, was currently out of the capital completing a request. Fiona said before that he probably wouldn¡¯t be back for another 15 days.


    Yet, just where was she trying to take us that we would need our bank books? Only about 100 silver coins were recorded in my bank book anyways.


    Because my bank records were likely known by the Prime Minister, I couldn''t use my original ID card. But because it wasn¡¯t inconvenient, I just kept my money in my pocket space.


    Come to think of it, many of those platinum coins had been used. Magic items and materials were expensive, so it ended up costing a lot of money to make the dragon tooth soldiers.


    Rosellis laughed and threw clothing at Flam and me. "Wear it. It''s a bit awkward to go in uniform."


    Rosellis had thrown quite a nice-looking suit at us. However, looking at the clothing¡¯s manufacturing, it didn¡¯t seem very expensive. Flam and I went into the night duty room and changed our clothes. The cheap suit fit me well as if it was a custom-tailored suit.


    It seemed like the suit would be comfortable even if I moved violently. I wondered for a moment how Rosellis knew my size so perfectly. Seeing that Flam¡¯s suit also fit just right, I remembered that I had provided my clothing size before I was given my uniform.


    "Oh, it fits perfectly." Flam moved his giant body around to see how it felt.


    "Leave your uniform and come pick it up tomorrow. It''ll be cumbersome to carry stuff in your hands."


    We folded and put our uniforms neatly to one side of the night duty room before following Rosellis for a long time.


    "Isn¡¯t it okay to tell us now? Where are we going?¡±


    Rosellis stopped walking and replied with a roguish smile, "We¡¯re here."


    Rosellis pointed at an entrance to a basement. The splendidly decorated entrance was marked with a sign that read ''Royal Casino'' in shining letters made of magic. Only then did I understand what Organ meant by saying it was a bad habit.


    So Organ came here and lost all the money from his bank book. Thinking back to Rosellis and Organ¡¯s conversation, Organ appeared to have really lost a lot and was still being teased for it. Organ probably trembles now when he thinks about gambling.


    "Mmm, what kind of place is this Royal Casino?" Flam looked at Rosellis and me as if he still didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what a casino is?¡±


    "You don''t know about casinos?¡±


    Rosellis and I looked at Flam with astonishment. My god, he doesn''t even know what a casino is.


    "Is it something I need to know?"


    I forced a laugh and shook my head at Flam. "No, it''s better not to know. Organ said so too. It''s a bad place."


    "I don''t know what it is, but wouldn¡¯t it be better not to go in if it¡¯s a bad place?"


    As Flam¡¯s expression became serious, Rosellis and I simultaneously grabbed both of his arms.


    "Oh ho, where do you think you¡¯re going?"


    ¡°That''s right. As long as you don¡¯t get addicted.¡±


    Flam freaked out at my words. "You can get addicted here?! Isn¡¯t it dangerous?"


    I clasped Flam''s arm as he tried to escape. "It''s not dangerous. If it was a really dangerous place, would it be out in the open like this in the capital?¡±


    Rosellis agreed with me, "Yeah. Though it looks like this, this casino is legal and officially recognized by the Empire."


    According to rumors, this was probably the place where the Prime Minister laundered money after extorting the nobles of illegal slush funds. Of course, if the Prime Minister had really tried to launder money, there was no way rumors would have spread.


    "Come on, let''s go in."


    It was June of last year when I briefly played in a casino set up on a train coming to the capital. At that time, I wasn¡¯t too close with Lisbon and Alice yet, so I couldn''t play properly.


    A casino, by the way, was quite an interesting custom.

 Chapter 127: Underground Undertaker (4)

    Down the long stairs and past a fancy door, the scenery inside the underground casino was quite luxurious. A crystal chandelier glistened as it hung from the ten-meter-high ceiling, which displayed a splendid painting.


    Delicious-looking foods were lined up like a buffet all over the casino, and there were bands playing sweet music in the center of the hall. Flam and I looked around as if we were some country bumpkins who just arrived from the countryside.


    Rosellis looked over at us and grinned. "Follow me."


    The place that Rosellis led us to was a casino branch of the imperial bank. Bank employees were civil servants, so they should have left work by now. Yet, the bank consultants were still here, and they maintained their business smile.


    "Is this place managed by the imperial family?"


    If it were not being run by the imperial family, there definitely would not be bank civil servants at a casino like this.


    Rosellis shook her head. "No. As far as I know, the casino owner established a branch of a bank here in conjunction with the Prime Minister."


    She shrugged to indicate that she didn''t know. If Rosellis''s words were true, the owner of the casino was quite a big shot.


    "What can I do for you?"


    Rosellis handed over her bank book and ID card to the consultant who was giving her customer service smile.


    "Please take out a bag of silver coins."


    Usually, a bag of silver coins contained 100 coins. My salary was one silver and ten refined bronze coins, so it was eight to nine years'' worth of my salary.


    "All right. Would you like to change all the silver coins into chips?"


    Rosellis nodded at the consultant''s question. "Oh, and could you provide us with two user guides?¡±


    "Yes. Please wait a moment."


    The consultant put the bank book and the ID card in a magic tool and operated it. Then the consultant piled up the chips used in the casino and pushed them to Rosellis along with two thin pamphlets.


    "The withdrawal is complete." Rosellis divided the chips into chip containers and gave them to Flam and me.


    "Is it okay for you to give us so much?" Flam felt burdened by the large number of chips.


    Rosellis snorted. "It¡¯s not even a lot. I get a few dozen times more than that from completing a single request."


    To hire a platinum plate adventurer, a reward with gold coins as the base unit was required. There were also many dangerous requests as the reward was high. Flam knew that fact but still could not readily accept the chips that Rosellis was handing over.


    But not me.


    "Do I just have to go around and play with this?¡± I asked as I accepted the chips without any hesitation.


    Rosellis laughed happily and nodded, "Hahaha, yes. Just receive it coolly like this, you old man.


    Rosellis forcibly handed the chips to Flam. With an arm around my shoulder, she said, "I''m going to play with this guy, so you go play on your own."


    Then she waved her hands as if she was gesturing to me to hurry along like she was annoyed.


    Flam nodded with a quivering face and asked me, "Okay. Scream if Noonim tries to jump you. I''ll save you somehow."


    Rosellis picked up one of her chips and threw it at Flam. "Hurry up and leave!¡±


    Flam skillfully grabbed the chip thrown at him from the air and ran away.


    Seeing the back of Flam''s head, I feigned a smile. "Is it okay to leave him alone like that?"


    Rosellis shrugged her shoulders. "Well, he''s not weak enough to go around getting beat up."


    The nuance was that I was weak and needed to be protected. Of course, of course, I''m a feeble civil servant.


    "You''re on good terms."


    Rosellis snorted at my words. "Hmmph, what good terms. He¡¯s annoying."


    Despite her words, they seemed quite friendly. I thought she might get angry if I said it, so I swallowed my words and headed to the place where the food was.


    "Is the food free?¡±


    "It''s basically free for customers who come in with chips. In addition to the food here, they¡¯ll deliver the food to you if you order it, but you have to pay for that.¡±


    Basically, the chips were used in place of money in the casino. Food had to be paid for with chips too. I grabbed a plate and picked up some delicious-looking food.


    "Hmm? This is good.¡± The food in the casino was more delicious than I thought.


    Rosellis also nodded, sweeping the meat onto her plate. "This place is targeted towards nobles, so they seem to make an effort in the food¡¯s quality."


    The casino was a playground for rich people. Since it was a place to bet money to win money, you were not allowed to enter if you did not have the base level of funds.


    "Oh, just in case, don¡¯t get addicted. There are countless nobles who have gone bankrupt here. Well, even if you get addicted, I''ll hit you and stop you."


    "Hahaha, I got it." I smiled and nodded. In reality, casinos were like real-life dark games in which people risk their lives if something were to go wrong.


    There were even rumors that if you went bankrupt here and failed to pay back the money, you would be sold to the black magicians for human experimentation. Of course, it probably wasn''t true. At the worst, it probably just ended with selling off a member of the family or the title of nobility.


    For reference, a noble¡¯s title could not be transferred or sold for money. However, the imperial family provided money if you returned a title of nobility to them, so it was essentially possible to sell it.


    There was also a rumor that the prime minister was intentionally driving the fallen nobles into a corner. It wasn¡¯t good for the empire if the number of nobles increased too much in the long run.


    Come to think of it, although it was just a conspiracy theory, perhaps this casino was part of a plan to mass-produce debtors.


    I took my plate of food and headed to a place with a card game where there were two others sitting there.


    "Would you like to play?"


    I sat down with a nod at the dealer''s question. "It¡¯s been a long time, but I guess I¡¯ll try it too.¡±


    Rosellis also sat next to me and put the chip on the table. The dealer took out new playing cards and skillfully laid the cards on the table.


    "Since there happen to be four guests, how do you all feel about starting with an easy one, seven poker?"


    One of the guests, a woman wearing a black veil, smiled and nodded. "It¡¯s fine with me."


    Yet, it was a voice I had heard somewhere before. The woman with the black veil smiled at Rosellis and me and laughed. "Hohoho, it¡¯s been a while."


    The woman who greeted us suddenly removed her black veil.


    "Uh!" Rosellis got up in surprise.


    The woman with the black veil put her index finger on her lips. "Shh."


    Rosellis calmed herself and sat down at the woman¡¯s gesture. The woman with the black veil had a face that I recognized.


    The secretly mischievous and smiling woman was the saintess, Hillis.


    "How..."


    Hillis slightly lowered her head as she watched the flustered Rosellis. Then she gave me a smile with her eyes and said hello. "We¡¯ve seen each other before.¡±


    "Yes, was it the day before the New Year''s Festival?¡±


    Previously, she had been swept away by the crowd and was sent charging towards me. I tried to avoid her but ended up catching her.


    Rosellis looked alternately at Hillis and me in a fluster because she did not know how we knew each other.


    "Do you know each other?" Rosellis looked at me with incredulous eyes. From the way she was looking at me, Rosellis seemed to know that Hillis was the saintess.


    "We don¡¯t necessarily know each other. We just passed by-¡±


    "He saved me.¡± Hillis smiled and cut me off, that mischievous smile showing itself again.


    Hillis was playing a joke on me.


    "What?"


    Passing over Rosellis''s surprised gaze towards me, I spoke to Hillis. "Iya, can it be said like that?¡±


    Hillis looked straight into my eyes and smiled. "Of course. You threw yourself to save me.¡±


    She wasn''t wrong. I did save the expensive-looking clothes from muddy water. Hillis''s mischievous smile suddenly made me want to play pranks too.


    "I don''t see the well-built gentleman who was with you the other day. Did he just step away for a moment?¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel the presence of any paladins at all. If the paladins were good enough to mislead my senses, it meant Hillis must have ditched her escorts and come to the casino.


    Then Rosellis looked around too and realized that there were no escorts.


    Hillis''s face hardened slightly at my words. "Hohoho, we don''t always travel together."


    Then she glanced at Rosellis. She might¡¯ve been thinking that Rosellis would tell the temple that Hilli had gone to the casino without escorts. If it weren''t for me, Rosellis wouldn''t have noticed that there were no escorts. The escorts I saw at that time were so skilled at hiding that you wouldn¡¯t detect them unless you tried to find them.


    Rosellis never thought Hillis would come without an escort and looked quite shocked. Even if they were good at hiding, at her level, she should have been able to find traces of them if she concentrated. However, it seemed she could not find any. Of course, there were no such paladins here.


    Hahahaha! You still have a long way to go, you baby.


    Hillis and I looked at each other and smiled refreshingly. As expected, this woman was my type of person.


    "Hooho, I think I could become good friends with you."


    "What a coincidence. I think so, too."


    While we were smiling at each other, another guest, a woman wearing a swan mask with a white feather decoration, raised her hand slightly.


    "Excuse me. Are we not going to play the game?"


    When Swan Mask interjected, we realized that the dealer was waiting with a smile on his face with the cards still laid out.


    "Of course we will."


    "Yes, it would be stupid to come and not play the game."


    Hillis and I put a chip on the table. I touched Rosellis''s shoulder as she was still looking around, dumbfounded.


    "What are you doing? Let¡¯s play."


    "Huh? Yeah, okay." Rosellis was still out of it as she looked at the cards spread out on the table. It seems the sucker has been chosen for this round.


    Perhaps we were thinking the same thing because Hillis also looked at Rosellis and snickered.


    How dare you be distracted in front of the sacred card? There will be nothing to say even if you lose everything.


    "Abracadabra. Now, I think we can get started."


    "Then I will start." The dealer nodded and skillfully collected the cards again.


    Laying out and showing the cards in the first game was an important first step to show that there was nothing wrong with the cards. Of course, with the dealer''s dexterity, it would be easy to slip away the bottom card, so it was just a formality.


    The dealer quickly shuffled the cards.

 Chapter 128: Underground Undertaker (5)

    The playing cards were first spread out on the table from high to low: spade, diamond, heart, and clover. Their numbers ranged from A being the smallest to K being the largest, with the joker at the end.


    I focused on the dealer''s hand movements. About half of the 53 cards were divided into two piles of 25 and 28 cards. The top and bottom stacks were changed, and the middle 18 cards were removed and placed on top.


    By doing this, he mixed the cards three times and then split them into two stacks and put them back on the table to play the game. He then lifted up the ends of the cards with his thumb and slid the cards off to make them overlap every card. I imprinted the order of the cards in my sight along with a pleasant sound of "charara."


    The dealer pushed both ends of the cards to put them back together into one stack. And then he shuffled them once again two more times. The dealer didn¡¯t play any tricks because it was the first round. If he played a trick in the first round, I was planning on breaking his wrist, but he seemed to have some business ethics.


    "Ante is one bronze coin chip,¡± the dealer said.


    The players pushed forward their chips. The dealer grabbed the wooden stick and disk from above his head and gathered the chips towards the center.


    "Is Choice Rule okay for the rules?"


    The players sitting at the table nodded. The Choice Rule was where everyone starts with four cards but had to throw one away. So the player''s choice was more emphasized than the normal rule.


    "Doesn¡¯t matter to me."


    With all the players agreeing, the dealer distributed four cards to everyone. Starting from his left, the order was the woman with the swan mask, Hillis, me, then Rosellis.


    "Before you look at the cards, please place a bet. The guest with the mask has the permission to do the first check."


    "Let''s start light with a piece of refined bronze chip."


    If my eyes and calculations were correct, the cards I received should be A of spades, A of clovers, 3 of hearts, and 5 of clovers. There was no need to use magic because I could calculate by looking at exactly how many cards the dealer moved when shuffling.


    I couldn''t do this in my previous life because my eyes couldn''t keep up with the cards¡¯ speed, but because my current body¡¯s stats were good, there was no need to use expedients and tricks.


    At Swan Mask¡¯s bet, all the players put in one chip as well.


    "Please check your hands."


    After the first bet, the players checked their respective cards. My hand was A of spades, A of clovers, 3 of hearts, and 5 of clovers as I expected.


    Then the swan mask got A of hearts, 10 of spades, 10 of clovers, and 9 of clovers. The cards Hillis received were 7 of clovers, 7 of hearts, 3 of diamonds, 7 of diamonds, while Rosellis received 6 of spades, 3 of diamonds, 4 of hearts, and 2 of clovers.


    Rosellis had the worst hand at the start, by my estimates. Rosellis did not change her expression when she checked her hand, but her pupils shook slightly.


    Either way, Hillis has a triple to start? What kind of luck is this?


    If Hillis throws away the 3 of diamonds and doesn''t make stupid mistakes during the rest of the round, she will have a full house. If it had been just one step faster, Hillis would have received the 7 of spades that Swan Mask would have gotten and been able to make four of a kind. What a shame. [1]


    Her hand was so good this round that if I hadn''t known that she was the saintess, I would have thought she was a spy who was planted here. In this case, there was no way I could win unless I played some tricks.


    Neither dealer nor players were trying to cheat, so I didn''t feel the need to as well. It¡¯s regrettable, but I''m afraid I¡¯m going to have to fold this round.


    The dealer distributed more cards so that each player had a total of seven cards. It was time to place bets again.


    "Bet."


    Swan Mask shouted ¡®bet¡¯ first. Swan Mask now had a clover straight. It was not a low hand.


    Swan Mask pushed forward five refined bronze chips to bet. "The stakes have gone up. Would you like to call?"


    Rosellis and I shouted at the same time.


    "Fold."


    "Fold."


    Swan Mask smiled softly when Rosellis and I announced that we were folding. Rosellis was a wreck who lacked even a single pair. As such, it was natural for her to fold without needing a psychological battle, but I had triple A¡¯s, which was quite a good hand.


    Of course, it was still weaker than Swan Mask¡¯s straight or Hillis¡¯s full house. It was possible to make them give up using psychological warfare, but I didn''t want to use too much energy during the first round. The game would continue on, so I should be looking at the big picture.


    "Two guests have given up on betting."


    As the dealer calmly looked at Hillis, Hillis smiled and put out ten refined bronze chips. "Raise!"


    Instead of calling, Hillis raised the stakes, and Swan Mask looked at Hillis with interest. For a moment, a war of nerves broke out, but then Swan Mask shouted, "Okay, raise!"


    Ohh! When Swan Mask confidently responded to the raise, the psychological battle between Hillis and Swan Mask began.


    "You must have a pretty good hand," said Swan Mask.


    Hillis nodded lightly. Her face was full of composure. "Of course."


    As the gaze of the two met, I could feel a lot of invisible hints and calculations coming and going.


    "Then?"


    "Raise, of course." When Hillis added a chip worth a silver coin with a confident face, Swan Mask¡¯s eyes slightly shook.


    It was a heart-pounding and entertaining sight for me, who already knew the result. I desperately wanted popcorn, but unfortunately, there was no corn for popcorn in the empire. Instead, I watched the psychological warfare with interest while eating the buffet food that I brought.


    Raises were possible up to three times. Including the bet that Hillis just added, the money on the table was a wager of ten silver coins. It was ten months worth of living expenses for a family of four.


    But was she really a saintess? How could a saintess bet so boldly and skillfully engage in psychological warfare? Of course, considering the saintess¡¯s position, it was essentially pennies, but the image of a saintess and Hillis did not coincide at all.


    Rosellis thought the same as me, as she was so surprised that she couldn''t close her mouth.


    "What are you going to do?" Hillis looked at Swan Mask as if she were a god giving a young lamb an ordeal.


    Swan Mask laughed pleasantly, "Ahahaha! How interesting. Of course, it''s a call!"


    With Swan Mask¡¯s response to Hillis''s provocation, the bet alone was enough for a family of four to live on for two years. The dealer seemed a little nervous when he saw a large amount of money coming and going in the first round.


    He must still be a rookie if he¡¯s showing his feelings. The dealer took a deep breath and said calmly, "Please show your hands now."


    As the dealer spoke, the two flipped over their cards. A straight and a full house, as I expected. It was a victory for Hillis.


    Even though she won, Hillis didn''t show much on the outside and instead spoke as she smiled calmly, "I''ll use it for good things.¡±


    The dealer pushed the money towards the winner, Hillis. "Congratulations."


    "Thank you." Hillis nodded lightly at the dealer''s congratulations.


    She then paid 5% of the money she earned as commission. By doing this, as people continued to play, they would end up paying a large amount of money to the casino in proportion to their winnings.


    In the end, only the casino would end up filling their belly. However, I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t gamble.


    "Ah, I lost this time, but it won''t be easy next round.¡± Even though she lost quite a lot of money, Swan mask laughed like it was trivial.


    Hillis smiled kindly and nodded. "This is fun."


    The dealer opened a card box again and asked, "Do you want to continue with the next game?"


    The players on the table nodded at the dealer''s question. It was only the first round.


    * * *


    "Oot-cha!¡± I got up with a stretch.


    "Shall we try going somewhere else now?" I asked Rosellis. I swept up a stack of chips five or six times larger than what I initially had into my container as I spoke.


    "Anywhere is fine." On the other hand, Rosellis, whose chip container had become much lighter, sighed and stood up.


    Rosellis was the second-largest shareholder of my chips. This is why you shouldn''t be distracted in front of the sacred card.


    I moved my chips into the slightly somber Rosellis¡¯s chip container.


    "Huh?" Rosellis gave me a puzzled look.


    I said with a smile, "I''m just paying back the chips you gave me in the beginning."


    "But this is more than what I gave you."


    Seeing her dazed stare towards the chips, I lightly tapped her back and cheered her up. "Think of it as interest."


    Considering the length of the loan, it was a crazy rate of 30% per hour. Rosellis seemed to be feeling better as her face blushed, and she coughed dryly. "Keuhmm, just let me know if you need any help later. I''ll help you."


    I nodded in delight at Rosellis. "All right."


    Now, whenever Fiona turns into a fanatic, I''ll just call Rosellis.


    As Rosellis and I got up from our seats, Hillis also got up, and she said, "Oh, let me join you. Is that okay?"


    Rosellis readily agreed when she saw Hillis¡¯s desperate eyes, as she resembled a baby lamb. I could see just how many calculations were contained in those innocent-looking eyes. She was definitely the same kind of person as me.


    With Rosellis''s permission, Hillis collected her pile of chips that she had managed to double.


    "Thanks for your hard work.¡± I gave a handful of bronze chips as a tip to the now slim-faced dealer.


    The major shareholder who contributed the most to my increased chips was the dealer. The dealer who should have been fair tried to play some tricks on me, so I only repaid him in kind. He had plenty of nerve to think of playing tricks in front of me.


    Considering the future of the dealer who lost the casino''s money, it wasn''t that I couldn¡¯t sympathize. However, since he caused this, I¡¯ll leave it up to him to figure it out.


    Well, since I won some of the casino¡¯s money, I was thinking of spending all the earned money in the casino anyways. To think about leaving the casino after winning money made the back of my head itchy.


    Of course, since I was here with Rosellis, the casino wouldn¡¯t be able to touch me recklessly, but it wasn''t a hobby of mine to pick up future troubles.


    In the worst case, I could just over-tip excessively. After all, I didn''t come to this underground gambling place to make money anyways.


    1. Not sure what 7 of spades the author is talking about unless he mistakenly wrote 10 of spades for Swan Mask instead.

 Chapter 129: Underground Undertaker (6)

    After the card game, Hillis covered her face with a black veil once more before walking energetically around the casino, peeking here and there. Rosellis and I followed Hillis, enjoying the casino games.


    To be honest, the dealers¡¯ tricks were obvious, and the opponents¡¯ hands were too easily predictable, so it was more enjoyable to screw with them rather than gamble. In terms of their tricks, my eyes were faster than the hands of the dealer. In addition, it was easy to guess which face would come up in the dice game based on the sound of the dice rolling in the cup.


    However, with the slot machines that ran on magic, as long as I didn''t use magic, I could play the game with its fixed probability. But at some point, I got familiar with the magic, and I could see which slot machine would hit the jackpot.


    Rosellis was happy to see a jackpot on the slot machine I told her about but was puzzled when she saw my face. "You look bored."


    I grinned, "No, it''s not boring when the food is so delicious."


    It really wasn''t boring. It was a lot of fun to send the gamblers who were playing tricks on me into despair. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t a famous gambler once say not to hope for miracles?


    To win, you needed to make the path to victory, not leave it to chance. I only made myself win a little more perfectly than the ones who were playing tricks on me.


    "You don''t like the games?¡± Hillis had come close to me at some point, and she asked me while pulling the lever on the slot machine. Since we were of the same kind, she was immediately able to hit the core of the matter.


    "Just a little.¡±


    In my past life, I enjoyed the psychological warfare, but because I could predict the opponents¡¯ hands now, it was not fun. It was so boring that I even considered helping the suckers who were getting sucked into gambling.


    However, helping those who already had a taste for gambling would only lead to them falling deeper into the abyss. As such, you should not assist them unless you had some responsibility for their lives.


    When I gave a lukewarm response, Rosellis looked at the huge clock in the center of the casino and said, "Then shall we go back?"


    The clock was already passing eleven o''clock at night.


    "What? You''re going back already?¡± Hillis, holding onto more than six times as many chips as when we first saw her, looked at Rosellis and me with pathetic eyes.


    You should not be fooled by those eyes as she has already sent more than ten gamblers into the abyss while bearing a benevolent smile.


    I had gotten goosebumps when I heard her say, "Ah, this must also be a divine ordeal," as she took the gambler¡¯s money. That remark was indescribably to my taste.


    "Won¡¯t your guardian worry if you play for too long?"


    As Rosellis stroked Hillis''s hair, Hillis looked like she missed something.


    "Oh, okay." With a slight blush and a lowered head, Hillis looked somewhat lonely.


    At that expression, I unknowingly spoke to Hillis, "Well, we can play again later."


    Rosellis smiled and agreed with me. "Right! If you come to the adventurer¡¯s guild, he and I will always be there, so come and see us."


    "Oh, can I?¡± Hillis¡¯s eyes opened wide and switched between Rosellis and me.


    No, I¡¯m not really okay with you coming to hang out at my workplace.


    But contrary to my feelings, Rosellis smiled cheerfully and slapped her on the shoulder. "Of course!"


    Hillis smiled brightly. "Okay! Then I will come over later with some friends!"


    "Yes! Friend or subordinate! Come visit us."


    Hillis smiled brightly as if her bitter look had never been on her face. Yet, why is she bringing up inviting friends like this? How uncomfortable.


    "Then let¡¯s retrieve Flam and go back," I said.


    As I spoke, I was pushing forward a container holding a dozen times more chips than what I received from Rosellis. I''ve been throwing out a lot of tips here and there, but it was still overflowing.


    When I was thinking about how to handle all of this, I felt a familiar presence at the entrance of the casino. This feeling, was it divine power? Hillis seemed to have also felt it as she looked at Rosellis in surprise.


    Rosellis said, stroking Hillis''s hair once again, "Oh, he''s here. I called."


    "How? The accommodations where I''m staying would have been confidential."


    When Hillis looked at Rosellis with incredulous eyes, Rosellis shrugged. "Oh, I don''t know where you''re staying."


    "Then?"


    "Instead, I know someone who knows."


    Hillis looked at Rosellis like she had never considered this possibility before. "You called the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Director.¡±


    Ah, there was a moment earlier when she went away for a while, saying she was going to contact someone. However, it seemed she sent a letter to the Guild Director Glont. Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for Guild Director Glont to know the confidential location of the saintess¡¯s residence.


    "I never thought you, a warrior famous enough to be called Bloody Rosellis, would have used your head to this extent." Hillis was shocked. It seemed she didn''t think the warrior, Rosellis, would be this smart.


    "Huh?" Rosellis looked at me, flustered by Hillis''s reaction.


    I nodded slightly towards Rosellis, and she affirmed Hillis¡¯s words a little awkwardly, "Uh¡­yes. Sure.¡±


    Actually, I was the one who advised Rosellis to contact someone who would know Hillis''s guardian. I didn''t know that person would be Guild Director Glont.


    "As expected, not just anyone can have a platinum plate.¡± Hillis convinced herself and admired. The paladins who came to pick up Hillis approached us.


    "Sain...! Keuhmm! Hillis-nim!" For a moment, a paladin spotted Hillis and tried to say saintess but was able to correct himself.


    "We were worried!"


    At the paladin¡¯s scolding, Hillis gave a mischievous smile like a kid caught in the midst of a prank. "Hehe, come on in, Albatoss. Do you want to play a game too, Albatoss?"


    The paladin called Albatoss sighed. "Hillis-nim!"


    "Ayy, it¡¯s a joke. Then see you later, Miss Rosellis. See you later, Den."


    When did you decide to drop the honorifics? At least, until this point, we had been using honorifics with each other. The paladins looked at me with a fierce look when the saintess didn''t use honorifics for me.


    To think that you would play around until the end. Then I will have to match you. "Okay, see you later, Hillis."


    The eyes of the paladins got hotter. How can you be this jealous?


    "Let¡¯s go."


    I asked Rosellis when Hillis led the paladins out. "I guess her position is quite high. That Hillis."


    Firstly, I technically didn¡¯t know Hillis¡¯s identity. When I advised Rosellis to contact someone, I was only told that she was a person of high status.


    "That''s right." Rosellis nodded awkwardly.


    I asked with a mischievous smile. "How did you get to know each other?¡±


    "Oh, I just got to know her a little bit through a request."


    Rosellis suddenly took the lead to avoid the topic. "Rather than that, let¡¯s go pick up Flam.¡±


    I laughed and followed Rosellis''s improvisation. It seemed awkward for her to suddenly go looking for Flam after all that cursing.


    * * *


    Rosellis and I looked around the casino for quite a while as we searched for Flam.


    "Where''s this bastard?¡±


    I calmed Rosellis down as she started to get annoyed. "We still haven''t looked downstairs yet. Let''s try heading down.¡±


    When I pointed towards the stairs going downstairs, Rosellis looked at me with disapproving eyes. "We do have to go down. The original purpose was to go down there, but take a deep breath before you go. That place is, like, a little dirty."


    Rosellis looked at the stairs with disgust. I didn''t know what the place down there was like, but I thought Flam was probably down there.


    "You said that was the original destination?"


    "Yeah. So you thought I brought you here just to play at the casino?¡±


    I did think that.


    "What kind of place is it down there?"


    At my curious gaze, Rosellis replied in a bitter tone, ¡°There''s a gladiator ring down there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to carelessly question her immediately.


    In the Empire, gladiator rings were prohibited by imperial law. The public reason given was that it was harmful to the Empire¡¯s beautiful and fine customs. However, in reality, this was to prevent nobles from hiding the number of soldiers they had by disguising some as gladiators.


    The former emperor, the Blood Emperor, did everything he could to strengthen imperial power and weaken the power of the nobles. The closure of the gladiator rings and prohibiting training of gladiators were also part of this plan.


    "Ah, they don''t use a sword, so it''s hard to call it a gladiator ring, but it¡¯s a bare-handed fighting ring.¡±


    "Bare-handed fighting ring?" What is this? The UFC?


    Considering how much Rosellis didn¡¯t like it, this gladiator ring didn''t seem to be as protective of the fighters, nor were its competitors as clean as my previous life.


    Rosellis walked down the stairs with a sour face, and I followed her. As soon as I went down to the basement of the casino, what I saw was a place full of madness.


    In the center was a closed-off space like an octagon. [1] And inside the octagon, two bulky men hit each other without any protective gear, wearing knuckles or spiked gloves. The bottom of the octagon was blackened with an unknown number of blood clots.


    People around the scene shouted in a deranged voice, "Kill me dead!"


    "This place is..." I lost my words at the sight of this crazy place.


    Looking at the fighters brawling inside the octagon, it seemed like a normal bare-handed fight like in my hometown. Yet, the surrounding people were going crazy. It would have felt normal without the gallery.


    Feeling both unpleasant and bitter, Rosellis clicked her tongue and asked, "Do you know what kind of people are fighting in that ring?¡±


    I shook my head, and Rosellis said with a bitter smile, "This is usually the tomb of has-been adventurers or mercenaries. It''s a place where young adventurers who have been forced to retire, whether it be due to injuries to their legs or other serious wounds, head. They end up crawling in to make ends meet as a last resort."


    It was a tragedy for someone to throw away their safety and risk their lives fighting.


    Rosellis sighed as she said, "It''s because this place exists that the custom of bringing new civil servants here was created. The adventurers you¡¯ll be dealing with in the future could face this miserable end. That''s why I''m showing you the truth and asking you to take good care of the adventurers."


    I looked at the ring sadly. The defeated blood-stained man was dragged out like luggage, and the winner limped out on his own.


    In the massively swollen face of the winner, there was no glory or joy from the victory. There was only relief at having survived and pessimism about his own situation. There was also a mixture of feeling sorry for the loser being dragged away like luggage.


    An insanity-filled roar, which was more of a jeer, sounded at the loser in place of a cheer for the winner. Indeed, this was a crazy place.


    At that moment, the fight commentator next to the ring shouted into the air.


    - Next game features a rookie! The undertaker of the underground ring! Underground Under~ Taker!


    The man who appeared at the commentator''s cry was a muscular man wearing a black mask with a yellow cross drawn on his forehead.


    Rosellis and I couldn''t shut our mouths when we saw the man.


    "Why, why is that bastard over there!?¡± Rosellis shouted in surprise, pointing to the Underground Undertaker.


    I also couldn¡¯t help but frown. "Oh my god, what are you doing, Flam?"


    The Underground Undertaker was Flam.


    1. UFC is a famous American mixed martial art (MMA) promotion company that hosts a lot of fights. The fighters fight in the Octagon, an octagon-shaped ring that¡¯s enclosed by a fence/barrier.

 Chapter 130: Underground Undertaker (7)

    After parting ways with Den, Flam was dumbstruck by the chips he received from Rosellis. "Just what the heck am I supposed to do with this?"


    It was unreasonable to tell Flam to play by himself when he didn''t even know that casinos existed.


    "Well, if you don''t know, you can ask." Flam thoughtlessly asked a dealer of a nearby game how to use the casino.


    That was the beginning of Flam''s misfortune. Flam became an absolute sucker and lost all the chips he got from Rosellis to other gamblers. If it had stopped at that point, there would have been no problem. However, not knowing anything, Flam was tempted by gamblers and ended up in debt.


    In a flash, Flam had gotten on the express train to hell and became a fighter in the underground ring. This then led to the current situation of him making his debut under the stage name of the  Underground Undertaker.


    I thought about Flam as he was driven into a corner while only wearing his trunks. Something''s wrong with this.


    "Get it together." The opponent spoke to Flam at this moment. Flam had still not fully grasped his situation.


    Flam''s opponent continued to speak while wearing spiked gloves, "It¡¯s none of my business what the situation that landed you in this crazy place is. But if you don''t get a hold of yourself right now, you''re going to die by my hands."


    The opponent had eyes that were weary of life. Flam nodded. Although he was not even aware of the situation or what was going on, he could see that he had to fight the opponent immediately in front of him.


    The opponent''s worn-out fighting spirit made Flam realize reality. When Flam readied his stance, a bell rang out as it announced the start of the game, and the opponent took action first. The opponent approached quickly and threw a light punch. He was wearing spiked gloves, so even if the punch were light, getting hit would cause a lot of damage.


    Flam hit the opponent''s fist with his left arm and deflected the attack. He then aimed for the opponent''s abdomen with a palm rather than a fist. The opponent frowned as he saw a palm flying towards him, and he tried to hit the arm away with his fist.


    Flam gently swung his arm, dodged the fist, and tried to hit the opponent with a palm. However, the opponent had already retreated and taken a step back.


    "Are you playing around right now!?" The opponent was furious. It was insulting that he was fighting for his life while Flam wasn¡¯t taking it seriously.


    "No, how could I be playing around in a fight?" Flam responded in a serious tone.


    However, this further enraged his opponent. "Then keep being careless and die!"


    The opponent quickly approached as he lowered his body and threw an uppercut, but Flam pulled his upper body back and dodged.


    At the same time, he hit the opponent''s left leg.


    "Ugh!"


    When the opponent''s posture crumbled, Flam once again threw a palm strike at the opponent¡¯s abdomen and pushed him back. Following this, Flam leaned forward and struck the opponent''s jaw with his palm.


    Flam¡¯s last blow shook the opponent¡¯s brain, and he fell backward. He was knocked out.


    The audience that usually gathered here to see a bloody fight had been silently watching Flam¡¯s fight, and they broke out into applause.


    "Ohhh!" There were cheers and whistles, jeers about the lack of blood, and complaints that they lost money, but Flam ignored it all.


    Gradually, Flam was building a reputation in the underground speculation arena as a rising newcomer after a series of games.


    * * *


    I was amazed by Flam¡¯s match.


    His opponent was not that bad, and he had a pretty dangerous punch. Yet, Flam avoided it well and suppressed the opponent without seriously hurting him. Even though he wasn''t even showing off his full skills, he won consecutive matches.


    "Undertaker!"


    "Undertaker!"


    The more Flam won, the crazier people became.


    Against this match¡¯s opponent, Tiger Mask, the Undertaker caught his back in an instant and grabbed his neck, doing a chokeslam. With his airway blocked, Tiger Mask resisted, but he fainted in less than ten seconds, and the Undertaker released the chokeslam.


    Great! My chips just increased by 1.2 times from that match. Go, Undertaker!


    By the way, my chips seem to have increased too much. Ever since I accidentally hit the jackpot at the slot machines three times in a row, I gave up on the thought of using up all my chips before leaving tonight.


    For now, I decided to leave the chips with Rosellis and receive them as money later on. Exchanging the chips under my name definitely made the back of my head itchy. If it was Rosellis, a platinum plate adventurer, even the casino should not be able to touch her recklessly.


    After leaving to find out what was happening, Rosellis came back to where I was. "Wow, Flam is pretty good at fighting."


    He fought well enough to multiply my chips. This is what they call ¡°a bear with talent, but the person takes the money.¡±


    Rosellis answered in a sour manner, "I told you; he''s not a guy who goes around getting beat up."


    "So what happened?"


    At my question, Rosellis sighed first. "That idiot is in debt."


    "How much?"


    "Two gold coins."


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock at Rosellis''s answer. Two gold coins were a week''s budget for a fairly large estate. To put it simply, with Flam''s salary, it would take more than 15 years to pay back that large sum of money. If you considered the interest, 20 years was not enough.


    No, the interest rate in places like this would be out of the realm of common sense, so he would probably have to live as a slave for the rest of his life.


    "Did he go crazy? No, how is that possible?¡± I asked.


    "I don''t know. It must be possible since he¡¯s in that state." Rosellis scratched the back of her head in frustration.


    "Anyways, I''ll go withdraw some money, so wait a minute."


    I stopped Rosellis from trying to go back up with her bank book. "I have money here, so let¡¯s just pay it back right away."


    I pushed forward the chips I won. If you calculated the chips that were piled up and being pushed around in a cart, it was almost ten gold coins. Since I started with 33 silver coins, it came out to be 30 times more in profit.


    "Will it be all right? He might not be able to pay you back."


    I shrugged my shoulders at Rosellis''s concern. It was at most two gold coins, and my pocket space was flooded with gold coins. "Well, it¡¯s fine. I was planning on spending all the money before I left anyways. It''s not bad to pay off his debt while I¡¯m at it."


    And because I informed Fiona that Rosellis and Flam had known each other since they were young, I felt a little sorry for his suffering. Fortunately, Fiona seemed to be refraining and took it from two hours to five minutes, but the fatigue probably lasted longer than five minutes.


    Of course, I couldn''t tell Rosellis what I was thinking. The king''s ears are donkey ears! (1)


    Rosellis gave a fake laugh. "All right, as long as you don''t mind.¡±


    After the match, Rosellis and I grabbed Flam as he came out from the ring. "Follow me, you idiot."


    When Rosellis pulled on Flam¡¯s mask, he coughed like he was being strangled, "Hey, let go of me!"


    It looked as if he was being pulled by his hair. If Flam were not dressed in a mask and just trunks, it would have looked like a scene from a morning drama.


    "You punk, I told you to go play by yourself, but you cause trouble instead? Do you want to die?" Rosellis hit Flam¡¯s back.


    Jjak! There was a clapping sound and a red handprint.


    "Ahh! It hurts!¡±


    "Of course, do you think I hit you so it wouldn¡¯t hurt, you punk!?" She consecutively hit Flam on the back with a steady hand. Considering what Flam did, he did deserve to be hit.


    For some reason, Flam¡¯s back still looked well, so I gave it a hit once too.


    Whack!


    "Argh!"


    There was a really loud slapping sound. With Rosellis holding his mask, Flam flapped around like a fish out of water. It''s been a long time since I felt a slap like this.


    ¡°You slap so well!" Rosellis also seemed to admire it.


    ¡°Can I give another slap?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±''


    Flam was stunned by Rosellis''s acceptance. "Ah, no! What did you just hit me with? Wasn''t that a whip?!¡±


    "Ayy, don¡¯t exaggerate. It¡¯s just a palm."


    "It''s the palm of my hand." I did have a whip in my pocket space, but I had hit him with my palm.


    Yet, Flam didn''t believe Rosellis and me. "That can''t be true! There¡¯s no way only a palm would hurt that much!"


    He complained a lot for a guy who defeated his opponent with a palm during his match.


    I whispered to Flam as he denied reality, "I just need you to stay calm for a moment. I will check your back."


    "What, what do you mean?"


    "Back. Let''s see your back!¡±


    "Ack! It was my fault!"


    I was trying to mercilessly hit Flam¡¯s back despite him begging for his life, but I stopped when a chubby man suddenly ran towards us from afar.


    "Just what are you doing to my fighter?!" The man was sweating from running the short distance, and he must be the one who swindled Flam into debt.


    Rosellis stopped holding Flam¡¯s mask and pulled it down. She then grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him. The man who seemed to be several times heavier than Rosellis was raised with one hand.


    "Are you the one who cheated this idiot into debt?"


    "Kuk! Kuk!" The man being dragged by his collar was getting strangled and couldn''t speak properly, so he just coughed.


    "Since we need to be able to converse, just let him go."


    At my suggestion, Rosellis stared at the man with irritation and let go of her grip.


    "Aigoo!" The man struggling in the air directly fell on his butt and made a sound.


    "Me! Huh-huk, huh-huk. Do you know who I am?!" After barely regaining his breath, the man grew enraged with Rosellis and pointed his finger at her.


    Let''s pray for the repose of the deceased.


    Rosellis simply broke the finger being pointed at her.


    "Ahh! My hand! My finger!"


    Rosellis spoke, kicking the screaming man''s stomach, "And do you know who I am to be acting so cocky?"


    "Keuck! Huk!¡± The man held his stomach and let out a heavy cough from his lungs. It must have been hard to breathe since he just got a proper hit in the stomach.


    "Did you even know what kind of idiot he was before sending him to a place like that?"


    "Wha, what?"


    I kindly answered the confused man, "The man you swindled is a direct subordinate of the adventurer''s guild director."


    The man who heard me looked like he didn''t understand.


    "So what I¡¯m saying is that you¡¯ve been marked by the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±


    At my intuitive words, he became pale and began to beg. ¡°I, I didn''t know! Please spare me!"


    Rosellis spoke coldly to the begging man, "You know how much General Glont cares about his men, don''t you?"


    As far as I knew, Guild Director Glont was an intense man who previously threw a white glove at a noble who touched his direct subordinate and cut his head off on the spot. Thanks to that, Viscount Asilante and the count that the noble was associated with had a territorial war and ended up expanding the count¡¯s land.


    As a result, the territorial war ended with Uncle Bloody and Guild Director Glont charging into the count¡¯s castle and slaughtering all the knights. Wasn¡¯t it said that afterward, the count was completely ruined, and Asilante was promoted to a count?


    "Save me!"


    I dropped chips worth two gold coins on the head of the man who was begging me to save him. "This is our old man''s debt. Two gold coins¡¯ worth of chips."


    The man trembled as he was hit by my chips. "Ah, no! I don¡¯t need them!"


    I whispered to the man as he refused, "Ayy, no. Even if you scammed him, the contract is legal, and we have to repay it. That way, our adventurer¡¯s guild won¡¯t feel guilty and get rid of you."


    Since we could not get evidence of the scam, we had to repay it. Honestly, this was more convenient than proving that it was a scam. I smiled refreshingly at the man. The man stared at me like he was looking at a devil, but the gaze of a dead man was of no concern to me.


    You''re already dead! I took Flam''s debt certificate out of the bewildered man''s arms.


    "I¡¯ll be taking this. Do your best." I patted the man on the shoulder.


    Notes: 1) Expression showing frustration at having to keep a secret.

 Chapter 131: Underground Undertaker (8)

    As we left the casino, we embraced the gifts given to us by the casino management. The gifts¡¯ purpose was to request that we avoid damaging the casino from the incident of setting up Flam in the underground ring. In a word, it was a bribe.


    Since they were not aware of this, it was understandable, but still, from the casino''s point of view, they had messed with a civil servant. I have mentioned this before, but under imperial law, civil servants were the Emperor''s servants and his hands and feet.


    The casino was already walking a fine line between being legal and illegal. So, with the added fact that they messed with a civil servant, the casino management was at risk of being killed. Literally.


    Considering the dignity of the Emperor, it was unclear whether only the management would be killed. In fact, if the adventurer''s guild genuinely decided to cause a ruckus at the casino even before the law came into effect, the casino would be ruined that same day.


    The casino was already looked at unfavorably for having retired adventurers and mercenaries in the underground ring, so this situation was a real crisis that could actually lead to the casino¡¯s downfall. For the guy who scammed Flam and put him up in the underground ring, the casino would probably make him pay his just dues before the adventurer¡¯s guild came to take care of it.


    After completely leaving the vicinity of the casino, we walked on an entirely empty path. This abnormality was because it was the middle of the night.


    "And I think you have a dark side,¡± Flam said.


    I tilted my head. "Ayy, what do you mean ¡®dark¡¯? There''s no one as nice as me."


    Rosellis looked at me as if that was ridiculous. "Nice? Throwing chips at someone who''s in despair?"


    "Of course. How nice of me. It''s good to have some money when your life''s ruined either way."


    It was money for the fare to cross into the afterlife. It stung me to see Rosellis looking at me like my character was trash, so I decided to change the topic. "Shall we see what''s in here?¡±


    Flam nodded at my suggestion. "That''s a good idea. The box is too big and uncomfortable to hold, so it would be better to tie it into one bundle."


    Flam and I opened the gift boxes on the spot.


    "Hey, it''s a civil nuisance if you leave stuff here."


    "Oh, come on. It''s nighttime anyways. Not a single person is out walking around."


    Various items poured out of the gift boxes.


    "There¡¯s a cashmere coat, pure gold ring, high-quality ink and quill, and also a fountain pen.¡±


    When I took out the items in the gift box, Rosellis seemed to grow interested as well and sat down with us, opening the gift box.


    "What, they''re all famous brand-name products. Oh! This is a limited edition that I wasn¡¯t able to get. The spring season special edition!¡± Rosellis shouted excitedly after finding a cute bunny doll.


    "¡­Angelica."


    When I mumbled softly, Rosellis blushed and gave a dry cough. "Hum-hum! Who thought it was a good idea to give a toy for little kids as a gift?"


    Yet, even while she said this, she looked at the bunny doll lovingly.


    "Oh, do you not need it? I think Arwen would like that doll. Can I take it with me?"


    Rosellis''s eyes shook when Flam said he would give it to his sister. "You, you said you¡¯re giving it to Arwen?"


    Not only her eyes but her voice also trembled.


    "That''s right. I don''t think I''ve ever given her such a gift because I''m a man."


    When Flam spoke, Rosellis looked at me like she was about to cry. I guess there¡¯s no helping it.


    "Flam, rather than that, how about something like this?" I showed Flam a beautifully crafted silver bracelet.


    "Hmm, doesn''t it look too expensive for a child to wear?"


    "No! This doll is probably more expensive than the bracelet. And kids these days are so clever that they prefer bracelets and necklaces rather than dolls like this." Rosellis tried desperately to protect the doll.


    Do you want the doll so badly that you have to do that?


    "Then you can just give that necklace and this bracelet together as a gift."


    When I pointed to a silver necklace with sapphire embedded in it from Rosellis''s gift box, Rosellis nodded enthusiastically. "That''s right. This necklace goes well with that bracelet. It looks like it was made for Arwen.¡±


    "Hmm, is that so?"


    After some consideration, Flam nodded. "Since both of you are saying so, I suppose that¡¯s a better choice."


    "Nice!" Bursting with joy, Rosellis blushed and handed the necklace to Flam while I handed over my bracelet as well.


    "Thank you, but it''s hard for me just to accept your gifts. You each should pick one of my gifts.¡±


    "No, I''m okay.¡± Rosellis¡¯s heart had already long been occupied by the doll.


    "Then I''ll take two instead." I took a children''s magic wand that was about 30 cm long and a simple alchemy kit. The gifts were really all sorts of random things.


    "I was going to buy both of these things, but I¡¯ve been putting it off because I was too lazy."


    I¡¯m going to upgrade the children''s magic wand later to be able to beat out any normal magic wands in performance. I¡¯ll say I got it by chance, and use it as Alice''s birthday present. Later on, even after turning 20 years old, she probably won''t be able to find a better magic wand than the one I¡¯ll give her.


    Thinking about it, it would be a pretty funny sight to see her use a magic wand made for children. I think it would be okay if I slightly modified the simple alchemy kit and gave it to Yuria. Or I could use it too. I was looking for simple magic tools like this because I would feel bad trying to have a proper workshop in the boarding house, and besides, there wasn¡¯t enough space.


    I rarely liked any magic tool, but this was pretty good. But anyway, it seems my standards have fallen quite a bit. I can''t believe I think this is acceptable.


    "Shoot, it¡¯s late. Arwen is probably waiting."


    It was already close to midnight. After exchanging seemingly necessary items with each other, we got up. With a happy face, Rosellis headed toward the adventurers'' guild headquarters while hugging the bunny doll, and Flam headed home with his arms full of weapon repairing tools and Arwen¡¯s gifts.


    While slowly heading back to the boarding house, I snuck into a back alley, put my things in the pocket space, and headed to the outskirts of the capital. After walking for a long time, I took a watch out from my chest and checked the time.


    It¡¯s 12:30 in the morning. I''m screwed; I have night duty tomorrow. I can''t wait to go back to the boarding house and sleep.


    There were quite a few things to pack, such as clothes to use while on-duty, toiletries, and spare uniforms. The public-use blanket was a little shady, so I needed to bring a blanket too. Oh, I¡¯m busy. So busy. And so, let¡¯s get rid of the flies following me and then go to bed.


    "Didn''t you follow me because you have business with me?" I shouted under a deserted castle, just before the edge of the capital.


    No answer. It seemed like an ordinary corpse. There was definitely a presence, though very subtle¡ªtwo, from what I could feel.


    Both of them had excellent hiding skills, but one of them was monstrously skillful to the point where I wasn¡¯t sure if the person was even there. At this level, the person was probably even better than the best stealth user in my hometown, Mac hyung.


    At first, I thought the presence was following Rosellis because I felt it starting from the casino. I thought it would be hard for even Rosellis to deal with them, so I tried to sneak into the back alley and wear a mask to help her, but the presence followed me.


    "I know you¡¯ve been following me since the casino. I want to go back and sleep soon, so hurry and come on out."


    Despite my annoyance, they still did not come out. At times like this, force was necessary. Well, them continuously tailing me was quite shady, so I was going to beat them up first anyways.


    "Two shots to start." Two magic bullets shot out from my hand towards where they were hiding.


    Only then did two women pop out from the dark. One of the two was the person I played with at the casino who wore the swan mask decorated with white fur. The other person wearing a black butterfly mask was someone I had never seen before.


    Were they sent by the casino? I thought they might have been chasing me because I won against the casino¡¯s dealers too much. There were five dealers who had fallen into the abyss in my hands and seven who fell into ruin afterward.


    Come to think of it, I felt it when I was playing the card games, but that Swan Mask also had an excellent ability to slip cards out from below. It was possible. She was worse than someone like me who could even take the bottom from fate, but her high level of skill was still praiseworthy.


    The Swan Mask glared at me and asked, "How did you know?¡±


    "Know what?" What do I know? I don''t even know why you''re following me. It¡¯s making me feel uncomfortable.


    "That we''re following you. How did you know?"


    ¡°Ah, that? I knew because of you.¡±  I pointed to Swan Mask.


    "Because of me?"


    I nodded, digging my ear with my little finger. My ears were itchy as if Swan Mask was cursing me.


    "Yep. That Black Butterfly was perfect, but Swan, you were clumsy. If you hide like that, aren¡¯t you basically advertising that you¡¯re there?"


    Swan Mask bit her lips in anger. Actually, Swan Mask was highly skilled, but since she was considered an enemy, I tried to provoke a weakness.


    But contrary to my expectation, Swan Mask apologized to Butterfly Mask. "I''m sorry. It was because of me.¡±


    I admired Swan Mask¡¯s apology. She was better at controlling her emotions than I thought.


    "That''s right, that''s right. I think you do need to apologize. Don''t go anywhere saying you learned stealth skills. I don''t know who taught you, but do you think they can make a living if people find out they taught you?"


    When I nodded and agreed with Swan Mask, she stared at me fiercely.


    Then Butterfly Mask smiled and said, "I taught her."


    "Aigoo, really? Why didn''t you teach her well? Look at that. Well, there''s no law saying that a good player also makes a good teacher."


    "Shut up!" Swan Mask roared. Very good. Swan Mask¡¯s weakness was me swearing at Butterfly Mask.


    "I~don¡¯t~want~to," I said hatefully.


    Swan Mask tried to pull out her sword. However, Butterfly Mask stopped her with a gesture, and Swan Mask stepped back furiously. She had better control over herself than I thought. In this case, the only method available seemed to be shaking the mentality of Butterfly Mask. But how should I do this?


    While I was thinking, Butterfly Mask said, ¡°You asked what our business was, right? Then why don''t you stop secretly gathering mana?¡±


    Butterfly Mask¡¯s words made me nervous for a moment. It would have been impossible to know that I was secretly gathering mana without extraordinary senses.


    "Who are you?"


    Butterfly Mask smiled as I stared at her. "Yeah. It''s not polite to wear a mask like this when we haven''t seen each other in a long time."


    Swan Mask was surprised by Butterfly Mask¡¯s words. What do you mean, long time no see? I''ve never known anyone who wore the same perverted mask as the black butterfly mask.


    Butterfly Mask casually took off her mask. "Long time no see, Denburg Blade."

 Chapter 132: Underground Undertaker (9)

    I was surprised to see Butterfly Mask¡¯s face calling my name as she continued, "I haven''t seen you for a long time. You can¡¯t even say hello?¡±


    With her prompt, I barely managed to come to my senses and say hello with a smile. "Long time no see, Aunt Talaria."


    Damn it, Aunt Talaria. I had no idea. It had been over a decade since my aunt left our hometown, saying she had something to do with my grandfather. She stopped by the village from time to time, so I didn¡¯t forget her face. But honestly, considering I never interacted with her for most of my life, I never thought I''d run into her here.


    Damn it. This was the worst-case scenario. I had no choice but to run away. No, I had to run away right now.


    "You''re thinking of running away, aren''t you?" Aunt Talaria grinned and saw through my thoughts.


    Although my big sister took my reputation as the smartest, my aunt blocked my action with a single phrase. As it so happens, my aunt was also called the smartest amongst the Crow Tribe in the past.


    This could not be worse. At least my sister was weak, but Aunt Talaia was so monstrous that, when she was young, she competed with my father for the position of chief till the end. In terms of skills, she was sure to be stronger than Uncle Bloody.


    My father often complained that things became bothersome because he had won the life-or-death battle to determine the chief. In other words, my father and aunt survived a bloody fight with their lives on the line. Even so, I was confident that I could run away unless my opponent were my father.


    However, it was inevitable that the capital would collapse in the aftermath. My aunt and I exchanged glances. Then we nodded at the same time.


    ¡°Let''s get out of the capital.¡±


    ¡°Let''s get out of the capital.¡±


    Having read each other¡¯s thoughts, my aunt and I jumped on the spot and crossed the castle wall. The 20-meter tall castle wall quickly passed us as we flew by. We used mana detection disruption magic and concealment magic to avoid being caught by patrolling imperial soldiers.


    Aunt Talaria followed behind me using the same magic. Come to think of it, my aunt and I had many similarities. The fact that she learned both magic and swordsmanship at the same time, had extraordinary intelligence, and did not want to become the chief were all akin to me.


    Yet, at the same time, I thought my aunt was the complete opposite of me. My aunt was more acquainted with the sword than magic, preferred the whole over the individual, and above all, she was authoritative.


    I thought my aunt was more suitable to be the Crow Tribe chief than my father, but my aunt seemed to have thought differently. Neither my aunt nor I wanted to be the chief, but I ran away while my aunt confidently stood against it. Although the results were the same, the process to get there was different.


    In the meantime, we landed in an area far away from the capital after flying quickly. It was not a long flight, but because we had flown at full power, we seemed to have traveled to the point where the capital could not be seen.


    I clicked my tongue as Aunt Talaria confronted me. "Hu-hu. You tried to fly fast and lose me, didn¡¯t you?"


    I saw my aunt smiling and affirmed. "You¡¯re so knowledgeable. Then why didn''t you go away?"


    We could guess each other''s intentions anyway, so there was no need to try to deceive each other.


    My aunt grumbled as she looked in the direction we flew from. "You flew so fast that the girl couldn''t keep up.¡±


    If my aunt had flown while holding onto her in the first place, there was no way Swan Mask would have fallen behind.


    "It''s better for both of us to come to a conclusion quickly."


    "Well, that''s true." Aunt Talaria nodded.


    Looking at my aunt''s expression, she seemed like she was waiting for Swan Mask to catch up, so I asked her while waiting. "Who is that Swan Mask? A subordinate?"


    Swan Mask kept giving me a feeling like I¡¯d seen her somewhere before. It felt like if I kept thinking about it, I might remember, but I couldn''t quite place the answer.


    My aunt smiled vaguely at my question. "Who knows? She¡¯s a subordinate if you say subordinate and family if you say family."


    "Family?"


    "Yes, she''s a foster daughter."


    A foster daughter? Then she''s my cousin?


    Considering she was struggling even to keep up, she was so weak that she didn¡¯t seem to have been taught by my aunt.


    "It seems you haven¡¯t been teaching her very strictly. Her ability seems a little lacking to be your foster daughter."


    Even if you were not a Crow, after going through the development process of the Crow Tribe, you would at least be as strong as Rosellis. That was also the lowest level. Even just by casually learning the Crow¡¯s martial arts, you could become stronger by leaps and bounds.


    Of course, whether you could endure the martial arts while not being a Crow was another matter. The Crow¡¯s martial arts was not their secret art for nothing. An ordinary body would not be able to withstand the martial arts. Even if they endured it, the penalty was sure to be significant.


    "She is indeed weak because she¡¯s an outside child. You should know because you¡¯ve been outside, but unlike our hometown, if you clench something, it''ll crumble into pieces out here.¡±


    It made sense when I thought of Granwell''s gangsters that I first tried to pat lightly on the head. I wonder if those gangsters are doing okay.


    "That''s true, but still¡­."


    ¡°And besides, that child is the same age as you."


    I was convinced by my aunt''s words. If this was true, it was necessary to revise my evaluation. It seems she¡¯s been training her hard.


    Considering the age difference between Rosellis and me, the Swan Mask was more likely to be stronger than Rosellis when she turned the same age. By the time she reaches her 30s, she might even be able to pull out something similar to an aura blade. That kind of potential would be good enough to be on par with Alphonso.


    When I saw Swan Mask flying towards us in the distance, I took out the magic wand and the sword I was wearing when I ran away from home.


    My aunt was surprised to see my magic wand. "Oh my. Child. What''s with that hideous wand? You''re taking that out to deal with your aunt?¡±


    As she said this, my aunt took two swords out of her pocket space.


    "Aunt, then what are those hideous swords? They''re not the kind of swords you should be taking out to deal with your nephew."


    Those two swords were also hideous enough to be comparable to my magic wand. One was the sword of my grandfather, Zendia Blade, the former chief, and the other was the sword of my great-grandfather, who slew the Demon King.


    The holy sword and demon sword, which were believed to have disappeared, were part of the four god swords, the most powerful swords in the world.


    My aunt and I just smiled at each other, and I said, "Let''s get down to business. How you found me is not important. Who else knows that I''m here?"


    My aunt laughed at my question. "So far, I''m the only one who knows."


    ¡°Do you think I''ll believe you?¡±


    ¡°No, but it''s true.¡± My aunt looked at me indifferently. She was adeptly controlling her gaze and every single one of her facial expressions.


    It was impossible to read someone¡¯s emotions when they were like this. "What is it that you want?"


    "There isn¡¯t anything in particular. What could I want from my lovely nephew?¡±


    That was a lie. If my aunt''s words were true, she would have come to see me with Uncle Bloody, not Swan Mask. If my aunt wanted nothing from me, she was the type of person who would drag me back to Olympus Forest for the sake of the Crow Tribe.


    In other words, my aunt wanted something from me. What would that be? What would my aunt be aiming for? Damn, there wasn¡¯t enough information.


    "And what do you want?"


    I answered my aunt''s question seriously, "A peaceful life."


    My answer broke my aunt''s indifferent expression, and she burst into laughter. "Puheup!"


    "Hmm?"


    "Puhahahaha!"


    What is it? It¡¯s really ruining my mood.


    My aunt couldn''t stop laughing even when my bitter gaze rested on her.


    "Hahahaha! Oh, that was a funny joke. It''s really been a long time since I laughed like this.¡±


    "I mean it.¡±


    My aunt burst into laughter once again. ¡°Puhahahahaha!¡±


    Fine. Let''s just fight.


    When I started to pour mana into the magic wand, my aunt seemed to have realized I was serious and waved her hand. "Ahaha, sorry. It was just unexpected. I didn''t know there¡¯d be anyone in my family who would want something resembling a peaceful life.¡±


    Well, certainly, if I heard anyone in my family talk about peace or stability, I would doubt that my ears were working. I didn¡¯t harden my resolve to leave home on a whim.


    "And you¡¯re even the next chief. Oh right, did the title change to village head? Anyway, I never imagined that Doomstone oppa¡¯s successor would say something like that."


    It was indeed beyond imagination. I don''t want to admit it, but there were some points you just had to concede.


    My aunt wiped her eyes and spoke again seriously. "If you want, I can move on without telling Bloody or Doomstone oppa."


    "Really?" I looked suspiciously at my aunt.


    At my glance, my aunt skillfully glossed over it. "Instead, I''d like you to help me with a few things in the future."


    As I thought, there was also something she wanted from me. What was it? What did she want so much that she wouldn¡¯t immediately tell my father after finding my location? Was my grandfather perhaps involved? It was a possibility since my aunt was his right hand when my grandfather was the chief. It was like the relationship between my father and big sister.


    "You said you didn''t want anything earlier,¡± I said.


    "I just don¡¯t need anything right now."


    Such a sly person, but I couldn¡¯t stop her. Basically, this negotiation determined whether or not I could live a stable life as a civil servant.


    "I can''t be called on endlessly. I want to specify a set number of requests you can make."


    "Are you in a position to negotiate?¡± My aunt asked.


    I shrugged. "I¡¯m only going along because it¡¯s a waste of my effort otherwise. However, if you get on my bad side, do you think I won¡¯t give everything up and interfere with your work?"


    "Do you know what it is that I do?"


    I nodded. "I have my guesses.¡±


    Actually, I didn''t know a thing. However, my aunt''s expression became stiff when she heard me.


    Then my aunt closed her eyes for a moment and thought for a moment before smiling longingly. "Yes, your mother had that kind of spunk."


    Was she trying to gloss over it like this?


    "Maybe it''s not Hestia who most resembles an anemone, but you." My aunt spoke as she got into a battle stance.


    "When opinions aren¡¯t in agreement, the matter is decided by strength. It''s our village''s old tradition, isn''t it?¡±


    Of course. I also got into stance as I poured mana into my magic wand and said, "Do we have to do this? I don''t know about my father or uncle, but Aunt, you¡¯re capable of reason."


    My aunt shook her head at my earnest request. "In fact, I want to see if you have the required skill for my request. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the confidence to deal with oppa¡¯s rage if my lovely nephew goes and just dies while doing a favor for me."


    "Ayy, I''m a Crow too. Would I die like a sunfish from doing you a single favor?¡± (1)


    "A sunfish?" My aunt didn¡¯t know about the sunfish and tilted her head.


    "Ah, an ogre. Ogre."


    Ogres were at the bottom of the ecosystem in Olympus Forest.


    My aunt seemed to accept my correction as she nodded. "Then let''s confirm that starting now."


    My aunt released enough martial aura to the point of saturating the surroundings. Against the martial aura, I was also forced to release my mana.


    Notes: 1)  I¡¯m not entirely clear on the sunfish, but I believe it is similar to saying ¡°die like a dog¡± in english.

 Chapter 133: Underground Undertaker (10)

    Milpia was exhausted; she gasped for breath as she followed the two people who had already disappeared. The two monstrous people flew so fast that they seemed to reach the speed of sound. While they flew away, they used mana detection interference magic and concealment magic to avoid being seen by the imperial troops stationed in the capital.


    After the two people left her in the dust, Milpia was only able to chase after them because of the unique markings of the Big Mama Information Agency occasionally put on the ground by Big Mama, who was also Talaria Blade.


    "Whew-." Milpia sighed once again, organizing her complicated thoughts.


    She had encountered Den several times when she hung out with Yuria and Alice, but she never imagined he was Talaria''s nephew. At the same time, however, it was clear why Talaria stopped the investigation into Den during the attempted poisoning of a civil servant case. If they had tried to investigate Den hastily, they would definitely have unexpectedly suffered unimaginable damage.


    As Milpia almost reached where Den and Talaria were, she tried to speed up despite the fatigue, but she heard Talaria''s voice through magic.


    -Stop there. No, retreat further.


    Milpia stopped and retreated on Talaria''s orders. She couldn''t understand why Talaria ordered her to retreat when she was 10 kilometers away from where they were, but she followed the order due to habit.


    And a few minutes later, Milpia could see why Talaria asked her to back away. Milpia witnessed a scene that seemed to have been literally carried here from a mythological era.


    * * *


    "If we really must, then let''s do it!"


    At the same time as when Den shouted, the two flew into the sky.


    "Wind! Wind! Wind! Blow her away, wind flurry!¡±


    The mana stones circling the magic wand that Den held started to rotate fiercely and amplified Den¡¯s mana. Then with Den as the center, wind began to form around him violently.


    In the midst of the wind that was threatening to blow her away, Talaria dispersed the wind with magic. The wind made it difficult to keep steady. The reason for creating this gust of wind was to keep Talaria from approaching easily.


    Talaria smiled and injected a huge amount of mana into both of her swords. When she swung the god swords, Den¡¯s mana that was dominating the surrounding was sliced apart, and the gusts of wind ceased to exist. The surrounding area was filled with trees that had been uprooted by the gusts that Den created.


    As Talaria flew quickly towards Den, Den shot a myriad of magic bullets. Talaria cut through the magic bullets as she approached and launched a knee kick at Den''s abdomen. When Talaria''s knee made contact with Den, he dispersed into the air. Realizing that it was an illusion, Talaria looked around.


    "Where are you looking, Aunt? That''s just my illusion." Dozens of Dens appeared everywhere around Talaria and aimed their magic wands at her.


    Flustered, Talaria opened her senses to locate the real Den, but she could feel a presence from all of the illusions of Den.


    "I am the real one. Who are you looking at?¡±


    "No, I''m the real one."


    "It''s all a lie. I am the real one."


    "No way. I am the real one."


    All of Den''s illusions laughed, each saying that they were the real ones.


    Talaria cooled down her heart and lifted her sword.


    "I understand you''re trying to make me flustered, but-" Talaria smiled and unleashed a fierce martial aura.


    "It¡¯s over if I just consider all of them to be real and fight, my nephew." Talaria quickly rushed to one of the Dens and slashed at it ruthlessly.


    "Ttang! That was a fake." The bisected Den smiled and disappeared.


    "Aren¡¯t you being too mean?" Den''s illusions spoke in unison and criticized Talaria.


    "How could you slash at your lovely nephew without any hesitation?¡±


    And at the same time, the surrounding illusions of Den fired magic. Hot flames, sharp winds, ice arrows, and lightning all flew in unison toward Talaria.


    Talaria wrapped her swords in sword aura and wiped out the magic that flew at her. Then she threw sword aura at each of Den''s illusions, but Den''s illusions quickly evaded them. Still, many of the illusions disappeared due to her blows.


    "Tsunami of the earth!" The earth trembled greatly at Den''s magic, and hundreds of meters of earth rose up and struck Talaria.


    Talaria cut open a hole in the massive wall of earth that was approaching from all sides and escaped. Yet, as if it had been waiting for her escape, hot flames poured down on her.


    "Tch!" Talaria clicked her tongue and launched a wind with her left sword to disperse the flames that were pouring towards her.


    At the same time, she fired sword auras with her right sword to reduce the number of Den''s illusions.


    Before she knew it, there was one Den left. She looked at him and spoke. ¡°Let''s stop the warm-up now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    Although the area had already been upturned due to their warm-up, they did not care, raising their martial aura.


    "Iya, it''s nice not to have anything in the way." Den had never fought properly because he feared the capital would be destroyed and innocent people would be swept away by the magic.


    Den smiled with a relieved look. ¡°Shooting little bits of magic bullets really doesn¡¯t fit my nature.¡±


    Talaria nodded. "I agree. The bad thing about the capital is that there''s no room to swing the sword freely."


    The two faced each other and clashed again.


    "Minefield!" Den''s mana spread in all directions, and transparent magic mines formed everywhere.


    Sensing the underlying mana in the surrounding, Talaria launched sword aura all around her to blow up the mines.


    Kwang! Kwa-gwa-gwang-!


    Hundreds of mines exploded at once, filling the area with smoke.


    "The Girl of the Wind!"


    You couldn''t even see what was before you within the smoke-filled area, but wind spikes flew out from it toward Talaria. Even in the space with zero visibility, she sensed the mana and cut away all the wind spikes that flew at her.


    Then she took a deep breath, poured mana into her sword, and swung it at the empty space. The intense pressure from the sword blew the smoke away in an instant. Talaria used her senses again and found Den.


    Den created the illusions again and attacked Talaria.


    Kang!


    She struck away Den with her right sword and, at the same time, used the left sword to slash towards Den. The cut Den scattered like smoke, causing Talaria to become flustered. She was sure it was real when she struck it with her sword, but he turned into an illusion when she hit him.


    Just as she was trying to figure out the situation, Den''s illusions simultaneously attacked her from behind, below, and the right. Talaria wrapped her leg in aura, kicking the one attacking from the bottom. She then spun around and slashed at the ones attacking from behind her and the right.


    "Aim complete." In the meantime, Den had been preparing a large-scale magic spell from afar. He immediately aimed at Talaria as soon as the magic was completed, and the mana stone that drifted around the magic wand spun so quickly that it created a circle with an afterimage.


    "Thunder that Races Across the Sky! Fire!" With Den''s magic trigger, a roar came from the magic wand, and a house-sized beam of white light shot out.


    Feeling a sense of danger, Talaria quickly dodged. The Thunder that Races Across the Sky, which just barely missed her by a short distance, destroyed the top of a vast mountain behind her. Talaria was shocked and had cold sweat at the sight.


    Den took out an improved mana recovery potion from his pocket space and threw away the empty bottle. Taking a deep breath and quickly recovering his mana, Den immediately prepared the next magic.


    "The dusk that dominates the sky."


    Talaria sensed that the mana that was gathering towards Den was much greater than the mana for the previous magic. She judged that when the magic was completed, the entire vicinity, let alone just a mountain, would be devastated, so she quickly approached Den before the magic could be finished.


    "The land where the light disappears and the wicked gospel sinks."


    However, Den''s illusions blocked Talaria¡¯s approach. One of the illusions stabbed her towards her shoulder. At the same time, another illusion cut at her back.


    "Defender of balance, a level Libra, unwavering vigilance."


    As soon as she dealt with the one stabbing at her shoulder, another illusion stabbed towards her open ribs. And when she dealt with the illusion cutting at her back, another illusion tried to cut her right leg. She approached Den as she got rid of the never-ending illusions, but Den''s magic had already been completed.


    "White feathers placed on the dark axis."


    Den spoke the last incantation with a mischievous smile. "World Reversal!"


    From Den''s magic wand, a white mana bead as big as a child''s fist fell to the ground. When she saw this, Talaria desperately flew upwards to the sky with all her might. Before she knew it, the illusions blocking her movements had disappeared. Talaria climbed higher than she had ever before but continued to soar higher.


    As soon as the white mana bead that Den dropped touched the ground, the whole area was overturned into darkness. Talaria got goosebumps as she saw the scene from high up in the sky. Instinctively, she could feel that if she had been touched by that darkness, not even a corpse would be left.


    "Wow, it''s my first time using this magic, but it seems I''ll have to put a seal on it."


    Before she knew it, Den had arrived next to Talaria with a smile. Looking at the smile, Talaria could feel her body shivering.


    "The old lady Mirpa taught you this magic?" Talaria looked at Den like she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Den casually shrugged. "Ayy, no way. I taught it to myself.¡±


    "Crazy punk." Talaria shuddered from the bottom of her heart.


    * * *


    The large hemisphere made of darkness gradually diminished and disappeared quickly. In the place where the darkness was, a huge crater was created as if nothing had ever been there, with only soil left around the mountain area.


    It seemed there wouldn¡¯t be any need to go through the effort of cultivating this land. I bet the farmers will love it. But anyway, the magic I created was dozens of times more powerful than what I imagined it to be.


    In my mind, it was a magic about 100 meters in diameter sent to the world of reversal, but the result was a radius of one kilometer that was sent to the world of reversal. It was good that I used simple and easy to control magic like magic bullets when I was in the capital.


    When I was in my hometown, I couldn¡¯t produce the power I wanted unless I used large-scale magic. Therefore, I only trained large-scale magic for combat magic. However, because of that, I couldn¡¯t use any proper attack magic outside of my hometown.


    To steadily train me to reduce my power output, I had to practice far away from the capital like this. The tail will get stepped on if it is too long. If I keep creating craters like this, I might get caught.


    In addition, if I freely used magic however I wanted, there might not be a capital by now. Come to think of it; it took more mana to put Arelia to sleep and maintain it at the ball than to make that hemisphere.


    What on earth were anti-magicians made of?


    There was a chance that Arelia might have easily survived in that hemisphere. No, she would surely survive.


    I looked at my aunt and asked, "So are you going to keep fighting?¡±


    When I pointed my magic wand at her, my aunt replied with a fed-up expression.

 Chapter 134: Underground Undertaker (11)

    "No, that''s enough." My aunt¡¯s expression seemed to indicate that it was more than enough.


    That''s too bad. If I knew this would happen, I would have used some techniques that I hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to show off before using "World Reversal."


    "Really? I thought you would do more because you haven¡¯t used your swords¡¯ abilities yet."


    If my aunt had used her swords properly, I was certain that no matter how powerful the magic I used was, I wouldn''t be able to harm her. The swords my aunt was carrying were that high-level of cheat items. Of course, that was also why I excitedly used my magic. If my aunt had fought sincerely, I would have had no choice but to fight with my life on the line.


    "It¡¯s fine." My aunt also looked tired from using too much mana.


    I took out a mana recovery agent, nicknamed MP potion, from my pocket space and threw it to my aunt.


    My aunt received the MP potion and spoke indifferently, "If you take this outside Olympus Forest, you''ll be in big trouble."


    It seemed my aunt tried doing this before. Normally, there shouldn¡¯t have been any need for her to drink it. I wonder if the request she was going to give was difficult enough to require an MP potion from me?


    "I know. I drank it before. You can drink it because it has been tailored to the environment outside.¡±


    "Really?" My aunt became delighted and thanked me, then downed the MP potion.


    "Hmm, did you improve the taste too?¡±


    "Yes. It¡¯s usually pretty bad. Elder Mirpa doesn¡¯t like to make improvements on things aside from magical components, but he''s not even here, so it¡¯s fine."


    It was an MP potion that I intentionally created by developing synthetic flavoring agents. For reference, it was grape flavor. My aunt nodded.


    "Good job. Honestly, it wasn''t edible before." Aunt Talaria shook her head with a look of horror.


    After quickly recovering her mana, my aunt put the two god swords into her pocket space and used voice-transmitting magic somewhere.


    "It''s all over. You can come now."


    Judging from the direction of the mana, she seemed to have sent a communication to Swan Mask.


    "You talk down to me, but you talk to your daughter with respect?" [1]


    My aunt snorted and asked, "Why? Do you want me to speak respectfully to you too?¡±


    Uack, it gave me the creeps to imagine my aunt being respectful to me. "No."


    When I showed my disgust, my aunt smiled playfully and disheveled my hair. "I actually want to converse comfortably with that child just as I do with you, but she doesn''t feel comfortable with me."


    "That makes sense. It would be weird for her not to be afraid of you.¡±


    My aunt hit me in the back of the head.


    "Ouch!"


    My aunt even calculated which direction I would flee and whacked me in the head. Then she sighed. "From now on, that child will be in charge of contacting you."


    My aunt smiled at Swan Mask flying here from far away. I thought she was quite iron-blooded, but she was unexpectedly clumsy.


    "I would prefer not with someone whose face I don¡¯t even know." Even if she was my cousin, it was too much to ask to be on good terms when it was my first time meeting her.


    ¡°Oh, you probably know her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± We know each other?


    Considering that I didn''t have many exchanges, it could be one of the adventurers I saw when I was working at the adventurer''s guild. Swan Mask quickly arrived and had a brief conversation with my aunt. Then Swan Mask took off her mask with hesitation.


    "You!" The face behind the mask was Milpia, who often came to the boarding house to meet Alice and Yuria.


    ¡°No way! Were you keeping an eye on me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Milpia frowned and shouted at my shocked face.


    Milpia calmed her agitated self with a dry cough and introduced herself with cold eyes, "I will introduce myself again. I am Milpia, the head of the Big Mama Information Agency headquarters located in the capital."


    "Big Mama?"


    When I looked at my aunt in surprise, she grinned. "Big Mama-nim, your aunt, is the head of the Big Mama Information Agency."


    Let''s just skip over my aunt''s grotesque naming sense, which was similar to some cooking research nicknames.


    I now realized when my aunt had discovered me. "When Director Pelgrant was almost poisoned, was it you in the secret space behind the wall with the painting?¡±


    Aunt Talaria nodded lightly. I felt like a fool, as I had been acting carefully to avoid getting identified when I had already been discovered two months ago.


    Then my aunt looked at me with a smile and asked, "You''re the one who visited Granwell, right?"


    Milpia looked at me in surprise at my aunt''s question while I lied out of habit, "No, that wasn¡¯t me."


    "What do you mean no? There¡¯s no one else but you who would want information about Bloody¡¯s location and the forces that he could mobilize. With your magic, it would be easy to change your face, and most of all, it coincides with the time you ran away from home.¡±


    I laughed at my aunt''s reasoning. "Then, how did I know the location and password of the information agency when I had just run away?"


    My aunt had no reply. I really had visited because of a coincidence, not intentionally.


    After thinking for a moment, my aunt laughed. "Do you realize that what you said just now is no different from admitting you came to Granwell?¡±


    I looked back on my words before I realized my mistake and clicked my tongue. "Tch, I made a mistake. Yes, that was me."


    When my aunt asked me if it had been me who visited Granwell, I shouldn''t have said no. Instead, I should have asked where Granwell was or if Granwell had a Big Mama branch. From the moment I answered ''No,'' I admitted to knowing that there was a Big Mama branch in Granwell.


    "Then! The middle-aged man with the scarred face is?"


    As Milpia became shocked, I casually put an illusion over my face. "You mean this face?"


    Milpia looked at me with dejected eyes when she heard a deep modulated sound from my voice and said, ¡°I suffered because of you!¡±


    ¡°What suffering?¡±


    "It¡¯s fine. You won¡¯t know even if I tell you, and anyways, it''s classified."


    Milpia looked as if she had organized her feelings just now. I don''t know why, but it felt like resignation. However, what''s important now wasn¡¯t Milpia¡¯s emotions.


    "Anyways, are you sure you will keep my location and identity secret?¡± The most important thing was whether or not I was going to be dragged back to my hometown.


    Aunt Talaria nodded happily. "Yes, if you''ll listen to my requests later.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®request,¡¯ not ''requests.¡¯¡±


    My aunt and I looked into each other''s eyes and laughed. It seems wanting to sleep tonight is just wishful thinking. Damn, I''m on night duty tomorrow. I''m doomed.


    * * *


    Early in the morning of winter, just as the sun was rising past the mountain ridge, Orphina and Bloody looked at the same place with serious faces.


    "That''s incredible," Bloody said as he started to cold sweat.


    Usually, Orphina would have told him to shut his mouth because it was annoying, but she kept silent and nodded heavily. The sight before their eyes was just that surprising. The huge craters, which had a radius of one km, were surprising by themselves. Yet, the craters and other parts of the crater were covered with soil and trees as if they had been hit by landslides.


    In addition, the mountain top, which was visible from far away, was cut into a circular shape as if it had been dug up by rats. The horrific mana wave observed last night was so unprecedented that not only the nearby city but also the imperial army stationed in the faraway capital were about to enter a state of war.


    "Did a demon of legends or something come by this place?¡±


    Orphina rebuked Bloody''s words, "If the Four Great Demons had moved, it would have been a mess in the demon¡¯s territory, not the middle of the empire."


    "Even I know that, but if it¡¯s not a monster like that, there''s no way something like this could happen. What, or did Hyung-nim briefly come here or something?" As far as Bloody knew, the only thing that could make these traces without being noticed was Doomstone.


    "Well, I guess we have no choice but to contact William. Aside from that, we should contact everyone else who can make these traces.¡±


    As she said so, Orphina recalled a list of monsters that could create these traces. The first people that came to mind were Doomstone Blade and Mirpa Ainsmall, the great madosa who was with Doomstone.


    Besides them, there was the Dragon King, the leader of the Dragon Tribe, and the Great Elder, who was head of the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s elders. Of the four great madosas, there was the Curse Magician whose whereabouts were unknown and the Space Magician who was in the Kingdom of Magic.


    Zendia Blade, the former chief of the Crow Tribe, was one of those people as well. Also, of the confirmed masters of the 12 Zodiacs, Scorpio and Libra were suspicious. In particular, Scorpio and Libra were strong enough to smoothly escape the capital during the joint efforts of William, Orphina, and Glont in the "Spider Trap" operation, which was a large-scale subjugation operation in the past.


    Orphina bit her lips and mumbled, "What happened here?"


    * * *


    "Ha-am~." Oh, so sleepy. I was bickering with Aunt Talaria until late last night, and with the negotiations on top of that, I couldn''t get enough sleep.


    Flam was worried as he poured some coffee and handed it to me. "You look very tired. Didn''t you go straight home yesterday?"


    "Oh, thank you. I ran into a relative by chance on my way home yesterday. After talking for a while, I ended up going home late." I roughly told Flam the same excuse I made when I crawled back into the boarding house.


    In the morning, Alice, Yuria, and Lisbon were asking why I came back so late, so it was the excuse I made up for them. Well, it was true. My aunt brought a daughter I didn''t even know existed and asked me to help her with some business.


    "You have relatives residing in the capital?"


    "No, they don¡¯t live here. She just dropped by for a while."


    Yesterday, after heated negotiations with Aunt Talaria, she decided to overlook my civil servant life in return for listening to three of her requests. Furthermore, she promised that she would block not only my uncle Bloody but also the people dispatched to catch me, which included my younger sister, Mac hyung, and Lancelot.


    And she said that she would sell any information I wanted for a low price at the Big Mama Information Agency. She said she would sell it, not give it for free. What a cheapskate.


    All these agreements were stipulated in my own magic contracts and bound me, Aunt Talaria, and even Milpia. If the contract were broken, the violator would immediately suffer from hair loss and horrible athlete''s foot. In the end, it was a contract with family, so death was a little excessive.


    On top of that, there was a curse of weakening which would make the violator weaker than a senior knight in the empire. The curse was pretty strong, and since Milpia was also tied to the contract, if she broke it, she might die immediately. In reality, her blocking them from finding me was to prevent myself from getting caught and dragged back to my hometown before I could help out with her requests.


    Although the contract was signed, it was best to prepare for the worst-case scenario. There was no guarantee that I wouldn¡¯t get stabbed in the back just because we were family. This was especially true if I consider the fact that I stabbed my father in the back quite hard when I ran away.


    Let''s always start with greetings like this when I meet someone close to me. Is your back safe?


    By the way, my big sister¡¯s cleverness had no equal. Knowing that I''m weak against Lancelot, she sent him to catch me. It may not be a bad idea to disguise myself and go see Lancelot later.


    I felt like he could become my spy if I conciliate well. Well, it would also be nice to meet a friend from my hometown after a long time.


    1. Talking about honorifics (formal speech)

 Chapter 135: Labyrinth Exploration (1)

    Malecia murmured at the black tea placed in front of him. "I¡¯m pretty sure I ordered a brandy.¡±


    The waitress smiled and said, "You shouldn¡¯t drink alcohol in the morning. People should be sober in the morning."


    Malecia frowned with discontent at the waitress¡¯s nagging.


    The waitress met Malecia¡¯s fierce glare with tenacity as she put down on the table toast and scrambled eggs. "Don''t skip breakfast and eat regularly. I know you didn''t eat breakfast and just left yesterday."


    At her continuous nagging, Malecia raised his hands in surrender. "Haha, I got it. I lost, so stop nagging."


    He sipped the cup of non-alcoholic black tea with a carefree smile. When he frowned, it was normal for people he didn''t know, as well as his subordinates who knew him, to tremble in fear. However, this waitress had always nagged him as if she did not care.


    It wasn¡¯t even the battlefield, so it was awkward to have a meal without alcohol. But he didn''t necessarily hate it. He wondered if this is what it would be like if he had a daughter.


    When Malecia was about to bite into the toast, a nagging noise came from behind.


    "You don¡¯t even put jam on your toast. You seem to have an issue with your taste buds.¡±


    "Ah ah, okay¡ª¡±


    Malecia tried to put jam on the toast, but when he looked back he realized that it was not the waitress¡¯s voice.


    Right behind him stood a man in a black mask.


    "Master...!"


    When Malecia urgently stood up and tried to salute, Aries raised his hand and stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don''t want to make a fuss." Then he sat next to Malecia.


    "What brings you to this squalid place?¡±


    "Work."


    At Aries''s words, Malecia collected his relaxed face and nodded. Then he skimmed the surroundings.


    It was late in the morning, so there were few guests, but it was not good to talk about work where there were eyes.


    "Let me escort you upstairs."


    "Ahjussi, where are you going without eating breakfast?!"


    At the waitress¡¯s nagging, Malecia pointed upwards with an awkward smile. "I''m just going to my room for a moment. I¡¯ll come back and eat it. Don''t worry."


    Malecia took his master up to his room. Yang looked around the inn room that was just over two pyeongs and said indifferently.[1]


    "It''s even shabbier in the room."


    Malecia could not comment on Aries''s assessment. The inn itself was actually quite shabby.


    "I can''t sit still seeing my subordinates live in such squalid places. Fix the inn or move elsewhere.¡±


    Malecia was pleased but also felt awkward at his master¡¯s order. "I''m sorry. This is an inn run by the family of my former comrade-in-arms, so I''d like to stay here if possible.¡±


    The woman who was nagging him downstairs was the daughter of the former comrade.


    "Then you can fix the inn."


    "Haha, yes, I will try."


    Malecia did not think it would be easy. There were too many traces left in this inn by his former comrade who died in the war. If he had the resolution to fix the inn, he would have done it long ago.


    "So what brings you here without any word? If you had called me, I would have visited you myself.¡±


    Aries took a bundle of documents out of his pocket space and handed it over to Malecia. "It says that the ruins I have been looking for have been found in the empire. I will need to have you go there.¡±


    "I will accept your orders. When should I leave?"


    "Now."


    Aries took out a magic wand with a black skull on it from his pocket space and performed space magic. Beyond the opened space above the bed was one of Aries''s mansions in the empire. If he jumped into the opening in space, he could move over into the empire, but the problem was the distance between this inn and that mansion. It required crossing the border.


    "Ah, is this safe?¡±


    Malecia had a distrust of moving through space with magic, which was known to have very high difficulty. He was afraid to entrust his body to this space magic.


    Yang, who understood that feeling, nodded and said, "No."


    "What?"


    He shoved Malecia''s back into the space opening, and said in a low voice, "It''s a joke." He was proud of his joke.


    "Masteeeer!!¡±


    Sadly, however, as Malecia disappeared into space, he was lost in fear and could not hear it.


    -o-


    The morning shift ended after helping Demuir sort out his accounting documents and classifying requests for Organ.


    I put the bundles of papers I was responsible for on Demuir and Organ¡¯s desk and said, "It''s all done."


    "Huh? Already?" Demuir was surprised but happily looked over the documents I was in charge of. "Hey, maybe you should be in charge of accounting."


    Organ sighed as he watched Demuir trying to hand over his major tasks to me.


    "Then I''ll have to ask the Guild Director to cut you first for being a surplus manpower."


    I laughed and agreed with Organ''s opinion. "That''s a good idea."


    Demuir hurriedly reversed his words. "Ayy, it''s all just a joke. You know I love you, right?¡± He forced a bad wink and tried to act cute.


    I had a rough idea of how to deal with this sly guy. Although Demuir seemed to be a slacker on the outside, he unexpectedly had a perfectionist side to him that left no gaps in his work. Now he just roughly skimmed over the completed documents, but at first, he carefully reviewed every single one of the accounting documents I helped with.


    Organ put requests I classified into the drawer without even looking at them. "Thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you, work has gotten a lot easier."


    On the contrary, Organ, who seemed strict, tended to be clumsier than expected. So he made quite a few mistakes.


    "You don''t hate me, do you?" Demuir asked jokingly.


    I laughed. "Hahaha, how could I hate my senior? But all of a sudden, I feel like I want to eat the donuts sold at the bakery just out front."


    Demuir took out his wallet as if he was going to go buy it right away. ¡°Shall I go buy it now?¡±


    I shook my hands. "No, I was on night duty yesterday, so it¡¯s time for me to get off work now. It¡¯s too bad, but let¡¯s plan on eating it tomorrow."


    At that time, Flam came out of the consulting office and asked, ¡°Oh! Are you getting off work now?¡± He had been working in the consulting office in place of Dano who was away on a business trip to the ruins.


    ¡°Yes. Work hard at night duty today.¡±


    "Ahahaha. There isn¡¯t much work to do."


    Certainly, there was not much work. What was hard for me yesterday was the exhaustion from using magic all out in a long time. It wasn¡¯t because there was a lot of work.


    I packed my briefcase and got ready to go home. Just as I was about to get off work, Roseland came out and called Flam.


    "Oh, I caught you as you were about to go home. Sorry about that."


    I shook my head lightly at Roseland''s apology.


    "No, it''s all right."


    "Since you are about to go home, I''ll say it quickly." Roseland handed me and Flam an official document and said, "Dano is on a business trip to the ruins. There was an order from the Guild Director to additionally send the two newcomers, Den and Flam, on the business trip as well."


    "A business trip?"


    Flam and I read the official document puzzled. This document contained a brief outline, which, to sum up, was to learn the work at the ruins as part of on-site training. Of course, unless these ruins were frequently found, there were few opportunities to learn on-site.


    "If the two of us leave, there will only be four of you left at the headquarters. Is that okay?"


    Even now, it was already busy because Dano had left for his business trip, but with the two newcomers gone, it would definitely become crazy busy. Especially Demuir who started to feel better when I began helping. It was obvious he would get hit by work and die again.


    "That''s all right. There are some guild workers who are able to do paperwork, so we will be able to temporarily fill in the gaps."


    Flam nodded at Roseland. "Then that¡¯s a relief."


    Even if the holes were temporarily filled with guild workers, they would not be as efficient as Flam or I, who had learned imperial administration professionally. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that they went through the process of selecting and teaching civil servants for professional administrative affairs in the empire.


    "By the way, Demuir and Organ also haven¡¯t had experience with these kinds of ruins, right?"


    Then shouldn''t Demuir and Organ go before Flam and me?


    "Oh, that''s all right. Once a year, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild conducts training at the ruins where the excavation has been completed. Demuir and Organ have already gone and done this training."


    Then can¡¯t I do that training too?... Is what I wanted to say but Roseland kept saying that it was a good opportunity and that we should try it.


    Certainly, if I do well in the actual ruins, there would probably be additional points for the personnel evaluation. But since I didn''t really care about promotions, anything was fine. More than that, since the official documents had already been sent out, I had no choice but to follow as a bottom-rung civil servant.


    Roseland handed me and Flam some thin documents. "This is a list of preparations for a business trip. The things written here are the minimum, so if you need anything else, feel free to take it. But don''t take too much because you have to carry it yourself."


    Roseland''s handout felt like reading a home newsletter about school trip preparations.


    "But there¡¯s a pistol listed here?"


    And also at the end of the preparation document there was written- one pistol, 10 lead bullets, and 10 gunpowder bags. This was not like a home newsletter from the other world.


    In fact, all civil servants associated with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild were given a pistol, a musket, and an imperial army officer-use rapier. Of course, it was not used in ordinary times, so it was put in weapon storage and maintained once every 15 days.


    For your information, my weapon numbers were Pistol P-579, Musket M-6579, and Rapier S-580.


    If it turned into a war situation, members of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and I would wear all of our equipment and be transferred to administrative distributors to be reorganized into a reserve army unit of adventurers. Since I belonged to the headquarters, I guess I would probably be an administrative officer of a unit led by Glont, the guild director, or a platinum plate adventurer.


    "Yes, it¡¯s necessary for your own safety as there are some strange people out there looking for ruins. Pistol and other items will be given out on departure."


    I could beat such strange people with my bare hands without any pistols, but I obediently nodded.


    I might be the strange person too.


    -o-


    The prickly sunshine, which marked a warm afternoon, fell pleasantly over my head. Snow gathered in the corners of the road glistened in the sunlight.


    It was still winter in January, but the weather seemed warm today. Maybe I felt cozier because others were working and I was getting off work.


    On my way home from work, I didn''t go straight to the boarding house, but to the caf¨¦ on the market street.


    When I opened the door of the caf¨¦, before the clerk could even greet me, Milpia waved at me, sitting in a corner.


    1. Pyeong is about 36 sq ft.

 Chapter 136: Labyrinth Exploration (2)

    "Over here."


    I headed straight for where Milpia was sitting. "What did you call me here for?¡±


    "Sit down first. It might be a long story," she suggested.


    I sat down.


    "Have you had lunch?¡± she asked, handing me the menu. This caf¨¦ seemed to serve as a restaurant as well.


    I laughed as I accepted the menu. "Are you buying?¡±


    Milpia had a serious look. "Ayy, you should buy it. You¡¯re rich enough to throw around platinum coins like it¡¯s nothing to buy information."


    She was being sarcastic about the time I paid for the information with a platinum coin in Granwell. At that time, I had nothing but platinum coins, so I had no choice. However, since she didn¡¯t know anything, she must have felt like she was being mocked from her point of view.


    "I don''t know. I don''t know if this caf¨¦ will be able to properly provide the change."


    Milpia gave a forced smile when I sarcastically reminded her about the time when she struggled to provide me with the change. It was quite an interesting memory now that I think back to it.


    "Huhuhuhu."


    "Hahahaha."


    Milpia and I smiled as we glared at each other. As we were fighting a war of nerves, the caf¨¦ clerk came up to us and asked hesitantly, "Um¡­  Would you like to order?"


    "I''d like wheat bread, cream stew, and tomato pasta, please." Milpia smiled and ordered, and the clerk quickly wrote it down.


    "I¡¯d like a club sandwich, chicken salad, and a lemonade.¡±


    The clerk finished writing, checked the order, and went back to the counter.


    "Isn''t this an information agency office?"


    For some reason, I was suspicious that the clerk might be my aunt''s subordinate, so I kept a close eye on him, but seeing his gait and gesture, he was just ordinary.


    In reality, it was hard to distinguish ordinary people and knights just from their presence. They were all so weak that they just looked like ordinary people. However, there was a slight difference between the movements of a person who has mastered martial arts and a person who has not.


    Milpia shrugged and denied it. "No, it''s not."


    I answered with soundproof magic. I didn''t know what kind of conversation we were going to have, but I didn''t think it would be good for others to hear.


    "You could have just called me to an information agency office. Why did you call me to this place?¡±


    "The information about you has been classified as top secret. A top-secret is kept secret from others even within the same information agency office."


    If so, then it was understandable to meet at a caf¨¦ with no point of contact.


    We could have met with me disguising myself as a customer at the information agency office, but since we didn''t know how often we would be meeting in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be good to come and go too frequently at an information agency office.


    "But isn¡¯t this being too careless?"


    "Why? There¡¯s even soundproof magic.¡±


    "Oh, you mean the obvious magic that¡¯s advertising itself as soundproof magic? I erased that as soon as I saw it."


    I don''t know how she rose to the position of head of the headquarters when she was relieved using such sloppy magic.


    "What did you say?" Milpia was surprised and looked around to check for the presence of soundproof magic. Realizing that the magic she had cast had disappeared, she tried to cast the soundproof magic again. I easily scattered the mana to block her from doing so.


    "Uh, don¡¯t use that sloppy magic again. I put one up again."


    "Sloppy?"


    Milpia looked at me annoyed.


    The truth is usually painful. "I can''t sense anything."


    "That''s because your skills are lacking. You don''t have to worry about it."


    Soundproof magic was a magic that was only meaningful if people at a level of a decent madosa couldn¡¯t notice it. If you boasted that there was soundproof magic here, it was as good as telling others that you were talking about secrets.


    Milpia looked at me unpleasantly. "If you¡¯re so skilled in magic, then I guess you won''t need this." She took a small box out of her bag.


    Based on the level of seal magic on the box, a considerably skilled person seemed to have cast magic on it.


    "What''s that?"


    At my question, Milpia smiled and entered a keyword to unlock the seal.


    "It''s a magic suppressor that Big Mama wanted me to give to you."


    The opened box contained a small bracelet.


    "I''m sorry. I was arrogant!"


    I bowed my head and apologized as soon as I saw the bracelet.


    Milpia looked pompously at me with my head down. "But you do seem to have some magic skills, being able to recognize it at first glance."


    Even at a glance, that bracelet was a masterpiece among masterpieces. I was amazed at how much magic was engraved into it and how many magical materials were used to make one bracelet.


    ¡°A hundred and twenty years ago, it was Galak Blade-nim of the Crow Tribe, who killed the Demon King, but the actual leader of the party that killed the Demon King was Wayne, the Witch of Pride. This bracelet was made by the Witch of Pride herself."


    Public knowledge made it seem like my great-grandfather had killed the Demon King single-handedly. In reality, however, 12 powerful individuals of the time, including my great-grandfather, gathered at the end of the Demon Territory, which was called the Demon King¡¯s Land, and invaded the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    They included Galak, chief of the Crow Tribe, Wayne the Witch of Pride, Selina the Witch of Greed, Saintess Oryana, and Drachen the Dragon King of the Dragon Tribe. There were also, Arpen, the current great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, Fraham, the captain of the imperial royal knights, the three great warrior brother trio of the Hunter Tribe, Marsen, the guardian knight of the Fairy tribe, and Marco, an adventurer called the mercenary king at the time.


    Among them, Wayne, the Witch of Pride, was a monster who was one of the four greatest madosas of the time. In terms of magic level, she was a legendary great madosa, considered to be several levels higher than the elemental magician Arpen Pendria, a great madosa considered to be the top of the current four great madosas.


    Although she died in the final decisive battle against the Demon King and this was a magic tool made more than 120 years ago, it was still the work of Wayne, the Witch of Pride. In terms of value, it could be considered as one of the most valuable treasures in the entire country, or even in the world.


    "Now, just how much did you look into it before coming here?" she said.


    I took out all the platinum coins that I had in the pocket space. I wanted that bracelet even if I had to spend all of my money on it. If it is not enough, I would even be willing to rob the imperial treasury!


    "Hold on, wait! I''m kidding!"


    Milpia panicked and beckoned me to quickly put it away. In fact, I used magic so that no one except she could see it, and it would seem like I was touching the empty air for everyone else. So she didn''t have to be so surprised, but I put it back in the pocket space without saying anything.


    "Wow, I already knew it, but you¡¯re very rich. Why are you working as a civil servant?"


    "I just want to live a normal life."


    I flashed the kindest smile I could and rubbed my hands. My attention was directed solely at the bracelet.


    "Well, if you really don''t want to tell me, I won''t ask."


    I told her the truth, but she didn''t believe it. I really didn''t have a specific purpose for being a civil servant.


    "I''d like to ask you to buy it, but it''s yours because Big Mama-nim asked me to give it to you." Milpia sighed and pushed the box towards me.


    "Aigoo! Thank you. Please tell my aunt thank you for me."


    I quickly put the bracelet on my wrist. Just a quick grasp of it could amplify mana, suppress magic, keep warm, supply oxygen, and preserve pressure. It was a magic tool that was useful for survival in all sorts of situations. With this bracelet, you could literally survive even if you somehow landed in the middle of space. It was that amazing of an item.


    But what caught my eye was definitely the magic suppression function. With this function, even if I used attack magic, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to blow up the capital by accident. It was good to think of it as changing my wide area of effect magic to one for ordinary people without any need for complicated calculations. Of course, the power would be reduced as much as it has been suppressed, but now I would be able to use magic in a variety of ways.


    "Big Mama said that she is afraid you might destroy the capital while you¡¯re asleep, so she said you should always wear it.¡±


    Milpia''s message made me feel a little hot inside.


    "Keuhmm, I''m not even a child, why would I accidentally use magic in my sleep."


    In reality, there have been a few times shortly after I left my hometown when I almost accidentally let out some magic. There was even a time when I woke up in surprise because I suddenly felt mana when I was having a nice sleep. When I woke up, I realized that the culprit was me. Although I was relieved, I couldn''t sleep well for a while because I was afraid that random people would die.


    In the case of Uncle Bloody and Aunt Talaria, their bases were weaker so even if they made a mistake while asleep, only the room would end up being destroyed. But if I make a mistake, at least one house would collapse.


    Well, by the time I arrived at the capital, I had already gotten used to it and was able to control it, but I was careful every time I used any attack magic other than basic magic like magic bullets.


    I avoided Milpia''s suspicious gaze and turned my focus to the bracelet. The more I looked at it, the more I admired this ability.


    How did she put all the magic essence into this small bracelet? It was to the point that I wondered how much magic would have developed by now if the Witch of Pride had still been alive.


    Before I knew it, the food was ready and the server brought the meal.


    I asked while eating the club sandwich, "Is this it for business?"


    Milpia dipped the bread into the cream stew and handed me a bunch of papers. "I heard you''re going to the ruins this time. These are information about the ruins.¡±


    I frowned as I accepted the pile of papers. "Did you do a background check on me?¡±


    She already knew what I heard just before coming here. Milpia was afraid of my aunt''s background and didn¡¯t meddle, but it was different for everyone underneath her.


    Milpia seemed to have guessed what I was thinking and said smilingly, "I didn''t do a background check on you, so don''t worry."


    "Then?"


    "It came up during a background investigation of Glont von Asilante, the guild director, and Rosellis von Asilante."


    "Why the two of them?"


    "Ah, information about the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director and the platinum plate adventurers are usually quite expensive."


    In short, they were gathering that information to make money. Well, it didn''t really matter as long as it wasn''t a background check of me.


    "But why are you giving this to me? Do I have to pay you?¡± I asked, examining the documents she gave me.


    Milpia gave a playful smile. "It¡¯s fine this time. Just think of it as a bribe to a future important customer to take good care of us."


    It was suspicious, but I decided to take it since she was giving it for free.


    I was drinking lemonade while putting the documents in my pocket space when Milpia looked behind me and waved her hand.


    "What? Why are you here?¡±


    Behind me stood Alice and Yuria. Milpia spoke so quietly that only I could hear her.


    "Ah, you asked why I decided to meet here when it wasn''t even a branch office?¡± Milpia had a mischievous smile. "I''m supposed to meet my friends here. There¡¯s no need to go through the trouble of changing locations, right?¡±


    Hahaha, this girl!

 Chapter 137: Labyrinth Exploration (3)

    The morning of my business trip to the ruin arrived. I had to get on the 9 a.m. train to get to the ruins. Therefore, I had to stop by the Adventurers'' Guild thirty minutes earlier than usual to get a pistol and a rapier for officer use.


    I had double-checked the business trip luggage the previous day and gone through information about the ruins that Milpia gave me.


    The ruins, discovered about 500 years ago, were believed to have been from the late era of the Holy Kingdom to the early empire period. The process of excavating the ruins was still underway, so the reason why the ruin was made was unknown.


    However, based on the style, the prevailing opinion was that it seemed to be someone''s tomb. If it really was a tomb on a scale of ruins, it was sure to be overflowing with tomb raiders. It seems they weren¡¯t sending us off with a pistol for no reason.


    If the ruins were indeed a tomb, it was speculated that the most likely owner was Arietta Remedia von Horizon, the last queen of the prosperous nation and the last of the Holy Tribe. Then this was the tomb of the person that my ancestor, the Traitorous Knight, killed. It was a distant past, but it felt strange that it was a tomb of a person who was associated with my family.


    Of course, they were just saying that the style of the ruins was similar to a tomb. There was a possibility that it was not a tomb. Moreover, if it was the early days of the empire, the style wouldn¡¯t have been that different from the era of the Holy Kingdom, so there was a possibility that it was a relic of the empire period, not the era of the Holy Kingdom.


    If so, the value of the ruins would decrease, but I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any tomb raiders, so the work would be easier. If these large-scale ruins were the remains of the empire, they would have been created by the imperial family or nobility of that time.


    It meant that there was a possibility that it was the imperial family''s ruins. In other words, the moment you sought after it, the beheading of your entire family for treason without a trial would be confirmed.


    How dare you go after the property of the emperor, the absolute power of the feudal state! Unless it was someone like me, no matter how daring of a tomb raider, he wouldn¡¯t even dare pee in the direction of the ruins.


    "You can come in," I said before I even heard the knock.


    Milpia opened the door and came in, feeling awkward at my words. She looked like her pride was hurt as she asked, "How did you know?"


    Why are you asking something obvious?


    "Isn''t it natural that it would be more noticeable if you completely erased your presence before approaching me?"


    I wouldn''t have known that she had come if she had approached normally. There were so many presences around in order to protect Mrs. Arscilla that I made a habit of ignoring ordinary presences. If not, it felt like I was sleeping or changing clothes in the middle of a tourist attraction. It was also tiring to have such good senses.


    I was used to it now and ignored it unconsciously, so there were no inconveniences, but when I had just left my hometown, I had to deliberately practice ignoring it.


    "So what brings you here?" I asked


    Milpia crossed her arms with a sullen face. "I''m not exactly here for you. I''m here to match the class schedule for the next semester."


    It seemed that the start of the magic school was already approaching. Well, it was February today, so there was a need to make the schedule.


    "Is that so? Then go ahead."


    I kept checking the luggage that was just for show. Pocket space was convenient, but it was still important for civil servants to show it.


    Good. I think I got everything.


    I was quickly putting the items I took out to check back in the luggage when something came flying towards the back of my head. When I unconsciously grabbed it and checked, it was a wooden plate with a strange pattern carved onto it.


    "The last time we met, Yuria and Alice came too fast, so I couldn¡¯t give it to you."


    "What is this?"


    "It¡¯s a proof card that Big Mama¡¯s Information Agency distributes to VIP customers. With that, you can buy most information without being hassled for your customer rating."


    There was no magic cast on it in particular, but the patterns were complicated and did not look easy to forge. Let''s just stow it in the pocket space for now.


    "It''s really only given to VIPs. Normally, you wouldn''t have been able to even see it." Milpia spoke as if she were trying to be generous.


    "Ayy, at my level, I should be a VIP. Remember all the money I spent on the information agency."


    I had spent too much money not to be given VIP status. I was an important customer who bought enough information to pay with a platinum coin at Granwell. Considering the amount of money I had spent, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to receive it on the first day. Of course, the information I bought at that time was still being used well.


    Milpia looked at me in displeasure. "It¡¯s not given just for buying a lot of information.¡±


    I put on my bag and told Milpia as I left my room, "I''ll use the information about the ruins well. There was a lot of interesting stuff on it."


    Milpia snorted at my thanks. "Anyone can say thanks with just words.¡±


    "If you want me to provide information, because I¡¯ve been given information, then I recommend you to be more affectionate towards my aunt in the future. You being so stiff and rigid towards my aunt is making her also be stiff back to you."


    Milpia raised her eyes sharply and growled. "Why don¡¯t you just hurry up and go."


    "Yes, yes."


    I was going down to the first floor when I heard some murmuring from behind.


    "Who doesn''t know that...."


    The mother and daughter were the same. I shook my head and left the boarding house


    -o-


    Arriving at the Adventurers'' Guild, I went straight to Demuir, who was on night duty.


    He was in his uniform and getting ready for the morning roll call.


    "What about Flam?" I asked.


    "He¡¯s not here yet. Why did you come so early?"


    I was worried that if I came out late, Alphonso would cling on to me, so I left early instead.


    "Since you¡¯re going to have to do the accounting alone for the next few days, I thought I would help you a little bit before I go."


    Demuir was moved and held my hand at something I said out of politeness.


    "Keuu! You''re the only one I have! Did you eat breakfast? You should eat a hearty breakfast."


    Saying so, he offered me his breakfast. Demuir''s meal was a sandwich sold at the bakery just out front.


    No, if you do this, I¡¯ll really feel like I need to help you.


    I took out the sandwich and asked as I ate, "Thank you for the meal. But is it okay if you don''t eat?"


    "It''s okay, there''s more here." He took out more sandwiches.


    Then let''s eat without hesitation.


    Demuir then went upstairs with a list for the morning roll call. As I ate a sandwich, I took out the accounting documents from his drawer and started organizing the books.


    "Oh! You came early. Where is Demuir?"


    While I was organizing my account for a while, Flam opened the door and came in.


    "He went up for the morning roll call. Would you like some sandwiches?"


    "Thanks."


    Flam ate the sandwich I handed him and I quickly finished organizing the books.


    At this point, I don''t think the night duty Demuir would be working until the late afternoon. The cost of the sandwich was expensive.


    "Come to think of it, one of the adventurers is supposed to be coming with us as an escort. Did you hear who it is?"


    I shook my head at Flam.


    "Well? I am not sure, but it will probably be someone around a silver plate?¡±


    If possible, it would have been nice if it was someone who I knew and got along with well like Rosellis. But there would be no greater waste than to attach a platinum plate adventurer as an escort for civil servants. Bronze plate adventurers were too weak to escort two people alone, and the gold plates seemed a little too much like the platinum plates.


    "Hmm, I see."


    Behind Flam, who was nodding convinced, Roseland and Fiona opened the door and came in.


    "Oh my, you guys came early.¡±


    Even though it was not time to be at work yet, the fact that the two of them were here showed the amount of gap that was created from the two of us being gone.


    Roseland handed us a public train ticket as soon as he saw me and Flam. "Good luck on your business trip."


    The ruins were quite far away, so even with the train ride, it was necessary to change wagons twice. The train ticket was for four people in the second class.


    "The adventurer who will escort you will join you at the East Capital Station around 9 o''clock."


    "Who is that adventurer?¡± asked Flam.


    Roseland smiled and just said to ask and hear the introduction from the adventurer when we met.


    "He''s a little eccentric, but he''s a good guy. So don¡¯t be rude."


    Roseland seemed to know that person well since he was calling the person eccentric. In addition, since he said we should hear the introduction ourselves, that meant we had never met the person before.


    However, I was told not to be rude even when dealing with a probationary adventurer, so I couldn''t guess whether this person was a high or low rank. Well, I guess I¡¯ll find out in person.


    Flam and I went to the armory, filled the dispensing ledger for the trip, and wore the pistol and rapier on our waist.


    Flam, wearing a rapier and pistol, looked as if he was a retired veteran going to the reserve. As expected, he looked like an old man.


    ¡°We¡¯re off.¡±


    ¡°We are leaving now.¡±


    After Roseland and Fiona¡¯s sendoff, the two of us headed straight away to the East Capital Station with a train ticket issued for public use.


    "Don''t go! Den!"


    I heard Demuir''s wailing from afar, but since I could also hear Roseland¡¯s scolding, I thought it was fine to ignore it.


    Arriving at the station, we immediately entered the station office, presented official identification cards and official documents for the business trip, and entrusted them with the pistols and rapiers.


    The pistol and rapier would move together by train in the cargo compartment. Under imperial law, people were allowed to board a train with weapons only during wartime and only if they were in a direct line to the front lines. With the exception of escorting the emperor or crown prince, others would have to be granted permission by the railroad director. Therefore, most adventurers and mercenaries used wagons rather than trains, even though they were more uncomfortable.


    When one had to take their weapons like me, you left it with the station staff and received a relevant certificate. It was a troublesome procedure, but it was necessary to prevent train hijacking or terrorism.


    Of course, if anyone knew how to make a pocket space, it would be a disaster. Most people, of course, the magicians who could create a pocket space were rare, so it was okay not to worry about it too much.


    If it was a magician who could create a pocket space, he could just attack from outside without having to do it from inside the train anyway. So, there was no reason to go through the hassle of paying and taking the train.


    After leaving the station, Flam looked around. "But how are we supposed to meet the adventurer at the East Capital Station?"


    "Since we are wearing uniforms, wouldn¡¯t the adventurer find us?¡±


    Uniforms looked different for each department, so the adventurer should be able to recognize us.


    "Well, in the worst case, we have reserved seats anyway, so if we just go sit down, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come to us on his own.¡±


    Flam nodded with a look of understanding. "Mmm, I see."


    Just in time, I heard the broadcast that the train was arriving.


    - The train is entering the east capital station now. Everyone, please take a step back for your safety.


    The tone of the voice was the same as what I heard when I first came to the capital. It was likely a recorded broadcast.


    At that time, someone put their arms around Flam and my shoulder and spoke.


    "Hi, newcomer friends."

 Chapter 138: Labyrinth Exploration (4)

    The person putting his arm around our shoulders was a middle-aged man with light-brown hair and a beard that wasn''t cleaned up.


    The pleasant-looking man asked us while taking his arms off our shoulders, "You guys are the new civil servants from the Adventurers'' Guild, right?"


    This man must be the adventurer who was supposed to escort us.


    "Oh, yes. But who are you?" asked Flam.


    The adventurer smiled, stepped back, and gaudily waved his arms, doing all sorts of poses. "If you ask me who I am, it is human nature to answer!" He began his introduction which seemed familiar. "I am the Adventurers'' Guild¡¯s flower! The adventurer of the platinum plate! Dane Walker, the handsome magic swordsman!"


    Then he spun in place and used light magic to create and make it seem like flower petals were falling down.


    "Ohh!" Flam applauded and admired the splendid appearance of the shower of flower petals.


    Indeed, Roseland was correct when he called this person an eccentric. Maybe the reason why he didn''t tell us who was escorting us was for the eccentric''s self-indulgence.


    Beep!


    At that time, a whistle sounded and a station employee ran over here. "Don''t sprinkle petals on the station!"


    At the station staff''s roar, the Dane Walker shrunk back and erased the illusion of flower petals sprinkled on the floor. "I''m sorry about that."


    "I mean, you¡¯re an adult and even a magician. Don''t you know that you aren¡¯t allowed to use magic without permission in a public institution?" The station employee continued nagging.


    Flam and I blankly watched Dane Walker being scolded.


    Platinum plate adventurers had quite a lot of power, so it was funny to see him cowering at the nagging of a station employee. Still, he did use magic in a public institution that included train stations, so he deserved to be scolded.


    In the empire, state facilities such as government buildings and train stations strictly prohibited magic unless it was a special case. The reason was similar to why people were not allowed to take weapons onto the train.


    The magic Dane Walker used was not dangerous and the scope was narrow, so it just ended with nagging. If the range was a little larger or other passengers felt a little threatened, a huge fine would have been imposed.


    To use my past life as an example, from the station employee¡¯s perspective, it must have felt like seeing someone smoking e-cigarettes at a gas station.


    After a long while of scolding, I stopped the station employee when the train was about to leave. "I''m sorry, but we have to leave for official duty. He is reflecting on himself, and we''ll make sure to be extra careful, so how about stopping here?"


    The station employee saw my civil servant ID and said with a sigh, "Please don''t let this happen again."


    "Yes, sorry about that."


    After the station employee left, Dane Walker hesitated and apologized. "Um, sorry."


    His face seemed genuinely apologetic. I got on the train with a smile.


    "It''s okay. Adventurers usually travel by carriage, so they are not aware."


    Aboard the train, we headed straight to our reserved seats. Since it was a second-class seat, it was neither fluffy nor as wide as the seat I sat in when I first came to the capital. But perhaps because they were seats for civil servants, the compartment was set up like a first-class compartment.


    Perhaps they were being considerate so we can have meetings or do work on the road. Although it was not as soundproof as the first-class compartment, it was excellent for a free seat.


    "Keuhmm!"


    Dane Walker sat down and introduced himself again.


    "I''m a Dane Walker and a platinum plate adventurer. I¡¯m often called the Magic Swordsman of Thunder, but I don''t like it because it''s cheesy, so you can just call me Mr. Dane Walker or Dane Walker ahjussi. By the way, I heard you''re both in your teens¡ª¡± Dane Walker glanced at Flam. He was definitely too old looking to be a teenager.


    Flam introduced himself comfortably. "I am Flam. Nice to meet you. Take good care of me, Mr. Dane Walker."


    "My name is Den. But is it okay for a platinum plate to be an escort for civil servants?"


    Dane Walker answered my question with a pleasant smile.


    "Hahaha! It doesn''t matter. I was already interested in the ruins, so it turned out well."


    Obviously, if it was ruins from the period of prosperity, there would be no one who was not interested in it, magicians aside. If lucky, it was a rare opportunity where you might be able to observe the magic of the Holy Tribe of the past that was now extinct.


    "And also, the Guild Director personally requested me to be the escort."


    It was surprising that Guild Director Glont had asked personally. No matter how well known he was for taking good care of his subordinates, it was a huge waste to put a platinum plate adventurer as the escort for civil servants. From Dane Walker¡¯s perspective, it could have felt like he was being looked down at, but I couldn''t see anything like that in his expression.


    "Ha-am~! I''m tired, so I''m going to sleep a little." Dane Walker yawned and covered himself with his robes like a blanket and fell asleep.


    Come to think of it, he was having to be our escorts immediately after he completed his previous request. To arrive at our destination, we would have to take the train for half a day and even after getting off the train, we would have to transfer to a carriage and go further. Therefore, Flam and I remained quiet so that Dane Walker could rest.


    -o-


    Malecia set foot in Lotten, a city located northwest of the capital, with his subordinates. He thought he was going to die four days ago when he was transported far enough to cross the border with space magic. But he was able to get to Aries¡¯s mansion safely.


    When he had just arrived at Aries¡¯s mansion, he thought he was still falling, so he laid on the floor and screamed while surrounded by his subordinates. At that time, he thought he would die in a different sense, but somehow, he managed to survive and safely arrive at his destination of Lotten.


    "Captain, shall we find lodgings first?"


    When asked by his subordinate who was also with him at the Holy Land of Zaharam, he shook his head. "No, we will start by meeting up with the guys who arrived first."


    There should already be a number of Aries¡¯s followers in Lotten. Finding lodgings was something that should be done after meeting up with them.


    "Who is the guy that¡¯s supposed to be here?¡±


    One of Malecia¡¯s subordinates answered immediately, "Jiren. The curse of weakness is his specialty, and his base is the inn near the mercenary alliance branch in Lotten."


    Malecia clicked his tongue and frowned at the subordinate''s briefing. "Jiren, that punk?" He thought that magicians were either usually crazy about academics or self-absorbed. Either way, it was his theory that magicians were crazy. "Lotten luck.¡±


    The latter used special powers, magic, which ordinary people could not, so it was inevitable that they would become self-absorbed. He did not understand the magician''s way of thinking, but he could understand that point and move on. But as long as a magician was being a good crazy person by himself, it didn''t matter if he was crazy or not.


    However, Jiren was not a good crazy person. Even among Malecia''s magician classifications, he was a wicked person with a ¡°chosen one¡± mindset and behaved superciliously.


    "Nothing we can do about it. Let''s go to the mercenary alliance."


    Malecia¡¯s subordinates nodded and followed him.


    -o-


    I woke up Dane Walker around 3 p.m. when we were arriving at the train station where we were supposed to get off.


    "Mr. Dane Walker."


    I called his name over and over again, but he didn''t wake up. The adventurer was so dull that he looked like a perfect candidate to be stabbed and killed on the street.


    Unable to do anything else, in order to wake him up by shaking him, I removed the protective magic from the robe covering him.


    If you put protective magic on the robe that electrocutes people who touch it, then you should be responsive and wake up when people call you. He was being a bother.


    "Mr. Dane Walker!"


    Dane Walker woke up surprised when I shook his body to wake him.


    "Huh?"


    He looked around then looked at me in surprise.


    "Did you perhaps shake me to wake me up?¡±


    Having woken up, he seemed to have realized that he didn''t tell us that his robe had magic cast on it. As far as I knew, he mainly used electric magic and thus worked alone because he was worried that he might accidentally hit his colleagues. Electric magic was definitely one of the magic that was difficult to control if there was a lot of moisture around.


    "What are you talking about? You woke up right after I called your name."


    "Oh, really?"


    When I pretended and looked at him like he was being a strange person, Dane Walker checked his robe. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to feel anything wrong because I had already cast the same magic after I was done shaking him.


    "Hmm, did the train shake?¡±


    I left the mumbling Dane Walker behind and spoke as I got up and grabbed Flam and my luggage.


    "Flam went to grab his weapons first.¡±


    ¡°Let''s get off quickly, too.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    Dane Walker rubbed his face and chased away his sleepiness. Then he quickly grabbed his luggage.


    "Let¡¯s go together."


    Dane Walker and I met up with Flam at the station after he had received the pistols and rapiers. Then we found a carriage leaving the station and headed straight to Lotten City.


    There was no direct carriage route from here to Lotten City, so we would have to change the carriage once in the middle. The estimated time of arrival was 9 p.m. at the earliest and could be longer.


    "Wow, the world has become a lot better. How is it possible to get to Lotten in a day? I think it took about three or four days when I was a kid."


    Dane Walker was surprised by the flow of time like an old man. On the contrary, I could fly there in under an hour so it was annoying having to go round and round like this.


    "Mr. Dane Walker, were there no trains like this when you were young?" Flam asked.


    Dane Walker shook his head. "No, there were, but there weren''t that many routes, and there was only a railway connecting the Duchy of Asteria to the capital. And I couldn''t trust it because it had a lot of breakdowns."


    The Duchy of Asteria was a territory located north of the empire and bordered the Demon Territory. It was said that the development of railway lines in the empire was one of the efforts to facilitate the distribution and dispatch of the military to the Demon Territory.


    The development of trains and railways began to be discussed during the later stages of the reign of the Blood Emperor, the former emperor. It was around the time when the current emperor, who was the crown prince back then, began to seize the political situation.


    The former emperor opposed the construction of a railway to send supplies to the territory of the Duke of Asteria, his greatest political enemy. However, the construction of the railway was accomplished by the cooperation of the crown prince and the Duke of Asteria, the head of the nobles.


    The railroad was completed at least 20 years ago.


    "If you¡¯re talking about the time when the railroad was only connected between the capital and the Duchy of Asteria, then how old are you, Mr. Dane Walker?¡±


    Just from his appearance, he looked to be in his early 30s, five to six years younger than Flam.


    Dane Walker smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Me? I''m 47 years old."


    My God! He was older than my father. Before I knew it, Flam had arrived first in front of the carriage and waved his hand.


    "What are you doing? If we don''t get on fast, we might have to sleep out in the street! Hurry and get on!"


    At Flam''s urging, Dane Walker and I hurried into the carriage.

 Chapter 139: Labyrinth Exploration (5)

    One of the messenger hawks raised by the Crow Tribe flew towards Bloody''s mansion. Catching sight of it, Mac went out to the terrace and whistled to get the bird to come to him.


    "Who is it from?¡± Leisha asked.


    "He''s a private hawk of the leader,¡± Mac answered as the hawk perched on his arm.


    Leisha wondered when he said ¡®leader¡¯. Although Hestia was often in contact, it was the first time that Gawain had sent a letter.


    "What does it say?¡±


    At Leisha''s urging, Mac opened the message on its leg and checked its contents.


    "Oh, it says that the leader is in the Demon Territory right now.¡±


    "Oppa is?" Leisha asked in surprise.


    But Mac did not hear because he was so focused on the letter. He folded the letter and put it into his breast pocket with a serious face and said, ¡°I''ll go see Bloody-nim for a little while.¡±


    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    "That''s¡­Iyaa! Oh, I can''t forgive the leader for training to get stronger just by himself.¡± Mac smiled and roughly evaded it.


    When he had jumped off the terrace, Lancelot, who was making tea in the room, asked Leisha, ¡°Where is the vice-captain going?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, after receiving a letter from Little Brother, he said he was going to see Uncle.¡± Without knowing the contents of the letter, she could only shrug.


    "How unexpected to receive a letter from Leader-nim."


    "I know, right?¡± Leisha nodded and received a cup of tea that the diplomat poured.


    "Thanks."


    "Well, if it''s something big that we should know, then they¡¯ll tell us.¡± Lancelot smiled.


    Leisha also smiled and drank the black tea in a carefree manner. "They will, right?"


    While enjoying the refreshments peacefully, they heard a knock. Lancelot put down his teacup and opened the door. Bloody''s butler, Saintess Hillis, and Hillis''s escort, Albatoss were standing in the hallway.


    "Hello!"


    Standing next to her, Albatoss sighed as she greeted brightly.


    "I''m sorry to barge in. Saintess-nim is¡ª¡±


    Albatoss closed his mouth when Hillis glared at him slightly.


    "Isn¡¯t it fine? Leisha did say that we could come visit anytime.¡±


    Albatoss was flustered when Hillis pouted as if she were sulking. "No, I just thought we should notify them before visiting... I''m sorry." He gave up trying to explain himself, just bowed his head and remained silent.


    Not long ago, because Hillis had run away to an underground casino, she was half forced into quarantine. But she regained her freedom under the condition of having an escort always stick with her, instead of having secret escorts.


    For Hillis, who hated cumbersome things, she found having a close escort unpleasant, but she could endure it as long as there was only one escort on her at a time.


    "No, you are always welcome!" Leisha held and shook Hillis''s hand.


    For Leisha, Hillis was a more welcome friend than anyone else because there were no girls of her age around.


    "Oh, I think it''s going to take some more time to find your younger brother.¡± Hillis apologized with a sorry face.


    Leisha shook her head, saying it was okay. "It can''t be helped since that brat, Denburg, wants to hide the fact that he is freely roaming around."


    The reason she was unable to help with a massive search for Denburg was because of pressure from the emperor and the prime minister. It was the aftermath of the plans for blessing the imperial family at the New Year''s Festival being overturned. There was no reason to do favors for the Saintess in an empire where imperial power was overwhelmingly ahead of religious power.


    Rather, the capital was like the home ground of the imperial family, so Hillis had to be wary of the imperial family and be cautious of her actions. Despite that, she remained in the capital because she had promised to help find Denburg Blade and because she wanted to return as late as possible to the Holy City Percival.


    Percival was like a giant birdcage for her.


    "Come to think of it, you weren¡¯t able to get around properly, were you?¡±


    Leisha nodded ardently at Hillis''s question.


    It was probably because of the minor accidents that Bloody had caused when he had first arrived in the empire. As a result, Arcanta earnestly asked them to not go out and about as much as possible, so she was unable to sightsee the capital properly.


    Even though the accidents caused by Bloody were little cute acts compared to those that Doomstone caused, there were people whose lives bordered between life and death from those cute acts. It would have been nice to see the capital with Bloody, but many incidents suddenly cropped up, so his daily life became very busy.


    As soon as they arrived in the capital, out of the blue, the magic tower collapsed and a mysterious person targeting the Saintess appeared in the middle of the capital. It was not an ordinary level of busy. Especially during the shift change between William and Orphina, he could not leave the palace as the emperor''s guard.


    Nevertheless, she felt sorry asking the butler, who she didn¡¯t really know, and servants to act as her guide through the capital.


    "Where are you going to go?¡± Leisha asked.


    Hillis smiled like a mischievous kid. "The Adventurers¡¯ Guild."


    Albatoss narrowed his eyes for a moment at Hillis¡¯s answer.


    "I made a new friend since coming to the capital."


    Hillis led Leisha and Lancelot to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild where Den was absent.


    -o-


    It wasn''t until the sun was completely down and in the night that the carriage entered Lotten.


    "Wow, wasn''t it really close?"


    "Yes, it was."


    The carriage went through the castle gates just before 10 p.m., just before it really closed.


    In all the cities with fortresses, there was a set entrance time for the gates. If they had arrived past that time, they would have had to sleep in front of the gate or go to a nearby village.


    Dane Walker spoke as he tipped the horseman who drove the carriage through the gate by a narrow margin.


    "Normally, in the vicinity of where ruins are found, passage during night time is prohibited, not to mention, sleeping out in the open."


    Tomb raiders appeared at the site of ruins, so guards frequently circulated throughout the area to block them.


    "Then what happens if you can¡¯t get through the castle gates?"


    "Of course the guards will take you to the detention center for the night," he replied with a bitter smile.


    In short, you would be treated as a tomb raider and arrested. Of course, since Flam and I were civil servants and Dane Walker was a platinum plate adventurer if arrested, we were likely to spend the night where the night duty officer would be, not the detention center.


    Civil servants'' identification cards and platinum plates were plastered with anti-forgery magic, making them basically impossible to forge. Well, it wasn''t perfect. It seemed to me that you could forge it if you really wanted to, so I didn''t know why they were so blindly trusting of it.


    It was said that the anti-forging magic was jointly created by the Butterfly Tribe elders and imperial court magicians and that even a decent Butterfly Tribe member couldn¡¯t forge it. However, it sounded like a lie.


    "It¡¯s a good thing that we made it through the castle gates on time." Flam breathed a sigh of relief.


    We headed to the Lotten branch of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild where we would stay and work. Dano, who went on a business trip first, was most likely to be staying there and working as well.


    "It''s not even that late yet, but there are no people around."


    If you looked around, all the doors were locked and the lights turned off.


    "Because all sorts of people come here for the ruins. There¡¯s a wide diversity of people, from self-proclaimed treasure hunters to real treasure hunters, archaeologists hired by the empire, adventurers, and mercenaries who dream of making a fortune, to black merchants and businessmen who want to try to steal the treasure after it''s discovered."


    With a countless number of people pouring in, it was natural that public order would turn into chaos. It would be perfect for the city''s economy if there were just spectators, but listening to Dane Walker, it wasn¡¯t only people with normal occupations that would be flocking here.


    "Then I assume the imperial army and the knights will be sent here accordingly."


    More than half of the people coming were illegal. In that case, public order would temporarily fall to the level of slums, so extra guards were needed to cope with it. However, it was hard to say that this territory or city had that much military power.


    Dane Walker flicked his fingers and affirmed my speculation.


    "That¡¯s right! Just as you were sent out to control the adventurers, the court magicians, the White Deer Knights, the Black Water Buffalo Knights, and the Red Dragon Knights likely sent people as well.¡±


    Flam had a serious face at Dane Walker''s explanation.


    "Then isn¡¯t it a bad thing that the ruins have been excavated?"


    I sighed and spoke to Flam, who seemed to want to angrily destroy the ruins. "No, we can''t just say that the ruins are bad for the residents or the city here."


    Dane Walker also affirmed while giving me an unexpected look. "Right, you could even say that it¡¯s a good thing."


    Flam looked at me oddly as if he didn''t understand. "Why is that? Didn¡¯t public order drastically get worse?"


    "It''s simple. Ruins can be a source for tourism.¡±


    Flam became engrossed in thought as he tried to understand. "Source for tourism?"


    "What do you mean by source for tourism?" Dane Walker also looked at me as if he had never heard of the phrase, ¡°source for tourism¡±.


    It was a natural reaction when there was no word to define the concept even though the concept was already known. It was a familiar reaction from when I was in my hometown. It was the first time for this kind of reaction since I left my hometown, so I just felt a little nostalgic.


    "So once the ruins have been completely excavated, those who covet the artifacts inside will pursue their goal and leave Lotten. Although there will be no artifacts left, they would still have historical value and rarity. Using that as a source, the city of Lotten will be able to attract tourists to boost its economy."


    "I see. Then the ruins are beneficial in the long run." Flam nodded like he understood.


    "It''s an interesting way to express the value of ruins as a source for tourism." Dane Walker looked at me interestedly.


    There was a concept of a source of tourism, but the lack of implementation was closely related to the historical situation of the empire.


    Before it became an empire, it was the Holy Kingdom. The major cities and infrastructure of the past Holy Kingdom were located in the current Demon Territory. In other words, there were almost no ruins that could be used as sources of tourism in the empire.


    A hundred and twenty years ago, before the creation of the Demon Territory, there might have been a saying like a source of tourism. However, if it had not been used for 120 years, it would not be strange if the word disappeared historically from the language.


    As we walked and talked, we arrived at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild before I knew it. Naturally, the Lotten branch was much smaller than the headquarters in the capital. It was crowded with adventurers even though it was late.


    "I don''t know if there''s going to be any room for us to sleep," Flam remarked.


    Dane Walker said something unlucky, "If things don¡¯t go smoothly, we might have to sleep crammed together in the night duty room.¡±


    "Don''t say unlucky things."


    I was already exhausted from having ridden in the not comfy second-class compartment, and then the shabby carriage that seemed like it would break at any moment. If we are going to have to sleep cramped together, camping outside with a tent would be more comfortable.


    "Den, Flam! Mr. Dane Walker!"


    A man of large stature came out from behind the counter and called our names.


    "Mr. Dano?"


    Dano welcomed us with a thin face, holding our hands.


    "Welcome."


    Dano was very taciturn before, but now he was very aggressively welcoming. In particular, he seemed to welcome the visit of Dane Walker.


    Just how much work was there for this usually quiet, taciturn man to welcome us like this? Perhaps, I should have worried about myself rather than worrying about the people at the headquarters who would have more work from our absence.

 Chapter 140: Labyrinth Exploration (6)

    The morning in Lotten dawned. Fortunately, there was no need to sleep cramped in the night duty room last night.


    The night duty room was already filled with civil servants dispatched from each branch. Therefore, we put the desks together in the office behind the counter and slept on them. Compared to sleeping in a cramped room, it was much larger and I was able to sleep more comfortably. Some civil servants also escaped from the night duty room and crawled into the office.


    I should have slept in the office earlier. If your head is lacking, your body suffers. I don''t know how I passed the civil service examination with a mind that couldn''t think so well. Perhaps my brain that had been intelligent before becoming a civil servant had degenerated due to the bureaucratic society.


    "Oot-cha!"


    I came down from the desk and stretched. The best thing about reincarnation was that there was no body pain even after sleeping on an uneven and hard desk. The Crow Tribe¡¯s bodies were definitely good.


    "Are you awake?"


    Dane Walker handed me the coffee he had gotten from somewhere. He must have shaved after waking up this morning, as he had a much cleaner impression than yesterday.


    "Thank you. By the way, Mr. Dane Walker, you slept here too. Are you okay?"


    The Lotten branch was so crowded that it could not even afford a small private room, let alone a  luxury suite, to a person who was a platinum plate adventurer.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. When I go out in the field, I sometimes sleep in environments worse than this. It''s heaven to even have a ceiling and walls to stop the wind and rain," he said and laughed pleasantly.


    He was very easygoing despite being a platinum plate adventurer who had a high enough status for even the branch directors to offer up their own rooms when visiting the branches.


    "And isn¡¯t it natural that the adventurer that¡¯s being commissioned to be an escort is nearby?¡±


    Dane Walker winked playfully and also handed the coffee to Flam, who was lying on the desk next to me.


    "Ugghhh, my body aches all over." Flam groaned and slowly lifted himself up. Not only his face but his body must have also been aging.


    "Thank you. I should have gotten this myself instead of being indebted to you."


    Flam received the coffee and bowed his head and thanked him, while Dane Walker smiled and waved his hands.


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it because I used to sleep on a desk a lot during the night shift when I used to be part of the court magicians. But it''ll be pretty hard for someone without any experience of sleeping on a desk.¡±


    Hmm, do I have to pretend to be struggling? I tapped my shoulders and said, "Aigoo, my shoulders are all knotted up."


    When I was pretending to be in pain, Dano, who spent the night in the night duty room, came into the office. He had disheveled hair from not being able to wash properly and was wearing his uniform and holding a bulletin board. It looked like he had just come back from a morning roll call. Flam also asked when he saw the bulletin board in his hand.


    "Don¡¯t the civil servants associated with this place do the night duties?¡±


    The fact that he was holding a bulletin board meant that he was on night duty. Dano answered, putting the bulletin board on the desk, "That¡¯s the case normally. But not in cases when ruins are discovered. Civil servants who come here on business trips are temporarily transferred to the relevant branch."


    It seems the reason Dano was able to meet us late last night was that he was on night duty. If so, that meant we could also be put on night duty. It would be nice if I could go back before my turn comes.


    When I glanced at Dano''s bulletin board, I was shocked.


    My god, is this where people live or livestock?


    In the Lotten branch, adventurers were able to lodge like at the headquarters. But currently, there were two people in a single room, three in a double room, and seven in a triple room. There was even an additional space drawn at the bottom of the bulletin board, but that space was called the office of the branch director.


    What that meant was that the branch director¡¯s office had already been given out as accommodations for adventurers. The branch director¡¯s office must be quite large as there were fifteen adventurers staying there.


    "It''s a spectacle, isn''t it?"


    Dane Walker also smiled bitterly at the bulletin board I was holding.


    "Yes, it seems there was a reason why civil servants were sent out from each region."


    Except for special situations, the number of civil servants in an Adventurers¡¯ Guild branch was proportional to the number of active adventurers at the branch. In other words, the more adventurers there were in the branch, the more work there was.


    As adventurers flocked at the discovery of the ruins, it was clear that civil servants originally affiliated with the Lotten branch would not be able to manage the adventurers alone. That''s why each branch of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild sent human resources like me.


    The headquarters in the capital which I belong to was large in size, but the fact that there were only seven civil servants, including me, proved that there were not many adventurers working in the capital.


    "Even the headquarters wouldn''t be able to hold these many people, but they''ve managed to squeeze them in."


    Dano sighed with tired eyes as I stuck out my tongue.


    "It can''t be helped because it¡¯s for the convenience of the adventurers, which is the reason for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild."


    As people flocked to the site of the ruins, all of Lotten''s inns became full. Then, of course, there started appearing adventurers who couldn''t find lodgings. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild was obliged to provide accommodation to them for their safety and convenience. To be exact, it should be said that the armed adventurers were being cracked down upon to prevent them from wandering the streets at night.


    The Adventurers¡¯ Guild was actually an organization to control adventurers, so it had to prevent adventurers from causing anxiety to society.


    "Well, these many gathering here just shows how much they dream of striking it rich. Since there are those who don¡¯t have good income like the adventurers in the capital."


    Dane Walker shook his head as if it were a bitter reality.


    "But in fact, the capital isn''t a very attractive place for adventurers to be active," I remarked.


    Flam looked at me curiously. "What do you mean? Accounting books show a good income. Isn''t that attractive?" he asked.


    Dano answered in my stead. "What Den is saying is that a certain kind of request is most prevalent there."


    I affirmed Dano. "That''s right. The main jobs for an adventurer can be divided into five types."


    "Vigilante activities, monster hunting and by-product trading, VIP escorts, other requests, search and exploration of dangerous areas. These five things?" Flam asked.


    "Yes, but if you look at the requests, excluding the ones coming from local provincial branches, most of them are VIP escorts."


    Flam clapped his hands with an enlightened face. "Oh, I see. So that¡¯s it.¡±


    The security of the capital and hunting monsters were being taken care of by the imperial army stationed there. And although obvious, being the capital of a country there could not be a dangerous area nearby.


    However, the proportion of the VIP escort jobs being large did not really matter. Just the fact of being involved with the nobles was not attractive for adventurers. Because the capital was the emperor''s territory, the number of soldiers that nobles could bring with them was significantly limited. So they were hired to fill the vacancy of the soldiers. The noble families, who were caught up with empty formalities and vanity, were very picky and selected those with experience like retired knights.


    In addition, unlike regular soldiers, adventurers and mercenaries tended to be a one-time employment relationship, so the idea of using them once and throwing them away was strongly prevalent.  The commission fee was high, so weak adventurers weren¡¯t able to last in the capital.


    "By the way, if there are this many adventurers, they''ll be super busy,¡± Dano said with a bitter smile when he saw me sticking my tongue out.


    "There''s got to be something else for you guys to do."


    "What is that?¡± asked Flam.


    Dano glanced at Dane Walker and said, "City patrol."


    -o-


    In the inn opposite the Lotten branch of the mercenary alliance, Malecia led his men into a secret door hidden in the basement. Unlike the shabby and dust-filled passageway, the area they entered was decorated with quite neat and colorful decorations.


    In the fairly large secret area, about 20 magicians sat at a long conference table in front of them. Among them, a pale, powerless-looking man at the top seat looked at Malecia and said arrogantly, "So you¡¯re here."


    The sickly-looking man, in command of the magicians gathered here, was Jiren. Despite his arrogant tone, his hoarse voice did not impose any sense of danger.


    Malecia practically threw some of the documents on the table that he had received from Aries just before being teleported to the empire. "It''s his command. Make sure you read it."


    The seated magicians clenched their fists and vented their anger at Malecia''s attitude.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?"


    "How dare you handle his commands so roughly!¡±


    When he saw the magicians staring at him, Malecia released his martial aura and spoke softly, "You¡¯re loud. You bastards have never even seen him.¡±


    Malecia''s words angered the magicians, but they were overwhelmed by his martial aura and could not speak. Only Jiren barely resisted his martial aura and managed to open his mouth.


    "Body using...trivial mercenary piece of trash.¡±


    Malecia was about to increase his martial aura further but slowly calmed it down, recalling that the Mercenary Alliance was nearby. Although most of the mercenaries that flocked to Lotten were just rabble seeking to hit the jackpot, there were bound to be some actually skilled mercenaries here on formal requests.


    Thinking that he had achieved the desired result of not being looked down on by using brute force, Malecia looked at Jiren with cold and arrogant eyes and said, "That''s enough. Just read it quickly."


    Jiren trembled with feelings of shame. As a magician, his pride was already through the roof, so he couldn''t stand the fact that he was suppressed without being able to properly resist the martial aura of a mere mercenary.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    When Jiren tried to grab his magic wand with a shriek, Malecia kicked the table hard. The table quickly hit Jiren in the abdomen, leaving him unable to leave his chair and groaning.


    "Keuuu¡ª¡±


    Malecia bent at the waist and coldly smiled at Jiren who was glaring at him.


    "I don''t care if you try to kill me or attack me. But you¡¯re not worth dealing with at the cost of ruining even one of his plans. Feel free to come at me when you''re done with the work. I''ll deal with you anytime."


    When Malecia told him to distinguish between work and personal affairs, Jiren bit his lips to the point of bleeding.


    "You''re not going to have an easy death!"


    Malecia snorted at Jiren¡¯s yell with a curse mixed in.


    "That¡¯s obvious. Isn¡¯t it the same for you?"


    He had never thought that he would die gracefully after taking other people¡¯s money and killing.


    Malecia glanced indifferently at Jiren''s face and turned around.


    "That''s it for business. Read the instructions and move accordingly."


    Leaving the secret space, Malecia¡¯s subordinates followed him without saying anything.


    Despite seeing such a sight, Jiren could not do anything but grit his teeth.

 Chapter 141: Labyrinth Exploration (7)

    After following Malecia out of the secret area, his subordinates asked with worried faces, "Is it okay to antagonize that person like that?¡±


    Malecia looked indifferently at his anxious subordinates. His nonchalant eyes made them all shrink back at the same time.


    "It''s fine. Do you think I''ve never worked with stuck-up magicians like that? For punks like that, if you don¡¯t come off strong from the beginning, you¡¯ll never be able to get any work done.¡±


    For those types of people, if you didn¡¯t show that you¡¯re on the same level, they¡¯d come out high-handed throughout the work and wouldn¡¯t even pass on the proper information. Rather, if you become enemies from the beginning, you and the other would end up finishing the work quickly then try to kill each other, so there was no interruption in the work.


    Of course, very rarely, would they put work on the back burner and try to kill you by digging a trap. However, in such cases, Aries would punish them directly, so no one rashly tried to backstab the other during work.


    Thanks to that, whenever Malecia met a collaborator like Jiren, he had to fight with his life on the line after the work was finished, but the work itself would be completed without any issue. He who had survived even after becoming enemies with numerous magicians through killing would rather choose to become enemies.


    After leaving the inn, Malecia looked at his subordinates and issued an order, "Scatter and collect information about the ruins. Move in pairs when active.¡±


    "Yes, understood."


    The subordinates moved in predetermined groups and mixed among the crowds of the streets.


    Left alone, Malecia sighed and pulled down on his hood heavily, and covered his face.


    -o-


    Lotten''s market streets were quite lively thanks to a large crowd. If most of them were not wearing weapons like swords and axes on their waists, it would have seemed peaceful, but unfortunately, it was a little far from peaceful.


    The reason why the market was still casually open despite there being strong-looking armed men strutting down the streets was that there were heavily armored knights on patrol.


    While walking around the market streets, I saw insignias of more than ten different knight divisions including White Deer, Black Water Buffalo, Golden Sheep, and Eagle. Some of the patterns were new to me and seemed to be knight divisions belonging to the city of Lotten and its territories.


    I bought two steamed buns from a street stall and handed one to Dane Walker.


    While taking a big bite of the steamed bun, Dane Walker said, "Thank you, I''ll enjoy it."


    The reason why I was walking around the city with Dane Walker like this was because of the Lotten branch director''s order. Not long after waking up and getting to work in the morning, the branch director ordered Flam and me to take turns going on patrols in the city. The reason was obvious. It was to deliberately show off Dane Walker and intimidate adventurer¡¯s that might cause trouble so that Dane Walker, who was hired as an escort for Flam and me, could directly take actions to deal with them.


    It was a pretty effective method because not only adventurers, but everyone knew of the platinum plate adventurer, Dane Walker unless they were a wanderer. Perhaps this was why Guild Director Glont purposely made Dane Walker our escort.


    So Dane Walker and I came out to crack down on adventurers in the name of patrolling the city, while Flam was probably working hard on the paperwork at the Lotten branch.


    I should get some snacks for the toiling Flam when I come back later.


    "So how does ruin exploration work? I think the ruin is probably too small for all of these people to enter."


    According to the data provided by Milpia, although the ruin had not been properly excavated yet, the size of the ruin was not that large. Assuming there was a passage leading underground, the shape of the ruin was speculated to be like a labyrinth. It would be fine if they were just temporary tourists, but it was too small to accommodate people who wanted to dig for treasure.


    "Well, first, the ruin is guarded by soldiers and knights, so people can''t just simply go in there.¡±


    "Then I guess most of the people gathered in Lotten won''t be able to set foot inside the ruin."


    Dane Walker nodded. "That¡¯s right. Usually, to determine the value of the ruin, archaeologists will first go in with court magicians and knights as escorts. And professional treasure hunters will also go in to find if there is anything like secret rooms."


    "Then is there really a need for the adventurers and mercenaries gathered here?"


    Dan Walker waved his hand at my question. "It''s not necessarily like that. Even if archaeologists and court magicians go in, it''s a small number compared to the size of the ruin. So exploring will take too much time."


    "Oh, so you mean adventurers and mercenaries will be hired as explorers."


    Before I left for patrol, amongst the documents, I briefly saw one about the selection of explorers.


    Dane Walker nodded in affirmation. "Yes. The adventurers and mercenaries gathered here are here to be hired as explorers."


    "It seems they are using a method of providing rewards for finding treasure." I took a calculated guess.


    Dane Walker responded with an illusion of sprinkling petals with magic. "Ding, dong, deng! That''s right. You can''t sell the treasure, but if you''re lucky and work hard for a few months, you might be able to get a few years¡¯ worth of commission fees. Instead, if you destroy the ruins even by mistake, you¡¯ll be punished accordingly.¡±


    Is this petal a concept? At that moment, I felt an urge to play around and was tempted to intervene in the magic and turn the illusion into man-eating plants. But I endured it.


    "Then I guess the business trip will be over when the explorers have been selected and the adventurers scatter."


    "The civil servants from the headquarters will probably get sent back before all adventurers scatter."


    Since the headquarters in the capital had few people relative to its size, we seemed to be able to go straight back once the work here became stabilized.


    "How long do you think it''ll take to select the explorers?¡± I asked.


    Dane Walker locked his fingers together and thought for a moment, then answered with a smile, "A week at the earliest? If I think about the time from when the ruins are discovered to when everything is complete, it usually takes around a month.¡±


    Since Dano went on the business trip two weeks ago and the ruin was discovered a little earlier than that, in about a week, it would have been around a month since the ruins were discovered.


    "It all gets completed quicker than I thought."


    When I gave a look of surprise, Dane Walker smiled pleasantly.


    "In fact, when the explorers were chosen, they half-forced everyone to disperse them using brute force."


    I did think that there were too many knights and soldiers. They must have gathered not only for security but also for the purpose of disbanding the protesting adventurers and mercenaries.


    I was patrolling the streets of the market for a while when I heard a loud noise from afar.


    From whence the sound came, a bunch of men were grabbing each other by the collar. Based on the fact that I could see a bronze plate under the coat, they seemed to be adventurers.


    Dane Walker helplessly sighed. "Stay here for a second.¡±


    Saying so, he approached the adventurers who were in a fight. Then just the way that the branch director wanted, he dealt with the adventurers, who were fighting with magic.


    I was looking at Dane Walker¡¯s mediation from a distance when I found a man nearby wearing a hood with his presence suppressed and observing Dane Walker.


    The man carefully observed Dane Walker and turned his head. Then, his eyes met mine.


    The man in the hood approached me and I finished the rest of the steamed bun in one bite.


    ¡°Hey, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said with the steamed bun stuffed in my mouth.


    Then the man''s lips went up as if he found it interesting. If you looked closely, it seemed he might be one-eyed as he was wearing an eye patch.


    "Oh, you can talk after you''re done eating."


    I nodded at the man. I swallowed the steamed bun quickly and said, "Do you have any water?"


    The man¡¯s one eye looked at me like he was seeing something strange and gave me a water bottle.


    I received the water bottle, drank it, and thanked him. "Thank you. The steamed bun was very sweet and made me thirsty."


    The one-eyed man received the water bottle back and told me the reason he spoke to me again. "Not a big deal. Rather, I want to ask you something.¡±


    "Yes, go ahead."


    When I nodded, he asked carefully, "Looking at the uniform, you seem to be a civil servant working for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Do you perhaps know when they are going to be recruiting the explorers for the ruin?"


    The one-eyed man¡¯s gaze didn''t seem to be very curious, rather it seemed to be curious as to how I had found him.


    I didn''t know because the one-eyed man didn¡¯t release his aura but based on what I could feel now, he seemed to be stronger than Rosellis. He might even be strong enough to be compared with Guild Director Glont.


    "I think they¡¯ll probably pick them within a week."


    When I looked at him as if nothing was wrong, he seemed slightly flustered and made an excuse. "I''m looking for a spot as an explorer this time.¡±


    No matter how I looked at it, that was a lie. The one-eyed man gave off a smell that made me feel like I should not get involved with him.


    Looking at his hands, he was a man who had held a sword for a long time. Looking for a position as an explorer when he possessed considerable skills, he seemed to be up to something. Most of the time, if someone was up to something at a ruin, the person was a tomb raider.


    "By chance, if you know when the excavation will begin in earnest, could you tell me?¡± the one-eyed man asked with a smile.


    Considering that he was not being aggressive, but polite and did not seem anxious, he was not poor and desperate. However, his clothes weren¡¯t made of expensive high-end fabric, but instead, his clothes were cheap and easy to move in. He seemed to place importance on practicality.


    I purposely gave a suspicious look and smiled. "Who knows? I haven''t been here long, so I don''t really know."


    It didn''t seem like the tomb raider needed money but felt like he was being ordered to do it. It was best to ignore at times like this. If I got involved for no reason, a very troublesome situation could occur. My work wouldn¡¯t necessarily increase if the ruin got robbed, but if I got involved with a tomb raider, I could get investigated by an investigation agency before the work was completed.


    I had enough experience being trapped behind bars when I was caught as a suspect in the poisoning of Director Pelgrant. I¡¯ll refuse any more cold jails.


    "Is that so? Thanks for your time."


    "No, it''s nothing. I hope you achieve what you want."


    "Thanks. I''ll make it happen." The one-eyed man and I smiled and said goodbye.


    Since he was a person of interest, let¡¯s make sure to remember his face for he could become my rival.


    "Did something happen?¡±


    I laughed and shook my head when Dane Walker asked after returning from settling all the adventurers¡¯ disputes.


    "No, nothing happened. He just asked for some directions."


    "Really?"


    Dane Walker tilted his head at the sight of the one-eyed man disappearing amid the crowd.


    "Hmm, I feel like I''ve seen him somewhere before."


    "He just looks like an adventurer or a mercenary. Maybe he seems familiar because he is in the same field?¡±


    At my words, Dane Walker mumbled, stroking his chin. "I don''t think so..."


    "Let''s just resume our patrol."


    I moved forward and left Dane Walker who kept looking in the direction that the one-eyed man went.


    "Wait for me!"


    Dane Walker quickly caught up.


    Come to think of it, I should try slowly heading over to the ruin exploration since the investigation was important. It was also a good opportunity to test the newly acquired Witch of Pride¡¯s bracelet.


    The ruin wouldn¡¯t collapse just from letting my magic run a little wild, right?

 Chapter 142: Labyrinth Exploration (8)

    Malecia watched Dane Walker and Den as they moved away then headed to the meeting place.


    The meeting location was a shantytown located in the remotest part of the slums. The reason they were using such a place as a base was that it was selected by their collaborator, Jiren.


    It was obviously a retaliatory measure, but Malecia did not care. He was not going to stay in Lotten for a long time, and at most, he would be leaving in a week. Despite the stench and uncleanliness that permeated all around, Malecia walked casually into the shack where he and his subordinates were staying.


    On the battlefield, there were times when you had to be covered in mud dirtier than this place for months without being able to shower. Compared to that, this place was clean.


    "Welcome back."


    When his men stood up and tried to salute, Malecia waved to stop them.


    "Let¡¯s keep the empty formalities to a minimum.¡±


    "Yes, understood."


    The subordinates sat down again, and Malecia sat down in an actual proper chair situated at the highest seat.


    "Dane Walker''s in Lotten."


    Malecia''s words surprised his subordinates.


    "Really? Why would that Magic Swordsman of Thunder come all the way to Lotten?¡±


    "Then wouldn¡¯t the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director be moving as well?"


    Dane Walker was famous for being Glont¡¯s right arm. Everyone knew that the reason this elite among the court magicians had left the palace and become an adventurer was because of Glont¡¯s influence. And so, his sudden visit to the ruin naturally raised suspicion that Glont was on the move.


    Malecia beckoned the noisy subordinates to be quiet.


    "I know what you''re worried about. If Glont comes here, our work will definitely become more difficult."


    Malecia unconsciously touched his eye patch. It was Glont who took away one of his eyes, so whenever he thought of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director, his hand unconsciously went to the eye patch.


    "But fortunately, it looks like only Dane Walker himself has come to Lotten."


    Malecia suddenly recalled the civil servant who found him while he was secretly observing Dane Walker. He had not been concealing his presence earnestly when he was observing. However, it would not have been easy for an ordinary person to have found him unless they had good eyes.


    He had talked with him to see if he was an adventurer disguised as a civil servant sent by Glont with Dane Walker, but he didn¡¯t find anything in particular. Rather, the boy seemed quite weak, so it was amazing that he found him.


    He seemed to have become a little sensitive from having come to Lotten in a hurry. He laughed to himself, thinking that there was no way a civil servant would have any kind of influence on his work anyway.


    Malecia¡¯s subordinates breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Of course, Dane Walker is also pretty tough, so be vigilant. And just in case Glont comes, we¡¯ll  pull the schedule to tonight."


    "Wouldn''t Jiren¡¯s party protest?"


    As his subordinates worried, Malecia gave a wild smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. We¡¯re pushing ahead.¡±


    Rather, they were probably wanting to finish the job quickly to kill Malecia and getting impatient.


    "Yes!"


    The subordinates answered energetically and spread a map of the Lotten neighborhood on a hastily made table of planks. The map was quite detailed, and the location of the ruin was newly drawn on.


    "This is enough for military use. Where did the map come from? asked by Malecia


    "We were able to acquire it in a place called Big Mama Information Agency," the subordinates replied while handing over a bundle of documents.


    Malecia nodded at his subordinate. If it was the Big Mama Information Agency, the accuracy of the information didn¡¯t need to be doubted. He looked over the documents and asked, "Is the information about the ruin also from Big Mama Information Agency?"


    "Yes, it is."


    Malecia compared the documents given by Aries with those purchased from the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Hmm, it is presumed to be the tomb of the last of the Holy Tribe. Well, that''s not wrong."


    Malecia¡¯s subordinates looked at him oddly at his nuance.


    "If it is not incorrect, does that mean you have some hidden secrets?¡±


    Malecia shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know exactly either. However, I heard from the master that it is a tomb but also not a tomb."


    Malecia¡¯s subordinates could not understand what he was saying. It felt like he was uttering some strange play on words.


    "In other words, it is a burial mound without a body buried within it."


    "So you''re saying that the large ruin is just a burial mound?"


    When his subordinate asked like it was absurd, Malecia nodded.


    They couldn''t understand why such a large tomb was built if a body wasn''t going to be buried in it. Their boss, on the other hand, emotionally understood the act of making a mound without burying the body.


    In the past, there were so many colleagues whose bodies could not even be recovered during the war of conquest of the Blood Emperor who wished to expand the empire. There was a time when he was young when he silently dug because he thought it would be too vain of a death if he didn''t at least make a burial mound.


    After a fleeting moment of reminiscing, Malecia smiled bitterly and immediately wiped the expression off of his face.


    The subordinates placed black pebbles on the map, marking the positions of the guards.


    "Our goal is the magic stone, ''Miracle Crystal,'' the last legacy of the Holy Tribe, which is believed to be at the heart of the ruin."


    Malecia began to move the white pebbles that represented themselves and explained the operation.


    -o-


    The clock was pointing just past eleven at night. After being slammed by work all day, Flam and I were mentally exhausted and sagged.


    Flam said with a tired face, "If this continues, we might actually have to work overtime every day until we get back to headquarters."


    "I think that will likely be the case."


    Flam frowned and shook his head as if he had heard something terrible. "This is not something that a person should have to do."


    Dano, who was lying on his desk, raised his head at Flam''s lament.


    "Today was the first day for you guys. It¡¯s been half a month for me."


    I smiled at the grumbling Dano. "But it ended early because the two of us are here."


    Dano looked at me with tired eyes. "That''s true. In particular, if it weren''t for you, it might have passed midnight."


    Dano bowed his head in thanks. The work definitely went a lot quicker after I came back from patrol. Otherwise, not just past midnight, but they might have fallen asleep seeing the sun in the morning. Thanks to this, civil servants who I didn''t even know continued to thank me and provide me with snacks.


    Although, about half of the snacks went into the stomachs of Dane Walker and Flam. Of course, it didn''t matter because there was quite a bit.


    Dano was leaning his head on the desk exhausted when something seemed to suddenly come to mind and asked, "Wait, does that mean you¡¯re slacking off at the headquarters?"


    Oh, I¡¯ve been caught!


    "Ayy, no way. I try my best in everything!"


    Dano looked at me with suspicious eyes but decided it didn¡¯t matter and said, "Well, it doesn''t matter if you finish your work quickly, since you won''t be able to get off work until the end of the day."


    Unlike his first impression of being taciturn and inflexible, Dano did not interfere as long as you finished your work. In any case, there were only competent people at the headquarters, so no one worked that hard except Demuir, who was responsible for the overall accounting.


    In addition, I helped Demuir quite a bit before I was sent out so he should have an easier time.


    ¡°Now, let''s get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡±


    Everyone put their desks together and brought blankets to get ready to sleep.


    "By the way, where is Mr. Dane Walker?"


    When Dane Walker could not be seen, Flam looked for him with a blanket.


    "He said he was going to a ruin earlier. He said he would sleep there.¡±


    "Really?"


    "Yes, he said he was going to meet an old colleague he has known since he was in the court magician division."


    "Hmm, then I''ll use Dane Walker''s blanket as an extra. It''s cold because the blankets aren¡¯t that great at insulating." Flam laid all his blankets on the desk and hugged Dane Walker¡¯s blanket as if someone was going to take it away.


    I laughed at the sight.


    "Do as you please."


    It became dark when the civil servants on night duty turned off the lights. The civil servants lying on the desk chatted for a few minutes then quickly fell asleep. With so much work, it was not surprising that everyone collapsed into sleep.


    I got up quietly, made an illusion of myself sleeping, and left the office. Then, I took out clothes that were easy to move in from the pocket space, changed, and put on a half-white mask.


    "Let''s see. Was the ruin in that direction?"


    I wonder what would be in the ruin of the Holy Tribe. It was presumed to be the tomb of the last of the Holy Tribe, so there might be some interesting items.


    -o-


    Dane Walker pushed his platinum plate at the guards guarding the ruin and entered the barracks where the general manager in charge of exploring the ruins would be.


    "If it isn¡¯t Dane Walker! Long time no see!"


    As soon as he entered the barracks, an old man with a white beard brightly welcomed him. Dane Walker greeted the old man and hugged him.


    "Long time no see. Chief Kermin."


    ¡°What do you mean chief! It''s been a long time since I became a director. Don¡¯t go around still calling me chief."


    This old man was a madosa of the court magician division and was in charge of excavating the ruins.


    "Have you been promoted?" Dane Walker asked in surprise.


    Kermin smiled in embarrassment. "That''s what happened. I was planning to retire when I got old, but they wouldn¡¯t let me go.¡±


    Dane Walker laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha, Director-nim, you¡¯re one of the few madosas in the empire. This is a position you should have been in earlier."


    Kermin smiled bitterly at the other. "No, I really think it''s time to give up my position to the young people. When I retire, I want to go to a magic school and raise some juniors."


    "Oh, I''m suddenly jealous of the students. You¡¯re making me want to enter the magic school again."


    Kermin smiled as he touched his beard. "Hey, you. I can tell you''re on the verge of breaking through the wall. Don¡¯t joke around."


    Dane Walker was embarrassed that Kermin could tell at a glance that he was on the verge of becoming a madosa.


    "Hahaha, you know?"


    "I''ve known you for years. How would I not know? It seems like you¡¯ll be able to overcome it in one go if you just have the right opportunity."


    "Hahaha, I haven''t been able to find that opportunity for three years." Dane Walker laughed vainly.


    Kermin snorted.


    "But following that youngin, Glont, was the right choice. Becoming a madosa at your age is a feat only the Butterfly Tribe can achieve."


    When Dane Walker gave up his job as a court magician, Kermin was the one who tried to stop him the most.


    "Ahaha, it¡¯s ten years too late for me to be compared with the Butterfly Tribe."


    On average, the Butterfly Tribe members became a madosa in their late 30s to early 40s. The adult standard for them was being a great magician. But crossing the wall was a different story.


    "When you submitted your resignation, the most regretful thing was that I sent you under Glont as a military magician."


    "I''ve heard it hundreds of times already. Moreover, the army was low on military capacity at that time, so we were required to enlist."


    There were countless magicians who were dragged to the battlefield and failed to return due to the Blood Emperor¡¯s war of conquest.


    "And I''m grateful. If I hadn''t gone under General Glont at that time, I wouldn''t have come back alive."


    "Yeah, I sent you under that youngin Glont to make sure you would come back alive. But how was I supposed to know that a pervert who only looks for cute things would capture your heart?" Kermin sighed.


    Dane Walker made an awkward smile. It was because, honestly, he still was not used to Glont''s tastes yet.


    "So did you come past the guards and to this ruin to try and find that opportunity to cross that wall?"


    Dane Walker scratched the back of his head. ¡°Well, I''d be lying if I said I didn''t feel that way, but the reason is a little different.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    When Kermin looked at him strangely, Dane Walker carefully spoke.

 Chapter 143: Labyrinth Exploration (9)

    From a dense forest located near Lotten, Malecia looked at the ruin in the distance. At night, the torches were lit up around the ruin for the guards.


    "You''re late," Malecia said without taking his eyes off the ruin


    Right then, Jiren and a group of magicians appeared from the forest, releasing their concealment magic.


    "You¡¯re the one who pulled the schedule ahead all of a sudden," Jiren replied angrily.


    Malecia looked at him with emotionless eyes. At the cold gaze, Jiren unknowingly flinched then bit his lips as if his pride was hurt.


    "I believe I already told you the reason for moving the schedule forward?"


    Jiren snorted at Malecia. "Hnng, are you that scared because one retired knight might come!?"


    When Jiren seemed to imply that Malecia was a coward, the latter¡¯s subordinates put their hands on the handle of their swords. At the same time, Jiren''s subordinates clenched their magic wands.


    As the situation became tense all of the sudden, Malecia stopped his subordinates from acting with a nod. When they removed their hands from the sword handles, the magicians relaxed their grip on their magic wands.


    "Glont is too strong to be considered like any other ordinary retired knight."


    "Ha, have you ever seen such a coward?"


    As Jiren''s ridiculed, Malecia read his subordinates¡¯ thoughts before they would get angry and pull out their swords.


    "Resolving personal feelings is done after the work is complete."


    ¡°Yes."


    The subordinates just stared at Jiren and clenched their teeth.


    Malecia told Jiren, who was looking at him in high spirits, "All of our work could be ruined because of one person."


    One person could change the tide of the battlefield. The magician in front of him did not know that a single person''s power could change everything.


    Glont was a monster when he led the adventurer''s unit five years ago, and when he organized the Black Water Buffalo Knights more than a decade ago and ran wild with Bloody. It would be hard for Jiren to understand that since he had never experienced war and especially since he had never experienced Glont¡¯s sword before.


    Malecia felt his eye throb again.


    "Perhaps for ruffians who only play with swords.¡±


    At Jiren''s words, Malecia inwardly clicked his tongue.


    When they first met, it seemed the act of having an assertive initiative had solidly scratched his pride. Of course, he didn''t regret it. If he hadn''t acted like that, Jiren wouldn''t have even come out when called like this.


    "The target is the last legacy of the Holy Tribe, the Miracle Crystal, that is presumed to be in the center of the ruin."


    At Malecia¡¯s declaration, everyone put on a black mask.


    "The operation will start now."


    -o-


    I killed my presence and snuck past the guards the best I could to successfully infiltrate inside the ruin.


    "What... What''s going on here?"


    As soon as I entered the ruin, the amount of mana I felt decreased. It felt as if moisture disappeared and the air had become dry.


    "Heliosphere!"


    I made a shining sphere with magic instead of a flashlight to light up the surroundings. Although it was not a good environment to use magic due to the low ratio of mana in the air, it was not enough to feel inconvenienced. For magic, the magician''s ability and mana capacity were important, but the surrounding environment was more important.


    The interior of the ruin that I could roughly see was like a labyrinth from a game, built of large square rocks. In fact, it was a labyrinth with winding and divided roads. The walls were filled with murals that archaeologists might even feel a fetish for.


    The murals seemed to show a record of the Giant War from about 500 years ago. Occasionally, at the crossroads, there was some writing in an ancient language.


    Upon seeing ancient words suddenly after a long time, I suddenly got annoyed at an old memory.


    It''s a story from when I was just learning magic. I explained what a bidet was and asked Elder Mirpa to make one with magic, but he told me to make one myself while throwing me a book. The book was written in the ancient language.


    Elder Mirpa forced me to learn the ancient language along with the runic language and the Fairy Tribe language, saying that they needed to be mastered to use magic.


    I tried my best to learn in order to make a bidet.


    When I first learned it, I thought it was a programming language like JAVA or Python used in magic, so I studied hard. But later on, it turned out that I didn''t need to know it at all. Thinking of being deceived by that senile old grandpa, Mirpa, I still got annoyed.


    Well, later on, using the languages, I¡¯ll use ¡®Gae Bulg¡¯, which kills the target regardless of causality. ¡®Thunder That Races Across The Sky¡¯, a modified version of the basic attack magic, magic bullet, which could extinguish a small mountain. I also made "World Reversal" which sends the entire region to the far side of the anti-war world.


    In addition, there were quite a few magic spells that I created from boredom. There was no particular reason that I created such magic. I was just bored because my hometown was in a very remote place.


    After being distracted for a moment, I took a glance at the ancient words written at the crossroad. It roughly said:


    Just looking at the murals and their contents, it seemed like some kind of myth. Records showed that the Giants had a special power to expand their body by several times. But were they referring to my ancestor when they mentioned the savage Crow that came in as a new knight of the roundtable?


    Names such as my big brother¡¯s, Gallahad, or small brother''s, Gawain, had influence from the Holy Kingdom. Then, they were probably quite close. But to call him a savage, the creator of this ruin must have been heavily affected by my ancestor¡¯s betrayal.


    Let''s stop studying history and move on to a full-fledged exploration of the ruin.


    According to the information provided by Milpia, the ruin was believed to be a labyrinth in the shape of an inverted pyramid underground. Based on the information regarding the ruins from the era of the Holy Kingdom, the most important treasures would be located in the central part rather than deep underground.


    Honestly, I was not interested in expensive items. What I wanted was the magic of the now extinct Holy Tribe. Even just a trace was fine. As long as there was a clue, it may be possible to restore the magic of the Holy Tribe.


    Of course, even if I were to restore it, it¡¯s questionable whether it could be called the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic since there was no original, but it would still be of great help for the development of magic.


    I rummaged through the data Milpia had given me again.


    "As expected, there''s no map of the labyrinth."


    As expected, there was no map of the inside because it had been less than a month since the ruin was discovered.


    If there was one, it would mean that all the information on the ruin was collected in less than a month. That would be frightening in its own way.


    Actually, even without a map, I could just walk around the labyrinth and memorize all the paths so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even without a map. However, if you made a map in your head like that, it would take too much time to explore.


    A map was essential to quickly get through the labyrinth to the center. Well, I could just make one if there wasn¡¯t one.


    I carefully released my mana and cast exploration magic so that the magicians outside the ruins wouldn''t notice.


    ¡°Spiders cursed by God set up large traps. Long, long, the spider webs stretch out in search of pitiful prey."


    A thin thread of mana stretched out from my hand into many branches.


    "The Thread of Arachne."


    The magic thread stretched out quickly and told me the layout of the area. It was not an exact outline, and only the paths were shown. The size of the ruin was larger than expected, as my mana continued to get sapped away.


    Briefly focusing on the mana threads, I was able to memorize the approximate terrain around here. However, unlike the information given by Milpia, it was not in the form of an inverted pyramid.


    In comparison, it was a structure like a giant three-dimensional magic circle. The information said it was just speculation, but still, it should at least be close. Otherwise, it has no credibility.


    ''Then shall we slowly head to the center?'' The night was still long.


    -o-


    "Next is a right turn."


    After successfully infiltrating into the ruin, Malecia and his subordinates were charging through the labyrinth as quickly as possible.


    "Are we certain this information is correct?¡±


    When his subordinate looked anxiously at him, Malecia shrugged. "It¡¯s information given to us by the Master, so we have to believe it."


    If Jiren and other magicians that worshiped Aries heard it, they would have foamed at the mouth, angrily asking how they could doubt that person¡¯s words. Fortunately, however, there were no magicians here who worshipped Aries like a God.


    "It''s a compilation of all the information that he¡¯s found while searching for decades, so it should be fine to believe in it."


    Malecia''s subordinates were not fully reassured but nodded with an expression of being convinced. In fact, it wasn¡¯t only due to Aries¡¯s information, but also thanks to Jiren, who continued to lurk in Lotten to collect data.


    He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but without Jiren''s information, it might have been impossible to break through the labyrinth in such a short time. Most of the data that his subordinates were reading in real-time and giving directions were Jiren''s achievements.


    But honestly, his subordinates didn''t see Jiren in a good light. Sometimes not knowing could be medicine.


    "We''re running out of time if we want to obtain our goal within today. We¡¯re speeding up.¡±


    If they happened to face the empire''s excavation team in the middle of a path, it was guaranteed to be troublesome.


    "Yes!"


    The subordinates responded vigorously to Malecia''s order and sped up.


    -o-


    Even though it was late, Kermin urgently convened the magicians of the court magician division.


    One guide, an archaeologist, and a treasure hunter, making up a total of three. Six knights from the Black Water Buffalo Knights were called to the entrance of the ruin to be escorts.


    "Why did you call us at this late hour?¡± asked Molk, a veteran knight who led the Black Water Buffalo Knights.


    Kermin answered with a serious face, "It looks like there''s a very important artifact sleeping in this ruin."


    "An artifact? Well, there being artifacts in a ruin is a given. I don''t understand why you called us  at this late hour for that." Molk frowned and looked at Kermin.


    Kermin looked at Dane Walker and introduced, "This friend, who you know well, will explain."


    Molk and Dane Walker just greeted each other with their eyes.


    "Long time no see, Magic Swordsman of Thunder.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, long time no see.¡±


    Dane Walker laughed as he took out a document from his chest.

 Chapter 144: Labyrinth Exploration (10)

    "This is the request letter from His Highness Prime Minister to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. It is to request that we secretly retrieve an artifact that is believed to be in this ruin," said Dane Walker.


    Molk asked like he was having a difficult time understanding, "Is that not strange? His Highness Prime Minister¡¯s position is one that towers above everyone. It is strange that such a person would give orders through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild instead of directly ordering the knights or the court magicians!"


    Dane Walker took out other documents and handed them to Molk as if he had already expected this.


    "This is!" Upon receiving the document, Molk looked at Dane Walker in surprise.


    "This is General Bloody''s order. As you can see, it includes full support for this operation and a gag order."


    "I will believe that this is not a false document." Molk glared at Dane Walker and put Bloody''s order in his chest.


    Kermin looked at the magicians under his command and took out a sheet of paper from his pocket space. "Our court magician division was also issued an order with full support for this operation. In the absence of our leader of the court magicians, William, our orders have the seal of the emperor."


    Everybody gathered here stopped breathing and their faces stiffened.


    Dane Walker said it was a request from the Prime Minister, but the fact that the order with the emperor''s seal came together meant that this was led by the emperor.


    "This operation is top-secret because unfortunately, what we''re trying to do is no different from tomb raiding," said Dane Walker.


    The knights and magicians were heavily silent, Dane Walker and the archaeologists and treasure hunters were lost in thought. They realized that if something were to go wrong, they could be killed to be silenced.


    Ordinary excavations and explorations of ruins were done publicly. It meant that the things that came out from the ruins would be revealed to the world. In addition, it was possible for the territory where the ruins were discovered to claim part of the ownership of the artifacts found.


    The hired archaeologists and treasure hunters, not affiliated with the imperial family, were nervous. On the outside, the request commissioner was the prime minister, not the emperor. It meant that the prime minister would take full responsibility if things went wrong. However, it was unclear whether their lives were included in the said responsibility.


    Having read their faces, Dane Walker bowed his head and apologized. "I''m sorry to bring you in without asking you first. If you fill out the confidentiality memorandum and the magic contract, we will promise you a reward that can allow you to live the rest of your lives comfortably. Your safety is a given."


    The archaeologists and treasure hunters had no choice. As long as they heard the confidential information, they had to either sign or die here. Still, since the magic contract included a guarantee of safety, they would be able to keep their lives at the least.


    In fact, without these kinds of explanations and safety guarantees, it was common to be killed after the work was completed. So, they felt relieved even as they signed bitterly.


    Once again, Dane Walker apologized and put the memorandum and the magic contract in his pocket space, and said, "If possible, we will try to get everything done tonight. How far has the exploration of the ruin¡¯s labyrinth progressed?"


    The treasure hunters each showed their own investigation reports and maps of the labyrinth.


    "We don¡¯t have the entire labyrinth, but we can go down about four floors straight away."


    The map of the labyrinth did not have a map of the entire floor drawn out, but only a complicated route to go downward.


    "How many floors do you think it is?¡±


    "We are thinking that it''s about 9 to 10 floors down."


    Dane Walker was surprised by the treasure hunters¡¯ answer.


    "You went down deep in a short amount of time."


    "Yes, it was possible because there were few monsters which are usually the biggest obstacle to exploration."


    Usually, the ruins were often found due to an overflow of monsters after they used it as a base and turned it into a dungeon. However, in the report, there were basically no monsters except the few found on the first floor.


    "It looks like the ruin has not been turned into a dungeon," Dane Walker said while looking at Kermin.


    Kermin conjectured as he stroked his chin. "Maybe it has something to do with the mana here."


    ¡°And if it is the mana?"


    "In this ruin, mana concentration has a tendency to decrease as you go down," Kermin replied.


    Dane Walker looked around seriously at the magician group. "About how much?"


    "At the least, the magicians will be able to hold out to the center of the ruin where they are headed. But you probably won¡¯t be able to take all of them."


    Kermin divided the magicians into those who would go in and those who would guard the entrance to the ruin. It was easy to divide them because there were not many court magicians who were dispatched in the first place.


    Five court magicians led by Kermin including Dane Walker, six knights led by Molk,  archaeologist, and treasure hunters, a total of 16, entered the ruins.


    -o-


    The exploration magic I used, "The Thread of Arachne," was a magic that was not very efficient outdoors but optimized for closed places like a labyrinth.


    Arachne''s thread had enemy detection functions as well as topography exploration, and coincidentally, a reaction indicating humans came from two places. I wanted to properly use the detection magic and find out what kind of people they were but held back. If there was a magician among the other group, and I got unlucky, I could be reverse-detected.


    I was quite far away, so would be able to cope with the reverse detection, but there was no need to risk letting others know of my presence.


    Both groups were breaking through the labyrinth at a considerable speed as if they had a map of inside the ruin. I couldn''t move that fast even while knowing the terrain in real-time.


    Perhaps they actually have a map?


    I wanted to go at a relaxed pace, but I thought it would be better to hurry a little.


    I sped up at the thought that I might reach the center later than the two groups behind me.


    -o-


    After running as the detection magic guided, I seemed to have reached the destination. Among the information that Milpia gave me, there was also information on the ruins from the era of the Holy Kingdom.


    The huge stone gate in front of me now was the same style as rooms where most artifacts were excavated. The difference was that there was a lot of security magic on it.


    Beyond this door, there might be the magic of the Holy Tribe that made my heart flutter. In fact, the reason why I was so looking forward to it was that the labyrinth, which formed the ruin, was in the form of a huge three-dimensional magic circle no matter how I looked at it.


    It was just a guess, but I thought this ruin was not a tomb of the last of the Holy Tribe, but a magic circle built for the purpose of recruitment. If so, it explained why the mana was light at this ruin.


    In order to maintain the magic circle, it attracted all the mana around it, inevitably making the surrounding mana faint. I would have to explore the entire ruin to find out what kind of magic circle it was, but looking at the structure of the labyrinth, which made up about half, it seemed like space-based magic that sent mana somewhere.


    I didn''t know what it was for, but it was clear that if such a large magic circle was sending its collected mana, the amount of mana it would have would be beyond imagination. It was said that at least 500 years had passed since the ruin was created, so it would not be something that humans could handle.


    I pushed the stone gate with excitement, wondering what would be inside beyond it.


    Kkeung!


    Why is it so heavy!


    Using even the power of martial arts against this stone gate which was much heavier than expected, I managed to open it enough for one or two people to pass through.


    It was such an old-fashioned security magic that it was faster and safer to just open it by force than to dispel it. They probably did not think there would be a musclehead like me who would push through that insanely heavy stone gate with pure strength.


    Being a musclehead is the best! It¡¯s thrilling and efficient! If your body is weak, then both your body and head would naturally suffer.


    I used so much strength that I breathed hard for a while and my arms went numb. After stabilizing my breath, I squeezed myself into the gap between the open stone doors.


    In the room, which was at the center of the ruin, twelve huge stone statues of knights stood facing each other in two rows. These stone statues appeared to be golems linked to the security magic of the stone gate.


    Among the things I¡¯d read while coming all the way here, it seemed that the golems symbolized the twelve knights of the round table. However, considering there were twelve, it seemed they made stone statues of everyone including my ancestor.


    Wow!


    I couldn¡¯t help but admire. It was clear that this room was at the core of the ruin.


    At the center of the room was a large magic stone, the size of a fist, and the mana coming out of it was filling the magic formula which was drawn all over the room. At the same time, the mana of the ruin seemed to be sent somewhere through this place.


    Normally, if it was the tomb of a king, it would have been filled with golden decorations or expensive artifacts. However, this room was covered with all kinds of magic instead of gold.


    For magicians like me, it was much more valuable than gold. I quickly memorized and wrote down the magic formulas in the room. Although I would have been thankful for just a clue, the magic of this room could be called the essence of that period.


    Of course, compared to the magic of the current era, more than 500 years later, most of the magic was outdated and could not be used. On the other hand, however, there was plenty of magic that was so difficult and complicated that it came into practice.[1] They were so complicated and difficult that to analyze it properly, you would have to take a vacation and lock yourself in the room. It was more than I expected, but unfortunately, the magic of the Holy Tribe was not in this room.


    As I was fully distracted by the magic formulas, the magic circles in the room were suddenly filled with mana and the wall cracked open. It seemed that the wall was a different door from where I came in.


    As soon as the door opened, the eyes of the knight statue shone and it began to move.


    "Damn?!"


    It seems the security magic had activated as that stone door opened.


    If you''re going to open it, you should do it properly! Not like some amateur bursting through the door while ignoring the security magic! Without anyone knowing, like nothing happened! These two things are basic knowledge that thieves need to adhere to even if it takes time.


    This guy has no knowledge as a thief!


    I don¡¯t know what kind of half-assed punk you are, but just try coming in. I¡¯ll make sure to take care of your funeral!


    At that time, a majestic voice from the ceiling spoke in an ancient language.


    - Disrespectful ones who dare to tread on the sacred ground with dirty feet will be punished.


    I looked around as I ran away from the stone statue that pulled out a huge sword.


    Before I knew it, people had come in from the stone gate in the other direction I came in from.


    Dane Walker was among them.


    1. Not sure what the author means by it¡¯s so complicated that it was put into practice¡­ Perhaps it means something along the lines of, it was so complicated that its complexity allowed it to not become outdated and was continued to be used? Or it took people so long to analyze and understand it, that it withstood the test of time, and was eventually put into practice??

 Chapter 145: Labyrinth Exploration (11)

    After breaking through the labyrinth and reaching the center of the ruins, Dane Walker let out a sigh in front of the stone gate.


    "There were some writings in the ancient language all over the labyrinth, but this is an ancient magic formula. It seems like security magic, but will you be able to decipher it?" Dane Walker asked the archaeologist while touching the stone gate


    The man shook his head with a tired face. "It won¡¯t be possible. So far, it''s been possible to figure it out on the spot because there were clues in the wall murals, but if it is related to magic, we need to take the time to study it."


    Dane Walker then looked at Kermin, but he also shook his head.


    "If it''s an ancient magic formula, only the old-fashioned ones from the previous generation who couldn¡¯t let go of the past would have used it. Or are you saying that I¡¯m so old that I¡¯m like those old-fashioned fogeys?¡± Kermin joked.


    Dane Walker laughed.


    Perhaps if it was an archaeologist, but there wouldn¡¯t be any magicians nowadays who had mastered the ancient language. Magic using ancient language was that complicated and difficult to use.


    "What if we just push our way in through force?" Dane Walker asked with a self-deprecating tone. Although he got the right answer unexpectedly, he smiled bitterly as he spoke.


    Molk looked at him as if he was dumbfounded. "How heavy do you think that huge gate is?"


    "Is it impossible?"


    "Isn¡¯t that obvious! If it''s made of stone of that size, even General Bloody would have to push it with all his might to barely open it!"


    Dane Walker was rather surprised by Molk''s yell.


    "He can push that gate open? Oh my, it seems the Crow Tribe isn¡¯t called the strongest battle race for nothing," Dane Walker said in admiration


    Molk boasted as if he had been praised himself. "That¡¯s right. The general is also the strongest!"


    Ignoring Molk who was clenching his fists, Dane Walker asked Kermin. "Is there no way?"


    Kermin sighed and shook his head. "If it was the runic language, I could try interpreting it, but don''t you know that ancient language is like the boss at the top in the world of magic?"


    "That''s true, but¡ª¡±


    While Dane Walker and Kermin eyed the stone gate lost in thought, a weak-looking court magician spoke carefully.


    "Excuse me, I know a little bit about magic formulas using the ancient language."


    The two looked back in surprise.


    "Really?"


    Feeling burdened by the gaze that seemed to look at him like a freak, the court magician said in a shrinking voice, "Yes... If it goes well, I think I can open the stone gate."


    "Hurry and try it!" Kermin urged.


    The weak-looking court magician resolved the security magic by reading the magic formula written on the stone gate. When the magic circle and ancient words drawn on the stone gate reacted with light, Dane Walker marveled.


    "Who is that guy? I don''t think I''ve seen him before when I was in the court magician division."


    "I don''t really know either. He joined us in Lotten." Kermin replied.


    Dane Walker looked at the weak-looking court magician gloomily. "Pity. His skills are decent, but it seems he¡¯s been wandering around the provinces."


    The court magician division was also divided into groups where there were elites working in the capital, and those that traveled the provinces and were basically only court magicians in name.


    "I know, right? If things work out well this time around, we had better bring him to the capital. It¡¯ll be better for him and for the court magician division."


    "That would be good."


    Unaware of the Dane Walker and Kermin¡¯s whisperings, the court magician, who had been attached to the stone gate, shouted an incantation in the ancient language.


    "Open!"


    At the same time as the cry, a red light shone from the stone gate, and a small gap opened up.


    "Ohh! That''s impressive.¡±


    When the gate opened, everyone cheered and applauded. While they were being so careless, a dagger suddenly flew by.


    The knights were surprised to see the dagger suddenly fly by and drew out their swords, but two magicians, who were already slow, to begin with, received serious injuries and collapsed.


    "Who is it!" Molk stood in front in the direction that the dagger flew from and shouted.


    As if in response to the cry, people in black masks appeared with swords from the paths of the labyrinth. Even if they continued to throw daggers, it would be hard to make any more gains.


    "Long time no see, Dane Walker."


    Malecia, a man with one eye, walked out among the masked men who raided Dane Walker¡¯s group and smiled brutally.


    They were already acquainted and the masks did not have perception disrupting magic on them. So Malecia thought it would be difficult to hide his identity even if he wore the mask and walked out proudly.


    "Malecia!" Dane Walker unsheathed his sword and turned vigilant.


    Malecia flashed an unrestrained smile. "It''s funny that you''re carrying a sword. Come to think of it, your nickname is Magic Swordsman of Thunder, right?¡±


    "Yes, during the war, because of someone, I would have died if I didn''t lift a sword, so I did some  training in swordsmanship."


    Dane Walker pointed with his eyes at Kermin, wary of Malecia. He knew all too well that he alone was not good enough against the one-eyed man, known as the Mercenary King.


    Malecia was considered a monster amongst monsters and was known to be stronger than an average battle race member. Beating Eranto of the Mercenary Alliance of the empire, he was not called Mercenary King for no reason.


    It was quite a disadvantageous situation. Before the fight even began, there were two seriously injured and a non-combatant archaeologist. In addition, the environment within the ruins was not conducive to using magic because of its sparse mana.


    On the other hand, even at a glance, he could see that Malecia had well-trained subordinates. Dane Walker took a deep breath and charged in first.


    "The love of lightning that cuts through the sky! Remain in my hands!"


    At Dane Walker¡¯s incantation, an electric current flowed through the sword.


    ¡°The restraint of the earth!"


    Kermin caught the masked men''s feet to prevent them from avoiding Dane Walker¡¯s sword.


    The masked men¡¯s ankles were suddenly buried in the ground and restrained from avoiding Dane Walker¡¯s sword. So they had no choice but to block it with their swords shrouded in sword aura.


    Kayak!


    They tried to block the current as much as possible with sword aura, but could not block the current that traveled through the air and ended up screaming painfully.


    Malecia threw a dagger at Dane Walker to keep him away from his subordinates.


    "We haven''t seen each other in a long time. You should be facing off against me!"


    As Malecia quickly charged and swung his sword, Dane Walker retreated as he shot magic bullets.


    "Take care of the Black Water Buffalo first!" Malecia shouted as he cut the magic bullets and wielded his sword at Dane Walker. His subordinates poured mana into their feet and kicked the ground to escape their shackles.


    At the same time, they attacked Molk and the knights.


    "Treasure hunters, take the wounded and the archaeologist up!" Molk ordered the treasure hunters, who were at least a little strong, to retreat and asked them to escort the wounded and non-combatants.


    "Yes!"


    The treasure hunters quickly carried the wounded and the archaeologist on their backs and fled.


    Malecia''s men tried to attack the treasure hunters with the wounded on their backs but failed due to interference from court magicians.


    "Leave the ones who are escaping! Get rid of the ones interfering!"


    Malecia''s subordinates turned away from the ones escaping and attacked the knights and court magicians.


    Malecia quickly scanned both Dane Walker and Kermin then launched a sword aura at Kermin.


    Kermin quickly created a shield to block the sword aura and attacked at the same time.


    "The Earth''s Spear!"


    When Kermin''s magic raised the ground sharply and tried to stab Malecia, the latter turned his body and avoided the Earth''s Spear.


    Taking advantage of Malecia''s distraction, Dane Walker fired at Malecia.


    "The love of lightning that cuts through the sky! Fire!¡±


    Malecia wrapped his sword with aura blade and made the whole space bend. Then he quickly narrowed the distance with Dane Walker and slashed.


    Dane Walker blocked Malecia''s sword with an electricity-flowing sword but was pushed away by the pressure of the sword surrounded with aura blade.


    "Hoo! How electrifying!"


    Stopping electricity traveling through the air with aura blade, Malecia rushed back towards Dane Walker.


    "Wall of the Earth!"


    Kermin quickly wrapped Malecia in an earth wall.


    "The Earth''s Spear!"


    Then he filled the inside of the earth wall with thick thorns.


    Malecia cut down thorns that stretched out from all sides. Then, he made a hole in the earth wall and pulled himself out, while also launching a sword aura at Kermin.


    Realizing that the magician that opened the stone gate was included in the range of the sword aura that Malecia launched, Kermin created a large barrier to block it.


    Kermin said toward the weak-looking court magician behind him, "It¡¯s dangerous. Stay behind me."


    Concerned about the junior magician, Kermin immediately put his mana into his hands and tried to attack Malecia.


    Puk!


    The mana he had been collecting scattered due to the sudden pain in his back. He looked back incredulously. He could not accept the fact that his junior, who he tried to protect, stabbed him in the back with a dagger. The court magician grinned and ripped the skin off of his face.


    Kermin asked while breathing wildly. "Who are you, who?"


    "I am Jiren, one who studies under His Greatness. Ahh! Praise him! I was able to open the stone gate also because of his magic!¡±


    Under the skin, Jiren''s face full of fanaticism and arrogance was revealed.


    "Director-nim!"


    Dane Walker called Kermin and fired magic bullets to get Jiren away from him.


    Jiren backed away with a shield. Then he stared at Malecia.


    "You...!"


    Jiren thought Malecia had stayed still even though he could have easily attacked Dane Walker. Considering the other''s ability, it was not wrong to think that.


    "Then you should have dealt with the madosa quickly."


    Malecia did not attack Dane Walker because Kermin stared at him and kept him in check despite having collapsed.


    When Jiren was told off, saying that he was not a madosa for no reason, he burst into anger. "Do you think it¡¯s that easy to get rid of a madosa?!"


    "That''s why I purposely created a gap for you."


    For Malecia, Kermin, who was staring and keeping him in check, was more threatening than Dane Walker, who was risking his life to attack him. There was that much of a huge gap between the levels of a great magician and a madosa.


    However, Jiren seemed to be dragging his feet even in front of the enemy.


    "The love of lightning that cuts through the sky! Disperse and run!"


    With Dane Walker¡¯s magic, electricity poured in from all sides at Malecia and Jiren.


    Kermin''s subordinates, the court magicians, seeing him fall, also fired magic bullets at Malecia and Jiren.


    While Malecia was blocking the magic bullets, Dane Walker grabbed the fallen Kermin and distanced themselves from the enemies. Then he poured a potion containing divine power on the wound then fed it to Kermin.


    "Cough!"


    "Director-nim! Are you all right?" He held and sat up Kermin, who had vomited blood.


    Kermin said as he breathed hard, "I won''t die. Don''t worry. Haha, I''m old, too. I¡¯ve become a madosa but got so easily stabbed in the back.¡±


    Dane Walker shook his head at the other''s dry laugh. "No. You couldn¡¯t have done anything in that situation."


    Kermin smiled slightly and quietly whispered, "Go inside the stone gate, then at least that one-eyed guy will follow you. If it goes well, the one who stabbed me in the back will follow too."


    Dane Walker understood Kermin¡¯s intention. As long as Kermin was seriously injured, the balance would be tilted towards Malecia¡¯s side, so he was going to lure the man to balance it again. Without Malecia, the enemies would only have one magician. It would be more advantageous compared to before.


    "But¡ª"


    When Dane Walker hesitated, Kermin smiled. "I¡¯m a madosa too. I won''t die easily. Rather you''ll be in more danger, having to lure that one-eyed man."


    Dane Walker nodded with determination. "It doesn¡¯t matter. It''s because of me anyway, so naturally, I¡¯ll have to bear with it."


    "Alright, let''s survive and meet again."


    Dane Walker withdrew from Kermin and ran into the stone gate.


    Seeing that, Malecia and Jiren followed in surprise.


    Kermin clenched his teeth and raised himself up. Perhaps there was a curse on the wound, but it did not heal easily even with the divine power. But it was still possible to use magic to some degree. He had to quickly deal with the masked people and go help Dane Walker. He clenched his teeth and launched a spell.


    He was confident that if it was Dane Walker, he would survive.

 Chapter 146: Labyrinth Exploration (12)

    A huge knight-shaped golem swung a sword at me. I threw my body sideways to dodge it. The place where I was standing was greatly dug into and threw up a cloud of dust.


    For convenience, I decided to No.the stone statues in order of their proximity to me. The stone statue that attacked me was No.1.


    "Who the hell are you?!"


    A weak-looking man dressed as a court magician shouted and pointed his finger at me. It was like he was asking how I came in first.


    Hahaha, if you are asking me, I must naturally answer!


    "I am!"


    - Repent for your sins through death! You insolent person!


    I was trying to answer, but the fifth stone statue cut me off in ancient language and swung a sword at the weak-looking magician.


    Keuack!


    The weak-looking guy barely escaped by throwing his body sideways and rolling on the floor.


    The fifth statue stubbornly aimed for the magician and swung its sword but was narrowly avoided.


    The weak-looking man was sprawled out. Suddenly being cut off while answering, I felt like I was being ignored.


    At that time, the one-eyed man easily avoided the seventh stone statue¡¯s attack and threw a dagger at me. I casually caught the dagger.


    "Uh, isn''t this a little too aggressive for a first greeting?"


    I grumbled and looked at the man with one eye. I thought I had seen him somewhere... He was the man who was secretly observing Dane Walker on the market streets of Lotten.


    Seeing him come in with Dane Walker, they probably knew each other.


    The one-eyed man grinned at me. "Because I don''t like unknown variables being brought in... There was no one like you within the scope of my predictions.¡±


    "Same goes for me."


    After seeing the one-eyed man earlier today, I was trying to take the initiative, but who knew he was going to move so quickly.


    "Since it¡¯s come to this, why don¡¯t we introduce ourselves? I''m Lupin."


    "I¡¯m Malecia."


    Malecia. I had never heard of that name before. Well, it would be strange if a mere tomb raider was making his name known.


    "The world also calls me the Black Knight," Malecia said.


    Dane Walker shouted while avoiding a stone statue¡¯s attack, "Don''t lie! You¡¯re called Mercenary King!"


    Mercenary King? He must be more famous than I thought. No, then is the name Black Knight self-proclaimed?


    "Quiet! My subordinates call me Black Knight!"


    If it¡¯s your subordinates calling you that, didn''t you force them to say that? I looked at Malecia with pitiful eyes.


    It''s okay, men are children even when they''re grown up. Having the eighth-grade syndrome installed at a basic level is what makes you a man!


    Perhaps he felt my gaze, but Malecia pointed at me with anger.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me with those eyes!?¡±


    I was surprised by his cry. I definitely put perception-disrupting magic on the mask, but he somehow overcame it and read my pitiful gaze. He was stronger than I expected. I upgraded my evaluation from during the day.


    In the meantime, the stone statue, which had been continuously attacking, became stationary.


    "Ayyt, you¡¯re in the way!"


    Malecia rushed to the stone statue No.7 while creating an aura blade on his sword. It would probably be better to deal with the stone statues first.


    I climbed atop the sword of stone statue No.1. Then I ran on the sword blade all the way to its head.


    Rather than magic, I decided to use the Crow Tribe¡¯s martial arts that I learned from my father. Even if it was me, if I used magic at the center of the underground ruins, it would be hard to survive being buried.


    No, I was confident about surviving, but I didn''t want to go through the struggle of having to drag Dane Walker out after being buried.


    Stone statue No.1 struck me with its palm as if it were catching a mosquito.


    - Insolent like a fly!


    I jumped off its arm as I ran.


    "Have you seen a fly this big!?¡±


    Then, I used the martial arts at full strength and kicked the palm falling towards me.


    "Enlightenment! Cut the clouds!"


    My kick cut its palm sharply as if it had been cut by sword aura.


    Cutting clouds was a legendary technique where my father split the clouds with a single upwards kick from the ground. When I was learning this technique, I asked my father if being able to cut the clouds was a lie. After getting smacked in the back of the head, I was able to see him cut the clouds with my own eyes.


    From then on, I learned not to be smart with my father.


    I landed on the arm of stone statue No.1 again and avoided its hand that fell.


    - This insolent man has the same power of a dirty Crow!


    Stone statues No.3 and 4 were guarding the mana stone that was maintaining the magic circle, but when stone statue No.1 shouted in the ancient language, they started running towards me. It seemed that my ancestor must have really betrayed them hard for a measly golem to curse like this.


    But it¡¯s my ancestor!


    I ran up stone statue No.1¡¯s shoulder and jumped onto the golem¡¯s head.


    "Enlightenment! Crushing rocks!"


    I gathered mana on my fist, focused the martial arts, then struck the head of the stone statue.


    Kwagwagwang-!


    The head split in half, revealing the core that moved the golem. I immediately pulled and cut the mana line connected to the core with my hand wrapped in sword aura.


    In terms of human beings, if the core was the brain, this mana line was the spinal cord that was connected to the body. The mana line was quite tough. It seemed to be made by mixing in mithril.


    "Oh, it seems pretty useful.¡±


    The core of the golem contained a considerable amount of mana, as well as the design magic that was the foundation for the production of the golem.


    Golem production was not my specialty, but if all went well, I might be able to recreate a golem.


    - How dare you kill Bedivere! He''s an evil man!


    - I will avenge Bedivere!


    Swords raised, stone statues No.3 and 4 rushed towards me in rage. The stone statues were not advanced intelligence, but they seemed to have some amount of consciousness.


    I grabbed the core of the golem and extended it towards stone statues No.3 and 4 while shouting in the ancient language.


    "Bedivere! You''re mine!"


    - How dare you insult a holy knight!


    - The guardian sword of His Greatness, the King, will punish you!


    I don''t know which magician made them, but their reactions were clear, so it was fun to tease. I wanted the cores of those two. I put Bedivere''s core in my pocket space and grabbed the cut mithril line. Then, I looked at the approaching stone statues No.3 and 4 and said, "At the height of 11 meters, which supposedly instills the most fear in humans, I will attempt to jump!"


    I held onto the rope tightly and jumped off stone statue No.1, which was at the end of its life and collapsing after losing its core.


    Even at a rough glance, the height was easily over 11 meters. The mithril line was pulled out quickly along with my falling body.


    After falling about five meters, the mithril line got caught inside the golem and stopped being pulled out. It was shorter than I thought. I had thought I would be able to go at least another 3 meters down.


    Using the elasticity of the mithril line created from when I was falling, I kicked the body of stone statue No.1. And with the rebound, I jumped toward stone statue No.3 which was wielding a huge sword.


    "Ah! Ahhhhhhh!"


    Shouting like Tarzan, as I reached near the head of stone statue No.3 in a heartbeat, I let go of the mithril line and slapped a magic bullet into its head.


    The magic bullet¡¯s power was terrible because the surrounding environment lacked mana. However, it was still useful enough to disturb its field of view.


    Let¡¯s dismantle all the fallen stone statues and put the components in the pocket space later.


    The outer part of the head of the stone statue broke and created dust. "Enlightenment! Air kick!"


    I made a foothold with mana and kicked the air to jump towards the head of the stone statue No.3.


    "Hectopascal Kick!"


    As stone statue No.3¡¯s head was completely smashed by my fist, it spat out its last words.


    - That¡¯s a punch, not a kick! You evil man!


    "I know!"


    I grabbed the core of the golem which was revealed inside the broken head and cut the mithril line.


    Stone statue No.3 completely shut down.


    - Agravain! I¡¯ll never forgive you! Take my justice!


    The name of stone statue No.3 must be Agravain. I put its core in my pocket space and ran straight towards stone statue No.4.


    Stone statue No.4 precisely stabbed its sword at me. Comparing the size of my body with the stone statue, I would be like a bug as big as a finger, but the golem¡¯s swordsmanship skills were not ordinary.


    It was a rapier from the stone statue¡¯s perspective, but from my point of view, it felt like a train was charging in.


    I grabbed the tip of the sword, turned my body around, and landed on the sword. Then I quickly ran up the sword toward stone statue No.4, which swung its sword around and tried to throw me off.


    There was no need to stubbornly stay atop the shaking sword and so I quickly flew using magic towards the head of stone statue No.4.


    Then stone statue No.4 tried to cut me with a sophisticated sword technique, unlike a golem. However, it was easy to avoid the huge body and its dull movements which were characteristic of a golem. Perceiving its death, stone statue No.4 muttered in the ancient language.


    - Let there be eternal glory in the Holy Kingdom...


    Kwang!


    The head of stone statue No.4 was smashed apart and the core of the golem was revealed. I mercilessly took the golem¡¯s core and put it in my pocket space.


    But are these guys really just golems? For that, they seemed to have proper emotions.


    In the case of an ordinary golem, it only spat out what was entered by the magician according to a set process. Of course, if the magician who created the core of golem hypothesized all the situations like some pervert, there was no reason it couldn¡¯t feel similar to a conversation.


    Having concluded that the person who made the golem was not any ordinary pervert, I looked at the situation around me.


    Dane Walker was barely standing against the stone statue, and the one-eyed man with the eighth-grade syndrome, what was his name again?


    Ah, Malecia.


    Malecia was confronted by a new one, stone statue No.9, after having beaten one to the brink of a shutdown with aura blade.


    Come to think of it, there was a magician who looked weak, but I couldn''t find him. The golems weren¡¯t moving either. Did he maybe die?


    It was unfortunate, but it was better than being buried by accident after using magic. The bracelet made by the Witch of Pride had not been tested properly yet, so I felt uncomfortable using it in a place like this.


    The remaining six stone statues surrounded the mana stone in the center and were not moving recklessly. That mana stone was the source of this ruin. The order code seemed to have been set to keep alert without moving in case they got hit from behind after moving recklessly.


    Obviously, it was the right choice because outside the stone gate whence Dane Walker had come in, a group of people seemed to be fighting quite fiercely and they could come in at any time. It was likely the programming set by a magician from long ago, not the stone statues¡¯ own judgements.


    By the way, was one group of guys fighting outside on the same side as Dane Walker and the other Malecia?


    I didn''t know who was on whose side because I could only feel their presence, but I felt like it would be interesting, so I decided to send a Chirp to watch it.


    "Summon Chirp."


    Chirp was a magical creature that I created, but it was my personal magic creature, so I could share its senses to some degree.


    With three chirps, it was probably enough to make whichever side I help, win.


    After I sent the chirps, I was retrieving what could be taken from the rubble of the stone statues, when I felt unusual mana from Dane Walker.


    "Ohhh! This is!"

 Chapter 147: Labyrinth Exploration (13)

    - You insolent fly!


    The stone statue provoked Dane Walker but in ancient language...


    ¡°My name is Dane Walker. I''m a citizen of the empire. Where are you from?¡±


    To someone who barely knew it, it might as well have been talking in an alien language.


    Facing the stone statue, Dane Walker was occasionally looking around when he was surprised to see that the half-white mask-wearing monster was talking to the stone statue in the ancient language.


    Seeing such a monster appear out of nowhere and smash the stone statue¡¯s head with his bare hands then speak the ancient language fluently, Dane Walker¡¯s mind became complicated and wondered where that monster came from.


    However, Dane Walker''s complicated thoughts did not last long. The statue kept attacking fiercely whenever he showed any gaps. Fighting against the stone statue with his life on the line, he constantly used magic as he felt the limitations of his mana.


    His main magic was electric magic among elemental magic. His magic was powerful against living beings, but not very effective for statues that were fully made of stone. However, the stone statue didn¡¯t sit around allowing him to chant powerful enough magic that could destroy it. As such, he had no choice but to fly and avoid or block the stone statue¡¯s attacks.


    "Thunder rumbles and cuts across the clouds with its powerful wings!"


    Dozens of large thunderbirds shot out of Dane Walker''s hand and rushed towards the stone statue. However, the impact of the thunderbirds only left dents and did not cause much damage. Although it was high-level magic, it only provided as much damage as a magic bullet at best. The environment had insufficient mana, so it consumed more mana than usual.


    On the other hand, the opponent would not even get a graze with ordinary magic. He was the type of opponent who would make you curse.


    - You insolent person that dares to set foot in this place, die in repentance!


    He couldn''t understand it because it spoke in an ancient language, but he could tell it wasn¡¯t anything good from the tone.


    The stone statue swung its sword at Dane Walker, the wind pressure prevented him from being able to maintain his flight properly. In front of a huge sword approaching with powerful force, he felt a deep sense of helplessness and his life flashed before his eyes.


    Ah, am I going to die like this?


    He stared into the empty air with blank eyes then clenched his teeth. Thinking that he couldn¡¯t just die in this ridiculous fashion, he gathered as much mana as possible.


    "Gather! Gather! Gather!!"


    Clenching his teeth, the mana of lightning that he gathered started changing from yellow to white little by little.


    At that moment, the nature of Danewalker''s mana began to change. His desperate efforts gradually tore down the wall that was blocking him, but the situation was too urgent to overcome. "Thunder! Fire!" The magic he shot while both his mind and body were exhausted, appeared as a distinct beam rather than lightning.


    Hit by Dane Walker''s magic, the stone statue melted from the high heat and fell to the ground in half.


    Now at the crossroads of life and death, Dane Walker felt boundless ecstasy. His hand trembled and he dryly coughed up blood, but on the contrary, he felt liberated from countless hardships.


    In his blurring vision, the head of the stone statue that he fought against broke apart, Dane felt his consciousness slowly fading and crashed to the ground.


    "Congratulations."


    Dane Walker felt like he heard someone''s congratulations, but he was unable to register it due to dwindling consciousness.


    -o-


    After breaking the head of the stone statue and taking the core of the golem, I grabbed the tumbling Dane Walker and slowly put him down on the floor. "Congratulations."


    I said congratulations, but it was unclear whether he had heard it as he had already lost consciousness.


    I knew from the first time I saw Dane Walker that he had seen the wall of the Magic Way, but who would have thought that he would cross the wall like this. Because they had ignored the security magic while opening the stone gate and activated the stone statues, I was actually purposely not helping them as punishment but it turned out to be beneficial to him.


    I wonder if he saw his life flash before his eyes?


    When crossing the wall of the Magic Way, it is said that the process of looking back on oneself is important. Therefore, it is said that many people go over the wall during the crossroads of life and death, but it was the first time I actually saw a person crossing the wall at the crossroads of life and death.


    In particular, the magic he used at the end was similar to my "Thunder that races across the Sky," but I don''t know how he succeeded without using runic or ancient language. Had he used it when he was in good condition, he could probably easily extinguish a small hill.


    I put him in a corner and set up a barrier. Well, he probably wouldn¡¯t die even in an unconscious state with this. In addition, I had shared some of my mana.


    I had also suffered all sorts of hardships under Elder Mirpa to overcome the wall of the Magic Way. But as opposed to Dane Walker, who dramatically crossed it, I found that I had already crossed when I looked back at some point.


    When I was in my hometown, my small sister who was stuck at the wall once asked me, "Hey, how did you get over the wall of the Magic Way? Are you happy that you¡¯re the only one who made it over?"


    When I answered that I had crossed it without knowing, my small sister''s look of contempt left quite an impression on me.


    In fact, I felt it was unfair to me. So I asked Elder Mirpa to assign some of the work that he had assigned me to my small sister as well.


    I remember that my small sister, who happily started the special training, eventually cried and begged that she couldn''t do it after just two days. After that, she looked at me as if I were some evil villain, but I thought it was very funny.


    It wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand her giving up, so I even sympathized with her. But personally, the training ordered by Elder Mirpa was tolerable compared to my father¡¯s. Since I wasn''t at least thrown in front of a dragon. Of course, if I have the chance, I would never do it again.


    Considering the fact that Elder Mirpa, who trained me, was amazed by the fact that this was possible, it would seem that I was simply a subject of an experiment.


    After laying Dane Walker on the floor, I saw Malecia struggling. All he had to do was blow off the head in one go, but he was senselessly hitting him everywhere.


    "Ahjussi! Why are you fighting so hard when you only need to break the head?¡±


    Malecia was furious at my question. "Do you think it¡¯s as easy as saying it?!"


    I looked at the stone statues that I had taken out. It wasn''t that hard.


    Malecia broke the stone statue''s legs to steal its mobility then attacked the joint of the arm holding the weapon to weaken its power. At the same time, I could see at a glance that his strength was faltering after having used up a lot of mana in the first battle against the stone statue.


    He was helping prove that both your body and mind suffer if your body was lacking. In fact, if it weren''t deep underground, it would have ended in a single shot of magic, but I didn''t necessarily feel tired of this drawn-out battle.


    At that moment, stone statue No.12 that was holding the most impressive-looking weapon among the statues, called me in the ancient language.


    - Wicked man who resembles the hateful Crows!


    I also answered in the ancient language so that the stone statue could understand.


    "Do you mean me, you stone head?¡±


    - Impertinent! How dare you call a holy knight a stone head!


    It drew the sword in anger but did not move away from the mana stone in the center of the room. I shrugged and sneered at it.


    "You have a body made of stone, so of course your head is a stone too. Well, even if your body wasn¡¯t made of stone, the fact that you''re a stone head is still the same.¡±


    - Such insolence! You resemble Modred! What a wicked way of speaking!


    "Don''t you think you might just be na?ve?"


    Modred seemed to be referring to my ancestor. I don''t think his original name was Modred, but I couldn''t remember very well. Even if it were me, I couldn''t perfectly remember the family that I had only glanced at once when I was in my hometown.


    - You''ve even inherited that smugness!


    - That handsomeness too!


    - You arrogant punk!


    - Now that I see it, even I can believe it!


    For some reason, the stone statues seemed to be looking at me and bursting into anger. I looked at the stone statues with interest.


    "Who is the magician who created you all?"


    I had this thought every time I heard the stone statues speak, but it didn''t seem to be just at the level of programming. The stone statues responded at the same time.


    - There is no need to answer you! Wicked man!


    - It is His Great Madosa Merlin!


    - You think we will answer you so easily? Insolent!


    The stone statues looked at the stone statue who answered.


    - Uh, was it something we weren¡¯t supposed to say?


    When the stone statue No. 6 spoke in a bewildered voice, the others simultaneously reproached it.


    - You idiot!


    - You fool!


    - You Tristan!


    I''m sure the statues didn¡¯t have any facial expressions, but why did they look so pathetic?


    - Wait! The name of the holy knight cannot be used as a curse!


    Stone statue No.11 spoke when No.9 objected.


    - Then, we can just call by the names before we got to the round table.


    - That''s a good idea.


    - That''s a reasonable idea.


    After stone statue No.11''s opinion was accepted, they all reprimanded stone statue No.6 again.


    - You Farhan!


    - You Farhan-like bastard!


    - You¡¯re just like Farhan! You¡¯re going to make him cry at this rate.


    But anyway, if it was Merlin, he was a great magician who was often mentioned in the records during the era of the Holy Kingdom.


    According to the records, there was also a theory that he could be from the Fairy Tribe because he lived for more than 300 years. Among the battle races, the Fairies were famous for longevity. If the average life expectancy of a citizen of the empire was about 50 years, the Fairies were at least 150 years.


    Also, the Great Khan of the Fairies (king) was over 250 years old, so if medical technology developed, it could increase even further. Anyway, Merlin was a great magician who was well-known as a nature magician (Druid).


    "So, your behaviors aren¡¯t programmed, but instead, your souls are residing in the golem?¡±


    What a natural magician dealt with was nature itself, and the soul was part of nature, so there was no particular reason why he would not be able to do it. If so, it made sense to be able to make golems with emotions like this. As I speculated, the stone statues pushed stone statue No.6 even more.


    - You Farhan!


    - Foolish Farhan!


    - Farhan the moron!


    - I... I didn''t mean to!


    When stone statue No.6 tried to explain itself, the stone statue in battle with Malecia cried out.


    - Quiet! You''re even worse than Farhan!


    Its body was broken from the battle with Malecia, but it was still fighting hard.


    - How! How can I be worse than myself!?


    Stone statue No.6 shouted in a shocked voice. The name Farhan was being used completely as a curse.


    Anyways, I seemed to be right.


    I couldn''t hide my surprise. How could he settle the souls in golems and maintain them for more than 500 years? It took a lot of effort to maintain even simple magic for that long. To be able to maintain super difficult magic related to souls for this long, I couldn¡¯t help but admire it.


    It would have been easier to just program them to act like human beings, but it seems Merlin was also some kind of pervert. The place where the soul was settled was probably the core of the golem, so I¡¯ll take my time and slowly study it.


    "I¡¯m sure you must have had a reason for talking to me. What is it?"


    When I asked, stone statue No.12 said in a serious voice.


    - Wicked man, since you have knowledge of magic, I will speak bluntly.


    - What are you going to do with the souls of the Knights of the Round Table?

 Chapter 148: Labyrinth Exploration (14)

    I answered the stone statue''s question truthfully.


    "I''m going to similarly turn them into golems or use them to make dragon tooth soldiers."


    Those statues would be reborn by hand anyway, so hiding the facts wouldn¡¯t change anything. It would not be bad to have special dragon tooth soldiers to lead the mass-produced dragon tooth soldier army in my plan to deal with my father. Although it bothered me that it contained an actual soul, the core of the golem was enough to use even if the soul was taken out.


    No, I didn''t need such a unique ego. It could lead to a disaster if it suddenly didn¡¯t listen to my orders when it¡¯s important, so it might be better to just liberate them.


    Stone statue No.12 had asked me if I had a hunch of my thoughts.


    - Although it makes us angry, we do not think we will be able to beat you with this dull body, that¡¯s not even our own.


    That¡¯s of course.


    Rather, the mere fact that they could make such sophisticated movements with a dull body of a golem showed how much of a monster they had been during their lifetime.


    - When you take our souls, could you not free the souls, but instead make bodies for us again as you said?


    I couldn''t understand what stone statue No.12 was saying.


    "You want me to not free you? Isn''t it usually the other way around?"


    In these cases, wasn''t it normal to act like a noble knight, saying that you don''t listen to evil people?


    - We have a mission to accomplish.


    Them saying they have a mission made me want to free their souls even more. I¡¯ll decline being involved in anything bothersome.


    - Wicked man, you will probably think it is bothersome.


    How did you know?


    - If you are similar to Modred, you will definitely think that way.


    I promptly replied to stone statue No.12.


    - I am certain you will say ¡®No, I don¡¯t.¡¯


    "No, I don¡¯t."


    Wow, I got goosebumps. Stone statue No.12 spoke at the same time as if it were reading my thoughts. When its prediction was on the mark, it said joyfully,


    - Wicked man, not only do you really resemble him in appearance, but also in your thoughts.


    However, he soon lamented with a somber voice.


    - Why did you betray us, Modred?


    I felt like I was feeling down for some reason, so I changed the topic to liven up the atmosphere. "So what''s your mission?"


    - Reconstruction of the Holy Kingdom.


    With that, I immediately prepared my martial arts.


    "I''ll free your soul immediately.¡±


    Say something that makes sense. How can you rebuild a nation that collapsed 500 years ago?


    - I am joking. It is hard to guess how much time has passed, but it really seems the Holy Kingdom has fallen.


    The stone statues groaned at the bitter voice. Unexpectedly, stone statue No.12 seemed to be able to use his head.


    "It was destroyed 500 years ago.¡±


    - Wicked man, are you saying that much time has already passed?


    I said with a sigh, "Can we stop saying wicked man?"


    - Ahahaha, that¡¯s not possible, wicked man. You look so much like Modred, whom we love and hate.


    I probably looked like him because he was my distant ancestor. I couldn''t ignore the genetic factors because my personality changed quite a lot after I reincarnated.


    Stone statue No.12 spoke as it pulled out a sword.


    - But after you take our souls, if you allow us to fulfill our mission, we will serve you with loyalty, wicked man.


    When stone statue No.12 pulled out a sword, the other stone statues drew their swords in unison.


    - So bring us to our knees!


    - Come, defeat us!


    "What do you mean ¡®bring us to our knees¡¯, you masochists!"


    Excluding the stone statue fighting Malecia, there were six. It would be difficult to deal with them with only martial arts.


    I took out the Witch of Pride¡¯s bracelet from my pocket space and put it on. Of course, I set the upper limit of mana amplification so that the ruin wouldn¡¯t collapse. If I had it my way, I wanted to fight by waving around a magic wand, not this bracelet, but if I did, the ruins might really collapse.


    "Can you tell me what your mission is before we fight?¡±


    - You will be able to hear it after you defeat us, wicked man!


    The stone statues left the vicinity of the mana stone and rushed towards me. Please bracelet, show me what you''ve got.


    "Flight!"


    I used flying magic with the intention of flying high but only ended up floating about a meter high. I think my calculation was wrong. I touched the bracelet and revised the upper limit of amplification.


    "Woah!"


    I failed to control it and suddenly soared up and almost hit the ceiling of the ruin. After barely managing to stop, I took the bracelet off and put it back in my pocket space.


    Damn! I won''t use it!


    It was too difficult to control. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t use it at all, but it was too much to try using in an actual fight without any practice. I should practice handling the bracelet as soon as I get out of here.


    If by chance, I accidentally touch the mana stone in the center while using the bracelet, the ruin might really collapse. If you look at the magic of this room which was in the center of the labyrinth, it was all held up by the mana of the mana stone in the middle of the room. It felt like I was watching Jenga being supported by a single wooden stick. Rather than being buried alive, it would be better to be a parrot that only cries out magic bullets.


    The pervert who designed this delicate labyrinth in the ruin was definitely the great madosa, Merlin. It showed his absolute determination to destroy the mana stone rather than allowing someone to have it. To give you a brief review of my thoughts on the ruin, to be honest, I kind of liked this perverted bastard.


    I raised my martial arts to the maximum extent possible and shouted.


    "Let''s play!"


    My senses became extremely invigorated by the mana flowing throughout my whole body. With a magic-like flight, there was no way to destroy the ruin by mistake, so I decided to fly as much as I wanted and smashed the stone statues with my fist.


    The stone statues that came at me were numbers 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 12. I flew up high and kicked the chest of the No.2 as I was falling.


    "Enlightenment! Meteor kick!"


    Kang-!


    Stone statue No.2 blocked my kick with a sword and a clear sound of iron rang out. I spun in place and kicked the same spot.


    Kang!


    This time, there was a sound of iron snapping and the huge sword was broken in half. I grabbed the half-broken blade that was falling with both hands. I spun and threw it at its neck.


    Stone statue No.2 raised its arm to block the blade, but its arm was pierced through by the blade I threw and got stuck in its neck.


    Because it lacked enough force, stone statue No.2 could still move, so I immediately kicked the embedded blade and cut off its head.


    The head fell to the ground and shattered.


    As soon as I took care of stone statue No.2 stone, stone statues 5 and 6 came together swinging their swords at me. I quickly slipped between the two swords and avoided it.


    For remaking them as battle weapons, I thought that I shouldn¡¯t make them this big. I ran up the sword of stone statue No.6 and headed to its head.


    At that time, stone statue No.5 strongly struck the sword of stone statue No.6.


    "Ugh!"


    I stopped moving as I suddenly felt a huge shock wave. Stone statue No.9 used that gap and swung its sword where I was standing.


    "Incantation omission! Thunder that races across the sky! Fire!"


    Ahhhhh, mana is being drained from my body!


    The magic I fired without a proper incantation was far weaker than its usual power. Still, it was enough to completely blow away stone statue No.9¡¯s sword and make a huge hole in the ceiling.


    - What kind of crazy magic is this?!


    The stone statues were surprising, but I was relieved inside. Due to the lack of mana around me, the magic was weakened and wasn¡¯t powerful enough to collapse the ruins.


    Wow, I freaked out because I thought it was going to collapse.


    While the stone statues were surprised, I jumped back on the arm of stone statue No.6 and ran towards its head.


    ¡°Enlightenment! Crushing stone!"


    Stone statue No.6¡¯s head was smashed apart by my fist.


    I quickly recovered the core of the golem and then jumped toward the weaponless stone statue No.9. At the same time, I shot magic bullets towards No.5 and 10.


    If the power was weakened due to the surrounding environment, then I just had to increase the amount proportionally. As thousands of rounds of magic bullets baptized No.5 and 10, they wrapped their arms around their heads to prevent their heads from breaking apart.


    I accelerated straight to the head of stone statue No.9 and launched a kick.


    "Hectopascal Kick!"


    Stone statue No.9 blocked my full-fledged kick by crossing its arms, but its right arm completely broke off and my foot got stuck in its left arm.


    At that time, stone statue No.12 slashed its sword at me to get me off of No.9.


    I kicked the left arm of stone statue No.9 and smashed it apart to get my left foot out and narrowly avoided No.12¡¯s sword.


    - I''m sorry.


    - It is all right.


    Stone statue No.9 was completely shut down by the blow from stone statue No.12.


    Stone statue No.12 punched me before I could rest again.


    "Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!"


    I put up three layers of barriers, but after getting hit by the huge fist, I was sent flying and ended up embedded into the ground.


    Stone statue No.12 put its sword in the sheath and repeatedly clenched and relaxed its fist.


    - It seems fists are more powerful than a sword with a golem¡¯s body. I have never fought with this body before, so I did not know.


    It appears the stone statues kept swinging swords because of their memories from when they were alive. I think human size would be good when remaking them. If possible, I''ll try to remake them with bodies similar to when they were alive.


    That is if I don¡¯t free their souls.


    "Oh, I feel like dying."


    My body was screaming all over. Even with the barriers, there was no way I would be unscathed after getting hit by a fist like that.


    I got out of the ground from where I was stuck and was resting again when a shadow fell over my head.


    "Come on, wait! Stepping on people is just wrong!¡±


    The foot of the huge stone statue fell down on me.


    - This is efficient, wicked man!


    Stone statue No.10 trampled me with its feet with all its might. I curled up as I put up a barrier.


    What a crazy bastard!


    The heavyweight of the stone statue broke the barrier like a glass window, and I continued to create more barriers. In order to use magic powerful enough to break stone statue No.10¡¯s legs, I had to stop making barriers and concentrate.


    However, as soon as I stopped making barriers, I would be crushed.


    Just because I could break a rock with my bare hands did not mean I could bear the weight of something that looked over hundreds of tons. This was why magicians were at a disadvantage in close range! I took out a shovel from my pocket space and put a sword aura around it. Then, I dug the ground fiercely.


    When I bought the shovel in Granwell, I never thought I would use it like this.


    "My shovel is a shovel that will pierce the sky!"


    As expected, it was much faster to dig with a shovel than with bare hands.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    As my barriers continued to be trampled and reinstated repeatedly in real-time, I dug a tunnel and succeeded in exiting behind the back of stone statue No.10.


    I truly thought I was going to die. I swung the shovel to shake off the dirt, put it in my pocket space, and took out a magic wand.


    When the magic wand was injected with mana, the atom-shaped mana stones floating at the end began to spin violently and emitted the sleeping mana. The surrounding area was filled with mana as if water had been sprayed on dry land.


    The magic circle of ruin surrounding the area absorbed the mana, yet it also filled the surrounding area with mana faster.


    Now it was a good environment for magic.


    I flew up with flight magic and shouted.


    "That¡¯s right! What do I care if the ruin collapses?! Let''s go all the way to the end, you stone bastards!¡±


    I''m actually furious! Let''s just see who ends up dying first.

 Chapter 149: Labyrinth Exploration (15)

    Except for stone statue No.8, which was still fighting Malecia, the remaining three stone statues charged and punched at me.


    I quickly avoided them by flying and shooting magic bullets to stop them. At the same time, I prepared some appropriate magic.


    Just having enough mana around made me feel alive. In a place lacking mana, a magician was like a fish out of water. For magic, magical power naturally increased as you added surrounding mana to your own as a catalyst.


    "The dawn of a howling dragon!"


    Stone statue No.5 used himself as a shield to protect No.10 and 12 from the tens of thousands of magic bullets.


    "Where did the morning sun go, knight!?"


    Stone statue No.5 turned into a beehive and stopped charging, and stone statues No.10 and 12 came out from behind and swung their fists at me.


    "Ahh! The dragon ate the morning sun."


    I quickly flew up and dodged. Then I completed my magic.


    "And so the dragon''s breath will ferociously burn like the morning sun!"


    A shape of a huge dragon formed of mana was created above me.


    "Dragon Breath!"


    The huge dragon opened its mouth at the stone statues and shot out dozens of hot fireballs.


    Stone statues No.5 and 10 used their bodies to block the rain of flames from No.12.


    The bodies of the stone statues were too weak to block a high-temperature fire like the sun. Some of the ground collapsed due to my magic and revealed the floor below us, but fortunately, it did not affect the entire ruins.


    Despite launching that magic in a fit of anger, I managed to control myself well. I took out the improved mana recovery potion from my subspace and approached the rubble, which used to be the stone statues.


    The core of the golem didn¡¯t get destroyed as well, did it?


    I carelessly launched that magic with all my might so it could have easily been crushed if something went wrong. If it got crushed, the soul contained in the core of the golem would ascend, but it would be a waste for the core containing the essence of a great madosa to disappear.


    As I approached the wreckage that used to be stone statues, stone statue No.12 lifted itself out of it.


    I was surprised and instinctively prepared to shoot a magic bullet, but it was already on the verge of shutting down.


    - We lost, wicked man.


    The stone statue No.12 said.


    I looked at stone statue No.8 fighting against Malecia.


    Malecia had an extremely tired face but eventually managed to defeat it and drive it to the brink of shutting down.


    Come to think of it, I was doubtful when Dane Walker said he was called Mercenary King, but at that level, it was enough to be called that.


    - Do you know that person, wicked man?


    I shook my head when stone statue No.12 asked while looking at Malecia. "No, this is my first time seeing him.¡±


    - Is that so? The person is an impressive man. If I had met him during my lifetime, he would have been a good rival. What a pity.


    The voice of stone statue No.12 was full of regret.


    Obviously, it was natural that it couldn¡¯t use its ability to its fullest when using an unfamiliar and dull body of a golem against a knight with an extremely well-trained physique.


    "But he managed to break two of you. Don¡¯t you think he''s stronger?¡±


    When I asked in a playful voice, stone statue No.12 became livid.


    - That''s not true! Wicked man. Do you know how many throats of Giants I slit in one strike during the prime of my life? I cut three in one strike and two more after that!


    Oh! Before the Giant Tribe was exterminated, they were monsters fighting the Crow Tribe for the title of the strongest. Cutting three such Giants at once, if it wasn''t just bluffing, it meant he was quite strong.


    "How about compared to the body you have now?"


    - I have become too weak beyond comparison. Wicked man, we are not from the Giant Tribe. Such a large body like this is a hindrance to our movements.


    I''ll have to pay some attention when I rebuild bodies for the stone statues.


    "But didn''t you say you wouldn''t call me a wicked man if I won?"


    Stone statue No.12 answered like a snake.


    - What are you talking about? We said we would swear our loyalty if you allowed us to keep our mission, but we did not say we would stop calling you a wicked man.


    Being clever! Well, if they swear loyalty, the issue of nicknames will solve itself.


    "So what''s your mission?"


    I''ve never heard of such an important mission before. I need to know what your mission is before I can decide to allow it or free your souls.


    Stone statue No.12 answered my question with a serious voice.


    - We have two missions. One is to stop the Demon King Kanglim.


    I cut off stone statue No.12.


    "Excuse me, Demon King has already been defeated?¡±


    At my words, stone statue No.12 yelled in a fluster.


    - What? No, no way! But Merlin surely predicted!


    "And that happened 120 years ago.¡±


    The stone statues were extremely agitated by my words.


    "Good for you, you completed your mission. Then I''ll go ahead and free your souls now.¡±


    Kwang-!


    I cut the head of stone statue No.12 in half with a knife-hand strike wrapped in aura blade and took out the core of the golem.


    - Wait! There is still one more mission left!


    I grabbed the core of the golem and pulled it close to my eyes as I asked. "What is it? Tell me quickly. I have to decide whether to free your souls or not."


    I just wanted to free the souls and only use the core of golems. My whole body was still throbbing because stone statue No.10 trampled me.


    - I... I understand! Our mission...!


    As soon as stone statue No.12 tried to speak, the shining magic light went out from the core of the golem.


    What? Why did it suddenly stop working?


    No matter how much the stone statue was smashed, a conversation should be possible as long as the mithril line was not cut off. There was no way something like this would happen unless the supply of mana was suddenly stopped.


    ¡­Wait, mana?


    I turned around and looked at the place where the stone statues had been protecting the mana stone. There stood a weak-looking magician dressed like a court magician who I thought was dead.


    How?! I definitely didn''t feel any presence. No, I still couldn¡¯t feel it. Like a dead person.


    Come to think of it, I heard that there¡¯s magic amongst curse magic that disguises oneself in death. Curse magicians were so rare that they were fewer than the persecuted black magicians. Just my luck!


    "Hahahaha! Look! You stupid mercenary! The one who completed his orders is me, the weak Jiren!" The magician reached out his hand to the mana stone in the middle.


    I became cold at the sight. "Crazy! Stop!"


    The magician soon grabbed the mana stone. The mana stone that had been consuming all the magic in the ruin and supplying mana to the magic circle was taken from its place.


    "Damn it! What did I fight so hard for?! The ruin is going to collapse, you crazy bastard!"


    The magician was drunk on the enormous mana contained in the mana stone and couldn''t hear my yell. At that time, the vast mana began to flow back from the body of the curse magician into the mana stone.


    "Huh?"


    The cursed man panicked when he saw his body starting to decay. "Keuaaahhhhh!!"


    Then soon after, he was completely eaten by the mana stone and disappeared with a painful scream.


    Of all the magicians, I''d never seen such an idiot touch a mana stone with such vast mana without any kind of preparation. For comparison, it was throwing yourself into a nuclear fusion reactor.


    After defeating stone statue No.8 at some point, Malecia watched the scene in fluster.


    "Don''t move around recklessly, ahjussi."


    After warning Malecia, I approached the mana stone rolling on the floor. I also couldn''t recklessly touch that.


    I took out the demon byproducts from my pocket space to be used as catalysts and placed them around the mana stone to prepare to seal it.


    "Dubhe, Merak, Phecda. Three stars gather to block the front."


    When I injected mana into the magic wand and spoke the incantation, the catalysts began to shine and respond.


    "Megrez, Alioth, Mizar. Six stars gather to embrace it."


    The mana stone''s mana was trapped inside the catalysts surrounding it.


    "Alkaid. As the last star shines, fall into eternal sleep!"


    Aigoo, my body.


    I was planning to deal with the mana stone slowly, but I didn''t even know what I was doing anymore because of that damn cursed magician.


    "Seven Star Seal!"


    When the sealing magic was completed, the catalysts placed around the mana stone turned into dust and disappeared, and I could barely feel any mana from the mana stone.


    This was actually a magic that I learned briefly from Elder Mirpa, but I used it in a rush. As expected, because I used expensive catalysts, it succeeded in one go. I reckoned I would fail two or three times, but that''s a relief. Since I sealed it like this, I decided to put it in my pocket space.


    "Wait!"


    I was about to put the mana stone in my pocket space, but Malecia stopped me. Whatever he wanted, I put it in my pocket space first and said, "Why? You want to fight?¡± I nodded toward the stone statues that were completely destroyed and turned into rubble.


    Malecia said in a cold sweat, "No, I want to buy that magic stone."


    Even at a glance, Malecia was at his limit. Of course, he probably would have tried to buy it rather than fight even if he was in top condition.


    "Magic stone? Ah, was this a magic stone?"


    Mana stone was a stone produced from the hardening of mana in the body of a demon or a dragon, while a magic stone was a stone produced by the hardening of mana in nature. If there was a difference, the magic stone had mana so pure that it could even be called a spirit stone. Well, it didn''t mean anything after 500 years.


    "I can give you as much money as you want. Won¡¯t you give me that magic stone?"


    I shook my head at Malecia''s offer. "This is also a precious thing for a magician."


    When I aimed the magic wand with the nuance of asking if he wants to try, Malecia put his sword back and raised his hands.


    "I surrender."


    This was not a place where people lived. I could go wild if there was no one to die by my mistake.


    "Good choice."


    Now, let''s slow down the collapse of the ruin. As long as the mana stone was away from the magic circle, there was no way to stop the collapse. At best, I could only buy time to get out. Of course, it''s better than nothing. Let¡¯s see... Wait, no way.


    While I was observing the magic circles, I felt like my face was being stabbed by thorns in real-time.


    Damn it! We¡¯re XXXXed!


    It seemed there was an important magic formula drawn on the destroyed part of the ceiling where stone statue No. 9¡¯s sword was blown away towards. I tried to find a solution, but each time, I got stuck by the hole in the ceiling. In other words, it was starting to collapse right now.


    "Summon, chirps!"


    I had the chirps retrieve the golem cores from the stone statues that I hadn¡¯t gotten to, picked up Dane Walker, and ran to the stone gate where he had come in from.


    "Ahjussi, run! The ruin is going to collapse!¡±


    At my cry, Malecia started running but with a face like he didn¡¯t understand why. "What are you talking about?!"


    "That guy in the court magician''s clothes messed with the mana stone so the ruins will collapse! If you don''t want to die, run!¡±


    "What?!"


    At that time, the normal ceiling suddenly started to form big cracks. Malecia became pale and started to run hard.


    Outside the stone gate, 20 men were still fighting. At that time, an old man who was still fighting, shouted while pointing his finger at me.


    "What?! Who are you?! What did you do to Dane Walker?!"


    Unfortunately, however, there was no time to explain.


    "The ruin is collapsing! Run if you want to live!"


    "We are escaping outside!"


    The masked men stopped fighting at Malecia¡¯s command and ran towards the exit of the ruin. The old man dressed as a court magician and the Black Water Buffalo Knights also ran with confused faces.


    Crack!


    From beyond the stone gate where we had been, a huge crack began to form on the ceiling. Everyone turned pale and ran with all their might.


    -o-


    Malecia and the masked men went away somewhere as soon as they exited the ruins.


    The court magicians and the Black Water Buffalo Knights were exhausted and took care of the wounded rather than chase after them.


    As soon as I got out of the ruin, I handed Dane Walker over to one of the Black Water Buffalo Knight¡¯s subordinates, who was also Lisbon¡¯s entrance examination partner and immediately ran back to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. He was the only one who I knew.


    Aigoo, my aching body.


    Sitting on the roof of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, I decided to lie down. The sun was slowly breaking in the distance. I changed into uniform quickly before other civil servants woke up and carefully entered the office.


    "Where have you been?"


    The sound of me coming in woke up Flam and he asked while yawning.


    I answered while smiling naturally, "Oh, I just went to the bathroom for a moment."


    "Hahm, is that so? Why are you wearing a uniform already?"


    "Oh, I woke up and wasn''t very sleepy, so I just put it on.¡±


    "Really? I think I will sleep a little longer."


    Flam closed his sleepy eyes again and lied down. I breathed a sigh of relief within.


    Since the ruin had collapsed, there would be a lot of work today, receiving protests from adventurers, but I was already sleepy.


    I''m screwed. Phew, nothing I can do about it.


    -o-


    Malecia treated his wounded subordinates and fled to Aries¡¯s secret mansion.


    Jiren''s subordinates didn¡¯t really take action in this operation so they were safe, but Malecia and his subordinates were not. It was because the knights and soldiers who were guarding the ruin were on alert and tried to catch them extensively.


    "Endure for a little longer. We will rest after entering the mansion."


    "Yes!"


    The subordinates were exhausted but did not show it as they replied. Malecia nodded, proud of his subordinates, and entered through the door of Aries''s mansion.


    "You¡¯ve arrived?"


    Inside the mansion, Aries was wearing a black mask and sat on the sofa drinking tea leisurely.


    "Ma-aaster!"


    When Malecia and his subordinates all bowed down on one knee, Aries put down the teacup he was holding.


    "And the Miracle Crystal?" asked Aries.


    Malecia broke into a cold sweat and trembled in fear. "Ap-apologies."


    The inside of the house seemed to be heavily weighed down by Aries''s mana His subordinates felt like they would immediately faint under the pressure from this master.


    "Provide me with the full account."


    Malecia came to his senses and reported what had happened at the ruin.


    Aries retracted his mana. "Jiren, that stupid thing. I told him to move with caution."


    When the heavy mana disappeared, his subordinates exhaled like a fish flopping around out of the water.


    "I am sorry. I should have done it right¡ª¡± Malecia bowed his head in shame.


    Aries got up from his seat. "It¡¯s fine. It is a shame, but the Miracle Crystal is just secondary. If the ruin has collapsed, then that¡¯s fine."


    Malecia could not understand what Aries said.


    "Rather, tell me more in detail about the person in the half-white mask."


    "Yes! I will. But before that¡ª¡± Malecia looked towards his subordinates and Aries nodded.


    "Good job. Go up and rest."


    At Aries¡¯s command, the subordinates stood up and saluted.


    "We receive your orders!"


    With that, they went straight up the mansion.


    Malecia also got up from his seat and began to talk more about the mysterious person in the half-white mask.


    Aries listened with interest over a cup of warm tea.

 Chapter 150: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (1)

    Fifteen days before Lotten''s ruins completely collapsed...


    "Keuaaahh!" A rabbit shaped demon three times the size of a human being screamed in agony.


    Gawain leapt up and sliced open the giant rabbit''s throat, avoiding the resulting fountain of blood. He checked his sword, making sure not a drop of blood remained on it, and jumped right into the large group of rabbits ahead of him.


    Mirpa shouted at Gawain, who was slashing wildly at the giant rabbits in front of him. "You punk! I told you not to hack apart the precious catalysts!"


    Gawain shrunk back at Mirpa''s roar, and started stabbing the rabbits in their weak points to minimize the damage done to them.


    "Yes, just like that! You should have hunted that way from the start."


    "Haha, I''m sorry!"


    Mirpa applauded, praising Gawain''s quick and concise moves. "You¡¯re different from when you first came to the demon territory."


    Gawain was embarrassed by Mirpa''s praise, even as he killed three giant rabbits in one stab each. "No, I still have a long way to go."


    "No, even that old man Weger would be surprised. At first, even a magician like me could tell you were no good." Mirpa was also a Crow, so she knew some martial arts and was stronger than the average young Crow. In her view, Gawain''s moves were completely different from the first time he¡¯d fought a rhino demon. At the time, he¡¯d broken his sword and felt awful about it.


    "That- that''s because I was still used to working with Mac back then, but I''m usually this good!" Gawain¡¯s embarrassment was only growing.


    Mirpa burst into laughter as Gawain slit the throats of five giant rabbits. He¡¯d always received long range support from Mac, so it had to have been hard when that support suddenly disappeared.


    "By the way, there are just too many demons gathering here,¡± Mirpa muttered as she fired thousands of magic bullets from her wand. Her magic annihilated the hundreds of giant rabbits that were rushing into the area.


    Gawain looked at Mirpa, in awe at the scene. Even though he was used to fighting alone now, he was still a long way from killing hundreds of demons in a single blow. "Don¡¯t they normally swarm like this?¡± he asked.


    Mirpa put the demon corpses in her pocket space and answered, "They weren¡¯t like this before, at least not when I was last in the demon territory."


    In the past, Mirpa had visited the demon territory six times in total. One of those times had been not even thirty years after the Demon King¡¯s death, before the territory had stabilized. The fact that the demons were now swarming toward the border of the capital was clearly strange. It was reminiscent of that confusing period, when the demon territory hadn¡¯t been stabilized and its borders hadn¡¯t been completely defined yet.


    She could feel the fear in the giant rabbits, as if they were herbivores running away from scary predators.


    "Then, doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s a problem?" Gawain asked with a worried expression.


    Mirpa shrugged and laughed. "Well, whatever. That Doomstone guy is still here."


    Upon hearing Mirpa''s words, Gawain nodded, smiling without a trace of anxiety on his face. "I see. It¡¯s true; there¡¯s no reason to worry with my father present."


    Never in their wildest dreams would they have considered that in about ten days, they would be sending a letter to the capital in William¡¯s stead, requesting reinforcements via a messenger falcon.


    * * *


    Flam looked at the deep pile of collapsed stones with a look of admiration. "So, you¡¯re saying the pile of stones in that deep cavity used to be the ruins the adventurers were going crazy for?"


    I nodded at Flam. "That¡¯s right. It''s completely collapsed."


    Flam and I were examining the collapsed ruins at the Lotten branch director¡¯s order, to get a better grasp of the situation. What we found out was that the adventurers who had dreamt of making a fortune in the ruins had become like dogs chasing chickens.


    Well, it isn¡¯t my fault.


    With my mind at peace, I appreciated the pile of stone that used to be the ruins. Setting aside the relics inside the ruins, the murals painted throughout the labyrinth and the records inscribed in the ancient language had been of immense archaeological value, so it was regrettable.


    It''s all because of that stupid curse magician disguised as a court magician, so let''s curse at him instead.


    Dane Walker was looking at the cavity with a troubled expression. I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s too bad. I know you were looking forward to it in the hope that the ruins might have contained some of the lost Holy tribe¡¯s magic.¡±


    He must have been tired from fighting on the border of life and death yesterday, but he followed us as an escort, as if nothing had happened. The director of the branch had probably sent us to the collapsed ruins knowing that Dane Walker would follow us.


    Dane Walker was a little flustered as he spoke, feigning ignorance. "Huh? Uh, yeah. That''s too bad...¡±


    He was a man who couldn''t lie. It hasn¡¯t been long since he had crossed the wall and become a madosa, so he seemed to be poor at controlling his strength. He seemed to be in control on the surface, but his mana was leaking constantly. It was as if he were bragging, saying, ¡®I¡¯ve become a madosa!¡¯


    Well, it was a good enough achievement to brag about.


    It would probably be a few more days before he could fully control his strength. I¡¯d also had a hard time when I had just crossed the wall, because I couldn''t control my mana.


    In my hometown, people took it as a sign of wanting to spar if one suddenly erupted with martial aura or mana. Thanks to that, I¡¯d been half forced to fight against most of the others back home.


    I¡¯d really thought I was going to die, because people had kept shouting "Let¡¯s spar!" whenever I made eye contact. It had been as if a champion were constantly being challenged by a bunch of little children in the street.


    Why did I have to have been born in a battle crazy place like that and gone through all these hardships¡­?


    The most unfair thing at the time was that all the fighters had called me a true battle maniac who would fight against anyone. Just who was calling someone a battle maniac, anyway? Suddenly, the peace I had now felt so precious.


    "Honestly, I shouldn''t be thinking like this, but I''m relieved the ruins have collapsed,¡± Flam said quietly with an embarrassed expression.


    I replied, ¡°I agree! If the ruins hadn''t collapsed, we probably would have worked overtime for another week.¡± It was terrible just thinking about it. Maybe I would have moved the magic stone myself later, even if the curse magician hadn''t touched it.


    Flam pondered for a bit and asked excitedly, "Then, isn''t overtime over after today?"


    I answered with a shrug, "Perhaps... Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll still work overtime until tomorrow?¡±


    Flam clearly looked disappointed at my answer and asked, sounding dispirited, "How come? I don''t want to work that awful overtime anymore!"


    "Me neither, but I''m sure we¡¯ll have to, as long as the adventurers who don''t want to believe that the ruins have collapsed keep loitering around here."


    As he heard my words, Dane Walker apologized with a regretful expression. ¡°As an adventurer, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Flam shook his head at Dane Walker''s apology. "No, you''re not the one who''s being stubborn. How can you be the one to apologize?"


    Then, someone appeared from behind and said, "That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need for you to be sorry." It was the old man with a long white beard, who had entered the ruins with Dane Walker last night.


    I hadn''t realized it because I had been so busy trying to find my way out of the labyrinth, but this old man was a madosa.


    "Director Kermin! Are you feeling alright?" I remembered that he¡¯d been stabbed in the back, and Uncle Bloody''s subordinate, Molk, had had to carry him out.


    "Hahaha! I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m already this old; how can I afford to be ill too? You should take good care of your health now. That way, you''ll be healthy even when you''re old like me."


    What do you mean healthy? You were suffering from a curse of weakness that was placed on the wound!


    If I hadn''t dispelled the curse when I handed over Dane Walker, he would have been suffering in bed for days.


    "I''m glad that you¡¯re feeling healthy." Dane Walker breathed a sigh of relief at Kermin¡¯s hearty appearance.


    Still, madosas seemed to have great powers of recovery. Even without the curse, it had been a pretty big wound, but he was already up and about. This old man was very energetic for his age.


    "Who are these friends?" Kermin asked while looking at Flam and me.


    Dane Walker introduced us. "These are the civil servants I''m escorting this time."


    "Oh, those civil servants. Nice to meet you."


    I could roughly guess the situation from Kermin¡¯s gaze.


    Dane Walker had probably been asked by Guild Director Glont to investigate or even to take some artifacts from the ruins, under the pretext of being our escort. Was Kermin the one he¡¯d been asked to cooperate with?


    That had to be it. There was no way Director Glont would just casually send a platinum plate adventurer as an escort for civil servants.


    What had Dane Walker¡¯s goal been? Was it the magic stone in the center of the ruins, like Malecia, or some other artifacts? Or was it the records from five hundred years ago, scattered across the labyrinth? My guess was that it had been the former.


    After shaking hands with Flam and me, Kermin briefly walked away, taking Dane Walker with him.


    "How should I say it... He¡¯s a very energetic old man," Flam remarked.


    I nodded at Flam¡¯s sentiment. "I know."


    They were whispering quietly a good distance from us, but unfortunately, my ears were better than those of others.


    Dane Walker and Kermin discussed their concerns about what to do because things had gone awry, and why Malecia had come to the ruins with his subordinates... and then they talked about who the mysterious person in the white half-mask was.


    I was busy eavesdropping on the conversation between Dane Walker and Kermin when a big man in an adventurer''s guild uniform ran over, shouting something.


    "Dano is coming this way," I said.


    As I spoke, Flam looked around and saw a man in a black uniform approaching from afar. "Is that Dano? Your eyes must be really good to be able to recognize people from this distance."


    "Eh, Flam, you¡¯re just getting old.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, it''s not that bad, though! My eyes are on the good side too.¡±


    Flam and I chuckled at my joke. Before I knew it, Dano had crossed the long distance and was breathing heavily.


    "Here, drink some water,¡± I said, handing him a bottle of water.


    "Huuk, huuk! Thank you." Dano accepted the bottle and downed its contents, letting out a deep breath. "Hoo-ha! Damn, I''ve gotten out of shape from only doing paperwork in the office."


    Despite his words, his muscular body was easily discernible even through his thick uniform.


    Between Flam and Dano, it felt as if I¡¯d become a small child, even though I was pretty tall compared to others my age.


    "Why are you in such a rush?" Flam asked.


    I also nodded and looked at Dano. Why was the guy who should have been getting slammed with work by adventurers over here?


    Dano took two documents out of a chest pocket and handed them to Flam and me. "This is a return order from headquarters. We¡¯re heading back immediately."


    Flam rejoiced at Dano¡¯s announcement. "Oh, we don''t have to work overtime!?"


    Still, the name of the official document in my hand was strange.


    Dano smiled bitterly at Flam''s reaction and replied, "Yes - starting now, we¡®ll be soldiers heading to the demon territory as military officers in the reserve forces, under the banner of the adventurer¡¯s guild."


    The document had been labeled ¡®Military Order.¡¯

 Chapter 151: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (2)

    Three days before Den and Flam received the military order...


    Glont passed through a musty secret passage, entering a secret conference room inside the palace.


    "Oh, hyung-nim! You''re here. You''re dressed normally today.¡± As soon as Glont entered the conference room, Bloody welcomed him.


    Glont smiled at Bloody''s welcome and patted him hard on the back. "You punk! No matter how carefree I am, I at least know the basic formalities."


    Glont wasn¡¯t dressed in his usual fancy clothes trimmed with pink lace; instead, he wore the black uniform of the adventurer''s guild. Numerous medals pinned across his broad chest represented his achievements.


    ¡°Uh-huh, does a man who knows formalities usually dress like that?" Bloody playfully joked.


    Glont tousled Bloody''s hair in response. If someone who knew Bloody had seen that, they would have flipped out in surprise, but Bloody just remained still as if he were used to it.


    "But I¡¯m still visiting His Majesty. I can¡¯t show up in casual clothes. Even if I¡¯m no longer in the army, I¡¯m a knight who swore my loyalty to the imperial family,¡± Glont said.


    Bloody grumbled, rearranging his messed-up hair. "Hnng, I''m in my mid-thirties now, too! I''m not the 20-something-year-old who just got assigned under you, hyung-nim."


    "Oh ho ho, is that right?"


    "I¡¯m serious! Do you know that you''re the only one who treats me like this, other than my father and big brother?¡±


    "Hohoho, that''s an honor.¡± Glont smiled and sat in the seat assigned to him.


    Orphina bowed her head lightly as she sat quietly. "It has been a long time."


    "Oh! Long time no see. Orphina, I heard you came down from the demon territory. How have you been?¡±


    When Glont asked about her well-being, Orphina smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Yes, I have been fine.¡±


    At that sight, Bloody put his legs on the table, put his hands behind his head, and whistled. "Whew~  Why are you so calm for once?"


    At Bloody''s provocation, Orphina stared coldly and said in a low voice, "Shut your mouth."


    Seeing Orphina growling through clenched teeth, Bloody shrugged and burst into laughter. "Yeah, yeah."


    At Bloody''s provocative response, Orphina slammed the table and got up. Bloody also put his legs down and stood up.


    ¡°It seems you want to die...¡± Orphina''s pupils narrowed vertically and emitted martial aura.


    Bloody responded by preparing his own martial arts. "Try it if you can.¡±


    Glont laughed cheerfully and clapped his hands upon seeing the chilly, martial aura-filled conference room. "Ahahahaha! It seems you two are still on good terms."


    At Glont''s words, Bloody and Orphina shouted simultaneously.


    "Who''s on good terms with that guy?!"


    "Who is on good terms with that guy?!"


    They stared fiercely at each other.


    Glont smiled pleasantly as they shouted and glared at each other at the same time. "Look, you guys are getting along so well." Upon hearing his comment, Bloody and Orphina slowly withdrew their auras as they glared at each other.


    "As expected, it''s peaceful with General Glont here,¡± the Emperor remarked as he entered from the secret passage with the Crown Prince.


    Glont got up from his seat and saluted. "Forgive this civil servant¡¯s disloyalty for not having visited in so long, Your Imperial Majesty."


    The Emperor smiled and waved off Glont''s stiff salute. "Would anyone who knew what disloyalty was refuse my request to return to the imperial army?"


    Glont grinned subtly at the Emperor''s joke. "But don¡¯t I always run over immediately when you call me like this?"


    "That''s not enough. I want you to protect my esteemed self, right by my side... How would you feel about being the head knight of the royal guard?"


    The position of head of the royal guard was equivalent to a lieutenant general in terms of rank, but in terms of authority, it was superior to an ordinary general.


    In order to protect the Emperor in times of crisis, even the three heads of state could be brought to heel.


    Despite having been offered such a powerful position, Glont smiled with difficulty. "I¡¯m sorry to say that this civil servant is currently content."


    The current head of the royal guards was ready and willing to hand over the position if Glont accepted, but Glont had no interest in the powerful role and refused.


    "Is that so..." The Emperor could only smile bitterly.


    Glont''s current position as the adventurer''s guild director had also been granted for the sake of making sure he stayed, so the Emperor couldn¡¯t push his offer too far.


    "The Prime Minister is in a hurry to gather funds, so he will be absent. Let''s start the meeting," the Emperor said.


    Upon hearing the Emperor''s words, Crown Prince Zantes rose from his seat and distributed informative materials. "Mr. Arcanta would normally be in charge of the meeting, but in his absence, I will do the briefing this time,¡± he said.


    Zantes operated the table, pulling up a video. It depicted a battlefield flooded with countless demons. "This is from General William, who is currently in the demon territory. It was sent through the Crow tribe¡¯s messenger falcon," he continued.


    The message had been received by Mac, who had promptly handed it to Bloody, who had then thrown it over to Arcanta for analysis.


    After seeing the video, Glont frowned, as did Bloody and Orphina.


    "How strange. It''s never been overrun to this extent before,¡± Orphina murmured.


    Glont shook his head. "No, the demons have appeared in these numbers a few times throughout history."


    "When were those times?" Zantes asked.


    Glont stroked his chin and answered seriously, "The first time was when the Demon King descended, and within a decade of his appearance, there were three other occurrences. Other than those times, there was an incident seventy years ago, and again around ten years ago.¡±


    "Ah! Ten years ago was when Warrant almost fell!?" Zantes suddenly realized something and shouted.


    Ten years ago, when the Black Water Buffalo Knight division had just been formed, Glont and Bloody had led them to defend Warrant, becoming legends that were still talked about up until the present.


    Afterward, due to the flood of demons, a rule had been established: The three generals would have to take turns entering the demon territory to protect the empire. At that time, Orphina hadn¡¯t yet arrived in the empire, so she didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened.


    "That''s weird, though. It wasn''t this bad ten years ago,¡± Glont remarked.


    Bloody said in affirmation, "There are almost more than twice as many. What caused the demons to run rampant back then?"


    "It was because the bird enveloped in primal fire, one of the four great demons, decided to move its nest."


    The demon commonly known as the Phoenix had decided to change its territory, and it had caused an incident in which the demons who lost their territories moved southward in a massive horde. However, the scene in the video was more serious than the one back then.


    "What¡¯s the cause of this flood?" Bloody asked.


    Zantes searched the documents that William had sent. "Hmm. It says to watch video number five." He immediately used the magic of the table to pull up another video. Everyone watched the video and was left speechless.


    "¡­What in the world?"


    In the video, one of the four great demons, the turtle carrying a mountain, was moving south directly toward the empire.


    "We will immediately declare a state of war and call all our troops to the demon territory," the Emperor commanded.


    The others rose from their seats and saluted at the Emperor¡¯s order.


    "We will follow the imperial command!"


    * * *


    Upon receiving the military order, Flam, Dano, and I immediately returned to the Lotten branch and began packing our bags.


    Civil servants from other branches, who had already heard the rumors, looked pitifully at us. Still, they were also nervous about the possibility of receiving the military order themselves.


    "Are those people not going?" Flam asked. As he looked around, the civil servants who were watching us hurriedly pretended to look at their documents.


    "They belong to branches far from the demon territory, so they won''t be dragged out unless this continues for a while,¡± Dano replied.


    I licked my lips at Dano''s answer. What a shame. Pain is always best suffered together.


    Since Lotten was located further south than the capital, they would be the ones dragged over if there were a war at the border.


    "But isn''t the headquarters also far from the demon territory?¡± I asked. I knew that in truth, few cities were located in safer places than the capital.


    Dano sighed at my question. "The director of headquarters is leading the reserve forces himself, so it can¡¯t be helped. After all, we''re working directly under the director.¡±


    This was why, as the saying went, those below would suffer when those above made a move. It seemed as though we were going to be dragged away whenever there was a war.


    "Besides, there wouldn¡¯t be any chaos even if the adventurer¡¯s guild in the capital stopped operating, but that¡¯s not the case for the provinces," Dano continued.


    His response made sense. Since the army couldn¡¯t be stationed everywhere in the empire, local security was often managed by adventurers and mercenaries. As such, there would be chaos in the provinces if the adventurer¡¯s guild stopped operating.


    "But what happened in the demon territory to warrant even civil servants like us receiving a military order?¡± I asked.


    Dano shrugged at my question. "I don''t know either. They said it was a military secret, so I didn''t get any official notice about that. Maybe if we join the main army, we¡¯ll find out what''s going on."


    "But what about our military gear? These bags don''t seem to be nearly enough to be considered military gear," Flam asked.


    Flam''s question was reasonable. Except for a pistol and rapier each, most of the luggage we¡¯d packed consisted of clothes and miscellaneous items for a business trip.


    "Well, I''m thinking that maybe the people at headquarters will pack and bring our gear..." Dano replied, but even he didn''t seem to think it was likely.


    I put the packed luggage on my shoulders and said, "Well, if it doesn''t work out, maybe we can buy supplies locally there."


    In truth, I kept everything I could use as military supplies in my pocket space. It was a good thing I¡¯d bought everything I needed at Granwell. Even so, I¡¯d never thought I would be dragged along to the battlefield.


    "Are you done getting ready?¡± Dane Walker stuck his head through the window and asked.


    Dano and Flam also put their luggage on their shoulders. "We¡¯re all done. All that¡¯s left now is for us to depart."


    "But we''re done with the work at the ruins, and we''re going to the demon territory now, so would it be okay for you to stay with us as an escort?¡± I asked.


    Dane Walker gave us a kind smile. "That¡¯s okay, because it''s a basic rule to escort someone all the way until they get back. Besides, I was also given orders to go up to the demon territory."


    Come to think of it, a platinum plate adventurer had to lead the adventurer''s unit in wartime.


    "Though I¡¯ll probably serve as a military magician, and not as a commander of a unit," Dane continued.


    "Uh, don¡¯t all the platinum plate adventurers act as commanders?¡± Flam asked, clearly having thought the same way I had.


    Dane Walker smiled and pointed to the other civil servants, who were working hard on their paperwork. ¡°I¡¯ll only act as a commander when all adventurers receive military orders and are called upon to serve. I¡¯ll be leading a unit then, when those civil servants also get recruited as military officers."


    ¡°I see." Flam nodded.


    Dane Walker explained further, "This time, most likely, the adventurer¡¯s unit will be made up of people gathered from the headquarters and those near the demon territory. The Guild Director will lead the army himself, and the platinum plate adventurers will just act as his officers. It''s been a while since all five of us got together." He smiled, as if he were looking forward to it.


    After saying our goodbyes to the Lotten branch director, we boarded a carriage heading toward the nearest city with a train station.

 Chapter 152: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (3)

    It was past eleven at night when our carriage arrived at a large city with a train station.


    In a normal scenario, we would have had to stay up all night outside the city before entering early the next morning. This time, though, we were able to enter the city immediately thanks to our civil servant ID cards and the military order. So, we headed straight to the train station.


    "But can trains also stop at night?¡± Flam asked.


    Dano replied, "Under imperial law, trains cannot stop in the city at night, just like carriages."


    Dane Walker added that even if there were express trains that traveled non-stop until morning, it was impossible to board them as they were moving.


    "Then why are we heading to the train station?" Flam asked.


    I showed him the military order and explained, "If you have a military order, you can stop the express train for a moment to get on. It''s a kind of privilege."


    The train tracks running through the empire had been built for military purposes, so one could say that they existed for special cases like these. For the record, train tickets were also free if you had a military order. But...


    "I didn''t really want to experience this kind of privilege," I remarked. I didn''t like it because all these special privileges were contingent on participation in the war.


    I don''t need privileges, so send me back to the capital! My whole body was still throbbing from getting trampled by stone statue number 10. I just wanted to sleep in a soft bed now.


    Flam also nodded in response. "I agree. War is a tragedy."


    Dano sighed as he touched the handle of the sword on his waist. "We can''t help it. It¡¯s our duty as servants of the empire.¡±


    There was one more privilege the military order provided, which was that we could board the train armed. In the first place, it was usually a battalion unit or a company unit at the minimum that moved according to military orders like this. Therefore, the order provided preferential treatment to get rid of procedural hassles and let the troops move quickly.


    "Well, it¡¯s still fortunate that it''s not a war between nations, but rather a war against demons,¡± Dane Walker said as he momentarily smiled bitterly.


    Come to think of it, at Dane Walker¡¯s age, it was highly likely that he had been conscripted into the Blood Emperor¡¯s war of conquest in the past. Normally, magicians were the first to be conscripted.


    "It is certainly much better than a war that takes the lives of other people. The act of risking your life for someone is noble," Flam commented.


    Dane Walker and Dano seemed to agree with Flam. But I didn''t completely sympathize with what they said.


    Of course, even so, I didn¡¯t intend to ignore or belittle those who risked their lives in the demon territory. Even if people didn¡¯t feel the fact that their peaceful lives were built upon others¡¯ sacrifices, it was something everyone knew deep down.


    There were acts of righteousness, but there were no righteous deaths. I just didn''t like the idea of justifying death as righteous.


    But I didn''t say anything. It wasn¡¯t something I needed to say, and it would be weird for me to say it.


    Screw morality. I was one who considered the safety of myself and the people around me, more so than the safety of many people I didn¡¯t know.


    It seems I¡¯m a little upset, thinking about how I¡¯m suddenly being dragged to a battlefield without any notice. I¡¯ve become more emotional than usual.


    - The train is now approaching Barreheim Station. Please take a step back for your safety.


    A train pulled into the station. The four of us were the only ones boarding, so it was amazing that a broadcast had still played...


    ...although, of course, it was a recorded broadcast that had to be played whether or not there were passengers.


    "I think I said something unnecessary,¡± Dane Walker said as he read my expression, looking awkward.


    I smiled and said, "No, what you said was right." When the train stopped completely and the door opened, I got on board first. "Come on, let''s get to work."


    We were joining the main unit led by Guild Director Glont in Asterium, a large city in the Asteria Dukedom.


    * * *


    At midnight, the lead unit commanded by Bloody arrived in Warrant, which was also known as the Last Bastion.


    Bloody sighed as he watched Mac, Leisha, and Lancelot, who were on horseback next to him. "I said you guys should just stay in the capital. Why are you guys following me all the way here?"


    Mac shrugged and said deftly, "Aye, but it''s better to have even one more hand. Isn''t that right, Miss?"


    "That''s true- hey, I told you not to call me Miss!" Leisha did some horseback acrobatics to turn and kick Mac¡¯s side, but Mac easily dodged it.


    "Hahaha! You still have a long way to go!¡± Mac teased.


    As Leisha was trying as hard as she could to hit Mac somehow, and Mac avoided it while teasing Leisha, Bloody hung back behind them and asked Lancelot, "Are you okay? You said there''s a good chance that Den''s in the capital. Is it okay for you to leave the capital?¡±


    Lancelot answered with a bright smile, "Yes, even if Den is deeply involved in the empire, he will mercilessly abandon it if things seem too dangerous. The empire must be safe in order for us to find Den!¡± He knew Den all too well.


    Bloody was surprised that Den¡¯s friend didn¡¯t hesitate to mercilessly imply that Den was a trashy fellow. At the same time, he questioned whether his nephew had a healthy friendship. However, he quickly decided to put it aside, concluding that they probably played around all the time.


    At that time, the knight captain in charge of Warrant¡¯s security came out to meet Bloody in person and saluted him loudly. "Loyalty!"


    Bloody got off his horse, fully armed, and accepted the knight¡¯s salute. "Long time no see. Still working hard, I see. It¡¯s hard because of all the troublemakers in Warrant, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bloody clearly remembered the man as a person who had helped a lot with the distribution of military supplies when he had last been assigned to the demon territory.


    "It is not, sir!" The captain couldn¡¯t hide his feelings when the knight he respected most, Bloody, praised his hard work.


    "What do you mean it¡¯s not? I know everyone gets told this is the worst place to get assigned."


    Being sent to Warrant from the capital was like being told to resign and leave. So, many of Warrant''s civil servants and soldiers were local residents, and they were energetic in their defense of their home.


    ¡°No, I''m from here as well,¡± the captain replied. There was no way the leader of the passionate soldiers here wouldn¡¯t be from Warrant.


    ¡°Ahahaha, is that so?¡± Bloody remarked, pausing for a moment before asking, "And where is William?"


    The captain pointed to the outer castle wall in the distance. "General William is in the interim command room."


    "Is that so?" Bloody ordered the lead unit to rest and headed to the interim command room. Mac, Leisha, and Lancelot followed behind him.


    "Loyalty!" A soldier guarding the command post recognized Bloody and saluted him.


    Bloody roughly accepted the salute and went into the tent. "Your face has gotten thinner since the last time I saw you." As soon as he saw William, he clicked his tongue as if he were looking at a pitiful person.


    "Well, I¡¯ve had a hard time. Honestly, the situation would have been uncontrollable if Mirpa Ainsmall-nim hadn¡¯t been here.¡±


    "Mirpa, that old woman...¡± Bloody trailed off as he looked around.


    Leisha said, "There¡¯s soundproof magic here, so you can speak freely.¡±


    William was impressed by Leisha. "Oh, you recognized it at a glance. It''s a spell I put a lot of effort into. Indeed, befitting of Mirpa-nim¡¯s best pupil."


    Leisha was embarrassed by William''s compliment. "No, I¡¯m still too lacking to be called Teacher-nim''s best pupil. Many other pupils have already crossed the wall of the Magic Way and become madosas.¡±


    "No, Mirpa-nim complimented you a lot. She said you were a genius, and among the top five students she''s ever taught."


    The first of the five Mirpa had picked, naturally, was Den.


    "Thank you."


    "I heard that you were fourteen years old when you rose to the level of a great magician, and you''re now challenging the wall of the Magic Way?"


    "Yes, but I don¡¯t even have a clue as to how yet.¡± Leisha scratched her cheek idly.


    William clapped his hands, as if to say ¡®That¡¯s great!¡¯ before remarking, "My niece is in the capital, and she''s your age. Would you like to meet her?"


    Leisha gladly nodded at William''s suggestion. "I''d love to! My younger brother is the only magician I know around my age.¡±


    "Haha, you''re about the same age and level, so maybe you guys will get along well."


    While they were talking about something that would have freaked Den out, Bloody coughed dryly and cut off the conversation that seemed to have no end in sight. "Keuhmm! So, I heard old lady Mirpa and hyung-nim were here. Where are they?" He inwardly quivered with fear even as he asked the question. He was afraid of being punched for not having caught Den yet.


    "Mirpa-nim is taking your nephew around the area to sweep up demons, and Doomstone-nim went deep into the demon territory alone, saying he had a bad feeling.¡± William sighed. "Honestly, I was hoping that Doomstone-nim would deal with the Turtle Carrying a Mountain.¡±


    Bloody shook his head at William. "If hyung said he had a bad feeling, the situation is probably going to be terrible. For the longest time, hyung¡¯s intuition has practically been at the level of prophecy.¡±


    When William heard Bloody, he stuck his tongue out as if he¡¯d heard something terrible. "There''s going to be a worse situation than the Turtle Carrying a Mountain moving south? What, is another one of the four great demons going to come down too?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m afraid that may be a possibility if hyung moved based on his intuition.  Don''t you think so?¡± Bloody turned and asked Mac.


    Mac nodded in affirmation. "Boss-nim¡¯s intuition is terrifying. Whenever I tried to secretly drink alcohol with the youngest master, boss-nim noticed it like a ghost.¡±


    He had even set up a detailed plan with Den and targeted Doomstone''s liquor, but Doomstone had surpassed all of the circumstances that Den accounted for and kept his liquor safe.


    Once, Den had even obtained Hestia''s cooperation by acting cute, but still failed. Doomstone''s super intuition had been enough to easily surpass Den and Hestia''s combined resourcefulness.


    From Mac''s point of view, there could not be a better example of Doomstone''s intuition. However, to William, who didn''t know the sheer extent of Den and Hestia''s strategies, it only sounded ridiculous.


    "Then why didn''t he notice Denburg Blade running away with his intuition?" William asked.


    Mac was left speechless. In truth, he also thought it was strange. If Doomstone had moved personally, he would have caught Den within three days, even before the game of tag, but Doomstone hadn¡¯t done anything.


    "Still, you¡¯d better be careful, since Doomstone hyung-nim doesn''t move rashly," Bloody insisted.


    William nodded at Bloody''s advice. "Well, if you¡¯re going as far as to say that, I''ll be careful."

 Chapter 153: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (4)

    We departed from Lotten, boarded the train in Barreheim, and transferred three times. After all that, we were able to arrive at Asterium, the center of the Asteria Dukedom, at around 5 p.m. Our total travel time included six hours by carriage and eighteen hours by train. We couldn''t even take a day off and had to rush all the way.


    Asterium was a large city not far from Warrant, and it was known as the Last City. If Warrant was the region¡¯s shield, Asterium was the heart of its supply chain.


    As soon as we disembarked at Asterium Station, Fiona and Demuir welcomed us, each armed with a rapier and a pistol.


    "Over here!¡±


    "We heard about Lotten''s ruins. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    At Fiona''s encouragement, Dano sighed with a tired expression. "I know. All the work we did was for nothing." He spoke to Fiona using honorifics. Although it was natural because Fiona was Dano¡¯s senior both in rank and age, I wasn¡¯t used to Dano speaking formally for some reason.


    "The adventurers must have thrown a riot, huh?¡± Demuir asked in a playful tone.


    Flam nodded, also visibly exhausted. "It was no joke. It was like looking at a shoal of angry monkfish."


    I agreed with Flam. "Well, the ruins collapsed when they were almost done selecting explorers, so they had a right to be angry."


    Demuir pulled me into an embrace and messed up my hair. "Well done. Is there anything you want to eat? I''ll get you something even if I have to steal it from the supply depot¡±, he said with a wink. Fiona smiled and pulled Demuir''s ear.


    "Ahhhh, senior! It¡¯s a joke, a joke!" Demuir cried out in pain.


    Fiona replied in a low voice ill befitting her smile, "If you steal supplies again, you''ll really be punished." Demuir must have already had a history of stealing and getting caught.


    "You managed to steal supplies and get away without disciplinary action?" I asked. I didn¡¯t know what it was like in peacetime, but the act of stealing supplies in wartime was a serious act tantamount to helping the enemy, and would always receive heavy punishment.


    Fiona answered my question with a smile. "Well, he didn''t steal a lot. He just gave some chocolate and biscuits from the supply depot to some orphans on the street, so the Guild Director just laughed and moved on."


    Demuir shouted, sounding aggrieved, "What do you mean, ¡®without disciplinary action¡¯! Because of that, I¡¯m only given chocolate and no bread! I want to eat bread, too! I want to eat meat!"


    Fiona snorted at Demuir''s whining. "So, who told you to steal military supplies? Just be relieved that it stopped at that. It won''t be on your record and it won''t affect your promotion, so be grateful and eat your chocolate!¡±


    "Ah! I don''t like chocolate anymore!" Demuir cried, making Flam laugh.


    "Ahahahaha! What''s wrong? You always looked for sweets when you said your head wasn¡¯t working. Now you can eat like a pig!"


    "Keuhahaha! Maybe you¡¯ll bleed chocolate instead of blood?"


    Demuir shouted back as Flam and I laughed uproariously, "Don''t laugh!"


    I didn''t know who had come up with the punishment, but it was truly appropriate for him.


    As Flam and I were teasing Demuir, Dane Walker looked at the clock and said, "I''m sorry, but I have business with the Guild Director, so I''ll go first." That business was probably related to the ruins.


    "Why? We have to go to the Asterium branch anyway. Let''s go together,¡± I suggested.


    Dane Walker replied sadly, "No, I want to hang out with you guys a little longer, but I have to go."


    "Then there''s no helping it. Thanks for your hard work."


    "Thanks for your hard work.¡±


    "I''ll be there to meet Rosellis around dinner, so see you later." Dane Walker waved and quickly ran ahead.


    We slowly headed to the temporary barracks where we would be staying for the next few days.


    * * *


    When Glont entered the conference room of the Asterium adventurer¡¯s guild branch, the adventurers and executives stood up from their respective seats. Glont gestured as he reached the highest seat and everyone sat down again.


    The people gathered in the conference room were prominent enough to be considered key figures in the adventurer''s guild.


    Glont looked around the table and asked while looking at the empty seat, "When did you say Dane Walker would arrive?" The vacant seat was for Dane Walker, of course.


    Roseland checked the schedule and answered, "If there haven¡¯t been any problems, he should have just arrived at the train station by now."


    "So he¡¯ll be here soon. Let¡¯s start the meeting as soon as Dane Walker arrives."


    Rosellis put her legs up on the table with her fingers crossed behind her head, smiling rebelliously. "That ahjussi is having a hard time too."


    Rosellis''s behavior was greeted with a fierce scolding by a bald, muscular, dark-skinned man sitting across from her. "Bloodstained, this isn¡¯t a personal space. If you''re a platinum plate adventurer, don''t you think you should know how to maintain some dignity?"


    He acted like a missionary priest, as if to show that the white priest uniform he wore wasn''t simply for show. And yet, because the buttons on his robe were straining to contain his huge muscles, he seemed more threatening than holy.


    "Pagan Priest ahjussi nags too hard.¡± Rosellis grumbled and lowered her legs from the table, putting her chin on her hand.


    The muscular man, known as the Pagan Priest, was a platinum plate adventurer. Despite his nickname, he was also a high ranking priest who officially belonged to the temple. The real reason he was called the Pagan Priest was due to his fighting style: He strengthened his body with divine power to catch monsters with his bare hands. Compared to the usual image of a priest, the contrast was too great.


    "I''ve told you over and over again that it¡¯s not Pagan Priest. I¡¯m a formally ordained priest. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m misunderstood because I¡¯m a battle priest monk, Sister Bloodstained-nim."


    Usually, the term ¡®battle priest¡¯ referred to those who defeated the enemy with divine magic. Fighting with their bodies was the territory of paladins, not the battle priests.


    However, he practiced martial arts as a form of mental training and called himself a monk, even though the monk order had already disappeared more than 150 years ago. In other words, according to the classification of the temple, he was a priest, but not a true battle priest. If he had been an ordinary priest in the first place, he wouldn¡¯t have been an adventurer.


    "Yes, yes, Funeral Priest-nim."


    His other nickname was Funeral Priest, because he always recited funeral prayers while slaughtering monsters with his bare hands.


    "If possible, I''d like you to call me Ruin, Sister-nim."


    Rosellis snorted at Pagan Priest Ruin¡¯s request. "Eh, but you''re also calling me Bloodstained! Surely ahjussi can call me by my name too."


    "How could I just casually say the name of Count Asilante''s esteemed daughter?¡± Ruin expressed his disapproval.


    Rosellis looked at him as if he¡¯d just said something absurd. "It''s more impolite to call me Bloodstained than by my name! Besides that, calling me the Count¡¯s esteemed daughter gives me goosebumps, so don''t say things like that!" She rubbed her arms as if she¡¯d really gotten goosebumps. "By the way, even if Dane Walker ahjussi is late from escorting Den and the old guy, where are the other two?" she asked.


    Ruin put his hands together as if to pray and answered, "The Iron Wall was originally mainly active in Warrant, and the Indebted Knight should be blocking the demons at the front lines."


    Iron Wall and Indebted Knight were the nicknames of the other platinum plate adventurers.


    "Indebted ahjussi must be excited to make money. At this rate, maybe he¡¯ll be able to pay off all his debts...?"


    It was very dangerous for even platinum plate adventurers to deal with demons, but there was no denying that it was profitable.


    "Heh-heh-heh. if that credit delinquent were a man who paid off his debts, his nickname wouldn''t have been Indebted.¡± Ruin laughed wryly as if he¡¯d heard something strange.


    Rosellis seemed to agree. "That''s true. The Duke of Asteria is an odd man, to keep lending money to that credit delinquent."


    Ruin smiled benignly in response. "Well, if it comes to that, the Duke will make him pay everything back with his body, so he won¡¯t be at a loss. If you listen to a bad creditor, you¡¯ll get exploited for more than just the money he borrowed. It seems the tiger of the political world is still alive."


    Glont smiled merrily at the conversation between Rosellis and Ruin. He then looked towards the door and said, "It seems Dane Walker has arrived, so let''s gradually get started."


    At the same time, Dane Walker opened the door and sprayed colorful petals into the air with illusion magic. "I am here!"


    As if they were used to Dane Walker¡¯s entrances, everyone just nagged him.


    ¡°Hurry up and sit down, ahjussi.¡±


    ¡°We need to start the meeting, Brother-nim."


    Roseland pulled out the vacant seat and said, "Mr. Dane Walker''s seat is here."


    When no one reacted, Dane Walker sat down feeling sullen. "Then let''s start the meeting."


    The playful atmosphere that had been present before was quickly replaced by a serious one. The meeting began as those gathered discussed how to best use the reserve forces.


    * * *


    With Fiona''s guidance, we entered an inn near the Asterium adventurer¡¯s guild branch.


    "This is the temporary barracks for people from headquarters. The command room is located on the first floor of the Asterium branch. You can go there in a little while to check the passcode."


    Fiona handed me a key marked 305 and said, "Den and Flam have been assigned to room 305."


    Contrary to my expectation that we would have to put desks together in an office or live in a tent outside, she had secured us proper rooms at the inn. Unlike Lotten, Asterium seemed to have more space because it was a large city.


    "I put some military gear in the room, so check it out and tell me if you need anything. Most things can be acquired from the supply depot."


    Fortunately, it seemed they¡¯d brought us some gear too.


    Upon hearing Fiona¡¯s consideration, I told her what I needed without hesitation. "Can I have some chocolate if there¡¯s any? I''ll give it to Demuir if he asks us to share our dinner."


    Fiona burst into laughter at my request. "Puhut, all right. I''ll give it to you at dinner. You must be tired, so go up and rest."


    The adventurers also knew that Demuir had been sentenced to eating only chocolate for every meal. Even if Demuir personally tried to buy food in secret, unless he could avoid the eyes of all the adventurers, it would be impossible.


    Naturally, it was clear that Demuir would cling to me and beg for food. But... If I ran into someone who could be teased, it had always been my principle to tease them.


    "You¡¯re so evil," Flam said. Despite that, he also asked Fiona for chocolate. At some point, Flam had already been tainted by my darkness.


    Someone called my name suddenly as I was about to head upstairs while chatting with Flam.


    "Oh! Den?"


    I looked back toward the voice. Lisbon was standing there, looking surprised to see me. "Why are you here?¡± he asked.


    That''s my line! Why are you here?!

 Chapter 154: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (5)

    I was shocked to see Lisbon. I couldn¡¯t understand why the guy who should have been preparing for the start of school was in Asterium, on the front lines.


    "Didn¡¯t you say you were going on a business trip to Lotten?¡± Lisbon asked, surprised.


    I got a headache thinking about why this pushover was here, and shouted with a frown, "I should be saying that! Why are you here? Does Alice know you''re here?¡± Lisbon flinched.


    There was no way this pushover had come all the way here without telling Alice, right? I really wanted to believe he wouldn''t be that stupid.


    "Well, that''s..."


    I saw that he couldn¡¯t say no. It seemed he had really come here without telling Alice.


    "Are you kidding!?¡± I exclaimed. I was already annoyed that I¡¯d been brought to the front lines, but now I had to take care of this pushover. Aigoo, my life...


    "Come on, calm down. I think you¡¯re a little too worked up. I¡¯m sure Lisbon has his own reasons for being here," Flam said in defense of Lisbon. I sighed as he continued, "Give me the luggage and the keys for now. I''ll take everything to our room. I think you¡¯d better have a calm conversation with your friend."


    I nodded and handed over the key and my luggage to Flam, saying, "Thank you."


    "No problem. I''ll be right back, so at least have some tea in the meantime. And don''t fight."


    "I''ll try not to."


    Flam went up with my luggage, and I looked down at Lisbon. Lisbon couldn¡¯t look at my face, like a child caught doing something wrong.


    I sighed as I went down the stairs and glared at Lisbon, saying, ¡°Let''s sit down first.¡±


    ¡°Uh... Yeah."


    When we settled down at a dining table on the first floor of the inn, Lisbon sat across from me, looking restless.


    "I¡¯ll ask again, but does Alice know?" I asked.


    "¡­No."


    Aigoo, have you ever seen such a hopeless man? I continued, "So you left Alice in the capital and came alone?¡±


    "Yes."


    Well, I wasn''t worried because Yuria and Alice''s distant relative, Mrs. Arscilla, was in the capital. The problem was the pushover in front of me.


    "What excuse did you give Alice in order to get all the way here?"


    Lisbon replied in a sullen voice, "I told her that I was worried about my family, and that I would go visit."


    Come to think of it, Lisbon¡¯s family, the Carter family, lived in the northern part of the empire. It would make sense for him to be worried, because if something happened in the demon territory, they might have to lead the soldiers to the front lines.


    "Have you applied to join the army?¡±


    Please, I hope you just came here without thinking. If he had come here to just help out, I could just shower him with scoldings and send him back. But, if he had come here after enlisting in the military, I wouldn¡¯t be able to send him back. Returning to the capital would make him a deserter.


    "Uh, that''s...." Lisbon hesitated and showed me the military dog tag hanging around his neck.


    Oh, my head. I replied, "If you''re here, that means you¡¯ve been made part of the reserve force. How did you enlist? Knight school?¡±


    During wartime, even the knight school allowed military enlistments. However, that only happened if the war was going poorly. Right now, though, it hadn¡¯t even been very long since the start of the war, and they hadn¡¯t even started recruiting yet.


    Even if they had begun recruiting, the recruits couldn''t even be here normally because they had to receive the minimum amount of military training first.


    "No, I came here after registering as an adventurer with the adventurer''s guild."


    "You even registered as an adventurer to join the army?¡± I stared at Lisbon, dumbfounded.


    Lisbon waved his hands, flustered. "No, there''s a class related to the adventurer¡¯s guild next semester, so I just registered in advance!"


    The fact that I didn''t know Lisbon had registered as an adventurer meant that he¡¯d registered while I was on my business trip... Well, he wouldn''t have been able to register if I hadn¡¯t been on that trip.


    "Yes, yes, I understand," I remarked.


    Still, it was fortunate that he¡¯d come here through the adventurer''s guild. There was some room for me to pull strings.


    Although I was at the bottom, I was still directly under the Guild Director. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible to take one or two soldiers out and designate them as supply officers, since I also had connections with Dane Walker and Rosellis.


    Just as I thought I''d have him work under me and nag at him, Rosellis and Dane Walker came through the inn entrance.


    Rosellis made eye contact with me, waved her hand, and approached me. "Iyyaa! Long time no see?¡±


    I shrugged with a smile at Rosellis¡¯s greeting. "Eh, you¡¯re exaggerating, it¡¯s only been five days since we last saw each other." It was good timing. I''d ask for a favor while we were together.


    "What, are you saying you''re not happy to see me?" Rosellis put me in a headlock.


    I made a fuss, saying, "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. Owww, it hurts..."


    Rosellis laughed loudly at my fussing, loosened her headlock, sat next to me, and put her arms around my shoulders. "So do you two know each other?¡± she asked, looking back and forth between Lisbon and me.


    "He¡¯s a friend. He also lives in the same boarding house,¡± Lisbon responded.


    Rosellis looked at me with surprise. "Really? The empire sure is small."


    I looked at her curiously. "How do you know Lisbon?¡±


    "Me? After I fought him once at the New Year Festival Martial Arts Competition, he seemed to have potential, so I used to give him pointers from time to time."


    Oh right, they¡¯d met once in the sixteenth round at the New Year Festival Martial Arts Competition.


    I¡¯d forgotten about it because on the same day, a masked man wearing a half-and-half chicken-like mask had launched a surprise attack, and the incident had made quite a strong impression. If Hillis''s domain proclamation hadn''t blurred my senses, my chirps could have gotten revenge. What a pity.


    "Wait, you two know each other?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s what we said.¡±


    For a moment, an ominous thought passed through my mind. "Then the reason that Lisbon¡¯s here...!¡± I looked at Rosellis suspiciously.


    Rosellis nodded as if there were no problem. "I suggested it."


    My god. I hadn¡¯t expected the reason for this pushover¡¯s presence to be so close.


    If he had simply felt compelled to enlist due to his pushoverness, I would have been able to make him a supply officer somehow. But if Rosellis, leader of the adventurers¡¯ reserve forces, was the one who had dragged Lisbon into this, it would be impossible.


    I¡¯d thought it was strange that a middle-ranked student from the knight school had come to the front lines when the war hadn¡¯t even reached a critical state.


    Usually, students at the knight school were prevented from coming to the front lines out of consideration for their future growth.


    I was getting a headache. What was I supposed to do with this pushover? I frowned.


    Dane Walker, who had entered the inn with Rosellis, sat next to Lisbon and asked, "What''s wrong? Is there something bothering you?"


    "No, I''m just trying to figure out how to punish this pushover," I cut in. I stared at Lisbon, and he shrunk inward as if he knew his wrongdoings.


    Dane Walker looked at Lisbon and tilted his head. "Why? I heard from Rosellis that he''s patriotic and has high potential. Oh, his name is Lisbon, right?¡± He patted Lisbon on the back to cheer him up, and Lisbon smiled awkwardly.


    "Yes, the name of this pushover is Lisbon, and he''s so patriotic that he''s stupid enough to come to the front lines without telling his family,¡± I lamented with a sigh.


    Rosellis and Dane Walker looked at Lisbon.


    "Coming here without telling your family is a little....¡±


    "Hey, you came here without telling them?"


    At Rosellis''s interrogation, Lisbon¡¯s eyes darted around frantically as he tried to find excuses. But, he soon bowed his head as if he had given up. "That¡¯s, uh... I''m sorry."


    Rosellis sighed and scolded Lisbon. "You should still tell your family at least. Make sure to tell them about things like this in the future.¡± Then, as if she had nothing more to say, she called the staff and ordered food.


    "That''s it?¡± I asked in surprise.


    Rosellis looked at me as if to ask ¡®What else is there?¡¯ and replied, "Why? He''s an adult. If you¡¯re an adult, you should take responsibility for your decisions. Oh, of course, he deserves to be scolded for coming without saying a word to his family. But it''s not my job to do that, right?¡±


    Her response couldn''t have been more reasonable. He deserved to be smacked for coming up north after tricking Alice, but coming to the front line on his own to protect the country was something to be applauded.


    "And he¡¯s even going to the knight school because he wants to be a knight. Knights need to prove themselves on the battlefield,¡± Rosellis added. As a former member of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, she was certainly persuasive. "And I''ve been heading to the battlefield against my father''s wishes since I was 17. Look at me. Aren¡¯t I being recognized by my father now? Twenty years old is an appropriate time."


    Rosellis¡¯ response left me briefly speechless. "Ehew, nothing I can do,¡± I said with a sigh, giving up on trying to persuade her.


    Rosellis tousled my hair and told me not to worry. "Do you think I would just coax him over here and leave him out to die? Don''t worry, I at least have the ability to take care of one Lisbon."


    "I''ll also watch over him, so don''t worry too much." Dane Walker added, encouraging Lisbon to cheer up. Pushover regained his vitality with the support of the other two and nodded.


    "I''m going to tell Alice when I get back, so be prepared,¡± I said suddenly. At that one sentence, Pushover lost all the vitality he had regained and became sullen again.


    No matter how much the two watched over Lisbon, they wouldn''t be able to pay attention to him all the time, so I had to at least put some chirps on him¡­ Or I could wear a mask and wipe out the demons myself.


    Come to think of it, Flam had gone to drop off the luggage, but when was he coming back?


    * * *


    In the heart of the demon territory, Doomstone looked at the demons flocking towards him. He smiled deeply as he looked beyond the frightened demons.


    Mirpa broke into cold sweat while looking in the direction of Doomstone¡¯s gaze. "I¡¯ve always felt that your intuition is extraordinary."


    The vast flow of mana from that direction was so powerful that even the great madosa, Mirpa, was getting sick from it. Tens of thousands of demons weren¡¯t running away in fear for no reason.


    Doomstone clenched his fist and laughed cheerfully. "Ahahahaha! It has to reach at least this level for the fight to be enjoyable!"


    As Doomstone''s martial aura-filled laughter spread out, the fleeing demons were surprised and fell into chaos. The demons had never thought there would be another monster in the way as they ran away from the first one, so they scattered everywhere trying to survive in the chaos.


    "You monstrous bastard," Mirpa murmured with an expression of exasperation and boredom, and pointed at a group of demons. "Take care of those demons before you fight. It''ll be a pain in the neck if they head towards the empire."


    Doomstone gathered his martial aura reluctantly, as if he had no choice. "Well, it''ll be a good warm up before fighting..." He threw a light punch as he jumped into the chaotic mass of demons and yelled, ¡°Enlightenment! Overturning the Earth!"


    When Doomstone''s fist struck the ground, the surrounding area shook violently as if there had been an earthquake. The ground cracked and shook, causing the demons to lose their balance and fall. Some demons immediately fell into the cracks and died.


    "Enlightenment! Crushing Stones!" Doomstone punched toward the largest crowd of demons. Thousands of demons were torn apart by the gale from his fist alone.


    Mirpa clicked her tongue after she saw the scene. "Tch, he¡¯s mutilating the precious catalysts!"


    The demons shrieked and began to flee in all directions, but Doomstone quickly chased and massacred them.


    None of the demons fleeing toward the empire survived.

 Chapter 155: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (6)

    At sundown, as the red sky began to turn purple...


    A woman wearing a pink mask looked down at Asterium from atop its outer wall. She said, "It¡¯s unlike you to hide. You should just show yourself."


    A man wearing a brown mask appeared and replied, "It¡¯s been a while, Virgo."


    She looked at him as if she were performing an inspection. "You''re still clumsy at hiding, Taurus.¡±


    "Well, what about you? To be called Virgo at your age is...!¡± Taurus remarked. Virgo drew her sword and aimed for Taurus¡¯s neck, but Taurus narrowly escaped, complaining, "Jeez, can''t you take a joke?"


    Virgo snorted at Taurus¡¯s whining. "I¡¯m touched that you''ve grown to the point of being able to make jokes about me. Now, will you show me just how courageous you¡¯ve become?" Virgo slashed directly at his abdomen.


    Taurus took a couple of steps back and raised both hands in surrender. "Ahaha, I was wrong." He smiled playfully.


    Virgo sheathed her sword and said, "I¡¯m not called Virgo because I want others to call me that."


    "I know. It''s just a name from the constellation," Taurus replied.


    The title had been decided solely by the head of the group called the 12 Zodiacs. Whether they wanted to or not, they had no choice but to use it once it was decided. The head had implied that he would become hostile to anyone who rejected the names he gave.


    "But where¡¯s Aquarius? Aren¡¯t you guys usually together?¡± Taurus asked.


    "Aquarius said he has business to attend to, and that he¡¯ll be acting on his own,¡± Virgo answered.


    Taurus nodded. "Really? By the way, who caused this incident?¡± He was referring to the flood of demons in the demon territory.


    Virgo crossed her arms and answered, "I don''t really know either, but since Libra and Scorpio¡¯s bases are in the demon territory, it¡¯s surely the work of those two."


    Taurus looked towards the demon territory seriously. "If even those two, who don''t have a good relationship, cooperated¡­ Does that mean that the leader is moving personally?" He was surprised. It would be the first time the leader had acted personally since he first joined the 12 Zodiacs.


    Virgo uncrossed her arms and answered while standing on the wall¡¯s railing. "I said I didn''t know either. But it''s true that I''m suspicious.¡±


    "Then..."


    "This time, if you''re going to be active in the demon territory-!" Taurus began in a low voice.


    Virgo cut him off. "Be careful. Great madosas aren¡¯t easy to handle. Don''t be reckless and throw away your useless life."


    Taurus smiled bitterly at her warning. "I know that. I''ll keep myself alive, so you don¡¯t have to worry."


    "As long as you know it.¡± Virgo finished speaking and jumped down from the fortress wall.


    Because Asterium was a city close to the demon territory, the fortress walls were quite high, but Taurus didn¡¯t worry about Virgo¡¯s landing. He looked into the distance, sighed, and left.


    * * *


    "Hahm~!" I got up from my seat, yawning. After arriving at Asterium last night, I watched Rosellis train Lisbon for a bit, then went up to my room to sleep.


    Fortunately, because we¡¯d come straight from a business trip, they didn¡¯t make us work immediately and let us rest instead. Thanks to that, I felt relieved from most of my fatigue.


    "Are you up? You should hurry and wash up before breakfast," Flam said while drying his hair with a towel.


    I stretched and nodded. "What''s the menu for this morning?¡± I asked.


    "As far as I know, it¡¯s corn soup and rye bread."


    "Is that it?"


    "That''s it."


    My goodness, even for military rations... It was only corn soup and rye bread? I hadn¡¯t been expecting steak for breakfast, but rye bread was a bit much.


    If only it were soft wheat bread, I would eat it without complaints, but rye bread? This had to be the inn restaurant¡¯s plot to get people to buy food there. Or, they must have had some kind of strange connection with the upper levels of the adventurer¡¯s guild.


    Oh, was this what they called a win-win situation for the region?


    Of course, the poor distribution was largely due to food storage. Regardless of the fact that it was winter now, if one wanted to store a large amount of food for a long time, it had to be food that would keep well.


    "Oh, I never thought I''d miss the fridge in the boarding house,¡± I lamented.


    Another method was refrigeration, but the maintenance cost was ridiculously high, so it wasn¡¯t a method the military would use, as they preferred small profits and quick returns.


    I¡¯d tried complaining, but nothing changed in the military.


    "I''ll head down first." Flam hung the used towel by the window and went ahead. I quickly washed up in the cramped bathroom and went down.


    As I went down to the first floor of the inn, I saw the restaurant was full of adventurers. One of the most notable people there was Demuir, who was despairing at the chocolate on his plate.


    "Heuk! I want some rye bread! Or at least let me use the restaurant!¡± Demuir clung to Organ.


    Organ shook his head with a sigh. "Wasn¡¯t it an order from the Guild Director? Just eat it."


    "Keuk! This is absurd! You tasteless military chocolate!"


    Certainly, military chocolate wasn¡¯t sweet and soft like the chocolate sold in the capital. Instead, it had the texture of crayons and was terribly bitter. It wasn''t bad enough to be inedible as a snack, but it wasn¡¯t something anyone would seek out.


    Even though Demuir had done something wrong, I felt a little sorry for him, since he was being punished for doing a good deed. However, it was a little difficult for me to help, because Guild Director Glont had said he had good intentions and dropped the normal heavy punishments expected under military law.


    In truth, it served as a warning to people before they played around or caused accidents with military supplies. No one who saw Demuir¡¯s suffering dared to meddle with the supplies. He was being punished despite his good intentions, so others were afraid to think of what kind of punishment they might receive if they touched the military supplies with bad intentions.


    Punishing one to warn the others was definitely effective.


    I ordered grilled chicken at the inn restaurant and participated in the food distribution outside. After receiving the food, Flam and I went to Demuir and Organ¡¯s table and sat down.


    The smell of the fragrant chicken legs made Demuir weep blood. "Just one bite! Please!" he cried.


    At Demuir''s desperate plea, I gave him the military chocolate that had been distributed last night. "Enjoy your meal."


    Organ had been watching from the side, and he looked at me as if I were the devil.


    I bit into my chicken leg casually. It was juicy and quite delicious.


    Demuir chewed on the chocolate I gave him without saying a word.


    * * *


    After breakfast, Demuir and I went to the temporary warehouse where the supplies were stored, and checked the totals. Taking inventory was the most basic of basic tasks.


    "Keuhmm!" Demuir coughed dryly and looked at me quietly.


    I grinned and took out the cookies and jerky I¡¯d stored in the pocket space, handing them to Demuir.


    Demuir carefully accepted the cookies and jerky with trembling hands, exclaiming, "Ohhh! You¡¯re my savior!" Then he slowly started to eat little by little, savoring the taste.


    "Don¡¯t overreact. But I see you managed to see the small message engraved into the chocolate."


    Personally, I¡¯d thought he might not recognize it and overlook it because of my dexterity.


    "I wasn''t sure either. But I thought there was no way a junior that I respect would play such a bad joke!"


    If he hadn¡¯t noticed, then I¡¯d have just moved on. Unfortunately, those exact bad jokes Demuir mentioned were to my taste.


    "So, do we just have to stay here and take care of the supplies?¡± I asked.


    It was heavy labor to take care of the supplies that were meant for a large army of more than 10,000 people. However, heavy labor in a safe city was much better than going into the field where one might encounter demons.


    To my question, Demuir replied as he wrote down quantities in a document, "Probably? Even if we have to move, it¡¯ll probably just be at the level of going back and forth from here to Warrant."


    I wondered if Warrant would be safe with a flood of demons approaching. I didn''t know how many troops were stationed in the demon territory, so it was difficult to deduce the answer, but Warrant was the absolute front of the front lines.


    I smiled without showing my inner thoughts and chatted casually. "Really? I thought I was being helplessly dragged into the midst of the front lines again."


    It wasn¡¯t a war between countries, but a fight against demons, so there wouldn¡¯t be any sudden hails of artillery fire from the sky. In that sense, being in the supply unit probably wouldn''t be that dangerous.


    "But we don''t know if we¡¯ll have to follow the Guild Director if he goes directly into the demon territory,¡± Demuir said half-jokingly.


    I thought his joke was too likely to actually happen, though. "Then aren''t we almost certainly going to be dragged in?" I asked.


    Civil servants from headquarters, including myself, were under the direct control of Guild Director Glont, so we were basically considered one unit.


    Demuir smiled and shook his head. "Eh, no way. Would he take noncombatants like us to such a dangerous place?"


    Looking at Guild Director Glont''s past actions, it seemed fairly plausible. For some reason, I felt as if everything I¡¯d thought ¡°no way¡± about had ended up happening. It made me uneasy, so I decided it was better to be prepared for now.


    * * *


    10,000 demons flocked to Warrant, a core strategic point at the front line and the shield that protected the empire from the demon territory.


    "Magic division! Mana consumption is too high! Save your mana!" William''s command came down from atop the fortress.


    The soldiers moved in unison. Those who could handle mana grabbed bows and fired arrows imbued with mana, while those who couldn¡¯t loaded muskets and fired lead bullets.


    "How many times has it been?" Bloody asked as he imbued an arrow with sword aura and fired it. His arrow penetrated through the forehead of one demon and felled the demon behind it.


    "It''s the third wave today, and the 22nd wave of the week," William replied.


    Bloody frowned at William''s answer. "All those stationed in the demon territory must have retreated.¡±


    "Of course, there''s a big difference between having city walls and not having them," William remarked.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if there weren¡¯t any troops stationed outside Warrant. Rather, they were frantically roaming around the demon territory, subjugating demons to thin the hordes before they reached Warrant. Those they couldn¡¯t defeat, they lured toward Warrant instead.


    "Mac! Lancelot! What¡¯s the condition of your bodies?" Bloody asked.


    Mac fired hundreds of arrows per minute as he shouted excitedly, "I¡¯m fine! I¡¯d even say I¡¯m in top shape!¡±


    Lancelot also replied as he kept supplying Mac with arrows, "I''m fine, too!"


    When the two answered him, Bloody grinned and pulled out a sword. Then he stood at the edge of the city wall and shouted, "Those of the Black Water Buffalo Knights who are confident in surviving in that horde, follow me! You two are coming with me!"


    When Bloody jumped down from the wall, Lancelot and Mac stopped what they were doing and followed him..


    "Yes!"


    "All right!"


    Upon seeing the sight, William muttered, "This is why Crows are no good," shaking his head.

 Chapter 156: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (7)

    After jumping down the wall, Bloody immediately imbued mana into his sword and launched sword aura into the surroundings. The energy slaughtered dozens of demons, clearing a safe spot to land.


    As Bloody landed lightly, Mac and Lancelot cut down the crowds in front of the city gate and prevented them from approaching.


    "I¡¯m preparing one big shot!" Mac yelled as he nocked a mithril arrow onto his bow and drew the string. Bloody and Lancelot cut down the demons, protecting Mac long enough for him to imbue mana into the arrow. As Mac¡¯s mana accumulated, the arrowhead was filled with blade aura.


    "Now!" Mac cried, and Bloody and Lancelot quickly moved out of the way. When Mac released the string, the mithril arrow containing vast amounts of mana created a deafening boom and devoured more than a hundred demons.


    Then, Warrant¡¯s gate opened and the Black Water Buffalo Knights rushed out on horseback. Bloody had asked for only those who were confident in their own survival to come out. In response, all the Black Water Buffalo Knights who had come to Warrant as the vanguard charged out of the gate.


    Bloody smiled as if he¡¯d expected this and mounted his horse, which had been brought by the captain of the Black Water Buffalo Knights. Mac and Lancelot also mounted horses brought by the Black Water Buffalo Knights.


    "Amazing! Are they from the Crow tribe?" A knight riding next to Mac said, impressed.


    Mac replied with his unique smile, "Uah, as I thought, I don''t have enough mana to do it alone. Do you have any MP potions?"


    "MP potions?"


    "Ah, I mean the mana recovery agent. The youngest master always calls it an MP potion, so I got into the habit too.¡±


    As Bloody led the charge, he overheard Mac exaggerating. He threw Mac a bottle of mana recovery agent from his space-expansion bag and said, "It was made by William, so you don''t have to worry about anything going wrong."


    Mac looked up toward Bloody and replied, "I¡¯ll drink it gratefully!¡± He gulped down the mana recovery agent without hesitation.


    Mac was surprised by the speed of the mana recovery, which was on a different level from when he¡¯d been in his hometown of Olympus Forest. He nocked his bow again from atop the galloping horse and exclaimed, "At this rate, I think I can shoot hundreds of arrows like the one before!¡±


    At Mac''s amazement, Bloody shouted, "Don''t overdo it! If you keep taking these, it''ll put a strain on your body!"


    "Aigoo, then I''ll have to save my body!" Mac giggled.


    The Black Water Buffalo Knights around Mac laughed loudly and cut down the surrounding demons. "Come on! Let''s have some fun!"


    "Waaaa!" Bloody yelled. The Black Water Buffalo Knights roared and cut through the horde of demons.


    * * *


    As soon as lunch was over, Demuir and I headed to the Asterium adventurer¡¯s guild branch. There were daily meetings in the branch¡¯s conference room.


    "Senior, according to the documents, there are far more supplies than troops in Asterium right now. Is it okay to not move the supplies to Warrant?¡± I asked as I checked the documents. It seemed to me that it would be more efficient to move them to Warrant and shorten the supply time than to keep them in reserve for the troops in Asterium.


    Demuir also took a look at the documents and replied, "Ah, you didn''t hear the explanation because you just arrived yesterday. These aren¡¯t for Warrant; these are supplies that will be released to the main forces of the imperial army when they come to Asterium. The current situation in the demon territory is that General Bloody is blocking the demons with the vanguard forces and the troops that were already present."


    Hmm, a vanguard led by my uncle, you say? If by chance I end up going to Warrant, I should make myself scarce.


    "The main unit is a large-scale force composed of the 21st, 23rd, 2nd, and 13th Corps led by General Orphina. Since they need more time to travel here, the supplies arrived here first."


    A total of four corps? No wonder there were so many supplies. The more supplies there were, the more work I had to do.


    "But if it''s the 2nd Corps¡­ That should be the Capital Defense Corps. Is it okay to move that kind of unit?¡± I asked.


    The 2nd Corps was famous for its gathering of elite soldiers, even in the imperial army. There were many excellent officers in it, as they needed to protect the capital.


    Demuir shrugged at my question, saying he didn''t know either. "Well, the 1st Corps led by the Imperial Guard Division directly under the imperial family is still there, so it shouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡±


    If the 2nd Corps had promising elites, it could be said that the 1st Corps was headed by leaders from various key positions of the imperial army.


    "Is that so?"


    "For the 2nd Corps, don¡¯t you think they¡¯re just running over here because it''s one of the few opportunities for them to obtain results?¡±


    "That''s true, too.¡±


    The capital was the safest place in the empire, so what opportunities could they have to build up any kind of records? Just based on their results, a guard division in a tranquil province somewhere would have more.


    "Loyalty!" A guard in front of the Asterium adventurer''s guild branch came out and saluted Demuir.


    Demuir passed by with a nod, saying, "Work hard."


    "Yes!" the guard replied loudly.


    "You must be a new adventurer," Demuir remarked.


    On the adventurer''s identification plaque on the guard¡¯s neck, rather than displaying military rank, it had an iron plate so shiny it wouldn¡¯t show a single trace of age. [1]


    "Uh, my rank is that of a junior..."


    In the imperial army, soldiers were classified as new recruits, junior soldiers, senior soldiers, and sergeants, which was equivalent to the progression from private to sergeant in my previous life.


    Seeing the guard freeze after recognizing the first lieutenant''s badge on Demuir''s shoulder, it seems it hadn¡¯t been long since he¡¯d gotten his iron plate.


    We entered the guild branch and went straight into the conference room. There were some civil servants that I didn¡¯t know already gathered inside, but it seemed they were from the northern part of the country.


    In the conference room, Organ, Flam, and Fiona were the only people from headquarters. Demuir and I went over to where they were seated and sat down with them.


    "Where are Mr. Roseland and Dano?" I asked.


    Fiona answered, "Both of them will be here in a little while. Mr. Roseland will be in charge of this meeting, and Dano will be the scribe.¡± Then, she took a small case for meeting materials out of her pocket and handed it to me.


    "What is this?"


    "Open it up."


    I opened the case as Fiona told me to. "This is..."


    Inside the case, there was a second lieutenant-rank badge, and service ribbons that could be worn on the shoulder.


    Flam, who had come to the conference room before me, also had a rank badge and service ribbons on his uniform.


    "Originally, we were supposed to have a simple conferment ceremony back at headquarters. But, Flam and Den, you two came straight from your business trip, right? Yesterday, the people at the headquarters considered gathering everyone to have the ceremony, but we thought everyone would need rest more than that."


    That was definitely true. I¡¯d been sore and tired from dealing with the stone statues.


    I thanked Fiona for her consideration and took the badge and ribbons from the case.


    "Oh, I''ll put it on you." Fiona took the badge and ribbons from me and pinned them to my uniform.


    "Thank you."


    "No, it¡¯s nothing."


    As soon as Fiona put the rank badge on me, the front door of the conference room opened, and Roseland and Dano came in. At the same time, a bald, muscular man in a white priest¡¯s habit followed behind them.


    Standing in front of the conference room, the bald man greeted us with his hands clasped together as if in prayer. "Nice to meet you, brothers and sisters. Some of you know me and some of you don''t. So to introduce myself, I am Ruin, who considers himself to be a humble servant of the great God."


    Everyone in the conference room applauded at Ruin''s introduction. He was a famous priest, and a platinum plate adventurer with the nickname of Pagan Priest.


    Most high-ranking adventurers selected a city to settle down in as a base. On the other hand, Ruin, the Pagan Priest, was famous for wandering throughout the empire.


    Rumor had it that he was traveling on a monastic pilgrimage; but he would suddenly appear in the east, and suddenly appear in the west, such that the adventurer¡¯s guild often struggled to figure out his location.


    After the greeting, Ruin sat next to Dano, the scribe. Roseland stood in front of the conference room and began the meeting.


    "This meeting will focus on the plans established yesterday by the Guild Director and the executive management. For those who have questions, we will have a Q&A session after the explanation. First, please look at page three of the meeting material."


    The civil servants flipped through the documents in unison.


    "Before I begin by explaining these plans, I''d like to explain the current state of the war."


    On page three of the conference documents, there was a diagram of observed demon movements in the demon territory.


    I was reading the document along with Roseland''s explanation, but the situation seemed unusual. Units made up of hundreds of demons at minimum, and as many as 10,000 demons at maximum, were hurriedly moving south.


    Most of our troops in the demon territory had already retreated to Warrant.


    Some troops stationed in bases deeper in the area hadn¡¯t even been able to properly retrieve their supplies and had to abandon them.


    Although it wasn¡¯t to the point of hopelessness, it was a very troublesome situation. However, the troops were defending the front lines well and systematically. Based on the situation, the biggest battlefield would be Warrant. Indeed, Warrant wasn¡¯t called the Last Bastion for nothing.


    Even as Roseland finished explaining the situation, the conference room was silent.


    Although Asterium was classified as a frontline area, it was a relatively safe supply base. No one here had felt the gravity of the situation until they heard the details just now. Suddenly, the meeting room was filled with tension due to the newfound sense of crisis.


    Amid the tension, Roseland continued to flip through the meeting materials and calmly talked about the plans. ¡°These are our plans for the future. When the main unit led by General Orphina arrives at Asterium, we will join the main unit and go to Warrant."


    The conference room, which had been dead silent, erupted with noise at Roseland''s declaration.


    All the people here were basically noncombatants. Although they received simple military training periodically, they weren¡¯t soldiers. They were confused upon hearing they were supposed to head to the biggest battlefield.


    Only those from the headquarters and the Warrant branch understood the situation.


    Roseland spoke calmly, overpowering the noisy conference room with a cold look. "This is a command from our superiors. Does anyone have any questions?"


    The civil servants were silent, as his gaze implied questions wouldn¡¯t be permitted.


    Sitting next to Dano, Ruin applauded as a heavy silence weighed down the meeting room. The sound of clapping rang out like thunder and drew attention to him.


    "This is great! Brothers and sisters!" Ruin got up and shouted with open arms. "Having the courage to risk your lives defending the country! This priest is deeply moved!"


    No, I figured this reaction was from helplessness, because it was a command.


    For a moment, I thought it was an act to suppress dissatisfaction, but Ruin had tears around his eyes as if he truly felt moved. That pure expression definitely came from deep inside his heart.


    Everyone looked at Ruin with flustered expressions, but he put his hands together as if in prayer. "I have decided to offer my life to protect all of you, who are full of righteousness! Ohhh, my God!"


    When the platinum plate adventurer said he would protect the civil servants, the rigid atmosphere began to loosen up.


    Ruin then began to elicit responses from the frozen civil servants, as if he were a religious officer for new recruits, like those from my previous life. His divine power spread in all directions, heightening the mood and creating colorful lights with divine magic.


    The tension began to lift little by little thanks to Ruin''s inspiring gesture, which was like the second coming of Buddha Night. [2]


    Standing in front of the conference room, which had half turned into a festival, Roseland smiled at the relaxed atmosphere and said, "It''ll be two days before the main unit arrives. Everyone, please do your best in your positions until then."


    Anyway, every platinum plate adventurer seemed to be some kind of eccentric.


    1. As a reminder, the ranks for adventurers are displayed through wood, iron, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum plates in ascending order of rank.


    2. Buddha Night was apparently a trendy religious event back in 2008-2009.

 Chapter 157: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (8)

    Two days after the meeting, which had become half-crazed due to the Pagan Priest Ruin¡¯s divine power, I was working in a warehouse.


    Suddenly, Demuir hurried in and called out, "Den! Looks like the main unit just arrived! Let''s go watch!"


    "Watch? Why?"


    Demuir answered with glistening eyes, "Because it''s fun!"


    I don''t understand what was so fun about the army entering the city. "Go by yourself, please."


    "Why? Let''s go together! I¡¯m telling you, it''s showy and fun!¡± Demuir kept on pestering me to go with him to the gate.


    "Even if we¡¯re going sightseeing, we have to finish what we¡¯re doing first." Because of Demuir¡¯s persistent pestering, I quickly finished the documents I had been working on and then headed toward the gate.


    "Let''s hurry!"


    "Yes, yes."


    Demuir ran, gasping for air, trying not to miss the march.


    "Don¡¯t you think it would be good to take better care of your body?" I gave a bottle of water to Demuir, who was breathing a little too hard.


    Demuir took the water bottle and quickly inhaled it before nodding with a revitalized look. "Yeah, I should... But you''re not even out of breath?"


    I answered Demuir''s question with my arms crossed. "Well, I take care of myself." Honestly though, regardless of whether I took care of myself or not, Demuir was too out of shape.


    Demuir returned the bottle of water I had given him and replied, "Let''s work out together in the future."


    "I don''t think it¡¯ll be possible for you to work out with me, with that level of fitness." I hadn¡¯t completely neglected training after I left my hometown. Compared to what I¡¯d been doing there, it was just equivalent to warm-ups, but I was still training steadily.


    "How hard do you exercise for you to say it¡¯s not possible for me?¡±


    "Every day I run 10 kilometers, and do 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups without rest!" I replied.


    It was actually a lie. There was no way just that would be enough to pass for exercise in the Crow tribe. Except for running due to the limited space, we did about 100 sets after our bodies were made heavier with magic.


    "Uh... Is it difficult?"


    "Can you run 10 kilometers every day?" I asked.


    Demuir answered promptly, "No."


    "See. It¡¯s hard. Oh, the gate is opening." I pointed at the gate.


    Demuir searched beyond the crowd with sparkling eyes. "Ohhh!"


    With the gate of Asterium fully open, the march of the main imperial army led by General Orphina began.


    With four whole corps composing the main army, most of the soldiers were stationed outside the city with tents. Only key forces, including the Red Dragon Knight Division, generals, and military officers were entering the city. It was no different from a parade meant to show off.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why Demuir wanted to see the army enter so badly. But when I saw the procession, I was convinced that it was very showy.


    It was a spectacular scene with the military band playing a magnificent march, and the dragons handled by the Red Dragon Knights walking through the streets.


    I felt a sense of grandeur and pressure, different from the amusement park parades of my past life.


    "Kuohhhhhhhh-!¡± The dragons cried out in unison, spewing flames toward the sky.


    "Woahhhhh!" As splendid fireworks rose into the sky, the citizens watching the march applauded and cheered.


    How were they controlling those dragons? At first, I thought they were using magic. However, the only spells on the dragons were safety and stamina-boosting ones, designed to keep the dragon knights from falling off in flight.


    "Senior, do you know how they are controlling those dragons?" I asked.


    I thought that perhaps their partners may have been decided from when they were eggs, but I didn''t think that was right, considering that it took anywhere from ten to fifteen years for a dragon to grow into an adult. In that time frame, the knight assigned to ride the young dragon would be past their prime and would have to retire.


    So, how did they tame those young dragons with bad attitudes?


    Demuir seemed moved and answered enthusiastically, "As far as I know, it''s all thanks to General Orphina.¡±


    "General Orphina?¡±


    "Well, I don''t know it that well either, but I heard that she convinces the dragons to allow the dragon knights to ride them using the Dragon tribe¡¯s unique telepathy. A contractual relationship rather than a lifetime friend? I heard it''s like that.¡± Demuir explained, still fixated on the march.


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡°The Guild Director said so.¡±


    For sure, Guild Director Glont was the person who had brought the Dragon tribe into the empire, so he probably knew secrets about them that no one else knew.


    Demuir''s answer made me look at the blonde woman riding a giant red dragon in the middle of the march. Judging from her general air, she seemed to be Orphina, the same person my uncle liked to slander so much.


    Based on what I felt from her, the telepathy of the Dragon tribe didn¡¯t seem to be related to magical elements. For a moment, I wondered which one would exert stronger control - magical compulsion, or the Dragon tribe¡¯s telepathy. I didn''t know if I would have a chance to find out later, but at the very least, I certainly couldn¡¯t confirm it now.


    "Now, let''s get back to work," I said.


    Demuir looked back and forth between me and the march. "Huh? But the march isn''t over yet..."


    "Our work¡¯s not done yet either. There¡¯s a lot of work that needs to be finished today.¡± I dragged Demuir back to work, even though he didn''t want to go.


    * * *


    While marching in the direction of the Duke of Asteria¡¯s castle, Orphina suddenly felt something unpleasant and searched through the citizens who were watching the march.


    The captain of the Red Dragon Knights sensed something odd about Orphina¡¯s behavior and asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Orphina shook her head. "No, I just felt as if someone were investigating me." It felt similar to when she had first met Bloody.


    He looked around with a serious expression. "I will go check it out." He was already caressing the handle of his sword when Orphina stopped him.


    "It¡¯s fine. It''s just a feeling."


    If she had really been investigated, she would have known the exact location of the one investigating her, rather than just feeling vague displeasure. Although it wasn¡¯t well known, the Dragon tribe¡¯s senses were well developed to the point of being like a sixth sense.


    And so, they continued the march, simply passing it off as a vague feeling.


    * * *


    Soon after the main unit led by Orphina arrived in Asterium, the reserve forces made up of adventurers were ready to leave.


    To prepare for the departure, the other supply officers and I worked non-stop for two days, but we were able to finish the work safely in time. As I¡¯d thought, people should be allowed to rotate for this much work.


    Considering the break time of the main unit, which had arrived in the morning, the departure time for Warrant was set to 7 p.m. after dinner. I didn¡¯t know the average marching speed of the imperial army, but Roseland said the estimated arrival time was around 10 p.m.


    It was around 4 p.m. now, so there was plenty of time before departure. I was using that extra time to watch Rosellis and Lisbon spar.


    "We''re leaving in a little while, so isn''t it better to take a break?¡± I asked.


    The battle between Rosellis and Lisbon was quite fierce.


    Of course, Lisbon was the only one who was fighting fiercely and Rosellis was mostly relaxed, but sometimes Rosellis had to defend sincerely.


    "It''s okay. This is a light warm-up," Rosellis responded while lightly blocking an attack from Lisbon.


    That''s only a warm-up for Rosellis, not for Lisbon, I thought.


    "That''s right! This much, huuk-! Is only a warm-up!"


    Such words aren¡¯t meant to be said while gasping for air, Pushover.


    Sensing that Lisbon was feeling tired, Rosellis spoke as she put the giant axe behind her. "Hmm, maintaining your physical strength is also important. Let''s call it a day."


    "No!" Lisbon cried.


    Rosellis patted Lisbon¡¯s sweaty shoulder and shook her head. "When you get to Warrant, there will probably be times when you can¡¯t rest even if you want to. It¡¯s better to take a break now.¡±


    I threw a small pill to the regretful Lisbon. "I made it. You should eat it. It''s good for your physical recovery."


    "Oh, thanks.¡± Lisbon chewed and swallowed the medicine I gave him without any suspicion.


    "Ugh! Bitter! Water..." Lisbon accepted the water bottle I gave him and downed its contents.


    ...The medicine was supposed to be dissolved in water. I hadn¡¯t realized he would eat it right away without first learning how to take it.


    Well, the efficacy of the medicine didn¡¯t go down from eating it that way so it didn¡¯t matter, but it¡¯d probably just be really bitter. Did this pushover not know how to be suspicious?


    "What is that? Is that good for your body?" Seeing Lisbon eat it without hesitation, Rosellis lightly looked at me with some greed in her eyes.


    ¡°Would you like some too, Rosellis?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    As expected for adventurers who treated their bodies as their greatest asset. They wouldn¡¯t refuse something that was supposedly good for the body.


    I also threw a pill to Rosellis.


    "But what is this good for?¡± Rosellis asked.


    I pointed to it and answered, "Basically, the main effects are physical and mana recovery. Other than that, it opens the senses to aura temporarily, and it also relaxes the muscles."


    In addition, there were three or four more minor effects, but they were really minor so I omitted the explanation.


    "Ahaha, if this little pill really does all that, then it¡¯s at a level on par with the top alchemists, you know?¡±


    Rosellis treated me like a street pharmacist. I¡¯d made it myself, so it was natural that it would be better than the medicine made by an average alchemist. As far as I knew, not more than five of elder Mirpa''s disciples could make better medicine than this one.


    If I sold it on the market even without a brand, it would still bring in three silver coins per pill.


    "Uwack! Bitter! Water..." Rosellis chewed and swallowed the medicine as Lisbon had, and tried to soothe the bitterness with water.


    No, why are you all just swallowing it without waiting for instructions on how to take it? If they had just dissolved it in water, they could have taken it without the bitterness.


    "Hmm? Am I just feeling things? I feel as if my body¡¯s gotten lighter. Did you also learn alchemy?¡± Rosellis, who was frowning at the bitter taste, waved her arms around and checked her physical condition.


    Lisbon¡¯s previously tired look returned to normal.


    "I told you. I made it. Alchemy is too basic these days."


    Rosellis admired my answer. "This isn''t basic... Do you have any more?"


    "I¡¯ll need to charge you next time, customer." I rubbed my fingers together.


    Rosellis took a gold coin from her pocket and threw it at me. "Tch, cheapskate. Give me everything you have."


    "Wow, such a large wallet,¡± I remarked. When I received the gold coin, I pretended to take something out of my bag, but instead took out a box full of the pills from my pocket space and handed it to Rosellis.


    ¡°What? There are only forty?¡±


    ¡°That''s a bargain price.¡±


    It had been made with Elder Mirpa¡¯s recipe, so if I labeled that box as premium and sold it, I would be able to get a few months of operating expenses for a small estate.


    Previously, I hadn¡¯t had any trade channels, but now there was a distribution method called the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Hmm, its efficacy is certain, at least." Rosellis took the box with a suspicious look. The medicine would probably work best for someone at her level.


    "Oh, and you''re supposed to dissolve it in water to take it. It doesn''t matter if you just eat it, but if you put it in water, there will hardly be any bitter taste."


    Rosellis got angry when I explained. "Why are you only telling me that now!?"


    "Well, who told you to eat it before I could explain?"


    While Rosellis and I were bickering, Guild Director Glont walked towards us from the direction of the adventurer¡¯s guild and spoke to us.

 Chapter 158: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (9)

    "You guys get along well,¡± Glont said. He was wearing heavy armor in place of his usual deep v-neck. He looked so much like a handsome knight, I wondered if it was the same person and doubted my eyes for a moment.


    "Loyalty. You¡¯re here."I got up from my seat and saluted.


    Guild Director Glont laughed and shook my hand as usual. "Ohohoho, it''s not even an official occasion, so you don''t have to be so stiff."


    Normally, I would have been casual, but the person who accompanied Guild Director Glont was the problem.


    I stared at the blonde beauty standing behind Guild Director Glont, and he introduced her with a smile. "Oh, I see. Rosellis may know her, but this is General Orphina-nim, who leads the main unit of the imperial army."


    Orphina blushed, embarrassed at Guild Director Glont¡¯s introduction. "Nim is too excessive of a title. Please speak more informally."


    Somehow, she gave off the opposite impression of what had been written in Uncle Bloody¡¯s letter. The letter clearly stated that she was supercilious, strict, and rude.


    Rosellis said to Orphina, dissatisfaction clearly showing on her face, "It¡¯s up to the Guild Director what he wants to call you, ahjumma." [1]


    Orphina replied with a light smile at the growling Rosellis, "I was just saying it because I thought I was too lacking to be called ''nim'' by Glont-nim... little one."


    Huh? What''s going on here? Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to have become that of a morning drama.


    In the war of nerves between the two women, I sneaked up to Guild Director Glont and asked him, "What''s going on right now?"


    "Ahh, when Rosellis was still inexperienced, she was horrible to Orphina...¡± Guild Director Glont answered. He smiled and shrugged when Rosellis glared at him. "Well, they''ve always been like cats and dogs. I don''t know either, hohoho!"


    Acting consistent with his feigned ignorance, Guild Director Glont turned his head away from the war of nerves. It seemed a little too late, but it was still a wise decision. Nothing good would come from getting in between a cat and dog.


    Considering that Rosellis was a former knight of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, I thought that her relationship with Orphina had probably been formed during that time.


    Well, to be honest, it was none of my business whether they were on good terms or not.


    Guild Director Glont put his hand on my shoulder and asked, "By the way, how''s it going? Are you getting used to the adventurer¡¯s guild?"


    "Well, I don''t know. Not long after I was assigned, I went on a business trip to the ruins, and now there¡¯s a war breaking out, so truthfully, things are hectic."


    Guild Director Glont laughed at my answer. "Ohohoho, how eventful. It¡¯s usually not that exciting.¡±


    "But you sent me to the ruins, Guild Director." I opened my eyes wide and spoke.


    Guild Director Glont responded skillfully, "It was a good experience, wasn''t it?"


    "Well, let''s just say it was. By the way, you must be busy preparing for your departure, so what are you doing here?"


    "They said Dane Walker was here."


    "Oh, Mr. Dane Walker will probably be behind the inn." I pointed to where Dane Walker was.


    Guild Director Glont nodded. Then, he gave Lisbon a once over, looking at him like prey, and headed toward the back of the inn while smiling. Lisbon was still frozen by Orphina¡¯s sudden appearance and didn''t seem to notice Guild Director Glont¡¯s gaze.


    I didn''t see anything. Of course, of course.


    When Orphina followed Guild Director Glont, Rosellis stuck her tongue out at Orphina.


    But anyway, for what reason had the commander of the main forces and the commander of the reserve adventurer''s unit come to see Dane Walker in person?


    I had a feeling that something was going to be annoying.


    ***


    Orphina walked beside Glont as they headed for the back of the inn. She looked back and asked, "The young blonde man seemed to be to your liking, didn¡¯t he?"


    Glont grinned softly at Orphina''s question. "Yeah. It was like seeing myself in my youth, so my gaze was drawn to it.¡± After saying so, he began to think he was growing old.


    "But he didn''t look very strong."


    "Ohohoho, I was weak when I was young, too."


    Orphina looked disbelievingly at Glont. In her eyes, his power was no less than that of the battle races. Perhaps that was why, but the fact that he¡¯d been weak at some point felt awkward to her.


    "He''s going to become strong,¡± Glont remarked.


    "For his age, I think he¡¯s strong, but I don''t think it¡¯s at a high enough level for Mr. Glont to say that."


    Glont smiled at Orphina. "Of course it''ll take a long time. It might not be possible even after ten or twenty years. But he¡¯s going to become strong. He''s like me."


    When Glont had first seen Lisbon during the middle rank knight school entrance exam, he¡¯d been happy, as if he¡¯d found a gem. He¡¯d thought to contact Lisbon someday, but had never done so, as it didn¡¯t seem like the right time.


    Instead, it seemed fortunate that he had a close relationship with Den and Rosellis, which would make approaching him later easier.


    Orphina didn''t agree much with Glont, but she didn''t deny it.


    Dane Walker, who had been meditating behind the inn, got up from his seat at Glont and Orphina''s arrival.


    "How do you feel? Have you gotten used to the level yet?" Glont asked.


    Dane Walker smiled awkwardly. "Ahahaha! It¡¯s so-so. I think it''ll take half a year to get used to it properly. I''ll be a halfpenny until then."


    In response to Dane Walker''s answer, Glont laughed along and said, "Among the old knight adages, there¡¯s a saying like this: To die, or to be strong. Decide."


    Dane Walker¡¯s expression hardened. "Is the situation on the front lines that bad?"


    Glont''s adage was often used in situations where one couldn¡¯t survive unless one became strong. Saying such an adage to Dane Walker, who still hadn¡¯t adapted properly to his level, also meant that he would dispatch him to the front line immediately.


    "Yes." Glont nodded.


    Dane Walker bit his lips. "Damn, I knew I was anxious for a reason when the main unit suddenly arrived and said we were going up to the front lines in less than a day."


    "I didn''t announce it out of consideration for morale, but one of the four great demons, the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, is currently heading south towards the empire."


    Dane Walker felt faint. "Has the expected arrival time been announced?" he asked.


    Glont answered calmly, ¡°According to William''s calculations, it should be around midnight tomorrow.¡±


    "Have they tried intercepting it in the middle?¡±


    "About three times. One of the divisions was wiped out.¡±


    After hearing the answer, Dane Walker closed his eyes for a moment to think. ¡®It must be a secret that I¡¯m going, considering that two busy people came here secretly after ditching their aides.¡¯


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand. If it became accidentally known that a great demon was moving south, it would be a huge blow to morale. They had to move as covertly as possible.


    "Yes, the only ones who know you¡¯re leaving are Orphina, Roseland, and me. Other than that, I¡¯m thinking of dropping hints to just Rosellis and Ruin."


    "I doubt I''m going alone. Who''s going with me?"


    Orphina answered Dane Walker''s question, "Half of the Red Dragon Knights and the Battle Magician Corps."


    It could be said that this was the key force of the imperial army''s main unit.


    "I¡¯m guessing I¡¯ll be in command of the Battle Magician Corps?¡±


    In the past, when Dane Walker had been a member of the court magician division, he was a part of the Battle Magician Corps, so he was well aware of the chain of command.


    The chain of command in the Battle Magician Corps was uniquely determined not by rank, but by magic level. This system had been created because the magicians¡¯ spirit made them ignore those with lower magic power, no matter how experienced they were.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You''re the most suitable, in the absence of William or old man Kermin-nim."


    "Haha, if I knew you were going to do this, I would have crossed the Wall of the Magic Way a little later." Dane Walker laughed bitterly at himself. "I assume I won¡¯t be going to Warrant, but to the heart of the demon territory.¡±


    Even if they sent the vanguard unit to Warrant first, it would only be a few hours earlier than the main unit, so it was meaningless.


    At Dane Walker''s assumption, Glont nodded and handed over a document with an overview of the operation. "You will attack the great demon as the captain of the 4th Intercept unit."


    ¡°The goal is to alter its course, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There was no need for a long explanation because the two had been working together for a long time.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably fail," Dane Walker said. He wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to succeed in an operation that had already failed three times just because he was the captain now. Glont was also well aware of this fact.


    "I know. Just buy some time."


    Dane Walker laughed. "I''ll try to delay it by three hours."


    Tying up the feet of a great demon for three hours was no different from saying he was prepared to lose his life.


    "I''m sorry."


    "It¡¯s okay. Just please prepare a hefty compensation for me."


    Orphina handed Dane Walker a red baton. "This is the baton of the Red Dragon Knights. I¡¯ll leave this in your hands for a while."


    When Dane Walker received the baton from Orphina, he thought it was unexpected. The fact that Orphina, who was famous for her strong pride, had transferred a part of her authority to him also meant that she acknowledged him.


    Knowing the weight of the baton, Dane Walker nodded heavily.


    ***


    Outside the gate of Asterium, four corps of the imperial army and one Adventurer''s Reserve corps gathered. The sight of about 50,000 soldiers waiting in rank and file gave off a feeling of intimidation, but also of majesty.


    I was also part of a large group of people who were standing in line with each other. I was standing in the front row of the adventurer''s reserve forces, where those associated with headquarters were located.


    "Uuugh, my legs hurt." Demuir, who had been standing next to me for a long time, wore a tearful expression as he whispered quietly.


    Organ glared at him reproachfully. "Shh. Be quiet."


    "Tch, how come you only tell me off..."


    Right when Organ was about to nag at Demuir''s grumbling, a soldier wearing a colorful cape appeared in front of the soldiers on horseback. I couldn¡¯t tell what group he was associated with, but he was a lieutenant general based on the rank on his cape collar.


    "All troops! Attention!" The lieutenant general infused his shout with mana, and all of the 50,000 soldiers stood at attention.


    Koong! As the large group of people stomped their feet, the ground shook as if there were an earthquake. Orphina then descended from the sky on her dragon and landed in front of the soldiers.


    When the dragon came to a complete stop, the lieutenant general got off the horse and shouted, again infused with mana, "All troops! Salute to the Commander-in-Chief!"


    The soldiers saluted in unison, "Loyalty!"


    After the deafening salute, the lieutenant general turned in the direction of Orphina and saluted. "Loyalty!"


    Orphina accepted the lieutenant general''s salute ceremoniously, and began her speech with mana infused into her voice so the whole army could hear. "Proud imperial soldiers! We¡¯re heading to the front lines of the demon territory tonight. It''s a  dirty place, full of screams, where lives are threatened every minute. Likely, some of you standing here will lose your life. You¡¯ll inevitably lose your comrades! That''s the kind of place we¡¯re going to!"


    Orphina rose from the saddle and climbed onto the dragon¡¯s head. "But we have to go there. Do you know why? To protect the proud empire? To be loyal to the glorious Emperor? No! The imperial army isn¡¯t headed for the demon territory for such ambiguous reasons!"


    Then she drew her sword and pointed it up. "What you are protecting are your parents, your siblings, and your friends! Think about it! What will happen if you can''t stop the tide of demons from the demon territory?! Your family and friends will be violated! Let me put it bluntly, the demons will treat your family as food! They¡¯ll cruelly treat them as playthings before taking their lives! Is that okay with all of you?"


    "No!"


    "Your voices are too quiet! Is that okay with all of you?!"


    "NO!¡±


    Hearing the soldiers shout with all their might, Orphina smiled with a look of satisfaction. "Good! We''re entering hell tonight! Is anyone scared?"


    "No!"


    The soldiers shouted with all their might, bearing grim expressions as they fell to mob mentality. In my past life, I would have thought that they were just struggling to curry favor, but they seemed to be shouting sincerely.


    "Wow, aaahhh." Small citizens like me liked to follow the common trend, so I pretended to shout like those around me. Actually screaming would hurt my throat, and it was too much of a bother.


    "All troops! We''re departing!" The entire army began marching to Warrant at Orphina''s command.


    1. Ahjumma is the female equivalent of ahjussi. It¡¯s what people call a middle aged woman, not quite ¡°old lady/woman¡± yet, but older than just ¡°lady¡± or ¡°miss¡±. Usually people on the younger side of the age range will take offence at being called ¡°old¡±.

 Chapter 159: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (10)

    The main unit of the imperial army and the reserve forces arrived at Warrant around 10:30 p.m., about 30 minutes past the scheduled arrival time.


    Warrant was a huge fortress city at a glance, but it was as ragged as if it had just been attacked by the demons. People at the headquarters couldn¡¯t hide their nervousness at the large claw marks on the wall, as well as some parts that had been torn down.


    I¡¯d known that from having read it in a briefing, but looking at the battlefront in person was a world apart.


    Outside Warrant, soldiers with special equipment moved around to clean up the corpses of demons, and there was a strong smell of blood and gunpowder in the air.


    "Everyone, be careful when you breathe," said Roseland. Everyone nodded.


    It was common sense for those who worked for the adventurer¡¯s guild that demon blood was poisonous. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to worry about, considering the large distance between us and the demon corpses and the fact that the amount of poison that spread into the air was minimal. Still, demon poison was very deadly, so there was nothing bad about being extra careful.


    Demuir admired the demon corpses that were being rolled away. "Wow, how much is all that worth?¡± To Demuir, who was in charge of accounting at headquarters, all the demon corpses just looked like money.


    "It''s probably less than you think,¡± I remarked.


    Demuir refuted my statement. "No, they''re very expensive. Magicians go crazy over the demon byproducts we buy from adventurers."


    I laughed at Demuir. "There are some demons that are worth more and some that are worth less. Usually, the adventurers who come up to headquarters only bring ones that are worth money.¡±


    "What? Really?"


    Since there were no demons near the capital, all the demon byproducts traded at the headquarters were handpicked.


    "Yes. For example, the giant rabbit that''s being cleaned up over there can''t be used as a magic catalyst, except for its liver. Its hide is worth as much as regular leather, but you probably can¡¯t get that price because it''s so ragged and full of holes."


    I wondered if I could even get a silver coin for that leather when it was so ragged.


    Another method was to collect blood from demons and sell it as poison. However, demon blood was difficult to handle and dried up quickly. Unless one used a special treatment on the spot, using it was difficult, so the price dropped a lot.


    "Really? How do you know these things so well?"


    I answered Demuir''s question with a smile. "My second brother is a hunter. This is information I learned while helping my brother when I was back home."


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. My brother was the leader of a warrior group, and those groups were hunters, so it was safe to call him a hunter. Come to think of it, Uncle Bloody was also a hunter, as he used to be the leader of the warrior group.


    "And personally, I have some interest in magic catalysts," I continued.


    Fiona clapped her hands and said, "Oh, come to think of it... Den, you said you were an alchemist, right?"


    "Yes, although the granny who taught me always called me a novice.¡±


    Honestly, from Elder Mirpa¡¯s perspective, everyone was a novice in alchemy.


    In terms of my level in alchemy, me being a novice was a given, but Elder Mirpa¡¯s other disciples, who had started learning decades earlier than me, barely reached the level of her toes.


    It was only natural for me, though, since I was an oddball who had decided to not focus on alchemy despite having an alchemist as a teacher.


    ¡°Anyways, this is my first time in Warrant,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is the same for me.¡± Flam agreed.


    The carriage we were riding, which was also carrying supplies, passed through the gates of Warrant and entered the city.


    Starting now, there was a chance that I might run into Uncle Bloody, so I had to make myself scarce.


    * * *


    Gawain quickly passed through the demon territory on a deer-shaped alchemical lifeform created by Mirpa.


    The subtly green-tinted deer was the same kind of alchemical lifeform as Den¡¯s chirps. However, it was strong enough to be on a different level from the chirps.


    Even though it had been created with the same magic, it was completely different because of the ingredients, time, and effort put into it.


    "Woah woah, stop!" Gawain pulled on the reins, and the alchemical lifeform gradually slowed to a halt. Gawain shouted, "Mac! Uncle Bloody!"


    At Gawain''s call, all of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, who had been subjugating demons from afar, looked in his direction. "Ohh! Sir Captain!"


    Mac smiled brightly and waved at his friend, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. At the same time, he kicked a demon that was attacking him in the head, breaking its hard skull. The demon¡¯s body joined a field of cold corpses.


    Seeing that, Gawain smiled brightly at Mac''s unchanging skills and rode the alchemical lifeform over to them. The alchemical lifeform quickly ran toward the center, lightly stomping on and killing the demons that got in its way.


    "Wow, what is that? What¡¯s that deer?¡± Mac asked him in an exaggerated tone, and Gawain threw him a wristband from his pocket.


    "Elder Mirpa made it for me. Put it on, fill it with mana, and shout ''Summon, Ying Hua of green light'', and it comes out." [1]


    After Gawain¡¯s explanation, Mac didn¡¯t hesitate to get off the horse and put on the wristband. "Summon, Ying Hua of green light!" His incantation created a summoning magic circle in the air, and an alchemical lifeform like Gawain¡¯s walked out.


    "Ohhh!" Mac was filled with admiration.


    As Mac jumped right onto the alchemical lifeform, Bloody looked at Mac with envy and asked Gawain, "Hey, isn¡¯t there one for me?"


    Gawain answered Bloody without hesitation. "No, there isn¡¯t."


    "What? Why?"


    "She said to tell you that even the youngest knows how to make one, so ask him to make one for you."


    "Tch, what a cheap granny." Bloody grumbled and complained.


    Meanwhile, Mac fell in love with his new ride and stroked the alchemical lifeform¡¯s neck. "All right! His name is now Green!" Gawain thought Mac¡¯s naming sense was the worst.


    Afterward, Gawain left Mac behind, and threw Lancelot a wristband too.


    "Huh? There¡¯s one for me too?¡±


    Gawain smiled and nodded as he saw Lancelot¡¯s surprise. "That¡¯s right. She said you¡¯d probably have the hardest time finding the youngest, so she gave you something more special. The incantation is "Summon, Red Light Hong Ying." [2]


    Lancelot got off the horse and memorized the incantation. "Summon, Red Light Hong Ying."  Then, a summoning magic circle appeared in the air and a large red colored wolf jumped out.


    "Wow!" Lancelot hopped onto the alchemical lifeform with childish delight.


    Bloody shot Gawain a look.


    "Even if you look at me like that, this is all Elder Mirpa-nim gave me."


    "Tch, can''t Leisha make things like this?" Bloody expressed a futile expectation.


    Mac and Lancelot shook their heads.


    ¡°Ehhh, it¡¯s too much for Miss.¡±


    ¡°She probably won¡¯t be able to do it.¡±


    Bloody became depressed when the two refuted him. "Ah, am I really going to have to catch that brat, Den, and ask him to make one for me?"


    Mac and Lancelot shook their heads again at Bloody''s grumbling.


    "Hmm, that would probably be difficult too."


    "The youngest master isn¡¯t so nice that he would simply make one without a price.¡±


    Even Gawain added, "If it¡¯s the youngest, most things won¡¯t catch his eye."


    "I want one too!" Bloody yelled into empty air.


    The captain of the Black Water Buffalo Knights works said, "General-nim, we need to move on in order to finish what General William asked us to do by midnight tomorrow. Let''s head out."


    Bloody replied in a somber voice to his subordinate''s unreserved words, ¡°All right."


    Looking at the depressed Bloody, Mac asked playfully, ¡°Shall my Green let you ride behind me?¡±


    ¡°No thanks!¡±


    Seeing Bloody become furious at Mac''s provocation, the Black Water Buffalo Captain sighed. "We can''t leave the horses behind, and the horses are afraid, so it would be great if you two also rode on horses this time.¡±


    Mac and Lancelot were saddened by the captain¡¯s words, recalling their summons as they remounted their horses.


    "Then let''s move on to the next point. Are you coming along?¡± Bloody asked.


    Gawain shook his head. "No, I''m on my way to Warrant because of some business." He had been on his way to Warrant when he ran into Bloody''s company.


    "Really? Then give William an interim report on the way.¡±


    "Okay."


    Bloody nodded, and one of the Black Water Buffalo Knights handed Gawain a report. Then, the Black Water Buffalo Knights gathered the horses and moved in the opposite direction from Warrant.


    Gawain pulled the reins of the alchemical lifeform he was on and sped toward Warrant.


    * * *


    Although we had arrived late in Warrant, we had to work diligently to move supplies to the storage room and organize them.


    The higher ups must have judged that the tide of demons would end shortly, because overall, there were only fifteen days'' worth of military provisions and supplies.


    However, the amount of supplies earmarked for five corps, about 50,000 people, was still enormous even though it was only for a short time.


    "Will we even be able to sleep tonight?" Flam said, sounding tired.


    Fiona hit Flam on the back and said, "It''s okay. We¡¯ll be able to sleep. Come on, let''s get it done before midnight!"


    Under Fiona''s direction, the supply soldiers began to pile up supplies one by one.


    "Just remember roughly where everything is. There¡¯s no time to record in detail. We¡¯re going to take it all out and put it back tomorrow, anyway!" Despite her words, Fiona was rapidly recording the location and quantity of supplies on the spot.


    "Demuir, head over there, and Den, please record over here. Flam and Organ, please go to where the provisions are and help Roseland."


    "All right."


    "Okay."


    Demuir and I walked around busily under Fiona''s instructions and recorded various supplies.


    "The mana stones are in warehouse 3!"


    A large number of mana stones had been moved into the warehouse. There were so many mana stones that it felt as if all the mana stones in the empire were gathered here.


    Indeed, mana stones could be useful in any situation, so the more we had, the better.


    "Send all the arrows to warehouse 12!"


    "Put the ballistae with the siege weapons, not the arrows! Are you messing around?!"


    As I recorded and ordered the administrative soldiers around, the organization process that had seemed endless finally came to a stop.


    "Aigoo, that was tiring," Demuir said, collapsing on the floor.


    Fiona said encouragingly, "Good job. We''ll sort out the details tomorrow."


    I smiled bitterly at Fiona. "I guess we¡¯ll be dying tomorrow."


    In war, few weapons were as useful as long-range weapons, especially in defensive battles. As such, arrows were consumed in large quantities and were important supplies.


    If there was one tactical material as important as arrows, it was gunpowder. But since gunpowder could be replaced to some extent with magic, we had to pay more attention to the consumption of arrows than to gunpowder.


    With gunpowder, there wouldn¡¯t be any difficulty in correctly keeping track of the stock; it was simply consumed. However, after a battle, arrows that could be recycled were retrieved, so it was difficult to keep track of them in real time.


    Still, the supply of arrows was an important indicator for planning operations used by the higher-ups, so even if it was difficult, we had to figure it out somehow.


    Fiona sighed along with me. "Tomorrow, people from other branches will be joining us, so it¡¯ll work out somehow."


    Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


    1. Ying Hua (Lianzhi) was a Manchu Bannerman, a prominent Catholic layman who agitated for church reform, founder of the prominent newspaper Ta Kung Pao, and instrumental in founding The Catholic University of Peking. - Wikipedia


    2. Hong Ying, a chinese author.

 Chapter 160: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (11)

    Orphina welcomed Gawain as he entered the command room on the outskirts of Warrant. "Long time no see."


    Gawain nodded at Orphina''s greeting. "It¡¯s been a long time. Hasn¡¯t it been about a month and a half since you left the demon territory?¡±


    "Yes, I was supposed to be relaxing in the capital for a year, but I can''t help it because there¡¯s an emergency.¡± Orphina smiled bitterly and shook her head helplessly.


    "Ohohoho, are you Gawain, Bloody''s nephew?" As Gawain and Orphina finished exchanging greetings, Glont, who was standing next to the commander-in-chief, smiled and asked a question.


    Gawain asked out of habit, "Who are you?"


    "Ohoho, my introduction is late. I don''t know if your uncle told you, but I¡¯m Glont."


    "Ah!" Gawain exclaimed. "I¡¯ve heard a lot about a ¡®Glont¡¯ from Uncle Bloody. I was told that other than his perverted tastes, he¡¯s still stronger than an average warrior."


    Glont burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! That sounds exactly like what Bloody would say! Ahahahaha!"


    On the other hand, Orphina gritted her teeth after hearing Gawain. "That reckless simpleton."


    Gawain was puzzled by the conflicting reactions. "Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have?"


    "Tch. That¡¯s the problem with Crows. It¡¯s usually rude to call someone a pervert right to their face,¡± Orphina pointed out.


    Gawain seemed to have been enlightened. "Oh! Come to think of it, I think he said something like that about the world outside the village!"


    Most of the Crow tribe didn¡¯t hide their feelings. If another person said something offensive, they spoke directly and fought to resolve all their problems. Because of this, they didn¡¯t even have any qualms calling someone a pervert.


    Glont was well aware of this fact, so he smiled and moved on. "No, I''m fine. It''s a hundred, no, a thousand times better than having a conversation while hiding your true feelings."


    "Thank you for your understanding. But, unlike what I heard, you don¡¯t really look like a pervert,¡± Gawain said.


    Glont once again burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! It''s wartime right now, so I have to show some dignity. It''s annoying, but the commander has a duty to live up to his subordinates¡¯ expectations." Gawain seemed puzzled, so Glont explained more simply, "It''s like giving your subordinates the confidence that they can succeed in hunting. It''s important because that kind of conviction determines the morale of the entire unit."


    "Hmm, I think I know what you mean now."


    William smiled at Gawain, nodding. "A commander who can''t fulfill his subordinates¡¯ expectations can be considered an incompetent commander."


    Hearing Glont, Orphina crossed her arms arrogantly and snorted. "Most people are foolish enough to be misled by outward appearances, not someone¡¯s true nature. They don¡¯t recognize true greatness beneath appearances.¡±


    "Well... I don''t really know if that''s foolish.¡± William refuted Orphina with a subtle smile.


    "What do you mean by that?" Orphina asked in a sour tone.


    William shrugged. "It''s only natural for people to judge by what they see. Of course, it happens that everyone focuses on different things while looking."


    Orphina continued, sounding as if she had heard something ridiculous. "Hmph, that''s an opinion far from the absolute truth, taught by the Butterfly tribe that worships magic. Why don¡¯t you talk about the future instead? It''s not as if we have a lot of time.¡±


    Orphina''s sarcasm made William smile with a troubled expression. "I never knew you understood magic so well. Well, I agree that we should first deal with the fire under our feet.¡±


    On the map laid out atop the table, William moved a large stone in the direction of Warrant.


    "According to reports from the fourth intercept unit led by Dane Walker, the speed at which it¡¯s moving southward has accelerated. They say they¡¯re delaying it as much as possible, but at this rate, it might reach Warrant early in the night, not by midnight."


    Glont and Orphina looked at the stone on the map with serious expressions. "Bloody will need to move as fast as he can,¡± Glont murmured.


    Gawain pulled out the report from his bag when he heard Glont. "Oh, this is the interim report Uncle Bloody asked me to deliver."


    William received the report, reading it intently. Then, he picked up a pen and marked some points on the map. "As expected, it¡¯s going quickly since three Crows are stirring up the demon territory. If all goes well, we might be able to make it in time.¡±


    Glont and Orphina¡¯s hardened expressions relaxed.


    "Even that fool can be useful at times like this,¡± Orphina remarked.


    "You have to at least recognize his ability to break through. Hohoho!¡± Glont replied.


    Orphina and Glont discussed how to move the stones that marked the imperial army with brighter expressions.


    Just then, Gawain took a video ball out of his bag and put it on a table. "Oh, also, this is a video that Elder Mirpa-nim asked me to deliver."


    With an odd expression, William picked up the video orb and played its contents.


    After watching the video, Orphina dropped the stone she was holding, but no one there noticed. To be exact, no one could pay it any mind.


    -Kaoooooo!


    In the video, one of the four great demons, ¡®The Dragon that Lived a Thousand Years¡¯, was roaring.


    And Doomstone was smiling brighter than anyone else, even while he faced the giant dragon alone. His appearance was filled with a majestic air.


    * * *


    In the morning, before the sun had risen completely, I suddenly woke up to the sound of a trumpet announcing an emergency.


    "All troops! Gather around!"


    "The demons are coming!"


    I got out of my sleeping bag upon hearing the sound coming from outside. I quickly straightened out the uniform that I had roughly loosened in order to sleep last night, put on my combat boots, and tightened my shoelaces. Then I took the musket I had left next to me, slung it on my back, and holstered the rapier and pistol on my waist.


    "Wake up!" I shook Demuir, who was still out cold beside me, to wake him up.


    "Huh! What, what?!¡±


    I gave Demuir some water to help him come to his senses from being woken up suddenly. "There¡¯s an emergency. I''ll go to Warehouse 12 first, so come quickly."


    Demuir scrambled out of his sleeping bag. I ran to Warehouse 12 without looking back.


    There were already soldiers in line to receive arrows there. I immediately opened the warehouse door and took out a pile of arrows.


    ¡°1331st Regiment, receipt of 2,000 arrows, confirmed!¡±


    "2nd Headquarters Corps, receipt of 5,000 arrows!"


    I quickly distributed the arrows and memorized how many arrows were supplied to which unit.


    By now, I could see army magicians running this way to receive mana stones, but it would be too much for me to run two warehouses by myself unless I cloned myself.


    "I''m sorry for being late!¡± Fortunately, Fiona came running in a disorganized fashion.


    "No, you came just in time,¡± I replied.


    Fiona opened Warehouse 3 and began distributing mana stones to the magicians. I also started to write a dispensary ledger for the arrows I¡¯d distributed.


    "We don''t have enough mana stones! Please give us a little more!"


    "We can¡¯t. This is all we can distribute."


    "What! It¡¯s full of mana stones in there!"


    The magicians began to scuffle with Fiona for more mana stones.


    "It''s a command from the top. I can''t provide any more mana stones!"


    "We need them to deal with the demons now!"


    Just based on what I saw while distributing the arrows, the supply of mana stones definitely did seem far lower than what we had on hand. However, that was just because there was an absurd amount of mana stones in the storage, not because there weren''t enough being distributed to fight the demons.


    I stopped handing out the arrows and approached Fiona, who was struggling.


    "It''s a pity that the supply of mana stones is so limited, but it''s an order from the top. I ask for your kind understanding." I tried to calm down a magician who had been getting worked up with Fiona.


    Still, the frustrated magician yelled, "All this time, we¡¯ve been waiting for more mana stones to be supplied! Do you guys even know that we¡¯ve had to watch our comrades die due to a lack of mana?¡±


    The magician tried to grab Fiona by the collar, but I put myself in between them and he ended up grabbing my collar instead.


    Fiona was shocked and was about to yell at the magician, but I raised my hand to stop her and said, "I''m sorry, but I hope you can understand that there¡¯s nothing we can do either. As you know, during wartime, disobeying orders from one¡¯s superiors warrants a death penalty."


    In particular, rules governing supplies were stricter, because they had a direct impact on the units¡¯ future operations.


    The magician also knew that, and loosened his grip before yelling in frustration, ¡°Damn it!¡± He ran toward the city wall with his assigned mana stone while spewing curses.


    "Are you all right?" I asked.


    Fiona smiled at my concern. "I¡¯m all right."


    "The nerve of some people!" She fumed and glared towards the wall that the magician had gone toward.


    "It''s not that I don''t understand. If someone¡¯s been repeatedly squeezing out mana to the limit for several days, their nerves really will be on edge from a chronic lack of mana," I commented.


    Combined with the stress of war, the fact that it had ended with him only grabbing a collar meant that the magician normally had an extremely gentle and mild personality.


    If I thought of my previous life, was it like completely cutting out carbohydrates for a few days and working endlessly at a delivery warehouse, loading and unloading packages?


    If I had been suffering from a chronic lack of mana and someone had offended me, it probably wouldn''t have ended with just grabbing a collar. If it were me, I probably would have left them halfway between life and death.


    I sighed and handed Fiona the arrow dispensary ledger I had written. "Let''s switch positions."


    Fiona hesitated at my suggestion. "But¡­"


    "The pile of arrows is heavy, but here comes Demuir. Just leave it all to Demuir."


    Fiona blushed when I smiled jokingly and pointed at Demuir as he ran over. "That''s not what I mean!"


    "Ahaha, I know. The magicians might come at me, and not just stop at grabbing my collar.¡±


    She nodded seriously. "Then I should stay..."


    "No." I cut off Fiona. Then I pushed Fiona toward Warehouse 12 and said, "Don''t worry, I¡¯m capable of overpowering a magician who¡¯s lacking in mana. I''m probably the strongest civil servant at the headquarters, you know?"


    Fiona wouldn¡¯t know, but I was stronger than Guild Director Glont. As I flexed the muscles in my forearm and smiled, she still looked worried.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t at the level of my father or big brother, whose muscles were lethal weapons, if I looked at least like my second brother, my muscles would have been noticeable from the outside of the uniform. But even to me, my forearms didn¡¯t look reliable.


    I sighed and pulled out my rapier. I guess I can¡¯t help it.


    "Look carefully." I infused the rapier with very weak mana. Fiona was surprised when mana fluttered faintly across the blade.


    "How...?" she asked. Her reaction was natural, as only knights and a small percentage of skilled elite soldiers could infuse mana into weapons.


    "I''m from around here, too,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t a lie, since I was from Olympus Forest near here.


    "Ah!" Fiona clapped her hands in admiration. She seemed convinced.


    "I can take care of myself, so you can go quickly. Demuir will suffer if he has to work alone."


    At the moment, Demuir was moving a pile of arrows by himself, moaning as he wrote his own ledger.


    "All right. If anything happens, shout right away."


    "Okay, I got it." I nodded as Fiona headed to Warehouse 12. Just in time, magicians started flocking over to receive their mana stones.

 Chapter 161: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (12)

    I drove my knee into a magician''s stomach as he demanded more mana stones than the set limit, blocking his mouth with one hand so he couldn¡¯t chant any spells.


    "If you can¡¯t even understand a simple rule when you¡¯re told, how are you any better than a beast?"


    Unfortunately, I had been assigned to important materials such as arrows and mana stones, so I couldn''t just release them all at once. The policy was to distribute only as much as necessary, so when the magicians used up the mana stones, they kept coming back and bothering me.


    "You bastard, do you think you¡¯ll be safe after doing this?!" the army magician said in a muffled voice. I just increased the strength of my grip to completely block him from speaking.


    To be honest, acting like this towards an army magician, who would be ranked major at minimum, was tantamount to mutiny...


    "Yes yes, of course I''ll be okay. Did you think I wouldn''t know if you tried to magically pull out supplies?¡±


    ...But stopping them from stealing supplies was a different story.


    If I had been in the same chain of command, I wouldn''t be able to do this. But since army magicians were in a different chain of command, if he wanted to get back at me, he would have to go through my immediate superior, Guild Director Glont. Or he could go through the military police. In either case, the magician would become XXXX, not me. [1]


    I''m so glad I have a good superior, I thought. I told the magician, whose eyes were trembling, "I understand how you feel, but I can''t become an idiot who can''t even manage supplies for your convenience.¡±


    As a magician myself, I sympathized. I wouldn''t want to do anything, let alone use magic, when my mana was exhausted. But him trying to steal my supplies was an entirely different story..


    Should I release the chirps so the situation with the demons can be sorted out quickly? I thought. Since the chirps were my familiars and shared some of their senses with me, they would let me observe the situation all over the battlefield.


    Well, Uncle Bloody likely wouldn''t recognize my chirps with his lack of awareness¡­


    * * *


    Orphina quickly walked up to the fortress and asked the lieutenant stationed there, "What''s the current situation?"


    "Reporting! We have observed that there are currently about 13,000 demons moving southward."


    ¡°Are they coming all at once?¡±


    ¡°That is not the case. We were told that the units roaming through the demon territory occasionally intercepted them and divided them into five groups."


    "How many are in each group?"


    "The groups are divided into two thousand, three thousand, two thousand, four thousand, and two thousand."


    Orphina nodded at the lieutenant. "They did a good job splitting up the enemy. Prepare a reward for the units that intercepted them and their commanders. Also, tell each unit scattered in the demon territory to reduce the number of demons as much as possible through guerrilla warfare and stall for time.¡±


    "Yes!"


    No matter how strong the walls of Warrant were, it would be hard to deal with 13,000 regular monsters at once, let alone demons.


    Entering the fortress, Orphina approached William, who had already been there. "Come to think of it, most of the creatures swarming here are demons," said Orphina.


    William shrugged. "Well, regular monsters are relatively weak, so wouldn¡¯t they have been eaten by the demons?"


    "It''s possible, but I don''t know if this is because the witches in the demon territory are playing tricks.¡± Orphina¡¯s conjecture was that this was the work of the descendants of the witches, who had been driven out by the Holy tribe and caused the Giant-Holy war in the past period of prosperity.


    William shook his head. "No, even if they¡¯re witches, messing with the great demons is still too much."


    "But isn''t it strange for two great demons to move at the same time?"


    "I don''t know about when the Witch of Pride was alive, but the witches of today aren¡¯t as powerful."


    The Witch of Pride was a great madosa who had died 120 years ago in the process of subjugating the Demon King. Her lifetime marked a golden age for witches. At that time, they had been prosperous and comparable to the Butterfly tribe. However, after the death of the Witch of Pride, their land had turned into the demon territory and began to fall rapidly.


    Orphina turned up her nose at William¡¯s opinion. "But the Witch of Greed might still be alive."


    More than 120 years ago, although she had fallen short of the Witch of Pride, the Witch of Greed had also been known as a very powerful madosa. She had also participated in the subjugation of the Demon King, but there was a chance that she was still alive.


    "Well, it''s certainly not impossible. After all, my father, who participated in the Demon King subjugation squad, is still healthy,¡± William said. But then, he shook his head. "No. She would have nothing to gain. My father told me that the Witch of Greed was free-spirited and there was no knowing where she would wander next, but she was always self-interested and would only act for her own personal benefit."


    The Witch of Greed had only joined the Demon King subjugation squad because they had offered her what she wanted. It was hard to imagine what she would gain by making multiple great demons move.


    "What if the Witch of Greed is one of the 12 Zodiac members?¡± Orphina guessed.


    William¡¯s face paled and he shuddered. "Don''t say such a thing, even as a joke. If the Witch of Greed were still alive, the phrase would be ¡®the Five Great Madosas¡¯, not ¡®the Four Great Madosas¡¯. I don''t want to deal with a monster like that."


    Orphina smiled bitterly. "I don''t want to either. I''m just telling you this because I think it''s a good idea to keep the 12 Zodiacs in mind when looking at this situation,¡± she said.


    William roughly rubbed his head as if he were feeling a headache coming on. He said, "Then isn''t it more reasonable to be suspicious of the Demon King worshippers, rather than the witches and the Witch of Greed?"


    The Demon King worshippers were a group of cults who had brought about the advent of the Demon King 120 years ago. Although most of them had been eradicated after the death of the Demon King, they hadn¡¯t been completely wiped out down to the roots.


    "Recently, the black magicians caused an uproar in the holy city of Zaharam, and there was the time the Saintess was in the heart of the empire. So I think it¡¯s very plausible," William continued.


    Orphina readily agreed with William. "Yes, you''re right.¡±


    Either way, it seemed as if it could be related to the 12 Zodiacs.


    "I''m worried about His Highness the Emperor being left alone in the capital," Orphina said, sounding worried.


    William smiled and waved her concern off. "What¡¯s there to worry about? The magic circles that protect the palace are horrifyingly monstrous. Don''t worry, even my father, who is one of the Great Madosas, can''t behave recklessly without an access cord."


    "You¡¯re right. It''s silly to worry about His Highness the Emperor, considering the barriers were designed to ensure his safety even if a meteor fell in the center of the capital.¡±


    Orphina whistled and called her partner, Hargan, before mounting him and saying, ¡°Please support me.¡±


    ¡°Right, just leave it to me!¡± William pulled a mana stone out of his pocket and threw it outside the fortress while casting magic. In an instant, the stone turned into thousands of ice arrows and poured down toward the demons.


    Orphina rode Hargan and charged into the group of demons.


    * * *


    Clad in soldier''s armor, Lisbon nervously clenched the handle of his sword.


    Rosellis lightly slapped Lisbon¡¯s back, saying, "Don''t relax. Even if you''re tired, grit your teeth and swing your sword. And don''t stray from my side. If you do, you''ll die." She raised her axe and shouted, "When the gates open, I''ll take the lead! Only those who can grit their teeth and have the confidence to charge forward should follow!"


    At Rosellis¡¯ shout, the adventurers shouted and chanted her nickname. "Bloodstained! Bloodstained! Bloodstained!"


    As Rosellis approached the gate with Lisbon, the adventurers made way for her, parting to either side.


    At the gate, a female warrior wearing heavy armor and holding a large shield spoke to Rosellis. ¡°Long time no see, Rosellis.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Asmona unni.¡±


    Asmona was a platinum plate adventurer nicknamed the Iron Wall. She stood next to Rosellis and asked when she saw the nervous Lisbon, "Who''s the kid next to you?"


    "Oh, I''m trying to raise him because he seems to have potential. My father doesn''t show it, but he seems to have taken a liking to the kid too,¡± said Rosellis.


    Asmona looked at Lisbon, surprised. "The guild director who''s famous for his high standards likes him?"


    Glont''s discerning eye had a certain reputation: It was said that everyone he took notice of became strong, unless they died too early to reach their potential.


    "Then I¡¯ll have to make a note of him in advance. What''s your name, kid?" Asmona asked.


    Lisbon greeted her, trying not to forget common courtesy. "My name is Lisbon von Carter."


    "My name is Asmona Ticilla. People call me the Iron Wall, so you can call me that too."


    "Alright!"


    "Don''t be too nervous, but don''t be too relaxed. And don''t freak out," Asmona continued. As soon as she finished talking, trumpets and drums resounded.


    "Open the gates!" Rosellis cried.


    A soldier waved a red flag from above the gate. Immediately after, the gate opened and the drawbridge lowered, creating a passage across the moat.


    "Let''s go!" The moment the gate opened completely, Rosellis was the first to charge out, cleaving a demon''s neck in two with her huge axe.


    Asmona and Lisbon followed right behind Rosellis, heading to her side and providing support.


    Asmona nagged Rosellis as she blocked the fountain of blood from the demon¡¯s corpse with her shield. "You¡¯re still so bloodthirsty! I told you to change your tactics when dealing with demons! You idiot!"


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. I won''t die!" Rosellis swung her axe again and split a demon''s stomach open.


    "Fool! This is all deadly poison!"


    "I know! But it won¡¯t matter if it doesn¡¯t touch me!" Rosellis wrapped her entire body with mana, creating a layer of mana armor to keep the blood from touching her skin. Then she told Lisbon, ¡°Did you hear that? You''ll die if you''re hit by blood, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± As he answered, Lisbon avoided a demon''s attack and stabbed it in the arm. However, the sword bounced off the demon¡¯s tough leather hide.


    "Infuse mana into your sword! You won¡¯t even be able to leave a scratch otherwise!" Rosellis yelled as she bisected a demon that was aiming for Lisbon''s back.


    Lisbon let out a shout and poured mana into his sword. He slashed at the demons repeatedly, calmly avoiding the splashing blood. Still, the demons¡¯ attacks were fatal to Lisbon, but his attacks only left minor wounds.


    Rosellis and Asmona faced demons coming from all sides, but occasionally, Lisbon also had to deal with a large number of demons. Each time, he felt the threat to his life, but he somehow endured. Eventually, Rosellis or Asmona always came to help Lisbon after taking care of their own foes.


    Hundreds of birds suddenly appeared from the sky as the battle drew on.


    "What?! What are those birds?!" After a long career defending Warrant, Asmona was immediately on guard against the flock of unfamiliar birds, remaining vigilant in case they were a new type of demon. Suddenly, the birds flew up quickly, then swooped down and began to attack the demons.


    "That bird!" Rosellis was surprised to see the bird as she cleaved a demon''s head in two with her axe. It was a type of bird she had seen once.


    Meanwhile, Lisbon was struggling to fight demons and couldn''t see what was going on around him. His gradually depleting mana and exhausted body were taking a toll on his mental strength. As soon as he reached his limits and left a gap in his defenses, a demon bared its teeth and aimed for his side.


    Rosellis quickly threw a portable hand axe, but thought it was too late and broke out in a cold sweat.


    Suddenly, a white bird body-slammed the demon who was attacking Lisbon. It was momentarily stunned, and it lost its left eye to Rosellis''s hand axe and screamed. "Krarara!"


    Lisbon didn''t miss the opening and stabbed it in the neck with his mana infused sword.


    "Huk, huk. Thank you." Lisbon thanked the white bird for saving his life, but the bird hovered around just giving him a disdainful look, as if it were calling him a pathetic fellow. Seeing that, Lisbon felt as if he were being scolded and told to do his job properly.


    Den, who was controlling the chirps from afar, sighed as he looked at Lisbon barely hanging on.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, Leisha and the army magicians were busy intercepting the demons with magic. Then, she looked up into the sky. She was surprised to see white birds swooping down to attack the demons. "Why are those things here?!"


    1. Author censored the swear word here.

 Chapter 162: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (13)

    The fourth round of the battle against the demons was already in full swing.


    It was long past lunchtime, and the only thing distributed had been crumbly hardtack. If they were going to give out hard, dry bread like this, they should at least have given us soup to dip it in.


    But the soldier in charge of distributing the supplies had only handed over the bread and quickly disappeared. Still, I couldn''t leave my post, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat lunch if he hadn''t come here to Warehouse 3 to deliver it.


    In between scuffles with magicians who came to receive mana stones from Warehouse 3, I controlled the chirps to help wipe out the demons. As a result, the number of magicians coming for mana stones decreased significantly, and thus my work decreased. I felt as if I were controlling dozens of drones at once as I hunted demons with the chirps and scouted the area at the same time.


    It was honestly a lot of effort and took a lot of time, because people mistook the chirps for demons and attacked them. Still, it was more comfortable than arguing with magicians who were on edge.


    I saw that there was only one more group of demons coming to Warrant. In this situation, it seemed all the battles would be over before dinner.


    When a good number of demons had been cleaned up, I began to retrieve the chirps, but suddenly felt a strong pulse of mana from far away. Instead, I sent the chirps I¡¯d been recalling to investigate the source of the mana.


    I hope it''s not anything bothersome.


    * * *


    As Dane Walker flew through the air, he coughed up blood due to the backflow caused by excessive use of mana. "Uaack!"


    "Are you all right?!" A magician, who was temporarily acting as the aide-de-camp, grabbed the falling Dane Walker and helped him up.


    Dane Walker smiled bitterly as he wiped his bloody mouth with his sleeve. "Hahaha, it''s killing me. I used a domain proclamation I¡¯m not even good at."


    The interim aide-de-camp shook his head as he saw Dane Walker''s self-deprecating smile. "No, if it weren¡¯t for Dane Walker-nim¡¯s domain proclamation, we wouldn''t have been able to buy this much time. It was a power so astonishing, it deserved to be called the magic of legend." No one there could refute his words.


    Dane Walker''s domain proclamation had created a space where lightning struck everywhere, as if it were the inside of a thundercloud, and reduced everything within ashes.


    The magicians of the magician corps, including the interim aide-de-camp, had shuddered, saying that a domain proclamation wasn¡¯t called the final and strongest magic of a magician for nothing.


    However, Dane Walker, who was on the receiving end of the magician¡¯s appreciation, shook his head with a troubled expression. "No, I''d say this was a failure."


    The interim aide-de-camp was shocked. "The magic that created this spectacle was a failure?"


    No matter where one looked, the entire area was covered in ash. The ground formerly covered in dry brown grass, and the mountain formerly covered in green coniferous trees, had turned black. Only the smell of smoke remained in the air.


    Despite the incredulous look of the interim aide-de-camp, Dane Walker said calmly, "Yes, it was a failure."


    Domain proclamation was a type of magic that created a controlled environment for the magician to work in. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable to say that it had been a failure, because he had suffered internal injuries to the point of being unable to control his own body despite having been inside his own personal space.


    Dane Walker¡¯s breath was labored, and his persistent coughs kept bringing forth blood. "Haaa, haaa. Most of all, that monster doesn''t seem to have taken any damage," he said, breathing roughly.


    The interim aide-de-camp looked at the great demon in surprise. He looked up at the huge mass to the point that his neck hurt, shouting, "Kuooooooh!¡± However, his shout was drowned out by the great demon¡¯s cries and went unheard.


    With the demon¡¯s cries reverberating through their bodies, the Red Dragon Knights and the magician corps summoned their mana to steady themselves in the air as they surrounded the great demon. Nevertheless, some of them were caught by the sound waves and blown away.


    "There, there''s no way you can beat this," someone murmured with a voice full of despair.


    Dane Walker didn''t hear the murmur, but it was easy to notice that everyone here had grown despondent. "We¡¯re retreating," he said simply.


    "What?" The interim aide-de-camp was surprised. It had only been a short time since they had received their orders. Although the great demon had moved much faster than expected, they had a responsibility to carry out their mission of delaying it as much as possible.


    Dane Walker let out an exhausted breath and gave the aide-de-camp a signal flare. "We¡¯re retreating. You already know that anything more is impossible. Everyone''s been out of stamina and mana for a long time, and morale is at its worst. Rather than die a dog¡¯s death like this, it''s better to join the main unit and fight again after regrouping."


    Seeing Dane Walker''s determination, the interim aide-de-camp injected mana into the signal flare and shot it into the sky. It quickly flew up high and burst into a white flash. He infused his voice with mana and shouted, "All troops! Retreat!"


    The Red Dragon Knights and the Magician Corps, who had been surrounding the great demon, flew away in unison to retreat upon hearing the interim aide-de-camp. Their doubts about retreating before completing the mission had been replaced by fear, and no one objected.


    However, it wasn¡¯t that easy to escape. Despite the great demon¡¯s huge body and large, ponderous strides, it actually moved much more quickly than it appeared to.


    Dane Walker felt conflicted about whether he would have to sacrifice some troops to delay it. But then, he decided that rather than being stunned and wiped out here, perhaps it would be better for the many to survive at the expense of the few.


    He quickly steeled his resolve and moved away from the interim aide-de-camp, who was still helping him. "Go ahead. I''ll join you later after delaying it."


    If someone had to be sacrificed, it should be the one to make the decision. That was Dane Walker¡¯s principle and the mindset he had learned from Glont, the person he looked up to.


    "What are you talking about?!" the interim aide-de-camp shouted, flustered. To stay and try to delay the demon at this point was tantamount to choosing death.


    "If we stay in this situation, we''ll all die. Command of the Magician Corps will be handed over to you. Retreat with the Red Dragon Knights."


    "What are you going to do alone?! Didn''t you overdo it and receive a major wound?!¡±


    Dane Walker smiled pleasantly at the interim aide-de-camp''s attempt to dissuade him. "I¡¯m a madosa. I won¡¯t die easily. With only this much injury... I¡¯ll just push a little more and rest in bed for a few months."


    The interim aide-de-camp knew that he was bluffing. Still, beyond the smile, he saw Dane Walker¡¯s eyes filled with determination, and couldn¡¯t just tell him to stop. Instead, he said, "I''ll stay, too. One platoon, including me, would buy us more time."


    "That¡¯s an order. Retreat," Dane Walker said firmly.


    The aide-de-camp shook his head. "No, I''m not obligated to listen to your orders now that you¡¯ve handed over the position to me. First platoon!"


    "Yes!"


    "We will stay and fight to stall for time! Second platoon leader, lead the retreat!"


    "¡­Yes!"


    At the newly promoted interim leader¡¯s command, the first platoon stopped flying and turned around. Then he said to Dane Walker, "Let''s do our best, ahjussi. Oh, since you¡¯re not the commander anymore, I can call you ahjussi, right?"


    "Of course. Every man in the squad is an ahjussi."


    "Aren¡¯t you also an ahjussi associated with the adventurer''s reserve force, not the Magician Corps?"


    "Iyaa, I¡¯m not just an ahjussi in the squad, but rather in the whole corps. Hahaha."


    The interim leader checked on the retreating subordinates and smiled at Dane Walker. "These are the kind of men they are. Are you offended?"


    "No... It¡¯s reassuring." Dane Walker smiled and forced his mana beyond the limit. "When we get back to the capital, I''ll buy you a cold beer."


    * * *


    For the first time in a while, I flew at full speed. "You damn ahjussi! Why are you saying you¡¯re going to stay there?"


    I¡¯d felt an unusual pulse of mana, so I¡¯d sent a chirp toward it. Over there, magicians in imperial uniforms and Red Dragon Knights were fighting against the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, a massive demon the size of Mt. Hanra.


    The problem was that there was a certain Dane Walker among them¡­ No, I would have just overlooked it if he was simply among them, but this ahjussi had volunteered to remain there. It would have been different if his condition had been normal, but it was frustrating to hear him say that while throwing up blood.


    Actually, I''d only known Dane Walker for about three weeks, so I felt like a pushover going to save him. Tch, it seemed I¡¯d become a pushover myself from hanging out with Lisbon.


    Still, there was nothing more uncomfortable than a person I knew dying in a situation where I could have saved him.


    Even though I¡¯d arrived quickly, the scene was already disastrous. The forest had been burned down and blackened, and the corpses of dragons were scattered on the ground. If I remembered clearly, those were the dragons of the Red Dragon Knights that had been marching in Asterium.


    Fortunately, human bodies weren¡¯t visible, but I didn¡¯t know whether they had just been retrieved in the retreat, or if they¡¯d really miraculously survived.


    I prayed for the latter if possible, and launched the magic I had been preparing on the way to the turtle. "Lightning that races across the sky!"


    The turtle cried angrily when faced with a beam and thousands of magic bullets. "Kuaaao!"


    Was a turtle supposed to cry like that? Well, turtles weren''t usually that big, so never mind.


    "Ooooh, did that hurt a lot? But considering all that, you seem fine¡­?" I muttered.


    Only a single peak on the mountain it was carrying had collapsed, but the turtle didn''t seem to have taken much damage. It didn¡¯t seem to be called a great demon for no reason.


    "Try taking this too! Divine punishment!"  I cried. White lightning poured out of my magic wand, scorching the turtle''s whole body. The trees growing on its mountain began to burn from my white lightning. However, the turtle''s mana quickly put it out.


    I kept scorching it with lightning and shouted at the magicians, who looked like a mess while fighting a battle for time. "What are you doing not escaping!?"


    My roar caused Dane Walker to vomit blood and ask, "Who, who are you?!"


    It would be normal for a madosa to see through the perception-disrupting magic and recognize me as the person from the ruins, but Dane Walker didn¡¯t recognize me. He seemed to have squeezed out all his mana, right up to the brink of death.


    "Is that important right now? Can''t you judge the situation?¡± I asked.


    The magician who was helping Dane Walker looked surprised and said, "I don''t know who you are, but thank you. I won''t forget this favor."


    Dane Walker, aided by the magicians, began to retreat towards Warrant.


    "Kuoooooo!¡± The turtle got angry and cried out as it emitted mana.


    "Oh, maybe I shouldn''t have stepped up?" I mused.


    No matter how hard I looked at that turtle, it didn''t look weak enough for me to catch it alone. In cases like these, running away was always the answer.

 Chapter 163: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (14)

    Bloody and the Black Water Buffalo Knights quickly rode to Warrant.


    "Wow, it looks like they really went at it over here too," the leader of the Black Water Buffalo Knights said, laughing as Mac admired the bloodstains around him and the demon bodies that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up yet. "They must have gone at it more than once at least. They must have fought at least four or five times."


    "Iya, I should have just stayed here,¡± Mac said regretfully, thinking it would have been more fun to stay in Warrant and deal with the demons.


    Hitting Mac hard on the back, Bloody said, "Don''t worry, we''ll have a good fight soon."


    Mac held the spot that was being hit by Bloody and twisted his body away. "Keup, aren''t you hitting me too hard?¡±


    "Oh, don¡¯t be a wimp.¡±


    "You¡¯re just upset that you didn''t get a ride of your own.¡±


    "I am not!" Bloody snorted and waved his hand.


    In response, a rider waved a flag to signal the fortress gate, communicating that there were no enemies around. Upon receiving the signal, the Warrant fortress guard opened the gate immediately.


    Without delay, they immediately rode straight into the stable.


    "Wize, follow me, and the rest take a break. Mac and Lancelot, go see if Leisha is doing well,¡± Bloody commanded.


    "Yes!" the others responded.


    Bloody headed to the command room with only the leader of the Black Water Buffalo Knights following him.


    William welcomed Bloody as he entered the command room. "You''re here! Are you done with the work I requested?¡± he asked.


    Bloody nodded. "Of course. Roaming the demon territory, compared to wandering around in the forest back in my hometown, is a piece of cake."


    "It¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Sitting down opposite William, Bloody asked, "Where did Orphina and Glont0hyung go?"


    "Orphina is on patrol to confirm the situation with each unit, and Mr. Glont has been in the infirmary since Mr. Dane Walker returned.¡±


    "Mr. Dane Walker hyung is in the infirmary? Is he seriously hurt?¡± Bloody asked, surprised.


    William sighed quietly. "His internal injuries are pretty serious. It''s not life-threatening, but it''ll be hard for him to move for a while.¡±


    "What? Why?"


    "He overexerted himself and used an incomplete domain proclamation against a great demon at a time when he had already run out of stamina and mana. It''s fortunate that he didn¡¯t die."


    Bloody frowned at William''s diagnosis. "I hope Glont hyung doesn''t feel guilty.¡±


    "I hate to say it, but we¡¯re only still alive thanks to Mr. Dane Walker. If he hadn''t bought us time from there, we would have had to give up on Warrant.¡±


    If they had been pushed out of Warrant, they would have no choice but to use Asterium, the capital of the Duchy of Asteria, as a base. From the imperial family¡¯s perspective, there would of course be the loss of property and wealth to consider; not only that, they would have taken a hit in terms of political power.


    Of course, Bloody and William were uninterested in political damage. It was more due to the sheer loss of profit that they were trying to finish the job in Warrant.


    If a monster like a great demon wreaked havoc in the empire, even a little bit of its wrath would be like hell on earth.


    "I''d better go to the infirmary too,¡± William said.


    Before they could go, though, they had to listen to battle strategies against the great demon they would face in a few hours.


    * * *


    I sighed as I looked at Dane Walker lying on the bed in the infirmary. "What did you do in the one day we were apart for your body to have ended up in tatters like this?¡± I muttered, as if I didn''t know what had happened.


    There were few external injuries, but his internal injuries were too severe. I could see his whole body''s mana fluctuating wildly at a glance.


    The internal injuries he¡¯d received from using an incomplete domain proclamation must have relapsed and become worse because he¡¯d overexerted himself afterwards.


    "Hahaha, that''s....¡± Dane Walker avoided my gaze and changed the subject. "Anyway, don¡¯t you have any visiting gifts?¡±


    "Where could I even buy a visiting gift around here? The merchants from Asteria and Druval have all withdrawn from Warrant, except for those who handle demon byproducts."


    "Ahaha, is that so?"


    To be honest, I didn''t understand the thought process of the merchants who remained, wanting to buy demon byproducts. They definitely must have lost their minds. No matter how much one loved money, this was a perfect environment to become demon food if one were unlucky.


    "Well, you don''t have to answer if you don''t want to. It''s probably a military secret anyways, so it''ll only be a headache to find out."


    It''s not as if I didn''t know what he had been doing, and I managed to run away safely, so let''s pretend I don¡¯t know anything and move on.


    Dane Walker smiled as if he were troubled. "Thanks for understanding."


    I put my specially manufactured medicine in Dane Walker¡¯s mouth as he was thanking me.


    "What is this?" he asked.


    "It''s good for your body, so make sure to chew it properly."


    In fact, this medicine was also supposed to be dissolved in water. However, if a person who was lying down and couldn¡¯t move tried to drink it, it might go down the wrong pipe, so I just fed it to him.


    "Really? Ook! Bitter!"


    I quickly closed Dane Walker''s mouth when he tried to spit out the medicine I had shoved in. It was quite fun to see him suffer. "What''s good for your health is bitter in your mouth."


    Please don''t misunderstand. I was just worried about Dane Walker and gave him medicine as a gift. I didn''t mean it as a punishment for bothering me or anything. I wasn''t cruel enough to punish someone who was injured.


    I''d give him a real punishment when he got better. Huhuhu.


    When Dane Walker swallowed all of the medicine, I let go of his mouth. He said, trembling with chills, "You! You''re smiling! No matter how I look at it, you''re enjoying my suffering!"


    "Ahahaha, it''s a misunderstanding."


    "Ugh, bitter. By the way, I don''t know if it''s okay to take this medicine without telling the doctor."


    I gave the worried Dane Walker a candy that could neutralize the bitter taste and said, "I''m better than those quacks, so you don¡¯t have to worry. Do you think I came to see you on behalf of the people at headquarters for no reason?"


    The medicine I¡¯d just given him already seemed to be making him more comfortable.


    "What do you mean, quack? You know these military doctors are all capable alchemists, right?"


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure they are.¡± I let Dane Walker¡¯s words slip into one ear and out the other.


    Dane Walker laughed pleasantly. "Hahaha, I''m telling you. The fact that the Guild Director-nim isn¡¯t here right now is partly because he¡¯s trying to invite some good alchemists."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure it is.¡± I let the words slide past again and got up.


    "Huh? You''re going already?"


    "Yes, I have a lot to do.¡±


    "Really?"


    I smiled and said to Dane Walker, who seemed slightly disappointed, "I can''t tell you the details because there¡¯s a gag order, but I think there''s going to be a big operation in the evening."


    It was a casual remark, but when he heard me, Dane Walker¡¯s face hardened. "Come to think of it, was it the Pagan Priest in charge of guarding the civil servants?"


    "Yes, he''s eccentric, but he''s a good guy."


    Ruin was constantly moving about throughout the day, healing the wounded with divine power.


    Dane Walker spoke to me as if he were giving advice. "Don''t stray far from Ruin today if possible. And tell the people at the headquarters too.¡±


    The operation in the evening seemed as if it might be huge.


    I nodded gently at his advice. "Yes. I¡¯ll do that. Take good care of yourself,¡± I said.


    I said goodbye to Dane Walker and left the infirmary tent.


    * * *


    Glont went into the tent that was being used as the infirmary. He asked, ¡°How are you? Are you feeling all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing better than expected,¡± Dane Walker replied.


    In response to Dane Walker, who couldn''t even keep himself steady on the bed, Glont introduced the person following behind him. "This is Leisha Blade, the talented alchemist I said I''d bring back."


    "No, I''m not that good." At Glont''s introduction, Leisha shook her hand in embarrassment.


    "There''s no need to be humble about being a disciple of the great madosa, Mirpa-nim,¡± Glont remarked.


    Suddenly, Dane Walker looked at Leisha and said, "Iya, did you bring such a valuable person here just for me?"


    "Ohohoho, I used some connections."


    Glont and Dane Walker laughed and talked jokingly, but it was true that they were surprised.


    Among magicians, Mirpa was one of the legends, and she¡¯d raised alchemy from being considered miscellaneous knowledge to being mainstream in academia. There was no greater honor than for a magician to have a disciple with such legendary knowledge visit him in person for his treatment.


    "If it''s a Blade..."


    ¡°It''s Bloody''s niece."


    "Of course! I was indebted to General Bloody before.¡±


    Dane Walker smiled pleasantly and tried to lift himself up. "Keup." He groaned at the pain he felt all over his body.


    Leisha dissuaded him from getting up, saying, "Please don''t get up. I heard you overexerted yourself.¡±


    "Ahaha, only a little bit."


    It wasn¡¯t just a little, but he¡¯d overused his mana circuit to the point that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if an ordinary magician¡¯s body exploded. He¡¯d only survived purely due to having crossed the wall of the Magic Way.


    "I''m sorry, but do you mind if I examine your body?"


    "It would be an honor."


    With Dane Walker''s consent, Leisha swept through Dane Walker''s entire body with mana. "Hmm? It seems you¡¯ve already been treated?¡± she asked.


    Dane Walker shook his head, flustered. "No, they didn''t even bother treating me, saying that they couldn¡¯t do anything until I had recovered to some extent."


    "What? No way. Your mana circuit is already beginning to stabilize." Leisha wrote out a prescription. "I think this should be enough to help you recover without much trouble. Are you sure you haven''t been treated?¡±


    Dane Walker was shocked by Leisha''s diagnosis.


    "I suppose... a friend I know fed me medicine saying it was good for me.¡±


    Glont became curious at his answer. "A friend you know?"


    As far as Glont knew, there was no alchemist or healer who was good enough for Leisha to admire amongst Dane Walker''s personal connections.


    "You have that new guy, don''t you? He was here on behalf of the people at headquarters about ten minutes ago," said Dane Walker.


    Glont recalled the comments on Den''s personnel information documents. "Oh, it said he was an alchemist. It seems he¡¯s better than I thought."


    Leisha shook her head at Glont''s murmur. "This isn''t just a good level of skill. I don''t know his magic level, but he¡¯s at least a master of pharmacology. He might even be able to make medicine better than me."


    Leisha''s affirmation surprised Glont and Dane Walker. If Leisha was admiring his ability, he could be considered one of the best alchemists.


    "What''s the name of the medicine?¡±


    "Well, I didn''t hear it, because he force fed me when I couldn''t move.¡±


    In reality, Dane Walker had thought the reason his body had become lighter was because he¡¯d become a madosa and his natural healing power was much higher. He stuck his tongue out at the fact that it hadn¡¯t been a lie when Den declared that the military doctors were quacks.


    Leisha asked with sparkling eyes, "If he is this talented, I''d like to see him once. Where can I go to meet him?"


    "It''s a busy time right now, so you''d better set a later time to meet," said Glont.


    Leisha was reminded of the current situation. At the moment, the demons could befall them at any time, and Gawain had also said there was a great demon headed their way.


    "You¡¯re right. I can''t disturb a busy person at a time like this." She made a sad face as she decided to give up on meeting him. If she didn''t meet the alchemist mentioned here, it was likely that she wouldn''t be able to see him in Warrant at all.


    After all, she had seen Den''s alchemic life forms at Warrant, so she might have to search for Den in the vicinity for a while.


    Leisha left her regrets behind and made Dane Walker''s medicine.

 Chapter 164: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (15)

    "Achoo!"


    When I sneezed, Demuir asked anxiously, "Did you catch a cold?¡±


    I smiled casually and waved my hand. "No, I think dust just got in my nose."


    Or, someone was talking about me...


    Inside Warehouse 3, which was full of dust and mana stones, I had to use a snow shovel to scoop mana stones into a sack. Considering the dirty air, it seemed to be the former rather than the latter.


    "By the way, how was Mr. Dane Walker?" Fiona asked.


    Fiona put on a mask because of the dust and opened a new sack. Demuir and I began to scoop the mana stones into the open sack with our shovels.


    "I don''t think he''s in very good shape. I''m afraid he might be evacuated to the capital," I replied.


    "Is it that serious?" Fiona asked.


    "Well, he¡¯s not on the brink of death, but he''ll have to stay still and recuperate for another month or so," I said. It was only a month because I¡¯d force fed him the medicine; otherwise it would have been at least half a year.


    It felt as if Dane Walker had only thought of the medicine as a nourishing tonic, but it had been made with an ingredient known as a miracle medicine to magicians, so the price of the ingredient alone was at least several gold coins.


    Well, it was so expensive because it was a mushroom that grew only in Olympus Forest. But I had so many in my pocket space that they were practically rotting.


    Anyway, I''d just retrieve the price of the medicine from Dane Walker later.


    "By the way, there are so many mana stones. Wouldn''t it have been fine to have just distributed them freely?" grumbled Demuir.


    Fiona nagged, "Why? Do you want to eat mana stones every meal instead of chocolate next time?"


    I also added to Fiona''s nagging. "Mana stones are too expensive to give you. I''ll pick up some stones on the side of the road and feed you, though."


    Demuir lamented over our responses. "Can''t I even make a joke? You''re so mean! I¡¯m just saying that because the pile of mana stones doesn¡¯t seem to shrink no matter how many we scoop out!¡±


    "Hurry up and keep scooping. We have to finish this before dinner," I said.


    Demuir grumbled and put the mana stones in the sack. These sacks were taken away somewhere by knights after being filled.


    Those mana stones would probably be used to deal with the turtle that Dane Walker had been fighting earlier in the day. However, bringing so many mana stones like this meant that the upper echelon had already known that such a monster was coming.


    * * *


    After all the supply soldiers and supply officers were mobilized, we finally managed to move the mana stones by the appointed time.


    It wasn¡¯t any of our business where they were going to use that massive amount of mana stones. Everyone was just interested in tonight¡¯s dinner.


    This evening''s menu was preserved food, but there was a stew with fairly large chunks of beef in it, and we were given bread, not hardtack. It seemed to be a special meal, as even smoked ham had been brought out.


    "Why are they bringing out meat all of a sudden tonight?" someone asked.


    "Isn''t it because we had such a hard time today?" someone else replied.


    The soldiers who were being served were also excited.


    When the war broke out, all residents had been evacuated to Asterium and other rear cities, so there was nowhere to buy better food even if the supplied food was terrible.


    The Asteria and Druval merchants had remained like the shrewd merchants they were and sold food, but not even three hours after they¡¯d started selling, they had completely sold out. That had happened long before the main forces, including myself, arrived.


    "Hmm, isn¡¯t something a little fishy?¡± I asked with a serious look.


    Demuir looked at me happily without thinking, while shoveling ham and bread into his mouth. ¡°Whhaay? Grunngg?¡±


    ¡°Speak after you¡¯re done swallowing,¡± I shot back.


    Demuir eagerly savored the food in his mouth.


    At my suggestion, all the chocolate had been distributed to the magicians, so Demuir looked very happy eating food other than chocolate after such a long time, even though it was still combat rations.


    After swallowing all the food in his mouth, Demuir cleared his throat with some stew and asked, "What''s so fishy about it?"


    "Well, the quality of the food has suddenly increased," I replied.


    This sort of sudden distribution of meat usually only happened when foot-and-mouth disease broke out. In fact, knowing the background of the situation, it felt more like the last supper for a death row inmate than an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.


    "So you''re not going to eat?" Demuir asked.


    Smack! I hit Demuir''s hand to stop him from reaching for my smoked ham. "Of course I''ll eat."


    I ignored Demuir as he held his hand in pain, and took a bite of the smoked ham. It was greasy and had a salty taste that would make one feel sick if one ate too much.


    "It doesn''t taste all that good,¡± I complained. Upon hearing that, Demuir crept toward my smoked ham, but I hit his hand away again.


    At that time, a signal came from chirp 145, who had been assigned to patrol the farthest regions of the demon territory.


    "What''s wrong?" Demuir asked as he reached for my smoked ham again, but I couldn''t pay any attention to him.


    A huge mountain could be seen in chirp 145¡¯s eyesight, which I could share through magic.


    To be exact, the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, a great demon I¡¯d encountered earlier in the day, was approaching this place. Once again, it felt as if Mt. Hanra was moving toward us.


    "I''m going to eat this...?"


    "Eat it or not, do whatever you want." I shot out of my seat and headed toward the warehouse.


    "Hey, where are you going? Can I really eat it?¡±


    "I''m going to the bathroom."


    I ignored Demuir''s words and ran. From far away, I could see Demuir enjoying my smoked ham and stew, but I wasn¡¯t interested. Should I escape? I didn''t think anyone would say anything about it even if I escaped.


    * * *


    Atop Warrant¡¯s fortress wall, Bloody pulled out a sword and looked at the huge mountain that had come into view in the distance.


    "So that¡¯s the great demon called the... Toad? Turtle? Carrying a Mountain or something."


    Every time it took a step, the ground seemed to shake all the way to Warrant, which was still far away.


    "It''s not a toad, it''s a turtle," Orphina corrected Bloody.


    Bloody shrugged. "Whether it¡¯s a turtle or a toad, it¡¯s still a monster.¡±


    "Foolish. Knowing your opponent and yourself is the basic tenet of military strategy."


    William mediated between the two as they growled at each other as usual. "Come on, that''s enough fighting. A single hair on that monster in front of us is more than a match for all three of us fighting together with all our might."


    William looked at Orphina; Orphina sighed helplessly and climbed onto her dragon, Hargan, flying into the air.


    Warrant, seen from high above, contained tens of thousands of soldiers on standby in formation.


    Orphina looked at the soldiers watching her and shouted, "As the commander-in-chief, I¡¯ll be taking the lead! Follow me!"


    At Orphina''s mana-infused shout, all of the imperial troops gathered at Warrant let out a cry. ¡°It¡¯s war!¡±


    Warrant would be facing the worst monster it had ever seen since its founding.


    * * *


    The battle against the great demon began.


    The other non-combat officers and I gathered in Warrant¡¯s shelters and waited for the battle to be over. After all, even if people who didn¡¯t know how to fight kicked up a fuss thinking it would help, it would only be annoying.


    As for the supplies, there would be no point in trying to save them if we didn¡¯t survive the battle, so the higher-ups had decided to not think about the consequences and released all the supplies.


    Therefore, there weren¡¯t any supplies that we had to manage anymore. Even if there were, it would just be limited to rations that were to be served tomorrow morning.


    I snuck out of the shelter and watched the battle from the top of the fortress. If things went wrong, I''d have to run away, but it bothered me that Uncle Bloody and that damn pushover were in the middle of that battlefield.


    I¡¯d assigned some chirps to Pushover, so I didn¡¯t really worry about him.


    Even though he was technically part of the battle, he didn¡¯t have the abilities to qualify for participation.


    Rather, the one I was worried about was Uncle Bloody. He was strong enough for me to recognize, but his opponent was a huge great demon.


    To be honest, the waves of fearsome mana that the turtle emitted made me want to run away immediately. Still, I couldn¡¯t see my uncle die, so I stayed on guard for a dangerous situation in which I would need to get him out and run away.


    Before that, I put on a white half-mask and armor, and a helmet taken from the warehouse just in case.


    This outfit made me feel as if I should make a cheering motion toward the sun.


    * * *


    William pulled the magic wand from his pocket space and shouted, "Open Magic Circle 7!"


    Under William''s instructions, the Magician Corps began pouring mana into the designated pile of mana stones in unison. Then, hundreds of huge chains surged up from inside the demon territory and began to bind the body of the great demon.


    This was one of the magic circles that had been installed by the Black Water Buffalo Knights led by Bloody as they roamed the demon¡¯s territory according to William''s instructions.


    The chain was thick enough that it would take two or three people to embrace it, but it looked infinitely thin compared to the size of the great demon.


    The great demon struggled to break the chains that had suddenly wrapped around its body and hindered its movements. The whole area shook as if there were an earthquake with its constant stomping.


    ¡°Red Dragon Knights, follow me!¡± As Orphina flew ahead toward the great demon, the Red Dragon Knights followed.


    "Commence Lance Charging!" Orphina cried. The Red Dragon Knights took out huge lances from their space expansion bags. Then, they charged toward the great demon¡¯s head in unison.


    The mana stone embedded in each lance responded to the knights'' mana, and protective barriers formed to completely cover the dragons.


    Lance Charging, which was similar to a full body slam by the Red Dragon Knights, left large craters all over the great demon¡¯s body.


    "Kuooooooh!¡± The great demon screamed at the sudden impacts and the dragons faltered in midair. Immediately after, the knights abandoned their single-use lances and rode their dragons high into the sky.


    "Open Magic Circle 4!" William cried. The Magician Corps injected mana into a second pile of mana stones. This time, a magic circle shone from atop Warrant¡¯s fortress, firing a beam of light at the great demon.


    The great demon, which had yet to escape the shock delivered by the Red Dragon Knights, was unable to avoid being hit by the beam. However, the beam aimed at its head ended up sweeping from its shoulder to its body as it moved about.


    ¡°Kaoooooo!¡± This time, it screamed in pain. Dozens of the mountain peaks on its back completely collapsed; also, blood could finally be seen as the beam penetrated the outermost layer of its shell.


    Seeing the blood of a great demon was an achievement that would be recorded in history, but William clicked his tongue. "Tch, we missed it. Open Magic Circle 9!" Even if he had hit the mark, he didn''t expect to be able to kill it with a single blow.


    At William''s command, magic chains came out of multiple spots in the demon territory again and bound the great demon.


    "Recharge Magic Circle 4 with mana and open Magic Circle 5!"


    Mana slowly began to gather atop Warrant¡¯s fortress; at the same time, a magic circle beneath the great demon began to shine. The great demon was flustered, but couldn¡¯t move because of the chain that tied it up.


    Soon after, ice spikes soared up from the shining magic circle and stabbed into the stomach of the great demon, as if to mutilate it. When its relatively fragile stomach was attacked, it became furious at the pain.


    William shouted urgently as he felt an unusual mana surge from the great demon.

 Chapter 165: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (16)

    ¡°Open Magic Circles 1, 2, and 3!¡±


    A pure, powerful mass of mana formed in the mouth of the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, and the great demon breathed it out toward Warrant.


    The Magician Corps managed to activate the magic circles just as the great demon¡¯s breath struck, enveloping Warrant in a massive, powerful barrier with three layers. Each barrier was a spell that had protected Warrant for years, and even one of them was at a sufficient level to be considered a great magic.


    Despite that, the sturdy barrier was ripped apart like a sheet of paper by the great demon¡¯s breath and just barely managed to alter the attack¡¯s trajectory.


    "Magic Circle 1 has been completely ruined! Restoration is impossible!"


    "Magic Circle 2 has partially disappeared! It isn¡¯t available for use right now!"


    "Magic Circle 3 is nearly out of mana! It needs to be recharged!"


    "Magic Circle 7 has had most of its chains severed by the impact!"


    "Magic Circle 9 has had half of its chains severed by the impact!"


    William clutched his head when he saw the pile of reports.


    "Open Magic Circle 8!"


    At William''s instruction, another mass of magic chains rose from the demon territory, binding the great demon.


    "How much has Magic Circle 4 charged?"


    "It¡¯s about seventy percent charged! Charging is expected to finish in five minutes!"


    "Use the mana in Magic Circle 3 for Magic Circle 4, and prepare to open Magic Circle 6!"


    The aide-de-camp was shocked by William''s instructions. "But Magic Circle 3 is like our safety net!"


    "You just saw that attack and you''re still saying something about a safety net?! We can''t withstand it anyway, so just speed up the charging!"


    "Yes!" The aide-de-camp immediately understood and followed William¡¯s instructions. It was hard to accept emotionally, but he had accepted the cold fact that putting mana into the last remaining defensive barrier would be a waste.


    "Bloody, get ready to attack," said William.


    Bloody smiled deeply as he warmed up. "All right! I''ve been waiting for this!"


    "Be careful, you can''t escape into the air like Orphina,¡± William advised him.


    Bloody smiled and held his arm out with his sleeves rolled up. ¡°Alright, so just undo the seal."


    Bloody''s arm was covered in the runic writing of a magic formula. It was a leash the nobles had put on him, claiming that Bloody was too strong and could cause an accident in the imperial palace. In truth, it was due to political reasons; the noble faction had done so to suppress the power of the emperor¡¯s faction.


    William sighed and undid Bloody¡¯s seal. "Don''t go too overboard."


    While William was unsealing Bloody, the Red Dragon Knights led by Orphina took more lances out of their bags and shot downward. They charged together and stabbed the great demon¡¯s wound, which had only shown minor signs of bleeding. The demon screamed in pain as holes were torn in the wound and blood gushed out.


    The Red Dragon Knights abandoned their broken lances again and flew back up. At the same time, William activated Magic Circles 4 and 6 at the same time.


    With Magic Circle 6, he froze the legs of the great demon to slow down its movement, and with Magic Circle 4, he aimed for the great demon¡¯s head.


    The great demon had slowed down due to the sudden severe cold and its wound, so it couldn¡¯t avoid the beam. Instead, it again tried to gather mana for another breath attack like before.


    Suddenly, it felt a powerful force striking its chin. The great demon turned its head toward the right in a hurry to avoid as much of the beam as possible, but it was hit directly in the back of the head.


    The Turtle Carrying a Mountain defended itself as much as it could with mana and looked down at the presence that had interfered with it. Under its chin, a person wearing heavy armor was aiming a wand that emitted an unusual aura of mana..


    * * *


    Wow! I inwardly clapped with admiration. William and the other members of the Magician Corps had faced the turtle by spending massive quantities of mana stones without regard for the cost.


    It was a simple yet effective tactic, where the Red Dragon Knights distracted it with guerilla warfare and money-sucking magic was used to attack it. From the time it took to ready the spells, it could be seen at a glance that they were fueled by lots of mana stones.


    I really liked the tactic of solving everything with money. Still, most of their preparations had been blown away by the attack containing all of the turtle''s strength. If they were lacking mana stones, they should have checked to see if they had enough money...


    Despite that, the turtle seemed to have had half a taste of unfamiliar pain.


    "Hi, nice to meet you, friend!" I said.


    After I¡¯d hit it in the chin, it had taken a direct hit of the beam and couldn¡¯t even spit out the mana it had planned to unleash, so it had ended up sustaining internal injuries.


    The turtle looked down angrily at me. I waved my hand brightly. "I came to get the mana stone in your body!"


    Perhaps because it understood what I was saying, or because it knew it had been hurt by me, it emitted killing intent toward me.


    "Of course, if I take the mana stone you''ll die, but you''ll obediently give it to me, right?¡±


    "Krrrrrr!"


    "You won¡¯t? Okay, then I''ll take it by force! I''m not the kind of person who looks for permission to do things, anyway!"


    The great demon began to gather mana all throughout its body.


    "Oh, this is dangerous. Are you perhaps angry?"


    "Krrrrrrrrr!¡±


    "Oh, so you really are angry..." Time to run. I fled quickly without looking back, and the great demon released the mana that it had been collecting across its body all at once.


    I was caught up in the massive mana storm emanating from behind me, and got blown away like autumn leaves.


    "Uaaahhh!" It was like riding a roller coaster and a rodeo at the same time. In other words, I felt like throwing up.


    The great demon used the mana storm to cut the countless mana chains that surrounded it. At the same time, most of the Red Dragon Knights circling the area were caught in the storm like me and were blown away.


    I managed to land on the ground, and while enduring the mana storm, I took off the helmet I was wearing and vomited. ¡°Uwack!¡±


    How many years had it been since I¡¯d thrown up from motion sickness? As far as I could remember, I had still been in my hometown, receiving my father''s education.


    When the mana storm ended, the great demon cried out in pain. "Kaoohhh!" Blood poured out of its wound like a waterfall due to the strain from emitting the mana storm.


    It was a natural result. That stupid great demon had basically strained as hard as it could, instead of stopping the flow of blood when it had holes in its head and shoulders.


    Perhaps it had acted that way because it had never been so injured before, but its actions were no different from suicide.


    "Aigoo, you''re spilling all the precious catalyst." I couldn¡¯t help but click my tongue. The blood of a demon that powerful was a great magical catalyst in and of itself.


    While I was feeling sorry for the wasted resources, I heard a familiar sound of cutting air from the direction of Warrant¡¯s fortress wall.


    As I looked toward the sound, an arrow loaded with mana ruthlessly flew toward the wound on the head of the great demon. The arrow precisely hit the center of the wound and blew it open once again.


    Wait, you hit with an arrow from over ten kilometers away?! As far as I knew, there was only one person who had such crazy skills.


    Sure enough, the gates of Warrant opened and Mac hyung, along with the Black Water Buffalo Knights, could be seen with a nocked arrow as he sat on a distinct green deer.


    Wait, then are Little Sister and Lancelot in Warrant, too?! Damn, I shouldn''t have released the chirps. My small sister would have noticed right away that I was in Warrant.


    While I was seriously considering running away, the great demon began to move. It was bleeding profusely, but the blood from the wound was gradually decreasing. It really had a monstrous capacity for regeneration.


    The Black Water Buffalo Knights scattered and spread out wide to either side of the great demon¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Uncle Bloody, Mac hyung, and Lancelot charged toward the front.


    Wait, there was one more person running. Was it Little Sister? No, it couldn¡¯t be. With my uncle''s personality, there was no way he would bring a magician to the front line.


    "Kaoohh!" The great demon roared and started to charge quickly.


    I stopped thinking and considered the status of the people trying to hunt the great demon. If I were alone, I would run away without looking back. But the monster was hurt and weakened, and since it wasn¡¯t just me attacking, it wasn¡¯t impossible to defeat it.


    I flew up in the sky. Uncle Bloody and Orphina seemed to have noticed my presence ever since I¡¯d fired magic at the jaw of the great demon. Then, should I cast a spell instead of saying hello?


    "Incantation omission! Lightning that races across the sky! Fire!"


    The mana stones floating at the end of my magic wand spun fiercely and fired a large beam. Compared to the beam emitted from atop the fortress, it was only half as large and powerful, but it was enough to deal a serious blow to the demon.


    The great demon tried to avoid it by turning its body around, but my magic wasn¡¯t slow enough for such a huge body to avoid it.


    "Who are you?!" Orphina flew up to me and asked before I knew it.


    I answered in a sincere-sounding voice, "I''m Sol****, a warrior of the great sun! Praise the sun!"


    If the sun had been out, I would have made a gesture of praise toward the sun, but unfortunately, it was midnight.


    "A warrior of the sun? I''ve never heard of such a thing! And you say you¡¯re a warrior, but you¡¯re using magic?" Orphina shot me a suspicious look.


    I replied with an exaggerated shrug, "Haven¡¯t you considered that somewhere in the world, magic warriors might exist?"


    Orphina tried to say something, but stopped as she heard William cry, "Orphina! We have to deal with the great demon first!"


    "Tch, I know!¡± Orphina grumbled. ¡°Bastard, I won¡¯t leave you alone if you try to pull anything," she warned me as she flew her red dragon toward the great demon.


    The Black Water Buffalo Knights climbed atop the turtle''s body and began to mutilate it with sword aura, and the Red Dragon Knights obstructed its view by moving back and forth near the turtle''s head.


    The Magician Corps led by William used mana stones like water, and took charge of supporting the knights with ranged attacks.


    At the same time, from the direction of Warrant, Guild Director Glont commanded the artillery and began bombarding the turtle from far away.


    Since the turtle was so big, it was fascinating to see that there was no friendly fire despite so many people being atop the turtle.


    However, the turtle resisted, shaking its body and spewing mana to avoid being attacked. Every time it struggled, it felt as if an earthquake had occurred, and the Black Water Buffalo Knights were unable to properly steady themselves.


    Their first goal was to keep the turtle from moving, though. The giant¡¯s movements alone were powerful. At the same time, there were useful magic circles all throughout the area.


    "Mr. William, let¡¯s use the magic circles together!" I called out.


    "What did you say?" William looked at me while launching piles of ice spears at the turtle.


    I casually ignored his gaze and charged my magic wand to the fullest extent. The magicians stared at me, surprised at the vast amount of mana spewing from my wand.


    "Interference! Contact! Interpretation! Analysis! Approach! Failure, Detour! Approach! Success!"


    I successfully hacked into the magic circles that were scattered in the area and gained control. I then took the sealed magic stone from Lotten''s ruins out of my pocket space and opened the seal slightly.


    Then, mana that had accumulated for more than five hundred years began to pour out. It was only a slight opening in the seal, but it was such an intense stream of mana that my hand quickly became numb before starting to hurt.

 Chapter 166: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (17)

    "This should be enough." I inserted the magic stone into the core of my magic wand and cast the magic. "Magic Circles 7, 8, 9, open!"


    My magic wand transferred the enormous surge of mana from the magic stone to the circles I had activated. All three of them were recharged in an instant, shooting out magic chains that began to cover the turtle''s whole body.


    "How, how did you-!" William and the magicians were surprised and stopped attacking, staring blankly at the magic chains that moved according to my will.


    A magic circle basically worked like a program. Because these had been created hastily to deal with the great demon, their encryption was awful and it wasn¡¯t difficult to gain control of them. So, the real reason for William and the magicians¡¯ surprise was probably that, according to common sense, it was impossible to provide energy to all of those huge magic circles at once.


    Sometimes, however, common sense could easily betray those who blindly believed in it.


    "Kaoooo!¡± As it was tied up again, the turtle began to wail and struggle.


    Hearing the cries of the great demon, William regained his senses and began to blindly fire ice magic toward the turtle''s head, yelling, "Glacial Spear!"


    I also flew up to the turtle''s head and cast a spell, selecting an attribute that wouldn''t interfere with William''s magic. "Lady of the Wind!" As I recited the incantation, awls of wind poured down onto the turtle''s head like a rainstorm.


    The turtle tried as hard as it could to dodge. As it struggled, it released a mana storm from all over its body and broke my magic chains.


    As she saw the turtle break free, Orphina shouted, "Hey! Can you tie it again?"


    "The cooldown time isn¡¯t over yet!"


    "Cool-what?¡± she asked.


    "The mana isn¡¯t fully charged yet!" I replied.


    The turtle raised its head toward me and began to accumulate mana in its mouth. "It¡¯s coming. Avoid it!" I cried.


    Orphina quickly spun in the air and left. Immediately after, the turtle spat out a mass of mana, and I barely managed to avoid it. The ball of mana hit the mountain behind me and exploded.


    KWAAANG-!


    At the site of the explosion, the mountain disappeared and became a huge crater. In terms of power, it made World Reversal look cute. I probably would have said farewell to this life if I had made a ruckus trying to capture it in the middle of rescuing Dane Walker.


    Well, World Reversal hadn¡¯t been designed as a combat skill in the first place.


    William shouted as Orphina and I looked at the scene in a panic, "Get a hold of yourself! It¡¯s coming again!


    "Crazy! It can fire multiple times in a row?!¡± I exclaimed as I flew away in the opposite direction from Warrant. The turtle consecutively spit balls of mana in my direction.


    KWAAANG-!


    KWAAANG-!


    KWAAANG-!


    Over and over, craters formed in the beautiful scenery behind me.


    What did I do wrong for this turtle to keep aiming only at me? I thought. Then again, there was that time it had tried to activate a monstrous skill like that, but I¡¯d blown the mana up in its mouth.


    So mean! Clearly, I had to use my full power too.


    "There is only one trajectory. Seven spearheads fix the future in place. One outcome will follow."


    The mana stones in my magic wand quickly revolved, consuming the mana of the magic stone from the ruins.


    "One death amid countless possibilities!"


    As it likely felt something off about my mana, the turtle kept spitting mana balls at me.


    "Cursed thorn spear, G¨¢e Bulg!"


    Red light flashed as I fired my spell in response to the turtle¡¯s mana shots. The red light spear penetrated a ball of mana and embedded itself directly into the turtle''s body.


    KWAANG-!


    The red spear blew a large hole in the turtle''s huge body and penetrated through its thick skin, causing its blood to burst out like a geyser.


    ¡°KAOOOO!¡± The turtle screamed painfully, but that was all. It seemed too much to ask for my spell to penetrate its heart, even though it was the spell I knew with the best penetrating power.


    The turtle stomped in pain and the Black Water Buffalo Knights, who were atop its body, struggled with all their might to avoid falling.


    Just then, Uncle Bloody jumped high into the sky and threw an aura blade toward the back of the turtle''s head. At the same time, William, who had constantly been attacking from afar, made a huge block of ice to keep its head from moving and avoiding the aura blade.


    The turtle was struck by the aura, bleeding from the back of the head once again. In response, it began to gather mana in its mouth again. This time, it wasn¡¯t one concentrated mass.


    "Run away!"I cried.


    William felt something was off and quickly escaped, but it was impossible for Uncle Bloody, who was still in the air.


    "Enlightenment! Air Kick!¡± Uncle Bloody tried to avoid it by creating a foothold with mana, but it didn¡¯t seem as though he could get out of its attack range. I had no choice but to grab him and fly high into the sky.


    A wide mana wave spewed from the turtle¡¯s mouth and directly annihilated some of the Red Dragon Knights, who had been attacking it from the air. Compared to the ball of mana, it was significantly weaker, but its power was still crazy. In addition, it wasn¡¯ easy to avoid due to its wide range.


    Uncle Bloody murmured, swallowing dry saliva, ¡°Uaa, I almost died.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you get a hold of yourself?¡± I shot back. If something had gone wrong, I would have been caught up in it too. The reason I hadn''t run away was because I¡¯d been afraid he would do something like this. Stupid uncle!


    Uncle Bloody smiled awkwardly at my nagging. "Aha, I don''t know who you are, but thank you."


    "I¡¯m letting go." I dropped him in midair. My uncle just kicked the air as if it were solid ground, landing safely.


    "How dare you!" As she saw her subordinates die without a trace, Orphina¡¯s eyes shot wide open and she rushed towards the turtle. The turtle opened its mana-filled mouth as it aimed at Orphina.


    As he saw the scene unfold, Bloody was surprised, but he released his martial aura at full strength and kicked the turtle''s chin.


    Kwaang-!


    Blood burst out of the turtle¡¯s nose this time when the mana wave it had been charging detonated again due to Uncle Bloody''s kick. At the same time, the charging Orphina drove a lance into the middle of the turtle''s forehead.


    "You idiot! Calm down! You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t!" Uncle Bloody yelled.


    Orphina bit her lips as if her pride had been hurt by Uncle Bloody''s criticism. Still, she couldn¡¯t say anything because she would have died if not for Uncle Bloody.


    I shouted at the two people who were dawdling near the turtle''s head. "Get out of the way! I''m launching a big one!" As they heard me, Uncle Bloody and Orphina quickly got out of the way.


    I poured all my mana into my magic wand and drew as much mana from the ruins¡¯ magic stone as possible, crying, ¡°Thunder God¡¯s Thunderbolt!"


    Billions of volts of lightning struck the lance in the turtle''s forehead like a lightning rod.


    I pushed my mana reservoir to the limit in order to control the residual electricity that was spreading through the surroundings, sending it back to the lance. If I hadn¡¯t, the Black Water Buffalo Knights on the turtle''s back, as well as Mac and Lancelot, would get roasted alive by the electricity.


    "Uuwack!" Perhaps because I¡¯d overexerted myself, or received internal injuries from depleting my mana, I vomited blood. I took off my helmet and wiped my bloody mouth with my sleeve. "Uah, damn, I¡¯m gonna die.¡±


    The turtle should be dead by now, right? Honestly, if it didn''t die from this, there was no solution. Using the ruins¡¯ magic stone, my output was several times greater than what I could normally manage.


    ¡°KAOOOOOO!¡±


    "F**K! Are you joking!? This didn''t kill you?" I exclaimed.


    In terms of scale, I had focused a lightning spell that could easily wipe a city off the map directly into the lightning rod embedded in the turtle¡¯s head.


    If it had instead hit the skin of the turtle¡¯s back and the turtle had survived, even if I couldn¡¯t accept it, I could at least understand that it was expected for a great demon.


    But this wasn''t just a simple matter of it being able to take hits well. I¡¯d just have to consider it immortal¡­ Can it even die?


    As far as I knew, the turtle was the weakest of the four great demons. But couldn¡¯t it actually be the strongest?


    How does this make sense? Are there monsters stronger than this? All kinds of complicated thoughts came to mind, but the turtle raised its head charred by lightning magic, opened its mouth, and shot balls of mana everywhere.


    One of them flew right at me. I immediately tried to avoid the shot, but I couldn''t gain any speed because of my drastic mana depletion.


    Damn it, I¡¯m going to get hit! I aimed my magic wand at the ball of mana to somehow try to survive, but suddenly, someone grabbed me by the back of my neck and flew upward quickly.


    "Fool! Why are you confronting that?!" It was my little sister who had snatched me up and taken me out of harm¡¯s way. Aside from not knowing why my little sister had saved me, I¡¯d never been so happy to see her. If it weren''t for my little sister, even if I didn¡¯t die, I would have been seriously hurt.


    "You, you¡¯re Den, right?" she asked.


    I was flustered by her question. "Wha, what do you mean? I''m Sol****, the great sun warrior!"


    How had she known? Ah! The chirps! Damn, it had been a mistake to release the chirps, because I¡¯d thought only Uncle Bloody was there.


    Or¡­ no, should I call it a blessing in disguise this time?


    "Don''t be ridiculous! What''s that mask? It''s hard to recognize. Why did you fill it with so much perception disruption magic? And what¡¯s that wand that can emit such fearsome mana?!"


    I realized that I¡¯d taken off my helmet to wipe off the blood I¡¯d thrown up. But it was a good thing I¡¯d worn a mask inside. "I''m not the person named Den," I said, feigning ignorance.


    I took out a mana recovery potion from pocket space and drank it. Thanks to the MP potion, my mana recovered quickly and I felt as if I could live again.


    "That''s funny. Who else is there besides Teacher-nim who can cast that kind of monstrous magic?"


    "Apparently, there are people called the Four Great Madosas in this world,¡± I replied.


    But my little sister didn''t believe me. "So you''re one of the four great madosas? Don¡¯t make me laugh!"


    "Then what?" I tried to worm my way out all the way to the end.


    But, my little sister smirked. "You, do you know that Father is in the demon territory?¡±


    "What?!"


    Ah, I made a mistake. My little sister''s words were so shocking that I stopped responding. Had he perhaps come out to capture me because I¡¯d written that I was in the demon territory in my letter?


    "See, you''re Den. Why are you here?" my little sister asked


    I put the helmet back on and answered, "I said in my monthly letter that I was in the demon territory.¡±


    "You expect me to believe a lie like that? Hestia unni is worried too, so just call it quits now and come back. Eight months was enough time to play. Seeing as you¡¯re wearing armor, did you get a position as a soldier or something?¡± My little sister sneakily tried to figure out where I was staying and asked leading questions.


    I loosened up with a smile. "That won¡¯t work."


    "Tch!" I reassigned the chirps I had released to investigate the demons¡¯ movements, commanding them to find my father. All of them moved from the nearby area, heading deep into the demon territory.


    By now, my mana had almost fully recovered. "Shall I go to Number 3 or Number 5?¡±


    At my question, my little sister let out a sigh of resignation and raised her magic wand. "Number 5."


    "All right, let''s quickly take care of that turtle first, then we can talk."


    "If you run after saying that, I¡¯ll kill you."


    As expected, she was my little sister. She knew me well. If my father was in the demon territory, though, of course I needed to run.


    I crossed my little sister''s magic wand with mine and poured in mana.

 Chapter 167: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (18)

    My little sister looked at me anxiously. "But are you really going to do that kind of great magic? I''m not confident I could pull it off."


    I smiled at my little sister''s concern. Oh, right, she couldn''t see it because of the helmet. I said, "Do you think you can kill that monster without something like great magic? The one that survived after getting hit in the brain with a spell I cast with all my strength, to the point it made me vomit?¡±


    My little sister looked fed up as she looked at the turtle. It was screaming ferociously as it went on a rampage. She replied, "Uh, yes, but. It''s supposed to be a spell cast by thirty people."


    She was referring to great magicians who were just below the level of medusa, too. It was absolutely impossible for any ordinary person to participate in such magic.


    "Eh, well, you''re the one who picked this spell, noona," I remarked.


    "Hey! The other option was a spell designed for a hundred people!¡± she exclaimed.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. I''m going to handle the mana and formula formation. You can just play the role of triggering it," I said. In short, I meant I would be acting in place of twenty-nine great magicians.


    My little sister nodded when she saw the enormous mana coming out of my wand. If it weren''t for the magic stone from the ruins, I wouldn''t even have thought of attempting it, either.


    My sister began chanting her part of the incantation. I recited my own as I calculated the complicated magic formula.


    "It is the darkness before dawn."


    "The sky is embroidered with countless stars."


    "The traveler who walks along the river sings."


    "He sings the stories of the many constellations."


    "Today''s song is-"


    ¡°The story of falling stars.¡±


    ¡°The story of ancient times.¡±


    "Beauty at the end of a myth,"


    "Bravery at the end of a legend,"


    [Symphony of Starfall! Stardust of the Falling Star!]


    Dozens of magic circles arose as many runes were carved in the air.


    I briefly lowered my magic wand and drank another magic recovery potion from my pocket space. Ugh, I was short on mana again.


    "Hey! Wait! You¡¯re telling me to control all of this?! Help me!" my sister cried.


    My fully recovered mana had been drained again in an instant by just the initial preparations. I was glad my little sister was here. If not for her, I would have had to run away without even being able to think of casting this kind of great magic.


    If it survived after getting hit by this, I''d really have to run away...


    "If you only ever ask for help like that, your skills won''t improve. Fire when I give the signal. Then, fighting!" [1]


    I flew over to the turtle, shouting cheerfully, "Hey!"


    My little sister called out to me urgently, so I waved my hand. After firing that magic, her mana would be fully depleted and she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything¡­ So I¡¯d run away quietly at that time.


    William''s magic circles seemed to be off their cooldown as well. I charged my magic wand again. "Magic Circles 7, 8, 9, open!" I cried. Magic chains stretched out again from all sides and tied down the turtle.


    At the same time, I used the magic chains to pick up all the Black Water Buffalo Knights on the turtle¡¯s shell and send them far away. The knights were flustered, but honestly, they had been in the way.


    "What are you doing?!" William, who had been continuously attacking the turtle with magic, asked in surprise. I pointed to the sky instead of answering.


    William was shocked when he saw my little sister on standby high up in the sky. "No, what?! You should have needed at least thirty great magicians for something on that scale!"


    As expected of a madosa with outstanding skills, he had recognized it at a glance.


    "I had a hard time preparing that. I had to go all in with my mana a few times," I remarked.


    "Who are you?" William asked with a serious expression.


    As I saw his face, I stretched my hands high into the sky. ¡°I am a warrior of the great sun-!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke,¡± he muttered.


    I shrugged at William''s burning gaze. "You can find out from the person waiting up there later, so just tie down the feet of that monster for now."


    William didn¡¯t like it, but he nodded. "I don''t know who you are for now, but I''ll trust you, since you don''t seem to be evil."


    "Hahaha, you won''t suffer a loss."


    ¡°All troops! Back away!" William yelled.


    The knights and magicians who had been intercepting the turtle were confused by the mana-filled order. Still, they loyally obeyed the command and quickly began to withdraw.


    William and I simultaneously hovered into the air, circling around the turtle and casting magic.


    "This is the land ruled by the king of ice! Army of the frost, rage like a storm! Ice Storm!"


    "Spirit of thunder, bind the foe with chains! Thunder Shackles!¡±


    William''s magic froze the turtle''s legs; my magic layered atop it, paralyzing the turtle.


    At the turtle''s head, Mac and Uncle Bloody were drawing its attention.


    Still, perhaps because my magic had struck it directly in the head, its movements were sluggish and it looked exhausted.


    Now, if we could tie its feet down completely, we could withdraw everyone and launch the ¡®Stardust of the Falling Star¡¯, which was on standby in the sky.


    Considering the range and power of the magic that my little sister was waiting to trigger, we needed to leave the turtle completely immobile to be safe. If we were a little off, Warrant could end up in the spell¡¯s attack range, so we had to be cautious.


    "Isn''t this enough?" William asked, looking at the turtle whose legs were completely frozen and unable to move.


    I nodded. "Yes, I think this is enough."


    But right when I was about to give a signal to my little sister...


    The turtle''s head drew inward, retreating into its shell. At the same time, a long snake-like tail came out of its rear end, spitting fire and melting the ice on its legs.


    "What? Why does it have two heads?"


    Everyone engaging the turtle was shocked. The tail that had come out from the turtle¡¯s rear wasn¡¯t really a tail; it was another head!


    No wonder it hadn''t died even after a direct hit from my magic at maximum output. Even if one head died, there was another head to replace it, so it wouldn¡¯t die completely.


    After the snake head melted the ice, it continued to breathe out mana, cutting the magic chains.


    "Stop it!" William shouted, and Orphina and the Red Dragon Knights flew toward the head of the snake. "Can you create more chains?" he asked me.


    William''s question made me laugh in vain. "Haha, I have to make more even if I say I can¡¯t...¡±


    My mana had already caused a backlash, even making me vomit blood. Because I had overexerted myself to prepare the great magic in order to kill the turtle completely, my magic circuit was starting to sting.


    Despite that, unless I wanted the great magic that I¡¯d put so much effort into to be in vain, I had to create the chains.


    William and I headed to the snake''s head to cover Orphina and the Red Dragon Knights. There, Uncle Bloody, Mac hyung, and Lancelot were dealing with the snake head.


    "Ahahahaha! You can''t dodge my arrow moving that slowly!¡± Mac hyung ran around and shot arrows wrapped in aura blades, hitting the right eye of the snake''s head.


    "Kiehhhhk!" The head of the snake shed tears of blood and screamed painfully, but it didn''t seem to have sustained a deep wound.


    Uncle Bloody ran up the long neck of the snake and ran towards the top of the snake''s head. Then, he shot out an aura blade tens of meters long, striking the head directly.


    ¡°Uracha!" [2] A long wound formed on the snake''s head and exposed its red blood.


    The snake''s head swung wide and threw off Uncle Bloody just as he was about to leave another large cut.


    Uncle Bloody flew through the air, but landed atop one of the Red Dragon Knights¡¯ dragons. He leaped up high again and shot another aura blade.


    At the same time, William''s ice spear and my wind awls interrupted the snake''s head.


    "Kieeecckk!" The snake¡¯s head was hit once again, and the wound burst open and began to bleed profusely.


    While the snake''s head shook wildly, it was hit by Mac hyung''s arrow and its right eye burst.


    "Die!" Orphina took out a lance and charged at the snake''s head, embedding it deep into the wound.


    "Kieccckk!" The snake''s head became furious at the joint attack, and started spewing flames everywhere.


    "Keeuuaak!¡± A few Black Water Buffalo Knights were caught in the widespread flames and died.


    "You bastard!" Uncle Bloody was truly enraged. He cut down the flames with an aura blade and threw another into the snake head¡¯s mouth.


    "Now! Open Magic Circle 7!¡± The mana stones in my magic wand rotated fiercely, and the magic chains that had been broken throughout the demon territory popped out and wound around the neck of the snake head.


    Seeing the snake''s head temporarily come to a halt, Uncle Bloody summoned his martial aura with all his strength. "Final Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!"


    Golden mana shot out of Uncle Bloody''s body, bathing him completely in aura.


    I freaked out when I saw that. "That idiot!"


    "Die!" Uncle Bloody threw a blade of his golden aura at the snake''s head.


    When the snake''s head saw the golden aura blade moving toward it, it fired mana with all its power to break the chains that blocked its movement, and dodged sideways.


    "Kieeeccck!" The snake''s head barely escaped the aura blade, but even the slightest graze made its hard exterior burst open, and it spewed blood like a fountain. Meanwhile, the aura blade instead struck the turtle''s body.


    Kwagwagwagwang-!


    The huge mountain on the turtle¡¯s back began to collapse as it was cut down. It was a catastrophic scene.


    To have turned the great demon¡¯s body into that with a single blow was comparable to the achievements of my great-grandfather, who had killed the Demon King in the past.


    Uncle Bloody had already begun preparing another blade of golden aura. But while he was focusing completely on his sword, I mustered all my strength to hit him in the back of the head.


    "Wha, what¡­!" Uncle Bloody exclaimed.


    "Take a nap,¡± I said. Uncle Bloody looked at me as his eyes became hazy. I caught his body as it fell.


    "What the hell are you doing?!" William and Orphina pointed their wand and sword at me respectively, unleashing their killing intent. From their perspective, it was understandable, since they didn¡¯t know what kind of skill this was.


    Suddenly, Lancelot moved to block them and asked me in a trembling voice, "Wait a minute! Den? Are you Den?"


    Upon hearing Lancelot''s words, everyone in the area became flustered. I nodded softly, because I had been caught by my little sister anyway. "Yeah, long time no see, Lan."


    When I confirmed my identity, Mac hyung merely nodded at the fact that I¡¯d moved to knock Uncle Bloody out. "Iya, long time no see, Youngest Master.¡±


    ¡°Dance of the Fireflies¡± was a notorious forbidden technique among martial arts skills. If used, it could boost one¡¯s potential tens of times over, but it was a self-destructive skill that led to one¡¯s body collapsing, even if it was the strong body of a Crow.


    "Mac hyung, if you were with him, you should have stopped him before he could use this kind of skill!"


    Even with just that single blow, Uncle Bloody would be stuck in bed for half a month unable to move. That was assuming my little sister could nurse him all day long. The great magic I¡¯d prepared, that could kill the turtle in one shot, had almost been in vain.


    "Oh, what am I supposed to do when even Youngest Master can¡¯t stop him?" he replied. I just yelled at him while throwing Uncle Bloody at Mac hyung, who was smiling slyly. He remarked, "Aigoo, aren''t you handling him too aggressively?"


    I simply gestured for Mac hyung to go away and infused mana into my magic wand. "Everyone withdraw! A big one is coming!" I cried.


    Everyone backed away quickly. I bound the snake''s head, which had begun to move again, with magic chains. At the same time, I signaled to my little sister, "Three, two, one! Fire!"


    The "Stardust of the Falling Star" rocketed down from high in the sky and directly hit the turtle. It looked as if a huge white column had fallen from the sky.


    1. ¡¯Fighting¡¯ is a word Koreans use to cheer, similar to ¡®you can do it!¡¯


    2. The sound effect of Bloody¡¯s attack.

 Chapter 168: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (19)

    The white pillar of light looked like the bright pillar of legend that could destroy everything.


    "Hmm, it''s weaker than I thought,¡± I mused. It seemed to be because I¡¯d used a makeshift method, owing to the lack of time.


    Orphina murmured, looking fed up, "This is weak?"


    According to stories that had been passed down, it was a spell that had erased an ancient tribal state, so at this scale, it could be considered weak. Of course, the right way to use it was to sweep the pillar of light around like a broom, rather than unleash it in one place.


    William looked dejected. "How arrogant of them to say it lacks power when only two mages made it." Just then, he smiled bitterly. "No, considering Leisha¡¯s ability... Even though she¡¯s controlling it from up there, you probably made most of it by yourself, so perhaps it¡¯s not arrogant."


    As my little sister ran out of mana, the pillar of light gradually became thinner and soon disappeared. Only the slumped-over corpse of the turtle remained in the midst of a large crater.


    "Wow, it really was a great demon. Even leaving a corpse after all that...¡± The fact that the body had remained meant the turtle had tried to persist to the very end. I thought maybe if Uncle Bloody hadn¡¯t dealt a blow with the Dance of the Fireflies before, it might still be alive.


    Either way, we were done with the turtle.


    I stretched and said, "Utcha! Then I''ll take that turtle¡¯s mana stone as payment for my hard work." If there was a body left, there would definitely be a mana stone left.


    William and Orphina each replied,


    "Wait. The mana stone of the Turtle Carrying a Mountain will be taken back to the treasury."


    "If we don''t take the mana stone, the battle will have been a severe loss."


    From my perspective, as someone who had been in charge of distributing the mana stones, the amount of mana stones consumed in the fight against the turtle was no joke.


    It was clear that the newly collected mana stones from hunting the overflowing demons wouldn¡¯t even replace half of the mana stones consumed.


    "Hmm, am I a part-timer?" I asked playfully.


    Orphina raised her voice, crying, "Can you even call yourself a citizen of the empire!?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not."


    In principle, the Crow Tribe wasn¡¯t affiliated with any country. If she demanded my affiliation, I could say that I only belonged to the Crow Tribe. It was the same for both the Dragon Tribe and the Butterfly Tribe.


    "I''m just asking for a share due to what I''ve achieved in this fight,¡± I said with a hint of an apologetic tone.


    Orphina looked at me with trembling eyes. William dryly coughed and asked gently for my understanding. "Would it be possible for you to compromise?¡±


    "As a magician like you, I¡¯ll ask. Could you easily compromise on a mana stone like that?"


    William answered my question immediately. "Of course not."


    "William!" Orphina exclaimed.


    William just shrugged at the criticism. "What''s the problem? even if I¡¯d said yes, he wouldn¡¯t believe me in the slightest. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He smiled playfully, looking for affirmation.


    I nodded. "Of course I wouldn¡¯t."


    "Then what if we demand our share?¡± Orphina retorted.


    While inspecting my body, I asked, "So what shall we do?¡±


    My body was in the worst condition. My mana circuit was screaming from excessive use, and my physical strength was almost exhausted. In addition, I had broken out into cold sweats from the strain of consecutively drinking the mana recovery potions, all to prepare for the "Stardust of the Falling Star" that had just been fired off.


    Luckily, I was currently wearing my helmet. In front of skilled people such as William and Orphina, the perception disrupting magic placed on the half mask wouldn¡¯t work well and it would be difficult to hide my complexion.


    I clapped my hands and said, ¡°Then let''s do this.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    "The one who takes it first keeps it."


    As soon as I finished speaking, Orphina swung a whip at me, saying, "I like it!"


    I flew away to avoid the whip that was trying to wrap around my body. In response, the Red Dragon Knights, who had been on standby near us, also flew into the air.


    ¡°But I didn''t agree..." William sighed helplessly and grabbed his magic wand. Then he told Mac hyung and Lancelot, "Isn''t this the best chance to capture that rascal?"


    "Hahahaha! That''s true!" Mac hyung nocked an arrow onto his bow without hesitation. So mean!


    "Um, but attacking Den is...¡± Fortunately, Lancelot was reluctant to attack me.


    Mac giggled and tried to tempt Lancelot. "Ayy, what''s the matter? You also saw that monster launch his magic, anyway."


    Lancelot was torn, and tearfully shook his head. "I don''t think it¡¯s right for me to attack my friend." He sheathed his sword.


    Ah, I really had a good friend. On the other hand, I would probably have to deal with Mac hyung seriously.


    Anyway, I¡¯d decided that my goal would be to seize the great demon turtle¡¯s mana stone and run away. It was too bad I couldn¡¯t pummel Mac hyung, but I could save that for next time.


    "Capture him!" Orphina cried, and the Red Dragon Knights attacked me in unison.


    I flew between the three dragons approaching from in front of me and kicked the side of the rightmost dragon.


    "Kaaaaoo!" The dragon I¡¯d kicked in the ribs immediately fell.


    I took out my favorite sword from my pocket space. "Killing is excessive, so I''ll just slash you with my sword still sheathed." I put a thin layer of sword aura over the sword sheath. In my current state, this was the limit.


    As she charged toward me atop a dragon, Orphina said, "It won''t make any difference if you put sword aura on it!"


    What do you mean, no difference? There was clearly a difference in cutting power. Of course, it would be used to cut limbs. [1]


    Orphina had a lance in her hands as she charged. Aren''t you trying to kill me, not just subdue me? I thought as I dodged Orphina''s charge with some acrobatic flying.


    Five Red Dragon Knights surrounded me as if they had waited for me to escape, and used fire breath on me.


    "Barrier! Heatproof!" I flew up while blocking the flames coming in from all sides, and Mac hyung''s arrow flew toward the exact spot I was headed to.


    Kang!


    Mac hyung''s arrow came at me and easily tore my barrier apart, and I barely managed to deflect it with my sword.


    Damn, the barrier had been pierced too easily. When was the last time I¡¯d been this tired? As far as I could remember, the last time was when I¡¯d run away from home.


    "Ahahaha! You''re exhausted, aren¡¯t you? Youngest Master!" Mac hyung laughed joyfully and nocked another arrow onto the bow string.


    As expected, Mac hyung, who knew me better than most, was the most annoying. Fortunately, however¡­ Unlike the time I¡¯d run away, other than Mac hyung, the people I had to deal with weren¡¯t elites from the Crow Tribe.


    "Magic bullet!" I escaped towards the body of the turtle and created a barrage of magic bullets.


    Most of the Red Dragon Knights were blocked by the barrage and avoided it, but Orphina did some flashy flying acrobatics and quickly rushed towards me.


    "Hargan!" Orphina called out the dragon''s name. The dragon shot breath at me and descended as if it could understand her orders perfectly. Just then, Orphina jumped high into the air and swung her whip at me.


    "Wind Curtain!" Using magic, I dispersed the dragon¡¯s breath; at the same time, I flicked away Orphina''s whip by throwing sword aura.


    Then William fired countless ice arrows; using the arrows as a stepping stone, Orphina jumped at me again.


    I had no clue how often they¡¯d worked together, to be able to do this kind of trick.


    Kang!


    Orphina''s sword collided with mine, creating sparks. She skillfully moved through the air, stepping on William''s ice arrows.


    I didn''t know the timing of the flying ice arrows, though, so I just felt as if I were constantly being attacked.


    "Where¡¯s all that spirit from when you were dealing with the great demon? Brat!¡±


    I grit my teeth tightly at Orphina''s babbling. "Why didn¡¯t you show this much spirit when you were dealing with the great demon, ahjumma?!"


    My provocation really struck Orphina''s nerves as she frowned deeply and retorted, "Yes, as expected of that simpleton¡¯s nephew, the way you talk is completely mannerless!¡±


    "Hahaha, we¡¯re a proud family!"


    When the distance between us grew a little, Orphina''s whip lashed out in a frightening rush. When she drew close, she slashed at me with a sword covered in aura. But whenever I distanced myself completely, Mac hyung''s arrow baptism would pour out.


    The only silver lining in this misfortune was that their teamwork still had no synergy with Mac hyung at all.


    "Lady of the Wind!" Orphina shouted as she deflected my wind awls with her whip. "Hargan!"


    As if it had been waiting for Orphina''s cry, the dragon suddenly appeared behind my back and spread its mouth open toward me.


    "Kaaaaah!¡± I didn''t notice that giant thing? I panicked and hurriedly stepped back as I kicked the dragon in the chin. After a moment, I realized¡­ "I see, it was invisible!"


    "Correct!" Orphina answered and swung her whip again.


    As I deflected each whiplash¡¯s changing trajectory for minute after minute, my wrist began to throb. Perhaps because I was exhausted, my mana consumption was much faster than usual


    It was too hard to deal with this many people alone. If I¡¯d known this would happen, I would have left some of the chirps to assist me. Currently, all my chirps were exploring the demon territory and searching for my father.


    Wait, if I don''t have anyone on my side, then I can just make one. "Oohuhuhuhu!¡± I laughed.


    "Why are you laughing all of a sudden? Did something go wrong in your head from the exhaustion?¡± Orphina looked at me curiously.


    I clung to Orphina''s dragon''s neck as it got close. It was a bit of a risk, but if I succeeded, the benefits would be great.


    "Ha ha! How foolish! Did you think I wouldn''t be able to attack if you stuck to Hargan?" Orphina lashed out with her whip without hesitation, and the dragon moved its neck to bring me into range.


    I took out a collar I¡¯d made out of boredom when I was young from the pocket space. It was the so-called Ener** Controller!


    Back when I¡¯d first seen the parade of the Red Dragon Knights, I¡¯d wondered whether the Dragon Tribe''s telepathy was stronger than my magic or vice versa. Let''s test it out!


    "Entering the code! Left, right! A, B!"


    "Kaoooo!¡± The dragon cried painfully and struggled, and thanks to that, the whip Orphina had swung at me only split empty air.


    The collared dragon soon stopped struggling and became calm. I sat properly on the dragon''s saddle and stroked its neck. "Wuh-wuh, there you go!"


    "Krrrrrr."


    Orphina was flustered to see the dragon calmly letting me ride it. "Hargan! You bastard! What did you do to Hargan?!"


    "What do you mean? This dragon is mine now, and I can handle it as I please."


    Orphina had an incredulous expression. "Impossible!"


    "Your new name is Joey! Let''s give her a blow! Joey, fire!" At my command, the dragon exhaled a breath towards Orphina.


    Orphina flung herself into the air to avoid the breath, and a Red Dragon Knight flew in with another dragon to catch her.


    ¡°Ahahahaha! Let''s go! Joey!¡±


    ¡°Kaooo!¡±


    Atop the dragon, I quickly flew through the sky.


    1. It¡¯s unclear why he would put sword aura on the sheath to increase its cutting power instead of just cutting normally.

 Chapter 169: A Turtle Carrying a Mountain (20)

    Atop her subordinate''s dragon, Orphina quickly followed me, yelling, "Let Hargan go!"


    I felt guilty for some reason when I looked at her eyes. She was in tears from sheer anger. But I didn¡¯t show it as I cried, "Ahahaha! I''ll send it back to you later!"


    "Hargan! Wake up!" Orphina shouted desperately.


    I felt as if I¡¯d become a villain as I commanded, "Cry out, Joey!"


    "Krrrrrrrrrrr!¡± Joey cried, emitting Dragon Fear.


    The Red Dragon Knights'' dragons, who had been flying around and pressuring me, faltered in terror and confusion from Joey¡¯s Dragon Fear. Some of the dragons even ignored the knights¡¯ control and ran away.


    That tactic probably only worked so well because Orphina''s dragon was the leader of the group.


    "Joey, fire!" I commanded, shooting down the Red Dragon Knights who were persisting in the chase with Dragon Breath.


    Then, I flew over to the spot on the turtle''s body with the most concentrated mana, and took the mana stone from the turtle. Originally, it would have contained so much mana that it couldn¡¯t be touched, but it was no longer difficult to retrieve, considering how much the turtle had consumed.


    As I tried to escape from the turtle''s body, William, who had been tailing me from behind, aimed his magic wand and blocked me. "This land is ruled by the king of ice! Lord of the frost, rage like a storm! Ice Storm!"


    As William''s magic shot toward me, I pulled on the reins of the dragon and quickly avoided it. Today was the first time I''d ridden a dragon, though, so Joey''s right leg froze due to my poor control.


    "William! Don''t hurt Hargan!" Orphina called out. William had no choice but to falter when he saw Orphina about to cry.


    When I saw the scene, I put a knife to the dragon''s neck. "If you keep attacking, I can''t guarantee its safety!" Hmm, I said it, but it really was a trashy line.


    "I¡¯m sorry! Please!" Orphina begged.


    I felt as if the strands of hair on my conscience were being pulled out by Orphina''s plea. Despite that, my conscience was too abundant to go bald from just this much.


    At that time, a single arrow flew from the distance, aiming exactly for my head.


    Kang!


    Sure enough, Mac hyung had readied an arrow for me.


    It was hard to read his words because he was too far away, but looking at the movements of Mac hyung''s lips, he was probably saying, ¡°I won''t miss this time, Youngest Master.¡±


    I shouted as I wrapped the sword in more sword aura, "I warned you! I can¡¯t guarantee the safety of the hostage if one more attack occurs!"


    Of course, the hostage was being forced to experience Stockholm syndrome because of my magic.


    But there was no way Mac hyung could hear my voice from that far away. He fired an arrow at me again.


    "No!" Orphina swung her whip to block the arrow being shot at me.


    "The hostage will be released tomorrow at noon, and will go to Warrant alone! Keep in mind that I cannot guarantee the safety of the hostage if you pursue us!" I unilaterally notified them and flew up on the dragon.


    Mac hyung shot a hail of arrows at me, and Orphina desperately swung her whip to hit them away.


    "Uuk! We''ll see about this! Bloody''s nephew!" Orphina gritted her teeth and shouted angrily.


    "Ahahahahaha! Let¡¯s go, Joey!" I rode the dragon across the sky over the demon territory.


    All that was left to do now was sneak back to Warrant.


    * * *


    Gawain rode atop the green deer to reach Doomstone in the middle of the demon territory. His jaw dropped at the sight he encountered.


    The land, which had been full of dense forest grass, had become a wasteland. Many of the mountains were filled with holes, and some had even collapsed as if they had been gnawed by rats.


    "Did you go? Did you deliver the message properly?" Mirpa asked.


    Despite Mirpa''s question, Gawain couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the struggle between Doomstone and the Ten Thousand Year Old Dragon.


    "¡­Yes, I delivered it,¡± Gawain replied absently.


    At Gawain''s stunned expression, Mirpa said with a smile, "It''s almost time for the battle to wrap up." Gawain nodded and looked at his father.


    Doomstone gathered his martial aura and kicked vigorously. ¡°Enlightenment! Cut the Clouds!"


    The dragon responded to the force coming from Doomstone''s feet with a Breath attack. Dragon''s Breath had the power to destroy a mountain in a single blow, but despite that, it was dispersed by Doomstone''s kick.


    Doomstone kicked off the ground and jumped hundreds of meters in one bound, striking the dragon''s chest. "Enlightenment! Destroy the Mountain!"


    The dragon slammed into the ground after being punched by Doomstone.


    Kwagwagwang-!


    ¡°Kieeeccckkk!-¡± The dragon puked blood and released its Dragon Fear. Doomstone merely laughed out loud, despite the dragon¡¯s power to instill absolute fear in all living things.


    "Uahahahaha!" Doomstone''s mana-infused laughter clashed with the Dragon Fear and canceled it out.


    The dragon then attacked Doomstone while he was in the air, creating a storm of mana with its wings.


    Doomstone curled up and guarded his whole body with a defensive aura, sheltering against the storm as it shredded everything around him. Despite that, perhaps because he had been in a bloody fight against the great demon for over a full day, he was unable to completely block it and his body sustained minor scratches.


    After enduring a storm as sharp as countless blades, Doomstone made a foothold in the air with mana and charged at the dragon. "Enlightenment! Air Kick!"


    The dragon was surprised to see Doomstone rushing toward it and flew high into the sky. It avoided Doomstone as he struck the ground.


    The ground shook and the earth collapsed. Doomstone used one hand to blow away the dust that rose into the air. "Where did your initial lively self go?! You winged lizard!" Doomstone taunted.


    Perhaps the dragon understood Doomstone''s provocation, as it gathered its mana and shot a ball of mana at him.


    Doomstone punched the ball of mana flying at him, yelling, "Don''t let me down! If you''re the strongest of the great demons, show me more strength!"


    "Kaoooo!" The dragon quickly flew at Doomstone with a body surrounded by mana and body slammed him.


    Doomstone drew forth his martial aura to its peak and used both hands to stop the dragon¡¯s body slam, laughing. "Hahaha! Yeah! That¡¯s more like it!"


    A mote of golden mana came out of Doomstone as he competed in strength with the huge dragon, and enveloped his whole body. "Final Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!"


    Doomstone focused the overflowing power from his body into his right leg and kicked with all his might. "Enlightenment! Cut the Clouds!" His kick pierced deeply into the dragon¡¯s body and sent it flying into the distance, where it rolled across the ground.


    Doomstone exhaled deeply and released the Dance of the Fireflies. The golden mana disappeared, and its backlash came immediately.


    "Keup! Is it still too much for me to completely control?" Doomstone checked his physical condition while stretching, in a situation where it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for an ordinary Crow to collapse immediately due to the aftereffects.


    "Good, I¡¯ll be able to wrap this up." He calmly approached the dragon, letting out more martial aura.


    The deeply wounded dragon struggled and cried mournfully. "Kieck! Kieecck!"


    "Let''s finish it with this." Doomstone raised an aura blade emanating from his fist, but stopped when he heard the dragon''s voice.


    - Spare me, no, please spare me!


    "What?! You were able to talk?"


    Doomstone had never heard of a dragon that could speak in his life. It didn''t matter whether the dragon had gained intelligence after having lived for ten thousand years, or if this dragon just happened to be a variant.


    The dragon screamed at Doomstone''s martial aura. "Kieecck!"


    - I never knew there was a monster like this! Spare me!


    Doomstone paused at the dragon''s cry, but replied, "Who told you to attack the empire? Well, it doesn''t matter. Now die."


    Whatever force was behind the dragon, it didn¡¯t matter to him, because he was a Crow.


    An old man in a blue mask blocked Doomstone''s fist as he coldly punched toward the dragon.


    "Kieecck!" As the old man confronted Doomstone, the dragon began to beat its wings and fled, dragging its injured body deep into the demon territory.


    Doomstone glanced at the dragon as it flew away and stopped paying attention to it. Unless it went in the direction of the empire, there was no need to kill it. His duty as an ally had been sufficiently fulfilled just by preventing it from entering the empire.


    Doomstone was more interested in the blue-masked man who had blocked his fist. "So there are two more people,¡± he said. As soon as he spoke, a woman in a pink mask and a man in a brown mask appeared.


    The old man in the blue mask took a step back. "It¡¯s been a long time, Doomstone Blade,¡± he said, baring his teeth as he smiled.


    * * *


    In the imperial palace at the center of the capital, the royal guards ran hurriedly while bearing torches.


    "Stop! Who are you people?!" Eranto, the head of the Royal Guard Division and the leader of the mercenary alliance, pointed a sword at the three unidentified people who had just broken into the imperial palace.


    Visible in the torchlight, the three people were revealed to be wearing masks. One was half red and half white, another half red and half black, and the last half red and half snow white.


    Eranto recognized the masks and shouted, "Libra! Scorpio! Are you from the 12 Zodiacs?!¡±


    ¡°These guys are-!" The head of the Royal Guard Division was alarmed by Eranto¡¯s cry.


    The red-masked Scorpio smiled seductively with a magic wand in hand. "Oh my. I''m not a man, I''m a woman."


    "Does that matter?¡± Libra asked, looking at Scorpio with a look that seemed to say ¡®You¡¯re pathetic¡¯.


    Scorpio shrugged. "It''s important to me. By the way, it''s been a while. It''s our first meeting in five years, right? Self-proclaimed mercenary king?" She waved in greeting.


    Eranto was agitated by Scorpio¡¯s actions. "Shut up! There¡¯s supposed to be a magic circle here, so how did you come from the direction of the palace interior?!"


    Scorpio smiled and answered gently, "That''s because we''ve been researching it for years and years, of course. It''s still a vicious magic circle, so we can only invade this place for a very short while. But look, you noticed as soon as I entered and rushed over here.¡±


    Libra was furious when he saw Scorpio speaking candidly. "Why are you giving them all the details?!¡±


    "I just want more people to know how hard it¡¯s been. The Emperor must be happy, being protected by such a terrifying magic circle that even a great madosa would have to risk their life to penetrate."


    Libra sighed at Scorpio, and Sagittarius laughed pleasantly at the sight, remarking, "Hahaha! What¡¯s the problem, as long as we accomplish our goal?"


    Sagittarius shook an antique box marked with the imperial sigil.


    The head of the Royal Guard Division saw the box and cried, "That¡¯s-! Did you just rob the imperial office?"


    Libra frowned as if he found Sagittarius¡¯ behavior troublesome. "I can''t believe I''m working with these people. Ah, ah, Great One... Why are you giving me such an ordeal?¡±


    "Come on, let''s get away now,¡± Sagittarius said. Scorpio and Libra immediately used magic to escape the palace.


    "Chase them!" the captain ordered, and the royal guards broke into a run. Still, even if they tried to pursue the enemy until dawn, they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch anything.


    The prime minister¡¯s stomach was upset when he heard the news.

 Chapter 170: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (1)

    As the day dawned, people from the adventurer¡¯s guild headquarters, including myself, prepared to return to the capital. This was thanks to Guild Director Glont dismissing the summoned reserve forces after judging that the flooding of the demons and the subjugation of the great demon turtle was over. If the reserve forces were dispersed, it was only natural for the civil servants within these forces to return to their original work.


    "But can we really just disband the army like this?" Flam asked.


    Demuir answered with a smile, "Since it''s only the reserve army that''s going to be disbanded, there won¡¯t be any problems. Only the capital defense unit, the 2nd Corps of the main army, will return to the capital while the rest will remain for the time being."


    As the reserve forces were originally vigilante adventurers, problems seemed to have begun to arise in many ways. On top of that, it appeared something happened in the capital, as Guild Director Glont looked to be in a hurry.


    Well, I wasn''t in a position to worry about others. I wanted to leave Warrant as soon as possible, so it was better for me that they were getting ready to depart in a hurry.


    As most of the supplies were being left behind, all we had to do was hand over our work to the main unit¡¯s administrative officers. And so, the preparations for our departure were completed within the morning.


    "Den, what''s wrong? You don''t look good," Demuir asked anxiously, organizing the documents to be handed over.


    "No, I think I slept wrong because I was cramped from sleeping in the shelter."


    In fact, last night, I used mana too excessively, and the mana circuit was overloaded, so I was suffering from a sudden mana deficiency. If I were back in my hometown, it would have taken half a month to get better, but here, I could recover quickly if I stuffed medicine into my body and rested for two to three days.


    "Yeah, my whole body is aching because I''ve been living in a cold tent and sleeping in a cramped shelter."


    Demuir nodded, seemingly convinced, and as if it had suddenly come to mind, he asked Flam, "Oh, come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see you two in the shelter. Where did you go? For the first time in a while, Dano even saved spots for everyone from the headquarters."


    When Demuir asked, I felt a prick but didn''t show it. "I went to go to the bathroom. It took a long time, and when I came back, the spot was gone.¡±


    Demuir smiled heartily as I said some nonsense. "Yeah, well, there are a lot of people despite the shelter being small. Flam, were you in the bathroom, too?"


    "Uh, I mean... Yes, I was in the bathroom.¡± Flam nodded awkwardly.


    To describe Flam¡¯s trembling voice or facial expression as a flavor, it tasted like lies! Well, where Flam went last night was none of my business. Flam''s personality wouldn¡¯t have him stealing something.


    Come to think of it, 20 percent of the chirps that I released into the demon¡¯s territory got done in by the demons and had to be rebuilt or repaired. In addition, it was time to begin the plan of mass-producing the dragon tooth soldiers, as well as start researching the cores from the golems obtained from the ruins.


    There were many places to put my money, but I don''t know if the money I had would hold out. Should I rob some illegal slush funds from the nobles again? I''ll have to go through Count Druval''s corruption ledgers.


    "Ah! It''s over!" Demuir tied the documents being transferred together and got up from his seat, stretching.


    "I am all done, too." Flam worked in the battle rations sector, so he didn''t have much work to do. At least, the stock quantity didn¡¯t go up and down like the arrows that were being retrieved.


    "What about you, Den?"


    "I''ve already finished." My head wasn¡¯t bad enough to spend hours on these simple documents.


    "Then shall we just hurry and transfer them and get in the wagon for departure?¡± Demuir proposed.


    Flam enthusiastically agreed, "That¡¯s a good idea."


    "I want to hurry up and leave this horrible place.¡±


    It was not good for my mental health to stay in a place where I might be caught. We hurried and transferred the documents over before heading for the carriage leaving for Asterium. We¡¯ll be taking a direct train from Asterium to the capital.


    * * *


    Glont clicked his tongue at Bloody, who was lying on a bed. "Aiing, tsk tsk. Why did you go and use the Dance of the Fireflies?"


    In exchange for using a self-destructive technique, every capillary in Bloody¡¯s body had expanded, making it look like a bluish web had formed on the skin of his entire body. If it weren''t for the strong body of the Crows, the vessels would have burst instantly and become spotty with bruises.


    "Ahahaha, the blood just rushed to my head." Even though he laughed in vain, Bloody''s face was full of anxiety.


    Despite many years passing, he still couldn¡¯t get used to the death of his subordinates, who he had been good friends with for a long time. In particular, it was worse for the Black Water Buffalo Knights because the average mortality rate in battle was extremely low compared to other knight divisions.


    "Well, we managed to beat the great demon because of it.¡± Lying next to him, Dane Walker smiled and defended Bloody.


    "By the way, how come Orphina and William haven¡¯t come to see you even once? Such a petty bunch,¡± Bloody grumbled.


    Glont let out a sigh, "William is being briefed on the damage to the entire army and is planning the troops¡¯ future movements with the other officers. Orphina is... she''s on the fortress walls all nervous after having a bout with your brother''s child.¡±


    Bloody couldn''t understand what Glont was saying. "My brother''s child? Did Leisha cause an accident?"


    "Not Leisha, the other one."


    "The other one¡­ Then Gawain? If it¡¯s Gawain, he went back to hyung-nim,¡± Bloody said as he tilted his head.


    Glont frowned, "You''re so dull. I¡¯m talking about Denburg."


    "Why Den all of a sudden¡­? Wait?! Was Den here?¡±


    When Bloody was genuinely surprised, Glont shook his head at him pathetically. "That Solar who said he was serving the sun is your nephew."


    "What! Really? No wonder he suddenly hit me in the back of my head. I would''ve understood if Mac or Lancelot had hit me, but I was surprised. Hahaha."


    Glont was unaware that Denburg had run away from home and just found out through this incident. Even though he didn¡¯t attend the secret meetings, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was missing out.


    "Your nephew''s magic was quite impressive. It didn¡¯t seem like he was just at a level of a madosa."


    "Well, he''s the one who beat up and caught a dragon in the Olympus Forest using magic.¡±


    Dane Walker freaked out when Bloody said that. "Is that possible?!"


    Glont was also surprised. "Looking at the magic he used to beat the great demon, it doesn''t seem impossible at all, which makes it even more surprising.¡±


    When Glont smiled insidiously, Bloody shook his head. "You had the same look when you were drawing in the Dragon Tribe, but you should give up because he''s the next chief. If you handle this recklessly, it''ll be an all-out war with our village."


    Glont laughed as if he had been dissuaded by Bloody''s warning. It was clear that if there were an all-out war with the Crow Tribe, the Butterfly Tribe and the Dragon Tribe would immediately halt their exchanges with the empire.


    "Ohhohoho, that''s too bad. He¡¯s definitely a needed talent for the empire. Well, even if I managed to persuade the Crow Tribe, it¡¯ll be hard with Orphina still grinding her teeth."


    "More importantly, what did Den do to make Orphina grind her teeth?" Bloody asked.


    Glont told the story as he heard it upon Bloody¡¯s inquiry. With the addition of Leisha''s testimony, he was even informed that Lupin, the notorious thief in the capital, was actually Denburg.


    After hearing the story, Bloody burst into laughter. "Kuhaha! Lupin! Befitting his notoriety in the village, he went and caused a big mess."


    Despite the throbbing pain in his entire body, Bloody couldn''t stop laughing.


    Glont sighed once again at this display. "I''m not kidding. Lupin is suspected of being a heretic. It could lead to a feud between the temple and the Crow Tribe."


    It was something that had to be avoided from the point of view of the empire, which used the temple as its national religion.


    "It''s okay; he''s very shrewd. I''m pretty sure he knows his identity as Lupin has been discovered, and he''s working under a different name now,¡± Bloody said.


    "Well, that would be better. Of course, the best thing would be for him to return on his own two feet."


    "There¡¯s no way that kid would do that," Bloody said with a grin.


    Glont got up from his seat. "You two are patients, so take your time coming back to the capital. I have to go straight back to the capital."


    "What, so fast?"


    When Bloody and Dane Walker looked at Glont in surprise, Glont answered with a serious face, "I got an urgent message from Arcanta. The palace was robbed by the 12 Zodiacs."


    "What?! Is that possible? Through that horrendous magic circle?"


    "I know. I''m worried about Eranto, who was on standby at the palace. I heard he got injured in the process of chasing after them."


    "I see. He''s too hot-tempered. That''s the problem,¡± said Bloody.


    Glont looked at him as if saying that he was one to talk. "It''s more of a problem that you¡¯re in this state!"


    Bloody shook his hand at Glont''s yell, "Uh-uh, here comes the old temper."


    Glont coughed in vain at Bloody''s retort. "Khmm!"


    Since he and Bloody spent their glory days leading the rugged knights together, when they talked, they sometimes spoke as they did in the harsh past.


    Glont spoke softly with care, "Orphina originally had to stay and lead the main army. Now, because of you, she has to return to the capital with the Red Dragon Knights and the 2nd Corps. Do you think it makes sense for the field commander-in-chief to return?¡±


    Glont sighed one after another and continued his nagging. "Really, aren''t you a little self-conscious? How can a commander who leads the army lie in bed? Did I or did I not tell you that the commander shouldn''t fall until the very end?¡±


    "Uh... Um, sorry."


    He was looking for a chance to retire completely, but he felt like his retirement was becoming more and more distant.


    "Ehew, ohhohoho, what can you do after the water has already been spilled? Anyways, take good care of your bodies, you two.¡±


    "I got it."


    "Good luck."


    Glont exchanged goodbyes and left the infirmary.


    * * *


    Around noon, I watched as Warrant''s fortress wall moved further away from the carriage as we returned to the capital. Now, Orphina''s dragon must be slowly returning to Warrant as I had controlled it to do. Orphina was now included in the list of people I had to avoid. Of course, there was no chance of running into her while doing regular duties as a civil servant.


    "Why, are you sad to leave? Have you grown fond of it?¡± When I looked at Warrant, one of my companions in the carriage, Rosellis, asked playfully.


    "No, I''m sick of military supplies."


    Rosellis wasn''t riding in a military officer''s wagon, but instead, Flam and I were in Rosellis''s wagon for commanders. Unlike the wagons that officers rode, this one was spacious and had fluffy chairs, so I liked it. As expected, having a backing is good in this regard.


    "Ahahaha, but when we get back, we¡¯ll be closed for about two to three days, so you won''t have to go straight to work. So rest well."


    "Oh, really?" Flam asked delightedly.


    Rosellis nodded lightly. "Yeah, I guess Mr. Roseland hasn''t told you yet?"


    "Yes, Mr. Roseland was quite busy. If it''s something that has been decided, I¡¯m sure he will tell us at Asterium."


    If we were really getting two or three days off, it would be enough time to get back to normal condition and repair the chirps.


    "And you two will have plenty of reward vacations.¡±


    I tilted my head at Rosellis''s remark. "What? Why?"


    "You two were brought to the frontline straight away after being dispatched to the ruins. Other people are also getting reward vacations, but I heard you two are being given more care since you guys went through additional trouble."


    ¡°Did the guild director say that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    At Rosellis''s prompt reply, Flam and I did a high five.


    "Yay! Vacation!"


    Then I''ll really get to study the core of the golem. If I don''t have enough research money, I¡¯ll just put on a mask and steal some illegal slush funds.


    By the way, since Lupin''s mask was discovered by my youngest sister, I¡¯ll have to start by making a new mask. What should I name the new one? I''ll think about it carefully.

 Chapter 171: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (2)

    Early in the morning, the sky above the capital was blue with no clouds in sight. As soon as myself and the people from headquarters arrived in the capital, we returned our guns and rapiers before dispersing after formally reporting our return.


    I wanted to return the rank badge on my shoulder, but I was refused because apparently it was given as part of the supplies. I wanted to throw it away because it felt like I could be conscripted at any time if I had it. However, because it was considered a gift from the emperor, I would be subject to disciplinary action if I lost it or threw it away. This dang autocracy.


    I pretended to put the rank badge into my chest but put it in my pocket space and asked Lisbon, ¡°Are you ready to be punished?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Lisbon tilted his head as if he didn''t understand what I said.


    I smiled and made him understand reality. "You joined the army without telling Alice, and you went to the front.¡±


    Only then did Lisbon grasp what his future entailed, stiffening his face and becoming nervous. Considering the subtle aura leaking from him despite his nervousness, it seemed that he surpassed a few levels from being at the crossroads of life and death.


    No matter how much he risked his life surrounded by demons far stronger than himself, it was surprising that he grew to this extent after only one day. It seemed that if he met a proper teacher, he could easily be pulled up to Rosellis and Alice¡¯s level in a few years. Should I try teaching him?


    "Um, hey, could you keep it a secret?¡± Just thinking about it, Lisbon knew what he did was deserving of punishment, and he looked at me like a dog soaked from the rain.


    "I don''t want to." Unfortunately, I don''t like dogs.


    "Can''t you do that? Please!" Lisbon begged, but in fact, I didn''t want to agree because I thought it would be fun to watch Alice rail on Lisbon in a fury.


    "Den! Please!"


    "Look here!"


    When Lisbon grabbed onto my pants and begged without paying attention to the fact that we were in the middle of the street, I kicked Lisbon away.


    "Uak!"


    Watching Lisbon fall over in the middle of the street, I pulled up my pants that Lisbon had slightly pulled down and said, "If you¡¯re going to go this far, then I won¡¯t tell."


    "Really?"


    Looking at Lisbon watch me with sparkling eyes, I added a condition. "But only if you win against me."


    "Win? In what?" Lisbon looked at me with frightened eyes.


    If the bet was centered around using your brain, Lisbon himself knew that he couldn''t beat me. Of course, he wouldn''t be able to beat me even if we used our bodies.


    "Who knows, what shall we do?¡± I laughed playfully, and Lisbon trembled in fear.


    Alright, I¡¯ll go easy. Originally, I was thinking of doing a book memorization competition or a 10-digit arithmetic competition. However, this would be impossible for that stone head, so I decided to give Lisbon a chance to win.


    "Let''s go with the best out of three games and, to be fair, let¡¯s each choose an event that we think we have an advantage in."


    "Uh, if we each decide on one event, then what about the other one?¡±


    I decided to be generous with the curious Lisbon. ¡°I¡¯ll let you select that one too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lisbon was delighted and, at the same time, showed his conflicted emotions on his worried face.


    Well, whatever you choose, you won''t be able to win against me anyways. There was no reason to waste time with a guilty conscience. It was just a little entertainment.


    "Then I¡¯ll gratefully accept your consideration.¡±


    "No, there¡¯s no need to be thankful. Instead, if I win, just do me a favor,¡± I said.


    "Favor? Uh, weren¡¯t you going to tell Alice if you won?¡±


    I whispered and patted the flustered Lisbon¡¯s shoulder, "That''s not true. I was originally going to tell her, but I¡¯m giving you a special opportunity. As such, don''t you need to pay the price for this opportunity?¡±


    It felt as if I was whispering like a devil. Yet, it wasn¡¯t like it was going to cause trouble for someone, and I was only teasing this pushover.


    Lisbon swallowed his saliva as his mouth went dry, and he nodded solemnly. "All right."


    "Then, you can go ahead and decide on the first event."


    ¡°Then I''ll pick a swordsmanship contest!¡±


    Wow, look at you without a conscience. A student at the knight school chose a swordsmanship contest against an office worker without any hesitation. Of course, he probably decided this after considering that the event I¡¯d pick would be overwhelmingly disadvantageous to him. Still, I was surprised that the pushover made this choice.


    "Okay. As soon as you get back to the boarding house, grab your sword and come out to the garden."


    When I agreed without hesitation, Lisbon was surprised and asked, ¡°Will you be alright without taking a rest first?"


    "Yes, I''m fine. Do you need to rest?" My physical condition was not at its peak, but there would be no problem winning against one pushover.


    "No, I''m fine too." Lisbon smiled confidently.


    Being so confident, I¡¯ll have to teach him some modesty.


    * * *


    "I''m back."


    As soon as I opened the door of the boarding house and entered, Alphonso rushed at me. "Long time no see, Den!"


    I blocked Alphonso by grabbing his head with one hand as usual. He was quite heavy. It seemed that he¡¯d been working hard on muscle training.


    "Ow, that hurts!" Alphonso shouted, and I relaxed my grip with an oops. I¡¯d made a mistake in controlling my strength because my physical condition wasn¡¯t what it normally was.


    "Huh? It doesn''t hurt?" Alphonso looked up at my face with wide, suspicious eyes.


    I grabbed him too hard for just an instant before I quickly used recovery magic to get rid of his pain, so he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed. I¡¯ll have to focus on controlling my strength when I fight with Lisbon.


    "Long time no see. How come the two of you are coming in together?¡± Alice asked with sharp eyes, making Lisbon falter in panic.


    He panicked so much that I wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to hide it. I sighed and said on behalf of the faltering Lisbon, "We met on the way back."


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. From Warrant to Asterium, where the train station was located, we came via different means. I was an officer, so I rode in a carriage while Lisbon walked because he was an infantryman. In other words, we met at the train station in Asterium on our way back.


    "Hmm, yeah?" Alice looked at Lisbon with questioning eyes. It seemed that she had a feeling that the pushover might have gone up to the frontline.


    Lisbon and I went straight up to our room, put our luggage down, and went to the garden with our swords. All I had were real swords made of adamantium or mithril, so I borrowed a fake sword from Alphonso to use. [1]


    Ting!


    I checked the sound by hitting the side of the blade lightly. Judging from the sound, it seemed to have been made with considerable care. It was a very small amount, but it contained mithril, which made it good for mana conductivity. If you just sharpened the blade, it would become an acceptable sword.


    "It¡¯s pretty good."


    Alphonso stuck out his chest at my evaluation as if he was bragging. "Yep! It was a gift from my uncle!"


    I heard that the Butterfly Tribe tends to look down on things other than magic, but they seemed to support him well. I was jealous.  When I said I was going to study magic, my family all opposed it and didn¡¯t give me any support.


    Since my father opposed me learning magic as my main focus, I had to match my swordsmanship and martial aura to my father¡¯s acceptable standards. Whenever I didn''t reach his standards, I had to undergo hellish training.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t stop my youngest sister from learning magic, it seemed my father insisted based on my talent, so I didn¡¯t have any particular complaints. Well, in the end, I managed to do both somehow.


    Whik-! Whik-!


    The sword was adjusted to Alphonso''s height, so it felt a little short, but it wasn''t enough to pay much attention to it. Wait, Alphonso and I didn''t have that much height difference.


    ¡°Alphonso, come over here.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Alphonso came running over excitedly, and I touched the top of his head. Compared to the first time I saw Alphonso, it was certainly lower.


    "Ah, I got taller." I didn''t realize it because I didn''t care about it much. Well, it was natural since I was in my growth period.


    In about three months, when my birthday comes, I¡¯ll be 17 years old. So, it was a time for growth. If I get any bigger, I''ll have to get my uniform refitted.


    Alice came out to watch Lisbon and me as we were warming up and asked while taking a bite of a cookie, "What''s going on? Why the sudden contest?¡±


    "Ah, we decided to make a bet and have the loser fulfill the winner¡¯s wish on the way here.¡±


    When I briefly explained what happened on the way here, Alice booed while looking at Lisbon. "Booo! Cowardly! Don''t they teach chivalry in the knight school?


    Yuria was sitting next to Alice and watching, and she also booed with her. "That''s right! It¡¯s cowardly to have a sword fight against a magician!"


    When he heard them booing him directly, Lisbon was embarrassed. "Well, that¡¯s-"


    "It''s okay. I learned some swordsmanship back when I was in my hometown. And later, we will have a match in a version of chess that I often played in my hometown."


    For reference, the chess I played with my big sister in my hometown was a chess game in which you compete on a battlefield of nine chess boards put together, playing with 120 chess pieces. Local rules allowed each player to rotate one of the nine chessboards 90 degrees in the desired direction every ten turns. It¡¯s a fun game that makes your head spin.


    Alice nodded when she heard me. "Well, then that''s fair to some extent."


    As expected, even his family recognizes that he¡¯s a stone head! Five stars! Stone head gets five stars!


    "But wouldn''t he get hurt?" Yuria was worried and looked back and forth between Lisbon and me.


    "It''s okay; I''ll control my strength." Lisbon confidently drew his sword. I smiled at Lisbon¡¯s confidence and pointed my sword at him.


    "Go easy on me." Although, I don''t know if the pushover can afford to limit his strength.


    "Come at me first!" Lisbon got in position and shouted.


    Then let''s not refuse and attack first. I lifted the sword and struck lightly as I moved forward.


    Kang!


    "Heup!"


    He must have been surprised by the strong impact, as his eyes opened wide and he put strength into his legs. His foundation is pretty solid. Ordinarily, for defense, you would put strength into the arms confronting the sword, but in order to defend stably, the lower body had to be tightened.


    Sreung-, Kang!


    Lisbon deflected my sword forcefully as I gave a powerful strike from above and took two steps back.


    "That was heavy,¡± Lisbon said.


    I smiled as Lisbon became impressed. "I told you, I''ve learned to use a sword. That attack was a move to tell you not to let your guard down, so I''ll start fighting sincerely now."


    When I slightly raised my fighting spirit, Lisbon also raised his seriously. I approached a little faster and cut from the bottom right upwards.


    Kang!


    When Lisbon blocked my sword, I quickly turned the handle of the sword in a circle with the end of the sword aiming for his left arm.


    Kang!


    At the same time, I tried to kick Lisbon''s side with my left foot. Lisbon became flustered, blocking my sword and raising his leg to block my kick with his shin.


    Impressive. It seems he has learned well at the Knights School. If I had kicked seriously, his shin would have been broken, but I adjusted my strength because it was not a real fight, nor were we in my hometown. I recovered the sword and stabbed it toward Lisbon¡¯s neck.


    Kang! Sreung!


    Lisbon dodged sideways and followed up my stab by aiming at my shoulder. At Lisbon''s counterattack, I put strength in my arm and twisted the sword to push Lisbon away.


    "Huh?" Lisbon was shocked when he was suddenly pushed aside by force. He was wide-eyed at the fact that he was pushed by my strength, someone clearly smaller than himself.


    "Here I come!"


    I lightly put some mana into the sword. Since I said I was attacking sincerely, it would be good for me to be a little sincere.


    1. Fake sword as in a sword with a blunted edge for practice use.

 Chapter 172: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (3)

    As the mana formed a bluish hue on my sword, Lisbon also hurriedly drew up his mana. When I approached and gave a broad slash, Lisbon calmly blocked it.


    Kang-!


    When my sword and Lisbon''s sword collided with each other, the mana also clashed and created sparks.


    "Keup!" With the addition of my mana, Lisbon groaned as it became harder to receive my sword.


    "Cheer up! How can a knight lose to an office worker?" I shouted and continuously struck down with my sword repeatedly.


    Kang! Kang! Kang!


    It was a basic attack with no technique at all, but Lisbon focused entirely on blocking it. Considering the difference in ability between Lisbon and me, this was a natural result. However, this outcome should only occur when I was trying my best. Currently, I was consciously limiting my strength to be slightly weaker than Lisbon, so it was strange that he was showing weakness like this.


    ¡°Did you perhaps have your guard down?¡±


    Lisbon flinched at my words. I was even considerate enough to tell him not to let his guard down, but he still relaxed because I¡¯m a civil servant who works in an office. He didn¡¯t have the proper attitude needed to wield a sword.


    I mixed a little bit of killing intent with my fighting spirit and shot it at Lisbon, who quickly stepped back three or four steps in surprise. Unexpectedly, it seems he had never experienced true killing intent before, as he had cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and his hands were trembling.


    "I guess the knight school teaches you that it¡¯s okay to let your guard down when sparring?¡±


    Lisbon swallowed his saliva at my cold voice, his mouth dry.


    "The grandpa in my neighborhood who taught me the sword also told me not to let my guard down even if my opponent was a little kid. I guess the education at the knight school is pretty lax."


    The grandpa in my neighborhood who taught me the sword was Elder Weger, the master of  Uncle Bloody, Gawain, and Mac hyung. For your information, I was the 10-year-old little kid who was mentioned at the time. Those subjected to his discipline were the disciples of Elder Weger, who were smashed by my swordsmanship. After losing to me, the students received hellish training hell as punishment, and I remember it was fun to watch.


    At my admonition, the light in Lisbon¡¯s eyes changed, and he nodded. "Sorry. I''ll come at you with my full strength."


    Lisbon clenched his trembling hand, and his spirit started to become full of determination. Seeing that he managed to overcome my killing intent in a short period of time, it was clear that he was full of talent. I smiled brightly at him.


    "Haap!" Lisbon quickly approached and swung his sword.


    However, it''s too late to change your mind after already getting on my nerves. The time for playing is over.


    Kang!


    I harshly struck Lisbon¡¯s sword aside and cut at his left thigh. Even though it was a fake sword, because there was mana running through it, a little blood was drawn.


    "Uuk!" As Lisbon¡¯s posture fell apart, I cut his side and instantly went behind him, raising my sword to his heart. If we were fighting with our lives on the line, I would have stabbed him through, but we were just sparring with a bet.


    "Do you admit defeat?"


    His stance totally ruined, kneeling with one knee to the ground, Lisbon announced his surrender, "I... lost."


    At his surrender, I pulled back my mana and put the sword back into the sheath. Then, I reached out to the somewhat shocked Lisbon. "Do you know why you lost?"


    Lisbon took my hand, stood up, and pondered. "¡­Is it because of my carelessness?"


    I shook my head at Lisbon¡¯s response. "Well, there''s that, but no."


    "Then?"


    "Rather than your attitude, it basically comes down to your lack of real fighting experience.¡±


    In terms of just physicality, I was worse than Lisbon. Even my footwork that caught Lisbon¡¯s back at the end was just at a basic level. I didn''t mean to, but what determined the victory between Lisbon and me was the killing intent that I released.


    Releasing my killing intent to get him to focus instilled fear in him and dulled his skills. Even though he overcame the killing intent and attacked me, a person who encountered killing intent for the first time could not overcome it completely. Due to this, he couldn''t stop me from attacking his thighs and ended up revealing his side and back to me.


    "Have you had a lot of real fighting experience?¡± Lisbon seemed to sympathize with what I said. He fought hard for his life against the demons, but it was only for a day.


    "I had a lot of experience from back in my hometown. As you know, my hometown is near Warrant and the Olympus Forest.¡±


    Lisbon seemed convinced by what I said. Lisbon''s hometown was also in the north, so he would have heard about the fierce life-threatening fights with monsters every day.


    But soon, he looked at me strangely. "Then you should have taken the test for knights, not the civil service exam. With this level of skill, it''s basically the same as having won the top spot, with the scholarships on top of it."


    Having the top spot at the knight school would be too noticeable to Uncle Bloody¡¯s eyes.


    I shrugged at Lisbon. "Ayy, I¡¯m not that good. I only learned it for self-defense.¡±


    Demons were dangerous, of course, but in a village surrounded by monstrous plants and animals that fought for their territories against the demons, sword aura was included as part of basic self-defense.


    In terms of the weakest person, even my oldest sister with the worst constitution in the village was able to produce sword aura. However, if you were to ask if my big sister was strong, her strength would have her lose to a high-ranking knight in the empire. Even if you had a good physique, if you didn¡¯t have the skills to back it up, you would just end up like Alphonso.


    "Ayy, you¡¯re lying.¡± Lisbon stuck his tongue out at me.


    "I''m not lying. Compared to my brothers, my skills are nothing."


    When I was in my hometown, if I faced my older brothers without magic, my chances of winning were only about 20 percent. Now, of course, outside the Olympus Forest, if I were to use magic, I was 100 percent confident in winning.


    "Thank you, Alphonso, for letting me display my abilities."


    When I won, the spectating Alice and Yuria looked at me in surprise. Apparently, they didn''t believe me when I said I knew swordsmanship.


    Alphonso accepted the sword and looked at me with sparkling eyes. "Wow, Den! You¡¯re so strong!"


    "You''ll be able to fight at this level soon, too.¡±


    "Really?!" Alphonso opened his eyes wide in anticipation. Seeing his expecting look, it pricked my conscience to have said such empty words for no reason.


    ¡°Can you make sword aura?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Alphonso nodded at my question and produced sword aura.


    ¡°What''s your sparring record against Lisbon?¡±


    ¡°124 matches: five wins, 98 losses, and 21 draws.¡±


    I couldn''t figure out how he could naturally produce sword aura while his skills were so bad that he would lose to Lisbon. Considering the amount of time he learned from Uncle Bloody, it was amazing that his skills weren¡¯t even up to my level.


    "Uh... Yeah, you''ll be able to fight at my level in about half a year."


    It might take longer, but I said this optimistically as it seemed like he was able to reach draws often these days.


    I smiled playfully while I looked at Lisbon. "That''s one to zero. Shall we continue to the next event?¡±


    "Yeah, can we do it tomorrow?¡± Lisbon held his wound and pretended to be injured.


    He¡¯s just trying to delay the match as much as possible.


    "Well, sure." I treated Lisbon''s thigh and side with simple healing magic.


    * * *


    Glont headed to the prime minister¡¯s residence in the imperial palace. According to the formal procedures, he was supposed to have an audience with the emperor and Orphina rather than heading to the prime minister¡¯s residence. However, Orphina and the main unit were still on their way back, so when Orphina arrived, they would have a full-fledged audience with an award ceremony.


    "You''re here, General Glont-nim."


    Glont smiled slightly when he saw Arcanta stop working, standing from his seat, and welcoming Glont.


    "Ohhohoho, general? The reserve forces have been disbanded, so you should call me guild director.¡±


    "Oh, you''ve already disbanded?" Arcanta seemed regretful. He was trying to reinstate Glont as a general this way, but he had already lost his opportunity.


    The call-up and dismantling of the reserve forces were under Orphina¡¯s authority, as she was appointed as the commander-in-chief, so there was no room for intervention from the prime minister and the imperial court.


    "Did you hear about the situation?"


    Glont nodded at Arcanta''s question.


    The prime minister asked carefully while preparing refreshments and black tea, "I''m sorry, but can you somehow help guard the palace for a while? I think you¡¯re the only one who can fill the vacancy left by the seriously injured Bloody."


    Glont shook his head, savoring the black tea Arcanta that brewed. ¡°My mind has not changed.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    Glont spoke firmly to Arcanta as he trailed off, "The person who is in charge of the royal guard division is also strong and talented. He¡¯s plenty capable of filling Bloody¡¯s vacancy."


    "But if you consider the treasure robbery situation-¡±


    Glont cut off Arcanta''s rebuttal. "That was an inevitable occurrence. Even if I was there, I don''t think the results would have changed. Furthermore, if I enter the imperial court temporarily, there is a risk that the hierarchy of the royal guard will be shaken. If the hierarchy falters, it¡¯ll be worse than if I hadn¡¯t returned to the imperial court in the first place."


    The firm refusal soon deterred Arcanta. "Yes, if you say so, then all right. However, I want you to lend me a hand when we need it, just like you have done so far."


    "Of course I will.¡±


    Looking at Glont nodding his head, Arcanta sighed inwardly.


    Glont calmly looked at the prime minister''s complexion while drinking his black tea before talking about the purpose of his visit. "First of all, I''d like to report on the ruins."


    Glont''s words reminded Arcanta about the ruins that he had forgotten due to the Turtle Carrying a Mountain suddenly moving southwards.


    "Yes, I''ve heard that the ruins have collapsed. What happened?¡±


    Glont took the envelope out of his bag and handed it over to Arcanta. "I wrote the details in the report. To just tell you the conclusion, we failed."


    Arcanta¡¯s expression hardened at Glont''s report. "So the last legacy of the Holy Tribe has fallen into the hands of the 12 Zodiacs?"


    As a result of combining the preliminary investigation from the Big Mama Information Agency and the imperial library, he knew that Aries would take action soon, so he tried to move first to occupy it in advance. As such, he was discouraged by the news that they had failed.


    The mere thought of the threat posed by the enemy now that the Miracle Crystal, the last legacy of the Holy Tribe, had fallen into their hands made his stomach hurt. However, Glont had a subtle expression.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "No, we failed, but it didn''t fall into the hands of the 12 Zodiac."


    At Glont''s words, Arcanta asked while pulling out the report from the envelope, "Then is it buried with the ruins that collapsed?"


    Glont answered the question with a dejected smile, "No, a thief named Lupin stole it."


    "¡­What?" Arcanta was confused and looked through the documents. Why is Lupin appearing all the way out there?


    The prime minister couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. These days, Lupin had stopped appearing, so he had stopped searching. Yet, his head was burning at the thought that he might have to change the civil servants stationed at the treasury again.


    "We''ll have a conference on state affairs soon, and it''ll be a headache if the thief causes a ruckus again."


    The conference on state affairs was a meeting where high-ranking nobles and officials from all over the nation gathered every year to discuss state affairs for the next year. At the same time, because of the incident of the great demon moving southwards, the award ceremony for Glont and Orphina was scheduled to take place at the same time.


    With Arcanta''s sigh, Glont wondered whether he should reveal the truth that Lupin was actually Denburg. After thinking about it, Glont told the truth. This made Arcanta take stomach medicine, and 30 minutes later, Arcanta was taken to the hospital due to acute poisoning.


    Because of the emperor''s strict order disallowing Arcanta from being comfortable by himself, the empire''s best alchemists, therapists, and high-ranking priests clung to him. Arcanta recovered in a day, and his suffering continued.

 Chapter 173: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (4)

    At dawn, I sat on a chair and looked up at the sky. As I stared at the sky at this time of the day, the thoughts of the hardships I endured while running away came up, and seeing the beautiful sky left a strange emotion.


    "One." The chair lowered at my command.


    "Two." Then it rose again.


    "One, but when are we going to have the second bet?"


    "I, I don''t know! Today, I have! Huuk, huuk. Plans."


    I could feel the chair shaking.


    "Two, you''re not trying to escape by using plans as an excuse, are you?"


    "Oh, no, I¡¯m not!"


    As if it had hit its limit, the chair did not rise again.


    "Come on, you can use your mana, so let''s do 30 more push-ups."


    At my encouragement, Lisbon, the person squashed underneath me, barely managed to push himself up using mana. Then, with a bright red face and drool spilling from his mouth, he shook his head.


    "Impossible, it¡¯s too much. Spare me."


    "One. Hey, I''m not the one who asked for help with training."


    "What? I thought- This isn¡¯t what I had in mind!" Lisbon yelled in desperation, which was irregular as he usually didn¡¯t raise his voice.


    All right, it looks like the workout is progressing as it should. I had no doubt that he would quickly reach his limit since I made my body heavier with my magic.


    "This is what I thought of, though. Hurry and go down. One!"


    It seems that Lisbon was picturing something like sparring and giving feedback to each other, but I had no intention of ending it with just "Ah, you worked hard.¡±


    He should at least be able to go through what I did in my hometown. At my shout, Lisbon slowly went down with trembling arms.


    "Okay, now automatic."


    "Keuaaaah!" Lisbon yelled desperately and rapidly did push-ups to finish quickly.


    "Den, don¡¯t I have to do that too?¡± Alphonso asked while hitting a custom-made magical wooden doll with a wooden sword.


    I nodded roughly. "Yeah, even if you just do what you¡¯ve been doing, your strength is plenty. I''ll just fix your posture, so keep hitting."


    "Okay!" Alphonso answered lively and moved energetically to hit the wooden doll.


    As long as Alphonso was being taught by Uncle Bloody, I couldn¡¯t recklessly teach him how to use a sword or any techniques. Uncle Bloody taught several times better than I, so getting involved would only harm Alphonso without any benefits. Of course, my main reason was the risk that if something were to go wrong, what I taught would be noticed by Uncle Bloody, and my position would be exposed.


    "Alphonso, lengthen your step a little bit. By about three centimeters?"


    "Like this?" As Alphonso moved a little longer as I instructed him, his posture got better.


    "Okay, it looks good.¡±


    Alphonso became proud when I complimented him and continued to swing the sword harshly.


    "Thiiirr-ttyyyy!"


    I clapped my hands and shouted as Lisbon barely finished the push-ups, "Five more!"


    "AAHHHH!" Covered in sweat, saliva, and tears, Lisbon screamed.


    Still, he was deserving of praise for doing what he was ordered the whole time. If you keep this up, I''ll make it so you can treat any ordinary high-ranking knights like small fry. So do your best, Pushover!


    * * *


    After the early morning training, Lisbon was exhausted and fell on the sofa.


    Alice walked down the stairs from the upper floor, still looking sleepy and, looking at the sprawled out Lisbon, asked, "What are you doing making all this noise since dawn? It was so noisy that I had to put up soundproof magic before going back to sleep.¡±


    "I just checked his physical limits a bit. Since I¡¯m even giving up my precious vacation to hang out with him, I have to make sure to go all out."


    I spoke with a refreshing smile, but Alice looked at Lisbon with a slightly tired face. "Seeing you smile so wickedly, I bet you pushed him to the brink of death."


    What do you mean, wicked face? That¡¯s mean.


    "Ayy, not to the brink of death. I was gentle. If I had really pushed him to the brink of death, he wouldn''t even be able to wash up and lie down on the sofa."


    After exhausting his physical strength and mana to the limit, he fought with me for ten consecutive sparring matches. Normally, combat is meaningful only when you use up all your physical strength first. There¡¯s no way that enemies would limit themselves in consideration of your physical stamina. They all just become flesh and blood in the future.


    "My condition is the result of you being gentle?" Lisbon whined in his semi-conscious state.


    I''ve given him some good medicine, though, so he should be restored to normal soon.


    "Of course. We have to hurry and get your physical fitness up to par soon. That way, we can move on to the full training that I did back in my hometown, but at this rate, I think it''ll take months," I said.


    Lisbon may have good physical strength by normal standards, but it was too weak by my standards.


    Alice looked at me ridiculously. "Just what in the world did you do back in your hometown? According to Yuria, your alchemy is excellent, and given the fact that you beat that pushover who only knows the sword, you seem to be doing pretty good at swordsmanship too."


    "In my hometown? I was unemployed. My family worked, and I was the only one who played around.¡±


    My father was the head of the village, while my big brother and youngest brother were the head of the guard and the warrior divisions, respectively. My big sister took care of all the village¡¯s administrative actions, and my other sister worked under Elder Mirpa to make medicine. As a minor, I was the only one in my family who was unemployed.


    Alice looked at me questionably. "Really?"


    "Of course."


    I passed over Alice''s gaze and helped up the pushover, who was sprawled out on the sofa. "You said you had somewhere to go. Is it okay for you to just be lying here like this?¡±


    "Kkeung, I should get up."


    I genuinely admired how Lisbon was forcing himself up. I really pushed him to the limit, so I¡¯m sure he wants nothing more than just to fall over and sleep. So, where is this mental strength coming from?


    "So where are you going that you¡¯re making yourself get up?¡±


    "The Angel¡¯s House."


    "The Angel¡¯s House?"


    Alice sighed when I tilted my head because I didn''t know where the Angel''s House was. "It''s the name of the orphanage that oppa supports."


    Oh, that was a reason fitting of a pushover.


    "I wasn¡¯t able to go for a few days, so the kids are probably waiting for me. Since I couldn''t go yesterday, I have to go today."


    Lisbon was walking to his room to get his coat, but he staggered as the muscles in his legs relaxed. I quickly grabbed Lisbon''s arm and helped him.


    "I think it''ll be too difficult today, so why don¡¯t you go tomorrow?" I said.


    Lisbon became delighted. "Will tomorrow be normal?¡±


    I nodded and smiled at him. "Yes, I''ll make it normal just like how it was today."


    Where do you think you¡¯re going so easily? You still have a long way to go.


    "No, then it''s not that different.¡± Lisbon looked genuinely discouraged.


    However, considering that he did not withdraw his request to help him with training, he seemed to have felt quite a bit of difference between us yesterday.


    Then, Alice said, "If you''re really worried, you can just go with him.¡±


    Lisbon laughed, saying that would work, and I bluntly made an expression showing that it would be annoying.


    "I¡¯m just saying, if you feel responsible for all that abuse, follow oppa." Alice shrugged and assumed an attitude that she was just offering a suggestion.


    But Lisbon looked at me with sparkling eyes. "It''ll be a good experience. Oh, of course, I''m not forcing you."


    You''re looking at me like that and saying that you''re not forcing me?


    "Will it be fine if I give a donation instead?"


    Then Lisbon looked disappointed.


    "Tch, all right."


    I was going to go out today anyway because I needed to buy materials at the magic materials market to repair the damaged chirps. It wouldn''t be a bad idea to stop by the orphanage for a little bit.


    * * *


    Hillis sprawled out on top of her bed in her bedroom and flailed about. "Uah! I''m bored! I''m bored! I¡¯m bored!¡±


    She was thrashing around from boredom. Leisha, a Crow and her only friend who looked at her without prejudice, had followed Bloody to Warrant. In addition, the adventurer''s guild was closed, so she could not visit Rosellis and Den, the friends she made while disguising her identity in the capital.


    She buried her face into the soft pillow and shouted vigorously. "Ua~ah~I¡¯m~bored~!"


    If she were at least in the holy palace Percival, she would have busily spent her days participating in various weekly events. However, due to the New Year''s Day Festival incident, the great temple in the capital removed all of her participation as a saintess from official events.


    She stopped flailing about and mumbled while lying on her messy bed, "I never thought I''d want to participate in the events.¡±


    What Hillis hated the most when she was in Percival was becoming the flower of the event and being forced to wear a fake smile. But now, she was so bored that she even wished she had work to do.


    "Albatoss!"


    At her call, Albatoss stopped standing guard outside her room, opened the door, and came in. "Did you call me? Saintess-nim!"


    "Have you heard from Leisha?"


    When Hillis asked, Albatoss thought for a second, then clapped his hands all of a sudden. "Ah, according to the military telegram, General Bloody was seriously injured in the process of subjugating the great demons. So, he¡¯s staying in Warrant for a while."


    "Then what about Leisha?"


    "Wouldn¡¯t she likely be by General Bloody¡¯s side? After all, the Crow Tribe lady is an excellent alchemist."


    Hillis was frustrated by Albatoss''s response, and she planted her face into the pillow.


    "Oooo."


    Then, she raised her head as if she suddenly had a good idea and asked, "What if we go to Warrant and treat the patients like Leisha is doing now?"


    Hillis¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she spoke of treating and blessing the soldiers who fought hard as befitting a saintess.


    Yet, Albatoss shook his head, decisively saying, "Of course we can¡¯t. No matter the fact that the great demon was subjugated, Warrant is still on the border of the demon¡¯s territory. There''s no way we can send the saintess to such a dangerous place."


    "Why not? The former saintess, Oryana, went into the middle of the demon¡¯s territory and participated in the demon king subjugation party, so why can¡¯t I?!"


    At Hillis''s tantrum, Albatoss was put in a difficult situation, and he sighed. "At that time, the demon king was part of the situation, and we were obligated to help. And even though it was an obligation, at the time, there was considerable opposition to her participating in the war."


    During the temple¡¯s prime in the advent of the demon king, Oryana was able to participate in the war. This was thanks to the Witch of Pride and Galak Blade directly going to the Vatican and throwing a fit.


    "Still¡­"


    "And currently in Warrant, there is a bishop-level priest, Sir Ruin."


    "Oh, that bald ahjussi called the Pagan Priest?"


    "Khmm, how could you say Pagan Priest? As a priest, he sometimes works as an adventurer and is a self-proclaimed monk, so he has an eccentric side. However, he is also a faithful priest who was even mentioned as a candidate to become a cardinal."


    When Albatoss gave a warning, Hillis put her hands behind her head and laid down. "I''ve met him before, but he''s definitely an interesting guy."


    "Anyway, Sir Ruin is good enough, so please don''t think about going up to Warrant.¡±


    At Albatoss''s advice, Hillis started sulking. "Ah-! All right."


    Gazing at the depressed appearance that Hillis had even while acquiescing, Albatoss sighed. Since she ran away to the casino in the past, she was put under heavy guard to prevent her from going out again. It seemed to have caused her a lot of stress.


    "Then how about visiting the orphanage that¡¯s under the temple for a while?" Albatoss suggested.


    Hillis raised her head with twinkling eyes. "Really?! Is that okay?¡±


    "Yes. Of course, we will have to keep it a secret from the great temple.¡±


    "Certainly! I''ll get ready right now!" After a long time of being stuck inside, Hillis was elated at the prospect of going out.

 Chapter 174: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (5)

    Before we left for the orphanage called the Angel¡¯s House after breakfast, Lisbon asked, "Oh, do you happen to have any rosaries or a goddess statue?¡±


    "I don¡¯t have any rosaries, but I do have a goddess statue."


    When I visited the temple before, I took it as a souvenir. I still haven''t found out why it doesn''t go into my pocket space, so I put plaster on the outside of it and left it on my desk as a decoration.


    "The Angel''s House is run by the temple, so they also worship the goddess."


    Usually, when worshiping in the temple, one holds a rosary or prays with a small statue placed in front of them.


    "But my statue is a bit large, is that okay?"


    It was about 60cm in size.


    "It''s fine. In my hometown, they say that the larger the size of the statue, the greater one¡¯s faith, so some people carry around a life-sized goddess statue."


    So my goddess statue was a normal size. "Then I''ll bring it."


    I went up to my room, took the goddess statue, and headed to the Angel''s House with Lisbon.


    As we left the boarding house and headed toward the market, I asked Lisbon, "So is the orphanage by the market?¡±


    "No, I thought I''d buy some snacks for the kids." He didn¡¯t have enough money to spend on himself, but he was very sincere.


    Normally, being a knight was one of the more expensive occupations. One needed good armor for defense, a few sharp-edged swords that didn''t break easily, trained horses to ride, armor for the horse, and maintenance fees for the horses. In addition, if you had a good squire, you had to pay them a salary, so being a knight was almost like a money-eating hippo.


    Lisbon was still a student in knight school, so he would not have to be perfectly equipped. However, considering that the Carter family¡¯s support was not infinite, his finances were probably pretty tight. Lisbon toured the market shops that opened early in the morning and looked around at the cheap cookies.


    "How much are these candies?¡±


    When I asked for the price of a big jawbreaker, Lisbon shook his head. "Just how many kids do you think are at the orphanage for you to buy candy?"


    "How many?"


    "There are twenty-three."


    It was more than I thought. I assumed there would be about ten kids at the most, but there were more than twice as many.


    "Well, if it¡¯s only that many, that''s fine. I''m an office worker who gets paid well. How much is the candy?¡±


    The bakery lady answered my question with a smile. "The smallest is one iron coin per piece, the medium-sized ones are three iron coins, and the largest ones are one refined iron coin."


    Candies were indeed expensive because they contained a lot of sugar, a favorite of the nobility. How is a candy that''s small enough to fit in your nostrils one iron per piece? The cost for the smallest candy for all the kids was enough for two meals. Well, it''s a low price if I can use the candy to stop them from asking to play with me.


    "I''d like five boxes of the smallest, please."


    "Aigoo, young man. You want to buy it in boxes? I''ll pack it for you quickly."


    "Oh, I''d like one separate box, please." I''ll take a box for myself. There will be a lot of work for my brain in the future, so it will be good to have sugar.


    The bakery lady happily tied the candy box with a string. It was probably rare to see someone buy in such large quantities, so it made sense that she was so happy.


    "Aren''t you spending too much money? There should be around 100 of them in a box.¡±


    "It''s fine. I hope the children at the Angel''s House like it.¡±


    I handed over 25 refined bronze coins and received the candy package. About a fifth of my salary flew away in an instant. Then, an old gentleman spoke from behind me.


    "Oh, if it''s the Angel''s House, are you referring to the orphanage run by the temple?"


    I judged the old gentleman''s attire, which was a suit made of cheap cloth, and the cane he was holding was old and worn out. The shoes, gloves, and the hat he wore were far from luxurious. However, the gloss of his white hair and slicked back style showed that it was under constant care, unlike his clothes. Above all, aside from his wrinkles, the light in his eyes was very intense in a way that did not fit his age.


    "Yes, that''s right." I looked at the old gentleman''s face, affirming his question.


    "You guys are good young men to buy that expensive candy for the children. But why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡±


    "No, you look familiar for some reason. Have we seen each other before?" It was definitely my first time seeing the old gentleman, but something about him felt familiar.


    "No, I don''t think we¡¯ve seen each other before now. Hmm, but something about your face certainly does seem familiar."


    The old gentleman looking at my face somehow had his eyes grow dimmer. "Yes, I thought I¡¯d seen your face before, but you just resemble my daughter."


    "What? But I''m a man." Although I was on the skinny side, it was shocking to hear that I looked like a woman.


    The old gentleman laughed pleasantly at my words. "Uhuhuhuh! My daughter often heard that she looked like a man, too. Of course, her face has more beauty than any other woman in the empire, but her personality is like that. If she was born a man, she could have even been a general."


    It was quite a flimsy remark. I shrugged at the old gentleman. "Ayy, isn¡¯t there a general named Orphina among the heads of the imperial army? Two of the five platinum plate adventurers are also women. Gender is not a problem."


    Of course, those three were extremely rare cases. In the end, it was physically advantageous to be a man in a battle.


    The old gentleman looked surprised then burst into laughter. "Uhahahaha! Not just your face, but even your words are similar. Yes, if she hadn''t died, she wouldn''t have cared about gender or status and would have been a general."


    "Oh, I''m sorry."


    The old gentleman shook his head at my apology. "No, I brought it up on my own. It''s already been a long time, and it¡¯s my fault for bringing up useless things all of a sudden and getting an apology. I¡¯m getting old and saying nonsense."


    The old gentleman burst into laughter. "Anyways, you said you were going to the Angel''s House, right? I''m on my way there too, won¡¯t you chat with me on the way there?"


    Before I could answer, the pushover next to me nodded and welcomed him, "Okay, sir."


    Um, why don¡¯t you listen to my opinion before answering?


    I was thinking about abusing him more tomorrow morning, but then the old gentleman took a silver coin out of his pocket and handed it to me. "I stopped by to buy candy for the children on my way to the Angel''s House, but my hands feel empty because you''ve already bought it. I''ll buy those candies from you."


    The old gentleman who said this took the candy from my hand. Then he winked playfully and smiled, "The change is a tip for you trying to do a good deed, so buy something delicious later. Now, let''s go to the Angel''s House."


    Hmm, he seems like a good grandpa. But anyways, the gaze of the bakery lady on the back of my head stung.


    * * *


    The Angel''s House where we arrived was worn out and not very big for an orphanage housing more than 20 children. The only evidence that the temple was behind its operations was the symbol of the temple hanging from the roof. Considering that the temple was the state religion of the empire, you could say that this orphanage basically received no support.


    "Huh-huh-huh, it''s still the same here."


    The old gentleman smiled bitterly and handed me a candy box. "Go in and hand it out to the kids. I''ve got business here with the head nun."


    "Uh, but wouldn''t it be better for Sir to hand it out, as you are the one who bought it?" I asked.


    The old gentleman smiled and ruffled my hair. "It doesn''t matter who gives it away as long as the children are happy."


    At the old gentleman''s words, Lisbon trailed off, "Still.¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it. I''m handing it over to you because I¡¯m old, and I don''t have the stamina to handle the kids who¡¯ll be running around. Or do you want me to endure all their energy with this old body?"


    When the old gentleman smiled playfully, Lisbon grew flustered.


    "Hahaha, you don''t have to be so flustered. Have fun with the kids." The old gentleman waved lightly and headed to the back door of the Angel''s House.


    "He is a good person.¡±


    Lisbon spoke while looking at the old gentleman''s back, and I nodded in agreement. "You¡¯re right."


    And most of all, he felt familiar, not like someone whom I just met for the first time. However, that familiar feeling didn¡¯t end with the old gentleman but also extended to the people who were hiding around here.


    Is this feeling divine power? To be exact, this divine power resembled the divine power I felt from the saintess¡¯s guards. That meant they were paladins, but why were they hiding and surrounding the Angel''s House as if they were on guard?


    I suddenly didn''t want to go in.


    "Come on, let''s go in." Lisbon smiled brightly and pulled my arm.


    * * *


    Entering the Angel''s House through the back door, the old gentleman stood outside the head nun''s room and rapped on the door. Knock knock! Just before the old gentleman stopped knocking, a voice came from inside telling him to enter.


    The old gentleman opened the door and went in as he was greeted with, "Oh, my!"


    The head nun was surprised to see the old gentleman and got up from her seat and bowed. "It has been a long time, Your Highness, Duke of Asteria!"


    The old gentleman was the Duke of Asteria, who came to the capital to attend the conference on state affairs that would be held a little later.


    At the head nun¡¯s greeting, the duke took off his hat and coat and put it on the hanger, waving. "I always say this, but you don¡¯t have to greet me like that. It''s already been 25 years, or 26 years this year. Anyway, I tell you to talk comfortably, but you don''t listen at all."


    "But how can I speak comfortably with Your Highness, the Duke?"


    When the nun shook her head, the duke smiled helplessly and handed her a package of candies. "Give this as a reward to the children who are obedient."


    "Did you buy something expensive like this again?"


    "How can you call me a duke and treat me politely while at the same time say these spiced lumps of sugar are expensive?" The duke smiled playfully.


    The nun smiled in turn and put the candies high on the shelf beyond the reach of the children. "Thank you as always."


    "No, it''s nothing compared to the debt my daughter had 26 years ago. Are you refusing a donation this year as well?"


    When asked by the duke, the head nun looked sorry and nodded. "I''m sorry. It is my belief."


    "That''s fine. What do you need to be sorry about? It''s all because of the great temple that couldn''t abandon their past greed."


    Even if the duke gave a huge donation to the Angel''s House, it was obvious that most of the donations would go into the stomach of the great temple¡¯s priests with a completely nonsensical excuse. Nevertheless, the duke continued to offer donations because the remaining money would greatly help the Angel''s House¡¯s operations.


    "Anyway, something feels different than normal. Did something happen?"


    The head nun was startled by the duke¡¯s question. "That¡¯s... Indeed, Your Highness, the Duke''s intuition is frightening.¡±


    "Huhu, I wasn¡¯t called the tiger of politics for nothing."


    The head nun hesitated then told the truth. "Yes. Actually, Saintess-nim visited secretly."


    She said this because she was certain that he wouldn''t do anything to harm her.


    The duke opened his eyes wide, and his face hardened at the head nun¡¯s words. "Well, I guess today isn¡¯t a suitable day. I''m afraid you¡¯re in a troublesome position because of that random visit.¡±


    "That''s all right. It seemed like the Saintess-nim was a kind person.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? If you say so, I''m sure she must be a good person. Anyways, it seems I''m in a  difficult situation. I''m supposed to meet someone here."


    The head nun handed him a note. "Actually, the guest who arrived first asked for you to come to this place."


    "Oh, really? That''s a relief. Then, I''ll go before I cause trouble for you."


    When the duke put on his coat and hat again, the head nun said goodbye with an apologetic face. "Thank you for visiting all the time."


    "It¡¯s fine. What thanks do you need from someone who can¡¯t even provide much help? If you ever need assistance, just go to the adventurer''s guild. I''ve told the guild director there, so they will help you anytime.¡±


    The duke waved lightly as he opened the door and exited. "And I''ll send you a platinum plate adventurer known as the Indebted Knight, so make sure you get in touch."


    "Yes, I understand."


    The duke smiled at the nun''s reply and left the Angel''s House.

 Chapter 175: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (6)

    When I stepped into the Angel''s House, the paladins surrounding the area stared at me bluntly. Strangely enough, they didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in Lisbon, but I could feel all kinds of vigilance and hostility towards me from their gaze.


    This feeling was very similar to how the paladin looked at me when I was with Hillis at the casino. Haha, there¡¯s no way someone at the level of a saintess is in such a shabby place...


    "Huh! Den?"


    ...There was. Hillis, sitting with an open children¡¯s book among the kids, looked at me and waved with a delighted look.


    "Do you know each other?¡± Lisbon looked at me curiously.


    "Yes, she¡¯s a friend."


    The moment I said she was a friend, I felt as if the gaze of the paladins watching from outside the window were burning fiercely. Even though her position made it impossible to escape from, I still felt sorry for Hillis having to deal with being surrounded by such overprotective paladins.


    "Long time no see. I didn''t expect I would meet you in a place like this."


    Hillis smiled like a rascal and said, "Ayy, you don¡¯t have to speak formally between friends; speak informally. You spoke informally to me when we parted last time, right?¡±


    While Hillis was speaking, the paladins outside exuded divine power as if they were saying they would kill me if I spoke informally.


    However, Hillis signaled them once with her eyes to calm the fluctuating divine power. I put on a  smile similar to Hillis¡¯s. "All right, since you¡¯re insisting, I¡¯ll speak informally. How are you?¡±


    Once again, the paladin¡¯s energy fluctuated with my informal speech, and Hillis was once again enjoying it.


    As I thought that she and I were truly the same type of people, a young nun came to us and said, "Brother Lisbon-nim, you have arrived?"


    While the nun welcomed him, she also drew the cross. Lisbon also greeted the nun by drawing a cross. "Yes, it has been a while, Sister Riemann."


    "The children have been looking for Brother Lisbon-nim because you have not come for a few  days."


    For children who have supposedly been looking for him, I couldn¡¯t find any children approaching.


    "And this person is...?¡±


    When Sister Riemann looked towards me and asked, Lisbon introduced me with a smile. "He''s my friend who lives in the same boarding house. Didn''t I bring ten silver coins during New Year''s Day from my friend¡¯s donation?"


    "Oh, yes! Then...¡±


    "Yes, this is him."


    Sister Riemann said thank you, holding my hand with a grateful face. "Thank you very much, Brother-nim. Thanks to Brother-nim, we were able to stay warm in the winter."


    I don''t know if I can be thanked like this because I got the money from gambling.


    "Haha, I''m glad the children had a warm winter.¡±


    Sister Riemann shook my hand as if she was moved by what I said and smiled. Then, as Sister Riemann was friendly with me, the children began to approach us little by little. Oh, maybe they didn''t come near us because they were wary of me.


    At that time, a child plucked up his courage and jumped at Lisbon. "Lisbon hyung!"


    Starting with that child, the rest of the children rushed to Lisbon.


    "Wah! Lisbon oppa!¡±


    "Hyung!"


    "Where have you been?"


    I took a step back when I saw the children jumping forward like puppies seeing snow for the first time. Hillis also looked embarrassed when the children surrounding her left as well. I sensed that she was a little upset by this.


    The children clung to him, and Lisbon gave them an intimate hug as he said, "Hahaha, I''m sorry. I left the capital for a while because I had work to do."


    They¡¯d probably go nuts if they knew he went to participate in a war. The children clinging onto Lisbon were still wary of me. I wondered if the children were normally this cautious, but resolving the children''s wariness wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    I took a box of candy out from my pocket and asked, "Who wants candy?"


    At the rattling sound of candy in the box, the children looked at me like meerkats standing on guard. While swallowing their saliva, the children looked at Sister Riemann beside them.


    ¡°Oh, why did you buy such expensive things?¡± Sister Riemann felt so sorry that she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I just shrugged. "I didn''t buy it, but rather an old gentleman gave it to me on the way here, asking me to give it to the children."


    "An old gentleman?"


    Sister Riemann tilted her head, and I pointed to the back door of the Angel''s House. "Yes, he went to the back door to see the head nun about some business...¡±


    "Oh! Him! He comes around this time of year. I didn¡¯t realize it was already that time, but he has been a great help to our Angel''s House." Sister Riemann seemed to know about the old gentleman.


    "Do you know who that old gentleman is?" It was definitely my first time seeing him, but it felt strange because he seemed familiar.


    Sister Riemann shook her head. "No, I don''t really know. I only know that he lives far from the capital, and he''s rich compared to how he looks. I think the head nun has known him for a long time, perhaps...¡±


    Then a child pulled Sister Riemann''s skirt and interrupted. "Sis, Sister-nim."


    The child''s eyes were directed at the candy box in my hand.


    It seems as the conversation grew prolonged, the limit of their patience arrived.


    I asked with a smile, "Is it okay to give the candy to the kids first?"


    "Oh, yes! Just one each is fine."


    When Sister Riemann gave her permission, the wary children began to approach sneakily.


    Sister Riemann clapped her hands and put the children in line. "Come, everyone! Get in order!"


    I started handing out candy to the children in line, and before I knew it, Hillis came next to me and looked at me discontentedly as she said, "It''s cheap to buy favor with candy."


    At Hillis¡¯s whining, I responded with a smile. "Hut, this is called the strategy of an adult with financial power.¡±


    Well, if you get technical about the results, it wasn''t actually candy that I paid for.


    * * *


    "All right! It''s lunchtime!"


    After playing hard with the children in the yard, Lisbon gathered the children into the Angel''s House at Sister Riemann¡¯s call.


    "Wow, I¡¯m tired." Hillis could not overcome the children''s stamina, and she was sweating while exhaling exhaustedly.


    When I tried to hand her a handkerchief as she sat on an old wooden bench, a paladin hurriedly appeared and gave a handkerchief to Hillis. "Here you are."


    "Oh, thank you, Albatoss."


    After being thanked, the paladin named Albatoss looked at me with a proud face and quickly went back to where he originally stood.


    "Put, childish, huh?" Hillis asked with a slight smile.


    I sat next to her and answered, "Well, it doesn¡¯t seem to match his age."


    At my words, Albatoss¡¯s aura flinched, and Hillis laughed out loud. "Puhahahaha!"


    "Hahahaha!" I also laughed, infected by her amusement.


    After laughing for a long time, while browsing through the places where the paladins were hiding around, Hillis asked, "Have you heard anything from Ms. Rosellis about me?¡±


    I shook my head at her question. "No, I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡±


    Hillis smiled at my answer, and her laugh was a little pretentious. "Seeing your skills at the casino, you seem pretty smart. So, you¡¯ve probably guessed that I¡¯m someone with a high position, right?"


    You would be a fool not to notice after seeing her excessive protection. In that respect, Lisbon was a real fool. How could you not feel the fluctuating energy around you? Oh, was it because I overworked him in the morning?


    I nodded without saying a word, mentally convinced, and Hillis continued, "Actually, I have almost no friends because of it, and I also feel guilty about faking my identity."


    Hillis hesitated and opened her mouth. "I don''t know if you''ll continue to be friends with me after hearing my identity, but actually, I¡¯m-¡±


    "A saintess?" I interrupted Hillis.


    Hillis looked dumbfounded at what I said. "You, how? You said you didn''t hear anything from Ms. Rosellis."


    "Yeah, I didn''t hear about that.¡±


    "Then how?"


    I spoke casually to the bewildered Hillis, "A young woman associated with the temple with high status and outstanding skills is always escorted by paladins. At the casino, you told me that the place you were staying was a secret. Rosellis also didn''t know where you lived, so she asked the guild director. Combining all that, I found out easily."


    Actually, when I first saw her, I overheard the paladin named Albatoss calling Hillis the saintess.


    Hillis looked at me, surprised. "Then, did you speak informally while knowing that?¡±


    "You told me to."


    "No, but still."


    I don''t know why you''re surprised when you made me do it. If you knew that I had noticed you were of high status, wouldn''t it have been better if you had just glossed over it in the first place?


    "Why? Do you want me to speak formally again? It''s comfortable for me to speak formally because I¡¯m always speaking formally to others."


    "No, keep talking informally."


    I readily agreed to Hillis''s request. "Okay. Oh, but I''ll still speak formally in public. Well, I don''t know if there will be a day when a civil servant will meet the saintess in public, though."


    When I spoke playfully, Hillis smiled, concealing her inner thoughts.


    "Den~! Come and eat!" After gathering all the children into the Angel''s House, Lisbon waved his hand and called me over.


    "Let''s go eat."


    * * *


    The Duke of Asteria arrived at the small cafe written on the note. The cafe had curtains closed on its windows as if it was not operating even though it was almost lunchtime. There was also a sign on the door saying "Closed." After checking the note once more, the duke pushed on the closed door.


    Cling, cling!


    A clear bell rang, and the door pushed open. The duke opened the door and went into the cafe. Inside the cafe, a middle-aged woman with black hair was boiling water.


    "It has been a long time since we met, Your Highness, the Duke."


    "Long time no see, did you say your name was Talaria?"


    She nodded lightly at the duke''s question. "Please call me Big Mama now."


    "I see. It seems you¡¯re using the information agency very well. Thanks to you, damage from the demon¡¯s territory has reduced substantially every year.¡±


    Talaria shook her head modestly at the duke''s words. "No, you provided a lot of help in creating the Big Mama Information Agency. And Your Highness, the Duke, is one of the top executives in the Big Mama Information Agency, so please feel free to access the information you want at any time."


    He had the title of one of the top three executives because the duke financed the establishment of the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Haha, thank you for that.¡±


    Talaria smiled and pointed upstairs as the duke thanked her and looked around, saying, "The person who you are looking for is waiting up there."


    "I see. I should go say my greetings. Excuse me."


    The duke went upstairs. On the second floor of the cafe, an old man with slightly graying black hair was relaxing and drinking tea as he sat.


    As soon as the duke saw the old man, he took off his hat and showed his manners. "It has been a long time, Zendia Blade-nim."


    The duke''s appointment was with the former chief of the Crow Tribe and the grandfather of Denburg.


    Zendia rose from his seat to greet the duke with the same courtesy. "Haha, it¡¯s been a long time, Your Highness, Duke of Asteria."


    Then the duke smiled and waved his hand. "It''s too much of a burden to receive such courtesy from the chief of the Crow Tribe."


    "It''s the same for me."


    The duke smiled and gave a suggestion at Zendia¡¯s playfulness, "Then let¡¯s refer to each other with comfortable names."


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that. Have you had lunch, In-law?" [1]


    The duke sat opposite Zendia and answered, "Haha, not yet, In-law."


    1. In-law here referring to the parent of one¡¯s child-in-law.

 Chapter 176: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (7)

    After lunch, Lisbon and I had our second bet surrounded by children. The bet was a nine battlefield chess that used nine boards and 120 chess pieces. The chess pieces consisted of 60 pawns, 15 rooks, 15 knights, 15 bishops, ten mages, four queens, and one king. Aside from the fact that the pawns were capable of moving backward and there were mages, the method of moving the pieces was like chess from my previous life.


    White mage pieces were war mages and could kill up to two pieces within one space around it. In the case of black mage pieces, they were necromancers. They could kill a single piece within one space around it and revive that exact piece in the same spot. Mages could move up to three spaces in any direction, so their mobility was low, but they were the core of this game.


    I explained the rules of chess while laying out the chessboard and asked Lisbon, "I''ll pass on selecting. Which one are you going to choose, black or white? Black goes first."


    This chess game''s theme was a battle against the king of immortals, the head of the black magicians in the past. The reason why black was first was that the war began with a surprise attack by the black magicians.


    "Uh¡­ White?"


    I don''t know if Lisbon understood the rules properly, but I had no intention of going easy. "Then I''m black. Let''s get started."


    I advanced the pawn in the middle. For reference, one of my best games was when I forced my opponent into checkmate with eight queens after I caught all four queens with my necromancers. At that time, my youngest sister flipped the board, saying it was cheating. It was a good memory. Now, let''s show off my skill.


    Hillis was impressed by the game between Lisbon and me. "Where is your hometown that you play crazy chess like this? I''ve never seen this type of chess before."


    Oh, that''s weird. This chess was brought from the empire to our village, so why doesn''t Hillis know of it?


    "Hey Den, you didn¡¯t make up a game that doesn¡¯t exist, did you?" As he moved his chess pieces, Lisbon looked suspicious and asked me carefully.


    I felt wronged. I only told him how to play chess that I was taught!


    "You don''t know it either, Lisbon? This chess?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    I looked at Hillis at Lisbon''s answer. ¡°Hilis, you really don''t know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I really don''t know.¡±


    Strange, I''m pretty sure my big sister said it was chess from the empire.


    At that time, the head nun spectating with the children smiled and said, "This is northern chess. I didn''t expect anyone to know this game."


    When someone who knew the game appeared, I looked at the head nun in delight. "I see that Head Nun-nim seems to know of it."


    "Yes, I do, but this is my first time seeing anyone play this chess.¡±


    After being lost in memory for a little bit, the head nun looked at me as if I were odd. In my hometown, my big sister and I were the only ones who played it, but I thought it would be more frequently played in the empire.


    "This northern chess is also called nine battlefield chess because it uses nine boards, but it is also known as Asterium chess, and the person who made it was a kid who lived in Asterium."


    That was something I didn''t know either. To be honest, how many people knew the creator while playing games like chess or baduk? [1]


    "But there''s a dedicated set here despite the fact no one plays it."


    If there were no ¡®mage¡¯ pieces, I was going to take them out from my pocket space, but the orphanage had a complete nine battlefield chess set.


    "That chessboard and the pieces were given to me directly as a gift by the kid who made northern chess. Although, it was too difficult, and I haven¡¯t played it once.¡±


    The head nun looked at the chessboard dimly as if she had fallen into a vague memory of the past before saying, "By the way, are you from Asterium considering you know how to play this chess?"


    I shook my head at the head nun¡¯s question while moving a chess piece. ¡°No. Well, I am from around there."


    The nun looked closely at my face when I responded.


    "What''s wrong?"


    The head nun smiled awkwardly at my question. "Nothing. You resemble a girl I know."


    "Really?"


    Come to think of it, the old gentleman who I happened to meet at the market this morning also said I resembled his daughter. Is my face that womanly?


    "Seeing you, suddenly Sister Anemone-nim came to mind.¡±


    I smiled at the head nun who wore a forlorn smile. "My mother''s name is also Anemone; what a coincidence."


    The head nun¡¯s face stiffened and asked, "Brother-nim¡­ how old are you?¡±


    "I am 16 and will be 17 in a few months."


    The head nun looked slightly relieved. "Oh, I see. Well, Sister Anemone-nim has already left to be by God¡¯s side 25 years ago, so you couldn¡¯t be her son."


    The head nun seemed to have mistaken me for someone''s son. By the way, even though I called her mother, she passed away just after I was born, so I knew very little about her except her name.


    I''ve only seen a few pictures of her face, with the photos taken using magic. Now that I thought about it, among the pictures, there was one taken with a middle-aged nun. However, the head nun said the person named Anemone died 25 years ago, so it shouldn''t have anything to do with me.


    "Hey, Lisbon. You¡¯re thinking before you move, right?¡±


    My question made the pushover flustered. "Huh? Uh... maybe?"


    He¡¯s not even thinking. No wonder his movements were impossible to understand despite his formation collapsing and being driven into a corner.


    I said, pointing to the middle chessboard right in front of Lisbon, "It''s already past ten turns. I''ll turn that board 90 degrees to the left."


    "Huh?"


    The king became exposed as he turned the board.


    "Check."


    Lisbon was flustered and tried to protect his king by moving a piece, but he was soon in a checkmate.


    "Checkmate. That''s my second win, and so the bet is over as well."


    As expected, there was no need to hear Lisbon¡¯s choice for the third event of the bet. Now, all I needed to do was tear at some jerky while watching Lisbon get scolded by Alice.


    "Can¡¯t you somehow keep this a secret?¡±


    At Lisbon¡¯s earnest request, I smiled and replied, "I don¡¯t want to."


    Children flocked to the side of the despairing Lisbon.


    "Hyung, you''re done, aren''t you? Play with me!"


    "Let''s play with the doll!"


    "No! Hyung is going to have a sword fight with us!"


    It seemed that watching chess was not very fun for the children.


    Hillis sat in the seat where Lisbon had left and rolled up her sleeve. "This chess game looks interesting. Have a game with me."


    "Okay, I''ll defeat you thoroughly. Come on, challenger."


    Hillis snorted lightly. "Hut, be a sacrifice for the birth of a new champion."


    Hillis and I started playing chess. Having run around with the children all morning after training at dawn, Lisbon seemed to have exhausted all his stamina as he picked up a doll. In fact, I had to admit that his endurance was very impressive as he continued to run around all morning. No matter how good the recovery medicine I gave him was, it didn¡¯t make fatigue disappear.


    The reason why Lisbon was playing with the children so much was because he felt bad that he couldn''t come for a few days. It was also because knight school would start soon, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to come often anymore. He¡¯s really such a nice pushover.


    "The kids seem a little too wary of strangers. Is that normal?¡± Hillis asked and moved a chess piece while Sister Riemann watched from the side.


    I nodded and agreed with Hillis'' opinion. It was natural to be careful around strangers, but the children were still somehow wary after playing all morning.


    "Pardon? Oh, yes. It is because they are children with scars on their hearts...¡± Sister Riemann trailed off at the end and glanced at the head nun who was taking care of the children with Lisbon.


    Is there some sort of situation? Well, it was none of my business. While I was thinking so, I noticed that strange mana was passed on to Hillis. It was sound transmission magic. I naturally hacked the magic and listened in.


    - Saintess-nim, I think you''ll have to come back.


    It was the voice of the paladin named Albatoss. Hillis frowned when he mentioned returning.


    - Why?


    - Some burly men are on their way to the Angel''s House, and I don''t think they have any good intentions.


    At Albatoss''s report, Hillis did not show any expression and moved her chess piece.


    - Then chase them away.


    Through the window, I could see Albatoss hesitating at the firm order.


    - That''s, I''m afraid that will be impossible.


    - What?


    When Hillis glanced out the window with an angry look, I saw the paladins flinching outside.


    - That, that is, we came here without saying anything to the great temple. If Saintess-nim somehow gets caught up in a feud, some bad things may happen...


    Hillis angrily rebuked Albatoss, who was rambling.


    - Albatoss, is my position one where I have to avoid ruffians coming to harass the orphanage? Is that something the leader of the consecrated paladin division charged with protecting me should say?


    I didn''t show any outward reaction to what Hillis said, but I was greatly surprised. Being the leader of the consecrated paladin division was the highest position one could attain as a paladin. In terms of the imperial family, the consecrated paladins were like the royal guard knight division.


    The saintess¡¯s standing was about the same level as the pope, so the paladins guarding her should be talented even in the temple. However, I didn¡¯t know that those dimwit knights would be on the same level as the knight division protecting the pope.


    - No, I apologize. However-


    "Albatoss!"


    Everyone looked at Hillis as she hit the table in anger. As everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly gathered towards her, Hillis smiled gently. "Hohoho, I''m sorry. Let''s keep playing chess."


    When Hillis waved her hands, pretending nothing was wrong, everyone continued what they were previously doing. With my perceptive vision, I could clearly see that under that gentle-looking smile, there was a seething frustration.


    - I''m sorry, Saintess-nim.


    At Albatoss''s apology, Hillis spoke warmly with a gentle smile.


    - No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure the leader of the consecrated knight division has his own thoughts on the matter, but I was hasty.


    Oh, she¡¯s really pissed.


    - That isn¡¯t so. However, if something happens to Saintess-nim again, you may really have to go back to Percival this time.


    - Yes, I suppose so.


    Sadly, rather than closing the open lid, Albatoss kicked the lid far away. Let''s pray for peace.


    - And the Saintess-nim also knows that we can''t stop the great temple in our position.


    - What''s that?


    Kwang!


    Even before Hillis could ask Albatoss to elaborate, the front door was opened roughly, and a bunch of ruffians came in.


    "Uaang!"


    At the sound of the front door being slammed open, the baby woke up and began to cry. Sister Riemann held the baby and evacuated the children to the playroom.


    "It''s still a shabby place."


    Behind the ruffians came a priest who looked like a mouse wearing a luxurious priest''s uniform.


    1. Baduk is the board game Go which is placed with black and white stones.

 Chapter 177: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (8)

    The mouse-like priest clicked his tongue as he saw the children entering the playroom and said, "Are you still living with those dirty things?¡±


    Just a glance told me that he didn¡¯t come here with good intentions, but those words were something that shouldn¡¯t come from a priest''s mouth.


    When the mouse-like face spoke, Sister Riemann cried out in a fit of rage, "What did you just say?!"


    At Sister Riemann''s cry, the ruffians accompanying the mouse face stepped forward and threatened Sister Riemann. "Shouting out of the blue, you have a poor personality befitting someone who lives in such a shabby place."


    The mouse face hid behind the ruffians and poked at Sister Riemann. This was obviously a deliberate provocation.


    "Sister Riemann-nim, please take the children and go inside."


    When the head nun noticed the provocation and stopped her, Sister Riemann bit her lips and took the children into the playroom.


    Once the nun saw that the children had been completely evacuated, she told the mouse face, "Priest Letra, some guests are visiting today, so wouldn¡¯t it be fine if I go there myself later?"


    The mouse face gave a nasty laugh when the head nun pointed at us and asked for clarification, "We''re guests as well. Aren¡¯t you being too discriminatory?"


    It was ridiculous that a man who called the children dirty things was talking about discrimination.


    "Oh, they must be guests who have given you some kind of donation, right? In my parish, we don''t treat people poorly based on money like this, but I guess it isn¡¯t the same for Head Nun-nim."


    For this to be said by someone who looked so greedy, he was quite good at twisting words.


    "Didn''t I say I''d go to the great temple? So, let''s call it a day."


    "Aigoo, you don¡¯t need to travel there with your old body. I''ll just visit again." The mouse face interrupted the head nun.


    Then, he nodded to the ruffians standing behind him. "But since you keep rejecting the great temple¡¯s earnest request, please know that my hands are tied.¡±


    The ruffian began to break the chairs and desks, as well as the dolls and toys left by the children in the living room.


    "What are you doing?!" Full of justice, Lisbon blocked the ruffians.


    No matter how tired he was, he was still a knight candidate on break from knights school, so he easily overpowered the ruffians.


    The mouse face frowned when Lisbon beat the ruffians and said, "What are you doing?! How dare you interrupt the just actions of the great temple? How can you still call yourself a believer!"


    At the mouse face¡¯s rant, Lisbon showed a rare look of genuine anger and approached him. "Are you saying these actions are just?!"


    "Hiik!" Due to Lisbon¡¯s martial aura, which seemed like it was about to attack at any moment, Mouse Face fell on his butt.


    This punk even knows how to use martial aura now. Martial aura was as difficult to use as sword aura. From the look on his face, it seemed that he didn''t even realize he was releasing martial aura. Even the paladins outside felt Lisbon¡¯s martial aura and focused their attention on him.


    I sighed and pulled Lisbon¡¯s arm. "Calm down."


    "Do you think I can calm down right now?¡± Lisbon asked me angrily.


    I pointed at the mouse''s face collar. "I don''t know about the ruffians lying on the floor, but you can''t touch that man. He''s a priest directly associated with the great temple."


    Although Lisbon had the backing of the prime minister, his opponent had the great temple. Even though the prime minister''s individual power was overwhelming, there was no organization in this country that could match the scale of the great temple.


    As soon as it mistakenly turned into a political battle between the prime minister and the great temple, Lisbon would be caught up in something so annoying that he wouldn''t be able to handle it. It¡¯s a good thing I followed along today. The situation almost became annoying because of Lisbon.


    When I stopped Lisbon, the mouse face on the floor started to regain some spirit. "Ah, hahahaha. That¡¯s right. It appears that believer-nim seems to have his head screwed on right!"


    Wow, that mouse face was the first person in both of my lives to tell me I had my head screwed on right. That mouse face has good eyes; I''m suddenly starting to like him a little. Still, I didn¡¯t stop Lisbon for that mouse face¡¯s sake, but for this pushover who was so angry that he couldn''t tell the difference between front and back.


    Mouse Face shook his finger at Lisbon. "Hnng, getting a little upset just because we broke some old cruddy stuff that those dirty things use. Were you even educated?¡±


    Just like his face, Mouse Face¡¯s mouth was quite dirty as well. You have to avoid poop, not block it with your bare hands. At the very least, it would be more efficient to wear a mask and make a goodwill visit later. It seemed the need to use a new mask arose sooner than I thought.


    "What!"


    "I said calm down." As I calmed Lisbon from getting upset again, I suddenly received a message via sound transmission magic.


    - Hey! Stop the Saintess-nim!


    Before I knew it, Hillis had approached the mouse face. With a gentle smile, she swung at Mouse Face¡¯s head with a fist full of divine power. Since the paladin had instructed me, I first wrapped one hand around Hillis¡¯s waist before backing away. Fortunately, Hillis''s fist swept through the air right in front of his nose.


    "Let go! I need to punch that mouse face!"


    I guess I wasn''t the only one who thought that priest looked like a mouse.


    "That fist will kill him." With the amount of divine power Hillis had in her fist, she could destroy a building in a single blow.


    "It''s fine! I can save him!"


    Surely, with Hillis''s divine power, she could forcefully revive that mouse face right before he died. In the process of having his shattered head regenerated, he would feel terrible pain, but that''s none of my business.


    Hmm, should I have just let her hit him?


    - Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent trouble with the great temple.


    The paladin outside sent me his thanks. Trouble, you say? I roughly understood what the situation was. In the temple, there were hardliners who wanted to regain their old authority and moderates who wanted to coexist with the imperial family. Among them, the great temple in the capital was home to the hardliners, and Saintess Hillis was the face of the moderates.


    Here, it could be a problem if Hillis, the representative of the moderates, made a priest of the great temple half-dead. Of course, considering the class difference between a saintess and a priest, it would not be a big problem, but it was clear that the image of the saintess would be damaged.


    "This, such an uneducated woman!" Mouse Face pointed at Hillis and hurled all kinds of curses.


    I don''t think I need to worry about that mouse face now. No matter how ignorant I was to these things, if a clergyman, not even an ordinary citizen, were hurling abusive language to the saintess, there would be an inquisition.


    For reference, the inquisition was not for heresy but a trial for priests belonging to the temple. You could assume that if you were put on trial, you would die regardless of whether you were guilty or innocent.


    This was because the method of confirming your guilt was to tie you up on a mountain of firewood and light it up. Contrary to the witch trials in my past life, the logic was if God forgave him, he would survive, and if he did not forgive him, he would die.


    "Certainly, I was too hasty, wasn''t I?" As if she had thought of Mouse Face¡¯s future, Hillis looked at Mouse Face with a look of pity while listening to his swearing.


    "Well, you know what the temple always says.¡±


    Hillis and I smiled and spoke at the same time.


    "Everything is arranged by God."


    "Everything is arranged by God.¡±


    In the first place, this happened because Mouse Face¡¯s personality was trash. It was all self-inflicted. However, that didn¡¯t mean Mouse Face would certainly die. This world had mana, so there have been cases where people survived by holding on with mana until the fire went out. In the past, a famous saint was charged with colluding with heretics and put on a religious trial, but he actually survived and became a pope in his later years.


    Well, with that minuscule amount of divine power that Mouse Face had, it would be impossible to outlast the fire even if he died and woke back up. [1]


    In fact, it was clear that those dimwit paladins were holding themselves back because if they executed him immediately, he would die painlessly. If there were a religious trial, he would die painfully. It was amazing that he was still alive despite the paladins releasing such a large amount of killing intent to the point where it felt viscous.


    "Kaak-! Tweh!" Mouse Face spit on the floor, ignorant of his own future, and woke up the ruffians that had fainted with the tiny amount of divine power he had.


    "This is a warning. I hope to get a sufficient answer next time. And no matter how much you like money, don''t accept women like her.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what his eyes were seeing, but even to the end, Mouse Face continued to dig his own grave.


    "Oh, it''s cold. It must be drafty because the building is worn out."


    It was not a draft but the paladins¡¯ killing intent. Mouse Face went away with the ruffians he had brought along.


    - Now let Saintess-nim go.


    When I heard an uncomfortable voice, I realized that I was still holding onto Hillis.


    "Oh, sorry."


    When I let her go and apologized, she smiled and waved her hands. "No, I survived thanks to you. Of course, even if I hit him as I wanted, nothing would likely have happened, but it would have been a hassle."


    There was a wicked sense of playfulness in Hillis''s smile. I was certain that those dimwit paladins would somehow always clean up after whatever bad things Hillis did. In the worst case, it was possible to erase his memory even if there were aftereffects.


    After Mouse Face left, Sister Riemann brought the children out of the playroom. The children''s faces were full of anxiety. I had thought the children were a little too wary, but I guess things like this must have happened before.


    The head nun first apologized to us. "I''m sorry to have let you experience something like this."


    Hillis spoke with an earnest expression when the head nun apologized. "Can you tell us what''s going on?¡±


    When Hillis asked for the whole story, the head nun hesitated then asked to move to the head nun¡¯s office.


    "Come on, let''s go." Hillis pulled my arm.


    "Why would I go?"


    I didn''t want to get in on this seemingly annoying thing.


    When I clearly indicated that I thought this was a nuisance, Hillis changed her target to Lisbon. "After seeing this injustice, can you just stand by and do nothing, Brother Lisbon-nim?"


    While talking to Lisbon, Hillis glanced at me and gave a playful smile. Hillis seemed to be reading my thoughts as much as I was reading hers.


    She was trying to make me take action using any method to the point I wondered if this was why I was becoming homophobic. [2] How vicious.


    "Of course not!"


    The righteous pushover was trying to soak his feet in something beyond his abilities again today.


    "Tch, all right. We can go together.¡± I followed Hillis and Lisbon to the head nun¡¯s office.


    1. With his tiny amount of divine power, he would still die from the fire even if he had two lives.


    2. This is kind of confusing, but he is saying that others mistake him and Lisbon for having such a close relationship to the point they think Lisbon can be used against him. He thinks that others might think they are gay, and so he is developing homophobia in response. Homophobia is still big in Korea.

 Chapter 178: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (9)

    As soon as we entered the head nun¡¯s small office, Hillis put up soundproof magic. The playful smile she bore while casting the magic made her seem like she was up to something. I''d like to be left out if possible.


    "I wanted to skip this if I could, but I guess that¡¯s impossible."


    The head nun looked at Hillis and sighed softly. Apparently, the head nun seemed to know that Hillis was the saintess as well.


    "The story is going to be a little complicated, is that okay?"


    "Yes, it''s all right." Lisbon nodded with a serious look, and Hillis smiled like a child waiting for an old story.


    In response to the two, the head nun pointed helplessly and offered the small chairs in the corner before beginning the story.


    "Hillis¡­ Sister is a member of the temple, so she probably knows the situation regarding it. But since the two Brother-nims don''t know about it, I''ll explain from the beginning."


    The nun drew a large circle on an old blackboard and wrote ¡®great temple¡¯ on it, saying, "All temples are under the holy palace of Percival, but the great temple has the right to be independent of the holy temple. It''s too complicated, so I''ll move on."


    The head nun looked to see if we understood and drew a small circle within the larger one drawn on the blackboard. "The great temple is often called the head of the hardliners, but it is not without moderates. There may be few moderates, but they exist. However, the great temple is so large that even a few of them are a sizable number."


    I roughly figured out what the situation was from the head nun¡¯s words. "It''s obvious. This Angel''s House belongs to the moderates under the great temple and is under pressure by the hardliners."


    The head nun nodded at my words. "That''s right."


    Despite the head nun¡¯s affirmation, there were also some things that bothered me. A small place like the Angel''s House wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure from the hardliners for long. That meant that this issue only began recently. Why did the hardliners start pressuring the moderates now?


    I asked the question directly. The head nun looked at me with surprise. "To be able to understand the main point from my rushed story, you are quite bright, Brother Den-nim."


    The head nun split the large circle on the blackboard in half. "Originally, the hardliners of the great temple were led by Cardinal Fernando. Cardinal Fernando, although he was a hardliner, was a humble man who valued doctrines more than anyone else."


    The nun sighed as she explained, "He used to tell the believers that if they were kinder than anyone else, followed the doctrines, and faithfully believed in God without forcing the hardliner¡¯s will onto the moderates, one day the world of God would arrive again."


    Hillis nodded in agreement with the head nun and spoke, "Cardinal Fernando is someone who receives a lot of respect even from the moderates. I heard the reason he''s called a hardliner in the first place is that he stood up to the Blood Emperor''s suppression of the temple in the past.¡±


    Fernando, you say. That¡¯s a name I''ve heard before. Where did I hear that?


    "Yes, that¡¯s right. However, last October, there was a sad incident in which a wicked heretic called Lupin attacked and seriously injured him.¡±


    Oh, I thought I heard about that somewhere, but it was the name of the old man wearing a gold mask who I shot a deadly attack at.


    The head nun looked genuinely sad and bitter. "At that time, all the temples across the country were in a state of emergency.¡±


    Hillis also nodded with a serious look. I feel wronged. I shot the deadly attack in September, but they thought it happened in October.


    "Yes, something like that happened. So when Cardinal Fernando-nim became injured and went into seclusion, the archbishop of the great temple typically suppressed by Cardinal Fernando-nim began to expand his influence."


    The head nun wrote ¡®cardinal¡¯ on one side of the large divided circle and ¡®archbishop¡¯ on the other.


    "The archbishop is a radical hardliner famous for his disapproval of moderates.¡±


    The head nun nodded at Hillis''s words. "Yes, that¡¯s correct. In addition, the archbishop is trying to use this opportunity to take the lead completely away from Cardinal Fernando-nim and gain control of the great temple."


    Hillis groaned when she heard this, "Oh! That''s why he started purging the cardinal¡¯s supporters, starting with the moderates.¡±


    The head nun nodded lamentably at Hillis¡¯s guess. "Cardinal-nim¡¯s right-hand man, Paladin Malive, tried to stop the archbishop¡¯s rise. However, his strength was weakened by the death of Paladin Mario, one of the two pillars of the paladin division, and Paladin Vibrio¡¯s injury."


    Hillis went silent with a serious face.


    In a nutshell, my actions caused a butterfly effect, leading the Angel¡¯s House to be on the brink of closure. Saying it like that makes me feel like I did something wrong, but that wasn¡¯t true. I simply beat up the kidnappers. Of course, of course, those people were the kidnappers, and their reasons are none of my business.


    "Hmm, so you are saying that it''s the archbishop who is pressuring the Angel''s House," I said.


    The head nun nodded heavily.


    "Why is the archbishop trying to get rid of this little place?¡± Hillis asked.


    The head nun sighed and shook her head. "I''m not sure either, but I can only guess he is just trying to get rid of moderates within the great temple."


    Then she asked carefully, "Do you know the reason why I''m telling you all this?"


    Lisbon nodded. "Yes! You mean to say that you need our help!"


    The head nun sighed at Lisbon¡¯s response. "That¡¯s not it."


    "No?"


    I almost sighed too when I saw the embarrassed Lisbon. His mindset was too one-dimensional.


    "What the head nun-nim means is for us not to interfere because a high-ranking individual is behind this."


    At first, I thought she was talking with Hillis in mind, but from the look on her face, that didn''t seem to be the case. Considering the conversation between Hillis and Albatoss before Mouse Face crashed in, there appeared to be heavy restrictions on Hillis''s actions.


    "Yes, that is correct."


    Lisbon protested when the head nun affirmed my guess. ¡°Then what about the children! Are you giving up on the children like this?!"


    "Calm down. I''m sure the head nun-nim has an idea."


    The head nun sighed and said, "Unfortunately, I have no power. There are some who have offered to help, but this is strictly business within the temple. Even if I ask for help, it''ll only cause trouble for them."


    The head nun seemed to be referring to the old gentleman who came here with us in the morning.


    "So then, where are you planning to send the children?¡±


    "I don''t know if they''ll accept them, but I¡¯m thinking about an orphanage in Asterium."


    I expressed concern over the head nun¡¯s plan. "It¡¯s probably quite chaotic over there due to the great demon¡¯s southward movements a while ago. Will it be okay?"


    It was obvious that the orphanage would also be crowded with newly created orphans from the border between Warrant and the demon¡¯s territory. It was doubtful whether the children here would be accepted.


    "I''m worried about that as well, but the temple where I was baptized is there." The temple where a member of the clergy was baptized was like a home to them.


    The nun lamented that she didn¡¯t have more time. There was nothing I could help with regarding that. The only way to fix this was to beat up the archbishop, but it was also questionable whether beating him up would solve it. Who knows if there will be another archbishop like him?


    In addition, I had to make myself scarce because my youngest sister had already found out I was Lupin. Even if I wore a different mask and changed my name, if I appeared suddenly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid suspicion.


    Hillis got up from the chair. "I see. If Head Nun-nim says so, I suppose I can''t help."


    What? She¡¯s not one to simply give up. Sure enough, the ends of Hillis''s mouth were slightly raised in a wicked manner.


    "Thank you for your understanding." The head nun thanked Hillis without knowing her inner thoughts.


    As if she felt my gaze, Hillis winked lightly and led Lisbon and me out of the head nun¡¯s office. She still kept her soundproof magic up.


    "I¡¯m not doing it." I had a rough idea of what she was going to do, so I refused before I could hear what Hillis had to say.


    Hillis hit me on the arm with her elbow and said, "Ayy, it¡¯s not too late to refuse after hearing me out."


    It''s definitely going to be too late after listening to her. She was so clever that she was sure to rope Lisbon in to drag me into it as well.


    "If you get permission from your guardian, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    When I crossed my arms and pointed outside, Hillis looked heartbroken. She looked at me with an attitude of ¡°I don¡¯t need a guardian,¡± and I looked back as if to say, ¡°I wonder about that.¡±


    "Tch, don¡¯t you know I''m an adult?" Hillis protested quietly, and I shrugged.


    Despite that fact, the paladins sure are overprotective.


    I was too lazy to squabble and get no results, so I gave up with a sigh at Hillis¡¯s overconfident look and asked, "So, do you have a plan?"


    Hillis grinned. "Why? Are you going to hang out with me?"


    You asking me a question like that makes me not want to hang out with you.


    "Forget it if you don¡¯t want to."


    Hillis waved her hand in panic. "No! I''d be happy if you hung out with me! Let¡¯s meet around midnight tonight at the bell tower near the great temple."


    I didn''t ask if she would be able to trick those paladins and sneak out. If it were me, I would have created dozens of routes to escape secretly, so Hillis probably did too. No matter how strict the surveillance is, there¡¯s always a gap.


    "And bring the plaster goddess statue too." Hillis pointed to my statue, which was safe even in the midst of the disturbance that the ruffians caused.


    Despite looking like a mouse, that guy was still a priest and didn''t break any of the goddess statues.


    "Why the goddess statue?"


    "I''m asking you to bring it because we need it. You better come too, Brother Lisbon-nim! For the children!


    It sounds like it''s for your own enjoyment rather than for the children, but let¡¯s move on.


    "Yes! For the children!" Full of justice, Pushover clenched his fist energetically, not even knowing what Hillis was going to do.


    Just in case, I''ll have to make a mask for Hillis and Lisbon.


    * * *


    Deng-! Deng-!


    At the promised time of midnight, the bell rang itself in the bell tower. The bell was rung with magic, so the time now was exactly midnight.


    After leaving the Angel''s House, Lisbon went back to his boarding house and rested while I looked around the market for magic ingredients. The magic ingredient market was booming due to the recent war against the demons in Warrant.


    Thanks to this, I could get most of the materials I wanted, but my pockets also became lighter. I didn''t expect to spend almost all of my abundant money.


    "Hillis must be running a little late." Even though I spoke to him, Lisbon seemed to be in deep thought about something and didn¡¯t hear.


    "Lisbon!"


    "Huh?"


    When I loudly called out the pushover¡¯s name, he was surprised and snapped out of his intense thinking.


    "Uh, what?"


    "What are you thinking about so much?"


    "Oh, I ended up just coming out here, but I don''t know how we¡¯re going to save the Angel''s House."


    I sighed when Lisbon asked this. "You''re only thinking about that now? Weren¡¯t you supposed to ask that when she first requested that we meet here?"


    "Haha, I was only thinking about the kids at the time." Lisbon smiled embarrassingly and scratched the back of his head. He was indeed a pushover.


    As soon as I tried to nag him to think before leaving, Hillis showed up while waving in the dark. "Sorry. I''m a little late, right?"


    Hillis had a large bag in her hand.


    "You weren¡¯t showing up, so I was going to wait a little longer before just leaving."


    Hillis smiled and hit me on the back. "Ayy, what a joke."


    I wasn¡¯t kidding.


    "I ended up late because I''ve been packing some stuff that we¡¯ll need.¡± Hillis opened the bag in her hand.

 Chapter 179: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (10)

    There was a priest uniform in the bag that Hillis brought.


    "Why a priest''s uniform all of a sudden?" I asked.


    Hillis proudly puffed out her chest. "Huhuhu! There''s a saying to hide a tree in a forest. We''re going to wear these and participate in the dawn prayer meeting.¡±


    So that''s why she asked me to bring my goddess statue. I needed the goddess statue to attend the service.


    "So you¡¯re saying we¡¯re going to wear that and sneak into the great temple?"


    "Yep!"


    I was flustered by what Hillis said. Did you come up with this thinking that it was a plan? No, let''s first listen to the plan until the end.


    "So, we¡¯re participating in the dawn prayer meeting, and then?"


    "In the middle of the dawn prayer meeting, we¡¯ll sneak out and infiltrate the archbishop''s room.¡±


    Well, it wasn''t that different from what I expected.


    "We infiltrate the archbishop''s room, secure some kind of evidence of corruption, and threaten the archbishop?"


    Hillis flicked her finger at my assumption. "That''s it!"


    Lisbon applauded and was in admiration of Hilis¡¯s plan. "Oh! So that¡¯s it!"


    What the hell do you mean ¡®So that¡¯s it!¡¯ What a sloppy job! To threaten the archbishop, if Hillis or Albatoss does it, it could be fine. However, I don''t know if she did any preliminary investigation into the evidence of corruption¡¯s location. No, before that-


    "And how about something to cover your face?"


    Unlike Hillis, Lisbon and I were not in a prominent enough position where they would just pass over an incident we caused. Of course, Hillis probably thought that she would take full responsibility in the worst-case scenario, but as a civil servant, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t be affected in some way.


    ¡°I brought something, of course."


    Hillis took out a veil for worship that could cover one¡¯s face from her bag. The veil also had simple recognition interference magic. However, it was not without problems.


    "This is for women.¡±


    Worship veils were usually only worn by women.


    "Yep, so I brought priest uniforms for women too.


    Looking closely, the priest uniforms that Hillis brought had lace and were for women.


    "Are you going to dress us up as women!"


    At my yell, Hillis gave a thumbs up. "That''s correct!"


    "Oh, my God." I frowned. To make me seek God when I don¡¯t even have an ounce of faith, is this the power of a saintess? How frightening.


    "No, I won''t wear it.¡±


    "Ayy, it¡¯s going to be cute. I even brought you a wig.¡± Hillis took out a slightly wavy blonde wig and shook it.


    I took the wig and beat it to the ground. "I''m not wearing it! No, what about Lisbon in the first place? You want to dress up that bulky body as a woman?


    "Of course not; I''ve got a separate one for Brother Lisbon-nim." Hillis took out a large men''s priest uniform from her bag.


    "If you have a men¡¯s uniform, bring one for me too!"


    Hillis shrugged at my shout. "At first, I was going to bring you a men¡¯s version, but there was no priest near me who had a thin body like you. Brother Lisbon-nim is tall and muscular, so I secretly borrowed Albatoss¡¯s clothes."


    Wait, does that mean the female priest''s uniform that Hillis is holding is hers?


    That question arose, but I put it aside for a moment and asked, "How are you going to cover Lisbon¡¯s face?"


    "I thought hard about that too and brought several things."


    Hillis took out a paladin¡¯s helmet from her bag. "This is Albatoss¡¯s helmet. With this, most priests probably won¡¯t even approach us.¡±


    Surely no one would come near us if there was a madman wearing a priest''s uniform and a consecrated paladin¡¯s helmet.


    "No, it''s too noticeable."


    "It really is, right?


    With my opposition, Hillis put the helmet back and took out something else from the bag. "It''s a washcloth.¡±


    Hillis took out a towel for washing made of black cloth. It was better than the helmet, but it was not something you could wear for worship. Most importantly, it was not enough to cover his face completely.


    Sighing, I took out my one-eyed glasses from my pocket. "Let¡¯s have Lisbon wear this."


    "Uh, but with this, the face... Oh!


    Hillis pondered while looking at the one-eyed glasses before looking closely and exclaiming, "Wow, this little pair of glasses have this level of recognition interfering magic? How much did it cost to make this? It must have cost at least one bag of gold coins."


    Hillis''s words pricked my conscience, but I pretended not to be bothered. "I don''t think you know the price very well because you probably aren¡¯t too active in the economy, but it costs less than what you think.¡±


    If I had asked the magic tower to produce the glasses, it would have cost as much as Hillis said, but the price was lower because I made it.


    Hillis nodded. "Oh, really? All right."


    It was fortunate that Hillis grew up sheltered and was in the dark about economic activity. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to guess the market price at a glance.


    Feeling relieved inside, I handed the one-eyed glasses to Lisbon. "It''ll work a lot better than most masks. From now on, I''ll call him Kaitou Kid." [1]


    I wish I had prepared a white hat and a cape, but I was too lazy to go that far.


    "Thanks. But why Kaitou?"


    I ignored Lisbon''s question and handed a huge ribbon to Hillis. Of course, the ribbon was lathered with recognition interfering magic.


    "Hillis, you are Kaitou Angel Girl Netty." [2]


    Hillis smiled playfully at the name I gave while tying her hair with the ribbon, and she said, "Angel girl, huh. You were looking at this noona like that?¡±


    "I like devil girls better than angel girls. However, since I¡¯m a clergyman, I always pray to God to be a righteous thief."


    Hillis burst into laughter at my deft words. "Puhat, does it make sense for a thief to be just?¡±


    "I don''t think that''s something you should say when you¡¯re about to rob the archbishop''s room for the Angel''s House¡¯s sake."


    "Oh, is that so?"


    I looked at the convinced Hillis and put on a pair of nerdy non-prescription glasses. These glasses I paid particular attention to and made with more care. Not only was it blocking face recognition, but it also had clairvoyance magic, see-through magic, and location tracking magic to track these two people''s locations. I was planning on adding more magic to it later.


    "If I''m Netty and Brother Lisbon-nim is Kid, then what about you?"


    When Hillis asked, I said the name I had in mind, "Me? I''m Conan Doyle. Call me Conan or Doyle, whatever you want." [3]


    At first, I was going to go by Arsene, but I decided to change the name since I was modifying my mask too. [4]


    For your information, I was just borrowing the name from a novel, but it had nothing to do with the detective who regularly says, ¡°there is always only one truth.¡± [5]


    "And just in case, take these too." I handed out black masks and an inner map of the great temple.


    "Where did you get this map?¡± Hillis was surprised to see the map.


    The map was surprising because it detailed ventilation passages that could be used as secret paths.


    "I bought it from the information agency that I know.¡±


    I even got a discount because I¡¯m a VIP. It would have been convenient to have such a map when I robbed the great temple in the past.


    "Information agency? Is it perhaps the Big Mama Information Agency?"


    I nodded at Hillis. "Uh. Do you know it?"


    I never thought Hillis would know about the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "I don''t know the details, but I remember Albatoss saying that the information agency with the most accurate information is the Big Mama Information Agency."


    Hillis looked at the map, amazed. I asked for her understanding with a perplexed look on my face. "Actually, information agencies are illegal. And I''m a civil servant. Please keep it a secret that I used an information agency."


    The only people Hillis would talk to would be the paladins, but there was nothing bad about being cautious. To be honest, if the paladins knew that I did something illegal, they would probably be happy and just tell her not to hang out with me. They most likely wouldn¡¯t charge me with a crime. If by chance, they charge me, I''ll retaliate.


    "Really? Sure." Hillis nodded without thinking and kept looking at the map as she continued, "Wow, it''s really detailed. Did you ask about the corruption ledgers as well by chance?"


    "Yeah."


    "Really?"


    I could guess what Hillis was aiming for, so while I was buying the map, I also bought information on the corruption ledgers.


    "To be specific, I bought information about a place where there could be corruption."


    Information about the archbishop was too expensive to buy, even with a discount. I didn¡¯t have any money now except what was set aside for living expenses and some spare funds. This is because I used my entire savings to put every magic ingredient on the market into my pocket space. Of course, I was also thinking about plundering the archbishop''s slush funds while robbing his corruption ledgers, so my assets would be filled back up.


    "So, we''ll go straight through the ventilation shaft to the archbishop''s room.¡±


    Hillis complained after hearing me, "But if we do this, then we won¡¯t need the things I prepared.¡±


    Hillis looked at me with a sad face, holding up the female priest''s uniform.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. I''ll never dress up as a woman."


    While Hillis and I were squabbling, Lisbon was looking carefully at the map and asked, ¡°Hey Den, on this map, aren¡¯t all the ventilation shafts from the outside blocked?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What are you talking about?! I looked at the map. I remembered robbing this place before, so I didn''t really look at the map.


    "That seems to be the case. According to this map, you can''t get in from the outside.¡± Hillis also looked at the map and agreed.


    Damn, unlike the last time I visited, all the ventilation shafts connected to the outside were blocked or made so a person couldn¡¯t pass by.


    "This must have been changed because Lupin stole the golden goddess statue." Lisbon nodded and was convinced.


    That goddess statue was wrapped in plaster and was doing well next to me. Hillis gave a sincerely happy smile and held up the wig and women''s priest uniform.


    Damn it! There must be a different way!


    * * *


    The right-hand man of Cardinal Fernando and the person who unified the great temple¡¯s paladins, Malive, sighed and asked, "Is the status of Cardo Fernando-nim still the same?"


    The priest nodded with an apologetic face. "Yes, I''m afraid so."


    Fernando had been injured by Lupin in the past, and since then, dozens of priests had been assigned to heal him for months, but they only barely prevented his wounds from becoming worse.


    "Did you say it was a curse to prevent His Eminence, the Cardinal, from getting better?¡±


    "Yes, I''ve never seen such a terrible curse. This kind of curse seems like something that would only appear in legends."


    When the priest shook his head with a sad face, Malive bit his lips and asked, "What you found is that it''s a curse that makes you die with certainty?"


    "Yes, that is correct."


    "Is there no way we can resolve this?"


    The priest shook his head. "I have told you before, but to resolve a curse of this level, the person who cast the curse must come. Or if it was the famous great madosa, the curse magician, he may be able to resolve it.¡±


    Malive could not hold back his sigh at the priest''s affirmation. "Haah, this is the worst scenario.¡±


    As his psychological pillar collapsed, Malive missed his close colleague with no equal, Mario. Vibrio had lost her mind after Mario died and was gradually recovering with the care of her sister, Hillis, but it was still too much to help Malive with his work.


    Knock knock!


    When a knock came from outside, Malive gave permission to come in. The priest who came in carefully asked, "Pa, Paladin Malive-nim. This morning''s prayer meeting-¡±


    "I''m not going," Malive cut the priest off sharply.


    "But, but today the archbishop-nim himself will be hosting the prayer meeting...¡±


    "That¡¯s why I''m saying that!"


    When Malive stared, the priest ran away, yelling that he understood. Watching the scene, Malive frowned. "You didn''t have to yell. I went overboard.¡±


    "No, he was with the greedy archbishop''s party. Those bastards don¡¯t even know what kindness is when His Eminence, the Cardinal, was so nice to them,¡± the priest complained.


    Malive nodded weakly and looked out the window. The moon was clear today.


    1. Also known as Phantom Thief Kid, in manga/anime Detective Conan. He wears one-eyed glasses, white hat, and white cape.


    2. From Saint Tail (Kaitou Thief Saint Tail) manga/anime. She wears a big ribbon.


    3. I think Conan Doyle here refers to the British writer who created the character Sherlock Holmes.


    4. Arsene Lupin is the full name of the name Lupin that Den went by previously with the mask. It¡¯s referring to the fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise.


    5. Referring to what the main character of Detective Conan says. Conan Doyle has the same first name, but it is not the same name. Detective Conan¡¯s full name is Conan Edogawa.

 Chapter 180: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (11)

    Hundreds of priests entered the huge prayer room located beneath the great temple.


    "Ayy, you''re cute, so get rid of the veil,¡± Hillis whispered with a playful smile.


    I gritted my teeth. "Don''t talk to me."


    Damn it; the wind is blowing underneath me. Why did all the women¡¯s priest uniforms have skirts? Isn''t this an outdated idea? Oh right, this world was pre-modern and had emperors. Well, nothing I can do then.


    Hillis, Lisbon, and I tried to enter the prayer room, but the priest guarding the door of the prayer room blocked us like a gatekeeper.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?" Hillis smiled and casually asked.


    Hillis was confident that even if she showed her face, the priest would not remember it, thanks to the ribbon I gave her. Even if he remembered her face, I wasn¡¯t worried because few high-ranking officials in the great temple knew what she looked like.


    "It must be your first time at the great temple¡¯s morning prayer meeting."


    "Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ But is there a problem?¡±


    Hillis didn''t show it, but she seemed a little nervous. If there was a registry of people attending the prayer meeting, they could be kicked out without being able to enter.


    The gatekeeper smiled and handed over an empty paper booklet and a pen. "The problem is, you seem to have forgotten to fill out the visitor¡¯s book."


    "Oh, I see.¡± Hillis accepted the visitor¡¯s book and even filled it out for Lisbon and me.


    "Welcome to the prayer meeting hosted by the archbishop-nim, my brothers and sisters."


    The priest drew a cross, and Hillis and I also drew a cross simultaneously. I stepped on Lisbon¡¯s foot as he stood in a daze to make him behave properly.


    "Ugh!"


    "Are you unwell, Brother-nim?


    "Oh, no.¡± At the gatekeeper''s question, Lisbon looked awkwardly and drew a cross.


    We naturally stepped into the prayer room. In the prayer room, like when I came here before, there was a huge stone goddess statue, which was five meters tall, standing in front of a vast space.


    Looking at the huge stone goddess statue, Hillis began to explain as if she were a tour guide, "In the past, that stone goddess statue used to be heavily covered in gold."


    "Wow, is that so?" Lisbon looked at the stone statue in amazement, and I snorted lightly.


    "It''s all about the money," I said.


    Hillis nodded and affirmed, "That''s right. It''s all about the money. Even if you peel off the gold, that goddess statue is too big. A life-sized one is enough, but having one that big is useless."


    "An empty cart is noisy."


    "That''s right. That''s why I like it these days. They¡¯re more frugal.¡±


    When Hillis and I sharply criticized the statue, Lisbon was rather flustered. "Oh, no, but there is also the dignity of God.¡­¡±


    Hillis and I spoke at the same time.


    "Dignity is bullshit."


    "Dignity is bullshit."


    Hillis and I high-fived.


    "Originally, in religion, you¡¯re not supposed to find dignity in something like that."


    Hillis sympathized with me and nodded. "It seems like you know. A great God must be dignified by itself. A dignity that must be presented with outward decoration is cheap."


    I was clearly an atheist while Hillis had the highest position in the temple as a saintess, but we agreed. Was this the logic that polar opposites attract?


    Priests belonging to the great temple were situated in the front seats, and those present seemed to have a lower status in the great temple the further back they sat.


    Hillis clicked her tongue at this sight. "Oh, they were told not to line them up."


    We sat on chairs at the end of the prayer room. The prayer room was quite noisy with chatter as many people gathered, but the noise soon died down.


    "The archbishop-nim is entering."


    When a voice that was amplified by magic was heard, it quickly became quiet. As the door at the front of the silent prayer room opened, unlike what I had imagined, a skinny middle-aged man entered.


    "He¡¯s a little different from what I expected,¡± Lisbon muttered in surprise.


    What was surprising was the archbishop¡¯s seemingly quite sincere first impression. However, I could see at a glance that he was a swindler who just looked good.


    "He looks too nice. He must be a crook." Hillis also looked at the archbishop with suspicion.


    "I agree. How trash must he be to have a face look that nice?¡±


    "I''m sure he accumulated a mountain¡¯s worth of stolen donations.¡±


    "A bank leaves records, so I wonder where he¡¯s keeping it?"


    "Well, an archbishop would be given a personal office building. Maybe it¡¯s there?"


    "No, if he put it in a personal office building, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid a religious inquisition if he got caught.¡±


    "Then he must have another secret place. Where would it be?"


    "Well? Let¡¯s check the archbishop''s room."


    As Hillis and I were whispering to one another, Lisbon looked at us strangely. "Um, hey. Is it okay for you to say that out loud? Everyone will be able to hear."


    I stepped on Lisbon¡¯s foot as he looked around nervously.


    "Ugh!"


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious that it¡¯s fine since Hillis has soundproofing magic up? So don''t look around so noticeably."


    Lisbon felt wronged by my warning. "How would I know that you cast soundproof magic?¡±


    "Why would you not know that?"


    It seems I¡¯ll have to add drills that maximize the senses to Lisbon¡¯s early morning training.


    "That''s right. Soundproofing is a basic thing. Hmm, Brother Lisbon-nim opens his mouth too wide when speaking, so it¡¯d be better not to talk at all.¡± Hillis agreed with me and nagged Lisbon.


    Lisbon was depressed as if he were a scolded golden retriever. Isn''t ventriloquism one of the most basic things? He didn¡¯t even have the essentials. Tsk tsk.


    The archbishop smiled graciously at the priests who filled the prayer room. He looked more and more like a fraud.


    "Thank you, my great temple family, for attending the prayer meeting early this morning. Now, let me begin with a prayer of thanks to our Lord for providing us with this place. Mother in heaven...¡±


    For the archbishop¡¯s prayer, the priests gathered in the prayer room each took out a goddess statue or rosaries, put them in front of them, and held their hands together to pray. I also put my goddess statue in front of me.


    "This goddess statue is very crude. I don''t think it''s sold anywhere. Did you make it yourself?¡±


    I shook my head at Hillis''s review. "No, I just maintained it with plaster. I didn¡¯t make it."


    If I made it, it would not be a statue but just a lump.


    "Really? Hmm, it''s not that it¡¯s poorly made, but I feel a sense of familiarity from it. Should I say it feels sacred? Anyway, the more I look at it, the more strange it seems. I feel like I''ve seen it somewhere before. Where did you get it?¡±


    Hillis''s question made me wince inside. I couldn''t sense anything, but I guess she was able to recognize the golden goddess statue because she was a saintess.


    "It''s just a statue handed down in my house."


    When I smoothly lied, Hillis nodded. "I see. I don¡¯t know, but somehow, I feel a deep history from it. Maybe your family has a deep background?"


    At Hillis¡¯s joke, I shrugged and responded with a joke too, "Maybe? You never know; perhaps one of my ancestors was a legendary hero."


    Come to think of it, Galak Blade, my great-grandfather, was the hero who killed the demon king.


    ¡°Iya, should I call you a hero?¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    While Hillis and I giggled and chatted, the archbishop finished praying and began preaching. "Now, let¡¯s not forget our gratitude as we are here under the grace of our Great Mother...¡±


    Listening to a clearly stereotypical sermon only made me yawn. On the other hand, Lisbon was paying attention to the sermon, and he started nodding at some point, listening attentively.


    I stepped lightly on Lisbon¡¯s foot.


    "Ugh! It hurts."


    Lisbon looked at me tearily, and I sighed. "We¡¯ve come to rob that person¡¯s room. So what are you doing getting swayed by him?¡±


    "But what he is saying is right. Always help the weak, be just, and love your neighbors- Argh!¡±


    I stepped on Lisbon¡¯s foot once again because he was saying a bunch of nonsense. "Would a person who wants to help the weak act like a gangster at the Angel''s House? Don''t you know it''s just words?¡±


    "Oh, is that so? Come to think of it, it is."


    Looking at the naive, convinced Pushover, I was worried that he might fall into a multi-level marketing scheme one day. Well, since Alice is here, she would stop him even if she needed to beat him.


    "And to begin with, a priest''s job is to say the right thing. Although, from time to time, there are people like that mouse face who come by during the day and say things that should earn them a beating."


    Hillis¡¯s face became flushed, and she sighed. "Please know that not all temple people are like that."


    I nodded. "I know. A wise man once said that when five people get together, one of them is garbage.¡±


    Hillis was impressed by my words. "Wow, what kind of wise man was it to say such an accurate thing?"


    He was a wise man from my past life. The archbishop''s sermon seemed just and nice to hear, but it also sounded like a threat to harm others if they didn''t take his side.


    "Shall we start moving now?"


    Lisbon and I nodded at Hillis''s suggestion.


    "Let''s go outside separately because it¡¯ll be too obvious if the three of us move together."


    All the doors in the prayer room were open, allowing us to escape with various excuses. I was watching the timing when I left, pretending to help an old priest who was going to the bathroom.


    It would have been difficult to leave this way if there were fewer people. However, since there was such an abundance of people that it filled this huge prayer room, multiple individuals were leaving to use the bathroom, making it easy. After leaving the prayer room with our own methods, we gathered in front of the ventilation shaft that we had decided upon before.


    "There¡¯s less security than I thought,¡± I said.


    Lisbon nodded and agreed, "Yeah, I thought they''d increase their security after being harmed by that person named Lupin."


    Hillis answered the question that Lisbon and I had. "That¡¯s because security wasn¡¯t even a thing before. And most importantly, I''ve heard that the core of the former forces, Paladin Malive, as well as the paladins under him, are mostly guarding Cardinal Fernando."


    That old man who wore the golden mask still isn¡¯t dead? Although I had cast it offhandedly, it was magic I created by mixing an ancient curse that twisted the cause and effect and killed with certainty. I thought he would be dead by now, but it seems that the old man has a pretty persistent lifeforce.


    I pulled the frame out of the ventilation shaft and went in. "I''ll go first, so Lisbon, you come next, then Hillis."


    "Den, don''t you think I should go first? I¡¯m probably more familiar with the temple."


    I laughed at Hillis. ¡°You''re going to crawl in front with a skirt?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Hillis blushed.


    In addition, I was sure I could navigate better after having come in and out of the ventilation shafts dozens of times last year.


    "Follow me." I started crawling to the archbishop''s room, following the map I had memorized in my head.


    By the way, I forgot that I was also wearing a skirt. The skirt kept sticking together, making it difficult to crawl.


    "Hey, Hillis."


    "What?"


    "It¡¯s difficult to move. Is it okay if I rip your skirt?¡±


    Hillis refused at once. "No, if Albatoss finds out, he''ll nag me.¡±


    "What does that have to do with me?"


    "I¡¯ll hit you."


    "Okay, I won''t rip it."


    The wig was cumbersome, and the skirt was uncomfortable, but I moved forward without any choice.

 Chapter 181: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (12)

    After arriving near the archbishop''s room through the ventilation shaft, we examined the situation through a gap in the ventilation shaft.


    "There''s a lot of security around here,¡± said Lisbon.


    I looked at the map I bought from the Big Mama Information Agency. "It must be because it''s near the archbishop''s room."


    "There''s no passageway into the archbishop''s room, is there?" Hillis asked.


    I nodded. "The spaces where the great temple¡¯s key figures stay for extended periods don¡¯t have large enough openings to accommodate people; this includes people like the archbishop and the cardinal."


    It wasn''t like this when I visited in the past. It seems to have changed a lot since then.


    "Then we have to go into the archbishop''s room from around here."


    Hillis nodded as Lisbon sighed. "It looks like we¡¯ll need to make a plan."


    "Hmm..." I spread the map in front of the two in silence, making a weak light with magic to illuminate the map.


    "Huh? You can use magic too?¡±


    I just shrugged at the surprised Hillis. "Something of this level is basic these days. The civil service training center teaches us everything."


    Among the compulsory subjects of the training center, magic was included. Of course, just because it was taught did not mean everyone could use magic. However, for magic of this level, most civil servants could do this unless they were utterly devoid of aptitude.


    "And I also learned magic when I was in my hometown."


    "I see."


    Looking at Hillis and Lisbon nodding their heads, I pointed out the entrance to the archbishop''s room and the nearest vent.


    "There are two methods. The first method is to go down through here and go to the archbishop''s room while suppressing the security along the way. The downside of this approach is that there is a high possibility that there will be a commotion when the suppressed guards wake up," I said.


    Hillis stroked her chin. "The advantage is that we can move swiftly before the archbishop finishes his prayer meeting?"


    "That''s right," I affirmed Hillis¡¯s deduction.


    At that time, Lisbon raised an objection, "Wait, I don''t think the archbishop''s room will be open. How will we get in?¡±


    I was sincerely surprised by Lisbon''s point. My goodness, for Lisbon to have pointed out something so accurate was shocking. I might have been viewing the pushover as too stupid all this time.


    At the same time, Hillis and I raised our hands.


    ¡°I know how to pick a lock.¡±


    ¡°I know how to pick a lock.¡±


    At the same time, Hillis and I looked at each other as she said, "No, why does a civil servant know how to pick locks?"


    "You''re one to talk. Why does a clergywoman know how to pick locks?"


    Hillis smiled and said, "This is a basic skill in this tough world."


    I sympathized with Hillis. "That''s right. This much is basic knowledge."


    Lisbon alternated between Hillis and me, giving an uncertain look. "Hey, don''t you both think your basic knowledge is weird?¡±


    At the same time, Hillis and I shook our heads.


    "No."


    "No way."


    Lisbon says some strange things. Isn¡¯t this much basic knowledge?.


    This time I pointed out the entrance to the vent some distance away from the archbishop''s room. "Another way is to go out the window, grab the window frame and drain pipe, and move along outside. The advantage with this method is that you don''t have to worry about the guards."


    Hillis¡¯s expression became dark at my explanation. "The downside is the time."


    Lisbon didn¡¯t seem to understand what Hillis said.


    I nodded lightly to affirm her words. "If it''s Lisbon or me, it''d be okay to move like this, but I''m afraid it¡¯ll be too difficult for you."


    It was a very physically demanding way to move, so it was too much for Hillis, who hadn¡¯t trained her body. Of course, it¡¯d be no problem if we flew in the sky. However, as soon as a priest started flying, it would also inform Lisbon that the person was at least a bishop. [1] I didn''t want to recommend this to Hillis, as she didn''t want to let others know that she was the saintess.


    "Then let''s use the first route."


    Hillis and Lisbon nodded at my suggestion.


    "Sorry, it¡¯s because of me,¡± Hillis said.


    "It¡¯s fine. If you''re going to be sorry, you should apologize for dragging me out when I should have been comfortably sleeping in bed right now."


    ¡°I''m not really sorry about that?¡± Hillis smiled playfully.


    "Once the direction is set, we¡¯ll move quickly. If possible, I will detect the guards¡¯ presence and move, but there will be a guard in front of the archbishop''s room. Lisbon will suppress him and hide the guard in the bathroom."


    I pointed out exactly where to hide him on the map.


    "Okay,¡± Lisbon said.


    "Hillis will come with me to the archbishop''s room and search it."


    "Sounds good."


    I tied the goddess statue to my back with rope. I wanted to put it in my pocket space, but for some reason, it still would not go in. However, even if it would go in, I couldn¡¯t deposit it in front of Lisbon and Hillis, so it was all the same.


    "Come on, let''s go."


    We each wore our masks that I handed out and went down the vent. Landing on the floor, we quickly ran to the archbishop''s room. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any guards skilled enough to deceive my senses, so we didn¡¯t encounter any guards on the way.


    When we arrived in front of the archbishop''s room, before the guard in front of the door could respond, Lisbon quickly hit him in the solar plexus and knocked him out before saying, "I''ll be back after hiding him."


    "Please take off the guard''s clothes, wear them, and keep watch at the door."


    "Okay."


    Lisbon dragged the unconscious guard to the bathroom I had pointed out, and I quickly opened the archbishop''s door with a universal wire.


    "Wow, you''re faster than me.¡±


    I raised my thumb to the admiring Hillis and went into the archbishop''s room. The archbishop''s room was full of theology books.


    "You should check the desk. I''ll check the bookshelf."


    Hillis nodded at my instructions and began to search the desk.


    According to the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s information, it said to check the bookcase for things relevant to slush funds. When I requested the exact location, they asked for a platinum coin, so I could only spit. Either way, all I had to do was look for places with magic cast on them, so for Milpia to ask for a platinum coin, it was daylight robbery.


    "Huh? This?"


    I took a document woven like a book from the bookcase; it was named Prophecy of the Holy Tribe. The documents looked worn out, as if they were hundreds of years old.


    I think I''ve heard the title of this document somewhere. It looks rare, so let''s put it in the pocket space for now. Continuing to look at the bookshelf, I pulled out a book where mana was particularly concentrated.


    Grrrrrng-


    Then the bookcase moved sideways, and a narrow staircase appeared.


    "Bingo."


    "What? How did you find this?"


    Hillis was searching the desk when the bookcase moved, and she came to me with a grimy bible and a bunch of papers.


    "I was gifted with great intuition. But what are those bunch of papers?" The documents Hillis was holding were full of unknown numbers and characters.


    "This one? It''s written in the code of the holy book, so I took it. I think it''s a record of a conversation with someone."


    "If it''s bible code, is it code written from pages of the holy book?"


    "Yeah, in some cases, there are many variations such as gospel, footnote, and reverse order, but it''s not that difficult to decipher if you have a specific holy book."


    Clearly, with the specific holy book, it was just a simple menial task. Of course, it was a matter of whether or not the holy book in Hillis''s hands matched the holy book that the code was derived from.


    "Anyways, let¡¯s hurry and go down!" Hillis glanced with bright eyes like a mischievous child who found an interesting secret base.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go down.¡± I took the lead, and Hillis followed me down.


    The secret area we came across at the end of the stairs was quite spacious. A lot of documents were piled up in one corner of the secret area. In the other corner, there was a magic vault large enough for a person to enter.


    ¡°Hmm, it looks like it¡¯ll be hard to open this.¡± Hillis looked at the safe and shook her head.


    That safe was a model about a decade behind the vaults in the treasury department''s inner palace building. It seemed much easier to open, but I pretended to acknowledge her as I turned to the papers. Some of the documents were evidence of slush funds linked to the archbishop and some nobles, while others were evidence of embezzlement of donations from the temple.


    As expected, as much as his outer appearance seemed righteous and upright, he was just as corrupt behind the scenes. This was nothing short of science. A man with an overly good face was a bad guy; it was like nature''s law.


    "Huh? What, look at this bastard.¡±


    I found something pretty interesting in the archbishop¡¯s documents. I looked back to show the document to Hillis, but suddenly, a loud emergency sounded.


    Ehhhhhng-!


    Behind me, Hillis was panicking and touching the safe.


    "You..."


    ¡°No! I was just trying to open it somehow!¡±


    Aigoo, what a pain. I felt a headache coming on. I moved Hillis aside and turned off the noise from the safe. "Tch, we¡¯re too late.¡±


    People were rushing toward the archbishop''s room because of the emergency sound from the safe.


    "Sorry."


    Hillis apologized sullenly, and I ruffled up Hillis''s hair. "It''s okay. Now that it¡¯s like this, we have to escape. I''ll get the papers, so you head up first."


    "Okay, got it."


    I gave the gloomy Hillis a slight slap on the back. "Cheer up."


    Looking at Hillis going up, I stuffed all the documents into my pocket space. Now that it¡¯s become like this, I decided to rob the vault.


    The vault was filled with mithril and gold bars. It seems they weren¡¯t charging a platinum coin for the information for no reason. Just the mithril inside the vault was enough to be worth hundreds of platinum coins.


    Tch, I wanted cash rather than annoying things like gold bars that needed to be exchanged. No big deal. I''ll ask Milpia to exchange it for money even though there¡¯s a fee. Even if I didn¡¯t exchange it for money, it¡¯d be good for me to use it myself as mithril, along with platinum, was known as a complete magic metal. [2]


    I swept everything in the vault into my pocket space and climbed up the stairs.


    Kwang! Kwang!


    "Open the door! You abominable thief!"


    They were banging on the door from outside as if to break it down, and Lisbon and Hillis were blocking the door with desks. Perhaps because of Lupin''s previous visit, hostility toward thieves had increased a lot.


    "Den, what do we do?"


    When Lisbon asked with a panicked expression, I sighed. "Call me Conan Doyle, K*d."


    "Huh?"


    Although Lisbon didn''t seem to comprehend what I was saying in this urgent situation, Hillis nodded as if she understood at once. "Okay, Conan Doyle."


    "Oh! I see."


    Only then did he realize why I had given names out in advance and nodded. In this situation, if we recklessly referred to each other by our true names, it could provide hints about our identity.


    "K*d, N*tty. Get out of the way, both of you!"


    Despite finding it strange, the two moved out of the way at my instruction. Shortly after that, a shower of magic bullets burst through from the other side of the door. Furious priests stormed through the completely destroyed door.


    Lisbon looked for his sword at his waist out of habit but realized he left his sword behind to enter the great temple, and so he picked up a metal hanger instead. I also pulled the goddess statue from my back. The priests faltered in confusion when I wielded the goddess statue like a weapon.


    Now, it''s time to give them a taste of the Goddess¡¯s wrath again.


    1. Previously, it was mentioned that those in the temple can¡¯t use flying magic unless they were of a high rank


    2. Previously it was said that other lower grade metals don¡¯t conduct mana/magic as well.

 Chapter 182: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (13)

    Let''s ask the question of where and how the divine power used in divine magic is created. The answer to that question is that it comes from faith. Divine power is made by a combination of mana and faith.


    Faith, when mixed with mana, takes on healing properties and amplifies mana. Therefore, more divine power was evidence of you having greater faith. And so, the more divine power you had, the higher your position. Of course, this is only a magic academic point of view¡ªpriests who use divine power regard it as a God-given force.


    "Take this! Goddess''s wrath!"


    In other words, it meant that the goddess statue was the best weapon against priests who used divine power.


    "You shameless person! How dare you!" When I wielded the goddess statue as a weapon, the angry priest fired a magic bullet ¡®made of divine power¡¯ at me.


    "Ahahaha! Home run!" I strengthened the plaster on the statue with magic so it wouldn¡¯t fall off and hit the magic bullet with the goddess statue.


    "Huuk!" When the magic bullet hit the goddess statue, the priest who shot it fell to his knees in shock and wept.


    "I...! What did I just do?!" The priest who shot the magic bullet at the goddess statue instantly started shedding tears and prayed for repentance.


    However, perhaps due to the guilt of hitting the goddess statue, the scent of divine power from the priest quickly weakened. This was the weakness of divine power. Faith amplifying mana meant that if your faith weakened or if you made God feel guilty, your divine power rapidly weakened.


    Of course, humans were forgetful creatures, so they recovered over time, but it was perfect for weakening them at that moment. When you suppress a religion, you don''t make them trample over their religion¡¯s symbol for no reason.


    "Come on! Who dares to confront Goddess-nim?" It was even more effective if I said things like this from time to time to instill guilt.


    "That wicked heretic!"


    The priests who entered the archbishop''s room faltered and backed away. Come to think of it, although I didn''t know at the time, this was the reason why I was able to easily escape without having to wreck the great temple when I visited last year.


    "The Goddess is on my side!"


    "Such impertinence!"


    When I drew the sign of the cross, the priests foamed at the mouth in anger, but they couldn''t recklessly rush at me.


    "Wow, so evil."


    "He really is."


    Hillis and Lisbon looked at me as if they were looking at the devil, but I couldn''t help it. I want you to know that wielding the goddess statue like this is painful for me too.


    "Ahahahaha! Come at me!" The priests slowly began to retreat out of the room, terrified by my shouting and swinging of the goddess statue.


    "Wow, he doesn¡¯t even have blood nor tears."


    "You¡¯re right about that."


    I¡¯m taking one for the team so that we can leave here safely, but instead of cheering, they keep saying some very rude things.


    "Ahahahaha! This is also an ordeal! Humbly receive the wrath of the Goddess!"


    "Argh!"


    Multiple priests were knocked out by the goddess statue I wielded. The priests didn¡¯t even try to defend against the goddess statue in case it got damaged, so they opted not to resist and be knocked unconscious instead. If it were me, I would run away, but perhaps because of pride or faith, the priests didn¡¯t run away.


    As I was slowly thinking about the timing to run away, I heard a voice overflowing with dignity from behind the priests. "Withdraw!"


    Hearing the command from behind them, the priests split in half to open a path. Walking in between the priests was the archbishop with a good impression.


    "What is a wicked sinner doing here?!" The archbishop pointed at me and shouted like an exorcist trying to drive away an evil spirit.


    I smiled and pointed to the bookcase. "Sinner? Who is the sinner here?"


    When the archbishop saw that I wasn¡¯t just pointing at the bookcase, but the secret space behind the bookcase, he flashed with embarrassment and anger, but he pretended to be calm and shouted, "Who is the sinner? It is, of course, the thieves who dare crawl into the archbishop''s room!"


    I laughed at the archbishop''s shout, "Puhahaha! The archbishop is full of crap. That place is...!¡±


    The archbishop shot a magic bullet and blocked what I was trying to say. I lightly deflected the archbishop''s magic bullet with the goddess statue. The archbishop''s blow was so powerful that the plaster on the outside of the goddess statue showed a fine crack.


    "Shut your mouth! Do you think we''ll be misled by anything you say, you wench?!"


    Indeed, as expected of a fallen archbishop, even though the goddess statue was cracked, his divine power didn¡¯t show any change and remained strong. In other words, even if the goddess statue were smashed, he wouldn¡¯t feel guilty at all.


    But wench? Oh, right, I was wearing a wig and a woman''s outfit. I had gotten used to the wind blowing underneath the skirt, so I forgot.


    "Ohohoho! You¡¯re making this wench feel bad by calling me a wench! It seems you want a taste of the Goddess¡¯s wrath?¡± I had a husky voice due to puberty, but I raised the pitch of my voice as much as possible in falsetto and lifted the goddess statue.


    "Don¡¯t make me laugh, you heretic! Now that it has become a weapon of a heretic, it is now Satan wearing the shell of the Goddess!"


    Um, actually, inside the shell is an authentic made-in-the-great-temple golden goddess statue. Satan? He¡¯s saying things that would make the cardinal foam at the mouth as if it was nothing.


    "Ye, yeah! That goddess statue is just Satan''s shell to trick us!"


    ¡°That, that''s right!"


    As expected, human beings were animals equipped with basic skills in self-justification, and the priests quickly transformed the goddess statue into a satanic statue as soon as an excuse was presented. Just as I thought, I keenly felt that incitement and fabrication were weapons of those in high positions.


    I looked at the archbishop and laughed quietly, "Woohuhu."


    At my laughter, the archbishop and other priests looked at me strangely.


    "Uahahahahaha!"


    As I burst into laughter, the strange looks became vigilant. I aimed for when the archbishop''s aura faltered as he grew wary. I turned around, grabbed Hillis, and yelled, "Let''s run! K*d!"


    "What?"


    "Huh? ¡­ Okay!"


    Wajangchang-!


    I broke the window and jumped out of it. Lisbon seemed a little panicked, but he quickly jumped out behind me.


    "Kyaaaak-!" Hillis, lying in my arms, screamed at the sudden fall. To start screaming when it was only four stories high...


    "Float." Just before landing, both Lisbon and I lightly floated up and landed stably.


    "If you''re going to jump, tell me first!"


    Hillis told me off, and I smiled playfully. "They¡¯ll be forewarned if I say it first.¡±


    Hillis still had an angry face. "You!"


    Then, the archbishop flew in the sky from behind and poured magic on us, yelling, "Chase them!"


    At the archbishop''s cry, the priests all cast floating magic on themselves and jumped out of the window.


    ¡°Don''t let the heretic get away!¡±


    ¡°God''s iron mace!¡±


    When I saw the priests full of killing intent, I let go of Hillis and said, "Let''s split up and run away."


    "What? But-"


    Hillis and Lisbon protested, but I shouted with a glare, "At this rate, we''ll all be caught together. Is that what you want?¡±


    I looked at the two flinching people and said, "If we scatter, even if we get caught, it¡¯ll be fine as long as one person can escape. Then you can call N*tty''s guardian, and we''ll all be released."


    Lisbon didn''t understand what I was saying, but Hillis nodded. "I''m sorry, this happened because of me."


    Hillis looked genuinely remorseful. I disheveled Hillis''s hair and smiled. "It''s okay. It''s been a while since I''ve had such an enjoyable, thrilling time.¡±


    Thanks to you, my pocket became full, so you don¡¯t have to be sorry. Pushover wouldn¡¯t have any complaints since he only got involved for the Angel''s House. In addition, this wasn¡¯t even close to being a crisis.


    ¡°All right! Let''s meet at the place where we had lunch yesterday!"


    After choosing the Angel''s House as the gathering place, Hillis and Lisbon fled. I pretended to run away before blocking the archbishop and priests. I used the location tracking function among my glasses¡¯ various abilities to determine Hillis and Lisbon¡¯s location.


    Fortunately, they were running away, as I said. Thanks to that, I''ll be able to run wild. I lightly flew up to the sky, turning off the tracking function.


    "Did you stay behind to buy time?! Hahaha! That''s funny, heretic wench!"


    Calling me a wench when I¡¯m a man, that¡¯s too much.


    "Everyone, chase after the heretics who ran away!" Upon the archbishop¡¯s orders, the priests tried to chase after Hillis and Lisbon.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!"


    I shot magic bullets and interrupted the priests from chasing. At the same time, I took out a piece of paper and said, "Archbishop! Here''s the document you''re worried about!"


    The document I brought out was physical evidence that the archbishop was in league with an organization that revered the demon king. The archbishop''s eyes turned red when he saw the document I was holding. At the archbishop¡¯s level, other corruption could be handled by cutting off the tail, but with this document, he would never be able to avoid a religious trial.


    "You, you wench!" The archbishop shouted with glistening eyes.


    He must not have expected me to find this in that bunch of papers.


    "You must have hit it off really well with the person called Libra!"


    "I won''t let you go! Everyone! That heretic is the main culprit! Get that heretic first- No, kill him!"


    Nearly all the priests stopped and hesitated at the kill order from the archbishop. Most of them lived a life in the peaceful capital far from any fighting. There were only a few people who could cast magic with a serious intent to kill, even if they were suddenly told to kill a heretic. However, the priests who seemed to be the archbishop''s underlings started firing magic at me.


    "Jeez, this guy. The archbishop has so much killing intent. I won¡¯t be able to pray to God when I¡¯m fearful like this," I sarcastically replied while hitting aside the magic flying at me, using the goddess statue wrapped in sword aura.


    The archbishop snarled, biting his lips, "That''s enough. Don''t talk any more nonsense. You wench will die here."


    "Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    The archbishop and I each emitted mana as we began an aerial battle. A common misconception was that a battle of minds was the most important factor in a one-on-one magic battle. On the contrary, brute force in a magic battle was much more vital than it was even for knights.


    In a magician¡¯s battle, it was about how one could dominate the mana around them. If one couldn¡¯t take control of the space, you couldn¡¯t even have a battle of minds. My mana and the archbishop''s divine power collided and caused a spark in the air.


    "Ugh!" The archbishop groaned with cold sweat. My mana dispersed the archbishop''s divine power and took control of the space.


    The archbishop''s divine power was far higher than that of the priests on the ground, but it was not enough compared to a madosa¡¯s level. Naturally, my mana exerted overwhelming strength compared to the archbishop¡¯s divine power.


    Then, a familiar voice came from behind me. "You! Just like I thought, you stayed behind alone to block them!"


    Initially, I thought that Hillis had run away, but instead, she came back. Hillis seemed to have had similar thoughts as I did.


    ¡°Hey! I told you to run!¡±


    ¡°Punish that heretic!¡±


    The archbishop and I shouted at the same time. The priests attacked Hillis together under the archbishop¡¯s command.


    "Hahaha! You failed to send your colleague away! You fool!¡± The archbishop¡¯s mood improved as he chuckled.


    The archbishop seemed to be mistaken. The reason I sent Hillis away was so I could run wild to my heart''s content, not because I was afraid of her getting hurt.

 Chapter 183: The Pushover, the Saintess, and the Mysterious Thief (14)

    "Shield of Holy Light!" Sure enough, Hillis easily blocked the priests¡¯ attack.


    Hillis was a full madosa who had already completed her domain proclamation. Just looking at her total amplified divine power, one could see that it was close to a great madosa. Therefore, there was no way a madosa would get done in by some small fry magic that wasn¡¯t even close to the level of a great magician. [1]


    "What?! Such pure and powerful divine power!"


    The priests were shocked and speechless, and Hillis put her hands together as if she were praying and poured all kinds of buffs on me. "Great Mother! Give guidance to the young lost lamb, the boundless courage and strength to leave the road, and clear judgment and blessing so that he will not wander!"


    With the rapid-fire incantations, I received mana amplification, stamina restoration, strengthened muscles, and clarity of mind. Dozens of buffs arrived at once. [2]


    "The sword of righteousness he holds is unbreakable and unyielding; I hope the Holy Spirit will always be with him!"


    Hillis then cast all kinds of buffs once more, but this time on my weapon, the goddess statue. With this amount of buffs, one could discover that she was the saintess. I tried to hide her identity as the saintess until the very end, but oh well.


    "How? Impossible!" The archbishop seemed to have a vague sense of his predicament after seeing Hillis¡¯s divine power.


    "Now, let''s finish this!"


    I raised the goddess statue, which shined brilliantly with Hillis¡¯s divine power. As I rushed toward the archbishop, the moment I tried to swing the goddess statue, a brilliant golden ray of light began to leak through as a huge crack was made in the goddess statue¡¯s plaster.


    "Huh, what?! What''s happening?!"


    I had strengthened it with all kinds of magic and surrounded it with sword aura, so there was no way it would break like this. However, the goddess statue contained the enormous divine power from Hillis and exuded a strange power. It was obviously divine power, but it was also too violent and temperamental to be called divine power.


    Within the brilliant light emitted from the goddess statue, not only the plaster shell but also the golden goddess statue turned into powder. The goddess statue completely disappeared, and from it came a very short sword handle which was about 15 cm long. I subconsciously grasped the blade-less handle.


    "Huh? Huuuh?" Then, like a starved baby, it began to suck out my mana. Surprised, I tried to release my grasp, but it stuck to my hand and wouldn''t fall off.


    First, I blocked the mana going to the plain handle. If I tried to let go, it would definitely consume all of my mana and still have room left over. When the supply of mana suddenly halted, the handle stopped sucking up my mana regretfully. Then, from the hole where the blade was missing, the handle began to vomit out divine power by replacing the mana it had sucked from me.


    "Argh!" The series of incidents occurred in a blink of an eye, so the archbishop could not avoid it, and his right arm, which was holding a religious decoration, flew away.


    The massive sword blade of divine power that swallowed the archbishop''s right arm blew away the roof of the great temple. When the upper part of the largest building in the capital, second only to the imperial palace, disappeared, everyone froze on the spot.


    "Holy¡­ Sword."


    At someone''s voice, the priests on the ground began to shout and cheer.


    "It¡¯s the Holy Sword that was lost!¡±


    "Wow! My God!"


    What? No, wait. What are these people saying? The handle in my hand is the Holy Sword?


    "Wait, how is a heretic holding the Holy Sword?¡±


    Someone pointed out that I was called a heretic. Yet, the situation flowed entirely differently from how I assumed it would turn out.


    "There¡¯s no way a heretic would be able to handle the Holy Sword!"


    "It¡¯s the legendary hero-nim!"


    What? A hero? What nonsense are you saying?


    "Hero-nim! Ahhh! Without knowing, this lowly one attacked you!"


    The priests on the ground began to kneel one by one and pray in repentance.


    "Please forgive us, Hero-nim!"


    The archbishop, grabbing the shoulder where his arm was torn off, shouted at the priests who prayed for forgiveness, "Don''t be misled! It''s all the heretic¡¯s trick!"


    No one listened to the archbishop, who was crying out in a cold sweat. I thought for a moment whether I should resolve the priests¡¯ misunderstanding.


    Well, do I really need to resolve it? I¡¯ll just take advantage of the misunderstanding.


    "Listen, children of the Great Mother!"


    At my cry, the priests looked up at me in unison. I raised the Holy Sword for the sake of the performance.


    "Woooow!"


    "Hero-nim!"


    Their response was much better than I anticipated. I thought that I was looking at such fanatical religious people that they were capable of giving me goosebumps. I guessed that their gazes right now were perhaps similar to the one they always looked at Hillis with. Then, I realized that she didn¡¯t go around hiding her role as the saintess for no reason.


    Well, these are people I¡¯ll never see again, so let''s go all out.


    "Look at this!" I scattered the papers documenting the corruption committed by the archbishop into the air. There were so many that even though it was roughly scattered on the floor, it was enough for the priests on the ground to read through them.


    "No!" The archbishop used magic to try and burn the documents but was interrupted by Hillis and I¡¯s magic.


    "This is all corruption found in the archbishop''s room! And this is!"


    I presented the document that proved the archbishop was in league with heretics. Just in case they couldn¡¯t see it because it was too far away, I kindly magnified it in mid-air. "This is proof that this wicked man has been in league with heretics!"


    "No, no!" The archbishop became pale as he denied it. No matter how greedy you are for mithril, you shouldn¡¯t be getting involved with the Demon King worshipers.


    I lightly bound the archbishop with a magic chain. At the same time, I cut off the archbishop''s magic circuit so that he couldn¡¯t use his divine power recklessly.


    "Uahhhhhhh!¡± The archbishop screamed and convulsed.


    "Look at this heretic suffering from the power of the Holy Sword!"


    Actually, he was in agony due to the explosion of mana after his mana circuit was cut off, but the truth didn''t really matter.


    I threw the archbishop among the shocked priests and said, "I''ll leave it to you all to dispose of him."


    In this case, it seemed that the original purpose of saving the Angel''s House was achieved, so I ran away before more priests with fanatic gazes came to cling to me.


    "Please wait! Hero-nim!¡± The priests reached their hands out to me from behind and shouted, but I simply ignored them.


    When I landed in a moderately deserted place with Hillis coming along, she looked at me with a complicated face. "You, you are a hero?¡±


    I sighed at Hillis''s serious expression. "There¡¯s no way that can be true, right? Why are you acting like that as well?¡±


    When I gave a fed-up look, Hillis hesitated and looked at the Holy Sword. "But I heard that the Holy Sword is only usable to the hero chosen by the Goddess."


    "What happened just before was only a reaction to your divine power. Look, it''s just a sword handle now."


    The Holy Sword, which had been emitting divine power, was quiet. Hillis tilted her head at my reply. "Hmm, no? It definitely felt very different from my divine power."


    This different feeling occurred because the Holy Sword replaced my mana with divine power.


    "Ayy, what¡¯s different? It''s just your divine power."


    "Really? Then what about how the Holy Sword was in the goddess statue passed down through your house?"


    Oh, yeah. I told such a lie.


    "It was just empty talk when I said it was passed down through my house. It¡¯s only a goddess statue I bought from somewhere. It''s a coincidence."


    Actually, considering that it was the golden goddess statue stolen from the great temple, the Holy Sword was not lost but just hidden. It was so well hidden that it was mistaken for being lost.


    "Here, take it. I don''t need something like this."


    When I handed the Holy Sword to Hillis, Hillis was flustered. "This is the Holy Sword, and you''re just gonna give it to me? Even though it¡¯s one of the four god swords?¡±


    "Where is a civil servant supposed to use this? It''s a divine object, so you should just take it."


    Hillis burst into laughter when I tried to dump the blatantly bothersome item onto her. "Puhut! Normally in these scenarios, aren¡¯t you supposed to say you¡¯re the hero or something?¡±


    "A hero? I¡¯ll absolutely deny such a nuisance. I''d rather run away than be a hero. Oh, if you''re going to give me money, I won''t refuse." I needed money because I didn''t have enough cash.


    "Hahaha! Snobby, much?" Hillis smiled and took the Holy Sword from me.


    "Hmm?"


    "Huh?"


    To be specific, she tried to take it. The Holy Sword in my hand wouldn¡¯t come off.


    "You didn¡¯t attach it with magic, did you?"


    "No way." I shook my head at Hillis¡¯s question.


    Hillis said with a serious look, "In the end, I think the Holy Sword... Has chosen you to be its master."


    "Haha, no way.¡±


    I wish you wouldn¡¯t make such terrible jokes. If I keep carrying this thing around, that means I¡¯ll have to receive the creepy eyes of the fanatics again.


    "¡­Really?"


    Hillis nodded at my question. "Really."


    This was the moment when I, who had no faith, became the master of the Holy Sword.


    Damn it.


    * * *


    Late in the morning, I had a cup of tea with Mrs. Arscilla, absolutely carefree. I ended up going to sleep late last night since I robbed the great temple with Hillis and Lisbon, but I woke up early in the morning to work Lisbon hard. Thanks to this, Lisbon became more dead than alive and was struggling on the sofa.


    "Oh my, this is a decoration I haven¡¯t seen before?¡± Mrs. Arscilla looked at the Holy Sword dangling on my waistband and asked.


    It was shaped like a sword handle, but it was short at just 15cm, so it did kind of look like a decoration.


    "Oh, I just picked it up on the street."


    If it had been a normal item, I would have stuck it in my pocket space, never to take it out again. However, perhaps the reason the goddess statue didn¡¯t enter my pocket space was because of this sword, as the Holy Sword did not enter the pocket space in the same manner. Even if I wanted to throw it away, it came back like a boomerang if it was parted from me for longer than a certain period.


    "Hohoho, it looks luxurious for something you just picked up."


    "Hahaha, is that so?"


    Mrs. Arscilla and I enjoyed the refreshments while chatting.


    "Then, are you back to work from now on?¡±


    I nodded. "Yes, I¡¯m off to work in the afternoon, so I still have time."


    Alice and Yuria left the boarding house early in the morning to meet Milpia and someone named Aria. Now that school was just around the corner, they seemed to be preparing for something.


    Mrs. Arscilla clapped her hands and smiled. "That''s a relief. It was decided all of a sudden, but we''re going to have a new boarder today. It would have been lonely without one of our boarders to welcome, right?¡±


    "A boarder?"


    When I returned the question with some uneasiness, Mrs. Arscilla nodded. "Yes, it''s about time for her to arrive soon¡­.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, I heard the doorbell.


    "Oh! She must be here."


    Mrs. Arscilla got out of her seat and stepped out to the front door. When Mrs. Arscilla opened the front door, a familiar face waved from outside.


    "Hi, nice to see you again, Den." It was Hillis who was standing outside the door.


    "Oh my, do you two know each other?¡±


    When Mrs. Arscilla asked, surprised, Hillis nodded. "Yes, we do. Missus, we''re very close. Is Brother Lisbon-nim inside?"


    "Do you know Lisbon, too, Miss Hillis?¡±


    "Yes, I do, Missus."


    Hillis smiled kindly and shook my hand. "I look forward to working with you, Hero-nim."


    I could only smile at Hillis''s whisper. Dang it.


    1. magicianmadosa<>madosa


    2. Only four are listed but the author says dozens, so each of those listed is probably due to a combination of multiple buffs.

 Chapter 184: Currency Reform (1)

    A powerful trumpet sounded from the outer wall of Asterium.


    The elite knights of Asterium, the White Tiger Knights Division, and other prominent knights of the Duchy of Asteria were dressed in uniforms and lined up along the outer walls.


    With the sudden lining up of the knights, the citizens came out wondering, to see what was going on since it was very rare for the White Tiger Knights Division, which was comparable to the royal guards, to be lined up in uniform.


    After each knights¡¯ division finished lining up, the rider on the wall raised the duke''s flag and the indomitable gate of the Asterium was opened.


    A military band lined up behind the knights and began to play magnificent music as people entered Asterium through the gates.


    The citizens, who were expecting a large march, were disappointed to see only 30 people and a small carriage come through the gate.


    However, the knights who had their ceremonial swords unsheathed and were maintaining etiquette were so nervous that they might shed cold sweat.


    And in addition, there was the flag with crows, the symbol of the chief of the strongest battle race, the Crow Tribe, hanging atop the small carriage.


    The citizens who were looking around didn''t know, but the thirty men escorting the wagon were the best of the Crows. If they truly run wild, it might be the day that Asterium got erased from the map.


    When the Crows had all entered the city, the leader of the White Tiger Knights, a butler, and a housekeeper came out to meet them in place of the Duke of Asterium, who was away.


    "It has been a long time since we¡¯ve met, Weger-nim."


    When the leader of the White Tiger Knights bowed his head to the old man who was in the lead, the other knights along the walls were greatly surprised. For this leader that they knew, was a man who didn¡¯t bow his head easily, even to his superiors.


    "Huh, long time no see, kid. You''ve gotten a lot better," said Weger.


    The knights swallowed dryly.


    Kid? Even though he was a Crow, it was a word that poked the pride of the leader of the White Tiger Knights.


    The knights were certain he would be angry, but contrary to their expectations, the leader smiled.


    "No, I still have a long way to go. I''ve managed to digest only half of Sir¡¯s teachings."


    "It¡¯s fine, there are plenty of my own students who are not as good as you."


    The White Tiger Knights leader shook his head at Weger''s encouragement.


    "Haha, they''re probably still young,¡± he said with a bitter smile.


    Weger patted his shoulder. "There''s something I always tell my students. Even if we are often called battle races and get treated as another race, ordinary people outside the village can still become strong enough to beat you if they put in the effort."


    Weger''s words were not wrong. Just because they were born with weaker physical bodies than the Crow Tribe, it did not mean the strength and level they could achieve in the end was low. For example, the Space Magician, one of the four great madosas, was born into a commoner''s family and was known to be comparable to the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe.


    "Thank you. I will continue to try harder." The White Tiger Knights leader sincerely expressed his gratitude to Weger for his encouragement. Then he looked at the carriage and whispered carefully to him. "Is the Crow Tribe Chief-nim in that carriage?¡±


    The White Tiger Knights leader was even more nervous because he had personally faced the young Doomstone in the past when the latter had run away from home. Doomstone during his younger days was a legend, an object of admiration, and fear.


    Weger guffawed and shook his head. "Huh-huh-huh, no. The deputy chief-nim is riding in that carriage."


    Right then, the window of the carriage opened and Hestia stuck her head out.


    The White Tiger Knights leader was surprised to see Hestia''s face and his mouth fell open. "Anemone-nim...?¡±


    Hestia, who had not heard his surprised murmur, came out of the carriage and stood in front of those who had come to meet her.


    It was not only the White Tiger Knights leader who was surprised. The duke''s butler and the housekeeper were also surprised.


    Hestia, who stood proudly in front of them, looked so much like the young Anemone, who they had pledged loyalty to in the past as she was to become the future duchess.


    "As the deputy chief of the Crow Tribe, I would like to thank the members of the Asteria Duchy for coming out."


    Hestia''s imposing eyes gave them a feeling of nostalgia. But they simply closed their eyes for a moment before opening them again.


    Anemone, whom they loved and respected, had already died 25 years ago. Hestia looked too young to be related to Anemone.


    "No, it''s just only the appropriate formality as Asteria has a close relationship with the Crow Tribe."


    Hestia smiled and nodded lightly at the housekeeper''s greeting.


    Those who came out to meet them probably didn''t know, but to the Crow Tribe, the Duke of Asteria was a blood ally. Of course, the blood alliance between the two was highly confidential. For the Crows who had already allied with the empire, forming a blood alliance with a single noble within the empire was not without the risk of being considered a political intervention.


    Hestia only found out that her mother had been the successor to the Duke of Asteria when she became the deputy chief, and very few people knew about the existence of blood alliance.


    "Is His Highness, Duke of Asteria in the Duke''s mansion? I''d like to meet him once."


    The butler of the duke answered Hestia''s question. "No, His Highness, went to the capital ahead of the state affairs conference. If he had known of the visit, he would have surely waited."


    Hestia nodded at the butler. "Since we''re the ones who suddenly came, we¡¯ll push the meeting for when we¡¯re in the capital."


    "Thank you for your understanding."


    Hestia went back into the carriage and pressed Weger. "Elder-nim, head straight to the capital. Time is tight if we want to make it to the state affairs conference in the capital.¡±


    Weger nodded. "All right. It was nice to see them after a long time."


    Weger and the Crows headed for the Asterium train station. The procession of envoys of the Crow Tribe who received the invitations from the capital continued.


    -o-


    I sighed looking at Hillis.


    ¡°Why are you sighing looking at a person?¡± Hillis seemed slightly sulky.


    "Why did you come here?¡± I asked


    Hillis gave me a playful smile. "Ayy, you know."


    I did have a feeling. There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that she was here because of the Holy Sword, which was hanging like a decoration on my waist. What I was curious about was whether her purpose was the sword itself or me who became the master of the sword.


    In the case of the former, if I could find a way to remove the Holy Sword somehow, I would be able to cut off this bothersome business. But if it was the latter, there was still a chance that I would be bothered even if the Holy Sword was removed.


    Hillis knew the intent of my question, but she was obviously pretending otherwise. I changed the question.


    "Then how did you get in here?¡±


    This was not just a boarding house, but a boarding house run by Mrs. Arscilla, the mother of the prime minister. There was no way that the overprotective paladins would approve of Hillis entering this place. Nevertheless, she had ended up here by either persuading or forcing them. If former, it was highly likely that she would have talked about me in the process. And if it was the latter, the unconvinced paladins could come bother me.


    "Don''t worry. I didn''t use the way you are worried about," she looked me in the eye and answered seriously. She spoke as if she knew my concerns.


    "First of all, I convinced Albatoss and the others. Of course, I didn''t bring up any mentions of you while persuading them.¡±


    "Then how... Ah, no way?¡±


    When I was slightly surprised, Hillis nodded.


    "That''s right. I decoded the code of the holy book and took the materials you scattered, and persuaded them with the proof that the archbishop had connections with the Demon King worshipers."


    If that was the case, it was sufficiently possible to persuade them without telling them about me. Hillis probably said there might be another heretical spy, based on evidence that the archbishop was in collusion with heretics.


    At the same time, she probably said that a place far from the great temple¡¯s influence should be used as a safe house. The reason why such persuasion worked was probably due to the black magician wearing a mask that attacked Hillis a few months ago.


    "Then it must have been easy to convince them to let you into this boarding house.¡±


    There were three places in the capital that were completely free from the influence of the great temple. The first was the imperial palace, the second was the imperial army, and the last was the boarding house run by the prime minister''s mother.


    Hillis nodded in affirmation. "That''s right."


    "Then what about the fact that I have the Holy Sword?"


    "You and I are the only ones who know. It''s a secret between just the two of us." Hillis smiled playfully.


    "That¡¯s a relief under these unfortunate circumstances,¡± I said.


    "What? Are you unhappy that I know about it?" Hillis complained.


    "It¡¯s more like I¡¯m unhappy about having this burden attached to me."


    I tapped the Holy Sword that was hanging like a decoration. Then, for some reason, a strange cry was heard briefly from the Holy Sword.


    "What? You don''t like that I called you a burden?"


    Hillis smiled lightly as I lifted the Holy Sword and shook it.


    "You¡¯re talking to the Holy Sword all of the sudden?"


    "The Holy Sword suddenly made a strange cry."


    Hillis looked at me as if I were strange. ¡°What? When?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean when, just now...¡±


    Perhaps only I heard it? When I glared at the Holy Sword again, it once again made a strange cry.


    "Did you hear it?"


    "Hear what?" Hillis tilted her head.


    Well, it looks like I''m hearing voices. I think it might be a good idea to take a good rest since I have the reward vacation. This past month has been too harsh.


    "Oh, by the way, there were a lot of people who saw the Holy Sword. How is it?"


    Thanks to my glasses, people probably didn¡¯t even properly recognize the Holy Sword, but I needed to know what people were saying about it.


    Hillis suddenly burst into laughter. "Puhahahat!"


    "Why are you laughing all of the sudden?¡±


    "Nah, nothing. You asked how the rumour spread, right? Apart from those at the great temple, even the whole temple organization is hot with talks about the Holy Sword.¡± [1]


    Hmm, I think I¡¯ll need to add additional embellishments to the Holy Sword so that no one can recognize it at all.


    "Puhuhut!"


    Hillis once again couldn''t hold back her laughter and burst out laughing.


    "Why are you laughing so hard?" I asked, discontentedly.


    She replied in a playful voice, "The talk about the Holy Sword is hot, but the story of the blonde female hero who awakened the Holy Sword is even hotter."


    "What?!"


    "Come on, you know. You were wearing a wig and the priest''s uniform that I gave you at the time. Because they say the hero was one of the female priests, the temple is currently in a festive mood."


    Ah... Dammit! That means the fact that I dressed up as a woman will spread all over the country the moment my identity gets discovered!


    Getting caught and dragged back home was not the problem right now. Getting disgraced nationwide definitely must not happen!


    I held Hillis''s hands and begged earnestly. "Please... Please keep it a secret."


    "Hnng, what should I do?"


    She smiled playfully. That appearance was no different from the devil.


    1. The great temple is a specific building in the capital while the temple here refers to a religious organization. The great temple is part of the organization ¡®temple¡¯.

 Chapter 185: Currency Reform (2)

    Glont had just come into the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s director¡¯s room with hot, freshly baked cookies.


    "Ohohoho, you''ve been waiting a long time, haven''t you? These are special cookies that I made myself."


    The Duke of Asteria burst into laughter from the guest seat as he put the plate of cookies on the table.


    "Huhu, do you still go around wearing that weird apron?"


    Glont smoothened out the pink apron with a light lace he was wearing that had a heart-shaped cushion on the chest. "Hmmm, Your Highness, the Duke doesn''t seem to know, but it''s a rare limited edition apron that''s hard to acquire. Don''t you think so, Rosellis?


    "Poot!" Rosellis spouted out the tea she was drinking. "Keck! Keck! Why are you asking me that?"


    "Well, that¡¯s because I saw you at the boutique that was selling these limited edition aprons.¡±


    "You, you must have seen it wrong." Rosellis avoided his gaze while the hand holding the cup of tea trembled.


    "Hey, Bloody, your hands are shaking?"


    When the young man sitting across from her pointed it out, Rosellis sharply glared and put the cup down strongly.


    Kwang!


    "Shut up! Debt-ridden Knight! If you¡¯re a guard, shut up and stand outside the door like a guard!" Rosellis cried.[1]


    The young man called ¡®debt-ridden¡¯ and Glont were angered.


    "Hey! I''ve almost finished paying off my debt!"


    "Oh my god! Rosellis! That''s my favorite tea set!"


    The Duke of Asteria clapped his hands hard at the situation where everyone was just talking over each other. The applause shut everyone in the guild director¡¯s room.


    "Ohoho, excuse me." Glont apologized.


    The Duke of Asteria smiled and gestured with his hand. "No, it¡¯s fine. Anyways, I''m still not used to your polite manners. Do you not yell and break things like you used to?" he asked with a playful smile.


    A seemingly perplexed Glont raised his hands in surrender. "Why are you bringing up such an old story? It''s already been more than 25 years since I broke things in front of Your Highness."


    "Ahahaha, I''m telling you now, but at the time I had a mind to cut your throat and hang your head on that pine tree."


    Glont broke into a cold sweat at the curt words. At that time, as the third son of a viscount, who had just advanced from a squire, causing a disturbance in front of the Duke wouldn¡¯t just affect him, but also the fate of his family.


    "Ahaha, if Anemone-nim hadn''t stopped Your Highness, the Duke, then my life would truly have been over at that time.¡± Glont stroked his neck.


    The duke stared vacantly as if seeing the past in the empty air. "Yeah, Anemone told me that I''d better let you live and clear your debts because you''d become a general in the future. Although I didn''t know you would grow to the point of being called the hero of the country.¡±


    "Hahaha, I didn''t know either. At that time, I was just a brat who couldn''t even tell the difference between the front and back and I couldn''t stand injustice." At some point, Glont''s eyes became lost in memory as well.


    "Huhuhu, wasn¡¯t it when you announced your retirement a decade ago that you suddenly changed your temper?" The Duke of Asteria tried to feel him out slightly.


    Glont¡¯s face slightly stiffened, then he turned around with his usual relaxed face. "By the way, is it okay for you to leave the leader of the White Tiger Knights behind and bring Damian with you instead? His pride is abnormal."


    When the director pointed to the Debt-ridden Knight, the Duke of Asteria answered albeit after finishing the tea he had been drinking. "He''s the commander-in-chief of the regional defence force, guarding the boundaries of the Demon¡¯s Territory. Me personally bringing him around would be a loss to me at the least and a loss to the whole empire at the most."


    Glont burst into a peal of insidious laughter. "Hohoho, is that how you managed to get him off your back?¡± he joked.


    "Hahaha, that''s right. He''s so inflexible that he bothers me about everything." The Duke of Asteria slapped his knee and laughed.


    "On the other hand, this guy who only cares about money works only as much as I give him, so it''s more convenient.¡±


    When the duke hit the Debt-ridden Knight on the shoulder, he smiled awkwardly.


    "Oho, that''s why you''re continuously tying him up in debt and bringing him around?¡±


    "Yes, there''s no tool as easy as money to handle people with."


    As she listened to Glont and the Duke of Asteria, Rosellis looked at Damian pitifully and thought to herself to never fall into debt.


    "So, let me borrow Roseland again this year."


    Glont expressed disapproval at the Duke''s words. "Your Highness, that''s excessive authority. Shouldn¡¯t Your Highness be able to go sightseeing in the capital by yourself now?"


    "Uh-huh! You think I''m just looking for a tour guide? When you go to a state affairs conference, you normally get a dedicated civil servant with you."


    The imperial family had assigned civil servants exclusively for the convenience of the upper-class nobles, at least count level or higher, who were attending the state affairs conference for their convenience every year.


    "As I said last year, it''s under the jurisdiction of the Central Ceremony Department. Do you know how much I get glared at by the Director of the Ceremony Department every year?"


    In fact, the reason for appointing dedicated civil servants was to monitor every move of the high-ranking nobles that gathered in the capital. Under the condition that the temple had fallen, it was not an exaggeration to say that the enemy of the imperial family were the nobles who had developed their strength while standing together against the temple.


    The Duke of Asteria, who was well aware of the fact, chose his own civil servant to bring around with him. It was excessive use of power by the duke to ignore the rules, but no one could say anything.


    "Anyways, so you don''t want to?"


    Glont sighed at the sharp eyes of the Duke of Asteria. The old politician did not mention the mistake of his youth for no reason.


    "That¡¯s not the case."


    "That''s good." The duke picked up a cookie with an attitude of a matter of course.


    Glont sighed again after grabbing his head at the difficult situation. "But it can¡¯t be Roseland."


    "Why? Is there anyone as amiable as him?"


    "Roseland is too busy after being promoted. Isn''t it too much to pull someone who is frantically busy adjusting to a new job?" Glont said.


    The Duke of Asteria stroked his chin as he replied, "Hmm, certainly, I do owe him something, so  I would feel bad to ask him again this time."


    Glont pretended to be surprised. "Oh my, did Your Highness have a conscience?¡±


    Seeing Glont feigned ignorance, the duke laughed, "The hair on my conscience may be thick, but it exists. I feel like a chunk of hair on my conscience is being ripped out if I ask to take Roseland. Well, should I just hang in there for about ten strands of hair?"


    Glont surrendered at the playful remark, "I was wrong. So I''d like you to pick a different person."


    "Huhuhu, you should have done that earlier."


    The duke looked at Glont as if he were a child.


    "Do you have anyone in mind?"


    "Yes, it is someone named Fiona... But I imagine Your Highness, the Duke would prefer to see and decide for yourself, yes?¡±


    The duke flicked his finger at Glont''s conjecture. "As expected, you know me well." He stood up from his seat and said, "Stop eating and get up, you debtor, it¡¯s time to work."


    "Woong!" His mouth was filled with cookies and ended up mumbling.


    "If you''re going to speak, do it after you finish eating. Tsk tsk, if someone else saw this, they might think I¡¯m making you work starving."


    As he spoke, he found Glont¡¯s cookies to be delicious and picked one up.


    -o-


    Shortly after I got a promise from Hillis that she would never talk about me, I put on my uniform and went to work. "You¡¯ve arrived?"


    Organ welcomed me when I arrived at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. But rather than Organ, my eyes went to Demuir, who was lying on the floor next to the desk.


    "What''s wrong with Demuir?"


    It wasn''t Organ that answered my question, but Demuir who was lying on the floor.


    "Heuk! The bakery lady in front said I gained weight!"


    The lady at the bakery in front was the one Demuir was interested in and was trying to seduce. He was a first-class groom material, bestowed nobility with a safe job of being a civil servant. The lady seemed to be interested, but maybe it wasn¡¯t going well?


    "Of course, you¡¯d gain weight if you only eat chocolate like that."


    Who told you to distribute the military supply of chocolate to the children without permission? It was punitive justice.


    "Uheuk! It¡¯s a diet then! Help me, Den!"


    "The exercise that I¡¯ll make you do will be very harsh. Are you really sure?¡±


    Demuir hesitated. "Uh, how hard is it?"


    It was hard enough that even Lisbon, a knight school student, was barely managing to keep up with my schedule.


    "You may not be able to come to work because of muscle pain for a while."


    "Then I can''t. Work is precious."


    Demuir suddenly avoided my gaze. I laughed and wrote down some good exercises and ways to do it on blank paper.


    "I only wrote things that were easy enough for you to do. If you do this, it¡¯ll make you lose a lot of weight.¡±


    "Uh... will this really make me lose weight?"


    As if looking at something strange, he looked at me distrustfully.


    "Yes. But it''s pretty tough, so you''ll really have to resolve your heart.¡±


    The exercise methods I wrote down were running and a few from my past life like planks, squats, and so on. It would have been nice if I drew it as well, but because my drawing skills were zero, I wrote down the explanation in as much detail as I could.


    "What about you, Flam and Mr. Dano?"


    I didn''t see them even though they weren''t the type of people to arrive at work later than me.


    "They went to the Druval Market to purchase all the by-products that got pushed back as soon as they got to work."


    "Druval Market?¡±


    "The only ones that can handle all the by-products acquired from this recent battle are either the Druval Market or the Asteria Market."


    As Demuir spoke, I put my bag down at my seat. Although I had already swept the demon by-product market for the past two days, not even a quarter of the volume generated by the flood of demons had been released yet. It just showed how intense the flood of demons was and how much damage was suffered.


    "Utchachacha!¡±


    I stretched and tried to start paperwork as usual. Then Fiona opened the door from the counter outside the office and came in.


    "Do the three of you have a moment?"


    At Fiona''s call, the three, including me, stopped what we were doing and got out of our seats, and approached Fiona.


    "Are Flam and Dano not back yet?"


    "No, they are not back yet."


    Fiona looked perplexed at Organ''s answer. "Really? Then we can¡¯t do anything about that. The guild director ordered everyone to call in. Let''s just have everyone here go up and the two people can go up separately later."


    She sighed and led us to the guild director''s office.


    "But what about Mr. Roseland?"


    "He is really close to getting promoted, so he will be busy for a while learning about his new work starting today.¡± She answered my question with a smile.


    Oh, then if Roseland leaves for a promotion, will a newcomer be coming?


    If things went well, I will be able to escape being the newest member in a few months. Of course, being the newest didn''t mean more or less work, but it was a matter of mood.


    Fiona arrived on the fifth floor and knocked in front of the guild director''s office.


    "Guild Director-nim, it''s Fiona."


    A voice was heard from inside, and she led us inside.


    Inside the guild director''s office were not only Glont, but also Rosellis and a young man that I hadn¡¯t seen before, and the old gentleman I saw last morning.


    Unlike yesterday, the old gentleman was wearing luxurious clothes and carrying an expensive-looking cane.


    "Oh, you!"


    The old gentleman recognized me and smiled welcomingly.


    1. Changing the name from Indebted Knight to Debt-ridden Knight

 Chapter 186: Currency Reform (3)

    "Hello."


    The old gentleman smiled at my greeting. "You are a civil servant." He looked at me with an interesting gaze.


    "Do you know him?" Glont asked him.


    "It''s just to the level of being a slight acquaintance.¡±


    I wonder who that old gentleman is that the Guild Director Glont is acting submissive? Considering Glont''s history, he was someone who could stand tall even in front of high-ranking nobility. Then it meant that the old gentleman was likely not any ordinary high-ranking noble, or that he was someone with such great achievements that even this director would act submissive.


    Either way, I''d be in trouble if I gave a bad impression.


    "Come to think of it, I was trying to play with the kids yesterday, but something suddenly came up, so sorry for leaving without saying anything."


    Glont and Rosellis''s expressions became slightly stiff at the old gentleman''s apology.


    Just what is that old gentleman¡¯s identity that a single apology would make them so surprised?


    "No, it can''t be helped if something came up."


    The old gentleman burst into laughter when I showed him a business smile. "Hahaha, thanks for understanding. So how''s Sister Riemann doing? I met the head nun, but I wasn¡¯t able to see that child, Riemann."


    "Yes, she was very grateful to receive the candy that Sir gave. She was regretful that she was not able to see Sir.¡±


    "Is that so? Huh, huh, I''ll have to stop by again before I leave the capital,¡± he said as he looked through the people at the headquarters who came up with me. Then he smiled and spoke to Guild Director Glont, "Let''s go with that child."


    Glont was flustered when the old gentleman pointed at me. "Yes? But it has not been long since he became a civil servant, so he may cause some inconvenience."


    The old gentleman shrugged at the director. "It''s okay. I can handle it if it¡¯s just that."


    "How about at least having a conversation with the person I recommended?"


    At Glont''s suggestion, the old gentleman looked at Fiona. "You mean that girl? It¡¯s fine. I''ve already picked a capable enough person, so why take more time?"


    At the old gentleman''s declaration, Glont kept his mouth shut.


    The old gentleman smiled playfully at the sight. "And how can I be a gentleman and take a girl to an ugly mud fight?"


    Did you say an ugly mud fight? I felt like I just heard something very bad.


    With a sigh, Glont let everyone go back except me.


    Fiona cast me an apologetic look as if she knew something, and then went out of the guild director¡¯s office without saying a word.


    What is it? What is that you need to look at me with such pitiful eyes?


    "Come sit here."


    The old gentleman gestured to me and offered me a seat next to Rosellis, who was opposite him. I sat down carefully and gave her a look as if to ask what was going on. In response, she looked at my eyes and just smiled bitterly.


    The old gentleman¡¯s sharp eyes were focused on me, a complete opposite of the friendly eyes that I saw yesterday. Then he saw my civil servant ID card and sipped the black tea.


    "Yes, so your name was Den von Mark. I''ll call you Den. Is that all right?"


    "Yes, please call me whatever is convenient.¡± I didn''t forget my business smile and looked directly at the old gentleman.


    He definitely had the body of a rather ordinary knight based on his mana and body movements, but I felt a strange charisma and spirit from.


    "Good. Just relax and have some cookies and answer. How were your grades in etiquette while you were at the training center?"


    I picked up a cookie as the old gentleman recommended and answered, "It was 75 points."


    Etiquette was a subject that I studied carefully to control my grades. The center¡¯s evaluation of etiquette classes was 100 percent through a practical evaluation. I had to learn all the etiquette of the empire to a high enough proficiency to be able to even deceive the professor because one could be failed due to a misconduct charge if one showed signs of cheating.


    "Well, it''s a little too low. Assume that His Majesty, the Emperor has suddenly appeared before you. What are you going to do?"


    How should I answer that? Should I answer according to my etiquette score?


    I looked into the eyes of the old gentleman. With the sharp, blade-like gaze, there was a risk of being caught if I tried to deceive him.


    I answered with a round smile, "It would depend on where I stand."


    "Oho, how?"


    The old gentleman looked at me with interested eyes.


    "By my standards, if His Majesty, the Emperor were to my right, then I would turn 45 degrees to the left and kneel down, and if he were to my left, then I would turn to the right. If he were in front of me, I would turn to the right and kneel."


    According to court etiquette regulations, one was not allowed to face the emperor directly unless one was a noble higher than a count. Therefore, as long as you didn¡¯t show your back, your body had to be slanted as much as possible before showing etiquette.


    "Then suppose you''re invited to a noble dinner. What will you do first?"


    The question was like ¡°Should one add noodles or soup powder first when cooking instant noodles?¡±


    "First, I would have to find a seat and sit down."


    The answer was to put water in first. The old gentleman burst into laughter at my answer.


    "Puhat! Yes. You have to take a seat. I asked the wrong question. The food came out after you sat down. What will you do first?"


    "There are too many answers to the question. The rank, position, and relationship of the noble who invited me. What are the reasons and qualifications for my invitation, and where is my position at the dinner?"


    When I asked back, the old gentleman nodded as if he heard a sufficient answer.


    After a few more questions like this, the old gentleman asked me a little flustered, "Why did you have only 75 points in etiquette?"


    I picked up the cup of tea and answered the old gentleman''s question, "It is because I''m not good enough to get a perfect score."


    "Kuhahaha! That means you could have gotten a perfect score if you had wanted to.¡±


    That was a very arrogant interpretation from my humble answer.


    "What an unexpected harvest. I''ll make you a count in 20 years, no, 15 years. Do you want to quit being a civil servant and come under me?"


    I was nervous about what the old gentleman said. Starting with the rank of count, one would be able to directly participate in state affairs. If he was not lying, it would mean that the status of the old gentleman in front of me was beyond my imagination.


    I made a mistake. Being polite was the correct choice, but I did too much.


    I bowed my head politely. "I am undeserving of your suggestion and do not know how I should respond. But I fear it is too big of an obligation that is too much for me to handle."


    "You don''t take my words as false."


    I replied with a smile at the sharp gaze of the old gentleman.


    "I don''t think you are the type to speak falsehoods."


    "How come?"


    "I didn''t think Guild Director Glont would fit in with a man who used falsehoods."


    At my response, the old gentleman looked at Guild Director Glont with a look of discontent.


    "Tsk, all the talents always gather around that pervert.¡±


    I agree that Guild Director Glont was kind of a pervert, but apart from that, I thought he had a strong reputation. I don''t think Pushover would like to hear it, but he and Guild Director Glont seemed to resemble each other. If you removed Lisbon¡¯s pushoverness and put in pervertedness, he would be like Guild Director Glont.


    "Without asking why I¡¯m recommending this, or who I am, but you¡¯re afraid of excessive obligations. Are you saying you don¡¯t need a reason since you''ve already made up your mind to refuse?" The old gentleman looked at me with a mixture of interest and joy. "This is the last question. Who do you think I am?"


    After careful consideration, I answered the old gentleman, "I apologize if I am wrong. Are you perhaps His Highness, the Duke of Asteria?¡±


    "And the reason?"


    "First, Guild Director Glont behaved himself as if he were lower, and so I thought Your Highness must be a high-ranking noble of at least count status. And since Your Highness said you would make me a count, I narrowed my reasoning down to a nobleman with a rank of duke or marquis."


    Although, there was a monster among the count class. However, there was no way that a monster who was deliberately staying at the rank of count would offer to raise me to a count.


    "Hmm, if it¡¯s just that, there¡¯s still a lot of candidates. There are thirteen monsters that I know of  in the political world, the business world, the imperial army, and the temple who can raise a person¡¯s rank to the count if they wished."


    That was tantamount to admitting himself to being a monster.


    For your information, among the thirteen monsters that the old gentleman mentioned, Uncle Bloody was one. Of course, those who were raised to a count by my uncle were limited in political activities because they were of my uncle''s line.


    "Yes. So Sir, I have not heard my answer being affirmed, so may I continue to call you Sir?"


    "That''s fine. From now on, just speak comfortably when there''s only the two of us."


    At the old gentleman''s consent, I smiled and put down the teacup I was holding.


    "Thank you. So I reduced the number of candidates based on Sir¡¯s age. About half of them were removed from consideration."


    "Hmm, that¡¯s right." The old gentleman nodded in agreement.


    "The last thing that was decisive was when Sir said to me that he would lift me up to a count in 15 years."


    "Just that?"


    I nodded with conviction. "Yes. At first glance, 15 years is a very long time, but it''s too short for a person like me with no rank to become a count."


    According to Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s information, it took 124 years for the family of Count Asilante, a family to which the Guild Director Glont belongs, to rise to a count status. And if they didn¡¯t have an outstanding existence known as Glont, they would probably still be viscounts.


    "The environment in which one can accumulate merits to climb to count in such a short period of time, and the powerful enough authority to forcefully raise someone to count... For someone to have both of these at the same time, I thought it would be His Highness, the Duke of Asteria."


    The Duchy of Asteria was a breakwater, bordering the Demon Territory and receiving constant attacks throughout the four seasons. It was no exaggeration to say that there was no better place to build merit excluding the palace where old political monsters crowded about.


    Even after my explanation, the old gentleman kept his sharp eyes on me without moving. The surroundings remained tense and silent. In the end, it was still the old gentleman in front who broke the heavy silence.


    "Kuhahahahaha!"


    At the sudden loudness, the surroundings looked puzzled, but I could see what the laughter meant.


    The old gentleman, no, the Duke of Asteria, looked at me with joyful eyes.


    "Yes, that''s right. I am the Duke of Asteria, as you say."


    I had a gut feeling at the Duke of Asteria''s gaze as if he were looking at something interesting.


    I received the attention of a troublesome monster. But I couldn''t help it. Those eyes weren''t as easy to fool and hide from as the professors at the training center.

 Chapter 187: Currency Reform (4)

    In order to deceive the Duke of Asteria''s sharp and experienced judgment, I had to reveal rather than hide. If I tried to hide everything, what I want to hide might end up getting revealed instead. When dealing with a person like the duke, I had to show my hand and attract his attention with information that did not matter if it was discovered or not.


    "Would you mind if I ask a question first?"


    At my request, the Duke of Asteria burst into laughter and nodded.


    ¡°When it¡¯s just us two, no, in front of the people here, it¡¯s okay to speak comfortably. I wouldn''t even mind being called grandpa."


    Maybe because the interview was over, the duke turned into yesterday''s benevolent figure, taking away the pressuring gaze. The him that I was seeing now was probably a dignified version that could overwhelm the audience.


    I smiled and nodded comfortably. "Then I''ll act comfortably, Grandpa."


    At the nickname, Glont and Rosellis panicked.


    "Kuhahaha! Grandpa! It sounds good!" The Duke of Asteria laughed rather loudly and nodded with satisfaction.


    Rosellis looked at me as if I didn¡¯t have any fear, but it was a misunderstanding.


    A man like a duke took responsibility for what he said. If he said you could call him grandpa, he was the kind of person where you could really do that.


    "Considering the questions and answers you had with me, I think you are going to use me as a guide for the state affairs conference in the near future. Is that correct?" I asked.


    The Duke of Asteria glanced interestedly at Guild Director Glont then looked at me. "Oho, have you heard of it before?"


    It was a short time, but conversing with the duke made me feel like I was talking to my big sister after a long time. My big sister also looked at me with eyes that seemed to see through everything just like his.


    "No, it''s just an inference. How many occasions would Your Highness, the Duke, need a civil servant?" I relaxedly drank black tea, collected my breath, and spoke slowly. "Also, you probably need a cover to avoid the eyes of the imperial family and Central Ceremony Department."


    The duke looked at me with astonishment. "That''s correct. Do you really not want to come under me?"


    Looking at the Duke of Asteria, who was asking again, I answered while leisurely picking up a cookie, "Unfortunately, I am just a small citizen. I am satisfied with the present."


    At my slick reply, the duke looked me directly in the eye and was slightly surprised.


    "You, you''re serious.¡±


    Usually, if someone tried to understand my inner thoughts, I would have controlled my pupils with all my strength, but it was better to reveal my inner thoughts here. By the way, as a famous monster of the political world, he seemed to really know how to read people''s minds.


    I smiled with my eyes and bit the cookie. "I''m not good at lying."


    Of course, not being able to lie was a lie. Suddenly, I remembered an anecdote that I learned in the etiquette class. Emphasizing the importance of the etiquette class, the professor said that a civil servant who once had been rude to the Duke of Asteria had his throat cut and died. I should act comfortably but never deviate from etiquette.


    "So what''s the question you want to ask?" the duke asked.


    I flashed a business smile and said, "I''m sure Guild Director Glont recommended Fiona, so would it be possible for you to tell me why you chose me?"


    If it was the Guild Director Glont that I knew, he was not the type of person to give this heavy responsibility to a new civil servant who had just come in. Originally, Roseland would have done it, but if he chose a substitute for him, who was struggling at his new job, there was no one other than Fiona.


    "You must consider Fiona pretty highly."


    "Yes, I do."


    Fiona passed the civil service exam at the same age as I and had more than 10 years of experience. Thanks to this, she was knowledgeable on the lifestyle, manners, and invisible dark struggle of the imperial family. Being an admirer of Rosellis, she learned some martial arts and was able to at least protect herself. There was no one better suited in the eyes of Guild Director Glont.


    "Hmm, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to talk to her. Well, the reason is not much. I''m going to have Rosellis as my guard, so I excluded her."


    Oh, I wondered why Rosellis was here, but I guess she was here since she was supposed to be the guard. I opened my eyes slightly wider at the Duke of Asteria and looked at him.


    Then the duke gave a light shrug. "Did you think I wouldn''t even look into people who might become my guides?"


    Of course not! Information about me and other people at the headquarters was almost public information. Most of the information that could be accessed by those with some authority or power was information about lower-level officials.


    "Fiona seems to be famous among adventurers."


    Fiona was famous as a fanatical believer in Rosellis. There would definitely be a problem if you put Rosellis and Fiona together in an escort.


    After hearing the Duke''s words, Rosellis tilted her head as if she didn''t understand what he was saying.


    "Well, there was some information about you too, but it was too little. A picture of you was also missing."


    My aunt seemed to have pulled some strings. I thought about robbing the place where my information would be collected at some point, but it seems it¡¯s unnecessary.


    "Pictures being missing is a pretty common occurrence."


    The Duke of Asteria gave a light affirmation to Glont''s words.


    "Yeah, the picture of that friend named Flam is missing, too. You should put one in later."


    "Yes, I will do that."


    If Guild Director Glont puts one in, my aunt will probably get rid of it. My aunt''s contract with me was to reduce my chances of being caught in return for me doing a favor.


    "So what will I have to do?"


    The Duke of Asteria answered my question while lightly chewing on a cookie. "Not much. You just have to follow me around and serve me."


    "At the same time, you also want me to figure out the movements of other nobles and eavesdrop?¡± I asked with a smile


    The duke pointed his finger. "You know it well."


    I nodded understanding everything and asked Guild Director Glont, "Is it okay to use the reward vacation that you''re going to give me from today? For the duration, I think it''ll be good to use it until the conference is over."


    I said it in a joking tone, but I meant it. I didn''t want to get involved in such a nuisance.


    "Hahahaha, how could it be ok?"


    I definitely asked Guild Director Glont, but the answer came from the Duke of Asteria.


    "Why, you don''t want to play with this old man?¡±


    I smiled at the duke who asked me playfully.


    ¡°Ahahaha. Of course, that¡¯s not the case.¡± I actually wanted to say yes. Rather than disliking the Duke of Asteria, the struggle between nobles would be bothersome.


    "I''ve been through so much that I''m just trying to get some rest."


    The reward vacation time I was supposed to receive was 13 days. Five days for the ruins, five for when I was conscripted, and three extra days for all the trouble I went through. I worked so hard that I couldn''t come back to the capital for almost a month, so it was fine for me to receive this much.


    Guild Director Glont gave a difficult smile and offered a suggestion.


    "I''ll include this in your performance and make sure it¡¯s reflected on your personal evaluation. And I¡¯ll add some more vacation time.¡±


    I don''t know about the personal evaluation, but the extra vacation was tempting. The vacation card provided by Guild Director Glont was nothing short of a vacation card given by the chief of staff himself, so there was no risk of it being reduced or taken away.


    ¡°¡­ How many days of vacation?¡±


    ¡°Five days.¡± Guild Director Glont replied.


    The duke snorted. "Only five days when he is assisting me? Are you looking down upon me now?"


    I bowed at the Duke of Asteria''s supporting fire. "I will do my best to loyally serve you during this time."


    The duke seemed to be content with my response and pecked at Guild Director Glont more. "At least 15 more days!"


    "Ah, but 15 days is too much. How about six, no, seven days?"


    Looking at the flustered Guild Director Glont, I thought I might actually be able to get 15 days if it went well. I made my eyes watery and dryly coughed.


    "Cough! Cough! I''m ok. The cold I got from rolling around in the dirt in the unsanitary tents and warehouses is just going around like pneumonia."


    For reference, pneumonia was not a big disease in my past life, but in this present life, it was a terrible disease that killed people.


    "Fortunately, it''s still just a cough. Your Highness, the Duke of Asteria likely will not be harmed because he is great, compassionate, and fair."


    "I think you were like that, but it seems you¡¯re a pretty cold-hearted person.¡±


    Glont was flustered and sighed when he received the gaze of both me and the duke.


    "10 days is the maximum. Even if I give you any more, you won''t be able to use it according to the rules."


    Come to think of it, there was a limit on the number of days that could be used per year for reward vacation due to manpower issues. Furthermore, the bad thing about the vacation system for imperial civil servants was that the reward vacation disappeared like romance. And above all, the number of reward vacations that Guild Director Glont could give out was also set, so even if you receive beyond the limit, others would lose their vacation.


    "Oh, you must have gotten a lot of reward vacation previously.¡±


    "Yes, it''s quite a bit, if I include the reward vacation I received to celebrate the completion of the training center."


    "I see. It''s a shame, but let¡¯s settle for 10 days."


    The Duke of Asteria and I smiled playfully and picked up the cookies.


    Surprisingly, this Sir and I got along better than I thought. Well, it was possible to tease Guild Director Glont like this because he was not the type to sulk or hold a grudge.


    "By the way, where is your house? I didn''t see your address listed."


    The address was not listed probably because the place I was staying was a little special.


    When asked by the duke, I swallowed the cookie and answered, "I''m staying at the boarding house being run by a person named Mrs. Arscilla."


    "A boarding house. No, but Arscilla? Don''t tell me that it¡¯s the Mrs. Arscilla that I know?" the Duke of Asteria said.


    Glont affirmed instead. "Yes, that''s right. The address on the register appears to have been ordered by the prime minister to be erased."


    "You''ve been living in a very unique place. Oh, so the friend with the good impression you were with yesterday lives in the same place?"


    The friend with a good impression he was talking about seemed to be Lisbon.


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct. But why do you ask where I live all of the sudden?"


    "What do you mean why? You have to be with me from now on until I return to my estate, so I want you to go back and bring the things that you¡¯ll need," the duke said playfully and drank the black tea.

 Chapter 188: Currency Reform (5)

    "You¡¯re back from work early."


    Hillis, who was chatting with Mrs. Arscilla in the living room, found me back in the boarding house and greeted me.


    "It seems so. Would you like to have a cup of tea with us, Mr. Den?¡± Mrs. Arscilla offered.


    I smiled and declined. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Arscilla. I suddenly got a business trip and just stopped by to get my things together, so I''ll have to drink next time."


    Mrs. Arscilla looked curiously at me. "Oh my, it''s only been three days since you came back from a business trip, but you have another business trip?¡±


    It was unusual to have business trips in a row like this, as the place I belonged to, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, was not associated with many business trips.


    "Haha, I know. But I''ll be in the capital this time. Oh, and someone you know asked me to deliver this for him."


    I handed the bouquet and letter I was holding to Mrs. Arscilla.


    She opened the letter and nodded in surprise. "This is. I see. I understand what kind of business trip you are going on. It seems like it''ll be hard work for you too."


    She looked at me pitifully seeing the difficult days ahead and encouraged me. Since the person who sent the letter through me was the Duke of Asteria, she must have figured out why I was going on a business trip in one glance.


    "No, it will be ok. It is just something I have to do."


    I smiled humbly, but in fact, it was something that the Central Ceremony Department should do, not me. However, if the upper class told you to do it, there was no choice.


    "Yuria and Alice will be sad. How many days will you be gone?¡± Mrs. Arscilla queried.


    I shrugged. "Well? I don''t think I''ll be able to come back for three days if it''s short, or a week if it''s long."


    Hillis looked enlightened as she provoked me. "Hoot! Poor little lamb. If you''re unemployed, you won''t have to go on a business trip."


    "Keuk! I lost. As expected, you can¡¯t win against a bum who just plays around!"


    Hillis was furious at my counterattack. "Hey! Who is a bum?!"


    "So what else do you do besides breathing, eating, and sleeping?"


    "Oh, wait! You hit right on the mark." Hillis pretended to be distressed, holding on to her heart. Then she grumbled, "By the way, who am I supposed to play with if you go on a business trip?"


    "There¡¯s Lisbon. Try to get close to other people while I''m away.¡±


    Seeing that Lisbon wasn¡¯t present, it seems he went to Angel''s house again today. After giving a vague answer, I went up to my room and packed for a week.


    While I was attached to the Duke of Asteria, I would be visiting the palace so it would be good to refrain from using my pocket space. I took out the necessary things from my pocket space and packed them. Using the space expansion bag that Milpia gave instead of the change in the past, the bunch of luggage didn¡¯t take up much volume.


    "I''ll be back. Please tell the others I''m going on a business trip."


    Mrs. Arscilla and Hillis came out to the porch to see me off, nodded, and wished me good luck.


    As I left the boarding house with my bag on, a very luxurious carriage and Rosellis were waiting in front of the door.


    "You came all the way here to meet me?¡±


    When I said it was unnecessary and that it was unexpected, Rosellis shrugged and made a playful face.


    "It''s a special service because it''s an escort job with a high price among escort jobs. If you''re dissatisfied with me being attached constantly, tell the client directly. I can''t say anything because it¡¯s too scary."


    In short, moving alone was almost impossible. With this, I additionally felt that the escort this time was truly the Duke of Asteria. I was just saying that because starting now, I would always be attached to the duke.


    "As of now, I will usually be escorting you. You''ll get a gold plate adventurer attached to you when I¡¯m not around, so keep that in mind."


    Rosellis wore a uniform I had never seen before, and only a black handle on her waist, instead of her giant axe.


    "This isn¡¯t the uniform you usually wear?"


    "Oh, this? This is a military uniform for the Black Water Buffalo Knights who have been discharged. I''m going to be going into the imperial palace, so it¡¯ll be annoying to be looked down upon."


    If you were a member of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, even other knights would take a step back, so most people wouldn¡¯t try to pick a fight. Of course, no one probably had big enough guts to pick a fight with a platinum plate adventurer hired by the Duke of Asteria anyway.


    "Why don¡¯t you get on first." Rosellis opened the carriage door like an escorting gentleman.


    I climbed into the carriage smiling. "Wow, it''s fluffy."


    The inside of the carriage was so comfortable and luxurious that it was comparable to the first-class compartment of the train I first took to the capital.


    As Rosellis climbed up and closed the door, the coachman slowly began to drive on.


    "Now! There will be a brief luggage check."


    Rosellis smiled and began to unpack my luggage.


    "Why are you checking my belongings all of a sudden?"


    The only things in the bag were uniforms, extra clothes, various stationery, and books.


    "I¡¯m checking to see if there are any items prohibited inside the palace. If you have a prohibited item, you''ll be captured and investigated for hours. Do you know that your nail clippers are a prohibited item? They look carefully even at all sorts of miscellaneous things when you''re entering the palace.¡±


    It was better to have a check now than to be held unnecessarily later. But why are nail clippers banned? Of course, I could use nail clippers as a weapon, but that was just me, and generally, nail clippers were a safe tool.


    "What? Is this a space expansion bag?" Rosellis was shocked when more luggage than the volume of the bag came out. "This isn¡¯t something you can buy on a civil servant''s salary?"


    "My relative gave it to me as a gift."


    Milpia had a cousin relationship with me since she was my aunt''s foster daughter.


    "Your relatives must be rich. I can''t believe they gave you this as a gift. Then it seems you won''t have to buy a new bag.¡±


    "Why buy a bag?"


    Rosellis, who was looking through my luggage, smiled bitterly. "His Highness, the Duke, will buy most of the things for you as high-quality items. If you wander around the palace with cheap things, His Highness, the Duke¡¯s reputation will be undermined. It¡¯s just not possible to understand the world of nobles."


    Although Rosellis said so, she was also a noble of direct descent of Count Asilante and with her own abilities, was bestowed the title of baron. Her father, Guild Director Glont, was also unlike other nobles and was carefree.


    She put the cheap ones I had into the box in the carriage. "Everything in that box will be returned to your boarding house."


    The only things that didn¡¯t go in the box according to Rosellis¡¯s classifications were the suit that Mrs. Arscilla gave me and some stationery. The stationery was given as a gift when Flam was swindled at the casino and they gave it to me as compensation.


    "There''s more I can leave than I expected."


    "This is?"


    Almost everything went into the box.


    "I thought I''d have to send everything back along with the bag."


    Rosellis returned the bag to me. Then the carriage stopped and the driver opened the door. "We have arrived."


    The place that the carriage arrived at was a department store that specialized in dealing with nobles.


    ¡°Here, welcome to the world of nobles," Rosellis said playfully as she got off the wagon.


    -o-


    I sighed deeply as I left the department store.


    "I don''t want to experience the world of the nobility again."


    As soon as I entered the department store, ten employees stuck to me asking about how I thought of this outfit, that outfit, and how this fountain pen was the favorite brand that one count liked to use... How a certain watch was crafted by a craftsman for years. They babbled nonstop to the point of making someone go deaf.


    Because of this, clothes, shoes, socks, watches, hats, etc. were forced upon me and my whole body was plastered with luxury goods.


    Rosellis, who was attacked at the same time, seemed tired as she stretched and agreed with me.


    "I completely agree. If it wasn¡¯t a request from His Highness, the Duke, I would have run away."


    "Is it okay for an adventurer to say that, when trust is important for adventurers?" I asked.


    Rosellis smiled and went into the carriage. "Of course not. I¡¯m saying this because it''s you. I can''t do this in front of my client."


    I also smiled as I entered the carriage at her joke.


    "Isn¡¯t it lucky for you I''m the one you''re escorting?¡±


    "Yep, it¡¯s lucky."


    Rosellis put her arm around my shoulder and tousled my hair. The sky that was blue when I entered the department store was already getting dark.


    Our wagon went straight to the hotel where the Duke of Asteria was staying. The hotel in the distance looked quite luxurious, but it didn''t seem enough for a duke to stay.


    "His Highness, the Duke is staying in a hotel rather than a mansion in the capital?¡±


    "He doesn¡¯t have a mansion in the capital. You know the relationship between the Blood Emperor and the Duke of Asteria, right?


    The Duke of Asteria was such a powerful political opponent that he was called the natural enemy of the Blood Emperor. As such, it was understandable not to have a mansion in the emperor''s territory, the capital. If he had a mansion in the capital, he could end up getting caught in an unfavorable situation. Even after the former emperor died and the current emperor ascended, the relationship with the emperor was an ambiguous one of neither good nor bad, so he did not acquire a residence in the capital.


    When the carriage arrived at the hotel, Rosellis and I went straight inside.


    "Thank you for visiting. I will take the bag for you."


    When the kind concierge accepted my bag, he almost dropped it, unable to overcome its weight. The items in the bag were probably around 50kg so it would be heavier than most bags of rice.


    "Shall I hold it?¡±


    I handed over my bag unconsciously, but I asked because it seemed too heavy for the concierge.


    The concierge shook his head desperately. "Oh, no."


    He looked red because of the weight of the bag but still smiled.


    I don''t know if we were regular customers, but because we were members of the Duke of Asteria''s entourage, he couldn¡¯t just return the bag. As soon as even a single complaint came out of our mouths, hell would unleash onto the concierge. This was a uniquely extreme job.


    I got on the elevator and asked, "What room is His Highness, the Duke staying in?"


    "As far as I know, he is on the upper floor, but I don''t know what room he is in.¡±


    "His Highness the Duke has rented the 13th to 15th floors. If it''s the highest floor, it should be room 1501.¡±


    My god, the scale was outrageous. One floor of this hotel was as big as a small mansion, but renting three floors seemed nothing but like showing off his money to me.


    ¡°Which floor would you like to go up to?¡±


    ¡°15th, please.¡±


    "Yes, Sir."


    The concierge pressed the button on the 15th floor and the magic elevator went up quickly. It wasn''t as sophisticated as what I saw in the magic tower, but it was the first time other than the magic tower where I saw an elevator.


    When it arrived on the 15th floor, the elevator door opened. Unlike what I thought, the 15th floor was not a long hallway, but a small space with a door.


    The luxurious-looking door had the number sign ¡®1501¡¯.


    "The entire 15th floor is just one whole room."


    At the concierge''s explanation, Rosellis and I couldn¡¯t close our mouths.


    I never thought the duke would use a room the size of a mansion alone.


    "The 15th floor, no, how much is this room?¡± I asked.


    "It''s a piece of gold per night," the concierge answered with a smile.


    Usually, a gold coin was the price of a large house. After hearing the amount, Rosellis shook her head and pressed the doorbell. Shortly after, a young butler opened the door and welcomed us.


    "Welcome. Rosellis von Asilante-nim. Den von Mark-nim. I have been waiting. I will show you inside."


    The butler easily accepted my bag that the concierge was carrying and showed us into the room.

 Chapter 189: Currency Reform (6)

    The Red Dragon Knights rode on dragons and flew in unison over the southern sky of the capital. The court magicians used magic to create a path of light in the dark night sky that acted as a guide to help the air troops land at night.


    "Everyone, fly in line!"


    The Red Dragon Knights flew in a row along the path created by the magicians.


    Red Dragon Knights flying in a line was a rare sight that most didn¡¯t have an opportunity to see. But no citizen came out to watch.


    "Is information control going smoothly?" Orphina asked.


    The deputy next to her answered, "Yes, not only civilians but also the nobles only know of it as a simple military exercise. But¡ª"


    Orphina smiled lightly as the deputy trailed off.


    "I know. Nobles who have intelligence organizations or have connections with information agencies will soon notice. But it doesn''t matter." However, she didn¡¯t say the last part that it would be too late by the time they realized it.


    When a huge dragon figure began to appear at the end of the light path created by the magicians, the Red Dragon Knights waved flags instead of spears.


    The dragon, which appeared along the path of light, was a real top dragon that boasted a different size from the dragons that the Red Dragon Knights rode. Its body had chains attached to it as if it were a horse leading a carriage, but instead it had a huge airship connected to it.


    Kaaoooo!


    As the dragon''s cry echoed through the skies of the capital, the Red Dragon Knights tried their best to soothe their beasts and prevent them from breaking away.


    Then suddenly there was laughter as loud as the cry of the dragon.


    "Ahahahaha!!¡±


    The dragons of the Red Dragon Knights strangely returned to being stable as their masters looked towards the sound of laughter.


    Atop the giant dragon''s head, where the sound of laughter came from, a 2.5m giant stood proudly with his arms crossed.


    Orphina, who was leading the Red Dragon Knights on the ground, flew up on her dragon, Hargan.


    Hargan flew fast along the path of light and was able to reach the dragon and airship quickly. Standing in front of the dragon, Orphina saluted modestly.


    "Loyalty! Major General Orphina. I greet Your Majesty the Dragon King."


    Standing majestically above the dragon''s head was Dragon King, the head of the Dragon Tribe.


    He laughed loudly seeing her salute. "Uahahaha! Long time no see, Orphina. Really? Did you succeed in seducing Glont?"


    Orphina blushed and became flustered. "Your Majesty, Dragon King!"


    "Ayy, you don''t have to scream like that, my ears are still fine." The Dragon King poked his little finger at his ears and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, by the looks of it, you¡¯re still far from being able to eat the noodles. You can¡¯t even seduce a single father. I see my future is going to be bright."


    "Your Majesty!"


    Orphina looked at him like he should stop talking, but the other only received a snort.


    "When you insisted so much on going to the empire like that, I thought at least there¡¯d be a wedding invitation¡ª¡± The Dragon King, who continued to talk, stopped when Orphina began to show tears and let out a killing aura. "Okay, I¡¯ll stop. I don''t want to be assassinated by my cousin. Ahahahaha!¡±


    "How could I dare to do harm to Dragon King?¡± Uduk! Orphina spoke coldly, but she gave a fiery glare and gnashed her teeth.


    However, the Dragon King did not care and moved the dragon along the path of light. "Come on, Harion, let''s go down.¡±


    Krrrrr!


    The dragon went down to the landing with a low growl as if responding to his master.


    -o-


    Judging from the mana I felt from the young butler who came to meet us at the front door, he was not an ordinary man. In terms of level, he was just below Rosellis and could place any ordinary knight under his foot.


    Come to think of it, it was unusual that I could feel the presence of skilled persons here and there. It seems since he was a duke, he had only gathered the best of the best.


    The young butler stood in front of the fancy door and knocked lightly.


    "Come on in."


    The voice from inside was that of the Duke of Asteria, who I heard at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. The butler slowly opened the door at the duke''s reply.


    "Oh, you''re here? You arrived earlier than I thought.¡±


    Sitting at a desk in a space decorated like an office, the duke rose from his seat. Then he sat on the sofa and motioned for me to come.


    "Hmm, it suits you much better than I thought." Seeing me wearing a luxury suit, he nodded as if he were satisfied. "I wanted to call a tailor to custom fit your suit, but regrettably there wasn¡¯t enough time."


    "No, it is all right. The suit I''m wearing is enough."


    The clothes I was wearing were a month''s budget for a small estate. Including all the things in the bag, the money that was spent was in the level of platinum coins.


    "And most of all, I can''t wear it for long because I am in my growing phase."


    There was a high probability that I wouldn¡¯t be able to wear the suit I was wearing now in half a year.


    He laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Ahaha, what does growing have to do with it? You can buy clothes again next year."


    Simply put, he was saying he would designate me at the next year''s state affairs conference. Anyway, what the Duke of Asteria needed was to show that he was bringing along a civil servant, not an actual personal assistant.


    "Hahaha, if you buy me another one, I would not mind."


    I sat in front of the duke and chatted naturally. Having a conversation with the Duke of Asteria, it somehow felt familiar. If I had to express it, should I say it''s a feeling of being close and familiar? It felt like I was talking to my big sister, but at the same time like I was talking to my paternal grandfather.


    Come to think of it, I don''t know where my grandfather was these days. When I thought of Aunt Talaria who followed my grandfather out of the village, I reckoned perhaps my grandfather could also be in the capital.


    Deng-! Deng-!


    In the middle of our conversation, a clock rang, indicating that it was midnight.


    "Jeez, it''s already this time. It¡¯s a problem that you get less sleepy as you get old. You guys must be tired, so go to your room and sleep. You''ll have to get up early tomorrow."


    The Duke of Asteria rang a small bell next to the sofa, the butler opened the door and came in.


    "Did you call for me?"


    "Please show these friends to their separate rooms."


    "Yes, Sir."


    The butler opened the door wide while looking at me and Rosellis. "You can follow me."


    "If you need anything, tell the butler. He''ll take care of most things."


    "Thank you for your consideration. Have a comfortable night.¡±


    I got up from my seat and said goodbye. Rosellis and I followed the butler out of the room.


    "Rosellis, aren¡¯t you tired? You didn¡¯t even sit on the sofa, and just stood back there without moving."  I asked


    Rosellis smiled a little. "I''m not tired, and the escort is not supposed to sit down. It makes it slower to respond."


    "Regarding that, when we were in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, the Debt-ridden Knight, the Duke''s escort, was sitting,¡± I remarked.


    As a civil servant of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, I knew the name and face of a platinum plate adventurer.


    Rosellis snorted. "He''s doing a shoddy job. And most of all, you¡¯re the strange one, being able to be so comfortable in front of His Highness, the Duke."


    "I just did it because I was told to be comfortable." I shrugged.


    Rosellis eyed me with a slightly tired look. "People don''t usually act comfortable like you even when they are told. It''s just a saying. Is your nerve made of adamantium?" She shook her head.


    I somehow felt wronged but decided to let it slide. The young butler handed me my bag back in front of the room and then told us which rooms we would stay in.


    "The room on the right is Den von Mark-nim¡¯s and the one on the left is Rosellis von Asilante-nim''s."


    "Why don''t you just call us by our names instead of full names? And also get rid of the nauseating ¡®nim¡¯ title.¡±


    Rosellis was unused to being called by her full name and looked at the butler with a dissatisfied look, but the butler smiled softly and weakly shook his head.


    "I apologize, but it would be a disgrace as a butler of His Highness the Duke if I am unable to keep etiquette with his guests. I would appreciate it if you would allow me to perform all of the courtesies."


    What a really stiff guy!


    At the request of the butler, Rosellis couldn¡¯t do much and nodded. However, she had a bitter look as if she were still uncomfortable.


    "The wake-up time is 6:30 a.m. and it would be appreciated if you could finish all the preparations by 7:00 a.m. Or should you need something, please ring the bell next to the bed and I will be right there." The butler bowed politely, turned, and left.


    Watching the departing figure, Rosellis sighed. "He sure lives a hard life."


    I agree.


    "But besides that, normally, I would have to stay in the same room and continue to guard, but what do you want to do?"


    A close escort normally lacked freedom.


    "Let''s sleep separately. There¡¯s no one with big enough guts to sneak in here anyways." I answered Rosellis with a smile.


    "Hmm, that''s right, isn''t it?"


    Since I was here, there was no one even capable of sneaking in. There were powerful skilled people everywhere on the 15th floor. In addition, with hundreds of people downstairs who seemed to be knights, adventurers, and other combatants, I would say that there was no other place comparable in terms of safety than the palace.


    "Good night, then."


    "Okay, good night to you, too."


    Rosellis and I went into our respective rooms. The room assigned to me was ten times wider and a hundred times more impressive than the room I used in the boarding house.


    As soon as I entered the room, I threw my bag on the floor and jumped onto the bed.


    Ah! So soft!


    The bed in my room was also luxurious, but this bed showed a different level of fluffiness and comfort. I rolled around on it and tried to take off my clothes and undo the button, but then, I felt a strange and familiar presence outside the window.


    Phew!


    I sighed, got out of bed, approached the window where I could feel the presence, and opened it.


    "What are you doing there?"


    Outside the window, a masked Milpia was hanging.


    "Hello. It''s a little difficult. Can you grab me up?¡±


    Her forehead had some sweat on it. She must have climbed up the wall to the 15th floor.


    I sighed with my arms crossed.


    "What are you even doing when you can fly in the sky with magic?" How foolish when she could have come up easily.


    She was furious as I cast her a pathetic gaze.


    "This hotel''s security level is crazy, so you would get caught immediately if you used magic.¡±


    "That much you have to be able to break through with your eyes closed. Isn¡¯t that a basic level of infiltration?"


    "That¡¯s only basic to you!"


    Milpia shouted in a fit of rage then held her breath while looking around.


    It was funny to see her nervous in case she got caught.


    ¡°I cast soundproof magic as soon as I discovered you, so don''t worry about it and chatter all you want."


    Milpia clicked her tongue. "Tch, jerk!¡±


    "Goodbye if you have nothing to say."


    When I tried to close the window, Milpia shouted in panic.


    "Wait! Isn''t this too much? I went through a lot of effort to come all the way here to see you!"


    "That''s your situation. I''m going to bed, so goodbye."


    For some reason, Milpia deeply smelled of a bothersome event. Like when my father called me just before I was tossed before a dragon on my 12th birthday.


    "Wait! It''s from Big Mama!"


    Because Milpia shouted in a hurry, she didn¡¯t use honorifics but shouted informally.


    "My aunt?"


    "Yes!"


    "Tch!"


    "Did you just click your tongue?"


    I smiled, pulling Milpia''s hand. "No way. Welcome in."


    As expected, the scent of annoyance did not deceive me.

 Chapter 190: Currency Reform (7)

    William''s mansion in the capital was crowded with people even though the owner was absent. The employees who were guarding the mansion moved busily to serve the court magicians who suddenly came here late at night.


    "I''m sorry for arriving suddenly," Yuria apologized to the older servant who handed her a blanket. She had come to William''s house with the court magicians.


    Her apology was greeted with a warm smile.


    "No. Yuria-nim and Alphonso-nim are General William-nim¡¯s family. It''s our job to support General William-nim and his family, so please don¡¯t mind it."


    Yuria put a blanket on Alphonso, who was dozing next to her, then put a blanket around herself. Although it would be March soon, it was still winter and the night air was cold.


    "I''m sorry. If I had known that you were coming in advance, I would have heated up the room."


    Yuria shook her head at the servant''s apology. "No, it''s okay. It would have been rather difficult if the room had been heated up.¡±


    There was a reason why no one magically heated the room even though Yuria and many other magicians were gathered in one place.


    The servant could not understand Yuria''s words, but he soon nodded and smiled it off. ¡°The kitchen is currently boiling water, so I will get you a warm drink soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuria thanked the retreating servant and looked at the familiar door.


    Beyond that door was a space transportation magic circle that she and Alphonso used to come to the capital. As she looked at the door, she recalled some memories as she realized that it had already been quite a long time since she came to the capital.


    "Ohhh!"


    Yuria was immersed in reminiscing when a court magician exclaimed. It was safe to say that there was no magician here who did not admire the pattern of mana caused by the operation of the space transportation magic circle that was beyond the door.


    "That''s cool, it¡¯s fantastic.¡±


    The court magicians wanted to immediately observe the magic circle that was actually in operation, not just the magic pattern that they felt, but no one opened the door.


    Space transportation magic was very high-level magic, so safety and caution were required.


    Yuria was confident that even if she opened the door and disturbed it, anyone who came here through the space transportation magic circle would arrive safely enough.


    "Alphonso, wake up," she said.


    "Huh¡­?" Alphonso got up while rubbing his eyes.


    "Haam~, we¡¯ve arrived?¡±[1]


    Yuria nodded as she looked at her twin, who was still not fully awake and was asking with a hoarse voice.


    "Yes, so get up."


    "Mmm, ok. Ootcha!"[2] Alphonso got up from the chair and stretched.


    At some point, the mana gradually decreased and became completely quiet. The court magicians that surrounded the room stopped admiring and remained tense and silent.


    Click!


    The sound of the doorknob turning, which was not usually inaudible, sounded particularly loud.


    When the door finally opened, the court magicians'' pounding hearts reached their peak.


    "Yuria! Alphonso!"


    As soon as the door opened, an old man jumped in and hugged Yuria and Alphonso like a fool.


    "Grandpa!"


    Alphonso hugged the great elder as naturally as when he was in his hometown, but Yuria was embarrassed with the eyes of the court magicians.


    "Gran-grandpa. Calm down."


    As Yuria tried to dissuade him, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe put on sad eyes.


    "Yuria, you didn''t want to see this grandpa?"


    "No, it''s not¡ª¡± Yuria looked at the magicians around her, trailing off at the end.


    The court magicians were shocked as the image of Arpen Fendria, the serious great madosa they had imagined, was crushed.


    The great elder looked unkindly at the dregs that disturbed his reunion with his grandchildren. His cold eyes reminded them of the notoriety of the Glacier Devil who froze a big city alone in the past.


    "Stop it, Father. You are scaring everyone." Following the great elder, a white-haired man came out of the room and sighed.


    With the advent of the man, Yuria and Alphonso jumped out of the great elder''s arms and into the man''s arms.


    "Dad!"


    Accompanying the great elder was his son and the father of Yuria and Alphonso.


    "Aigoo, you''re all grown up so I can''t even hold you up anymore. Have you been well?¡±


    "Yes!"


    The great elder looked jealous when his grandchildren left his arms, but his son only smiled mildly.


    "Ah, greetings, Arpen Fendria-nim. It has been a long time."


    Among the magicians that were a mixture of tension and fear, Kermin swallowed his dry saliva and alone spoke to the great elder.


    "Long time?" The great elder frowned as he saw the face for the first time then made an expression as if he had just remembered his mana.


    "Oh, this mana was... a long time ago... What was your name again? Ker... Yeah, Kermin. It feels like the kid named Kermin.¡±


    When the great elder remembered his name, Kermin was moved and tears welled up momentarily.


    "Yes! I was that kid Kermin!"


    "Huh! To think that the little kid has grown so big and old. It really seems a long time has passed."


    Despite the great elder''s lament, Kermin just nodded with emotion. "Yes! Arpen-nim doesn¡¯t seem to have changed since 53 years."


    "Yes, but you''ve changed a lot. You must have worked hard to become a madosa." The great elder immediately identified Kermin¡¯s level.


    "Yes!"


    "By the way, I''m tired. I wonder if there''s a room for me and my attendants."


    As soon as the great elder finished speaking, a hundred people from the Butterfly Tribe came out of the room one after another.


    -o-


    Having come into the room, Milpia sat on the sofa, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve.


    "You¡¯re not going to offer a cup of tea even though you have a guest visiting?"


    It was ridiculous to see Milpia asking so boldly.


    "Yes, yes. What tea do you want?" I plopped down across from her and asked.


    She smiled lightly. "I like the third petal of Mandrago. Oh, I''d like three spoons of 1,000-year honey.¡±


    Both were very expensive items, as the first item was a rare magic ingredient and the latter was a rare food ingredient.


    I can''t believe she is so boldly demanding something even a high-ranking noble can only eat a few times a year!


    "I don''t have any, so I''ll just make you some sophora root tea."


    I took out the sophora root tea leaves from my space expansion bag.


    Milpia frowned at the sophora root tea leaves I took out. "Uwack! Why are you even carrying such a bitter tea with you?¡±


    It was a luxury tea leaf that I bought at the department store. I didn''t know when and what kind of tea the Duke of Asteria would like to drink, so I prepared tea leaves of various types. When the duke enters the palace, he would not be able to take anyone but me, so I had to take care of all the details. Of course, I could assign most small things to the servants in the palace, so it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult.


    "Why of course, it¡¯s so I can make this tea for you," I responded with a bright smile.


    "If it weren''t for the sophora root tea in your hand, I''d be excited about that."


    I made an expression as if I was genuinely hurt by her bitter smile. ¡°You don''t like the tea that I¡¯m making you?"


    "Don''t try to feed me the sophora root tea with some sweet words and actions!"


    "Tch, that''s too bad."


    When I was in my hometown, this used to work even when I held a sophora root tea, but I reckon I must be getting old.


    "Aren¡¯t you being too forward?"


    I shrugged at Milpia, who looked at me with reproach.


    "I heard that mandragos and 1000-year-old honey are spread out in Olympus Forest like wildflowers."


    "It¡¯ll be 10 refined silver coins, dear customer."


    The market price was still very high because no matter how much of it was around, only the Crow Tribe could provide the supply. If monopoly were allowed, the price would have gone up like crazy. Even more so if it was an unwelcome guest.


    Milpia gave up and grumbled, "Then just give me some black tea. Not sophora root tea."


    I removed my hand from the lid of the box containing sophora root tea. Jeez, so aggressive.


    I put the sophora root tea back in my bag and grabbed random tea leaves from my room. Perhaps because it was a luxurious hotel for the Duke of Asteria to stay in, the black tea that was in the room was also quite luxurious.


    With magic, water about the size of a head was created in the air, heated, and boiled. I added an appropriate amount of black tea to the boiling water floating in the air. As the tea came out, the transparent water gradually turned into a dark red color. I handed over a teacup on the cupboard to Milpia with telekinesis magic.


    "Do you even handle these miscellaneous things with magic?"


    I answered, pouring black tea in the air into Milpia''s teacup,"Yes, it has always been like this when I was in my hometown. It¡¯s too noticeable so I haven¡¯t done it much since I started boarding here."


    Still, it was more comfortable and nicer to stay in the boarding house than to live alone. I didn''t have to cook or clean because Mrs. Arscilla¡¯s employees did it all, so there was no particular need to use magic.


    "But how did you know I was here? It must have been strictly confidential.¡±


    If they had put a separate watch on me, there was no way I wouldn''t have known. However, the Duke of Asteria and Rosellis both did not seem to be under surveillance.


    No matter how good Big Mama Information Agency was, it would take time to figure out something that just happened, like me coming to this hotel.


    "Who knows? I wonder how I knew~¡± Milpia smiled playfully.


    I held my chin and contemplated for a moment. There must have been an opportunity to get information within half a day since I played the role of the Duke of Asteria''s guide.


    ¡°Did you plant a spy in the boarding house?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Milpia smiled playfully, but the muscles around her eyes moved subtly.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m right."


    The boarding house was the only place that someone could have found that I had become a guide to the Duke. My aunt was the only one who could avoid the detection of Guild Director Glont, Rosellis, the Duke''s escort, Debt-ridden Knight, and I, but there was no way she would act as a mere informant.


    What remained, then, was that the contents of the Duke''s letter to Mrs. Arscilla had been leaked.


    ¡°What could you possibly mean?¡± Milpia responded naturally.


    But I had already gotten all the information that I could get. "You''re good at putting on a pretense. But from what I see, most of what you''ve learned are the skills from the Crow Tribe. To be exact, it''s called the "Thousand Techniques" created by Old Man Weger-nim.¡±


    Milpia''s concealment skills, veiling facial expressions, and controlling pupils and micro muscles were all techniques invented by Elder Weger. Most people even in my hometowns only learned one or two things, and there were almost none who mastered all thousand.


    Among the people I knew who mastered all the thousand techniques, there were only Elder Weger, the creator, me, Mac Hyung, and Aunt Talaria.


    So Aunt Talaria must have taught Milpia.


    Milpia slightly bit her lips. "So what are you going to do with the spy planted in the boarding house? Are you going to try to kill him?¡±Her tone was serious.


    I leisurely crossed my legs and put my hand on my chin. "Hey, so bloody. I''m not that kind of person. It''s not really damaging to me, so I''m going to let it be. Besides, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know me, so I assume you didn''t plant the spy to keep an eye on me, did you?¡±


    There hadn¡¯t been a single new employee since I entered the boarding house. That meant it was a spy planted to read the trends of the prime minister, not a spy to keep an eye on me.


    "That''s a relief. It took years to plant a spy there. It seems I won''t need to plant a new one."


    That just showed how picky the prime minister was about selecting employees and how difficult it was to plant spies.


    "Now, let''s stop the small talk. Would you like to talk about the reason you came to visit?¡±


    Until now, it had been a war of nerves. Milpia smiled bitterly.


    "Too many things were leaked even though we were just having small talk."


    Sighing, she talked about the purpose of her visit.


    "I''m here to ask you for the first of three favors that you promised Big Mama-nim."


    1. Sound of yawning


    2. Sound he makes as he physically gets up

 Chapter 191: Currency Reform (8)

    I stretched and got out of bed.


    Last night, I only got five hours of sleep because of Milpia¡¯s sudden arrival, but because the bed was so nice, I didn¡¯t feel that tired.


    It was still dark outside the window, but the butler told me to get up early yesterday, so I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I took out my new high-end suit from my bag, wore an unfamiliar fedora, and picked up a cane made of black wood.


    Hmm, yes, you''re so handsome.


    I nodded in satisfaction as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. I thought so at last year''s dance too, but I looked more like a boy from a noble family than a civil servant when I wore a suit.


    I casually spun the cane as if I were spinning a pen. Then, I put the sword aura on the cane.


    "Good. It''ll be good enough to use as a weapon if it comes to it."


    Since we would be entering the palace, even I felt uncomfortable bringing in something with a blade. However, it was not easy to use magic either because if the palace got wrecked, it¡¯d be really troublesome.


    But just in case, let''s keep the bracelet made by the Witch of Pride on. Thanks to the occasional practice, although it was not perfect, I managed to get used to it to a certain extent and was able to handle it skillfully.


    I sighed suddenly while putting on the bracelet.


    Phew, she really knows how to bother someone.


    I was suddenly reminded of Milipia¡¯s first request she made last night. Giving it to me because they were worried about me destroying the capital in my sleep was definitely bullshit. Obviously, the reason my aunt gave me this bracelet was because she didn¡¯t want me to destroy the capital while fulfilling her requests. Or it was a bribe to get me to shut up and do as I was told.


    Ah, should I just ignore it?


    Although I grumbled like that, I had no choice but to listen to the order disguised as a request from my aunt. To be honest, it was annoying, but I couldn''t help it. I couldn''t help it because I took a contract that contained a weak curse for hair loss and athlete''s foot, which was written and pushed onto me by my aunt.


    Of course, I sensibly prepared for betrayal and created some flaws in the contract. So even if I didn¡¯t follow the contract, the curse would still never befall me. However, avoiding the eyes of my angry aunt would be even more annoying.


    As I decided to endure the annoyance, I heard a knock.


    "Den von Mark-nim. It is time to get up. Do you mind if I come in?"


    It was the voice of the butler who guided me to the room last night.


    "Yes, that¡¯s fine."


    He opened the door and came in. "It seems you woke up early.¡±


    He seemed a little surprised by the fact I was already all dressed up.


    "Was your bed perhaps uncomfortable?¡±


    "No, it was comfortable. My eyes opened early because the bed was good.¡±


    The butler bowed slightly at my answer. "You are diligent. Breakfast will be ready in about 30 minutes. I will come back to you when breakfast is finished. Or should you need anything in the meantime, please ring the bell." Saying so, he closed the door and left.


    What was I thinking about?


    Oh, yeah. It was annoying, but I had to complete my aunt''s request.


    Let¡¯s always greet someone who¡¯s close to you like this.


    Is the back of your head safe? If you think it''s safe, aren''t you the only one who thinks so?


    -o-


    "Did you sleep well?"


    I headed to the table where breakfast was served and greeted the Duke of Asteria first.


    "I slept well. Did you sleep well?¡±


    "Yes, I slept well, too. Thanks to you, I''m able to stay at this luxurious hotel.¡±


    When I arrived at the table, the servant naturally pulled out the chair. I sat down with a light nod to the servant.


    "You don¡¯t need to be like that with a hotel like this when you''ll be sleeping in the palace tonight." The duke responded playfully


    I laughed and said my true feelings lightly. "That, I am not as fond of. If I could have it my way, I would have liked to have a light tour of the capital with Your Highness, the Duke without entering the palace.¡±


    "Hahaha, that''s the same for me. The government should handle business on their own, but they always call even an old man like me.¡±


    I smiled as I saw the duke sighing lightly.


    "They don''t respect the elderly."


    The duke agreed with me with a playful smile. "That¡¯s right. This country doesn¡¯t respect the elderly.¡±


    The Duke of Asteria continued to chat as we continued our meal. Perhaps in consideration of the duke¡¯s age, the menu was not heavy but plentiful. At the end of the meal, the duke drank tea and talked about his schedule.


    "We are planning to enter the palace around 2 p.m. This is a brief timeline moving forward." He handed me the document himself.


    I read the document over a cup of tea that the butler poured me. According to the contents, the schedule of the conference was three days in total, and for the first day, it said to enter by 8 a.m.


    I was perusing when the duke asked with a playful smile, "Is there a problem?"


    Only the Duke of Asteria could do something like this. If anyone else so bluntly arrived late, the prime minister would not leave them alone, but the duke was a man who could not even be touched recklessly by the prime minister.


    "No, there''s no problem."


    When I followed after the Duke of Asteria and responded with a smile, he looked at me with an unexpected look.


    "The main character normally appears late, right?" I said.


    The duke slapped his knee and laughed loudly. "Uahahaha! The main character, you say. That''s nice to hear. Aren¡¯t you going to ask me to be on time like Roseland?"


    I looked as if I had heard a strange noise at the Duke''s question.


    "Is there a need for me to ask? You don''t have to do it, so it would be stupid to waste your time."


    According to the schedule, starting with the arrival, there was something similar to a ceremony to start off the conference. One would have to listen to the boring lectures of the prime minister and the emperor all morning, but the duke didn''t have spare time to listen. It was enough to contact them saying that he would be late due to illness.


    "That¡¯s right! It''s just a waste of time."


    The duke agreed with me and gave me a pleasant nod.


    If we entered around 2 p.m., the convention would be pretty close to commencement. Also, the conference could last longer than three days because it was a meeting to discuss and decide various issues.


    Come to think of it, Milpia had smiled slyly, saying that there was a pretty interesting agenda for the convention. For some reason, it made me a little nervous.


    -o-


    Arcanta received a list of entrants from his deputy and quickly skimmed through them.


    "Is it only the Duke of Asteria and Count Druval that haven''t arrived yet?"


    William and Bloody were also on the list, but William was in the middle of cleaning up the battlefield in the Demon Territory while Bloody was seriously injured to the point that it was difficult to move around and was stuck in Warrant.


    "Yes, that is correct." The deputy nodded with a serious look.


    Any noble with rank over count was required to attend the annual conference. If they did not, they would forfeit their title and estate under the emperor¡¯s orders because it would be judged that they did not qualify as a high-ranking noble. Therefore, someone not participating rarely ever happened. In cases where they could not attend, they had to contact the palace at least a month in advance to designate a representative in lieu.


    However, in the case of this conference, because of the territories being damaged by the deluge of demons, if the lord could not leave their territory, they could apply for a proxy until just before the conference.


    Arcanta frowned as he stared at the list. "If it¡¯s Sir Asteria, he comes in late every year, so it makes sense, but Druval, that sly fox still hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Did the story happen to leak?" He sighed.


    The deputy shook his head fervently. "That couldn¡¯t be possible. There are less than 100 people who know this story."


    "But also, it¡¯s as many as 100 people."


    At the prime minister''s pessimistic gaze, the deputy swallowed dry saliva and spoke calmly.


    "If it is around that many, we could find the suspect in a day by mobilizing all of the Treasury''s staff and intelligence, so who would go to the extent of risking the lives of their family by betraying?"


    Everyone involved in the work knew that if there was a traitor, not only the traitor himself but also the traitor''s family would die struggling in pain. Arcanta was not called the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister, who was said to have iron instead of blood flowing in his body, for nothing.


    "Yes, no one would dare to turn traitor. If anyone betrays me, I will make them resent the emperor for abolishing slavery. So, there¡¯s no possibility of betrayal."


    Arcanta''s mumbling gave the deputy goosebumps. Usually, he cared for his subordinates more than anyone else, but whenever he showed this side, it instilled fear in those who saw. In particular, it was even scarier as it was Arcanta who proposed and eliminated slavery.


    "Then it means that Druval, that sly fox, smelled it from elsewhere,¡± the prime minister murmured.


    The deputy broke into cold sweat. "Could it have leaked out from the Big Mama Information Agency? The one known as Big Mama and the head of the department are¡ª¡±


    "No." The prime minister cut off the deputy. "It¡¯s not them. We''ve paid so much for this that there¡¯s no way they would do something to betray their credibility. And Big Mama... No, it¡¯s not something that I should be telling you."


    The deputy was sullen at the prime minister''s words, but nonetheless, he nodded obediently. He at least knew that Arcanta¡¯s reluctance to divulge before him was not due to a lack of trust.


    "Then¡­ Should we do a full investigation of those who know about this?"


    Arcanta shook his head. "No, considering Count Druval is a monster of the financial world, he must have smelled it from  somewhere." He stood up and smiled bitterly. "And now it¡¯s too late to start an investigation. For both the enemy and me."


    At Arcanta¡¯s rather exhausted smile, the deputy was at a loss.


    Then a treasury civil servant came running over.


    "Your Excellency, I''m reporting that Count Druval has just entered the palace."


    "The time of entrance?"


    The treasury civil servants, who rushed at the prime minister''s question, looked at the list of new entrants without a moment to breathe.


    "That¡¯s... 8:01 a.m."


    "Oho, a minute. He definitely smelled something.¡±


    Otherwise, he would not have provoked him by being ¡®a minute¡¯ late.


    The prime minister gave a deep smile. The smile was like a wolf¡¯s, just before tearing apart the prey.


    The deputy was terrified by it. He felt that this year''s conference would not be just a war of nerves like previous years, but a fierce battle of putting a dagger in the other person''s windpipe or being stabbed instead. Blood may flow as in the past when fierce battles came and went over the topic of slavery.


    The prime minister smiled and walked slowly to the ballroom where the high-ranking nobles were gathered.

 Chapter 192: Currency Reform (9)

    The Eastern Station, located in the eastern part of the capital, had no passengers or even station staff waiting for the train as usual. As if to replace the station staff, the Black Water Buffalo Knights stood side by side with weapons.


    "Is that legendary person finally coming?¡± Molk asked.


    The vice-captain of the Black Water Buffalo Knights shrugged and joked, "Well, first of all, the captain¡¯s letter says there¡¯s no way that person would come, but to be honest, it¡¯s hard to trust him on things other than fighting."


    "Yes, it seems like he has a little bit of mythomania to say that he¡¯s the Crow Tribe¡¯s best painter with that skill."


    "That¡¯s right. My daughter would draw better than that."


    When the members of the Black Water Buffalo Knights were chuckling and chatting, the broadcast blared.


    - A train is now entering the Eastern Station. Guests, please take a step back for your safety.


    There was no station staff, but the pre-recorded announcement rang inside the train station, and the Black Water Buffalo Knights waited for the train to come in with stiff faces.


    From a distance, the train slowed down gradually and stopped completely at the Eastern Station.


    - When the train door opens, please allow the passengers inside to leave before boarding.


    Again, the pre-recorded announcement rang out and the train door opened.


    The Black Water Buffalo Knights finally felt a chill at the thought of welcoming Doomstone, the chief of the Crow Tribe, who had a legend that he had destroyed a country by himself.


    It was a dog''s head that appeared from the train despite the anticipation of the tension-filled knights.


    "Oh, that dog. Isn''t its head a little high?¡±


    "It''s not just a little bit?¡±


    "It must be a person holding it up."


    As the Black Water Buffalo Knights made a small noise, the vice-captain glared and brought his index finger to his mouth. "Shh!"


    The knights stood on edge again at the vice-captain¡¯s warning.


    Then, the dog, whose head was only visible, began to move to the entrance of the train and then came out.


    When he saw the dog come out from the train, the vice-captain shouted.


    "All ready for battle!¡±


    What came out of the train was the three-headed beast of hell, Cerberus. When the knights pulled their swords out in unison, Cerberus attacked the knights.


    "Blackie, stop!"


    With the voice of a woman coming from the train, Cerberus immediately turned around and approached the train.


    "Our Blackie almost caused an accident. I''m sorry about that."


    The Black Buffalo Knights put the sword back into the sword sheath with the appearance of strong-looking black-haired men and the beautiful woman with the side braids.


    "No, it¡¯s ok."


    "When he sees a sword, he thinks you want to play and will charge. Ttak! Blackie, you''re not supposed to jump at anyone except for those from our village."


    "Kkiing~"  When Cerberus was smacked on the head, he became dispirited and whined.


    The knights couldn''t shut their mouths at the sight of cognitive dissonance. It was unimaginable to treat the most dangerous monster among the beasts like a pet dog.


    Cerberus was a monster where victory could not be determined even if five knights who could wield an aura blade attacked it immediately.


    "My introduction is belated. My name is Hestia Blade, acting as the deputy chief of the Crow Tribe."


    The vice-captain, who was fascinated by Hestia''s introduction, came to his senses and saluted as the leader.


    "We are the Black Water Buffalo Knights under General Bloody."


    "Oh! I heard a lot from my uncle. It must be hard on you because of my dumb uncle."


    "No, rather we are the ones inconveniencing Bloody-nim. But¡ª"


    Hestia smiled embarrassingly as the vice-captain looked at Cerberus.


    "That, I was going to leave Blackie behind, but he''s still a puppy, so he won''t leave my side.¡±


    "¡­ You mean a puppy?"


    He couldn''t believe that a dog so big that it was two meters long from the legs to the head was still only a puppy.


    "Yes, I heard that the Dragon Tribe was bringing dragons, so I thought it would be okay and brought him, but it''s okay, right?"


    "Probably, yes. It will probably be all right. You can hide it in the carriage.¡±


    Fortunately, the carriage was spacious even with Cerberus on board. But that was also a story for when Cerberus did not make a disturbance.


    Hestia smiled lightly after reading the vice-captain¡¯s expression.


    "You don''t have to worry about Blackie because he¡¯s calm. He stayed calm the whole time in a small carriage when I went to Asterium.¡±


    "Then that is a relief. We have arranged the carriage according to the number of people, so let us go."


    Under the guidance of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, Hestia and the Crows were led secretly to the carriage.


    -o-


    "Hmm, let''s play another round."


    The Duke of Asteria frowned as he looked at the nine-battlefield chessboard. Although the king had not been captured yet, it was essentially at the point right before having to surrender.


    "I am happy to play more, but it is time for us to slowly head over to the palace," I pointed out.


    The duke looked at the clock. "It''s already this time. Time always flies when you get older.¡±


    "Then I''ll clean up."


    When I cleared the chess pieces and the board, the duke licked his lips.


    "Do you know the term hospitality chess?"


    "I know."


    The duke grumbled at my answer. "Then how could you not lose a game? I''m a duke you know."


    I replied with a smile at his grumbling, "A champion isn¡¯t supposed to lose."


    The duke smiled and downed his tea. "Ahahaha, you say you¡¯re a champion?"


    I smiled embarrassingly at the question. "Haha, actually I''m more of a challenger than a champion."


    "Challenger?" The duke looked at me curiously.


    "Yes, one of my sisters is good at nine-battlefield chess, and my record with her is 52 to 48."


    "That¡¯s impressive that she¡¯s better at chess than you are. I''d like to meet your sibling once. Are they perhaps in the capital?"


    "No, she is in my hometown."


    It would be horrible if my big sister were in the capital. To be honest, if the father was the number one person who I didn''t want to meet from the people in my hometown, the second was my big sister.


    My big sister is a genius who can deduce at a glance how I had lived as soon as she meets me.


    "Is that so? What kind of person is she?"


    The Duke of Asteria seemed to find it interesting, and put down the cup of tea and asked about my big sister.


    "My sister has a sickly constitution and so she was the only one who was excluded from my father¡¯s training and only read books."


    Honestly, I was jealous. While I was being overworked, my big sister ate snacks and looked at me happily, suffering like a dog. That gaze really resembled the devil.


    "Then did you say you were from a knight''s family?¡±


    The setting of the knight''s family was something made by my aunt herself. In fact, I heard that she made her subordinates infiltrate and manipulate Warrant''s document book. It was impossible to forge the magic of ID cards, but it was easy to disguise other documents.


    "Yes, during the time of my great-grandfather, we were knighted and we are just maintaining the status of nobility."


    Starting from First Class Knights, one was able to pass on the title of noble to one child. Therefore, I was a noble with my fake ID, but if I had a child, my child would not be a noble.


    ¡°If it was the time of your great-grandfather, it must have been during the time of the advent of the Demon King. To be knighted while fighting against the Demon King¡¯s army, your great-grandfather must have been a hero.¡±


    In fact, my great-grandfather was the one who got the Demon King¡¯s head.


    "Yes, that''s right. He was a hero."


    To be exact, he was a champion more than a hero. [1] Being a hero gives me goosebumps. It was all the more terrible because I felt the Holy Sword hidden inside my suit.


    I don''t know why I should be called a hero when my aunt has the sword that cut down the Demon King. And even more so as a heroine.


    "Come on, let''s go to the palace now."


    When the Duke of Asteria got up from his seat, I also followed suit and grabbed my bag.


    -o-


    The carriage that the duke and I rode passed the outer castle of the imperial palace and reached the checkpoint.


    "It has been a long time, Your Highness, the Duke.¡± The Duke of Asteria smiled lightly at a middle-aged man greeting him.


    "Long time no see Central Ceremony Department Head. How have you been?"


    It seems at the level of a duke, even checkpoints were manned by minister-level personnel for him.


    "Haha, thanks to you, I have been well. You brought a different friend this time.¡±


    The ceremony department head looked at me as I sat next to the duke and smiled.


    "Glont begged me to take another person with me. That''s why I brought a new recruit.¡±


    The ceremony department head clapped his hands as if he had figured out the circumstances.


    "Aha, I see. Roseland must have already climbed up to the fourth rank of prestige. You know, there were a lot of departments that were eyeing him, so probably got promoted easily.¡±


    Considering that most civil servants fail to become first-rank before retirement age, one could see how competent Roseland was.


    The Duke of Asteria grinned as the ceremony department head nodded. ¡°This one is very capable too. Glont, he''s got quite good people."


    "Hahaha, I see. He''s definitely a guaranteed talent, as His Excellency, the Prime Minister, and General Glont fought to get him."


    Wait! I think I heard something very bad.


    Who and who fought over me? The prime minister and the Guild Director Glont?


    Wow, so I almost ended up at the treasury? I almost went into the night overtime hell I made. I¡¯ll have to say thank you when I meet Guild Director Glont later.


    "But I heard you¡¯ve been glaring at Glont because I¡¯m not bringing around a civil servant from the Central Ceremony Department?"


    The Central Ceremony Department head waved at the Duke of Asteria''s playful chatter. "Aigoo! How could I dare to glare at General Glont? The general''s influence is enormous not only within the imperial army but also within each department."


    "So he lied to me?"


    When the duke suddenly asked with a serious face, the ceremony department head didn¡¯t know what to do and became flustered.


    "Oh, no, it''s not...¡±


    If the ceremony department head had been glaring at Guild Director Glont, it meant that the ceremony department head was dissatisfied with the duke, and on the contrary, if he did not glare, then Guild Director Glont had lied to the duke. Either of the two could become his enemies if the ceremony department head did not respond well regardless of which side he chose.


    With just a brief conversation, he was good at driving his opponent to the wall.


    "Ahahaha, I''m kidding. I know you''re weak-minded, it seems I made unnecessary jokes.¡±


    "Ahaha¡­Yes....¡±


    Despite the reassurance, I bet anyone who rose to that level wouldn¡¯t be weak-minded. Rather than the ceremony department head being weak-minded, it was better to say that the duke''s tongue was sharp. It was only a short time, but the face of the ceremony department head, who forced himself to smile, seemed to have aged.


    "Now, run to Arthemius and let him know that the old tiger''s teeth haven''t been pulled out yet. That''s why you were waiting for me at the checkpoint, isn¡¯t it?"


    At the Duke of Asteria''s words, the ceremony department head¡¯s forced smile turned into a stiff expression.


    The Arthemius that the duke referred to was the last name of Prime Minister Arcanta. In a word, the prime minister was looking at whether the old duke was still alive and healthy or not.


    "Well, then we¡¯ll head in. See you later.¡±


    With the duke¡¯s order, the horseman started driving and we headed towards the palace without having my luggage checked. The horse and carriage could not enter the inner palace, so the two of us stepped out of the carriage and walked inside.


    "How would you have answered if you were the ceremony department head just now?"


    I replied with a light smile when the Duke of Asteria asked suddenly.


    1. The difference here is not clear. The raw word for both means hero, so I chose to use champion and hero.

 Chapter 193: Currency Reform (10)

    The answer to the duke''s question was simple.


    "It''s simple. I would just stutter and fumble around like the ceremony department head did and wait until Your Highness gives an option to retreat and go along with that."


    The ceremony department head did not make the wrong choice. Rather, it should be said that he answered correctly. At the moment, even if he was flustered and thought he would lose his head if he made a mistake, he was only chosen as a representative in the war of nerves anyway, so Duke Asteria would have fully understood the situation and let it go.


    The duke laughed out loud as if he hadn''t expected my answer. "Kuhahaha! I see. The ceremony department head''s response was not wrong. I like you better now for that response.¡±


    Of course, it was unknown whether the ceremony department head was trembling while aiming for that opportunity or was actually trembling with fear of the Duke Asteria. Somehow the latter was a little more convincing.


    "It''s an honor." I bowed lightly at the duke''s praise.


    Duke Asteria looked at me interestedly as I followed behind him and asked me in a passing tone, "Then suppose I''m trying to kill you. How would you respond under the circumstances just now?"


    The question wasn''t light at all despite the tone being light.


    "Is the way you want to kill me a political death? Or is it actual death?¡±


    From a politician''s point of view, the two deaths were not much different, but I was not a politician. Political life had no value to me.


    The duke, who knew the intentions of my question at once, looked regretful. "You really have no greed."


    I smiled and shook my head. "It''s just a different direction of greed. I''m greedy, too." I thought people greedier than I would be rare.


    The duke laughed cheerfully at my words. "Ahahahaha, is that so? If you said so, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s true. Well, let''s make it a real death because political death doesn''t seem to pose any threat to you."


    I considered the duke''s question seriously. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn''t think of a situation in which my life would be in danger. I think I could run away unless my father came. But of course, I deduced the answer that the duke wanted.


    "When Your Highness the Duke brought up glaring at Guild Director Glont, I would have said I didn¡¯t know what you were talking about to the end."


    If positive and negative responses both were a landmine, no response was the best. However, if a man as powerful as Duke Asteria sincerely tried to kill an innocent person, the only method was to run away.


    He laughed at my answer. "Then I''ll ask you if you think I made up the story.¡±


    As I expected, the duke began to be nitpicky.


    "If that''s the case, there are only three options for me."


    "Oh, there¡¯s three things?" He looked at me with an interested smile.


    I folded my fingers one by one and recited the options. "The first option is to run away. If someone like Your Highness the Duke is after my neck, then frankly, it is best to run away."


    "I see, but I''m a very persistent person.¡±


    "Then there''s a good chance I will fail to run away. The next option is to move your target from me to Guild Director Glont."


    To be exact, it is to blame Guild Director Glont for the ¡®glaring¡¯ situation before. Then the justification for taking my head would immediately disappear.


    "Oh, aren''t you afraid of future trouble from Glont?"


    "Even if I was afraid of Guild Director Glont¡¯s retribution, would I rather have Your Highness, the Duke''s retribution?"


    "But I''m just an old man who''s close to his end, while Glont is still vigorous and healthy and has a huge influence in the imperial army." He smiled playfully.


    I reciprocated the same way. "Your Highness does not seem like someone who is nearing his end at all. Still, saving my life right now seems better than thinking about the future.¡±


    The duke nodded and affirmed my answer. "That''s true. You have to live today to avenge tomorrow. So what''s the last way?"


    His anticipating eyes made me smile with a feeling of burden.


    "The last way is to drag in Duke Arthemius. In terms of power, he is one of the few people who can match Your Highness, and the situation just before was just mere testing the waters by the prime minister. So, he should have to take responsibility.¡±


    Duke Asteria nodded very satisfactorily.


    In fact, in addition to the three ways that I mentioned, there were many ways such as causing internal conflict, pulling in external enemies, and assassination, but they were not things that should come out of the mouth of a civil servant.


    "What would Your Highness do?" I asked back.


    Duke Asteria laughed cheerfully. "Ahahaha, in my position, I have to be cautious even when telling jokes." Then he answered with a voice full of reminiscing. "So let me tell you about my daughter''s actions in a similar situation, instead of my answer. My daughter''s choice was to cause a war. She dragged in foreign enemies.¡±


    "Wow, she was a very fiery person.¡±


    I didn''t know there was a person who had thoughts exactly as I did. However, he previously said her life was in danger, but I could not imagine a situation in which Duke Asteria¡¯s daughter¡¯s life could be in danger. To be able to threaten the life of a duke¡¯s daughter, one would have to be at least an emperor for it to be possible. As the duke was the greatest political rival of the former emperor, the Blood Emperor, perhaps, his daughter was targeted.


    "Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul, yes, she had a weak body, but a strong mind."[1] He smiled bitterly and approached the hall where the convention was held.


    A knight and servant who were guarding the hall came out and approached the duke and me when they noticed us.


    "Excuse me, are you His Highness, Duke Heinz von Asterium Asteria and the guide, Den von Mark?¡±


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct," I answered the servant''s question instead


    The servant gently greeted the duke and went into the hall through a small door. Then as the knight outside opened the door, the servant inside shouted.


    "His Highness, Duke Heinz von Asterium Asteria arrives!¡±


    The Duke of Asteria entered the hall with a dignified gait, and I also naturally followed the Duke''s footsteps.


    -o-


    When Hestia and the other Crows entered the palace, the head servant and the head maid welcomed them.


    "We really appreciate your visit to the palace."


    Hestia glanced around and smiled at the servants¡¯ greeting. "Thank you for your hospitality."


    Unlike Hestia''s greetings, there were only the two, one head servant and one head maid, at the entrance, even without a common guard.


    She was a VIP amongst VIPs who should have been welcomed with a welcoming event, and it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for them to hold a banquet with a parade.


    As Hestia noticed this point, the eyes of the head maid and head servant were full of embarrassment. It was a completely different reaction from Bloody, who they knew to be understanding and cool.


    The head maid started to explain, "About the insufficient welcome, as we explained in advance...¡±


    "Of course, I know the situation." Hestia cut her off with a gentle smile. "But apart from that, we have to think about the relationship between us and the empire.¡±


    The Crow Tribe was an equal ally of the empire. Even if there were any circumstances in the empire, it could be considered an insult to receive a delegation of only two. No matter how much they asked for understanding in advance, as the head, she could not just move forward without so much as an apology. Only when each other¡¯s positions were firmly established from the beginning could future friction be prevented.


    "We apologize. It''s all our fault." The head servant bowed his head and apologized, while Hestia accepted the apology with a smile and a light nod.


    The head servant apologizing was more meaningful than the emperor showing an expression of regret. Although it was informal, the head servant was no less an external spokesman for the emperor.


    Hestia understood the meaning of the head servant¡¯s apology and so walked forward and asked, "I heard an audience with His Majesty, the Emperor has been prepared. Please show me the way." She spoke with a plain expression indicating that she was not below the emperor of the empire.


    The head servant, aware of this, took the lead to guide her to the inner palace.


    The Crows followed the head servant and head maid.


    The head servant who was guiding them stopped in front of a white line guarded by knights and servants, and said, "From here is the sword line, and we are strictly prohibited from entering with any weapons. I apologize, but we will hold on to your weapons for you."


    The Crows did not move at the request of the head servant.


    "Take off all weapons and leave them to the head servant temporarily."


    Only when Hestia''s order was given did they remove the weapons from their bodies and entrust it to the head servant. Their weapons were made of heavy adamantium and so the knights received them instead of the servants.


    The knights who received the weapon almost lost control due to the weight of the weapon but barely managed to hold on.


    "We will keep and treat your precious armaments with the utmost care until you leave the palace."


    Despite the greetings of the head servant, the Crows didn¡¯t say anything in response and stood expressionlessly.


    "How many people can I bring for the audience?" asked Hestia.


    The head servant answered immediately, "If possible, we would like only one representative, but if it is not possible, please choose up to two aides."


    Hestia called her aides without hesitation. "Head Elder, Foreign Minister. Please follow me."


    ¡°We receive your orders.¡±


    ¡°We receive your orders.¡±


    When Weger and the foreign minister answered, Hestia looked at her eldest brother, Gallahad, standing silently.


    "The captain of the guard can take the rest of the men to the accommodations provided by the imperial family and relax."


    "We receive your orders."


    Hestia burst into laughter on the inside as she watched Gallahad salute her. He must truly be scared of his father¡¯s iron fist for this troublemaker to be so calm and listen to her orders.


    As she thought about wanting to show this sight of her brother to her other siblings, she spoke to the head servant with a cold expression, "Please guide us."


    "Yes. You can guide them to their accommodations."


    After ordering the head maid to guide the Crows to their accommodations, the head servant went across the sword line and headed to the reception room where the emperor was waiting. When he arrived in front of the knight guarding the reception room door, the servants opened the door straight away without knocking or making any noise.


    The head servant stepped aside without entering through the open door.


    Hestia smiled gently. "Thank you for the guidance."


    "No, I just did what I had to do."


    Inside the reception room were the emperor, the captain of the Imperial Guard Division, and  Glont, the director of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, sitting in front of a large table.


    Hestia walked proudly in towards them.


    1. Sound of chuckling.

 Chapter 194: Currency Reform (11)

    Hestia entered the audience room where the emperor was and bowed lightly.


    "It''s my first time meeting you, Your Majesty. My name is Hestia Blade, the deputy chief of the Crow Tribe."


    The emperor, who was absentmindedly watching Hestia, came to his attention and greeted her. "First time meeting you as well. I am the Emperor of the Oreliang Empire, Bendiel von Bahamund di Oreliang Eltriara."


    The emperor introduced two people standing next to him. "These are two people whom I trust more than anyone else. This is Sir North, head of the Imperial Guard Division who protects me, and this is Sir Glont, head of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild."


    At the emperor''s introduction, the two bowed their heads without saying a word.


    "I believe you have probably heard of Sir Glont."


    "Yes, I heard that our tribesman, Bloody Blade, is indebted to him. Feel free to let me know if any of our tribesmen have caused any trouble."


    Hestia deliberately did not use honorifics for Bloody. The title of deputy chief of the Crow Tribe was higher on the chain of command and so she had to treat him as a subordinate even if he was older.


    "No, rather I owe him a lot. Ohohoho." Glont spoke naturally because he had heard about Hestia from Bloody, but the captain of the imperial guard just stood still with a stiff face.


    Hestia also introduced the two who escorted her. "This is Great Elder Weger Partizan of the Crow Tribe, and this is Filan Hermes, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."


    At the same time as Hestia''s introduction, both silently bowed. Glont and the head of the imperial guard both looked at Weger with glistening eyes. Although Glont had never met him in person, he had heard from Bloody that any Crow who could use swordsmanship was basically his students.


    "It looks like we have made you stand for too long with these precious guests you brought."


    Hestia lightly nodded and sat down when the emperor suggested a seat.


    When she sat down, the emperor smiled lightly and changed the atmosphere. "Sorry about that just now. You looked so much like someone I knew."


    In support of the emperor''s words, the head of the Imperial Guard and Glont, who were guarding the emperor, also seemed very surprised upon seeing Hestia.


    "Is that so?" Hestia smiled softly and asked.


    The emperor nodded. "Yes, she was a very beautiful and intelligent woman like you. She was actually my first love, but I got dumped because she was into muscular men," the emperor said jokingly with a smile.


    Hestia smiled along and changed the subject. "By the way, I heard that the representatives of the other two tribes were coming, but I guess we were the first to arrive."


    "Yes, the representatives of the two tribes arrived in the capital last night and are at their quarters, but it was a long way to come here without anyone knowing."


    Rather, Hestia, who arrived late in the capital, was the fastest to meet the emperor.


    "They will be there in a little while anyway."


    As soon as the emperor spoke, Glont and Weger looked at the door of the reception room.


    Kwang!


    "Uahahahaha! Hello!"


    As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the door of the reception room opened so hard that it was almost broken and a giant came in. The giant man was the king of the Dragon Tribe.


    "Your Majesty, hyung-nim! I asked you to restrain yourself because this is the capital!" After the Dragon King, a blond young man followed in with embarrassment.


    "Hahaha! What¡¯s the matter? Aren''t we allies?!"


    "Your Majesty, hyung-nim! The empire has its own laws and etiquette! Didn''t you make an agreement in the name of the dragon to follow the rules of the empire before you left the hometown?"


    The Dragon King flinched at the blonde young man¡¯s words.


    "Uhum, please forgive us if we were rude, Emperor. And...  Those from the Crow Tribe.¡±


    Seeing the Dragon King letting out a dry cough, the emperor smiled lightly and offered them seats.


    "It''s okay, I don''t think it''s right as an ally to force our etiquette too much since you''re not familiar with them. Also, this is not such a formal setting, and please be at ease."


    "Uahahaha! Thank you for saying that."


    The Dragon King looked at his brother, who he had brought as his deputy, and the blond young man sighed with a frown. Then a dry cough came from behind.


    "Ahem! Do you mind if we come in?"


    When the Great Elder of the Butterfly Tribe, who came to the reception room, asked the Dragon King, who was blocking the entrance, the latter stepped aside.


    "Oh! Who is this! Long time no see! Sir!¡±


    "My ears are still fine, so you don¡¯t have to speak so loud. Yeah, it''s been a while too. How''s that old man, Drachen?¡± the Great Elder asked.


    The Dragon King bowed his head with a gloomy face.


    "The former Dragon King traveled to the Dragon Gorge a few years ago."


    The Dragon Gorge was believed to be the heaven of the Dragon Tribe, and that the spirits of dead dragons and their ancestors gathered there.


    The Great Elder was surprised and groaned at the Dragon King''s words. "To hear that that strong Drachen is dead... I didn''t think he¡¯d die even if he tried." The Great Elder briefly mourned the passing of his old friend. "He fought at the front with a stronger body than anyone else. It''s late, but my condolences.¡±


    "Thank you. Grandfather, who is in the Dragon Gorge, will be happy."


    The Great Elder looked at Weger with gloomy eyes at the news that his friend, who he had known for 120 years, had died. "But you''re still alive. How have you been?"


    Weger also nodded with a bitter smile.


    Hestia greeted for Weger in his stead as the Great Elder looked curiously at the appearance of Weger nodding his head without saying a word. "It''s my first time meeting you. I am Hestia Blade, the deputy chief."


    With Hestia''s greeting, the Great Elder understood why Weger was silent.


    "I see. Weger didn''t come as the representative, but this cute lady. Nice to meet you. I am Arpen Fendria, a great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. This is my son and assistant, Bendis Fendria."


    Bendis, who came with the Great Elder, gave a light silent salute.


    At the Great Elder¡¯s greeting, the Dragon King''s younger brother elbowed the Dragon King on the side.


    "This one is called Muk Draconium, the Dragon King of the Dragon Tribe. This is Aron Draconium, my younger brother and assistant. Nice to meet you."


    "Ah, I am well acquainted with those two, so you don''t have to introduce them. For Weger, we''ve known each other since the advent of Demon King, and the head of the foreign affairs over there has come to our town a few times."


    "The head of foreign affairs has been to our town a few times as well."


    Hestia nodded at the Great Elder and the Dragon King. The emperor offered a seat for the two as well.


    "We have plenty of time until the end of today''s conference, so let¡¯s sit down and chat. At the end of the convention, there will be a banquet to welcome all of you VIPs of the alliance," said the emperor.


    The Dragon King laughed loudly. "Uahahahaha! A banquet makes me feel better!"


    The emperor laughed along with the Dragon King. "Ahahaha! I''m glad you feel good. We''ve done a disrespectful act of bringing VIPs into the capital without a welcome parade, so we''ve prepared enough to make up for it, so please drink and enjoy yourselves.¡±


    Hestia smiled, reading the insidiousness hidden in the emperor''s laughter.


    -o-


    As soon as I entered the hall the conference was being held in, the atmosphere felt like a tea party at a social gathering, but also a knife with a sharpened edge. This place was very befitting of the phrase "hiding a knife in a smile".


    "It has been a long time, Duke Asteria-nim."


    At the very end of the hall which was split side to side, when a young man sitting alone stood up and greeted, everyone in the hall rose in unison and bowed their heads.


    "It has been a long time, Your Highness, the Duke."


    Everyone, regardless of the nobility and civil servants, greeted in unison, and although each individual''s voice was not that loud, it felt like my whole body was ringing. It was to the point that I could confuse this with a scene from a mafia movie.


    "Yes, it''s been a long time. Have you all been well?¡± The duke smiled lightly as if he was used to it.


    They all answered in unison, "Yes."


    As far as I knew, the right side was the emperor faction and the left, noble faction. Despite them being in factions that were sharply divided, the sight of all of them answering with one voice showing respect to Duke Asteria truly gave me goosebumps.


    "I''m glad you all are doing well. I''m so old that my whole body aches. Ahahaha."


    Everyone laughed at the duke¡¯s joke and each of them replied.


    "Ahahaha, for someone who is more honest than anyone else, that¡¯s too much of a joke."


    "There''s an alchemist at our estate, and fortunately we just acquired a precious mandrago. I will make you some medicine."


    The duke raised his hand to silence the nobles, each of whom was clamoring to offer flattery and gifts.


    "Hahaha, I''m very glad you are all trying to take care of me. But now is the time to start the conference, so let''s continue this conversation at a later banquet."


    The duke''s laughter gave off a feeling of strange pretenses, annoyance, and disillusionment. But similarly, if I got such greedy looks at me all at once, I would feel nauseous.


    "Is my seat still the same? Arthemius¡ª¡±


    When Duke Asteria trailed off, a young man in the center replied with a smile.


    "Please call me the prime minister. Yes, the Duke Asteria''s place remains the same."


    The duke''s intentions were clear. If he wanted to be called a prime minister, he was with the emperor faction, and if he wanted to be called a duke, he was with the noble faction. In this situation, naming oneself was a serious issue that could lead to a war on the spot if one said something wrong because it separated one¡¯s identity and faction.


    "That''s a relief that my seat is still there, Prime Minister." The duke smiled and headed to the empty chair next to the prime minister.


    But anyway, that man seemed to be Prime Minister Arcanta. The boarding house had a picture of the prime minister as a child, but because it did not have a picture of his current self, it was my first time seeing him. Strangely enough, like mother and child, he resembled Mrs. Arscilla.


    When Duke Asteria sat down and I stood behind him, the nobles who stood up sat down in unison.


    "First of all, I''m sorry for being late. It¡¯s because I traveled a long distance despite being sick. Let''s start the conference now."


    When the duke slightly nodded his head, the prime minister nodded and shouted, "We will begin the conference now!"


    With the prime minister¡¯s announcement, civil servants from the Central Ceremony Department quickly began distributing the conference materials. And of course, I also accepted the extra materials that the duke might ask for.


    "This is the first agenda of the conference."


    The prime minister began to explain the items by talking about the agenda on the first page.


    There were five people working as scribes in the hall, but their record was impossible to read except for the emperor, so I had no choice but to hold a memo and serve as a scribe.


    I quickly wrote down the prime minister''s remarks and rummaged through the materials for the upcoming items to be discussed. I was skimming through the materials when I was shocked to see one of the items in the middle.


    The prime minister was trying to drop a huge nuclear bomb during the conference.

 Chapter 195: Currency Reform (12)

    The prime minister led the conference, and the nobles and vice minister-level civil servants in attendance continued to discuss the issue, arguing over every agenda. Each agenda was closely related to a territory¡¯s interests, so it was more like an individual''s struggle for their own interests rather than a fight between factions.


    Even during the heated debate, Duke Asteria listened silently and did not offer his opinion. But as far as I could see, he was the focus of the conference. Just like wolves observing a giant tiger, nobles and bureaucrats gave their opinions and watched the duke closely. It was as if they were worried and afraid that as soon as the duke made a move, they would be bitten at the neck.


    However, there were times when discussions became too long or fierce. Whenever that happened, the duke made gestures such as asking me for water or coughing dryly, and those amidst the heated debate would turn abruptly silent.


    Watching how the conference was progressing, I could see how it was being conducted. When comparing the conference to a car, an axle, on which the conference rolled, was the prime minister, and the brakes to stop was Duke Asteria. Without either, the meeting would not have gone smoothly.


    As the meeting continued, and the number of items left to cover grew thinner, the number of nobles with distorted facial expressions began to gradually increase. The nobles that wanted to shout immediately bit their lips as they looked at the faces of the prime minister and Duke Asteria.


    "Now, here''s the 13th Agenda. The agenda is currency reform."


    Everyone in the hall began to stir at the prime minister''s declaration. Even vice-ministerial civil servants, as well as ministerial civil servants, were perplexed.


    Then suddenly, a count could not hold back his anger and stood up and hit the table.


    Kwang-!


    "I didn''t hear of this beforehand! Who is it?! The person who came up with this agenda!"


    His name on the plaque on the table was Margaret. For some reason, it sounded familiar like the name of a cookie.


    Shortly after hitting the table, Count Margaret lowered his head after looking at Duke Asteria. "I apologize. I just got a little excited at the ridiculous agenda."


    Duke Asteria still smiled silently and nodded at the other''s apology, and the count of a cookie name breathed a sigh of relief.


    "This agenda doesn''t make sense. Just who came up with this agenda?" reiterated Count Margaret.


    "In principle, it is prohibited to reveal the name of the person who submitted the agenda," the prime minister answered with a smile full of killing intent.


    Because the delegates often dealt with sensitive issues involving territorial interests, no one knew who submitted the agenda except the prime minister, the chairman of the conference, to protect the proposer of the agenda. Of course, it was not a very efficient rule because you could roughly guess who proposed it by listening to the contents of the agenda. However, it was also a rule that was argued to be more important than any other rule in a political fight.


    At the prime minister''s answer, a count named Druval on the plaque raised his hand.


    ¡°Please speak, Count Druval.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency Prime Minister." Druval put emphasis on the cabinet title ¡®Your Excellency¡¯, and smiled with his fat cheeks.


    "As Your Excellency Prime Minister says, let us follow the principle. But if it could be a big ¡®blow¡¯ to state affairs, or if it''s a serious issue, wouldn''t it be possible to disclose the proposer?"


    "Oho, Count Druval, you seem concerned about the great ¡®blow¡¯ from currency reform?¡± the prime minister said ambiguously.


    Count Druval shrugged lightly. "In the beginning, a little ''mistake'' of reform is bound to be a huge loss. Even more so if it involves money.¡±


    The prime minister and Count Druval stared at each other and fought a war of nerves.


    Wow, I need popcorn. Fight!


    In the midst of the fun situation, Duke Asteria took a bag of peanuts from his pocket and began to eat them with intrigued eyes.


    Where did you get those peanuts?


    The duke made a gesture for me to lend him my ear.


    I brought my face to the Duke and he whispered quietly, ¡°Do you want some?¡±


    Yes. Give me some, please. I wanted to say that, but I wasn¡¯t powerful enough to chew peanuts here.


    "No, it''s all right."


    In the first place, food was prohibited except water during the conference. But no one could say anything about the duke munching on peanuts. That''s why people are after power. It was safe to say that the peanuts here were a symbol of power.


    "Is that so?" The duke pretended to be sorry and put a peanut in my mouth.


    Mmm, tasty. It tasted like macadamia, not too rich.


    "Just eat it." Duke Asteria shot a playful smile and handed me a bag of peanuts. "If anyone says anything, tell me."


    With that, I opened the bag of peanuts without hesitation and ate. As I munched on the peanuts, no one even looked at me. Is this the perk of being an escort?


    The duke and I watched the battle between the prime minister and Count Druval while eating peanuts. Count Druval made the first move.


    "Reform is always the case, but currency reform has a lot of risks in particular. Why do you want to reform a currency that is running well in the first place?¡±


    The prime minister responded with a relaxed smile at the attack. "You speak as if I suggested it. Well, fine. I''m in favor of currency reform, so let''s talk. Please look at item No.3."


    The prime minister spoke without looking at the materials.


    That¡¯s just putting lipstick on a pig. A square picture was drawn on the third document that the prime minister told him to look at.


    "What is this?¡± Count Druval looked at the material curiously.


    Other nobles also seemed to have no idea what the drawing meant.


    "Isn''t it written there? It''s the design of the new currency."


    "That¡¯s why I am asking. Don''t you think there will be difficulties in having a square currency that''s much bigger than the existing one?" Count Druval looked at the prime minister as if it was ridiculous.


    No, that''s not it. This design was definitely...


    "No, it''s the opposite. Rather, it will show extreme convenience when you have it. Because!"


    It was a bill!


    "The currency will be made of paper!"


    They all gasped at the cry of the prime minister.


    "Pa-paper?!"


    "What nonsense!"


    As the inside of the hall became noisy, the duke shook his hands to shake off the peanut crumbs. The sound of the duke shaking the crumbs off his hands and the hall calmed down again. [1]


    "Continue, Prime Minister," said the duke.


    The prime minister nodded. "As I said, the new currency will be made out of paper. This has four advantages. First of all, as I said, changing materials from metal to paper makes it much easier to carry around in terms of weight and volume."


    Certainly, bills were easier to carry than metal currency. Especially if you were going to have a lot of change.


    "Secondly, it is effective in preventing counterfeit money. Traditional metal currency is easy to counterfeit by hiring a blacksmith while paper currency is extremely difficult to counterfeit. Even if counterfeits are made, it would be easier to detect it through the textures of paper and pictures on the currency, so it would be easier to prevent damage from counterfeits."


    If you also included magic to prevent counterfeits, it would be essentially impossible to make counterfeit money. Especially if the counterfeiting method was manual and didn¡¯t use magic, there was no way it could be fabricated.


    "Thirdly, by using paper, which is cheaper than metal, you¡¯ll be able to reduce the amount of money spent on making the currency, and the metal supplies that go into the currency can be used in other ways, which gives us more breathing room for other goods. In particular, platinum used in platinum coins is called a magic metal and used as a substitute for mithril. So if the platinum used in currency can be released into the market, the price of expensive magic tools can be reduced."


    What I couldn''t understand the most when I first saw a platinum coin was that platinum was being used as a currency. The same was true in my past life, but platinum was metal with an endless amount of usage. Of course, it was the same for gold and silver. Although they weren¡¯t as good as platinum, gold and silver were also worth enough as magic catalysts.


    "Fourthly, by unifying the units, convenience and administrative benefits will increase. Traditional currencies have used the name of each currency even though they have a unit called pelk. This has been a problem where the perception of the standard unit and each real currency is different. If we unify the currency to the standard unit with a single piece of paper, it will reduce the gap in perceptions of real currency."


    The biggest problem with the imperial currency was the fourth point. It was confusing because there were some people who called the price by the pelk unit, while some said it with certain amounts of bronze and refined bronze coins. In particular, because the literacy rate was low, there were some people who changed the name and ripped people off.


    Of course, I think the reason why the prime minister is trying to reform the currency was that he intended to wipe out the slush funds of the nobles. That¡¯s why the faces of the nobles were red and angry.


    The prime minister smiled at the nobles who were glaring at him and gnashing their teeth. His expression was a clear provocation.


    "These four are good reasons to change to paper currency. Please keep looking through the materials."


    At the request of the prime minister, the nobles clenched their teeth and read the material.


    ¡°This! What is this?!¡± As the nobles kept reading the material, they were shocked again.


    "As you can see from the materials, the currency reform will not be simply turning existing currency into paper currency, but will be a major reform that will eliminate anything greater than refined silver coin currency!"


    I was impressed by the prime minister''s declaration. This was not just a simple reform. What he announced was a radical reform that would not be strange even if it was called a revolution.


    "No way! How can you eliminate currency higher than refined silver?!"


    The nobles, of course, protested. Currency higher than refined silver coins were for the nobles. In other words, it was a symbol of vested interest and a product of convenience. The problem was that abolishing these currencies was not just trampling on symbols, but was also causing enormous damage to the nobles. If the reform were to succeed, more so than just suppressing the nobles immediately, it would be tantamount to laying the groundwork to halt the nobles from gaining power in the future. There would only be one future if the nobles were to be collared and their powers suppressed. It would be an absolute monarchy. The prime minister was declaring war on the nobles for the future of the absolute monarchy.


    Upon the prime minister''s declaration of war, Count Druval rose from his seat and launched a counterattack.


    1. The sound made by him hitting his hands together to get the crumbs off.

 Chapter 196: Currency Reform (13)

    Count Druval rose from his seat, and without seeking permission to speak from the prime minister, began to assert himself.


    "The currency reform Your Excellency mentioned is nothing but a fantasy!" He looked towards Duke Asteria and other nobles, and continued to speak, "First of all, the paper currency that His Excellency mentioned doesn''t make sense in itself. First, His Excellency said paper currency is lighter and more convenient than metal currency. Yes, I am sure it would be easier to carry a piece of paper than a lump of metal. However, money was not made from metal for no reason. Money is an object that goes through the hands of many people. But if it is made out of paper, it will quickly be damaged and ruined."


    As he spoke at length, Count Druval moistened his throat with water, regained his breath, and resumed. "In the first place, money is a social promise. It is based on trust! How can I trust and use money that I can''t use for long periods of time and is easily damaged?"


    The prime minister held back a complaint. He was asking just who would place their trust in just words.


    "Certainly, paper is weak compared to metal. But the materials for the paper to be used in the reform are tough, sturdy, and waterproof, unlike ordinary paper."


    When the prime minister took out a bill from his pocket that looked like the sample shown in the materials, the civil servants from the central ceremony department handed out samples of the new bills to the nobles. The one who handed a bill to me and Duke Asteria very quickly returned to his original position.


    I pulled on the bill lightly. The texture was quite rough, but it didn¡¯t seem very different from the bills from my past life except being much tougher.


    What kind of wood did they make this out of? Wait, the smell of the bills was familiar. Did they use trees from Olympus Forest?


    Suddenly, I felt cold. Don''t tell me...


    There¡¯s no way...


    "The trees that make this paper currency are special, so even if you put them in a humid and shady place, they won''t be eaten by insects or become moldy," said the prime minister.


    My anxiety was turning into reality. Probably, in all likelihood, the Crow Tribe was involved with the currency reform. By now, a delegation from the Crow Tribe might have already secretly come to the capital.


    Who came?


    I''m sure Mr. Filan, the foreign minister, is here, but who would have come as the representative?


    The foreign minister wouldn¡¯t be the only one who would have come for such a big deal. There must be someone else who came as the representative...


    Hestia noona who¡¯s overseeing the matters of the tribe? Head Elder Weger? Or the great madosa, Elder Mirpa?


    One of these three must have come to the capital.


    No, I also had to consider the worst-case scenario. I¡¯d hate to even imagine it, but there was a possibility that my father might¡¯ve come to the capital.


    "What''s wrong? You don''t look well." Duke Asteria looked at my face and whispered.


    I replied with a smile, "It¡¯s nothing."


    "Is that so? Hang in there even if you aren¡¯t feeling well. It''ll be over in a little while."


    The duke was still leisurely eating peanuts, interestedly watching the spar between the prime minister and Count Druval.


    "Fine, I understand that the paper is quite tough. Then how much does it cost to make this paper? Even if it is just paper, with this type of paper, it must cost a lot of money, even more so with complicated manufacturing methods to prevent forgery. This means it would take a lot of time and money to create it."


    As a merchant, Count Druval pointed out the money that would be going into currency reform. Even if a new currency was made, it would take a lot of time and money to recover all of the existing currency when it was already deeply embedded into the market.


    The prime minister¡¯s purpose was to turn the slush funds of the nobles into scrap paper and how much time he could reduce being spent on the reform was going to determine the outcome.


    "Huhuhu, don''t worry too much. The wood that is the material for the paper money is less than one-hundredth of the cost of printing the existing currency. Also, we have already prepared the technology and the production foundation to create the paper money."


    Certainly, a couple of trees in Olympus Forest would be enough to make a year''s worth of paper money. Not only was it so big, but it had also adjusted to Olympus Forest¡¯s mana and showed a crazy growth rate, and so it was basically an unlimited raw material.


    The only problem was that it was very difficult to cut down, but since 10 Crows could cut down a tree in half a day, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as they made a request. Although if my father did it, it would take less than a minute. If hundreds of trees were needed, there wouldn¡¯t be much reduction in material costs, but if it was only two or three trees, then the cost would drop sharply.


    Count Druval bit his lips as the prime minister spoke confidently.


    "My concern is not just the cost of creating the money. It is the time and cost of recovering all the existing money and capital."


    "The cost will be addressed by expanding the banks, the 14th item on the agenda."


    I turned to the back and checked the bank expansion materials. The heart of the agenda was to accelerate the circulation of funds by increasing the number of banks, which were normally only in major cities and territories, to also provincial areas. Since it was a way to save the provincial economy, if it was done properly, the nobles would also welcome it with open arms. Also since the money for bank construction came from the national treasury.


    But right now, the nobles had a rotten expression. They seemed to have realized that the prime minister was determined and prepared for currency reform.


    "We will establish banks in provincial areas to accelerate the circulation of funds while simultaneously recovering and distributing money. The way I see it, the currency reform will be completed as early as a year or two at the latest."


    He¡¯s crazy. Is that even possible?


    Just how many years has he been preparing for this currency reform that he can dare to say just one year?


    There seemed to be a split between the treasury civil servants. A year was too tight for the slush fund to be money laundered. It was clear that the Treasury Office and the National Tax Service would bite at them like hungry wolves as soon as they made a mistake with money laundering.


    "Fine...  Then how will you deal with abolishing currency above a refined silver coin? Currently, the basic budget of a territory is all set in currency above a refined silver coin. In reality, if we abolish currency above a refined silver coin, we will have difficulties in managing the territory because the volume of the currency that needs to be managed will be too large."


    As if he had expected it wouldn¡¯t work, Count Druval seemed to have put off blocking the currency reform itself.


    For the nobles, even if they lost their slush funds due to currency reform, they had to block the abolishment of the currencies above refined silver coins at all costs. In my past life, in addition to state-run banks, there were foreign banks such as Swiss banks that could be used for private finances to avoid the eyes of the nation.


    However, the banks of the empire were all state-owned and gave away secrets to the prime minister, which made it difficult to keep secret funds. It was clear that the prime minister was aiming at this and said he would abolish currency higher than refined silver coins.


    The prime minister checked his watch and smiled. "Don''t worry too much about that, either. For all of your convenience, we have prepared a new way to replace currency higher than refined silver coins. Please check material No.7.¡±


    In material No.7, a rectangle was drawn with the imperial symbol and a line under it, along with a pattern "P¡±, meaning pelk, next to the line. It seemed very simple, but this format was a check.


    "What is this?¡± Count Druval asked. He didn''t know what the drawing was, but seeing the imperial symbol, Count Druval¡¯s voice shook.


    The prime minister showed a cruel smile. "It is a replacement for currency higher than refined silver coins for your convenience in the future."


    He began to explain the concept of checks step by step. As the prime minister''s explanation continued, the nobles¡¯ faces became bluer and bluer.


    The checks that the prime minister explained seemed to guarantee extreme convenience as whether it was tens of millions or hundreds of millions of pelk, it could be carried on a piece of paper. However, the true intention underlying the checks was that the imperial family would be briefed on the use of funds by nobles through the banks.


    "This kind of thing¡­!" Count Druval trembled because he hadn¡¯t predicted this far ahead.


    This reform was possible because the entirety of the imperial bank system was in the hands of the prime minister. If the empire had allowed private banks, even the prime minister wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this.


    Come to think of it, the reason why there were no private banks in the empire was that the emperor and the nobles joined forces to weaken the temple by abolishing private financing when it was corrupt in the past. [1] It was ironic that what they did to survive before was now coming back to bite them.


    Count Druval closed his eyes tightly then opened them immediately again. He smiled leisurely, regaining his composure. "U-huhuhu, Your Excellency. I still think currency reform is premature."


    "And why is that?¡± asked the prime minister.


    Count Druval spoke proudly, "If the currency of the empire was only used in the empire, there would be no problem. Your Excellency is right a hundred thousand times."


    Ah, it''s over! Count Druval was backing himself into a corner.


    "But the currency of the empire is nothing less than a common currency that flows within the solid alliance of the Crow Tribe, Butterfly Tribe, and the Dragon Tribe. In that situation, what would it be like to change the currency based solely on the circumstances of our empire? If something were to go wrong, there could be a situation where the alliance, that makes the empire the world''s most powerful nation, is broken."


    My line of thought was wrong. The scent from these bills was the alchemy that was used to make it. It was a piece of paper that seemed to contain the essence of the Crow Tribe. At this point, it was more than just receiving consent. The Crow Tribe was an accomplice.


    The prime minister nodded with a serious face. "Well, I see.¡±


    The muscles of the prime minister''s mouth trembled slightly. To me, it looked like he was barely holding back his laughter.


    "Let''s continue this discussion tomorrow. It is already almost time for His Majesty, the Emperor, to host the banquet,¡± said the prime minister.


    The nobles looked relieved and elated as if they had grabbed a lifeline. Poor things. You''re smiling because you don¡¯t even know you¡¯ve already fallen into a trap.


    The face of the prime minister looked like he was about to send a man to hell.


    Today was the first time I saw the prime minister, but he was quite a formidable person. But besides that, Hestia noona was the only one who would do something like this. Then, it was likely that it was my big sister who was in the capital.


    I wonder how much she got or will continue to get for revealing the technology to make this bill? If it was the former, I wanted to praise the prime minister, and if it was the latter, let''s mourn in advance.


    For the prime minister will be meeting the worst devil who went beyond me or my father.


    1. The private financing here is kind of referring to private loans and charging interest. The temple earned a lot of money this way because they were corrupt, so the emperor wanted to block this and weaken the temple.

 Chapter 197: Currency Reform (14)

    At the end of the first day of the conference, the first person to get out of their seat was Duke Asteria.


    "Well, I think this concludes today¡¯s schedule, so let''s get up first. I want to rest until the banquet.¡± The duke insinuated and left the hall with me in tow.


    When the duke said he wanted to rest, other nobles looked at him with complex and subtle gazes.


    Those who wanted to borrow the duke¡¯s power through the agenda of the conference would probably be anxious, and those that wanted to build a connection with the duke, irrelevant to the agenda, were probably disappointed.


    Leaving all those gazes behind, Duke Asteria headed to the room assigned to us, and when we were out of everybody¡¯s sight, he asked with a playful smile, "What do you think of today''s conference?"


    What he was asking about was probably the war of nerves between the prime minister and the nobles over the currency reform.


    "I thought the prime minister was a very terrifying person,¡± I said with a slight smile


    The duke also smiled and nodded. "Kuhaha! Yes. Arthemius is a very scary person. Although people say that he had the Blood Emperor¡¯s backing since he was a child, as soon as he became the prime minister, he suddenly abolished slavery saying that the nobles needed to be put in their place."


    The prime minister''s abolition of slavery was a very famous story. In fact, there was a rumor doing the round that the Blood Emperor manipulated the prime minister in abolishing slavery. But seeing the prime minister today, it was likely something led by the prime minister.


    ¡°And? What about the other nobles?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I was disappointed,¡± I answered truthfully.


    The duke smiled and waited for me to continue.


    I sighed and continued. "Anyone can see that the currency reform is a sign that he will put a leash on the nobles. Ironically, however, the cooperation of the nobles is indispensable in reforming the currency. If they had kept that in mind and persisted on that point, they could have hindered currency reform."


    The premise of the prime minister''s currency reform was to create banks in various provinces of the empire. However, the provinces that the prime minister talked about were strictly the lands of the nobles. If the nobles interfered with this point, it was possible to overturn the currency reform.


    "And at the end, I couldn''t bear to watch him look triumphant about the alliance with the Crows and other tribes. It was ridiculous to think that someone like the prime minister wouldn¡¯t have  taken that much into account."


    The duke burst into laughter at my answer. "Kuhahahaha! That''s right. It''s ridiculous. But you''re also still na?ve.¡±


    I looked at him curiously.


    "To be honest, when I am speaking with you, I think that there isn¡¯t anyone as cunning as you,  but now that I see it, you don''t have enough experience. Well, since you''ve never been amid a political arena at your age, it makes sense that you didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    "Is there something I missed?"


    "Yes, there is." He nodded confidently.


    "Could you teach me?"


    "Well, what should I do? Try acting cute. Now that I''m this old, I''m at an age where I want to play with my grandchildren. If I had a grandchild, he would be about your age."


    I laughed freely at Duke Asteria''s mischievous remarks.


    "I will take you to your room. You must be tired, so it would be good to have a good rest," I said.


    My acting cute was not cheap enough to be seen except when I wanted something badly or when I was provoking my opponent.


    The duke grumbled. "Tch, you¡¯re mean, too. How could you refuse this old man''s request? The more I see you, the more you resemble my daughter." He whined and grinned.


    "Oh well. I''ll especially give you the answer. You probably only focused on the words and actions of the prime minister who was unilaterally attacking. But you shouldn''t do that. You should have also focused on the words and actions of Count Druval, who was being attacked."


    "Count Druval?"


    "Yes, you seem to think of this conference, or broadly, the whole of politics, as a battlefield."


    Duke Asteria spoke as if he knew my thoughts.


    I tilted my head and asked back, "Is it not?"


    The duke grinned at my retort. "Not, if it isn¡¯t, and yes, if it is."


    Seeing him answering in an ambiguous manner, I asked sullenly, "Do you mean like, if you put it on your nose, it is a nose ring, and if you put it on your ear, it is an earring?¡±


    The duke flicked his finger at my grumbling. "That''s correct. You''re smart enough to get the point immediately. That''s politics."


    I was dumbfounded by the praise.


    "The political battle just now was like a well-organized puppet show. The prime minister has been secretly preparing for currency reform for years. To describe how well he kept it a secret in terms of information agencies, there wouldn¡¯t be any information agencies that could have done better other than Big Mama Information Agency. So, it was so much a secret that even Count Druval, who is proficient in gathering information, didn''t know."


    The duke, who had been talking for a long time, became thirsty and asked me for water. After wetting his throat, the duke continued his explanation.


    "But even if it''s been hidden under tight security, there''s a gap before it''s announced. Through that gap, Druval might have noticed the currency reform, but it would have been too late to do anything. So Count Druval probably gathered as much information as he could on the currency reform. Since, if you enter the palace without any information, you will only become food for the prime minister. That''s why Count Druval risked his life to gain a valuable "one minute" and arrived late.


    For someone who was not a duke, but a mere count, being a minute late was like risking losing everything. The situation was probably that Count Druval was having an argument with the prime minister with his life on the line, and survived.


    "Hmm, you should understand with this much explanation, right?¡±


    "Yes, that is enough. The point is that Count Druval proposed to secure the weaknesses of the reform by arguing without deliberately pointing out loopholes in the reform. In return, it''s a request to save himself."


    As mentioned earlier, there was an insecure element that the prime minister''s currency reform needed the cooperation of the nobles. Count Druval was suggesting that he would solve the insecure element.


    "That''s exactly right. Count Druval''s opposition to the prime minister drew the attention of the nobles to the paper currency. That''s why the banks, which are at the heart of the currency reform, weren¡¯t discussed."


    If you wondered if the prime minister and Count Druval had talked in advance, it did not seem to be the case given the Count Druval¡¯s appearance during the conference. This meant that they sent each other implicit messages in the middle of the dispute.


    My gosh, I heard that there was enmity within the palace but it felt more like a monster¡¯s den!


    I felt something was strange when Duke Asteria nodded. Did the prime minister perhaps not know about the insecure element?


    "Has Your Highness, by chance, been working together with the prime minister?¡±


    Come to think of it, there was no way that the prime minister would have pushed for reform with such a weak point. That meant that the prime minister had already found someone to do what Count Druval had proposed in the first place.


    If the prime minister had considered Count Druval an obstacle and pushed ahead, he would have chosen a person who could take care of Count Druval''s financial power. There were several markets of similar sizes to Count Druval¡¯s, but Duke Asteria was the only one who could also account for a count¡¯s power.


    "Uhuhuhu, that''s correct.¡± The duke smiled and clapped. "Of course, as you may have guessed, some of the other markets besides mine have agreed to cooperate. But I think I''m the only one who can pull together the cooperation of other nobles."


    Another reason that Duke Asteria was chosen was probably that he was moderate while Count Druval was like a typical noble. Above all, the duke was the best choice for the prime minister as he contributed to the abdication of the previous emperor and helped enthrone the current emperor.


    No matter how Count Druval struggled, the game was already over as soon as the two dukes joined hands. The conference itself was like a staged gambling match. The reform would probably cause the fall of many nobles, but no one would care.


    "By the way, as I thought, I like you. What do you think? Do you still not want to come work for me?"


    I smiled humbly at the duke¡¯s suggestion. ¡°In the end, I am just a civil servant, and so, I think it would be better for me to live comfortably."


    Having to calculate and have psychological warfare with my life on the line was not my cup of tea.


    The duke smiled playfully. "That''s too bad. The political world has lost a great talent.¡±


    Upon arriving at the assigned room, the duke and I entered.


    Anyways, I think people from my hometown will be attending the banquet. Should I run away?


    -o-


    The emperor glanced at the clock and put down the cup he was holding.


    "Thank you for understanding the circumstances of the empire."


    The Dragon King laughed aloud. "Uahahahaha! What is there to be thankful for? All we have to do is just receive a new currency on behalf of the existing one. Rather, I have no complaints since it will increase the convenience of using banks and reduce the hassle."


    Hestia grinned at the Dragon King, "For the details of this, I should talk with the prime minister, right?¡±


    The emperor was instinctively alarmed by Hestia''s smile.


    "Hahaha, yes. You can talk to the prime minister about everything."


    The emperor intuitively felt that it was more dangerous to argue with Hestia about profits than to deal with the old raccoons of the political world, and dumped everything on to the prime minister. Thinking that since the prime minister was much smarter than himself, and that he wouldn''t be beaten easily, the emperor unknowingly pushed him to hell.


    "We will have the banquet soon, so we had better all go back to our quarters and get ready," said the emperor.


    Everybody nodded.


    "Then I will excuse myself first."


    After the Dragon King got up from his seat, the Great Elder also got up from his seat. "See you in a little while.¡±


    When the Dragon King and the Great Elder left their seats first, Hestia also rose from her seat.


    "Oh, may I know where Duke Asteria-nim is staying?" asked Hestia.


    The emperor looked at her curiously. "Why do you ask where the duke is staying?"


    "I just want to see him before the banquet because I think we will be seeing each other more often about the currency reform.¡±


    The emperor nodded. "I see. The head butler outside will show you the way."


    "Thank you." Hestia greeted lightly and left the audience room.


    When Hestia and her aides disappeared completely from the audience room, the emperor sighed, drooping over the sofa.


    "She really looks like Anemone." He smiled sadly.

 Chapter 198: Currency Reform (15)

    As expected, the room assigned to the duke inside the palace was quite luxurious. The hotel room where I stayed last night was also luxurious, but as a palace with a deep history, antique beauty was revealed from each piece of furniture.


    "Did you bring the nine battlefield chess?" asked Duke Asteria.


    I took out a chessboard and the pieces from my bag. "I thought you would want it, so I brought it. What kind of tea should I bring you?"


    The duke burst into laughter as I pulled out 45 boxes of tea onto the table.


    "You also have talent as a butler. I¡¯ll have an Earl Grey."


    "Yes, sir."


    While I was boiling water in a magically heated kettle, a knock came from outside the room.


    "It looks like we have a guest," I said.


    The duke frowned. "I¡¯m sure I said I was tired. I wonder what kind of guy is bold enough to come see me?"


    "I will go have a look."


    I left the kettle on the table and opened the door.


    "Who is it?"


    Outside the door was an old servant in imperial palace livery.


    "I apologize for the sudden visit. Excuse me, but I have a message for His Highness. Would it be ok if I came in?"


    Since he was an elderly servant and not a young one, I wondered if this was a ploy by a noble that attended the conference. Judging from the pattern of the name tag attached to his chest, he was also quite high up within the inner palace administration of servants.


    Perhaps he was sent by the emperor or the prime minister...


    "I would like to ask the duke. I would appreciate it if you could wait a moment," I said.


    "Yes, I understand." The servant smiled gently.


    I closed the door, approached the duke, and asked him quietly, "A man from the inner palace administration has come saying he has something to tell you."


    "Department of Inner Palace Administration?¡±


    "Yes, seeing him, I wonder if he was sent by the prime minister or His Majesty, the Emperor."


    "Tell him to come in." The duke sighed unhappily.


    I opened the door again to let the servant into the room.


    The man came into the room, looked at me, and said, "Would you give us privacy?"


    I nodded before the duke could respond to the request.


    "I will be in the next room for a moment."


    "Thanks. I''ll call you when we''re done.¡±


    I relocated to the next room that was connected via the living room. Then I focused my mental power on hearing. Because of the wall in between us, I couldn''t hear well, but I could still hear them talking.


    "I''m very tired right now. It''s hard for an older person to sit in the same seat for a long time."


    It was the duke¡¯s voice. He was openly warning that he would not let it go easily if this wasn¡¯t important.


    As he had worked in the palace for a long time, facing the duke, the servant naturally told the main story.


    "There is someone who wants to see Your Highness."


    ¡®Someone¡¯? That servant just used a title for the ¡®someone¡¯  who wanted to meet the duke.[1]


    The fact that the imperial servant did not remove honorifics here meant that the person who wanted to meet the duke was not lower in status. The old servant couldn''t have made such a mistake as the palace was a place where even a single slip of the tongue could cause you to lose your head. This meant that the level of the person who wanted to meet the duke was at the level of a duke, which was the crown prince, empress, or king of another country. If it was someone higher than a duke, there was only the emperor of the empire, but the servant would not have called his master ¡®someone¡¯.


    "Oho, ¡®someone¡¯ you say. So who is this ¡®someone¡¯ who wants to meet me?" [2]


    Duke Asteria emphasized the ¡®someone¡¯, and the servant answered in a calm voice.


    "The representative of the Crow Tribe wants to meet you."


    What?! Who asked to meet?


    I wanted to run out through the window and escape, but I managed to endure it.


    "The representative of the Crow Tribe. We''ll meet at the banquet anyway, so why insist on meeting now?


    As I expected, the people from my tribe had also come. Judging from the duke¡¯s natural tone, he seemed to know that people from my hometown would come to the capital. Well, since he was working together with the prime minister, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t know. Perhaps they did a welcoming parade or ceremony instead at Asterium or Warrant, since they would not have been able to do it when entering the capital.


    "I am not sure myself, but she wanted to meet you earlier regarding the currency reform."


    Based on what the servant said, I could tell who the representative was who wanted to meet the duke. As I had thought, it was my big sister who came to the capital as the representative of the tribe. If it was Elder Weger or Elder Mirpa, they wouldn¡¯t have come to see Duke Asteria. If it was my father, he definitely would not have come to see the Duke, who he didn¡¯t even know.


    "Is the representative the chief of the Crow Tribe?" The duke''s emotionless voice sounded.


    The servant denied it. "No, it is a woman named Hestia Blade-nim."


    As expected. I never imagined that I would hear the name of my big sister from the mouth of a person that I saw for the first time today.


    "Hestia?"


    "Yes, I''m sure I heard that she is the Crow Tribe Chief-nim¡¯s daughter..."


    "All right."


    The duke cut off the servant before he finished talking and agreed.


    "Where do I need to go?"


    "She said that she was coming this way. She will probably be visiting in a little while."


    What? My big sister''s coming this way? Damn, I have to get out of here somehow!


    "Okay," the duke replied.


    The servant then knocked on my door, and I opened it.


    "I have finished saying what I needed to say to His Highness."


    Saying so he immediately said goodbye to the duke and left to do his original job.


    "I don''t know what you will be talking about, but should I completely vacate the room?" I asked tactfully.


    In fact, I was asking because I wanted to get away.


    "Why do you say that without knowing what I was talking about?"


    Unlike his usual playful voice, I felt like it was a little sharp.


    "There''s no way a servant would come here for personal business. Then, the purpose must be to relay someone else¡¯s message instead, and if it is at the level of an imperial servant, the person, whose message it is, must have a high status. However, seeing that the time that the servant stayed was not that long, I thought it would be more like announcing someone''s visit than discussing something. If it is a visit, you would probably have a secret conversation, and it probably is not a good idea for a civil servant to hear."


    The duke smiled and nodded at my reasoning. "That''s correct," he said.


    I was slightly surprised. I could read his emotions from his usually unreadable face as he always had a playful expression. His playfully smiling face clearly showed agitation and slight tension.


    Is there anything to be nervous about meeting my big sister? Although she was the representative of the Crow Tribe, the duke''s agitation was surprising.


    "Then, sorry, but could you go for a walk?"


    Good! Fortunately, I won''t have to meet my big sister. Let''s thank the servant for letting us know about her visit.


    "I will take a walk over to the imperial kitchen and try to sneak away a bottle of good quality wine."


    As the duke¡¯s guide, I needed a justification to walk around the palace alone away from him. It was possible for the duke to walk around alone, but I had to have an excuse to be walking around by myself.


    When I spoke with a playful smile, the duke also smiled playfully.


    "Good, give them my name and bring me a Lascore wine."


    Production of Lascore wine had long stopped 120 years ago when the area of Lascore became the Demon Territory. To ask me to bring back something that even the emperor can¡¯t drink easily¡­ This will be interesting.


    "That sounds good. I will be back."


    As I left the quarters, I casually cast wire-tapping magic and concealed it. After leaving, I quickly moved.


    I looked at the map of the palace that I had stored in my magic storage device from when I had visited the palace for the civil servants¡¯ exam. Then, I headed to an appropriately unoccupied place.


    "Let''s see, the reception is...¡±


    - Zizik... Zizizik! Zizik! Zizik! Zizik...


    The wire-tapping magic didn¡¯t seem to function properly because of the monstrous magic circle with no equal that existed in the inner palace. The easiest way was to hack the magic circle, just like I did before. However, to be honest, I had failed at that time, so I didn''t think I would succeed this time. And most of all, I had to use my magic wand to make contact with the magic circle of the palace. To release my mana from my magic wand in the palace where the people of my hometown were, was like telling everyone ¡°here I am¡±.


    Would it be okay to attack the barrier? No, let''s not have an adventure.


    Even if I had hit the barrier like when I visited the palace before, there was a high chance that the people from my hometown would notice. In particular, those that followed my big sister as her escort must be elites even within the village.


    Phew, oh well.


    I sighed and focused on the wire-tapping magic. It wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t connect as long as I put all of my focus into it.


    - Zizik¡­ Zizizik¡­ Failed.


    - Zizik¡­ Zizizik¡­ Failed.


    - Zizik! ...Hello. -Zizizi... Seeing you... Zizizik...


    Oh! It was noisy just now, but I heard a voice.


    The voice I heard through the wiretapping was the voice of my big sister that I hadn¡¯t heard for a long time. I concentrated all my focus again to increase the reception of the wiretapping.


    - Zizik!¡­ Yes, you are¡­ Zizik!... The daughter of...


    This time, it was the duke¡¯s voice. The noise was decreasing slightly.


    I was concentrating on the wiretapping when someone suddenly ran up from behind.


    "Wow! It''s Den!"


    "Alphonso?"


    No, why is this kid here?!


    I couldn¡¯t understand the situation for a moment and was surprised, but then saw Yuria behind Alphonso.


    ¡°Oh, my! Den! Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°What about you...¡±


    Oh! Indeed. It seemed that not only the Crow Tribe but also the Butterfly Tribe were called over regarding the currency reform. I could understand if Alphonso and Yuria were here to stay with their family who came to the capital. So if the Butterfly Tribe was here, the Dragon Tribe must be here too.


    "Hahaha, let''s go slowly." An old man appeared behind Alphonso and Yuria.


    The old man''s hidden mana and spirit were extraordinary. This was enough to compete with Elder Mirpa and perhaps even my father.


    "Grandpa! Hurry up!" Alphonso beckoned the old man excitedly.


    Alphonso''s grandfather was Arpen Fendria, who was the Great Elder of the Butterfly Tribe and a renowned elementalist among the great madosa.


    "Yes, yes. By the way, who is that kid? Do you know each other?¡± asked Arpen.


    "I sent you some letters about him, but he lives in the same boarding house," Yuria answered.


    "Oho, really?"


    Arpen gave a friendly smile and asked me with message magic.


    - What kind of punk are you?


    Based on what Yuria and Alphonso told me, he was somewhat of a sucker for his grandchildren, so maybe that was why he seemed to be wary of me. I was trying to answer with a smile when I heard the magic message again.


    - What kind of person are you to be hiding that much mana?


    I froze.


    1. It is lost in translation, but there is a formal word to say ¡®person¡¯, and this formal word was used here in the raw Korean text.


    2. Again, the formal word for ¡®person¡¯/¡¯someone¡¯.

 Chapter 199: Currency Reform (16)

    I gathered myself and greeted with a smile. "It is my first time meeting you. I have heard a lot from Yuria and Alphonso. My name is Den, a friend of these two."


    - What do you mean that I am hiding my mana?


    And at the same time, I sent sound transmission magic.


    Arpen replied in a benevolent voice, "So you¡¯re Den. I''ve also heard a lot about you through letters."


    - You''re good at hiding your mana. Any average person wouldn¡¯t be able to tell. But at the same time, the way you¡¯re hiding it is very old-fashioned. Do you think you can fool my eyes with a method that would have been used 100 years ago?


    Unfortunately, my teacher was an old-fashioned person over 100 years old, so what I learned was old-fashioned.


    "I heard you are a civil servant of the empire?¡± asked Arpen.


    I grinned and nodded. "Yes, I am."


    - As expected of a famous great madosa, you knew at a glance.


    Among the situations I predicted, meeting a great madosa was not included, so now I was in a dilemma.


    "That¡¯s impressive. I heard you''re the same age as Yuria and Alphonso. Yuria says you''re the youngest?¡±


    - You brat, are you really 16 years old? I can''t tell that well because you¡¯re hiding it, but the amount of mana you have isn¡¯t something that can be acquired at that age.


    I smiled lightly. "Ahaha, I was just lucky enough to pass on my first try. The minimum age to take the civil service exam is sixteen."


    - I wasn¡¯t trying to, but I''ve been eating a lot of good things since I was a kid and I turned out like this. My age is right.


    Since I was forced to take the potions that Elder Mirpa made as I grew up, how could I not be overflowing with mana?


    "I heard you''re an alchemist. I don''t know much about alchemy, but I''m quite proficient at magic. Should I give you a lesson?¡±


    Yuria clapped her hands at Arpen''s suggestion.


    "Really? Den! This is a great opportunity! Even my hometown is full of people who want to be taught by my grandfather!"


    Seeing that Yuria was happy, Arpen was pleased but still looked at me disapprovingly.


    - You brat...!


    No, what did I do? When did I ask you to teach me?


    "I''m at a loss for words with gratitude. But unfortunately, I do not think I have time because I am currently on official duty."


    When I refused, Arpen remained still, but Yuria was disappointed.


    "Really? But it''s a good opportunity¡ª¡±


    The red glow grew in Arpen''s eyes when Yuria became slightly depressed.


    - You brat¡­!!!


    Yuria and Alphonso may not have known, but I felt chills from the mana that Arpen was secretly letting out. To be able to feel cold from mana that wasn¡¯t even imbued with an attribute, it seems he wasn¡¯t called a great madosa for nothing.


    How much time and effort would it take to polish the mana to this extent? If the reason for him releasing mana wasn''t because of an insignificant reason like being a sucker for his grandchildren, I would have purely admired it.


    "It''ll only take a moment. I''ll talk to your manager myself if there''s any delay."


    - So shut up and follow me, Kid!


    For some reason, it felt like a very personal grudge.


    "No, but¡ª¡±


    I was going to say no, but Arpen cut me off and looked at Yuria and Alphonso.


    "Yuria and Alphonso, go to your father first."


    "Yes? But¡ª¡±


    Arpen smiled as Yuria trailed off with disappointment.


    "I don''t think it would be good for him to have a crowd when I talk to his boss in person. And you two should go and get dressed for the banquet."


    Yuria and Alphonso nodded in regret at Arpen''s caring words.


    "Den, are you going to the banquet too?¡± Yuria asked as she left.


    I shook my head. "I''m here for work, so it will be difficult for me to attend."


    To be exact, it was too much because I was going to cause a ruckus and run away.


    "Oh¡­ Is that so."


    "Really?"


    Seeing Yuria and Alphonso, Arpen glared at me.


    - You brat..!!!


    I whispered before Arpen opened his mouth.


    - If I were there, it might be difficult for you to hang out with your grandchildren at the banquet.


    With that, Arpen reversed his attitude of listening to everything his grandchildren wanted.


    "That¡¯s right, you shouldn¡¯t hold up someone who is working. Come on, go on ahead. This old man has something to talk to Den about quick.¡±


    "Yes."


    "Yes."


    Arpen coughed dryly as he watched the backs of Yuria and Alphonso leaving in disappointment.


    "Khhmm, even if you were at the banquet, my grandchildren would have hung out with me."


    For that matter, Arpen''s eyes burned with jealousy as if he wanted to force me to attend the banquet.


    What an easy person to understand...


    I asked while turning off the noisy wire-tapping magic, "So what business do you have with me?"


    ¡°For what reason did you approach my grandchildren?" Arpen asked with a serious face.


    "What?!"


    Because I suddenly heard something ridiculous, my emotions came out as they were.


    "I said, for what purpose did you approach my grandchildren?"


    "Excuse me, I never approached them."


    "Don''t lie to me! Then why are you hiding your mana and your skills? It¡¯s a given that Yuria was deceived, but seeing that you managed to deceive William¡¯s eyes, you must at least be at the madosa level! Tell me why you approached my grandchildren by deceiving your age and ability!"


    Arpen accumulated mana into his hands and got ready for battle. No matter how much of a sucker he was for his grandchildren, this was too much!


    I cried out in a fluster. "Hey! Don''t build up your mana here! Are you trying to destroy the imperial palace?"


    Still being vigilant of me, Arpen opened the window in the hallway.


    "Yes, we can''t cause a ruckus here. Follow me!"


    I sighed as I saw Arpen flying out the window. I didn''t want to use magic in the palace if possible, but I helplessly took out my glasses that interfered with recognition from the pocket space and put them on. If possible, I wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation between Duke Asteria and my big sister, but it seemed like it was too late.


    "Flight."


    I cast flight magic and floated out of the window while blocking the detection of my mana. I helplessly followed after Arpen, who had already flown far away.


    We continued to fly high into the sky over the capital. Arpen stopped going up at an altitude of about 20,000 meters.


    "It should be fine here to fight."


    Arpen took a magic wand out of his pocket space. What a belligerent man!


    "Wait! Let''s have a conversation first! Yuria said that Sir is intelligent, cultured, and the most respected and greatest madosa in the world, and is also the grandfather whom she loves." I cried.


    Arpen calmed the mana he was raising.


    "Khhmm! Is that what Yuria said?" He coughed dryly and spoke coyly, but the corners of his mouth were raised.


    "Yes! Of course. She always says that she wants to be an amazing great madosa like Sir!"


    She didn''t actually say it that often, but I was certain that she respected him.


    "Really?!"


    He pretended to be fine, but the corners of his mouth didn''t know how to go down.


    "First of all, it is a misunderstanding that I have deliberately approached Sir¡¯s grandchildren."


    "Misunderstanding?"


    "Yes! I was living first in the boarding house where we currently live together."


    Arpen looked at me suspiciously.


    "It is true. I was already living there before those two came to the capital, but they happened to arrive there by coincidence. I heard they were supposed to live at their uncle''s house, but he had to go up to the Demon Territory and so they were forced to move to a place run by someone their uncle trusted."


    "Yes, I already know that. But I heard that the first time you met them was not at the boarding house but at a magic school.¡±


    Did you even tell him those small details?!


    "Even if it''s a coincidence that you and they came to stay at the same boarding house, didn''t you knowingly approach them at the magic school?"


    "That¡¯s not true! The two talked to me first!"


    "What?!"


    I told the truth about how I met Yuria and Alphonso and tried to persuade him to believe that I didn''t approach them. But Arpen stared at me.


    "I already know that from the letters! What I doubt about you is why you''re hiding your mana! Do you need to hide your mana unless you have something to hide?"


    I sighed on the inside. You damn old man. You should just let it go!


    "You¡¯re thinking ¡®damn old man, you should just let it go¡¯, right?¡±


    I felt a prick at his words, but I smiled and shook my head. "Hahaha, how could that be? How could I have such disrespectful thoughts about a great madosa?"


    Arpen stroked his beard. "Really? I would have thought that.¡±


    If you do, you should just let it go!


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I can do. If it was you, would you leave your cute grandchildren alone near some unknown punk who is hiding his skills insidiously?!"


    ¡®Insidious¡¯? ¡®Punk¡¯? Somehow the choice of words felt strange to me.


    Am I mishearing it? It sounds like there¡¯s a nuance of swatting away a fly approaching his granddaughter!


    "And where in the world is there a crazy monster who can reach the level of a madosa at the age of sixteen! It¡¯s only reasonable to think that you''re deceiving your age and face too!"


    Saying crazy monster¡­ You¡¯ll hurt the feelings of that monster.


    "I am not deceiving anyone! If my face was fake, Sir would have noticed it at a glance!"


    "How would I know if you''re faking it with some kind of mask, not magic?"


    "How could there be a mask that allows such natural expressions!" I cried.


    Arpen snorted. "The world is wide. No one can know."


    "Then couldn¡¯t there be a case of being a madosa at my age?


    Arpen shook his head firmly at my question. "No, there is no such thing. Do you think it¡¯s that easy to rise to the level of a madosa?! Even if it¡¯s my Butterfly Tribe, the best at 16 years old is a great magician!¡±


    I didn''t get to this level easily either. I got to this level after going through all kinds of hardship from Elder Mirpa.


    "Then, what should we do? No, what do you want from me? Considering that you are asking for the impossible, there must be some kind of answer you want to hear.¡±


    "Tell me your real age and identity. I can''t leave an unknown factor like you alone with my grandchildren for their safety."


    From the look of his eyes, he was sincere. Well, it''s not that I didn''t understand. Yuria''s letters must have said that I was a friend of her age who had good alchemy skills, but after seeing me in person, I was a person with an unknown identity who hid his skills.


    "My name is Den and I am 16 years old, as you know. My magic school is called the Ainsmall Alchemy School. I''m an ordinary low-ranking civil servant."


    For reference, all the alchemy schools of the empire were already eaten up by the Ainsmall School 70 years ago, and so all alchemists were from the Ainsmall School. In other words, I was a disciple of the founder of the school, so most alchemists should treat me respectfully in terms of seniority.


    "If you don''t want to tell me the truth, I''ll force you to tell me!" Arpen raised his magic wand and gathered his mana.


    My opponent was someone greater than my teacher, Elder Mirpa, and was a monster called the world''s strongest great madosa. I also took out my magic wand from my pocket space.


    "Phew, let''s get this over with as soon as possible, since I was brought here during official duty."

 Chapter 200: Currency Reform (17)

    Arpen swung his magic wand first and shot dozens of ice balls the size of a human body.


    "Ice Bullets!"


    I don''t know why he thought this was the size of a bullet, but it was clear that this was a phenomenal mana operation. Indeed, Arpen was only using the level of mana necessary for magic bullets. He wasn¡¯t called a great madosa for nothing.


    I flew high to avoid the ice and asked, "Don¡¯t people of Sir¡¯s level usually give up the initiative to attack?"


    Arpen snorted. "There is no need to yield the initiative to a leech clinging on to Yuria!"


    As he voiced the nonsense full of misunderstandings, he caught up to me and tried to bind me with a chain of ice.


    I opened up my mana and blew hot air. "Hot Tornado!"


    He smiled joyfully as the ice chain that was trying to bind me melted away in the hot wind. "You''re not bad! You probably won¡¯t die even if I go all out!"


    For some reason, that smile felt very ominous. Sure enough, Arpen suddenly started shooting thousands of ice bullets as big as his fist. While dodging the ice bullets with a high-speed maneuver, I shot thousands of lightning arrows at him.


    "Thunder Arrow!"


    Arpen also dodged with high-speed maneuvering and constantly fired ice bullets at me.


    The sky above the capital was filled with ice and lightning, blocking my view, and it was even difficult to find my opponent¡¯s position due to his high-speed movements. However, locating one''s opponent with one¡¯s eyes in a magic battle was a stupid act that only trash would do. The most important thing in a magic battle was the detection and prediction of mana.


    "Crash down, Northern Wind! Defeat the enemy, Knight of Frost!"


    "The dragon swallows the morning sun! The dragon¡¯s breath is like the sun!"


    Arpen''s Knight of Frost and my flame dragon ran into and extinguished each other. In an instant, the ice and lightning that covered the sky disappeared due to the mana storm produced from the two magics extinguishing each other. With the things that had been obstructing my view now gone, I could easily see my opponent in the clear sky.


    "Ice Bullet!"


    "Arrows of Lightning!"


    Again, tens of thousands of ice bullets and lightning arrows covered the sky and obstructed my view of my opponent. While the view was obstructed, I created a clone of myself with a solid body. My clone constantly fired lightning arrows and I made a big detour around the space with ice and lightning that obstructed my vision and sneaked into the area where Arpen was located.


    "Lightning that Races Across the Sky!"


    Then from right underneath Arpen¡¯s feet, I fed him the classic ¡°Lightning that Races Across the Sky.¡± However, what I shot was not Arpen but a clone of his.


    "Tch!"


    "Lady of Ice!"


    Along with the sound of Arpen''s incantation from somewhere, ice awls flew at me from all directions. Rather than avoiding them, I put up a thick barrier and cast magic on the real Arpen, who appeared to use his magic.


    "Lightning that Races Across the Sky!"


    Kwakwakwa!


    I could hear the sound of ice awls hitting my barrier like listening to the sound of rain under an eave.


    "You''re pretty tough, little boy!¡±


    Arpen dodged in a hurry but didn¡¯t manage to completely avoid it, and a part of his barrier was torn down. My barrier also became thinner due to the tens of thousands of ice awls, and it looked like a hedgehog with ice awls stuck in it.


    "That¡¯s what I should be saying, Sir!


    Arpen and I smiled and quickly restored our barriers. At the same time, we each entered a space full of ice and lightning. This was because as long as the capital remained below, the space full of ice and lightning couldn¡¯t be expanded anymore.


    It became dizzying as my vision was filled with ice and lightning, but since I was getting used to Arpen''s mana, I could roughly tell where he was. However, being careless was forbidden. The fact that I could read my opponent''s mana now also meant my opponent would be able to read my mana.


    It was time to cause confusion.


    "Stretch! Arachne''s Web!"


    The threads of mana spouted from my magic wand everywhere. I let my mana flow into the mana threads so I could feel the presence of my mana in the surroundings. Arpen must have thought the same thing because I could feel his mana everywhere. He was a formidable old man.


    I was looking for the main body beyond his mana disturbance but suddenly a big ice spear flew quickly towards my head. As expected, he wasn¡¯t called "the world''s strongest" for nothing and seemed to have detected my position earlier than I could find him.


    I dodged the ice spear and shot magic towards where it came. "Spear of Thunder!"


    However, after casting his spell, he had already moved away, so the Spear of Thunder only split the empty air. However, because of it, I succeeded in detecting his real mana, not the mana disturbance.


    Since large-scale magic was restricted here, the answer was to go into close combat battle. And a close combat battle was overwhelmingly advantageous for me. I made a quick dash for Arpen, avoiding the ice and lightning everywhere.


    Arpen laughed at me as if he expected my charge. "Ice of Ten Thousand Years is indomitable and unyielding! The dots gather to form a line, and the lines gather to form a shape, the Ice of Ten Thousand Years in its original form!"


    He made an ice lance with magic and charged towards me with it.


    Should I use my martial arts? No, that ice can''t be broken.


    At least, it was too much to break it with martial arts unless I used the Dance of the Fireflies.


    I adjusted the direction of my charge and bounced up.


    Arpen, who cut through the empty air, shouted, "Are you running away?! Coward!¡±


    I snorted at Arpen''s provocation and went up higher.


    "Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a strategic retreat! I have no intention of colliding with that crazy lance!"


    The mana contained in that crazy lance went beyond just being abundant but also had the coldness of absolute zero. At the minimum, a close combat battle wouldn¡¯t be possible, unless I had weapons to deal with the cold.


    "Oho, you are able to recognize it." Arpen looked at me with interested eyes.


    Come to think of it, I think I heard about it from Elder Mirpa. A crazy old man of the Butterfly Tribe created absolute defense magic on the brink of death after the Demon King shot a hole in his stomach. If the crazy old man that Elder Mirpa mentioned was the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, then that meant that magic lance was for defense.


    But then there would be a gap somewhere if it was used to attack. There were roughly a dozen strategies going through my head. But six had the risk of the capital being destroyed, and three were also dangerous for me.


    None will work.


    One of the remaining three could potentially kill Arpen. But I couldn¡¯t kill Yuria and Alphonso''s grandfather. One other would use too much mana. I had to fulfill my aunt''s favor, so I had to leave some magic remaining.


    In the end, there was only one left.


    I poured mana into the bracelet made by the Witch of Pride. Its original function was that of an artifact that guaranteed the survival of its owner in any space. It could easily block the cold air emitted by that lance. To be honest, I didn''t expect to use it for anything other than to control my mana output.


    "That bracelet!"


    Arpen was surprised to see my bracelet.


    Oh, come to think of it, that old man was part of a Demon King subjugation party.


    "How do you have the last legacy of the Witch of Pride?!"


    "I bought it at a street stall!"


    Arpen was choked up as he cried out. "There¡¯s no way that could be true! That would have definitely been taken by that monster, Galak!"


    Wow, so my great-grandfather was a monster who was even recognized by the world''s strongest great madosa.


    "You punk, just who the hell are you?!"


    Arpen truly began to unleash his mana.


    Oh, this is dangerous. That old man didn''t forget that we were in the sky over the capital, did he?


    I gathered my mana to use the strategy I had in mind. My idea was to adjust the World Reversal into a weapon shape and send that monstrous lance to the other side of the World Reversal. Although this method would consume a lot of energy, it would still be able to save a lot of mana because it reduced the size of the World Reversal extremely.


    "The twilight of dusk¡ª¡±


    As I was about to recite the incantation, the Holy Sword I had hidden inside my suit suddenly began to cry fiercely.


    What?! What¡¯s wrong with this guy?!


    The Holy Sword cried as if asking to be used. Certainly, it was one of the four God Swords, so it should definitely be powerful, but I didn''t know how much it could perform because I haven''t studied it yet.


    Would I be able to use such a thing... to fight?


    In the current situation, with the Witch of Pride Bracelet, the ice lance that Arpen was holding was an indestructibly solid lance. [1]


    Will an unexpected attack work?


    Perhaps this would be a good situation to study the Holy Sword?


    I smiled and poured mana into it. Then the mana I poured in was replaced with divine power and was amplified to create a blade.


    "That sword! I¡¯m certain that Oryana said she''d seal it!"


    It wasn''t just lost, but rather it was sealed?


    Indeed, during the time of Saintess Oryana, the corruption of the temple was at its peak. The sealing of the Holy Sword was enough to dampen the momentum of corruption.


    I charged at Arpen and shouted, "I bought this at a street stall too!"


    "Don''t lie!"


    Arpen launched an ice chunk about the size of a human being at me. I charged directly, cutting through the chunk of ice that flew at me with the Holy Sword.


    I''d never used a sword that cut this well before. Considering that the ice chunk was made from the mana of a great madosa, it would have been as hard as diamond. But since the Holy Sword could cut it in half, its status as one of the God Swords was not exaggerated.


    I could see why my aunt didn''t use the sword she inherited from her grandfather. This sword was a sword that ate some of the user''s skills. This magic sword was so great that it made you rely on it. But since I''m a magician, let''s use it freely with no qualms.


    Kang!


    Arpen blocked my Holy Sword with his ice lance.


    ¡°No way!"


    "No way!"


    Arpen and I spat out astonishment at the same time.


    I was genuinely surprised when it managed to block the Holy Sword that I thought could cut through anything. Arpen, on the other hand, seemed surprised when his lance was scratched.


    "So it is the Holy Sword!¡±


    "It really deserves to be called the strongest defense magic!"


    Exclaiming, Arpen and I stepped back.


    While I was preparing a magic to attack again, I felt a huge amount of mana from below, and the dummies that were shooting the ice bullets and lightning arrows disappeared.


    "What are you doing, Father?!"


    A white-haired man looked angry as he flew up quickly from below.


    Father?!


    I looked at Arpen curiously.


    Arpen groaned with the look of defeat. "Be-Bendis."


    Come to think of it, the white-haired man''s face resembled Yuria and Alphonso.


    1. I think because the bracelet reduces his mana output so he won¡¯t be able to destroy the ice lance with it on, but he can¡¯t deal with the coldness of the ice lance without the bracelet.

 Chapter 201: Currency Reform (18)

    "Father! You are currently visiting the palace as a representative of our tribe! Do you know what kind of commotion is going on down there right now?!¡±


    Arpen''s son, Bendis, grabbed his head in agony. Certainly, considering the power of the magic that Arpen and I had let loose, there was no way there wouldn¡¯t be a fuss.


    "It-it¡¯s only been 3 or 4 minutes at the most¡ª¡±


    When Arpen tried to make excuses, Bendis glared.


    "If you wanted and went all out with your magic, the capital would be destroyed in a minute, not three! Don''t you know this?!"


    With his son''s nagging, his previous look of vigour disappeared to be replaced with gloom as he lowered his head.


    "Really, if we weren''t allies with the empire, this could have led to an all-out war with the empire!"


    "But in the old days¡­,¡±


    "It''s not the old days, is it?! We know that Father did a great job in defeating the Demon King! So there were times when the empire didn''t dare say anything regarding minor matters! But that was in the old days!"


    Bendis'' words hit home making Arpen sullen.


    "Didn''t Father always say not to treat you like an old man? But what are you doing right now? You are no different from an old man who cannot forget the past and has become arrogant!"


    Wow, he wasn¡¯t messing around! I had heard from Yuria that he had a very gentle and mild personality, but he was quite scary when angry.


    "¡­Sorry."


    When Arpen apologized, half about to cry, Bendis sighed and apologized.


    "Hoo, I''m sorry. I think I got a little too worked up."


    "No, it''s my fault. Um¡­ Was there any friction?¡±  Arpen queried gently.


    Bendis shook his head. "The prime minister just made up a story saying that the nobles asked to see the power of the Butterfly Tribe and that Father was motivated to show them and took the initiative."


    Inferring from Bendis''s words, the prime minister seemed to be showing that he was holding hands with the battle races and asked to display their strength as a warning to the nobles. I''ll have to send some medicine to help with the stomach to the prime minister later. Mrs. Arscilla will be worried again.


    "Is that so¡­ That''s a relief."


    "With all three tribes brought into the capital, the empire would have taken into account that there would be some trouble," said Bendis.


    I don''t think they would have thought of this much trouble.


    Arpen nodded, then Bendis looked around.


    "I heard from Yuria that you were teaching magic to her friend. Where is he?"


    What do you mean where... Hey, take off your glasses!


    Arpen''s telepathic words made me realize that I was wearing glasses that interfered with recognition.


    After being labeled as a hero by the great temple, I put more effort into the recognition interfering magic and upgraded it, so he must have not recognized me. I thought about running away instead of taking off my glasses, but thought it¡¯d be better than having to fight Arpen again, and chose to take them off.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Den, Yuria and Alphonso¡¯s friend."


    Bendis looked at me then at my glasses.


    "The glasses, it¡¯s a high-level artifact."


    "Ahaha, it''s something made by my teacher."


    That was a lie. I made it myself with glasses that I bought at the optician''s shop.


    "Lies, you made it, didn''t you?"


    Arpen looked at me with sulky eyes and grumbled.


    "Father, no matter how you look at it, those glasses were made by someone at the madosa level. There¡¯s no way that child could have made it."


    Arpen looked frustrated, but he kept his mouth shut because of the trouble he had just stirred up.


    The actual leader of the Butterfly Tribe seemed to be Bendis.


    Bendis looked at me and asked me gently, "It seems your teacher is a madosa."


    I nodded in reply. "Yes, he''s a little eccentric, but his abilities are very impressive."


    Elder Mirpa was usually a free-spirited grandpa who swore a lot, but when it came to anything associated with magic, he became strict and eccentric. Of course, being strict and eccentric weren¡¯t necessarily bad traits for a magician. Rather, it was almost recommended to have such a character.


    "Ahahaha, certainly, high-level magicians tend to be a little eccentric." Bendis nodded with a gentle smile.


    It was hard to imagine that he was the one who was so mad at Arpen until just now.


    "But anyway, my father has troubled you. It must have been scary to have been dragged out here all of a sudden,¡± said Bendis.


    Right then, Arpen opened his mouth with a face crying of injustice.


    I smiled inwardly and gave the most innocent expression possible. "Yes, a little, but I think it''s a good experience for a magician. When could an inadequate magician like me ever have a chance to learn magic from a great madosa?"


    Arpen looked like he was about to explode. It was as if he wanted to shout, ¡°Who¡¯s been the one battling with me up until just now?!"


    "Hahaha, thank you for saying that," Bendis said.


    With that, Arpen couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted, "No! I''m sure he''s...!¡±


    Arpen, who was about to protest, shut up at Bendis''s cold eyes. Inwardly, I yelled with delight as I moistened my eyes.


    "Heuk, actually, I said I never had any intentions, but Sir kept telling me not to mess with Yuria.¡±


    As the saying goes since ancient times, the first to cry wins. It was the first time I used this skill since I left my hometown, so it took a little time for tears to come out.


    "Father."


    When he saw my tears, Bendis frowned and looked at Arpen.


    "No, no! I never said that!"


    I nodded with a trembling voice at Arpen''s words.


    "Yes... That... that''s right. If the great madosa-nim says so, it must be true.¡±


    "Father!"


    Bendis looked at Arpen as if he were a scoundrel and Arpen was appalled.


    "No! I''m innocent! That devil!"


    "Father, what are you saying to your grandchildren''s friends? You have to keep your dignity!"


    Bendis sighed and apologized to me.


    "I''m sorry. I don''t know if I can compensate you for the psychological damage you''ve suffered from this, but let me know if you want anything. I''ll listen to whatever request you have within the extent of my power."


    Nice! Shall I ask him to teach me the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s arcane magic?


    "Bendis!"


    Arpen looked at Bendis as if he were looking at someone trying to leave a fish shop to a cat.


    But Bendis looked at Arpen with cold eyes. "And Father, I''m disappointed. No matter how much you care about your granddaughter, how can you interfere with her friendship?"


    "No, that''s not it. That brat is hiding his skills! Can''t you see it? The vast mana he has!"


    When Arpen pointed at me, Bendis looked at his father incomprehensibly.


    "What are you talking about? It''s normal no matter how you look at it. It''s definitely on the higher end for not being from our tribe, but it''s not that much compared to the children from our village," said Bendis.


    Arpen frowned. "You¡¯re a madosa, but you can¡¯t even detect his mana! Are you even a madosa?!" He was angry.


    Bendis still looked incomprehensible.


    "Oh, I can''t believe I was thinking of a blind man like this as my successor. What is the world coming to!¡±


    Bendis looked at me when Arpen beat his chest in frustration. "Are you hiding your skills?"


    I shook my head at Bendis.


    "How could I? From what I just heard from Sir, ahjussi is a madosa. How could I possibly be good enough to avoid a madosa''s detection at my age?"


    "That''s true. No matter how much of a genius you are, it''s a little...¡±


    As Bendis hesitated, Arpen shouted, "I''m sure he¡¯s lying about his age! He may look young on the outside, but he must be at least 70 years old!"


    I''m barely over 40 years old even if you combine it with my age from my previous life, so I don''t know what you''re talking about. Of course, I couldn¡¯t say that I was 40 years old mentally due to the influence from my physical body since I was reincarnated.


    "Try pulling on my face, if you think I have a cover on. If it is magic, there is no way that Sir would not know."


    Arpen faltered as I stepped out confidently.


    "Or do you know any magic for getting younger? As far as I know, even when you reach the madosa level, your aging merely slows down but does not grow younger."


    For your information, growth and aging are different. If my growth phase also slowed, I would have looked like I was still 12 years old. In my case, aging will probably slow down from when my growing phase ends.


    "What is your identity, then?! Just who are you to have the Witch of Pride¡¯s...?!¡±


    - All right. I¡¯ll tell you, so let''s stop now.


    When I cut him off with sound transmission magic, Arpen closed his mouth and answered with the same magic.


    - That¡¯s right. If you don''t want to get caught, at least let me know.


    I sighed and put on my glasses, which had the recognition interfering magic.


    "Let''s go down first. It looks like people are watching from below and wondering when we are going to come down.¡±


    - I''ll tell you when we go down and are alone.


    Arpen nodded obediently.


    When Arpen and I went down at the same time, Bendis helplessly followed.


    There were all sorts of people gathered below, so I thought that we shouldn''t go down there. I could roughly sense the presence of hundreds of those from the battle races.


    - Let''s go to a place where we can be alone.


    At my sound transmission magic, Arpen nodded and hid his mana with invisibility magic.


    Like Arpen, I used invisibility magic to hide my mana and presence.


    "Father?"


    "Go on first. I have something I need to talk about with this brat! I''ll be back before the banquet."


    Bendis was flustered by his father¡¯s voice that sounded in the air but was not visible.


    "Father!"


    But Arpen and I ignored Bendis¡¯s cry and flew out of the capital.


    Flying to a moderately deserted place, Arpen and I landed on the ground and released the invisibility magic.


    "Ok, so tell me now," Arpen said, casting a soundproofing magic around.


    I couldn''t help but scratch my head and said, "First of all, I haven''t lied so far."


    "What did you say?!¡±


    I sighed as Arpen lifted his magic wand again. "Phew, I am not done talking yet. I know you love your grandchildren and are worried, but please calm down and put down your magic wand.¡±


    "Khmm!"


    Arpen seemed dissatisfied but withdrew his magic wand.


    "Okay, now tell me your identity."


    At Arpen''s urging, I scratched my head once again.


    "Can you promise me one thing before that?"


    "What?"


    "Keep my identity absolutely a secret. With Arpen Fendria''s name, mana, and magic on the line."


    Arpen looked angry at my request. To a magician, their name, mana, and magic were sacred.


    "Oh, of course, you do not need to keep it a secret if it is going to cause you trouble. But I also have a reason to hide my identity."


    Arpen agonized over my words and nodded. "Fine. But the moment I see that it could cause trouble for my grandchildren and my tribe, I will reveal everything."


    "All right. If it¡¯s like that, then I will also compromise.¡±


    I took a deep breath and introduced myself.


    "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Denburg Blade. The youngest son of the Crow Tribe¡¯s chief."

 Chapter 202: Currency Reform (19)

    At my introduction, Arpen looked dumbfounded.


    ¡°Crow Tribe? And also the chief''s son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Arpen nodded with a complex expression as I nodded.


    "I see. Is the strange feeling that I kept feeling your martial arts?" he murmured.


    I stuck my tongue out. "You can even feel the martial arts?¡±


    How sharp was he to be able to feel the energy of the martial arts that I didn''t even use? His senses were astonishing.


    "If you are the son of the chief, then which chief from how many generations ago? The chief from two generations ago, Galak Blade? Or the chief from three generations ago, Hamelin Blade? Or the chief from four generations ago, Hades Blade? Or¡­" Arpen asked me, looking convinced.


    How many generations are you going to go back?


    Somehow it felt like he knew my family genealogy better than I did.


    "I am the son of the current chief, Doomstone Blade."


    "What?!"


    I let out a sigh as he made an expression like he had heard nonsense. "I told you. I didn''t lie. I am sixteen years old. I said Ainsmall School because my teacher is Elder Mirpa Ainsmall, so I''m also part of the Ainsmall School.¡±


    Arpen pointed at me in surprise. "Don''t lie! You can''t have that kind of skill at sixteen! If you are such a monster, when did you even get to the madosa level?"


    I shrugged lightly at Arpen, who was confused. "I reached it roughly a couple of months before my twelfth birthday."


    I waited for him to calm down from his confusion.


    Arpen suddenly burst into laughter after organizing his thoughts. "Ha, hahaha, hahaha. Mirpa, that crazy woman made a ridiculous monster.¡±


    "There''s no doubt that Elder Mirpa is crazy, but I can¡¯t understand you saying that I''m a monster.¡±


    Arpen laughed frantically as I grumbled.


    "Puhahaha! You must be insane too if you can¡¯t even realize that you¡¯re a monster. Well, I suppose you can''t become a madosa at that age unless you''re a little insane."


    "Well, you seem convinced, so please keep it a secret. And to Yuria and Alphonso also."


    Arpen nodded and said, "Fine, I don''t think it''s going to be a problem. But why is the youngest son of the Crow Tribe Chief hiding his identity in the capital and acting as a civil servant? If you want, becoming a knight of the empire would be no problem, as well as a court magician.¡±


    I shrugged lightly at the question. "Because it is annoying. It is usually the case that higher positions have to deal with more bothersome businesses. I am comfortable at a low position."


    Arpen nodded. "That''s exactly the case. There¡¯s a lot of things that bother me too."


    It was quite funny that Arpen empathized.


    "For that matter, you didn¡¯t seem to be reserved in causing a ruckus in the sky over the capital."


    Arpen¡¯s face turned red. "I''m not the only one who''s caused a ruckus!"


    I shook my hands when he pulled me in as well. "But now that you''ve decided to keep me a secret, people will think that it was only Sir that caused the ruckus, right?¡± I said playfully.


    Arpen looked at me in amazement. "You brat, did you ask me to keep this a secret because you were aiming for this?"


    "Ay, it''s just an extra benefit. When someone does something that bothers you, do you think of getting only one benefit? It is basic to kill two birds with one stone."


    Arpen burst into laughter. "Huhhuh, you did well to get to your level with that mindset. It''s not the kind of mindset I''d recommend as a magician."


    "Isn¡¯t magic originally the territory for those with absurd talent? I''m sure you''ve heard a lot of others talking bad about you, too, haven''t you?¡±


    Arpen smiled and nodded. "Well, that''s true."


    I stretched and flew into the sky with flying magic. "Let''s enter the palace separately. I don''t want to be noticed very much."


    "Sure. Oh, wait."


    Arpen caught me as I was heading back to the palace.


    "Is there something else?"


    "It''s nothing, but I told you before that if your official duties were delayed because of me, that I would go talk to your superiors for you."


    I laughed at Arpen¡¯s words.


    "Oh, that''s fine. Actually, I was kicked out with the excuse of running errands because high-ranking people were having a discussion. So it doesn¡¯t matter if I am late."


    "Is that so? That...¡±


    Arpen trailed off as if there was something he wanted to say to me.


    "Is there anything else you would like to say to me?"


    Arpen spoke slightly embarrassed at my blunt question.


    ¡°That is... Get along well with my grandchildren.¡±


    I burst into laughter at his request. "Is that so hard to say?"


    "When you get to my level, you become unused to asking someone for something. At your level, it must have been a while since you''ve built your own path, so you probably don''t have much to gain from sucking up to me," Arpen said curtly.


    I nodded. "Well, that''s true."


    It may have been different if I wasn¡¯t already a madosa, but it was already long past the time when I would have needed to deliberately curry favor with Yuria and Alphonso to receive Arpen''s teachings. Frankly, it had been years since I stopped receiving teachings from my teacher, Elder Mirpa, so there was not much I could gain from being servile to Arpen who was at a similar level.


    "And if it¡¯s someone like you who has already hit the end of his potential, you''ll ignore my majestic self anyway."


    "Ayy, saying that I¡¯m at the end of my potential is a little too much. Where else is there such a talented young man like me?"


    He burst into laughter at my joke. "That''s why I say you¡¯re at the end of your potential. You have to be humble, you have a nasty mentality of manipulating and taking advantage of others," he said as he smiled. "They''ve had trouble making friends of their age because of my status. Anyway, I¡¯m asking."


    "Even if you don''t ask me to, I''ve been close to Yuria and Alphonso and will continue to be friends with them, regardless of Sir."


    Arpen nodded, rather pleased even with my arrogant words.


    I left him behind and snuck into the palace.


    -o-


    Hestia, who was chatting with Duke Asteria, asked the foreign minister as he came into the room, "What happened to the terrifying magical collision that I just felt in the sky?¡±


    The foreign minister answered, closing the door, "I heard that the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe gave a mild demonstration of power as requested by the imperial court."


    Duke Asteria was full of admiration at the foreign secretary¡¯s words.


    "So it was the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. Even an outsider like me who doesn¡¯t know anything felt shivers from the shock, but he says it was just a light show of force.¡± Despite Duke Asteria¡¯s admiration, Hestia looked suspicious. "Hmm, was it really just a show of force?" she said profoundly.


    Duke Asteria tilted his head. "What do you mean?"


    "Think about it, Grandpa, would the timing of the show of force that the prime minister imagined  really be right now?"


    Duke Asteria shook his head. "It''s certainly far from what the prime minister probably had in mind. However, the opponent is one of the strongest among the so-called battle tribes. He''s a man who the prime minister doesn''t have power over.¡±


    Hestia smiled softly. "Grandpa is right. He''s beyond control as a great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. But that¡¯s only as an individual." She sipped her tea, thinking of her father, Doomstone. "Even if he is a free-spirited person, as someone who came here as a head of the tribe, it is strange for him to do whatever he wants without any stimulus."


    Duke Asteria asked, stroking his chin interestedly, ¡°Does that mean someone has provoked the Great Elder of the Butterfly Tribe?¡±


    "Yes. That is what I think." Hestia nodded and grinned.


    Seeing the smile, Duke Asteria thought his granddaughter strongly resembled his daughter from the distant past. He suddenly felt emotionally overwhelmed, but he gently closed his eyes and asked, "Then Hestia, who and why do you think provoked him?¡±


    Hestia answered, putting down the teacup. "I''ve been thinking about a lot of possibilities, but I think the most likely case is the youngest one."


    Weger and the foreign minister, who was standing by Hestia, looked at her in surprise.


    "Does this mean that Deputy Chief suspects the small chief?" [1]


    Hestia nodded lightly at Weger''s question.


    "I''m not certain. It''s more likely that it isn¡¯t. I just combined all the information I had to come up with the most likely answer." Hestia continued, refilling her teacup with the kettle. "The youngest probably didn''t provoke directly. He is very clever and becomes calm in situations where his identity could be revealed or it''s hard to escape. When he causes trouble, it''s when no one suspects that there will be trouble, or when he is confident that no one will know that it was him.¡±


    She savored the tea, muttering, "He¡¯s quite shrewd, isn''t he?"


    "If we imagine a scenario- the youngest, who was hiding his mana, happened to come across the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, who is at a higher level of magic than him, and his mana was seen through... The great elder, who was suspicious of the youngest, began to question him, which led to the mana collision just recently.¡± Hestia grinned and shrugged. "Of course, this is a scenario in which the youngest provoked the Great Elder, but there''s a lot of other possible scenarios. It''s just... No, nevermind." She, who thought to herself with a serious face, shook her head and put down the teacup.


    "There are just a few things that catch my eye, but do not worry about it." She suddenly looked at the clock and got up. "Oh my, it''s already this hour. It is time to go back to my quarters and get ready to attend the banquet. It was a short time, but it was fun, Grandpa."


    "I''m glad you enjoyed it. It was nice to meet my granddaughter for the first time."


    Duke Asteria wanted to stop Hestia from leaving but couldn''t.


    "I''ll bring my big brother next time I visit."


    When Hestia said she would visit again, Duke Asteria smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah, did you say his name was Gallahad? Let''s talk a little longer next time."


    "Yes, let¡¯s do that."


    Hestia lightly hugged Duke Asteria and left the room with Weger and the foreign minister.


    Duke Asteria, left alone, gazed lonesomely at the tightly closed door.


    1. Small chief, aka named successor of the Chief of Crow Tribe.

 Chapter 203: Aquarius (1)

    I looked calmly at the door in front of Duke Asteria''s room. Based on the presences I sensed, the duke seemed to be alone in the room. The only sound from the wiretapping magic was loud white noise, and no human voice was heard. I took a deep breath, knocked, and went inside.


    "You''re here. You came back later than I thought.¡±


    Luckily there was no one in the room but Duke Asteria.


    I smiled slightly at the duke and showed him the wine and snacks. "The head chef was more resistant than I thought."


    "Oh, did you get it? Honestly, I didn''t think you could really get it." The duke looked at the wine in my hand and admired it.


    "How could a head chef dare to refuse the duke when he wants something? Would you like a glass?"


    There was no way the head chef could win an argument with me. It also helped that I asked for it when he was busy preparing for the banquet.


    The duke shook his head lightly at my proposal. "No, I''ll have the wine after the banquet. You have to drink precious wine with a precious person to enjoy the taste properly.¡±


    I nodded at the duke. "Then I''ll put the wine in the fridge. Since it is red wine, I''ll set the temperature at around 17 degrees."


    "Yes, do that.¡±


    As expected of the palace, it was even equipped with a specialized refrigerator for wine. The wine refrigerator was full of high-end wines, so it would be good to take a few bottles later.


    I tactfully asked, putting the wine in the wine fridge, "Did you have an enjoyable time with the honored guest?"


    The duke nodded gently with a warm smile. "Yes, it''s been a while since I had fun."


    What did my third sister find Duke Asteria for? The most likely topic she came to discuss with the duke was currency reform. The duke was in charge of the big axis of currency reform, so this wouldn¡¯t be strange.


    However, one thing that bothers me is that my sister came "in person." It would have been fine to send the foreign minister ahjussi for something of this level. And yet, the fact that Hestia noon came in person meant there was something that I was missing.


    Then, did it have something to do with the Asteria Market? No, then she would have visited the market staff rather than the duke. To go straight to the duke meant that the matter was directly related to him.


    No matter how hard I think about it, I can¡¯t figure out what the connection between my third sister and Duke Asteria is. If I had eavesdropped, I would have discovered the connection, but I missed it because of the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s great elder.


    "What are you thinking so hard about?" The duke called me when I was lost in thought.


    "Oh, it''s not anything important. I was just wondering if I have to attend the banquet or not."


    Originally, the civil servants attached to the nobles all belonged to the central ceremony department. Therefore, after the conference, the civil servants gathered without attending the banquet and exchanged information.


    However, I didn''t have to attend the central ceremony department''s meeting because I was not a member of that department, but rather, I was part of the adventurer''s guild. To be specific, I had to attend, but an official letter came from the central ceremony department saying it was okay not to attend the meeting because they were wary of the duke.


    "Hmm, the civil servants usually don''t attend the banquet."


    Duke Asteria contemplated and asked, "Do you want to attend?"


    I immediately answered, "No."


    "Puhaha! Think a little before you answer."


    I shrugged a little when the duke laughed. "I did think it through before I answered. I thought about it in front of the refrigerator."


    "Huhuhu, I see."


    The duke, chuckling playfully, hinted, "Well, what do you say? You should attend. There''s nothing to do even if you''re alone, is there?¡±


    "Nothing to do? I have to attend the central ceremony department¡¯s meeting.¡±


    The duke laughed. "Hahaha, you don¡¯t want to attend the banquet that much? I can''t believe you would rather go to that boring and awkward meeting. Well, I guess it would be a large hassle with all the unnecessary squabbling."


    Rather than avoiding some squabbles, the problem was that there were going to be people from my village present. In addition, as the sun was slowly setting now, I had to leave the palace to meet my aunt for her request.


    "Hmm, then do as you please, but let¡¯s at least go to the banquet hall together. You have to eat dinner too, right? Just eat dinner and rest easy. Well, although it won''t be so relaxing since it¡¯s the palace."


    I nodded softly at Duke Asteria¡¯s suggestion. "Thank you for your consideration."


    In fact, Duke Asteria was being so considerate that one would not even think he was dealing with a civil servant. Originally, I had to be a ¡®Yes Man¡¯ and follow the duke around.


    "And moreover, you¡¯ll be able to see a rare sight at this banquet.¡± The duke smiled deeply.


    The rare sight was probably the gathering of representatives from the three battle race tribes allied with the empire. It was a rare sight I wanted to see at least once, but at the same time, it was also a sight I never wanted to see.


    If something were to go wrong, I could be surrounded by three battle race tribes. I wanted to avoid that.


    ¡°Now, let''s get ready to head out for the banquet." Duke Asteria rose from his seat with a smile on his face, and I followed him to the banquet hall.


    * * *


    Hestia hummed and prepared to go to the banquet as she said, "It''s my first time at an imperial banquet, so I¡¯m looking forward to it. Come to think of it, how many times have you been to an imperial banquet, Elder Weger?"


    Weger answered Hestia''s question with a gentle smile. "Yes, it wasn¡¯t my intention, but I had a few opportunities to attend."


    Hestia¡¯s eyes glistened. "How is the imperial banquet? I know of it from books, but they wouldn¡¯t be as descriptive compared to what you''ve experienced in person."


    Looking at Hestia with her sparkling eyes, Weger thought Hestia looked like a teenage girl who also liked to dress up and dreamed of a ball.


    Weger replied with a warm smile as if looking at his own granddaughter, "It probably won''t help much even if you hear what I have experienced. Most of the banquets that I¡¯ve attended were victory parties filled with burly men.¡±


    In Weger''s experience, the imperial banquets he attended were to celebrate surviving the 20-year war that protected the empire from the Demon¡¯s Territory about 120 years ago. Werger went to these banquets as a warrior, having been sent to the empire as an ally. The mood during these events was a time full of desperation and sorrow from losing colleagues rather than excitement.


    "Is that so?" Hestia smacked her lips with disappointment.


    "The novels Younger Miss used to read would be more helpful than the stories I have experienced."


    "The novels Leisha used to read?¡± Hestia recalled the novels Leisha had brought in through diplomats.


    "Uh... Those?" Hestia had a vague sense of her fantasy being broken apart.


    There were quite a variety of novels that Leisha brought, but most of the novels featuring balls and banquets were about the male protagonist''s mother telling the poor female protagonist not to approach her son and throwing water on her. By the climax, the female protagonist was discovered to actually be the hidden daughter of a count, and with her status revealed, a massive plot twist would ensue in which the male protagonist¡¯s mother becomes embarrassed.


    Then the novel would end with forgiving the male protagonist''s mother, but Hestia could not understand such novels. If water was thrown at you, of course, you should quit dating the male protagonist at that point and destroy the male protagonist''s mother. Why forgive and move on while laughing, ¡°Haha, hoho?¡± They should be punished thoroughly to make them feel regretful so that they won''t do such a thing to others.


    Weger was flustered when Hestia became rather disappointed. The foreign minister saw the flustered Weger and smiled. "This banquet will probably be different from the novels that Leisha used to read. What was shown in those novels were social gatherings, while this banquet is an extension of politics."


    Hestia¡¯s interest seemed to be renewed at the foreign minister¡¯s words. "Really?"


    "Yes, but of course, since it is a banquet, the basic things won''t be much different from the novels that Leisha used to read. The novel itself is the culture of the upper class in the first place, so I heard it expresses it quite realistically.¡±


    The novel was basically an amusement for the literate stratum of society. In a feudal society where there was an emperor, literacy was another expression for the upper class.


    "Hmm, I see.¡± Hestia nodded.


    "And I heard that girls around Deputy Chief nim''s age will be attending the banquet. The imperial princess and the granddaughter of the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s great elder will also be present, so it would be good to have a conversation with them."


    Hestia nodded at the foreign minister¡¯s suggestion. "Come to think of it, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe was bragging a lot about his granddaughter, so I''m looking forward to it."


    At a meeting where the emperor and representatives of each tribe met, the great elder boasted of his grandchildren. Hestia thought the great elder was a little bit of a pushover and that someone in his position may exaggerate, but he wouldn¡¯t go so far as to lie just to brag.


    "Everyone is attending the banquet, so, Foreign Minister, please tell everyone to get ready."


    The foreign minister nodded at Hestia''s instructions. "Yes, I understand. And I will also relay that before anyone opens their mouths, they must receive permission first."


    "Hahaha, please."


    At the foreign minister''s joke, Hestia smiled merrily and wore a star sapphire necklace. Hestia hummed as she looked at the star sapphire in the mirror. This star sapphire was a birthday present from Den.


    ¡°I wonder which noble¡¯s house he stole this from?"


    Hestia already knew that Den was Lupin from Lancelot''s report. She looked at the necklace and smiled. Observing Lupin''s activities, it was clear that Den was in the capital. She murmured, thinking that perhaps there was a high probability that Den would be in the palace.


    "Seems like it¡¯ll be fun." Hestia''s mischievous smile looked both pure and merciless.


    * * *


    For some reason, I felt a sudden chill and looked back.


    "What''s wrong?"


    I answered Duke Asteria with a light smile. "It¡¯s nothing. I just felt a little cold all of a sudden.¡±


    "No way. Even though it¡¯s early March, the temperature never changes in the palace due to magic.¡±


    "Haha, right? I think it was just a fleeting feeling."


    It''s just a feeling, right? Somehow, I had a bad premonition. I suspected that I should run away somehow before the people from my hometown come to the banquet hall.


    "Wow! It''s Den!" Alphonso lunged at me as I heard a familiar voice. I lightly caught Alphonso''s head with one hand and stopped him.


    "You''re here early?¡± I asked, vigilant of the surroundings.


    Him coming so early meant that people from my hometown could just as easily do the same.

 Chapter 204: Aquarius (2)

    Alphonso nodded at my question. "Yeah, Yuria''s friend wanted to come early, so we did."


    Yuria''s friend? To my knowledge, the only person among Yuria¡¯s friends who could attend this banquet was Arelia, the third imperial princess. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I knew all of Yuria¡¯s friends, so there was a possibility that a child of a high-ranking noble family was her friend.


    "Oho, he seems to be from the Butterfly Tribe. I did not know you also hung out with members of the Butterfly Tribe?¡± Duke Asteria looked at Alphonso curiously.


    Alphonso shrank back at the duke''s gaze and hid behind my back as I said, "Yes, he''s a friend of mine who lives in the same boarding house."


    "By boarding house, you mean Mrs. Arscilla''s?"


    I nodded lightly. "Alphonso, say hello. This is His Highness, Duke Asteria. Even your uncle, General William-nim, often receives help from him, so you should give a good impression."


    "Uncle?" Alphonso glanced at Duke Asteria as if he was still a little scared.


    "Is this William''s nephew? Come to think of it, before I arrived at the capital, I heard from William that his twin nephew and niece had come here to study, so this must be him."


    When the duke talked about William, Alphonso hesitantly came out from behind my back and bowed to the duke. "Hello, my name is Alphonso Fendria."


    "Yes, it''s nice to meet you. My name is Heinz. Although I am a duke, I won¡¯t impose imperial manners on a child from the Butterfly Tribe, so just relax." When the duke smiled mildly, Alphonso nodded with some relief.


    "By the way, your connections are wider than I thought," said the duke.


    I smiled and waved my hands. "It¡¯s not that large. How wide would a new civil servant¡¯s connections be? At most, they are just personal connections from the training center."


    "Haha, is that right?" As the duke and I were smiling, the nobles of the banquet began to creep up towards the duke.


    The duke sighed lightly as he saw the nobles approaching him. ¡°My gosh, they are already coming.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you are very popular.''


    The duke shrugged lightly at my joke. "I am kind of popular. Well, I didn¡¯t want this type of popularity anyway.¡±


    As he said so, he gently beckoned me to leave. "Fortunately, there¡¯s a friend of yours at the banquet hall, so enjoy the banquet as you wish. I''ll enjoy the banquet at my own pace."


    The duke gave a humorous smile. I felt sorry for the nobles who, seeing the smile, approached the duke to try and curry favor.


    I also greeted the duke with a smile. "Please don''t be so hard on them just because they are a bunch of suckers; at least leave them with something. Well, if you''ll excuse me."


    "Hahaha, I¡¯ll keep that in mind."


    When I took Alphonso away, the nobles that were loitering around the duke approached him like a pack of starving hyenas. However, I was not worried at all because the duke was a monster who could eat the pack of hyenas approaching him.


    "Huha! That was scary,¡± Alphonso exhaled when we moved away from the duke.


    "It was scary?"


    "Yeah, should I say that he was cold? How should I put this...¡± Alphonso tried to express himself with his lack of eloquence but eventually gave up.


    I appropriately changed the subject. "What about Yuria?"


    "Yeah, Yuria was getting mad at my grandfather, so I came first because I was scared. Yuria will probably come with her friend soon.¡±


    "Really?"


    It seems that Yuria was nagging him about what happened in the sky over the capital. Let us offer a moment of condolences for the pushover great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. While giving my condolences, I put on my recognition blocking glasses.


    "Oh, what are those glasses? Something feels weird." Alphonso was puzzled by the magic on my glasses.


    I disheveled Alphonso''s hair and adjusted the glasses to exclude Alphonso from their effect, and asked, ¡°Do you still feel weird?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... No."


    ¡°Then let''s go eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Alphonso and I took empty plates and headed towards the food.


    * * *


    "I hate you, Grandpa!" While upset with Arpen, Yuria headed to the banquet hall with Arelia, who had been waiting for her.


    "Yu, Yuria!" Arpen reached out, holding his chest as if he had been deeply hurt, but Yuria responded by closing the door roughly.


    "Um, is that okay?"


    When Arelia asked carefully, Yuria nodded with steam coming out of her nose. "It''s okay. Grandpa needs to be scolded!"


    Yuria had said it was a good opportunity because she thought her grandfather would only teach Den how to control mana or cast basic magic. He did such a horrible thing that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for an ordinary magician to become traumatized, but he did that to Den, who didn¡¯t know anything about magic. Yuria wondered how she would be able to face Den in the future, lowering her head with guilt.


    Unaware of why Yuria was so angry, Arelia comforted her by linking her arm with Yuria. "Relax. He is family that you haven''t seen for a while."


    "That''s true, but....¡±


    While Yuria and Arelia were talking, a group of black-haired men whose bulging muscles seemed to be bursting out of their suits walked toward the banquet hall.


    "Are they from the Crow Tribe?" Yuria sensed and admired the hidden mana of the black-haired men.


    "Wow, impressive." It was different from magicians, but she could see that each person trained their mana and body to a frightening extent.


    When Yuria was in awe of the men, Arelia tilted her head as she repeated, "It¡¯s impressive?"


    Arelia''s eyes couldn''t tell if they were impressive or not.


    "Yes, the direction of their training is different, but even in my village, it''s rare to have trained mana to that extent."


    "It¡¯s to that extent?" Arelia was astonished by Yuria''s assessment. She couldn''t believe it when Yuria said their abilities were surprisingly rare, even though the Crows were part of the same battle races.


    Yuria nodded at Arelia''s question. Then, someone spoke to them from behind, "Thank you for the review."


    Being suddenly spoken to, Yuria and Arelia looked back in surprise. Behind her, a beautiful woman with black hair in one braid smiled and waved. "Excuse me for interrupting your conversation. Are you Yuria Fendria of the Butterfly Tribe?"


    Yuria was startled by Hestia''s question, and she asked, "Do you know me?"


    Hestia nodded and smiled. "Yes, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe was bragging that his tribe had one of this century¡¯s geniuses."


    "Oh, my grandfather." Yuria blushed and grew ashamed.


    Hestia introduced herself, looking at the shy Yuria and thinking she was cute, "My name is Hestia. It is nice to meet you."


    "Oh, yes! It is nice to meet you too."


    As Hestia and Yuria greeted each other, Arelia''s eyes were drawn towards the Blessing of the Goddess around Hestia''s neck. "That jewel is¡­.¡±


    When Arelia recognized the jewels, Hestia smiled and said, "Oh, this jewel. Someone I know gave it to me as a gift."


    When Hestia touched the star sapphire lightly, Arelia''s expression hardened slightly.


    Hestia looked at Arelia with interest as Arelia¡¯s face hardened. "What''s wrong? Is something bothering you?


    "Oh, no. It¡¯s nothing."


    When Arelia avoided Hestia''s gaze, Hestia smiled meaningfully. "Hnng, is that so?"


    Still smiling, Hestia bowed her head slightly when she saw that the other Crows had stopped for her and were waiting. "It was nice to meet you. See you later at the banquet."


    When Hestia passed the two and walked between the Crows, the Crows opened a path, flanking her on both sides in unison.


    Yuria looked blankly at Hestia''s back leading the Crow Tribe towards the banquet hall, and said, "Wow, she¡¯s cool...¡±


    When Yuria looked at Hestia with admiration, Arelia looked a little sullen, like she was dissatisfied with something.


    "¡­Really?" Arelia asked.


    Yuria was looking at Hestia and didn''t see Arelia''s expression.


    * * *


    My third sister and the people from my hometown would most likely be attending the banquet. As such, when should I attend? I thought about heading in around the middle of the banquet.


    The gathering of the battle races in the capital was a kind of a political show, so the prime minister probably wouldn¡¯t appear at the start of the banquet. Still, I must not lower my guard. He could have attended the banquet in an ordinary fashion, not making a spectacular appearance like Alphonso next to me.


    The meal was delicious, by the way. As expected of a banquet where all the high-ranking nobles were invited, the food tasted incredibly delicious.


    "Den, look at this! You can eat this cotton!" Alphonso smiled merrily with cotton candy in his hands.


    "Really? That''s amazing."


    Alphonso shook the cotton candy in excitement when I smiled and pretended to be surprised. "Right? If you put it in your mouth, it melts. Do you want some?"


    "No, I don¡¯t like eating sweets during a meal. And don''t eat too much of it; it''s not good for your health."


    Alphonso was slightly sullen by my refusal. "All right, got it."


    By the way, I ate some last time at the princess¡¯s ball, but this duck meat is really delicious. The sauce, in particular, is fantastic. Last time, I couldn''t take any home because of an old man wearing a golden mask, but this time I''ll be sure to pack some.


    ¡°Anyways, Yuria seems to be running late.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Alphonso was looking around for Yuria when suddenly the lights in the banquet hall went out.


    "Huh?"


    Then, the light became concentrated on the platform in the center of the banquet hall, shining on the prime minister. The people in the banquet hall were buzzing at the sudden performance.


    The prime minister raised his hand to silence the murmur and spoke into the microphone, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen and honored guests, for coming to the banquet."


    The prime minister praised the people at the banquet, pouring out cringeworthy flowery rhetoric, while the audience listened as if they were used to it.


    "This conference¡¯s banquet has invited some special guests. Perhaps it will be an answer to the last question at the conference.¡±


    When the prime minister smiled as he spoke meaningfully, the nobles of the banquet hall all looked puzzled. However, I became pale after understanding what the prime minister said.


    Damn, it was way earlier than I expected. I thought he would reveal it at the end of the banquet. He must have pushed the schedule ahead because Arpen and I had made a fuss in the sky over the capital. I¡¯ll have to cancel the plans to send stomach medicine to the prime minister.


    At that time, the light focused on the second entrance from the right, one of the banquet hall¡¯s five entrances, and the door opened as the prime minister announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, here is Hestia Blade, the deputy chief of the Crow Tribe, along with members of the Crow Tribe. Please welcome them with applause."


    At the same time as the prime minister''s introduction, my third sister led the people from my hometown into the banquet hall. The nobles were astonished at the person¡¯s unexpected identity as they clapped.


    The people following in Hestia''s footsteps were those who I knew well. There was Elder Weger and the foreign minister ahjussi, diplomats, warriors, and the guards led by my eldest brother, Gallahad. My third sister had only brought the elite of the elite. Just looking at their faces, one would wonder if they were going to go to war.


    The lighting at the banquet hall shined on the people of my hometown, and at the same time, it shined on the center entrance.


    "And now, Arpen Fendria, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, and members of the Butterfly Tribe."


    As the entrance opened, a group of white-haired and red-eyed magicians, including Arpen and Bendis, entered the banquet hall.


    "Waa, it''s Grandpa! Den, look over there."


    "Yeah, I''m going to go to the bathroom for a second. Play together with Yuria when she comes.¡±


    Alphonso nodded. "Huh? Yeah, okay."


    I left Alphonso behind and tried to hide as much as I could by reducing my presence and seeping into the crowd.


    "Next up is the Dragon King, Muk Draconium, and those of the Dragon Tribe."


    Along with the prime minister''s gesture, the lights lit the second entrance from the left. Through the entrance, a large blond man standing well over two meters tall appeared, waving in all directions as he led the Dragon Tribe.


    As the people of the three tribes reached the center of the banquet hall, the lights turned on again, and the court band began to play music. During this moment, when I had to escape at any cost, someone grabbed my hand.

 Chapter 205: Aquarius (3)

    When my hand was suddenly grabbed, I was surprised and swung, aiming for the opponent''s neck. The other person ducked and, at the same time, pulled my arm to disrupt my center of gravity to avoid the swing. Then, the opponent smoothly put their foot between my legs, twisted it to make me fall, and bent my arm behind my back.


    "Ugh!" I almost fell with a pained groan from my arm being bent, but I barely managed to remain standing by putting strength in my legs.


    "I may be old, but you''re still no match for me in close combat."


    At the familiar voice, I said with a playful smile, "Ouch, that hurts, Aunt."


    I''m not kidding; it really hurt. I was rather confident in my physical strength, but with my aunt putting me in a joint lock, I couldn¡¯t get out of it at all. Indeed, one had to have several times the strength of the person holding the joint to escape using pure muscle. However, Aunt Talaria''s strength was 1.5 times stronger than mine, so I didn''t have the ability to escape.


    "Who told you to attack without even looking at your opponent?" Aunt put more strength into the hold and lifted my bent arm.


    "Keuk! It hurts. I''m sorry."


    Normally, I would have escaped with magic, but that was too difficult under the current circumstances. Revealing my identity in a place already full of monsters was nothing short of suicide.


    "Tsk tsk, Gallahad or Gawain would''ve gotten out in no time."


    I answered curtly when my aunt clicked her tongue, "My brothers have fully developed adult muscles while I''m still growing. Besides, I''m a magician. Could you not lump me with the barbaric warriors?"


    Of course, I also know the technique for releasing a joint without using magic. However, I would have to move my body in a flashy way, so there was the risk of drawing attention, which is why I simply remained captured.


    "Oho, you dare say that even when you know that I''m a warrior?" My aunt raised my arm higher.


    "Ouch, I said it hurts."


    My feet couldn''t touch the ground anymore because she had raised my twisted arm so far. My aunt let go of my arm with a sigh. Aigoo, my arm¡¯s all stiff now.


    "But what are you doing staying here so leisurely? Are you dying to be taken back home? I came to pick you up myself because you were taking forever to come to me.¡±


    At my aunt''s nagging, I replied curtly, massaging my twisted arm, "I was just about to bolt out of here now."


    My aunt pointed to Elder Weger, who was guarding my third sister closely in the center of the banquet hall. "Oho, your teacher-nim is over there, and you think you can get away without magic? I think you¡¯re aware of your teacher-nim¡¯s senses, correct? Right now, teacher-nim¡¯s senses are detecting the mana in the whole banquet hall."


    Obviously, Elder Weger''s senses were sharpened and on edge because he was protecting my third sister. In this situation, it might be fine if I was blended in with the crowd, but there was a high risk of being marked as soon as I left the banquet hall. That¡¯s why I was trying to leave the banquet hall before the people from my hometown showed up. Yet, they arrived at the banquet hall way earlier than I expected.


    "That''s why I was waiting for a gap in Elder Weger-nim''s detection."


    Apparently, Bendis of the Butterfly Tribe said that the prime minister asked for a show of force to make the nobles realize the power of the battle races. If that was true, then the Dragon Tribe and the Crow Tribe would have been given the same request.


    If this was true, then it was clear that the Dragon Tribe and the Crow Tribe would also display power comparable to the level of force shown by Great Elder Arpen in the sky over the capital. In particular, it was guaranteed that the people of my hometown would display more force, as they hated to lose in terms of power. That would be the golden opportunity to escape.


    "I can roughly guess what you''re thinking, but aren¡¯t you thinking too little of your teacher-nim?"


    Aunt Talaria looked at me quizically, and I smiled and shook my index finger. "I know well just how monstrous Elder Weger-nim is. I''ve watched my father and Elder Weger spar before.¡±


    It was really scary at the time. If the two men''s battle mistakenly moved close to me, I was confident that I would die in one shot. Throughout the battle, my father kept launching powerful attacks strong enough to break apart a mountain, and Elder Weger completely deflected every attack with a single technique.


    The spar itself was a wonder. In the end, my father won due to Elder Weger''s physical exhaustion, but I still vividly remember him clicking his tongue, saying that the win was not clean.


    "Really? Then what are you going to do?¡± My aunt looked at me interestedly.


    I shrugged as my aunt looked at me, wondering how I would overcome this adversity. "Ayy, what do you mean? Aunt came to pick me up. Let''s just use the method Aunt prepared."


    My aunt definitely prepared a way to escape, so there was no need for me to struggle with thinking of a different method. Of course, I thought of at least three plans before I met my aunt, but it probably couldn''t stand up to the method she prepared.


    My aunt looked at me with blunt disappointment. "And if I say no?"


    "There''s nothing much I can do. I¡¯ll have to leave in the most barbaric way." I sneakily pulled out a white half-mask from my pocket space and showed her.


    Then, my aunt sighed and frowned. "Okay, let''s go using the way I prepared."


    She''s a great aunt. As soon as she saw my mask, she immediately realized that I was going to use the most barbaric method I thought of: to go on a rampage and make my escape. As expected, it was nice not having to bother explaining my intentions when my opponent was clever.


    "Tch, you manipulative brat." Aunt looked at me as if she were looking at a psycho.


    As far as I''m concerned, it was unfair. No matter what kind of strategy I came up with, alone, I could only use myself as a chess piece in my own strategy. On the other hand, my aunt had the power of the Big Mama Information Agency, and using the chess pieces "organization members," she could come up with more diverse and surefire methods than I could.


    As such, wasn¡¯t it clear that the arrangement my aunt prepared would be safer and guaranteed to work? And so, to embarrass my aunt who sought to test me, I suggested the method that would produce the most casualties, sew discord into the various forces, and leave aftermath that would be complicated to clean up.


    "Thank you for the compliment."


    For reference, my aunt had to hide my identity even if I made a big scene. Or she could choose to endure the curse of a malignant athlete''s foot, hair loss, and debilitation, which were the consequences of breaking the magic contract with me. But my aunt will probably stick to the contract appropriately.


    If my aunt was alone in the contract, she might have ignored it. However, Milpia also had a part in the contract, and the curse of debilitation could possibly be fatal to her. Of course, Milpia was fully aware of that fact when she signed it, so the risk of not being able to uphold the contract would be entirely on her. I didn''t force her to do it, but rather, Milpia took the initiative to sign it.


    My aunt gave me a whack on the head when I smiled playfully. "Don''t smile. I might grow fond of you."


    Aunt whispered the outline of the operation to me.


    * * *


    In the center of the banquet hall, Hestia looked at the prime minister. The prime minister was smiling, but his expression slightly hardened as he looked at the necklace around Hestia''s neck.


    Hestia read the prime minister''s expression and greeted him with a big smile, "On behalf of my father, the chief of the Crow Tribe, I thank you for inviting me to the capital."


    Arcanta greeted her with a slight bow of his head, showing courtesy due to the envoy of another kingdom. "I thank you on behalf of His Majesty, the Emperor, for your willingness to accept the invitation."


    In fact, these greetings had already been exchanged with the emperor before the banquet began. However, the meeting with the emperor was an informal one, and the empire had to prove to the nobles that the relationship between the imperial family and each tribe was equal by publically exchanging these greetings.


    In this unusual situation where representatives of each tribe came directly to the capital, it was especially necessary to prove this equality. This was because the alliance with the battle races not only served to prevent wars with enemy states but also curbed the nobles from trying to erode the imperial authority.


    The prime minister greeted Hestia, followed by the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe and the Dragon King of the Dragon Tribe.


    "On behalf of the Butterfly Tribe Senate, thank you for inviting me to the capital."


    "As the ruler of the Dragon Tribe, thank you for inviting me to the capital."


    The greeting order at this meeting also had significance; it was the order in which the empire began to trade with the tribes. Keeping this order indirectly revealed the preference for traditional alliances and was showing consideration for the Crow Tribe, who were the first to form an alliance. At the same time, it was a political gesture telling the Butterfly and Dragon Tribes to increase their trade if they wanted to gain preferential treatment.


    "Kuahahahaha! What a showy banquet. It''s full of a sweet musky scent." The Dragon King laughed loudly while casually scanning the surroundings.


    The greeting order contained the prime minister''s delicate intentions, but Hestia of the Crow Tribe was the only one who understood it correctly. Reading the subtle meaning behind this order was difficult for the Butterfly Tribe people who only thought of magic and the unsociable Dragon Tribe.


    In fact, the Crow Tribe also had a culture of confidently displaying their innermost thoughts, so they would never have been able to understand this underlying message without Hestia. After reading the expressions of each tribe¡¯s representatives and understanding this fact, Arcanta sighed inwardly.


    "This banquet is also for you honored guests, so I''d appreciate it if you had an enjoyable time." The prime minister smiled outwardly and looked at each tribe.


    In fact, not only was there the issue of each tribe being tactless, but also the number that each tribe mobilized. The Dragon Tribe brought 120 people on their large airship as well as their dragon partners. The Butterfly Tribe also brought 100 madosas and great magicians through a super-difficult magic, spatial movement.


    However, the Crow Tribe only came with 30 warriors. At a glance, the stark difference in numbers could have distorted the balance of factions in the empire that supported each tribe. And most of all, the prime minister looked at the Crow Tribe worriedly, judging that the other two tribes might think lowly of them.


    "Huhut." Feeling the prime minister''s gaze, Hestia only smiled as if telling him not to worry.


    In fact, in the latter half of the prime minister''s worries, it was a grave misunderstanding because he had basically non-existent knowledge of the tribe¡¯s power. The strength of the three tribes gathered at the banquet hall was equal, as if they were all the same weight on a scale.


    Rather, considering that the Crow Tribe was the minority, the actual scale was tilted. Instead of being jealous, the Dragon King and the great elder simply admired them. They had to admit that the Crow Tribe of the current era was at its highest peak in their history.


    "Kuhahahaha! It¡¯s too bad we don''t have Doomstone Blade, the king of your tribe, here. I wanted to see with my own eyes the legendary man whose fame reverberates even in the closed-off Mephisto Canyon. Kuhahahaha!"


    The Dragon King mentioned Doomstone¡¯s name out of a desire to meet him and simple, pure regret. Yet, when Doomstone''s name was heard, some older high-ranking nobles trembled as if scared to death. It seems it hadn¡¯t been long enough to forget the horror of the name, Doomstone.

 Chapter 206: Aquarius (4)

    When some nobles panicked, as they had been victims of the past disasters Doomstone caused, the prime minister clapped loudly and changed the subject. "Now, now, the banquet has just begun! Please feel free to enjoy the drinks and food we have prepared with all our heart!"


    The Dragon King laughed loudly when the prime minister spoke. "Uahahahaha, I heard that imperial liquor is very delicious! I couldn''t sleep well because of the anticipation."


    The prime minister smiled and nodded. "Hahaha, we have prepared some of the finest drinks in the empire, so you won¡¯t be disappointed."


    "Hahahaha, let''s go! The drinks of the empire await us!"


    When the Dragon King shouted at his tribe members, the tribe cheered. "Waaaaa-!"


    As the Dragon Tribe headed to the place where the liquor was gathered, the court magicians, wary of the prime minister, slowly approached the Butterfly Tribe magicians carefully. For them, having a magic debate with the Butterfly Tribe magicians was a precious opportunity that would not happen more than a few times in their lifetime.


    Despite the relaxed movements of the Dragon and Butterfly Tribes, the Crow Tribe remained firmly rooted in the same place. Hestia looked at her eldest brother wickedly. Gallahad stood expressionless, but his eyes were drawn to the drinks table, where the Dragon Tribe began to drink away.


    "Huhut, everyone, feel free to enjoy the drinks. But if you cause any trouble by drinking too much, be prepared."


    When Hestia granted permission, the warriors of the Crow Tribe answered loudly, "Understood!"


    Crow warriors cheered and ran to join the Dragon Tribe''s drinking party.


    "Yahoo~!"


    "Oppa, wait a minute.¡± When Hestia called back Gallahad as he was trying to cheer and run along with his men, his expression full of laughter stiffened.


    "Uh, what¡¯s wrong? I mean, what can I do for you, Deputy Chief-nim?" Gallahad''s expression was full of uneasiness, even as he spoke formally to Hestia.


    "You have to control the men. Is it okay for you to get drunk?¡± When Hestia said this, Gallahad''s face was filled with despair like a man who fell from heaven to hell.


    ¡°But, but, everyone''s having fun. Just me?¡± Gallahad looked like he was about to cry when he saw his colleagues immediately start drinking with the Dragon Tribe.


    "What do you mean just you, oppa? Elder Weger-nim, the foreign minister, and I are also not allowed to drink. You have to know how to control your desires when you''re in charge of others."


    At Hestia''s nagging, Gallahad looked like someone just died as he stared blankly at his colleagues downing alcohol. "Khmm."


    At the same time, Weger put back the glass he was holding using a flying sword skill, transporting it through the air and returning it to the table.


    The glass flew to the table, but the alcohol in the glass didn¡¯t shake. The knights in the banquet hall exclaimed, "Hahahaha, Deputy Chief-nim, Gallahad has had a hard time, so how about just letting him drink for today?"


    When the foreign minister smiled and sided with Gallahad, Gallahad looked at the foreign minister as if he was moved. "Ahjussi¡­!"


    Hestia pondered the foreign minister''s suggestion. "Well, but our little brother could be here.¡­¡±


    Hestia didn''t want to allow for any gaps, if possible, and she looked around the banquet hall.


    "Ayy, why would Den be here? This is the palace.¡± Hestia crossed her arms and contemplated as Gallahad spoke with his eyes on the alcohol bottle.


    "That would negate the purpose of me asking the prime minister to move our entrance to the banquet ahead."


    Originally, the arrival of the Crows and other battle race tribes was planned to be at the end of the banquet as Den expected. However, Hestia deliberately asked for his understanding and moved it forward.


    Hestia sighed as she glanced at Weger, who seemed to secretly have lingering feelings for the glass of alcohol. "All right, but just drink enough not to get drunk."


    "Really?!"


    Hestia nodded when Gallahad asked with delight. "Even our little brother is here, it''s too difficult to catch him right now.¡±


    Even if the three battle race tribes were gathered here, this was the capital in the center of the empire. Furthermore, this was the palace, the heart of the capital, so they couldn''t move recklessly. Nevertheless, the reason Hestia acted in assuming Den''s presence at the banquet was to narrow down Den''s location.


    "It''s okay for you two to drink as long as you don¡¯t get drunk."


    "Really? Khmm! I mean, is that okay?"


    When Hestia gave permission, Weger¡¯s typical informal speech burst out, but he quickly corrected it.


    Hestia smiled and nodded. "Yes, it¡¯s fine. But Elder Weger-nim, can you expand your senses outside of the banquet hall during the martial arts demonstration later?"


    "That will not be difficult." Weger laughed, bringing the glass from the table using the flying sword skill once more. Hestia''s permission was very welcome since he secretly wanted to drink anyway.


    "There will probably be someone doing something a little strange at that time.¡± Hestia gave a light wink.


    * * *


    I nodded after hearing my aunt''s explanation. "That''s a good idea. As I thought, we should proceed only when Elder Weger-nim moves.¡±


    Although my third sister wouldn''t be certain, she could have still seen through the fact that I was in this banquet hall. To be honest, I felt like I was delusional thinking this way, but I was convinced when I saw the jewel hanging around my third sister''s neck.


    Hestia probably had three motives for coming to this banquet with that necklace on. The first will be to measure the extent of my movements so far. She likely knew that I was Lupin from my fourth sister and Lancelot¡¯s report and would have investigated Lupin.


    It was clear that my third sister was wearing the necklace to find people who came into contact with me without openly showing her intentions. The actual victim''s reaction would be clearly different from someone who simply learned about Lupin through the newspaper. Perhaps Hestia noona saw the third princess, Arelia¡¯s, reaction to her necklace, confirming that I came in and out of the palace.


    The second was a warning to the nobles. My third sister intentionally revealed her relationship with Lupin by wearing the necklace and attending the banquet. This was probably in consideration of the fact that the nobles rushed after me, causing me to completely halt my activities and hide. Since I was already being careful about my actions after being exposed as Lupin, she most likely did this to completely eliminating any interference.


    Lastly, it was a provocation against me. Hestia noona was telling me that if I got on her nerves, she could announce to everyone that I was Lupin. Of course, it was clear that the last act would be blackmail.


    If two people play a game of chicken, the one with the most to lose will be defeated. All I had to lose was my life as a civil servant, but my third sister had to consider handling the aftermath if I caused trouble.


    "By the way, what a shame.¡±


    It was a great loss that I had to disclose to my third sister that I already have a helper.  If I go along with my aunt''s plan, there¡¯s no way my third sister wouldn¡¯t know that there was someone helping me. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t know that it''s my aunt who''s helping me, but it would still be quite a loss.


    Knowing what I meant, my aunt let out a sigh. "If you had left the palace beforehand, we wouldn''t have to do this."


    I grumbled at my aunt''s reprimand. "I couldn''t help it.¡±


    I was planning to leave after reading the atmosphere of the banquet a little, but I didn''t know the villagers would attend the banquet so early.


    "Ehew, I just wanted to live peacefully.¡±


    My aunt mocked me when I sighed. "What peace? You¡¯ve been hiding and causing all sorts of trouble."


    "Ayy, it''s fine just as long as you don''t get caught. Besides, I am peace personified compared to the trouble my father caused when he was young."


    When I looked for understanding, my aunt nodded with an upset expression. "It''s definitely peaceful compared to what Doomstone oppa did."


    "If my father or grandfather knew of my actions, they would probably praise me for having been so calm instead."


    My aunt looked at me like she didn''t want to agree, but soon she had no choice but to nod in agreement because it was true. "The fact that I can¡¯t help but agree with you means there''s something wrong with our family."


    Having said that, my aunt still couldn''t find anything wrong with our family. This was expected since my aunt was also from our family despite pretending that she¡¯s not.


    I looked at the banquet hall, leaving behind my slightly confused aunt. At just a glance, I saw that my eldest brother was, of course, drinking, but even Elder Weger was having a drink. This meant that they had virtually given up on catching me in the banquet hall.


    However, I couldn¡¯t lower my guard as Elder Weger''s aura was still filling the banquet hall. If I move recklessly, he might discover that I am here. Now, just as predators hide in the grass to hunt prey, I had to hide within the crowd.


    * * *


    After having conversations with many nobles in a short span of time, Hestia sighed with a weary expression. "Ehew, it''s not easy to constantly deal with pretentious people."


    It was even more difficult because the Crows themselves were far from pretentious.


    The foreign minister offered comforting words to the mentally and physically exhausted Hestia and handed her a refreshing fruit drink. "You are doing a great job. Village Head-nim would be proud as well.¡±


    Hestia looked slightly dumbfounded as she said, "It''s been a long time since I heard the title of Village Head. It''s actually the first time I''ve heard of him since Father relinquished the position.¡±


    The foreign minister smiled awkwardly. "Haha, it was definitely a title that didn''t stick well. It also didn''t really fit the size of our town.¡±


    "That¡¯s true. Well, I think I will have to admit that it''s definitely a failed policy at this point."


    "But I do not think the policy has failed completely¡­ yet.¡±


    Hestia burst into laughter at the sight of the foreign minister avoiding her gaze. "Hahahaha, you don''t have to be sorry. It''s a policy I proposed when I was six, so it makes sense that it would fail.¡±


    Hestia shrugged as if she couldn''t help it. "I didn''t realize at the time that the title gave a sense of authority to people. I was only thinking of changing the minds of the closed-off villagers and increasing exchanges with the outside world."


    Lamenting on her past actions, Hestia gulped down the drink in her hand. "I didn''t admit it because I felt guilty towards my father for adopting this poor idea, but now that he¡¯s not here, I am certain. When I get back, I''ll have to change the title back to Chief again. When I realized that I''m also a person who can fail, I understood how heavy this seat is.¡±


    The foreign minister changed the subject when he saw Hestia smiling bitterly, "By the way, what was your intention for wearing that necklace?¡±


    Hestia answered, casually unfolding her fingers, "There are four intentions. First, to find out my little brother''s unknown radius of activity. Second, to warn the nobles of the empire not to touch Lupin recklessly. Third, to provoke my little brother if he is here, and finally... To hide my outstanding appearance?"


    Hestia jokingly told the last reason, but it was actually the most important one. Hestia''s appearance resembled Anemone too much compared to her siblings. If anyone remembered Anemone by looking at Hestia, it would make things difficult, so she deliberately pushed the attention around herself towards Lupin. It was a sad reason, but this was also better for Duke Asteria, who was on her mother¡¯s side.


    "Oh, it looks like Elder Weger-nim is demonstrating martial arts."


    Weger''s martial arts demonstration was supposed to take place in the form of a spar. His opponent was the Dragon King Muk. In the center of the banquet hall, Dragon King Muk and Head Elder Weger of the Crow Tribe were facing each other and exchanging greetings.

 Chapter 207: Aquarius (5)

    Dragon King Muk laughed loudly as he gave a greeting. "Uahahaha! I''ve heard about your martial arts from the previous dragon king. I¡¯ve been told that the Crow Tribe has a genius of the sword that will never appear again."


    Weger smiled mildly. "Thank you very much for such an evaluation. When I met the previous dragon king, I was nothing but a child compared to him."


    When Weger met Drachen, the previous dragon king, Drachen was already a member of the Demon King subjugation party and was one of its strongest members. Weger, on the other hand, was a young man who had just passed boyhood.


    "Uahahahaha! Child, you say? You are very modest! If you were just a child, then what about my childhood?"


    Weger smiled at the Dragon King''s joke. "Still, I am not a genius who will never be seen again. I already have five disciples who surpass my talents."


    Weger was referring to their potential, not that their current abilities had already surpassed his. His sword skills, which he had honed for more than a hundred years, were not a quality that could be overcome simply by talent.


    The Dragon King was well aware of that fact. "Oh! Five? The Crow Tribe is quite blessed."


    When the Dragon King admired them, Weger nodded and sighed. "Yes, but my only complaint is that two of the five walk a different path from that of the sword."


    The Dragon King burst into laughter. "Kuhahaha! Are there such freaks? No, I can¡¯t believe that they are wasting their potential to surpass even you."


    "You''re right. Well, one of them has fallen for the bow, and the other is into magic.¡±


    Of Weger''s disciples, the one into bows was Mac, and the other that was into magic was Denburg.


    The Dragon King clenched his fist at Weger''s lament and said, "Then, should you grab them by the collar and forcefully teach them? It¡¯s a sin to tarnish your talent.¡±


    Weger nodded at the dragon king. "I thought the same, so I grabbed the one who¡¯s into the bow and dragged him by the collar to teach him, but the one that¡¯s into magic, senile Mirpa... Khmm! It''s a shame that Elder Mirpa got in the way, so I wasn¡¯t able to teach him sincerely."


    "Oh, if it¡¯s Elder Mirpa, isn¡¯t she the famous great alchemist? Your disciple seems to have a knack for magic as well." The Dragon King looked at Weger with interested eyes.


    Weger sighed once again. "I think so. If he had concentrated on the sword instead of magic, he would have been the best of my disciples, but right now, he is the worst of the five in sword skills."


    ¡°Kuhahahaha! I''d love to meet those talent-wasting jolly friends sometime!¡± Saying so, the Dragon King looked around.


    The spar was taking place in the palace, not to mention that it was in the middle of a banquet hall where nobles were gathered. As such, court magicians were forming a barrier around the two people for safety.


    "I believe there will be a chance to meet them!" exclaimed the Dragon King.


    When the Dragon King got ready, Weger slowly pulled out his sword. Weger was unfamiliar with this sword because he borrowed it from a nearby knight rather than using his own favorite sword.


    "They seem to be almost done with the barrier, so I think we can gradually get started.¡± At the same time, the two men raised their auras.


    "Honestly, I don''t like this spar because it feels like we are performing for entertainment. I wanted to fight to my heart''s content in a bigger place."


    Weger smiled lightly when the Dragon King complained. "What¡¯s the harm? Not only are the empire¡¯s nobles here, but there are also knights and young men of each tribe who know martial arts. It''ll be a great experience for them."


    The Dragon King laughed cheerfully at Weger''s words. "Kuhahahaha, that¡¯s right! I was thinking about it the wrong way."


    The Dragon King nodded, and the two rushed toward each other at the same time. As soon as Weger''s sword and the Dragon King''s fist were about to touch, Weger''s body seemed to split into two, and he stabbed the dragon king''s left and right sides at the same time. The dragon king was not flustered by Weger''s clone technique, gathering an aura blade around his whole body. He outstretched his feet and fist at the same time, striking Weger.


    Weger''s clones, hit by the dragon king''s kick and punch, disappeared like smoke. "Here!"


    Before he knew it, Weger had flown up high towards the ceiling, and he raised his sword surrounded by an aura blade, striking down at the Dragon King.


    The Dragon King took a big step back to avoid Weger¡¯s sword and got goosebumps on his back. It would have been a pretty dangerous blow if Weger hadn''t given away his location on purpose just a moment ago.


    "Kuhahaha! How strange! To make clones with just footwork instead of magic."


    Weger assumed a prepared stance as soon as he landed and smiled. "It''s nothing. It''s just one of the various techniques I''ve developed. I''m attacking again."


    At the same time, the two rushed toward each other. When the Dragon King punched Weger in the face, Weger ducked down to avoid his fist. Then, he pushed his way into the Dragon King''s proximity and stabbed at his chin with his sword.


    The Dragon King twisted his body to dodge the sword and tried to attack the nearby Weger with his elbow and knee. To avoid the attack that was approaching his side and shoulder simultaneously, Weger grabbed the Dragon King¡¯s side and leaped over him.


    Weger rotated in the air and immediately tried to cut the Dragon King''s back as soon as he landed on the ground. The Dragon King leaned forward, and at the same time, he grabbed the ground with his left arm and kicked backward forcefully with his right foot.


    "Haap!" At the dragon king¡¯s attack, Weger let out a cry and turned the trajectory of his sword to deflect the dragon king¡¯s kick. The mana emitted from the deflected kick hit the barrier behind him and caused it to tremble.


    "Ugh!" The court magicians maintaining the barrier let out a groan and barely managed to keep up the barrier against the Dragon King''s attack.


    It was a strong barrier that was created by dozens of magicians, but it shook like a sheet of paper after a light blow from the Dragon King. The two people within the barrier did not care whether it was shaking or not and got into their prepared stances again.


    As they were maintaining vigilance towards each other, the Dragon King grumbled discontentedly, "Jeez, I think this place is too advantageous for me. Isn''t this barrier too cramped to utilize your strength and speed? I don''t think this is fair."


    "There is no such thing as a fair fight normally. And it doesn''t matter much."


    The Dragon King laughed merrily at Weger''s determination. "Kuhahahaha! That''s true!"


    The Dragon King shouted, gathering up a great amount of mana, "Even if it¡¯s only a taste, we should at least show as much as the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe did!"


    In line with the Dragon King''s heightened mana, Weger also raised his martial aura. The space began to distort due to the two people''s struggle to dominate the space with their mana and aura, and the trembling barrier quickly broke apart. When the windows of the banquet hall began to crack, the Butterfly Tribe people urgently began to repair the court magicians¡¯ barrier.


    "You two! Remember that this is the palace!"


    The great elder took out a magic wand from his pocket space and made a solid barrier over the current one. At the same time, he interfered with the magic circle covering the palace to prevent it from attacking the two people.


    The banquet hall was located on the outskirts of the inner palace, but it was natural for the magic circle to react if they raised their energies this much. The great elder frowned and hindered the complicated magic circle as much as possible.


    The two men in the barrier, whether they knew of the great elder''s hard work or not, put thick aura blades on their fists and swords, respectively. Then they rushed at each other, and their fist and sword clashed with all their might.


    Kwaaaang!


    Two aura blades hit each other within the barrier, causing large and small explosions.


    * * *


    As I left the palace with my aunt, I panicked at the huge pressure behind my back. "Wow, Elder Weger-nim seems to be fighting quite seriously."


    My aunt smiled bitterly when I admired him. "That¡¯s not being serious. If he were serious, he wouldn''t have used that big, fancy technique.¡±


    Certainly, Elder Weger did not like to use force ignorantly. If he were fighting sincerely, he would have chosen a way to examine his opponent thoroughly and hit their vital point, finishing the fight at once.


    I smiled playfully at my aunt''s comments. "Well, it is literally a show, but we¡¯re lucky since we got out of the palace easily because of that.¡±


    "Yeah, even if it¡¯s teacher-nim, he won''t be able to rush over here while fighting all-out against the Dragon King, Muk."


    In fact, even if it wasn''t an all-out match, he probably couldn''t have located me and my aunt''s presence either way. This was because the people my aunt prepared at the banquet hall slowly released mana to hide us when she gave a signal. Of course, even though Elder Weger was confronting the Dragon King with all his might, his senses would have still remained alert, and the fact that I had a helper would be conveyed to my third sister.


    "Just how long are you going to eat?¡± My aunt looked at me with a fed-up face as I pulled food out of my pocket space.


    These were the dishes that I had sneaked from the kitchen and put into my pocket space when I was picking up the wine before coming to the banquet hall. We have a chance to eat imperial palace food for the first time in a while, so it''s a waste just to eat and leave. It can be stored in the pocket space for a long time, so there was no worry about it going bad.


    "I heard that you usually eat well at the boarding house, so why are you eating like someone who¡¯s been starving for a few days?¡±


    It seemed the information from the spy planted in the boarding house went all the way up to my aunt.


    "I used a lot of mana earlier, so I''m going to eat my fill.¡±


    I had only competed with Great Elder Arpen for a short while, but the mana I consumed couldn¡¯t be ignored. The mana recovery potion worked well but was not very healthy, so it was better not to take it unless it was urgent.


    "Sure, go ahead and eat a lot. There''s a great deal of work requiring mana from now on."


    I felt somewhat uneasy as my aunt said that. "Aunt, wasn¡¯t the favor just to protect someone for a few hours?¡±


    I heard from Milpia when she snuck in to see me at the hotel that it was a small escort mission.


    My aunt nodded with a deep smile. "That¡¯s right. It¡¯s escorting."


    My aunt''s smile made me even more anxious.


    Aunt Talaria took a pocket watch out of her pocket, looked at it, then handed me a mask and black clothes that looked easy to operate from her pocket space. "There¡¯s still time until the appointed moment, so change into that.¡±


    The black clothes and mask had the same pattern as the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s VIP certificate.


    "This is the Big Mama VIP pattern."


    "That¡¯s right. The person you''re escorting today is very high up in the Big Mama Information Agency. You''d better be prepared if you allow even one of their hairs gets damaged.¡±


    Quite unlike her typical behavior, my aunt gave a gentle smile. No matter how hard I looked at it, it was a smile that said she would make me suffer. It seems like I ran into another tiger while trying to avoid a tiger.

 Chapter 208: Aquarius (6)

    The floor at the center of the banquet hall was broken into pieces by Dragon King Muk and Weger¡¯s collision. If Arpen hadn''t specifically put a barrier on the floor, the floor would have collapsed completely. In addition, there could have been massive cracks throughout the palace.


    "Kuhahahaha, I don''t know how many years it''s been since I¡¯ve seen my own blood! Kuhahaha!" The Dragon King burst into delighted laughter as he saw the scratches on his right arm after colliding with Weger''s sword.


    "Likewise, I don''t know how many years it''s been since I lost a sword." Weger smiled, lifting a sword with only the handle left.


    The blade of the sword had shattered, and the debris was stuck in the ground. Weger casually lifted his hands. "This spar is my defeat. Your weapon is just fine, but as you can see, my sword is in this shape."


    The Dragon King laughed cheerfully when Weger admitted defeat and pointed to his opponent¡¯s scratched right arm. "Hahahaha! Thank you for your consideration. Thanks to you, I maintained my face in front of my subjects."


    The Dragon King could see that Weger had let this situation occur on purpose. Weger''s shattered sword was the proof. For a swordsman as strong as Weger, there was no way he would allow his sword to be broken, which was like his own life. Also, seeing how the wound on his arm was only some scratches, it was reasonable to think that he purposely endured the defeat after considering the relationship between the Dragon Tribe and the Crow Tribe.


    "I''ll take this as a debt. If you and the Crow Tribe have a request in the future, I''ll gladly do whatever you need."


    Weger happily shook hands when the Dragon King extended his hand. "Thank you. I believe we will have a close relationship with the Dragon Tribe."


    "Uahahaha! Of course! I believe that as well."


    Weger did not bother to refuse the Dragon King''s promise. Everything had been directed by Hestia, the deputy chief.


    The Dragon King was the ruler and symbol of the Dragon Tribe. Rather than the pride gained by struggling and winning a friendly spar, it was beneficial to build up the opponent''s status and instill a sense of debt in the opponent.


    Hestia apologized to Weger, who returned to her after the fight. "I''m sorry."


    Winning or losing was a matter of pride for a warrior. Hestia had asked Weger to abandon such pride and lose on purpose for political circumstances.


    Weger smiled mildly at Hestia''s apology. "You don¡¯t have to apologize. Deputy Chief is here on behalf of Chief-nim. So, Deputy Chief should never lower your head to anyone."


    It was a soft tone, but Hestia became depressed as if she had been scolded. "Yes, I know."


    Weger looked at Hestia with sad eyes as she nodded. However, he tossed away his pitiful gaze and spoke assuredly. "Be confident. Anyone here will die if they are told to die and fight if they are ordered to by Deputy Chief. A single defeat doesn¡¯t come close to the shame of failing to comply with orders."


    Hestia closed her eyes for a moment at Weger''s reprimand. Then, she soon opened them and nodded. "Thank you. It¡¯s okay to say thank you, right?¡±


    Weger smiled and nodded pleasantly at Hestia''s playful question. "I couldn''t feel more honored."


    Hestia asked, calmly looking around the banquet hall, "Did you notice any strange reactions during the fight?"


    Weger nodded. "Yes, dozens of people left the banquet hall in a direction that wasn''t the exit."


    "Dozens of people?¡± Weger''s reply left Hestia in deep thought.


    "Was there anything else strange?¡±


    "Everyone moved in pairs, and it was hard to identify who was escaping because they were all releasing a certain amount of mana."


    Hearing the report, Hestia smiled with interest. "It seems my little brother really was at the banquet. And with a helper at that.¡±


    Weger and the foreign minister¡¯s faces hardened. "So you''re saying that the young chief escaped from here? Then, didn¡¯t we just miss a golden opportunity to catch the young chief?"


    "Shall we go after him now?¡±


    Hestia smiled leisurely and shook her head at their questions. "Even if we found my little brother, we''re here as a delegation. We can''t move recklessly."


    The foreign minister looked surprised at Hestia¡¯s composure.


    "It''s all right. There will be more opportunities as long as my little brother is in the capital. Maybe he¡¯s even close by." Hestia had a playful smile.


    "For now, let¡¯s just enjoy the banquet.¡± Hestia looked at the banquet hall as if she were watching over a huge chessboard.


    * * *


    Having left the palace entirely, my aunt and I went into an alley behind the market. It was late and completely dark. The remote alley had no magic street lamps, so there was no one around.


    "This is it. Follow me." My aunt easily crossed over a wall in the alleyway.


    When I followed my aunt over the wall, a shabby house revealed itself


    My aunt opened the front door with a key and pointed inside. "Change into the clothes I gave you in there."


    "It''s annoying. Can''t I just wear the mask?"


    "The suit you''re wearing is expensive. Don¡¯t poorly treat what His Highness, the Duke, personally bought you." Aunt smiled mischievously.


    On another note, how surprising that my aunt was speaking formally regarding Duke Asteria. I thought my aunt would just refer to him by name, not using formal speech.


    "Yes, yes." I put my hands behind my head and went into the house with my clothes.


    Unlike the shabby exterior, the interior of the house was clean without a speck of dust. Plus, with its simple security magic, it seemed to be one of the Big Mama Information Agency''s secret bases.


    I took off my suit and put it in my pocket space before changing into the black clothes I received from my aunt. Then, as I was about to wear the mask, I noticed upon careful inspection that there was no magic on the mask or the black clothes. Usually, I thought one would apply recognition interfering magic or a one-time use attack magic for an emergency.


    "Hmm, is it on purpose?"


    Well, even these spells were present on the items, I would have re-cast magic on them again, so it didn''t really matter if there was magic on them or not. Rather, it was easier to apply new spells because there was room for magic to be cast on it.


    I took out a piece of mithril that I stole from the archbishop''s vault from my pocket space. Mithril was called a magic metal and was extremely useful as a magic catalyst.


    "To start, let¡¯s put on recognition interference, barrier, hardening, shock absorption, shock dispersion, shock release, insulation, fire resistance, waterproofing¡­.¡± I cast roughly a dozen magic spells onto the mask and black clothes, then left the house.


    Seeing me in the black clothes, my aunt stuck out her tongue. "Why did you lather the clothes in all that magic? Are you planning to make some kind of national treasure?"


    "Ayy, what do you mean national treasure? It can''t become a national treasure just because I put some easy, less than basic magic on it.¡±


    To be considered a national treasure, it should at least be something like the bracelet made by the Witch of Pride or the Holy Sword hidden in my clothes.


    "Doesn''t the emperor have at least this much magic on his body alone?¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if the emperor were protected by hundreds of magic, not dozens.


    "Even if the emperor has that much magic cast on his body, a single clothing item with that much magic on it probably doesn¡¯t exist. Aren''t you going overboard for a simple escort mission?"


    I was pleased to see my aunt''s fed-up face. "No, it¡¯s preferable to be safe. It''s something Aunt asked me to do, so it''s better than letting my guard down."


    And above all, it was strange that my aunt had only called me for an escort mission. I thought the aunt I knew would ask for at least an assassination of the emperor or something of equivalent difficulty. But just a couple of hours escorting a VIP? No matter how important the VIP is, you''re mobilizing me, who will only complete three requests for you?


    That''s absurd. My aunt was definitely up to something.


    "Yes, it''s better to be thoroughly prepared than to let your guard down." Aunt easily agreed with me. Although I said something you should obviously agree with, it was all the more suspicious that she concurred this easily.


    "So I heard it was a VIP escort mission, but now that I think about it, I don''t know who I''m escorting or who¡¯s coming with me."


    As usual, my aunt smiled wickedly at my question. "You''ll know who you''re escorting when you see them, and you''re the only one who''s escorting the VIP.¡±


    Looking at my aunt''s smile, I felt like my instincts, which were not as good as my father¡¯s, was telling me to run away immediately. Perhaps, but no.


    It was clear that this would not end up as a simple escort. For example, if the VIP I was required to escort were a spy who needed to infiltrate somewhere, I would have to escort the VIP while helping them do their job. Of course, in that case, I would think that my aunt would give me the VIP¡¯s job directly instead, but that''s just an example.


    "What are you contemplating so hard about? We''re going to where the escort is now. Follow me." As I was thinking deeply, my aunt took the lead, beckoning to me.


    I stopped thinking for now and followed my aunt. I could probably guess my aunt''s intentions once I met the escort anyway.


    As I ran along on top of buildings with my aunt, I found myself back near the palace and asked, "If you''re going to do this, we should have come here directly. Why did you go in such a roundabout way?¡±


    When I looked at my aunt with ridicule, she answered as if it were natural, "Of course, it''s to lose the tail that might have been following us."


    "Tail?"


    Aunt Talaria wasn¡¯t just anyone, but she was worried about a tail? There was definitely no presence of a tail on the way here. As such, that meant she was wary of a trail-seeker following our tracks, but my aunt and I were naturally taught to move about without leaving a trace under Elder Weger¡¯s tutelage.


    To add to this, my aunt, the owner of the Big Mama Intelligence Agency rumored to control all the empire''s information, was being this cautious? This couldn''t have been more ominous.


    "What''s wrong? You look very nervous."


    How did she pick up on my feelings when I was wearing a mask that interfered with perception? She probably just guessed what I was thinking rather than reading my feelings. My aunt was called the best genius in the village before Hestia noona was born, so it would be easy for her to deduce such a simple thought.


    "Here comes the person you¡¯re escorting."


    A large, colorful-looking carriage was coming from the imperial palace¡¯s direction that my aunt pointed to. The slowly approaching carriage stopped in front of my aunt and me, and the stocky carriage driver got off the driver¡¯s seat and opened the carriage door.


    "Have you been well, Big Mama?" The person who got out of the carriage with a greeting was an all too familiar face.


    Aunt returned the greeting with a slight bow of her head. "I have been good thanks to you, Your Highness, Duke Asteria."

 Chapter 209: Aquarius (7)

    At my aunt''s greeting, Duke Asteria nodded lightly and looked at me. "Is this my escort?"


    The duke frowned when he asked, and my aunt smiled. "Yes, it is."


    "I''m definitely looking at him, but it feels like he doesn''t exist, as if he¡¯s a ghost.¡± The duke frowned when he tried to identify me because of my magic interfering with recognition.


    "If the VIP himself can¡¯t sense you, there''s a problem. So you should remove the recognition interference magic." My aunt ordered me in formal speech, unlike usual. My aunt''s formal speech made me feel creeped out.


    "Excuse me for a moment." I put my hand on the duke''s forehead and cast magic so he could perceive me instantly.


    Since he could perceive me now, I adjusted my voice to sound distorted. It was dangerous for anyone as sensitive as the duke to hear my voice.


    "Oh, I can see you properly now.¡± Duke Asteria laughed as his frown relaxed.


    "I thought I had presbyopia when I was looking at him. Well, it''s not that I don¡¯t have presbyopia, but still."


    The duke joked playfully, and my aunt smiled and took a step back. "Then I will leave now. This escort is competent, so if you need anything, you can tell him."


    Wait? Leave? If you''re going to call me out and take advantage of me, at least explain the details!


    "All right, thank you for your work.¡±


    Simultaneously as the duke spoke, my aunt left so fast that you could almost see her afterimage.


    I was out of it and couldn¡¯t catch my aunt, and Duke Asteria got back in the carriage and beckoned me. "What is it? Hurry and get on."


    Looking blankly at the place where my aunt left, I sighed inwardly and boarded the duke''s carriage. The interior of the carriage was just like its exterior, very luxurious.


    "Sit comfortably.¡±


    I sat across from Duke Asteria at his behest. The duke smiled at me and asked, "My usual escort says that he''s able to guard better when he''s comfortable. What do you think?"


    The usual escort he was referring to was probably the platinum plate adventurer, Debt-ridden Knight.


    "That¡¯s not necessarily wrong if you¡¯re skilled. There¡¯s no need to be all tense as long as you have the ability to respond quickly and cope with any situation."


    Of course, if you ask the Debt-ridden Knight if he is that adept, he¡¯ll probably tilt his head.


    "Ho, is that so? So you''re good enough to be relaxed?"


    For some reason, the duke continuously asking me questions reminded me of that time when he was at the adventurer¡¯s guild and also kept giving me queries.


    "Skills are always relative. I''m not arrogant enough to think that there''s no one I can''t deal with."


    There were many monsters in the world. For example, the one taking advantage of me, my aunt, was also a formidable monster. If my aunt was being this cautious, I also better be nervous.


    The strongest of the monsters I''ve seen so far were my father, Doomstone Blade, Elder Mirpa, and Elder Weger. Arpen, the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, Dragon King Muk of the Dragon Tribe, and my grandfather Zendia Blade were also amongst them. Lastly, I can probably include that woman with the red mask who I encountered in the past at Marquis Baltain¡¯s territory.


    The duke asked jokingly, "Despite saying that, you look very relaxed?"


    I shrugged lightly at the duke. "Well, I don''t think I can deal with just about anyone, but I also don''t think there''s a situation I can''t run away from. In any situation where we are in danger, I don¡¯t know about the carriage driver, but I am confident that I can run away while carrying Your Highness."


    It was different when I was running away from home, but with the magic stone from the ruins, mana stone from the great demon, the Holy Sword, and the Witch of Pride¡¯s bracelet, I could probably run away even if I ran into my father. Maybe. Frankly, even with all these items, the thought of being able to beat my father never crossed my mind.


    "Isn''t that being arrogant?¡±


    The duke asked like my statement was ridiculous, and I nodded. "Of course, but it''s far from arrogant to always remember the option to escape."


    Listening to me, the duke had a slightly grim look on his face. "Saying it like that, that''s not bad sophistry."


    "Hahaha, thank you for the compliment."


    The duke laughed alongside me. "What a pleasant fellow you are. I feel like you¡¯re familiar from somewhere.¡±


    I felt my neck tingle but shrugged my shoulders as if nothing was wrong.


    The duke smiled at my sneaky response and changed the subject, "By the way, have you been given an explanation about this escort? From what I hear, it¡¯s about someone outside of the Big Mama Information Agency."


    My thoughts became complicated at the duke''s question. How much and what did aunt say about me? Why did she specifically make me the duke''s escort? How are the duke and my aunt connected? Does the duke know that my aunt is from the Crow Tribe? I had many questions at the moment, but the first thing I had to do now was to establish the relationship between the duke and me as something other than a civil servant.


    "I wasn¡¯t able to hear any explanation. I did not even know until just now that I was escorting Your Highness."


    The duke stroked his chin. "Oho, is that so? Big Mama is too much.¡±


    Duke Asteria''s expression looked delighted, contrary to his words. "Then, can you tell me how much you know? That way, I can figure out how much to explain to you."


    I replied with a nod. "First of all, as Your Highness knows, I''m not a part of the Big Mama Information Agency. Your Highness can just think of me as a mercenary hired on a contract."


    If the contract stipulated granting three requests, this escort mission could be said to be the first request of the contract.


    "I understand."


    "What I''ve heard is that there''s someone who needs a top-secret escort tonight and that someone is an important figure in the Big Mama Information Agency. I can use any means to ensure the safety of the VIP during this mission. The escort period is until the VIP reaches the desired destination. That is all."


    Most of this humble information was what I heard from Milpia. Milpia told me to get the rest of the details from my aunt, but my aunt abandoned me without giving me any information.


    Upon hearing my answer, the duke held his head in his hand. "Hmm, seems like you heard most of the information needed."


    This? I looked dumbfounded momentarily, but it didn''t show outwardly because of my mask.


    "However, the key point is missing. Do you know of a group called the Twelve Zodiacs?"


    I nodded slowly. "I don''t know the details, but I have heard of such a group."


    Not only have I heard of them, but I¡¯ve encountered them once before.


    "You say you¡¯ve heard of the Twelve Zodiacs, a secret that very few even in the imperial family know?"


    The duke looked at me with surprise. "Then do you know what kind of group it is?"


    "Well, I don''t know much, but isn''t it a secret organization in the temple that is trying to overthrow the empire?"


    To be honest, I wasn''t particularly interested and didn''t want to get involved. Anyways, the golden mask guy that appeared to be the leader got hit by my magic and was on the brink of death, so it wasn¡¯t worth paying attention to.


    Yet, at my reply, Duke Asteria looked bewildered. "What did you just say? Temple?"


    It was as if he had never heard of it. Did I say something wrong? I didn''t think someone like the duke wouldn''t know of this.


    If you know about the Twelve Zodiacs, you should be aware of the third princess¡¯s attempted kidnapping. Then, a little while later, the archbishop suddenly became bedridden, so it was reasonable to be suspicious.


    "Yes, isn''t the great temple¡¯s cardinal who¡¯s in the heart of the capital the head of the organization? I think he was called Leo."


    My thoughtless passing remarks astonished the duke. "What! Cardinal Fernando?!"


    "Uh... Did Your Highness not know? The archbishop of that place also seemed to be working with a person named Libra."


    The duke frowned and murmured, "My goodness, no wonder. Five years ago, during Operation Spider Trap, I did think that Scorpio and Libra managed to escape too easily from the capital. So there was a collaborator on the inside¡­.¡±


    I couldn''t keep up with the duke at all.


    The duke closed his eyes for a moment, arranged his complicated thoughts, and sighed. "First of all, there''s something you''re misinformed about. The Twelve Zodiacs is an organization of several groups, not just one. The Leo you mentioned is not the leader of the Twelve Zodiacs but the head of a separate organization that joined them. Although, I didn''t know that organization was the temple."


    The duke rubbed his face, still full of complicated thoughts. "The Twelve Zodiacs has a total of twelve, or ten members now since two were eliminated during Operation Spider Trap, with organizations that follow them."


    The duke began to tell me intelligence I didn''t want to know. "Based on our knowledge, Libra is a religious cult leader of the past Demon King worshippers who revere the Demon King. Capricorn and Cancer are from the Hunter Tribe, one of the battle race tribes allied with the empire¡¯s foreign enemies. Ah, Cancer died at the hands of General Bloody, so that seat is currently vacant.¡±


    The duke went on continuing to explain about the Twelve Zodiacs. To sum up the duke¡¯s fairly diffuse explanation, the Twelve Zodiacs was something like an alliance of various groups, and each group mainly has hostile feelings toward the empire. It was also said that each group would only temporarily join forces if necessary and that each group didn¡¯t trust each other, hiding their identities.


    Come to think of it, I remember Uncle Bloody at the ball last year asking me if I was a Cancer or Gemini. At the time, I didn''t comprehend what bull crap he was talking about, but listening to the duke''s story, I began to gain a rough understanding.


    "So, what do the Twelve Zodiacs have to do with the current escort mission?"


    Duke Asteria smiled playfully. "Regardless of whether it''s related or not, Big Mama is currently on the move to get information on the Twelve Zodiacs."


    What does my aunt getting information on the Twelve Zodiacs and my escort mission have to do with each other? Wait a minute.


    "It¡¯s not, right?¡± Please, I want the duke to tell me that it¡¯s not the truth.


    But contrary to my earnest desire, the duke laughed mischievously. "You''re rather quick-witted. That''s right. We''ve become the bait so Big Mama can move easily.¡±


    Oh my god.


    That meant that right now, I was the target of a group that was openly hostile to the world''s most powerful empire. I didn¡¯t even have time to regret my decision before I grabbed onto the duke, smashed through the carriage door, and flew out. Right when the duke and I escaped the carriage, a blade wrapped in an aura blade struck and obliterated the carriage.

 Chapter 210: Aquarius (8)

    I clicked my tongue as I saw the carriage being smashed into pieces. "How does it make sense to have someone with the standing of a duke serve as a decoy?¡±


    Did this mean that the opponent was so notable that bait at the duke¡¯s level was necessary? I couldn''t understand.


    To my whining, Duke Asteria answered pleasantly, "Hahaha, it has to be a duke for the opponent to take the bait. The opponent is bigger than you think."


    I feigned a laugh. "Ahaha, just how significant of an opponent is it for Your Highness to be the bait?"


    At that time, the carriage driver sprang out of the dust cloud that was created when the carriage was smashed.


    I took out my magic wand from the pocket space, thinking that the man did well surviving the blow, and pointed it at the carriage driver. "Stop!"


    When I pointed my magic wand, the carriage driver stopped running towards us and raised his hands, asking, "What are you doing that for?"


    The duke was confused by my action, but I wasn¡¯t messing around. "Who are you? Are you an enemy?"


    When I asked, the carriage driver shouted with a perplexed face, "No, I¡¯m not!"


    Oh, I see. Just jumping to the point like that, it seemed I was too smart.


    "What do you mean no? That face is fake. It''s quite sophisticated, but the muscles that one needs to use when talking don''t move.¡± Moreover, the mana and aura that I felt were too strong for an ordinary carriage driver.


    By the way, I''d never seen such an elaborate facial disguise before. I couldn¡¯t feel any magic from it, so it must not be made with magic. I should capture him alive and get that skill. I want it.


    The duke was rather flustered at my yell. "No, that carriage driver is my escort too. Facial disguises are his specialty."


    What? You two are on the same side? Then, that means I won¡¯t be able to force him to give me his skill.


    I ignored the duke''s words and shot a magic bullet at the carriage driver''s feet.


    "Hold, hold on!" The carriage driver waved his hands in front of him in surprise.


    "Don''t move and take off your facial disguise! Otherwise, I''ll see you as an enemy."


    "Hey, come now!"


    The duke was upset, but I shook my head. "You can''t trust a man who''s hidden his identity."


    "I don''t think that''s something you should say," the duke murmured as he looked at my mask.


    Life is normally not fair. This was definitely not because I wanted that carriage driver¡¯s skills.


    "You have to consider the carriage driver being swapped out during the chaos. The carriage was just obliterated. When you are under attack, you have to rule out the uncertainty factor."


    I aimed exactly at the carriage driver¡¯s heart and shouted, "I¡¯ll give you three seconds!"


    The magic wand was infused with mana, and the mana stones around the Dragon Heart began to rotate violently.


    "Three! Two! One-!"


    At my quick countdown, the carriage driver quickly took off his facial disguise. I knew that face under the disguise.


    "That''s the face I know, so put the magic wand down,¡± the duke said, and I lowered my magic wand.


    "He''s got pretty skilled disguising abilities because he¡¯s always running away from debt collectors. That''s why he¡¯s nicknamed the Debt-Ridden Knight."


    The carriage driver¡¯s identity was the Debt-Ridden Knight, a platinum plate adventurer. One had to wonder just how often he¡¯d been chased by debt collectors to develop such adept makeup skills.


    Anyways, that''s too bad; I wanted that disguise technique. Now I can''t force him to spit it out.


    I sighed inwardly and pulled the Debt-Ridden Knight towards me with magic.


    "Argh!" Debt-Ridden Knight yelled in surprise as his body was suddenly pulled towards the duke and me.


    A sword aura flew where the Debt-Ridden Knight had just stood, narrowly cutting his collar.


    "Eek!" The Debt-Ridden Knight freaked out with a blue face, and as he flew towards me, I sent him behind me and pointed my magic wand towards the carriage.


    "Protect His Highness." I was tense as I seriously gathered my mana.


    Blue Mask appeared as he blew away the dust produced from the carriage¡¯s obliteration with a strong wind. The aura he was emitting far exceeded my expectations. He was very strong.


    "As His Highness said, it is a big shot."


    The martial aura he was emitting was enough to make my whole body numb. Perhaps because the bait was so substantial, our catch was also too large.


    I said to Duke Asteria with a bitter smile, "Your Highness, can you tell me in advance if you have a will just in case?


    "Hahaha, making jokes.¡± The duke laughed, but unfortunately, I wasn''t joking.


    Today, I think I will need to update the list of monsters I¡¯ve met. Blue Mask was such a monster that he could be ranked amongst the others at the top of the list.


    "Oh, of course, we¡¯ll manage to run away somehow. But we might have to throw away one or two limbs." The duke and the Debt-Ridden Knight¡¯s faces hardened when I said this.


    "It''s okay. I know a really good priest. You might still be on the brink of death, but at least you will live."


    If it¡¯s Hillis, as long as you still had life remaining, she would be able to save you somehow. However, the problem was that we rode the carriage for quite a while, so we were rather far from the capital.


    Based on the current location of the moon and stars, we were at the plains used as agricultural land near the capital. These were real plains with no mountains or forests in view. It seems we¡¯d have no choice but to say goodbye to the plains, known for supplying food to the rest of the region.


    "Summoning Green Deer.¡± Two green deer were summoned.


    "The two of you mount up and escape at full speed. They can run faster than a carriage in the woods, so it won''t take long to get there."


    These guys were very expensive. They were so pricy that none of the people chasing me when I left my hometown were riding them. Well, if it''s an environment like Olympus Forest, the villagers would not have used them because they could run faster than the mounts. It took a great deal of control to handle these guys in the woods, but since the way back was just flat land, being able to ride a horse would be enough.


    "Your disguise skills should be enough for the rental fee,¡± I spoke to the Debt-Ridden Knight getting on the deer, and he looked dumbfounded.


    "You want me to teach you my foundational skills? Isn''t that too expensive?"


    I patted the green deer¡¯s flank and shouted, "That one deer you''re riding is more expensive!"


    I''ll definitely get the Debt-Ridden Knight¡¯s disguising skills one way or another. Frankly, his disguising abilities seemed very useful.


    Then, Blue Mask shot a sword aura at the two fleeing men, and I intercepted it with a magic bullet. "Such a cheery person you are, greeting me with a sword aura instead of your name."


    Blue Mask slowly walked towards me and said coldly, "I''m wearing a mask to hide my identity, so is there a need to tell you my name?"


    "That''s true. But seeing how each of you wears different colored masks, you seem to agree that there is a need to distinguish yourselves, right?


    Blue Mask answered my casual remark seriously. "It''s unpleasant to be mistaken for another person."


    "Shall we at least introduce our nicknames to each other?"


    Blue Mask laughed at my suggestion. "Hut, you are clearly blatantly buying time, but all right. I¡¯m called Aquarius. However, do you not think that my colleagues will launch a surprise attack?"


    I mirrored Aquarius¡¯s laughter at his provocation. ¡°Ayy, you are treating me like a pushover too much. Of course, I sent them off after having prepared for anything. They won''t have to worry as long as a monster like yourself does not show up."


    Expensive things are worth their massive price. My green deer was an alchemic lifeform that was especially improved to be able to fly, with it also being modified to shoot beams from its nose like Rudolph.


    In addition, I even equipped it with a function to play carol songs so that passengers can feel happy. Duke Asteria, riding on a flying deer containing a man''s romantic ideals, will be able to go to the capital with joy.


    "I see. Then I''ll have to take you down quickly and go to Duke Asteria." Aquarius exploded with martial aura.


    It was a terrifying martial aura capable of giving an average knight a heart attack. I flew up into the sky quickly.


    Aquarius looked at me flying up and smiled. "If you go that far away, I''ll just go to the duke.¡±


    I shrugged lightly at Aquarius¡¯s warning. "I''m a magician. Magicians don''t do things like close combat.¡±


    "Oho, it''s not scary when a magician with no vanguard says that.¡±


    I laughed at Aquarius¡¯s taunt. "Let me show you how magicians fight. Summon chirps."


    A summoning circle was drawn in the air, and a flock of 300 chirps poured out.


    I took out the last legacy of the Holy Tribe, the magic stone, from my pocket space and attached it to the Dragon Heart part of my magic wand. "Summoned dragon tooth soldiers."


    Twenty knights riding on black alchemic lifeform horses followed behind the chirps. The mass-produced dragon tooth soldiers that I made to fight my father posed with their swords drawn.


    ¡°If there are no vanguards, I just need to make them.¡±


    ¡°That''s a pretty interesting idea.¡± Aquarius covered his sword with aura blade and gave a deep smile.


    "It''s not over yet. Summon! Giant Golem!" From the summoning magic circle emerged a huge golem in the shape of a knight that tried to kill me at the ruins.


    Unfortunately, most of the twelve golems were buried after the ruins collapsed, and so due to the lack of materials, I only had one. Furthermore, the souls of the knights that were planted in the golems had not been fully studied yet, so I couldn¡¯t use them.


    Of course, after studying them, I plan to plant the souls into the dragon tooth soldiers, not golems. No matter how I thought about it, it was too inefficient to put them in golems. Naturally, I know the romantic ideal of a giant knight statue roaming about, but for just moving, not having a soul was fine.


    "Hahahaha, impressive. Very impressive! This will be fun!" With the appearance of the giant golem, Aquarius burst into joyous laughter.


    This reaction was familiar to me for some reason. It was a reaction that people in my hometown would have if they saw a golem.


    "Is that all of your preparations?¡±


    I shrugged at Aquarius. "Well, you never know. There may be more."


    Actually, there wasn''t. If there were more, they would be similar to the dragon tooth soldiers, but they¡¯d merely be a strong doll because they had not been connected to its core, the magic stone.


    "I see. Then let''s play around so you can take out any more that you might have!"


    Um, excuse me, wasn''t your target Duke Asteria? You looking happy must be me hallucinating, right?


    "Dragon tooth soldiers, draw your swords!" At my command, the dragon tooth soldiers drew their swords and surrounded them in an aura blade.


    "Chirps, scatter side to side, and golem charge straight!"


    There were too many things to manage, so it was too difficult for me to control them all with only my thoughts. When I get back, I''ll have to study the golem core and get some subordinates to help lead.


    "Uahahahaha!" Aquarius burst into laughter and shot an aura blade at the giant golem while I surrounded the golem with a barrier.


    Kwang-!


    Aquarius¡¯s aura blade destroyed my barrier as he jumped high and swung his sword.

 Chapter 211: Aquarius (9)

    I shot thousands of magic bullet rounds at Aquarius, who was jumping through the air towards the golem while swinging his sword. Aquarius slightly changed the trajectory of his sword and swung it to wipe out my magic bullets.


    "Chirps! Double circle formation! Wind Property! Flame!" The chirps followed my instructions and positioned themselves into two giant circles.


    "Ceremony omission! To reach the end is to be destroyed for reincarnation! The Flames of the Stars!"


    At the same time as the incantation, a tremendous amount of mana escaped from the magic stone, and individual magic circles engraved on the chirps began to respond. Then, white flames poured out of the vast magic circle embroidered into the sky. Originally, this magic required more than 15 great magicians to be cast, but it was completed in a heartbeat.


    If the completed magic circle was a sentence, then the chirps flying in the sky were letters. In real-time, I moved the letters, known as chirps, to make a sentence called a ¡®magic circle.¡¯ To be honest, I didn''t expect to use chirps on anyone other than my father.


    Aquarius escaped the extreme heat of the flames that erupted on him by kicking the air and flying higher. However, there were already dragon tooth soldiers on horseback ready with ferocious aura blades. Six dragon tooth soldiers cut towards Aquarius¡¯s neck, heart, sides, solar plexus, and legs simultaneously.


    Aquarius smiled and cut off the arms of the dragon tooth soldiers before him that were aiming at his neck and solar plexus. He then spun around and put a strong aura on his legs, kicking away the swords of the dragon tooth soldiers who were aiming at his sides from left and right.


    Finally, he turned around using the rebound from the kick and shot a strong aura at the dragon soldier who was aiming for his heart from behind him and completely destroyed it. He accomplished this while avoiding the sword of the dragon soldiers who aimed at both of his legs.


    With my thoughts, I made the dragon tooth soldiers move away from their positions and ordered the golem to punch Aquarius with his full force. Even when Aquarius was off balance due to his body rotating in the air, he still managed to launch a sword aura at the golem¡¯s fist to reduce its speed. Taking advantage of the reduced speed, Aquarius grabbed the golem¡¯s fist and landed on its arm. Then he started running for the golem¡¯s head, which held its temporary core.


    "Magic circle number 41, activate!"


    At my command, a magic circle on the arm of the golem glowed, and a huge stone thorn sprang up and stabbed Aquarius. Aquarius stepped on the thorns and jumped high. Then, he shot a strong aura at the golem¡¯s arm, which he was running on just before.


    "Magic circles number 45, 46, 47, activate!"


    My command activated the defense magic circles on the golem''s arm. Fortunately, the golem''s arm was safe, but the three magic circles that blocked the strong aura were completely worn out and lost their function. Aquarius kicked the air and quickly moved towards the ground.


    Aquarius landed and laughed merrily. "Ahahahaha! How fun! It''s been a while since I¡¯ve felt like this!¡±


    I haven''t met a monster like this in a long time since I last saw my father.


    "Do you know how much each one of those dragon tooth soldiers that you just destroyed cost?!"


    I cried out, genuinely irritated, "They¡¯re like a half-year budget for a count''s territory!"


    Aquarius opened his eyes wide at my angry cry. "They are? This toy certainly looks good and performs well, but that¡¯s a crazy price. Ahahaha! I''m sorry about this.¡±


    My anger was quelled a bit at Aquarius¡¯s casual and light apology. I didn''t expect him to apologize. "No, I don''t really want an apology, so it''s fine."


    It wasn''t necessarily a loss because it was made to be consumable, and I was also testing its performance. Just getting the information from this battle so I could upgrade the dragon tooth soldiers was an affordable risk.


    "I think we¡¯re both done warming up, so why don¡¯t we start for real!" Aquarius charged again, shouting.


    "Golem! Sliding!" I ordered the golem, with its overwhelmingly colossal size and mass, to flatten Aquarius.


    Aquarius naturally ran to the side to avoid the frightening mass, which was over thousands of tons, rather than face it head-on.


    "Dragon tooth soldiers!" I naturally had five dragon tooth soldiers pounce on Aquarius to hold him back.


    The sheer destructive power of the mass would destroy the dragon tooth soldiers, but it was a cheap cost to be able to hold Aquarius in place. I prepared the chirps just in case, and at the same time, also prepared magic by infusing mana into my magic wand. Aquarius quickly incapacitated the dragon tooth soldiers, but inevitably, there was not enough time to avoid the falling body of the golem.


    At the overwhelming mass coming towards him, that monster couldn¡¯t help but scream, "Wait, this size is cheating!¡±


    I deeply sympathized with how Aquarius felt right now. Overwhelming mass was tantamount to cheating.


    "Uahahahaha!" I was in a good mood and burst into laughter.


    Being able to make someone else deal with the cheat-like situation that I once had to face made me feel so good that my mood couldn¡¯t be any better. Life is normally a series of cheat-like situations. It would have been nice if it just ended like that, but Aquarius protected his whole body with a powerful aura and quickly crushed the ground to secure space.


    "Keuk!"


    However, no matter how much room he created, it was practically impossible to create a space large enough to protect against the ruthless mass of the golem. Still, barely holding on, Aquarius began digging with his sword.


    Finally, the weight of the golem destroyed the heads of the dragon tooth soldiers, and Aquarius, crushed under the golem, was no longer visible. Now that he started digging, he¡¯ll most likely show up somewhere using a tunnel.


    "A single trajectory. The tip of seven spears fixes the future. What happens is only one result." The magic wand''s mana stones began to rotate furiously.


    "One death that encompasses dozens of possibilities. The spear of the thorn tree is cursed." A red light fluttered from my magic wand, even consuming mana from the magic stone that I got from the ruins.


    I looked at the ground with concentration. "Puhat!"


    Aquarius popped out of the ground and breathed roughly.


    I didn''t miss the chance and shot my magic right away. "Gae Bolg!"


    From my magic wand, a red flash shot out at Aquarius. It was the magic of death that I made while recovering lost magic, and it couldn¡¯t be dodged nor blocked. That being said, I¡¯ve used it twice, and it has failed to kill the target both times. However, it was still a lethal move mixed with an ancient curse that would definitely lead to death.


    The newly-emerged Aquarius took a deep breath, put a strong aura around his sword, and swung it towards the red flash. Gae Bolg was a magic that could fix causality and had the property of being able to pass through non-living materials. Common sense would dictate that no matter how strong one was, this was not magic that could be cut or blocked with a sword.


    "Haaaaap!"


    However, Aquarius cut the red flash as if he had the power to convert things that were beyond common sense and cause them to make sense. The red flash was literally split in half, and its power to change causality to absolutely hit its target, as well as its curse to absolutely cause death, were also extinguished.


    "Hahaha." I burst into laughter at an unexpected sight.


    Previous failures were because the target was changed by an unknown force or the heart was not reached due to the target¡¯s massive size. I''d never thought someone could destroy my magic so perfectly.


    ¡°Lethal move, what bullcrap!¡±


    ¡°Keuk!¡±


    But it wasn''t entirely ineffective. Aquarius also seemed to have consumed quite a lot of energy to cut down the red flash. Before Aquarius could recover, I conjured up a magic circle with the chirps that I placed in advance and poured mana into it.


    "Ceremony omission! Beautiful and valiant from myths and legends! Symphony of falling stars! Stardust of Falling Star!"


    To control the magic that cost hundreds of times more than the one I just cast with the chirps, not only was the magic stone required, but the mana from my own body was also being drained. The mana that moved the chirps, dragon tooth soldiers, and the golem was purely my own, so I was slowly running out of mana too. But thanks to this, the powerful magic that required 30 great magicians was instantly prepared and fired.


    Immediately from the sky, a column of white doom fell down toward Aquarius, and I yelled, "Dieeeeee!"


    At the same time as my cry, Aquarius also screamed. "Ahhhhhhh-!¡±


    Before it reached Aquarius, he roared and shot an aura blade with all his might at the pillar of light. This magic was one that ended a great demon. Just a strong aura was not enough to fight against it. I hope that he¡¯ll learn the lesson that if a swordsman gives a magician time, then he¡¯ll be hit by insane magic like this. That is, if he survives, of course.


    As I was smiling triumphantly, the strong aura shot by Aquarius began to cut my magic in half. "The hell?!"


    That''s possible?!


    It wasn''t this surprising when Aquarius cut down Gae Bolg. After all, it wasn''t that hard for me to destroy Gae Bolg either. But that wasn''t the case for Stardust of Falling Star. This magic was originally designed to deal with troops at the level of an army division, not individuals.


    Using the crack created by the strong aura, Aquarius went through the pillar of light and escaped the range of the attack. As soon as he was out of range, the pillar of light overcame the strong aura that was cutting through it, slamming back towards the ground once more.


    "Wow, I almost died! Hahahahaha!¡± Having escaped the pillar of light, Aquarius laughed cheerfully.


    Then, as if he finally got genuinely angry, he began to emit killing intent, not just martial aura, and said, "Now, I''m going to kill you."


    As it changed from martial aura to killing intent, the pleasant atmosphere became cold at once. Well, if I almost died, I''d get really mad too, so this was expected.


    My purpose here in the first place was to buy time for Duke Asteria to flee to the capital. It doesn''t matter to me whether the opponent was sincere or not. I was just planning on buying time before running away. Then, I felt an unusual energy emitting from Aquarius.


    "Come! Demon Sword!" When Aquarius shouted, space contorted, and a single sword appeared.


    Demon Sword? If it¡¯s the Demon Sword, it was one of the swords called the Four God Swords, standing alongside the Holy Sword that I had. As far as I knew, it was lost around the same time as the Holy Sword, but it suddenly appeared here. The hideous aura from the sword mixed with Aquarius¡¯s killing intent exuded a horribly dreadful energy.


    "Now, let''s start for real."


    As soon as that sword appeared, the Holy Sword inside my clothes began to jolt around.


    Aquarius¡¯s eyes glistened as he showed a murderous smile. "Don''t worry; I¡¯ll only kill you a little.¡±


    The Holy Sword resonated violently and fiercely as if it had met its archenemy.

 Chapter 212: Aquarius (10)

    Aquarius walked forward slowly. As soon as this thought entered my mind, Aquarius disappeared. The moment I felt something terrifying, I layered dozens of barriers around me.


    "Hi?" Appearing right next to me, Aquarius gave a gentle hello and kicked me.


    Kwagwagwang-!


    "Ugh-!"


    Dozens of barriers were broken through in one fell swoop, and his kick made contact with my side, driving me into the ground. Immediately before slamming onto the ground, my defense bracelet was subconsciously activated, eliminating the damage and shock from hitting the ground.


    "Kulok!" Hot blood came out from my mouth with a cough. I think my ribs just got broken with that blow, and I suffered internal injuries.


    Aquarius rushed toward me, kicking the air from where he had just hit me.


    I cried out just before Aquarius kicked me. "Emergency escape! BLINK!"


    My vision slightly blurred due to my magic, and I teleported high into the sky.


    Kwaaang-!


    Aquarius crashed into the place where I was a moment ago, and the whole area collapsed centered around him. Frightened by this, I took a potion out of my pocket space and drank it.


    "Ugh, bitter. Healing! Rejuvenation!" Elder Mirpa''s special medicine and recovery magic instantly stuck my ribs back in place and healed my internal injuries.


    Aquarius laughed as he blew away the dust formed from the ground collapsing. "Hahahaha! I heard that teleportation is very difficult. How fun!"


    I laughed as well, looking at Aquarius. "Ahahahaha! At my level, teleportation magic is no big deal!"


    Suffering internal injuries and having my ribs broken was part of my daily life when I was in my hometown. There was nothing new about injuries like this, but I guess I was too immersed in my peaceful environment.


    The kick I just got hit with wasn¡¯t enough to make me unable to react; it¡¯s just that my senses have become very dull. It''s the only drawback to peace. Aside from that, everything else about peace is all good, so let''s continue to live a peaceful life.


    To do that, I¡¯m going to have to finish off that monster, aren''t I? Oong! Oong! Oong!


    I took out the noisy sword from my clothes. "So you want blood because you¡¯re a sword too, huh? What a psycho you are." Oong!


    I felt like it was shouting no, but I must be mistaken.


    Oong! Yeah, I know how you feel, but I''m not a killer like you.


    Oong! I sensed that it was saying it was misunderstood, but I ignored it and infused mana into the sword.


    Then, a sword blade made up of divine power rose from the sword. The aura of the Holy Sword and the Demon Sword clashed and fought for control of the space.


    "Oho! What''s that sword? It feels very holy.¡±


    I answered Aquarius with a laugh. "Ahahahaha! It¡¯s an insane sword that¡¯s bloodthirsty. It¡¯s the sword that will end you.¡±


    Oong! The Holy Sword cried loudly as if it agreed with me. Maybe


    "Hahahaha! That''s a great sword!¡± Aquarius laughed happily before he disappeared before my eyes again.


    "Golem!" At my command, the golem stretched its body and reached out its hand to the area between me and where Aquarius just stood.


    Kwang-!


    Aquarius was blocked by the golem''s hand, but the golem''s left hand was completely smashed in return for blocking him.


    "Tch!" Aquarius clicked his tongue and tried to leap through the air, stepping on the fragments of the golem¡¯s left hand.


    At that moment, my dragon tooth soldiers charged at Aquarius. Aquarius swung his Demon Sword and tried to cut down the dragon tooth soldiers charging before him. As the dragon tooth soldiers were about to be cut by the Demon Sword, I put up dozens of barrier layers on the dragon tooth soldiers.


    Kang-!


    While the magic and the strong aura of the dragon tooth soldiers blocked the Demon Sword, another dragon tooth soldier attacked from behind. With the joint assaults of the dragon tooth soldiers, Aquarius quickly rotated and blocked the dragon tooth soldiers'' swords with his Demon Sword.


    While Aquarius was blocking a dragon tooth soldier¡¯s sword, another dragon tooth soldier aimed at his side, and he deflected it with a kick. While Aquarius was dealing with the dragon tooth soldiers, I prepared the chirps quickly to complete a great magic.


    "At last, God''s punishment rang out in heaven! The spear of the thunder god!"


    I pulled back the dragon tooth soldiers just before the magic was fired. Tens of thousands of lightning spears rained down towards Aquarius from a vast magic circle created in the sky. Aquarius moved quickly and avoided the spears of the thunder god, and while he was preoccupied, I hid behind the golem.


    "Hahahaha!" Aquarius smiled and avoided the spears of the thunder god while shooting sword aura at the chirps forming a magic circle in the sky.


    The chirps were shot down by the sword aura, and the magic circle was disrupted. Naturally, as the magic circle was disrupted, the tens of thousands of lightning pouring from the magic circle also disappeared. This was a basic tactic initially used to deal with a magic caster.


    "Come! What''s next!" I aimed my magic wand at Aquarius as he shouted inquisitively.


    Then, I fired. "Lightning that Races Across the Sky! Fire!"


    Aquarius laughed at the Lightning that Races Across the Sky, which I had poured all my mana into. "Hahahaha! There you are!"


    He cut the Lighting that Races Across the Sky with a deadly aura blade on his sword. He was a monster that could cut down my extra powerful magic, so it was natural that he was able to slice this level of magic.


    I teleported behind Aquarius and whispered, "No, I¡¯m over here?¡±


    "Uh!"


    Like what was done to me earlier, I suddenly appeared next to Aquarius and cut his side with my Holy Sword. Aquarius could not block it with his Demon Sword because of the Lightning that Races Across the Sky but instead urgently defended by surrounding his whole body with a strong aura. If I was holding an ordinary sword, he might have been fine, but it was the Holy Sword, one of the four God Swords.


    Kwang-!


    Naturally, I cut down the strong aura protecting Aquarius and crushed him to the ground like what happened to me before.


    "Tch, it was too light.¡±


    However, my opponent was a monster who had cut down my Stardust of Falling Star, and he somehow managed to defend against my attack. But did I at least manage to break some ribs, though?


    I pulled a mana recovery potion from my pocket space and drank it while controlling the chirps. ¡°Ceremony omission! Incantation omission! Meteor Strike!"


    With my magic, a sparkle in the sky started approaching this location. "Acceleration! Increase gravity!"


    I increased the magic¡¯s speed and power by raising the acceleration and weight of the meteor falling from space to complete it quickly before Aquarius recovered. And so, a fairly large meteor flew to the place where Aquarius was.


    Kwaaaang-!


    The meteor hit the ground, creating a deafening roar as it turned the area upside down and formed a huge crater. The power of the meteor buried the golem''s lower body into the ground.


    "Wow."


    I purposely left out everything that could be omitted, but how many kilometers of land would get destroyed if I used it properly? Of course, it was impossible for me to use it in its entirety as of right now. The incantation for the magic was too long, and my mana was too limited to control it, so there was a possibility that my mana could flow backward if something went wrong. Even now, I barely managed to use it after taking all the shortcuts I could possibly take.


    "I wonder if that was enough to kill him?" I mumbled a recovery magic and slowly went down to the crater. I thought that I should refrain from using any more high-powered magic as my mana circuits were screaming.


    By the way, I don''t know what kind of meteorite fell, but regardless of what type it was, a meteorite was quite good as a magic catalyst. I had a memory from when I got scolded by Elder Mirpa for trying to touch her meteorite. It made me look forward to getting one.


    As I was walking to the crater¡¯s center to retrieve the meteorite, a pile of dirt suddenly rose from the edge of the crater. "Puat! Huk! Huk! Uahahahah! I almost died for real this time."


    Aquarius¡¯s mask was cracked, and his clothes had become rags, but all his limbs were perfectly intact. That''s shocking. I can''t believe he¡¯s alive after getting hit by that.


    "Excuse me, are you actually a person?¡± Now I''m just dumbfounded, not surprised.


    Aquarius laughed brightly at my question. "Ahahahaha! That''s what I want to say! How can you use magic only heard of in legends? As far as I''m concerned, that was magic that even great madosas couldn¡¯t use."


    I shrugged lightly at Aquarius. "Well, it¡¯s magic I used by taking every shortcut possible. Shall I use it again?"


    When I pointed the Holy Sword at Aquarius, he laughed airily. "Hahaha! What a bluff. I know that magic isn''t that simple!"


    Aquarius casually moved his arms and legs and spoke while looking for the Demon Sword he left under the ground, "You probably overworked your mana circuit or something with that magic just now. That''s why you''re aiming the Holy Sword at me instead of your magic wand."


    That¡¯s correct. The mana circuit was a concept that one wouldn¡¯t really comprehend unless one was a magician, but for a swordsman, he was quite informed about magicians.


    "Aigooo! What a pain."


    Aquarius clicked his tongue while searching the ground. "Tch, it was a pretty good sword, but it can''t be used anymore.¡±


    The Demon Sword found in the ground was broken in half. That''s how it became the Three God Swords, not the Four God Swords.


    Oong!


    The Holy Sword seemed to be happy that the Demon Sword was ruined. Still, the Demon Sword was a sword that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Holy Sword. To see how the Holy Sword was so happy, it sure had a nice personality.


    "Well, since it stopped the meteorite, it was worth its value. It''s still a shame, though."


    It was certainly an excellent blade to be able to stop the meteorite, but it was a waste. I kind of wanted it.


    Oong! The Holy Sword cried dejectedly as if it had read my thoughts. What do you want me to do about it?


    Aquarius clicked his tongue and got in a stance with the half-broken Demon Sword. I aimed my Holy Sword at him nervously. "Are you still going to fight? The duke probably arrived at the capital by now."


    Aquarius laughed cheerfully at my question. "Hahahaha, I don''t care about the duke anymore. It''s been a long time since I''ve had such a fun fight, so it¡¯d be a waste to stop now."


    What he said just now was definitely how the people of my hometown think.


    Aquarius covered the Demon Sword with a sword aura to make up the rest of the sword¡¯s blade. Given that he was using sword aura rather than strong aura, it seemed that he was also nearing his limit. Not needing anyone''s signal, Aquarius and I attacked each other at the same time.


    "Magic bullets!"


    Aquarius twisted his body to easily avoid the magic bullet I shot and aimed for my neck. I ducked down to dodge and slashed at the side that I had cut previously. Aquarius stepped back, avoiding my attack, and moved so fast that I couldn¡¯t see him, then reappeared at my right.


    Aquarius stabbed at my unguarded side, and I teleported behind Aquarius. I tried to cut Aquarius¡¯s back immediately, but Aquarius threw his body forward and avoided my sword. Then, as he hit the ground, he immediately turned around and swung the Demon Sword at me, which I blocked with the Holy Sword.


    Kang!


    Sparks shot out as the Demon Sword and Holy Sword collided.


    ¡°Isn''t it cheating to teleport!¡± Aquarius cried.


    I grinned. "A magician¡¯s battle is normally full of cheating and foul play!"


    I really had to dig deep here. An anomalous battle using teleportation was my ace in case I met my father.


    Aquarius and I competed in a battle of strength for a while before stepping back. My god. It was amazing how he must have been reaching his body¡¯s limits but was still able to match me, who was perfectly fine physically.


    Aquarius was also in admiration after clashing swords with me. "Kuhahah! This isn¡¯t the power of a magician. Impressive!"


    Aquarius and I charged at each other once more. When the swords were about to clash again, Aquarius used some footwork to create afterimage clones that split up and attacked me from both sides.


    Wait? This is!


    Without a moment to think, I ignored Aquarius¡¯s clones and turned back and swung the Holy Sword.


    Kang!


    A powerful shock spread as the Holy Sword and the Demon Sword collided, and Aquarius¡¯s cracked mask broke apart, revealing his face.


    "¡­Grandpa?"

 Chapter 213: Aquarius (11)

    Three days ago.


    "Have you eaten, In-law?¡±


    After visiting the Angel''s House and coming to a small cafe to meet Zendia, Duke Asteria sat in front of his in-law, smiled, and replied, "Haha, not yet, In-law.¡±


    Zendia smiled and nodded. "Then let''s take our time to eat and talk. Talaria, can you tell the kitchen to bring us some food?¡±


    Zendia spoke at a normal volume, but Talaria on the first floor was able to hear Zendia and answered, "Yes, Father."


    The duke showed admiration when he heard Talaria''s voice from below. "The Crows have such good hearing. I don''t think we would even be able to talk in secret unless there were a lot of soundproofing layers."


    "Hahaha, that''s true.¡±


    When Zendia nodded, the duke asked with a purely curious expression, "Is there anything bothersome about having such great hearing? I¡¯d assume you can probably hear a lot of unwanted clutter."


    Zendia smiled lightly. "It''s okay because I subconsciously ignore it when I¡¯m not trying to listen closely."


    "Is that so?"


    "The human body is a peculiarly adaptable living thing. No matter how disciplined and strong it becomes, sometimes I don''t even know if muddy water is splashed onto my body while I''m too focused."


    The duke smiled and doubted Zendia. "Ayy, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s true. How can a man with such keen senses not know that muddy water has splashed on him?"


    "Hahaha! It¡¯s the truth, especially when I had just left my hometown. In my hometown, even a handful of leaves and soil contain mana, so I can''t be unaware of it. But outside the forest, ordinary things don''t have mana, so I sometimes let my guard down. I adapted quickly because I¡¯m a swordsman, but since Talaria mastered magic, she took quite a long time to adjust."


    "Aha, I''m afraid magicians are more sensitive to mana, so there''s nothing one can do about it.¡± At Zendia''s explanation, the duke thought the reason why he didn¡¯t notice the muddy water was also terrifying.


    While the duke and Zendia chatted, Talaria served the food. "Enjoy the meal."


    Talaria put the food down and went back to the first floor, and Zendia whispered quietly when he saw Talaria descend. "It''s not food that my daughter made, so feel free to eat it."


    "I can hear you!"


    At Talaria''s cry from below, Zendia recoiled back. Seeing this, the duke smiled sadly.


    Seeing Duke Asteria¡¯s smile, Zendia felt regretful. "I''m sorry."


    Knowing the meaning of Zendia''s apology, the duke waved his hand. "No, it¡¯s enough for me if Anemone was happy. Besides, she lived longer than initially possible because she went there. I will always be grateful to Doomstone and Mirpa-nim."


    When Zendia became gloomy despite the duke''s gratitude, the duke changed the topic to the original purpose of their meeting. "By the way, I was quite surprised that you called me all of a sudden."


    "Oh, I''m sorry to inconvenience you by calling you so suddenly.¡±


    "No, it was no bother."


    The duke and Zendia each cut the steak in front of them and got down to business.


    "You know I''m Aquarius, don''t you?"


    The duke nodded at Zendia''s question. "Of course. The Empire has benefited greatly because of you."


    "This time, Talaria will infiltrate the interior and find out why Libra, Sagittarius, and Scorpio took the objects they stole from the imperial palace. So, can you help me divert their attention by putting on an act?"


    The duke thought for a moment and smiled softly. "What will I receive for doing the favor?"


    As soon as the duke heard the story, he was planning to agree without any conditions. However, after a long time, since his in-law asked for a favor, Duke Asteria decided to request that Zendia escort him to Anemone¡¯s grave in Olympus Forest. Olympus Forest was too dangerous a place to go with just the duke¡¯s forces.


    Zendia''s answer was far beyond the duke''s expectations. "How about spending time with your youngest grandson during the act? It just so happens that I need to check my youngest grandson''s skills thoroughly."


    Duke Asteria was so surprised by Zendia¡¯s unexpected suggestion that he couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    * * *


    "Ahhhhhk! The deer is flying in the sky!"


    The duke was briefly lost in thought when he clicked his tongue at the noisy Debt-ridden Knight¡¯s screams beside him.


    "You¡¯re a platinum plate adventurer. Don¡¯t make such a fuss just because it abruptly started flying.¡±


    At the duke''s nagging, the Debt-ridden Knight cried out, still holding his shocked and wildly pounding chest. "I''m a swordsman! I don''t fly around like a magician! No, people can''t fly in the first place; flying in the sky is what¡¯s strange!"


    The duke found it pathetic that he had such a coward as an escort. He should have been nicknamed the Cowardly Knight, not the Debt-ridden Knight.


    "Your Highness! What are you thinking so hard about?"


    The duke shook his head with a slight smile at the gaze of the suspicious Debt-ridden Knight. "It''s nothing.¡±


    The Debt-ridden Knight nodded, thinking it probably would not be good to hear anyway.


    Having regained some calm, the Debt-ridden Knight tightly gripped the deer''s reins and commended his mount. "By the way, this deer is very fast."


    "Of course, do you know whose deer this is?" The duke nodded proudly, and the Debt-ridden Knight looked at the duke incomprehensibly.


    Then, out of the blue, a strange voice came from the deer.


    - HA! HA! HA! MERRY CHRISTMAS!


    Following this voice, a very cheerful melody flowed out, and the deer began to sing.


    "Ahhh! The deer is singing!" Once again, the Debt-ridden Knight could not hide his astonishment at the bizarre sight of a deer singing.


    Right when the Debt-ridden Knight was shocked by the singing deer, a woman wearing a pink mask appeared in front of the two. With the unforeseen appearance of the Pink Mask, the Debt-ridden Knight tried to draw his sword. However, the deer that Debt-ridden Knight was riding suddenly began to move violently.


    - Danger detected! Eliminating!


    The deer shouted and swiftly started shooting beams from its nose.


    "Ahhhh! The deer is bucking around and shooting beams!¡±


    When the Debt-ridden Knight¡¯s deer violently moved and attacked the Pink Mask, the deer that the duke was sitting on turned around and began to flee.


    "Ahh! Where are you going by yourself? Your Highness!¡±


    "Hahahaha! I don''t know either!" The duke laughed cheerfully and enjoyed the situation. Yet, this was just a series of confusing events for the Debt-ridden Knight.


    The woman wearing the pink mask quickly approached while deflecting the deer''s beam, her twin swords shrouded in aura blade.


    - Freeze Beam!


    When she arrived nearby, mana gathered to the deer¡¯s antlers, and a beam capable of freezing everything poured out from the center of the antlers.


    "Keuk!"


    The frozen beam brushed by her while she was avoiding the surprise attack. However, she soon grabbed the back of the deer and sat on the saddle. And then she knocked out the Debt-ridden Knight.


    - Occupant unconscious. Considered dead. Command code D-1. Self-destruct sequence.


    The woman wearing the pink mask was appalled when she heard the voice of the deer. "Denburg, you crazy bastard!"


    She urgently poured mana into the deer''s head and modified the code Den entered.


    - Three, two, one... Passenger''s consciousness confirmed. Request for cancellation of command code D-1, accepted.


    Fortunately, it was not difficult to recognize her as a passenger since she was "family.¡± If she were a little late, she would have been caught up in the deer''s self-destruction. Looking at the magic circle, it was designed to doggedly follow the perceived enemy and self-destruct. At her level, she may not have been killed, but she could have been seriously injured.


    The deer began harmoniously singing Christmas carols again, and the deer that had fled returned from afar.


    As soon as the deer returned, the duke mounted on it also returned, smiling and asking, "How did it go? Big Mama, no, you''re Virgo now?"


    "Yes, I succeeded. And it doesn''t matter which name you call me. Please refer to me as whatever is convenient. But first, let''s get down."


    Talaria controlled the deer and approached the ground.


    After landing, Big Mama got off the deer and pulled out a large mirror from her pocket space. "I set up a magic tool that sends videos near my father and my youngest nephew. Would you like to see how good the youngest nephew is?"


    When Talaria asked, the duke nodded as if saying, of course. In the mirror, Den was surrounded by hundreds of birds and was summoning a golem. Their voices could not be heard, but the masked Zendia and Den were glaring at each other piercingly.


    "Do you happen to have peanuts or jerky?" The duke asked, watching peacefully.


    * * *


    "¡­Grandpa?"


    Why is Grandpa here? I couldn''t understand and just stared blankly.


    Grandfather scratched the back of his head as if he was in a bind. "Ahahahaha! It wasn¡¯t part of the plan for you to discover my identity.¡±


    I frowned at my grandfather''s words. "So you know it''s me. Did Aunt tell you?"


    That''s weird. I''m sure she can''t talk about me recklessly because of the contract.


    "She already told me before signing the contract.¡±


    My aunt found me when I was at the training center, and I wrote the contract with my aunt right after I was assigned to the adventurer''s guild, so she had plenty of time. My aunt had already made a loophole in my contract since grandfather revealing my identity wasn''t defined within it.


    I made a mistake. I should have remembered my grandfather, but I didn¡¯t think of it because I was blinded by the fact that my aunt led the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Hahaha. I can hear the cogs turning in your head from all the way here," my grandfather smiled kindly and said.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll keep my mouth shut. Can''t you revise the contract since my identity has been revealed?¡±


    That¡¯s right. As my grandfather said, I could just force him into the contract. But is my grandfather the only exception? Since there was already an exception, it was not possible to know if there would be more in the future.


    My grandfather laughed cheerfully as if he had guessed what I was thinking. "Even if your aunt uses me as a loophole in the contract, Talaria is not stupid enough to provoke your anger. Wouldn¡¯t it be easy to bring down what your aunt has achieved so far if you truly wanted revenge?¡±


    I nodded at my grandfather, and he smiled playfully and continued. "It¡¯s just like how you didn''t include yourself in the contract¡¯s curse. If you didn''t keep your promise, your aunt would cause trouble for you with all her might."


    "Hahaha, you already knew that?¡±


    Grandfather nodded at my question. "Yes, your aunt is not a pushover. It was your aunt who resolved all the international incidents committed by your father, Doomstone. Talaria is more amazing than you think."


    "I see."


    My aunt certainly wasn''t a pushover. She was a monster similar to Hestia noona. By the way, if the situation was now fixed, this meant the duke was on the same side as my grandfather.


    I sighed and frowned. Crack! "Oh, I guess the durability is up."


    The mask I was wearing broke and fell off my face. Actually, it was praiseworthy that it did not break when I was slammed into the ground by my grandfather.


    My grandfather took out a new blue mask and put it on before looking to the left. "Darn, if you have another mask, you''d better wear it now."


    In the direction that my grandfather was staring, powerful mana was quickly flying here. Is this the dragon king and the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s mana? I let out a weary sigh and took out a white half-mask from my pocket space and put it on.

 Chapter 214: Aquarius (12)

    The reason why I wore the white half-mask rather than the glasses was simple. It was because the recognition interfering magic barely worked for the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. As long as the great elder was present, it was clear that whether I wore the mask or the glasses, he would see that I was with my grandfather, "Aquarius.¡±


    Thus, it was better to wear the already-revealed mask instead of my new gimmick, the glasses, which others didn¡¯t know about yet. At least the great elder decided to keep my presence a secret with his name and mana on the line. Since the great elder doesn¡¯t know about Lupin, if I¡¯m lucky, we might be able to move on without discovering that I¡¯m Lupin. Of course, the chance of that is pretty low.


    "Ehew."


    At my sigh, my grandfather slapped my back, trying to cheer me up. "Why is a little kid like you sighing?"


    "I have been peacefully living well so far, but look at what''s happened because of Grandfather and Aunt."


    It felt like a stone had been thrown into my calm lake-like routine. Since leaving my hometown, my life had been nice and peaceful except when I was dealing with the great demon.


    "Ahahaha, I''m sorry about that. But from what I heard from your aunt, you haven¡¯t seemed to have had such a peaceful time?"


    I shrugged slightly at my grandfather. "That''s Aunt''s opinion. Grandfather, what do you think?¡±


    "Me? I thought you''ve been so quiet that I was wondering if you were even from our family. You must have inherited your mother¡¯s personality, considering you''ve been so reserved."


    I nodded at my grandfather''s assessment. My grandfather was acknowledging the fact that I was living peacefully and quietly. As expected, it was clear that my aunt was the strange one for nagging me.


    "Right? Aunt nags me saying things like I¡¯m a frog that¡¯s forgotten that I was once a tadpole."


    To be honest, she was just overshadowed by my father, the best troublemaker in the family, but my aunt also had a troublemaking personality when she was young. There¡¯s quite a famous story that said when my aunt would travel to other countries to clean up my father¡¯s mess, she would find the nobles¡¯ weaknesses and act like a gangster to deal with the accident.


    For example, there was a time when my father beat a nobleman half to death for splashing muddy water on him, and rather than offering compensation, my aunt threatened them and received half of their wealth for the price of a clothing item. As a result, there were probably nobles who were more wary of my aunt¡¯s name than my father¡¯s. Well, thanks to this, the Crow Tribe was currently in its prime. It was a good thing for the Crow Tribe. That is, from the perspective of the Crow Tribe.


    "Ahahahaha! That¡¯s just like your aunt. She thinks she''s cool headed and doesn''t act like that at all."


    "I know. Grandpa, did you know that she talks formally and pretends to be sophisticated in front of her foster daughter?¡±


    My grandfather nodded passionately, saying he sympathized with me. "I know! I get goosebumps all over my body when I hear that gentle way of speaking.¡±


    "Me too. When I see Milpia taking it for granted, ehew~."


    When I shook my head, my grandfather laughed loudly. "Uahahahaha! So I wasn''t the only one who thought so! Kuhahahaha!"


    I took out medicine from my pocket space and gave it to my grandfather, who laughed cheerfully. "This is for internal injury recovery, this is to stick your bones back together, this is a bone-strengthening medicine, this is a muscle strengthening medicine, this is a mana recovery potion, this is an energy restoring medicine, and this is a candy."


    "Hahaha, I''m not old enough to need medicine like this."


    "You have to take care of your health starting when you¡¯re still healthy."


    Grandfather laughed at my words and swallowed all the medicine I had given him. "Ugh, it''s bitter, but it also tastes like grapes."


    "Oh, the mana recovery potion is grape flavored. I thought there would be a lot of times when I would need to take it, so I made it taste good.¡±


    Grandfather ate the candy and finally neutralized the bitter taste by chewing it. "Oh, I think my broken rib is sticking back together?"


    I swallowed my medicine as I watched my grandfather moving around. "Ugh, I''ll have to improve the taste of the other ones too."


    Still, their effects were quite useful because they worked instantly. My condition wasn''t as good as it was before fighting my grandfather, but I felt well enough to run away.


    "I think we probably have to run away, but what are you going to do? Should we run away separately or together?¡±


    There were pros and cons for each of my grandfather''s proposals. If we run away separately, people who come here will be divided, so it would be easier. If we run away together, my grandfather, capable of even blocking my meteor strike, would be there to protect me. For now, I retrieved my golem, dragon tooth soldiers, and chirps.


    I answered my grandfather while collecting the precious meteorites. "Let''s go separately. I think it''s better to separate their forces than to deal with it all at once while tired. Besides, we both have different destinations."


    I don¡¯t know where my grandfather would be heading, but he would probably go to where my aunt is, and I had to go back to the palace without anyone knowing. This took more time than I initially estimated. I had to be back before Duke Asteria started thinking it was strange that the civil servant Den was not there, as he arrived at the capital first.


    Most importantly, if we ran away together, there could be a misunderstanding that I was on the same side as "Aquarius," one of the Twelve Zodiacs. I wanted to avoid that if possible.


    "All right, let¡¯s do that. It was nice seeing you after such a long time. I''ll contact you later through your aunt."


    "The next time we meet, let''s do so a little more peacefully. I almost killed you without knowing that you were Grandfather."


    My grandfather smiled at my remark and disheveled my hair. "Haha, all right. I don''t want to have any more near-death experiences either."


    "Then I will take my leave first."


    Grandfather waved at my farewell. "All right, be careful."


    I started flying away, and my grandfather started running in the opposite direction.


    * * *


    Orphina rode Hargan and flew to the source of the strong mana wave, leading the Red Dragon Knights.


    "Your Majesty, Dragon King, Great Elder-nim, Head Elder-nim, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to remain at the banquet hall and enjoy it more? I don''t feel comfortable taking such honored guests as yourselves to an accident site," said Orphina.


    The dragon king, sitting on the head of Dragon Harion, laughed cheerfully. "Ahahahaha! It''s okay! It''s all the more fun to have this kind of event!¡±


    Orphina sighed at the dragon king''s answer. "It is not fun at all for the empire."


    When Orphina turned to Weger and the great elder, the two people on the Dragon King''s dragon nodded as well. "I also rather like it. The imperial banquets are boring, and there isn¡¯t much I like other than the alcohol and food.¡±


    Weger said this, but as the escort for the deputy chief, he was not allowed to be split from Hestia¡¯s side. Nevertheless, it was under Hestia''s orders that he was there. Upon this command, he reduced his presence and concealed his mana as much as possible to make it imperceptible from afar.


    The Dragon King nodded vigorously and exclaimed, "Hahahaha! Weger is right; we''re on the same wavelength! It''s fancy, but you can¡¯t have fun there!"


    The great elder smiled lightly and said to Orphina, "Don''t worry, the imperial banquet suits me and my village members¡¯ tastes. We prefer the atmosphere of an academic conference rather than a lively festival like the Crow Tribe and the Dragon Tribe."


    Orphina thought the Butterfly Tribe were the only ones who enjoyed the banquet. Of course, a large number of talented court magicians attended the banquet, creating an atmosphere akin to an academic conference among magicians.


    "Then will Great Elder-nim return to the banquet hall?"


    At Orphina''s suggestion, the great elder smiled and shook his head. "No, I''m also interested in the mana I felt over there."


    The gaudy show of great magic, which he felt just before, was not something that was easy for even him to produce. Even if mana was supplemented by mana stones or a magic stone, it was impossible to use great magic continuously.


    At the very least, a tool had to be used to carry out multiple parallel magic calculations for so many to be fired in such a short time. Yet, such a magic tool had not yet been created by any magicians. If there were such a magic tool, it would be fitting to say that it was a dream tool that all magicians desired.


    "It seems like it¡¯ll be a lot of fun.¡± The great elder gave a broad smile. He wondered if there was a tool to accomplish such dream-like multiple parallel calculations.


    Maybe it was just hundreds of great magicians who used great magic one after another. However, the great elder¡¯s instincts told him that this was done by one or two people at most.


    "Hmm, they split in two." At Weger''s words, the great elder and the Dragon King heightened their senses.


    "One¡¯s going by foot, the other through the sky, and their direction is opposite one another. What are you going to do, Orphina?"


    When the Dragon King asked, Orphina contemplated.


    While Orphina was considering her options, the Dragon King asked Weger and the great elder, "What will you two do?"


    The great elder answered the Dragon King''s question without needing much thought. "I''ll go towards the sky where I believe the magician is."


    Weger concurred in response to the great elder. "I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    The Dragon King and the great elder gave Weger a surprised look as the great elder asked, "Aren¡¯t warriors more to your taste than magicians?"


    Weger smiled and shrugged. "It depends.¡±


    If he could, Weger wanted to follow on land where he thought the warrior was. However, Hestia commanded that if there was a magician, he was to pursue them as much as possible.


    The Dragon King laughed cheerfully. "Uahahahaha! I see. Then, I will follow on the ground. Orphina!"


    "Yes!" Orphina responded loudly to the Dragon King''s call and approached his dragon.


    "What did you decide to do?"


    "Yes! I have decided that we should split in two and chase both!" Orphina answered in response to the Dragon King¡¯s question.


    ¡°All right! Then you follow me!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Understood!¡± Orphina ordered the vice captain of the Red Dragon Knights to lead half of the unit.


    The great elder flew with magic, and Weger jumped softly from the dragon''s head and got on the vice-captain''s dragon, saying, "Excuse me for a moment."


    "No, it is all right. I will fly at full speed!"


    The Red Dragon Knights split into two groups and began to fly in opposite directions.


    * * *


    "Hmm, they split in two?" I felt the huge and small mana signatures divide into two.


    As I expected, only the great elder and the Red Dragon Knights seemed to be following me. Of course, he was probably interested because I consecutively used great magic, which usually takes hours to use only once.


    Where would be a good place to ditch the pursuers? Certainly, it would be safest to go to the original destination, the capital, as they too would not be able to move around recklessly. After checking the map and stars, I turned directions and started flying in the shortest distance to the capital.

 Chapter 215: Aquarius (13)

    When I started heading directly to the capital, the mana of the pursuers converging on my location began to change directions as well. This instant adjustment meant that the pursuers also had considerable mana detecting ability. This was only natural since the mana signified that the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe, Arpen, was part of the pursuit.


    However, their reaction speed while following me seemed strangely quick. Was it just my imagination? No, at times like this, it was better to be suspicious. I wanted to get to the capital without using magic if possible, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    "Devils in the shadows, may they wear the reflection in the mirror and appear. Doppelganger."


    A clone made of magic appeared right next to me, sharing my appearance. It was highly similar to the clone magic that I used during the "normal conversation between family members" with my aunt.


    "I always think this, but it''s not a good look.¡±


    "I always think this, but it''s not a good look.¡±


    The clone and I said the same thing in the same tone. Even if it was a clone that I made, I wasn''t too happy to know that there was someone exactly like me moving about.


    Every time I used this magic, it felt strange and eerie, as if I were entering a mirror maze and seeing a dozen different versions of myself. If the minor version of this magic was like looking at myself in the mirror, then the doppelganger felt like it was really me. Still, it had to be high enough level magic to deceive my pursuer''s senses.


    The doppelganger was not only life-like, it also had the same mana and presence as me. Of course, it wasn¡¯t up to 100 percent of my power, only about 80 percent. Even so, it could copy most of my magic, so it should be able to beat an average level madosa easily.


    "You go north and create as much of a disturbance as you can."


    "Ehew, that''s annoying. All right." The doppelganger sighed, changed directions, and began to fly away, annoyed.


    I felt an odd sense of displeasure at the doppelganger''s behavior, but oh well. In the first place, the doppelganger was not just a creature but a high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) that copied me. In fact, doppelganger was one of the black magic written in the summons for the Demon King, which was used as firewood for sweet potatoes in my father''s study.


    Since I didn¡¯t have black mana, I roughly recreated it using alchemy and ancient magic, but the results were much better than expected. It didn''t disappear until the mana supplied to it was used up and remained faithful to my orders. Sometimes, I felt so uneasy about its behavior identical to mine that it gave me goosebumps.


    Soon after the doppelganger and I split, the pursuers who were following me divided in half. "As I thought, their reaction is half a beat faster than I expected. Do they happen to have old Weger-nim?"


    If Elder Weger truly hid his mana and presence, it would be natural for him not to be caught by my senses. However, seeing my eldest brother downing bottles at the banquet hall, I thought that Elder Weger, Hestia noona¡¯s escort, would not leave her side.


    Was it perhaps an order from my third sister? It wouldn¡¯t be strange for my third sister to issue such an order. My thoughts became complicated for a moment. It was dangerous to deal with Elder Weger in a busy city like the capital.


    "Huh!" At that time, the mana I believed to be the great elder accelerated at a crazy speed and began to approach me.


    How did he know I was the real one? No, that wasn¡¯t important. I need to get away quickly. I tried to accelerate more, but it was too hard to shake him off because I was already exhausted. He¡¯s going to catch up!


    "Stop!" I heard a familiar voice from behind.


    "Who would stop when told to stop!"


    At my cry, the great elder poured mana into his magic wand. "Maiden of Ice!"


    Ice awls came from all directions and kept me in check. Tch, the capital was just around the corner. I made a thick barrier and went straight ahead, crashing into the ice spikes.


    "Huh, have you ever seen such a madman?" The great elder chased me with admiration. I used magic by forcing the already overworked mana circuit.


    "Minefield!" I continued to plant transparent mines as I moved forward.


    After detecting the transparent mines, the great elder slowed down and sprayed mana bullets everywhere, exploding all the mines I had laid down.


    Kwaaaaaang-!


    I accelerated further using the wind from the minefield that exploded behind me.


    "Hey! Let''s just talk for a second!" I could vaguely hear the great elder¡¯s voice through the sound of the explosion, but I ignored it and moved forward.


    Then, as if he did not want to lose, the great elder sped up and followed me closely. "Hey, white mask! I said, let¡¯s just talk for a second!"


    For wanting to just talk, aren¡¯t you emitting mana too full of killing intent?


    "Hey! I said stop!¡± When I showed no signs of stopping, the great elder became enraged, and the bluish mana that he imbued with an attribute rotated like a whirlwind around the magic wand.


    "The ice wolf carrying the north wind! The march of the legion defending the queen! This is the land of ice! Appear, ice castle!"


    A mana pattern that I thought I¡¯d seen before swept around the area and quickly began to form ice castles around me. Then, in the blink of an eye, I was inside the huge ice castle built by the great elder. I was forced to break sharply and landed in a huge space inside the ice castle.


    "Ahahahaha! Isn''t it great? It''s magic made by my granddaughter!" The great elder¡¯s bragging made me remember where I had seen this magic.


    This ice castle was a minor copy of the domain proclamation magic that Yuria attempted at the magic school entrance exam. Indeed, the scale was enormous when a great madosa made up for the deficient parts of it. At a glance, it was an ice castle that was almost the size of the imperial palace.


    Clap clap clap! "It is impressive. You have a talented granddaughter."


    "Uahahaha, right?! My granddaughter is the best, isn''t she? Uahahaha!"


    Looking at the great elder openly boasting about his granddaughter, I wondered whether to take off my mask or not. I thought if I took off my mask and explained the situation, he might just let me go to the capital. Yet, if my identity was revealed, even if not now, I could be bothered by a barrage of questions later. Let''s just drag on a little bit.


    "But how did you know I was the real one? It wouldn''t have been possible to tell the difference between me and the dummy at such a distance.¡±


    The great elder snorted at my question. "How am I supposed to know? I just need to get to both places quickly."


    I thought he might have had his own method of sensing or something as a great madosa, but it was more of an ignorant tactic than I¡¯d believed. However, considering the great elder¡¯s flight speed, this plan was probably possible, which was even scarier.


    "Don''t look at me like that. Usually, ignorant methods are the most efficient ones."


    "Well, I agree with that." Sometimes ignorant methods were the most efficient.


    The great elder shouted, full of killing intent with his magic wand pointed at me. "Now! Let''s slowly have a conversation!"


    The ice castle responded to the great elder¡¯s cry, and mana came from every direction and surrounded me. My magic wasn''t exactly disturbed, but I felt like the ice castle was ready to attack at any time in line with the will of the great elder.


    I had no choice but to raise both of my hands. Unless I were in top condition, it would be too much to face a great madosa head-on.


    "Oho, are you willing to have a conversation now?¡±


    No matter how I thought about it, the mana that the great elder was emitting did not indicate that he wanted to simply talk.


    "No. Emergency escape!" I teleported out of the ice castle.


    "You dare!" As I began to disappear, the great elder tried to disrupt my teleportation with mana, but I hacked into the ice castle and made it attack him.


    "What!"


    I waved at the flustered great elder. "An incomplete magic like that-"


    The view completely changed, and there was a huge ice castle in the distance. "-shouldn¡¯t be used recklessly."


    If he had been a real domain proclamation, I would not have dared to attempt teleportation. Furthermore, Yuria¡¯s ice castle was far from complete. Perhaps the great elder was deliberately not completing the ice castle, but to arrogantly use it in a real battle was how he got the tables turned on him.


    Of course, it was only possible to hack into it thanks to the fact that I had seen Yuria¡¯s ice castle before and knew of its vulnerabilities. However, it would have been extremely perplexing for the great elder.


    "Now, shall I start going back to the capital again?¡±


    It would take the great elder some time to deal with the hacked ice castle, so I had to get to the capital quickly. Fortunately, the capital was truly just around the corner now, as I could see the outer walls of the capital. In order to sneak into the capital, I crossed its walls by suppressing my presence as much as possible and interfering with the imperial military¡¯s mana detection.


    "Ehew, now I can take a breather." A sword aura suddenly flew at me as I breathed a sigh of relief and sneaked across the walls.


    Kwang!


    I quickly cast a barrier and blocked the sword aura. Then, I looked for the person who shot the sword aura at me.


    "It has been a long time, Youngest Master-nim." On the city wall, Elder Weger looked at me with a gentle smile and an aura blade surrounding his sword.


    ¡­It''s ruined.


    * * *


    Hestia hummed as she left the banquet hall. The foreign minister said he would be her escort, but Hestia refused, saying that a person with political insight should remain at the banquet hall. Instead, she grabbed Gallahad''s ear. He had been downing his fifth bottle of vodka when she took him as an escort.


    "Oww, Hestia. That hurts."


    Gallahad asked to be released with a drunken, red face, and Hestia sighed. "Who told you to drink like that? Jeez, I don''t know if you realize you''re here as a village envoy."


    As Hestia shook her head, Gallahad bluntly pouted and grumbled. "Tch, it¡¯s just five bottles of vodka. I¡¯m fine. Maybe if I had ten more bottles, I wouldn¡¯t."


    Hestia pulled Gallahad¡¯s ear again as he licked his lips, thinking of the vodka he had left at the banquet. "That''s why I dragged you out at the fifth bottle. If you get any drunker, my plans will go awry."


    "Plan?" Gallahad looked at Hestia with an oblivious look, but Hestia just smiled and headed to the stable where the Red Dragon Knights had left their dragons.


    "Blackie!" Arriving at the stable, Hestia called Cerberus that she had brought.


    Cerberus, previously sleeping in the stable, ran to Hestia, smashing the stable apart.


    "Sit." At Hestia''s command, Cerberus sat down right away, huffing and puffing.


    "Good job." Hestia threw a piece of jerky made from an ogre.


    "Oppa, please bring me the saddle."


    Gallahad nodded at Hestia''s request. "Okay, but what about the three people who followed us clumsily?¡±


    Hestia smiled as she looked at the white and gold hair that could be seen in between the buildings. "You don''t have to worry about it. You used to play the game of tailing each other a lot when you were young too."


    "Hmm, well, that''s true." Gallahad agreed and headed to the rubble of the stable, smashed by Cerberus, to pick up the saddle.

 Chapter 216: Aquarius (14)

    I decided to feign innocence towards Elder Weger, who was smiling at me. "I don''t know who this Youngest Master-nim you are talking about is, but you shouldn''t shoot sword aura so recklessly in the capital."


    Elder Weger smiled merrily at my scolding. "Hahaha, I have already heard from Young Miss¡¯s report that Youngest Master-nim goes around wearing a white half-mask with recognition interfering magic cast on it.¡±


    Then, after saying so, he gave a look of surprise. "But I''m surprised you''re wearing a mask that''s already been revealed. I thought the Youngest Master-nim would use a new recognition interfering magic tool. Yet, Youngest Master-nim is really wearing a white half-mask, just as the Deputy Chief-nim said."


    I burst into laughter at Elder Weger''s words. ¡°Hahaha, as expected of Hestia noona.¡±


    ¡°Oho, you¡¯re not denying that you are the Youngest Master now?¡±


    When I didn''t deny it, Elder Weger asked with interest, and I smiled lightly. "You won''t believe me even if I deny it. And I wore this mask because I thought I''d be discovered in the capital anyway."


    My third sister seemed to have guessed my prediction as well. If the current situation was within Hestia noona¡¯s expectations, what would she do now? There were a few scenarios that I could guess, but I thought that she would probably take action herself. No, when I left my hometown, considering that she lost me at the end of the chase, it was clear that she would take action directly.


    I asked Elder Weger with confidence, "Which one did she bring, Blackie, Goldie, Whitey, or Spotty? My guess is that she brought Blackie, the one who follows her the best.


    Even if Hestia noona herself moved, my weak-bodied third sister would not be able to catch me alone. However, if she allowed the people from my hometown¡¯s delegation to act on her behalf, it was obvious what would happen to the capital, so she couldn¡¯t allow it. As such, at the least, she would have definitely prepared a means to move quickly.


    "Who knows? I don''t know what you mean." Elder Weger still wore a gentle smile.


    I couldn¡¯t read Elder Weger''s expression at all. Indeed, the old monster¡¯s facial expressions could not be read because not only could he control his facial muscles, but also his pupils and pulse rate.


    I looked at Elder Weger as he continued pretending to be ignorant and checked the Holy Sword I had put in my pocket. "Well, I can roughly guess, so there is no need to answer."


    Considering the number of delegates I saw at the banquet hall, it was clear that the foreign minister, capable of reading the political situation, would remain at the banquet hall. Hestia noon would probably try to move as discreetly as possible, so at most, there would be three people brought alongside her.


    If it was as I expected, there was a high possibility of her only bringing around one escort. If so, the escort would be Gallahad hyung. My eldest brother was a poor thinker, but he was also one of the most powerful in the village. He was simple and tactless, but when I was in my hometown, I never beat my eldest brother in a pure head-on match.


    "Oh, is that so?" Elder Weger smiled and spoke, spewing out martial aura to the point of making one¡¯s body tremble.


    "Aside from that, they say flying magic is prohibited in the capital, so how about coming down?"


    This didn''t seem like what someone who suddenly fired a sword aura should say.


    "What if I refuse?¡±


    Elder Weger answered my question in a calm voice. "Still, it does not matter. Looking at you, you seem pretty exhausted, so it wouldn''t be a bad idea to give you a flight advantage."


    At the same time, Elder Weger stepped lightly on the ramparts. Following my senses, I quickly took out the Holy Sword, injected mana into it, and swung.


    Kang!


    Elder Weger jumped towards me at a speed beyond my vision¡¯s capabilities, and he swung his sword, clashing with mine. "That''s a good reaction. It seems you haven¡¯t been lazy and stopped training just because you left your hometown."


    Along with Elder Weger¡¯s praise, I lost the strength contest and was pushed towards the ground. Despite being a magician and still growing, Elder Weger perfectly overwhelming me in a contest of strength was not the power an old man should have. What a monster.


    I landed on the ground, rolling to disperse the impact. Elder Weger also turned around in the air and landed on the wall.


    Elder Weger looked down at me from the wall and commented, "I love the sword you''re holding. A sword that useful will reduce your skills a bit, but you should develop your abilities so that you won¡¯t be swayed by it."


    Elder Weger''s eyes glistened without hiding his feelings. That look was the same one he wore when pushing his disciples through hell training. I felt goosebumps all over and started running without looking back.


    Even if I flew away, my opponent was someone who could jump through the sky by kicking the air, so it was not very efficient. If I were in good condition, it would be different, but after overexerting myself fighting my grandfather, if I ran away through the air and the great elder started chasing me, there would truly be no way out.


    "Did you give up on the sky?¡± Elder Weger immediately jumped off the wall and asked, chasing me.


    "Who knows!"


    Fighting in the capital without flying had two advantages for me. One was that my opponent couldn¡¯t use any skills large enough to destroy the capital, and the other was that I was very familiar with the geography of the capital. With these two advantages, I would be able to escape Elder Weger''s pursuit somehow.


    Elder Weger shot a sword aura at me, and I threw myself to the side to dodge. While in the air, I stepped on the walls of a building in a residential area and jumped high, grabbed a magic street lamp, spun my body, and swung my Holy Sword, shooting a sword aura.


    Elder Weger also ran over on the walls of the building while avoiding my sword aura. I let go of the street lamp and settled on the roof of the building. After this, I jumped between the buildings and fled towards the neighborhood where the high-ranking nobles lived.


    "Uhtcha!" [1]


    Elder Weger tried to move as gently as possible to not destroy the architecture, but the old buildings on the outskirts of the capital were likely to break down if a Crow attempted to move at full speed.


    "How can you destroy the buildings?! Don''t you feel sorry for the people who live there?" I''ve lived in the capital for quite a long time and have gotten used to the fragile buildings¡¯ durability, but Elder Weger hasn¡¯t.


    Elder Weger smiled sheepishly when I lightly reprimanded him. "Huhhuhhuh, jeez. Youngest Master-nim is still as shrewd as always."


    The best example of this was, while running away, I was taking the capital hostage.


    "What do you mean shrewd? You should say it is wise."


    Using the surrounding environment was fundamental for military strategy. Elder Weger didn¡¯t seem to think poorly of my judgment, seeing how he laughed even while calling me shrewd.


    Elder Weger and I launched sword auras at each other as we moved about on top of the rooftops. Our sword auras cut well-paved brick roads or smashed parts of the roofs. Still, the fact that two Crows were fighting and only caused this much damage was proof that they were heavily suppressing their strength.


    In fact, if I hadn''t suppressed Elder Weger''s power in this way, I would have already been overwhelmed by him after growing exhausted from the battle with my grandfather. Furthermore, if his power had not been suppressed, half of the capital would have been destroyed, so it was vital to curb his power.


    A tense war of nerves between Elder Weger and me continued, and when we entered the center of the capital, Elder Weger began to make a winning move. Elder Weger flew into the sky, gathered up his martial arts skill, and kicked the air to close the gap to me instantly.


    "Here I come!" Elder Weger cut towards my neck, right arm, and left side at the same time.


    I deflected Elder Weger''s sword that was approaching from three places with my Holy Sword and kicked him in the abdomen. However, Elder Weger turned his body to avoid the kick and swung his sword towards my heart.


    I pulled back my upper body, dodging Elder Weger''s sword. I placed my hands on the ground, and with the kick aimed at his abdomen, I directed it upwards and targeted Elder Weger''s chin. Elder Weger raised his arm to block my kick, and I proceeded to cut Elder Weger''s thigh with my sword, aiming for a blind spot created by my foot and Elder Weger''s arm.


    Kang!


    It was definitely a blind spot, but Elder Weger''s somehow blocked my Holy Sword. I pushed off the ground, distancing myself from Elder Weger.


    "Impressive. It¡¯s a better weapon than I initially thought. If it weren''t for that sword, it would have been over in one strike."


    Just as Elder Weger evaluated, it was largely thanks to the Holy Sword that I was able to deflect Elder Weger¡¯s attack in the confrontation just now. The divine power of the sword continued to speed up my physical abilities and reaction times.


    "First, as your swordsmanship teacher, I advise you not to use that sword in normal situations. If you get too used to it, you won''t be able to use another sword ever again. It¡¯s definitely a magic sword that eats away a tiny portion of the swordsman¡¯s skills.¡±


    Ooong! The Holy Sword felt wronged by Elder Weger''s assessment and cried. I was sorry towards the Holy Sword, but I felt the same way.


    "When I get home, as advised, I''ll return to my normal sword."


    Elder Weger smiled at my words. "That home, of course, means Olympus, right?¡±


    "Of course not." As soon as these words were spoken, Elder Weger and I attacked each other.


    I swung the Holy Sword at Elder Weger''s neck. Elder Weger blocked the Holy Sword, but instead of deflecting it, he followed down the sword¡¯s blade and penetrated my defense. Looking at the sword aiming for my shoulder, I quickly recovered the mana that I had put into the Holy Sword.


    "Uh!"


    The blade of the Holy Sword disappeared, and Elder Weger''s sword weakly shook due to the force he was pushing on it. I created the blade of the Holy Sword once more and struck Elder Weger''s sword outwards. Then, I aimed at the shoulder of the defenseless Elder Weger.


    Kang!


    Elder Weger covered the hem of his robe with a strong aura to block the Holy Sword. It was a common method that people back home used since they were ten years old. Elder Weger''s martial aura spewed out like an explosion, and slightly twisting his body, he kicked me in the abdomen at a speed not visible to the eye.


    "Uuk!"


    I quickly stepped back to reduce the impact and blocked it with the barrier I always wore, but the heavy force hit my stomach and blew me back. As I flew away, I grabbed a magic street lamp, spun around, and landed on the roof of another building.


    "Aigoo, it hurts."


    Momentarily, I almost vomited the duck meat I had for dinner. But thanks to Elder Weger, I was able to distance myself from him again.


    As the distance between us increased, one could see Elder Weger¡¯s regret at this mistake in his eyes. It must have been quite shocking to see that I absorbed a lot of the impact and used the kick to further the distance.


    "I''m leaving." I turned around and started running away again.


    1. Kind of like grunting sound.

 Chapter 217: Aquarius (15)

    "Ahahahaha! What an interesting sword! The blade can appear and disappear; this gives it a wide range of use tactically!" Elder Weger chased me with a cheery smile.


    Certainly, it was very difficult for the opponent to grasp the length of the Holy Sword because it could become a dagger or a two-handed longsword depending on the amount of mana injected into it. At the same time, it was light and easy to use, so it was natural for it to be called one of the God Swords.


    "Aren¡¯t I skilled since I can use it well tactically?" I lightly joked.


    Elder Weger laughed cheerfully. "Hahahaha! You are still a long way off! If you toil under me for a year, you will be able to handle it well!"


    Elder Weger said something that gave me goosebumps. My god, I''ve seen Elder Weger''s disciples toil under him numerous times, so I''m not crazy enough to experience a hell like that. I''m the one who viewed Gawain hyung and Mac hyung¡¯s suffering more closely than anyone else.


    Since I was now on the street with the high-ranking nobles¡¯ mansions, the buildings didn¡¯t break easily despite me stepping quite vigorously. Of course, even so, the buildings would still be destroyed by the sword auras that Elder Weger and I were using to keep each other in check. In my hometown, aside from anything made of wood or stone, there were very few vulnerable things.


    I measured my current position by looking at the palace in the distance. All right, I think that''s enough.


    "Ahaha! Why are you stopping? Do you feel like going back to the village now?¡±


    When I suddenly stopped running away and raised my Holy Sword, Elder Weger went on high alert. He knew I wasn''t one to stop fleeing suddenly, so he didn''t rush to approach me but rather tried to find out what was on my mind.


    "No way, doesn¡¯t Elder-nim know me well?"


    At my words, Elder Weger asked with a little nervousness, "Yes, I know you very well. So what are you up to?"


    "Ayy, what do you mean? It''s nothing."


    I smiled brightly at the nervous Elder Weger and raised the Holy Sword. Then, I poured as much mana into the sword as I could.


    "Come on, hold on, hold on!¡± Elder Weger raised his hand and tried to stop me as if he knew what I was going to do. Yet, the distance between Elder Weger and me was not within an arm¡¯s reach.


    "Hahahaha!" I wielded the now giant Holy Sword and shot blades of divine power from the Holy Sword everywhere like it was sword aura.


    "Hey! You crazy bastard!" Elder Weger panicked and shot down the blades of divine power by shooting sword aura, trying to stop the blades from damaging the surrounding area as much as possible.


    I quickly ran away again while Elder Weger was busy. Elder Weger would definitely block all of the attacks that I shot everywhere. Even if they weren¡¯t all blocked, the most that would happen was that the luxurious houses would become unseemly.


    I shot the blades of divine power to places where I didn¡¯t sense anyone¡¯s presence, so there was no problem. As long as Elder Weger and I keep my mouth shut, no one would know what happened here, so it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway. No one can blame you unless you''re caught.


    "Hey! Stop right there! I''ll kill you if I catch you!" It was very rare for Elder Weger, known for his gentleness, to be so angry.


    "Hahaha, please calm down! Did something happen for you to get angry all of a sudden?" As I said so, I launched myself towards Count Druval¡¯s mansion.


    It was a mansion that still had defense magic made with expensive magic materials and catalysts, but I easily distorted it to create a gap and landed inside the mansion. Then I quickly closed the gap.


    "You, you punk!" Elder Weger, lacking any magical knowledge, could not enter the mansion without touching these defensive magics.


    Of course, Elder Weger could easily break through, but since it was made with expensive catalysts, it would be difficult to force his way quietly. In particular, as I had robbed his place before, Count Druval seemed to have ground his teeth and poured several times more money into its security.


    "Elder-nim, did you know? The owner of this mansion is the owner of the Druval Market, which frequently trades with our village."


    In fact, when I first arrived at the capital, I didn''t know that the Druval Market traded with my hometown. At most, I thought the Asteria Market did everything, but I was surprised to hear that the Druval Market was also one of the top markets.


    I first learned about the Druval Market while working for the adventurer''s guild. Of course, I think I would have still robbed the place even if I had known about it.


    "Kkeung!" [1]


    After hearing this, Elder Weger looked at me perplexed. To catch me, he would have to destroy Count Druval¡¯s mansion¡¯s defense magic, possibly demolishing the mansion while he was at it. However, while considering not catching me, I could see at a glance that he wanted to apprehend me and make me suffer through hellish training.


    Elder Weger spoke seriously as his hands were tied. "Even if you stay there, aren¡¯t you just trapping yourself inside?¡±


    Obviously, Elder Weger was staring at me with a murderous aura from outside the mansion, so I couldn''t move either. That is, on the surface, of course.


    "Really? That is a big problem." I laughed merrily and hacked the defense magic that was plastered all over the mansion. Then, I activated the magic circles.


    "It just so happens that this mansion says that it will play with Elder-nim instead of me. Good luck." I waved my hand and attacked Elder Weger with the defense magic circles.


    By the way, the defense magic was insignificant. Pouring such expensive catalysts into the defense magic, they should have at least gotten the magic circles installed by a decent magician. It was pathetic enough for me to shake my head. At this rate, it was better to say that the magic circles were operating more due to the catalysts than the magic.


    "Ayy, I¡¯ll be generous and renovate it." I started overhauling the magic circle on the spot.


    Thanks to there being much more catalysts than needed for the magic circle, there was no shortage of materials. When I started to renovate the magic circle, reactions began to appear outside the mansion in real-time.


    "What?!¡± Elder Weger moved busily, startled by the sudden powerful attack.


    After revamping the magic circle excitedly, I succeeded in increasing the defense to the point where it would take around 30 minutes for Elder Weger to break through. To do this, I used almost all the catalysts, and the life span of the magic circle only had 30 minutes left, but it''s not even my house, so who cares.


    Since I didn¡¯t own the house, I experimented with everything that I usually only speculated about. Still, they should be thankful since I created an impregnable fortress that no one would be able to penetrate for the next 30 minutes.


    "Yes, yes, let''s go get some rewards to serve as the count¡¯s appreciation.¡± I hummed my way into Count Druval¡¯s mansion.


    When the defense magic suddenly activated, the occupants of the mansion gathered together in the kitchen and were in hiding. Thanks to this, it was convenient because I didn''t have to sneak around avoiding people. Then, shall we see where the magic vault is?


    "You''ve saved up a lot in the meantime."


    Hidden under the walls and floors protected by security magic, the secret vault was filled with jewels. There was no cash, perhaps due to the belated knowledge of currency reform. There was certainly a reason why the count was called a big business tycoon. Of course, this was probably only a part of Count Druval''s slush fund.


    "Wow! This painting is the legacy of Paleiso. I better take it."


    There was a reason why etiquette was a compulsory subject for civil servants'' training. Noble etiquette included paintings, so after being taught, I was able to recognize such expensive items. As expected of a compulsory subject, it was useful.


    Come to think of it, I have Count Druval¡¯s corruption ledger in my pocket space. Should I sell it to my aunt for a high price? I''ll have to think about it because I''m too lazy to directly convert the slush funds myself.


    Also, I couldn''t take the necklace called Crystal of Perfection or whatever last time because people kept hovering around it. This time, I could take it as payment for renovating the magic circle.


    "All right, I think that''s enough to pay for the renovation of the magic circle." Lastly, I put the Crystal of Perfection in my pocket space and headed to Count Druval''s secret passage.


    It seems that Elder Weger was also struggling quite a bit, considering the noise outside. I left the mansion as cautiously as I could, hiding my presence and mana. Elder Weger would be too hassled from dealing with the defense magic, but with his keen senses, I could potentially get discovered while fleeing through the secret passage.


    As I slowly passed through the dust-filled secret passage to the exit, I emerged in a shabby house. "Cough! Ah, dust! Where is this?"


    I lightly brushed off the dust with my hands and checked the map from my pocket space. Looking at the direction of the imperial palace, the walls and streets surrounding the capital, and the train station to the south, I found that I was in the slums of the capital¡¯s outskirts.


    "He connected the secret passage pretty far away." The slum in the north was a poor area, having a mountain at its back which made it unlikely to be invaded by a foreign enemy or attacked by someone.


    After thinking about changing back to a suit from the clothes my aunt gave me, I decided to change at the palace. It was easier to move around in black clothes than suits, and it was less noticeable.


    I hid my presence and mana as much as I could and quickly headed for the palace. I guessed that Hestia noona had left the palace by now. If so, then I would not meet my third sister even if I returned to the palace.


    The slums that I had landed in through the secret passage were quite a long distance away from Count Druval''s mansion, where I had last battled Elder Weger. No matter if Hestia noona had Blackie, if she didn¡¯t have a starting point to track my smell, there was no way she could pursue me in this vast capital.


    "Bark! Bark! Bark!"


    ¡­Which is what I had thought.


    Right when the palace was just around the corner, the barking of a dog could be heard in triple surround sound, and soon a three-headed mutt from the roof of a tall building looked down at me with a person on its head. Belatedly, a large shadow ran across the buildings, struggling to keep up, before standing next to my third sister.


    "Oppa, aren¡¯t you a bit too slow?"


    At my third sister¡¯s scolding, Gallahad hyung, arriving late, grumbled, "That mutt is fast; I¡¯m not slow."


    "Oppa, don''t call it a mutt because it has a nice name called Blackie. Don''t you think it¡¯s nice?"


    Hestia noona looked at me and asked while I shook my head. "Noona, if you have children, don''t name them yourself."


    "Oh, that''s too mean."


    Hestia noona really had no naming sense. And additionally, her sensibility was somewhat twisted. Well, most people in my hometown had twisted sensibilities.


    "It''s been a while, by the way.¡± Hestia noona, riding on top of Blackie with her back to the moon, waved gently with a welcoming smile.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. "Ehew, yeah. It¡¯s been a while."


    I didn''t want to, but it was the first family reunion in a long time.


    1. Kind of like a ¡®gasp¡¯

 Chapter 218: Aquarius (16)

    "How did you find me? You couldn¡¯t have located me with just Blackie¡¯s sense of smell in this large capital."


    Hestia-noona smiled slightly. "It was nothing. I just put myself in your shoes a little bit. At first glance, the capital looked complex with many buildings, so it seemed to be advantageous terrain for Elder Weger-nim. However, the buildings are too fragile for our village¡¯s people to use their power properly. So I thought you would take advantage of that."


    I nodded at my third sister. "That''s right. Thanks to that, I finally managed to lose Elder Weger-nim. But that doesn''t answer the question of how you found me."


    Hestia noona purposely pretended to be exaggeratedly surprised, "Oh my! You haven''t used your head much since you left the village, have you? If it were you from before, you would have noticed right away. Your sister is sad that the smart little brother has become a fool."


    She smirked and made fun of me. She still has a nasty temper.


    "I''m sorry I¡¯ve become a fool. So, how did you find me?"


    Hestia noona spoke with a gentle smile as I grumbled. "It wasn¡¯t much. No matter how fragile the capital¡¯s buildings are, there¡¯s no way you would be able to run from Elder Weger-nim with just that handicap.¡±


    That''s correct, too.


    "Thus, using your experience as Lupin, you would probably go to places where Elder Weger would not be able to move freely, such as Count Druval''s residence or the prime minister''s residence. And there, you would most likely tie up Elder Weger-nim''s feet with the trespass security measure in place."


    I got goosebumps from Hestia noon¡¯s reasoning.


    "While you delayed him, you would have to run away, but if you just left, you''d be caught by Elder Weger-nim''s senses. So then, how must you get out of there?"


    My third sister smiled playfully as she answered her question. "I¡¯d guess you¡¯d probably use a secret passage made to escape an enemy invasion.¡±


    "That''s correct." I readily nodded and admitted it.


    Hestia noona closed one eye and pretended to think. "Then, I wonder where the secret passage ends? What''s important to note here is that you would choose a place that has magic to repel intruders and where Elder Weger-nim couldn''t move recklessly.¡±


    Ah, I know what Hestia noona is trying to say.


    "Of course, anyone with that kind of wealth and power would choose a place that''s slightly far from the capital. In addition, it would be one that the enemy wouldn''t go after once the capital was ruined, like the slums with the mountain at its back.¡±


    Gallahad hyung¡¯s expression showed that he didn¡¯t understand any of that exchange, but he clapped in admiration, and Hestia noona nodded as if it was natural.


    "If the location is specified to that degree, it''s possible to locate you with Blackie¡¯s sense of smell."


    Hestia noona clapped when I smiled bitterly. "That''s correct!"


    "But noona, you know there''s a blind spot in your reasoning, right?"


    My third sister nodded, saying, "Of course, even if I found the exit of the secret passage, if I don''t know the direction you''re going, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find you, right?¡±


    I nodded. "Right. How did you know I was going in this direction?"


    Hestia noona smiled as if she were having fun. "Huhut, you still have a habit of acting ignorant when you already know everything. Your destination is, of course, the imperial palace, so looking at a map, it''s not difficult to determine your direction."


    Gallahad hyung looked at me and Hestia alternately, surprised by my third sister''s words. "What? Why? Den''s coming to the palace?"


    My eldest brother asked with a puzzled face. For Gallahad hyung, it would feel like I was coming back to get caught.


    My third sister shrugged lightly. "Because there''s no place like the palace that''s safer for Den right now. Usually, people think it''s the most dangerous under the lamp. Also, we came as a delegation on behalf of the village, but are we able to search through the palace as we please? Our alliance shattering would be a given, but it also wouldn¡¯t be strange if a war broke out."


    To put it simply, the imperial palace, for example, was the equivalent of America¡¯s White House. No matter the fact that they were allies, it was clearly not a place where other countries could conduct an armed search.


    "That''s why Den is going back to the palace and leaving the banquet hall. Isn''t that right?" Hestia noona looked at me and asked airily.


    Gallahad hyung nodded shortly before he became astonished. "Wait, our little brother was at the banquet?!¡±


    When my eldest brother was shocked, Hestia noona looked at him, dumbfounded. "What''s up with you all of a sudden?¡±


    Saying so, she jumped down from Blackie.


    "Well, that was a long explanation. Oppa, Blackie, bite!" Hestia noona pointed at me and shouted, and Blackie jumped off the roof and ran towards me.


    "Something tells me you¡¯re putting me on the same level as that mutt.¡±


    Gallahad hyung spoke discontentedly, and Hestia noona gave a genuine look of surprise. "Oh my gosh! Little brother! Oppa suddenly became smart!"


    I was appalled as I avoided Blackie. "Oh my gosh! No way!"


    Gallahad hyung grew irate at our reactions, "Hey! I¡¯ll hit you two!¡±


    Shouting, my eldest brother jumped down with a huge ax that he usually used.


    "Why? There are objective indicators that hyung is stupid. Elder Weger says that knowing yourself is a shortcut to strength, so why not reflect on your shortcomings?"


    "Yes, let''s start by hitting you, little brother!¡± Gallahad hyung swung his ax with genuine anger.


    I ducked away from the ax. "Hyung, if I get hit by that, I''ll die. You have to at least control your strength since we¡¯re family."


    "You¡¯re noisy. Even if you get hit, I know you won''t die because you¡¯ll block it with magic or whatever!"


    I couldn''t help but be surprised at what Gallahad hyung said, "Oh my gosh! Noona! Hyung suddenly became smart!"


    Hestia noona, watching the situation from the roof, couldn¡¯t hide her shock. "Oh my gosh! No way!"


    When Hestia noona and I teased Gallahad hyung, he must have gotten enraged because the ax swinging became harsher. Still, it wasn''t hard to avoid because it wasn''t that fast.


    "Kung!" When I casually dodged Gallahad hyung''s ax, Blackie rushed towards me with his mouth open.


    "Why, you want me to play with you? Sorry, but I''m tired." I gently kicked the chin of Blackie¡¯s middle head and then kicked from side to side without putting my foot down.


    ¡°Kkeng!"


    "Kking!"


    "Kkung!"


    Perhaps because it had three heads, its cries sounded like surround sound.


    When Blackie fell away from me, Gallahad hyung tried to hit my head with the ax.


    "Aigoo!" Kwang-!


    When I dodged, the ax hit the ground and smashed the road completely. Since the road was not that wide, the recoil caused cracks in the surrounding buildings.


    Hestia noona stuck her head out from the roof of the shaking building, which was caused by Gallahad hyung''s ax, and yelled, "Oppa, don''t ruin the street!"


    "Hey! How can I catch this quick brat without ruining the street!¡±


    Hestia noona sighed and shouted again at Gallahad hyung''s rebuttal. "Then fight quietly so that you don''t get caught! If we get caught, we''ll have to compensate for the damages!"


    Gallahad looked dumbfounded by my third sister''s shout and said, "Wow, that¡¯s bad.¡±


    I added to my eldest brother''s words. "Even the devil wouldn¡¯t condone that, noona."


    Hestia noona¡¯s face flushed at Gallahad hyung¡¯s and my criticism. "Sh- shut up! This is just about money! Put yourself in the shoes of the person who manages the money!"


    My third sister shouted and pointed at me, "And little brother, you''re not in a position to say that! The magical creature you created destroyed the Asteria Market building, and we paid for everything with the village¡¯s money!"


    Oh, come to think of it, when I used to send letters to my hometown regularly, I destroyed a building because they tried to catch my chirps.


    "That''s because the market started it first!"


    I grabbed Blackie''s leg as he ran towards me again, throwing him against the floor. I was starting to run out of stamina now on top of the mana exhaustion. I didn''t want to damage the surroundings as much as possible, but now I couldn¡¯t help it. I took out the gas mask and tear gas that I¡¯d created previously from my pocket space.


    "Oppa! Blackie, get away!" Hestia noona cried out, but it was too late.


    I quickly put on the gas mask and threw the tear gas.


    Poof!


    "Kking!¡±


    "Argh! Cough, cough!"


    Blackie squirmed due to the fast-spreading tear gas, and Gallahad hyung covered his nose and mouth in agony. While Blackie and my eldest brother were preoccupied, I stormed up the wall of the building and climbed onto the roof where Hestia noona was.


    Right in front of me, my third sister smiled as if she had given up. "Haha, was it not possible in the end? I thought I''d be able to catch you if you were this exhausted."


    Just as Hestia noona said, I was so exhausted that it wouldn''t be strange to be caught. In fact, my body had been screaming ever since I overdid it and shot the meteor magic at my grandfather. Under such circumstances, I even dealt with the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe and Elder Weger, so honestly, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to collapse right away.


    I took off my gas mask and smiled. "A magician is one who prepares. And a magician''s battle is normally not fair.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t for nothing that there was a saying that winning is justice and that history is written by the winners. Just as making the opponent angry when playing games is winning, being unfair is fair.


    "Cough! Cough! Uack! You crazy bastard! Kuuu!"


    Gallahad hyung knocked out Blackie, as he was one step late and was struggling. Then, he came up to the roof, spitting in disgust while in agony from the tear gas.


    I casually picked up Hestia noona and spoke, "Don''t move! If you move, I can''t guarantee the safety of the hostage!"


    Gallahad repeatedly coughed at my shout. "Cough! Cough! Cough!"


    ¡°... Do you want some water?¡± My eldest brother nodded at my question.


    Since I had no free hands since I was holding Hestia noona, I just launched a water bottle from my pocket space. Gallahad hyung, receiving the water bottle, washed his face with the water.


    "Oh, don''t touch your face. The tear gas also contains CS gas, a hook-type particle, so it¡¯ll hurt if you touch it."


    "Uahh, I''m gonna die."


    He waved his hands with tears and drool running down his face as if he had entered a radioactive room. "Go, you crazy bastard. I won''t catch you. Get the hell out of here! You rotten bastard."


    "Oh? Really?"


    When I asked, he waved his hands broadly again. "So don''t throw what''s in your pocket and just go."


    "Hahaha, how did you know?" If he tried to follow me, I was going to blow up more tear gas, but what a shame.


    "Have I been done in by you just once or twice? It''s your specialty to hit again when someone is already down.¡±


    As expected of my eldest brother, he knew me well.


    "Really? Then I''ll take noona with me for now, so come over slowly when you calm down."


    "Okay, you rotten bastard."


    I left Gallahad hyung behind and ran across the roof, carrying Hestia noona.

 Chapter 219: Aquarius (17)

    Alphonso, drawn out from the banquet hall by Yuria and Arelia, looked unhappy and glum as he grumbled, "I want to be with Dad and Den."


    Yuria put her index finger over her mouth and whispered, "Shh, we''re gonna get caught. Be quiet."


    Yuria and Arelia glanced at Hestia and Gallahad, who were heading towards the Red Dragon Knight''s stable. They breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that they¡¯d fortunately not been caught since there was no response.


    "Dad and Den are working. Don''t interrupt their work during the banquet, and just be obedient and help us."


    Alphonso nodded with a bored expression at Yuria''s nagging. "But why are we following those two?"


    Yuria blushed lightly and scratched her cheek. "Well, that''s, they¡¯re cool-¡±


    "Because they¡¯re suspicious,¡± Arelia said firmly, cutting off Yuria. "Why are they just leaving the banquet hall?"


    Alphonso tilted his head at Arelia''s words. "Isn''t it the same for us, as we¡¯re also leaving the banquet hall?"


    When Alphonso hit the nail on the head, Arelia was furious. "We...!"


    She was about to yell when she put her hands over her mouth to stop herself and looked at Hestia and Gallahad again. She confirmed that fortunately, there was no response and spoke quietly, putting her hand on her chest.


    "We have a justification for monitoring them, so it''s okay," said Arelia.


    Alphonso wondered what reason they had to monitor them, but he did not voice these thoughts. Arelia looked at Hestia with a jealous look.


    "I''m sure she¡¯s going to meet someone." While saying so, she touched her bare neck, which lacked a necklace.


    "Who?" Alphonso and Yuria asked, not understanding Arelia¡¯s words.


    Yet, Arelia put her index finger to her mouth instead. "Shh!"


    Arelia, looking at Hestia and Gallahad again, bit her lips slightly, thinking she should have worn the Thousand-Year Amethyst Necklace.


    Kwang!


    Suddenly, something broke the stable, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus, rushed towards Hestia.


    "It¡¯s danger-!"


    Arelia caught Yuria as she tried to run out. "Our opponents are the Crows. I''m sure it''s a pet dog."


    Yuria was dumbfounded by Arelia''s words but was amazed to see Cerberus running to Hestia before it flipped onto its stomach and showed an obedient posture.


    "Cool¡­"


    Arelia spoke with a sullen look on her face as Yuria seemed to admire them. ¡°Tch, what¡¯s so cool? Oops!"


    Before they knew it, Hestia was saddled on top of Cerberus and began to move rapidly.


    "Hurry, let''s go!" Arelia ran, dragging along Yuria and Alphonso.


    However, she lacked the physical ability to chase after the Crows and Cerberus, who was classified as a demon. Instead, Arelia said, "Let''s fly."


    Yuria was taken aback by this suggestion. "Uh, but flying is prohibited in the capital, right?"


    When Yuria hesitated, Arelia firmly spoke. "It''s okay. Alice told you before that if you don''t get caught, it¡¯s fine. Oh, did a friend named Den say that instead?


    "That''s true, but-"


    "Flight!" Arelia flew into the air with magic.


    She couldn¡¯t cast magic on herself because she was an anti-magician, but she was able to cast magic on the clothes and shoes she was wearing. Yuria followed her with an expression of interest as she watched an anti-magician use magic.


    "Wait for me!" Although Alphonso was not proficient in magic, he followed them into the sky.


    * * *


    I carried Hestia noona and ran easily across the roofs, asking, "What are you up to?¡±


    My third sister looked like she didn''t know what I was talking about, and I couldn¡¯t read Hestia noona''s expression for a different reason than Elder Weger.


    "Don''t pretend you don''t know. I¡¯m talking about the reason you got caught so obediently. No matter how weak you are, it''s suspicious that you got captured without the least bit of resistance."


    Elder Weger''s expression could not be read because he had fine control over his facial muscles. On the other hand, Hestia noona¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be read because she was so deceptive, she was able to convince herself. Of course, I was the one who taught her that, but my third sister¡¯s ability to deceive herself far exceeded my own.


    "Oh, an ulterior motive. Of course, I have that."


    "Instead of insisting that you don''t have one, you say you do have one?"


    Hestia noona smiled and spoke as I was dumbfounded. "You wouldn''t believe me if I said I didn''t have one, so why even ask?"


    "Well, that''s true."


    Nodding passively, Hestia noona gently wrapped her arms around my neck. "You''re carrying me like a princess rather than on your back because you''re afraid I''ll use anesthetic or sleeping pills on you."


    I nodded lightly at my third sister''s words. In fact, while learning alchemy under Elder Mirpa, my tolerance was developed to the point where most drugs did not work. It didn¡¯t matter what Hestia noona tried to do with any drugs, but I carried her like this as a precaution. How would I know if Elder Mirpa prepared sleeping pills that work on me?


    "By the way, what do you mean ¡®carrying like a princess¡¯- Uwaaack!"


    When I pretended to throw up, Hestia noona became furious and put me in a headlock. "You punk! Do you know how popular I am in the village?¡±


    Her popularity in the village was certainly partially due to her pretty face. A hyung I know that likes Hestia noona said that there was something about her having a rare weak constitution in the village that drew out a protective instinct. As for me, I couldn''t understand it.


    "Even the people who like noona will probably run away if they discover your true nature.¡±


    Upon the truth of my words, Hestia noona kept me in the headlock and gave me a whack on the head. "Ayt! Ayt! Ayt!¡±


    "It hurts! Stop!"


    "What hurts, you have a strong body!"


    No matter how strong your body was, even a high-ranking knight of the empire would probably pass out from one of her head whacks. That is, on the premise that they got hit, of course. No matter how strong noona was, as someone who¡¯d never learned martial arts, she could not beat a high-ranking knight.


    ¡­ Probably.


    "So, what are you up to?"


    Hestia noona just smiled at my question. This smile made me feel highly uncomfortable. However, since I couldn¡¯t force her to tell me, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Anyways, tell me how you''ve been doing,¡± Hestia noona asked, her face showing her interest.


    I was in such disbelief at her casual attempt to dig up my information that I burst into laughter. "Hahaha, I¡¯ve told you through the letters. I was on vacation traveling around the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    "Ayy, you''re lying. It seems like you''ve been hanging out with the princess-nim.¡±


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Hestia noona seemed a little confused as I looked at her incomprehensibly. "Huh? No? That''s weird. I''m sure the third princess...¡±


    Third princess? Ah, are you talking about the third princess, Arelia? To tell you the truth, she was a friend of a friend, and I didn¡¯t know her very well. Of course, after magic school, she did sometimes follow Yuria and Alice to the boarding house. But because I purposely avoided her, you could say we only knew each other¡¯s faces.


    "Then what''s that?" I looked in the direction where Hestia noona was pointing to, seeing Yuria, Alphonso, and third princess Arelia flying towards us.


    I''m glad I wore the mask, not the glasses. Recognition interfering magic doesn¡¯t work on Arelia; I could have been caught here.


    Then, Arelia pointed at me and shouted, ¡°Ah, as expected! They were together!¡±


    ¡®As expected''? What do you mean, ¡®as expected¡¯? Did she happen to know that I''m Denburg Blade? Since my fourth sister discovered me, my uncle, the prime minister, and the emperor probably heard about it.


    However, it would be strange for this intel to get to a single princess who did not participate in politics. I thought it was information shared by as few people as possible, but does everyone actually know about it?


    My head was spinning quickly as I tried to get a grip on the postwar situation when Arelia cried, "You! What''s your relationship with Lupin?"


    What relationship? So she doesn''t know who I am? If so, then it was fair to say that it was very unlikely that Yuria and Alphonso had discovered my identity.


    When Arelia asked this, Hestia smiled with interest and looked at Arelia and me alternately. What does that smile mean?


    "Well, what''s the relationship? Is it okay if I say it?"


    My third sister asked playfully, and I sighed, "Of course not. No, why are you asking in the first place if you don''t have any intention of saying it?¡±


    From Hestia''s point of view, it was clear that she didn''t want many people to know my identity. The more people who knew about me, the more I would hide, which meant there would be fewer chances she could push me into a corner like today. For my third sister, it would be more advantageous to take action later in a situation where she had appropriately inferred my radius of activity.


    "Well, why do you think?¡± Hestia noona asked with a playful smile. First of all, I didn''t know why, but I could see from her smile that she was thinking about screwing me over.


    "Tell me! What''s your relationship with that woman?" Arelia had tears around her eyes, and Hestia couldn''t hold back her laughter, grunting like someone who was resisting being tickled.


    What the heck is going on?


    While I was bewildered, Hestia noona whispered in my ear, "Kukuku. Ehew, you idiot."


    Why are you whispering all of a sudden?


    "I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about, but that¡¯s very insulting. However, since I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about, I can''t refute it.¡±


    Hestia noona struggled as she began to laugh her head off once again.


    I was going to tell her to stay still since it was already difficult carrying her, but Arelia cried out with tears in her eyes, "What was the waltz you danced with me on that night!"


    At Arelia''s cry, Hestia looked up at me. "What? You were also having a secret love affair?¡±


    "What do you mean secret love affair. I didn¡¯t do anything like a waltz." The only time I waltzed was when I learned it in etiquette class.


    At my statement, Arelia looked shocked, and Yuria looked at me like I was trash. Then, Hestia noona started laughing frantically again. Alphonso and I just stood there dazed because we didn''t understand what they were talking about.


    "Keup! Huhuhu!"


    ¡°Kuk! Kukukuk!¡±


    Arelia was actually crying, and Hestia noona started crying from holding in her laughter.


    No, what is this situation? I want someone to tell me.


    Yuria pulled a magic wand out of her pocket space with an indignant look and shouted at me, "You¡¯re an enemy of women! Two-timer! I can''t believe you made both of them cry! I will punish a piece of trash like you!"


    No, only one person was crying while Hestia noona was laughing her head off. But two-timer?


    "Excuse me, I think you''re misunderstanding, but first, please calm down.¡±


    "How can I calm down! A societal evil like you must be punished!" After shouting, Yuria prepared to shoot an ice arrow.


    "Wait a minute! I¡¯m innocent!" Two-timer! What bull crap are you spouting?!


    If I indeed had been involved with other people, I wouldn''t have felt it was unjustified, but it was disgusting for someone to think I was involved with my sister. I was almost about to throw up blood from the unfairness.


    "Innocent! How can you say that in this situation?!" Yuria shot an ice arrow at me in indignation, and I quickly avoided it.


    "Wait! Hurry up and clear the misunderstanding." Hestia noona kept giggling, unable to hold back her laughter despite my request.


    "Taking a woman hostage! What a piece of trash!" Yuria released a ferocious spell.


    What? This is unfair!

 Chapter 220: Aquarius (18)

    "Calm down for a second!" I tried shouting while avoiding the ice arrow, but Yuria was firmly rooted in her misunderstanding and didn''t even listen to me.


    "If it''s an excuse, I''ll listen to it after I kill you!"


    "Hey, if you kill me, then I can''t talk!¡± Despite my protest, Yuria simply shot an ice arrow.


    Well, it''s not that I didn¡¯t understand why her friend crying would get her angry, but it was frustrating for me to be misunderstood.


    "Why don''t you just overpower her? It looks like she''s around the same level as Leisha,¡± said Hestia.


    It was an accurate judgment of skill level despite not learning magic. Yuria''s skills, like Leisha noona, had reached the end of the realm of being a great magician and were just being obstructed at the wall of the Magic Way. If there were an opportunity, she would be able to reach the level of a madosa.


    I sighed at Hestia noona¡¯s advice. "That¡¯s not so easy to do."


    "Why? I heard that in a battle between magicians, it''s easy for one to overpower the other if there''s a big gap between their levels.¡±


    "Where''d you hear something like that?"


    Hestia noona answered with a light shrug, ¡°Where? Of course, from Leisha.¡±


    My fourth sister really says some unnecessary things. Well, it wasn''t even a secret because it was common sense among magicians. The higher the level of a magician, the better their ability to control mana. That meant that if one¡¯s level was high enough, they could just interfere with the mana the opponent was using for their magic.


    "That''s true, but it''s a little..."


    Of course, even if there were a difference in level, if the opponent was around the level of a madosa, they would have strong control over their mana, and so it would be almost impossible. But in that sense, it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult to subdue Yuria. Yuria was still just a great magician.


    "Why?"


    "Hey, she''s the granddaughter of the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe. You''re in big trouble if you mess with her recklessly."


    Come to think of it, I only succeeded in gaining control over the great elder¡¯s ice castle because it was incomplete, and I knew the weakness in the magic, but in a normal situation, I would have failed. Thanks to this, I was able to easily escape from the flustered great elder. Otherwise, I would have had another brutally difficult fight there.


    "Hmm, really?" Hestia noona looked between Yuri and me alternately with interest.


    ¡°Then I guess we should just run away?¡±


    ¡°Ehew, yes, I suppose.¡± I was annoyed because I felt like I was on the receiving end of a strange grudge.


    "Shall I help you?¡±


    At Hestia noona¡¯s sudden suggestion, I gave her a suspicious look. "With what?"


    "What do you mean ¡®with what,¡¯ the misunderstanding. I think I can resolve it if I explain to her properly.¡±


    "Really?"


    This was a strange misunderstanding, but it involved Lupin, so it would be fine if I ran away and no longer ran into Yuria as Lupin. So I didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, saying that she would clear up the misunderstanding. "What are you plotting?¡±


    "What plot? I''m just trying to help you with the love business."


    I don''t know what kind of bullcrap you¡¯re spouting.


    "I don''t really have any intentions of getting into a relationship. No, who are you trying to set me up with? If you think I¡¯ll go back to our hometown just because I¡¯m in a relationship, that¡¯s a big miscalculation on your part.¡±


    My life without anyone was already unstable enough as it is, so a relationship was definitely not going to happen. Considering the age of Elder Mirpa, my healthy teacher, I didn¡¯t even know how long my life expectancy was, so it wouldn¡¯t be funny to date someone who would certainly die first.


    Hestia noona replied with a smile, "I know. Who said I¡¯m going to help you with your love business?¡±


    Hestia noona looked at the palace that was only a kilometer away and suddenly rose as if she were trying to escape from my arms. "Let me down; I can go alone from here."


    "Don''t be ridiculous. Do you know how much trouble I''d get in from Dad if I left you alone in a place like this?"


    Hestia noona was born with a naturally fragile constitution that cursed her maternal side¡¯s bloodline, and so her father pampered her because she was weak. In fact, it was a curse so powerful that her life would have been in danger at her current age if not for the fact that she was born into the Crow Tribe and had Elder Mirpa¡¯s treatment.


    "I don''t want to be beaten to death by Dad."


    Well, she didn¡¯t have to worry about dying because the curse was completely lifted now, but I was nervous about leaving her alone because she was weak for a Crow.


    "Then leave some protective things behind. You know, the magic bird that smashed the Asteria Market building."


    I sighed, stopped in place, and cast a wide barrier at Hestia noona¡¯s persistence.


    Dozens of ice arrows shot by Yuria stuck into the barrier, but it felt like a drizzle of rain compared to the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s great elder¡¯s ice bullets.


    "Ehew, all right. Hold on." From my pocket space, I took out various catalysts, a necklace called the Crystal of Perfection, a mana stone, and mithril. A high-quality jewel without any impurities could work as a good magic catalyst.


    "I grant you: ten thousand years of ice is indomitable, unyielding, immutable! The dots gather to form a line, cough!" Darn, maybe I pushed it, but my mana seemed to flow backward a little.


    "Kkyack, are you all right?!" Hestia noona was surprised when I vomited blood.


    "Lines gather to create form, cough!"


    "Don''t overdo it! I just need you to get me something that I can use as an escort!"


    My third sister stopped me, but I ignored her and finished the magic incantation. "Ice of 10,000 years is a primordial form. Tweh!"


    I spat out a mouthful of blood and handed Hestia noona the Crystal of Perfection. "Take it; I''ve cast the strongest barrier I know onto it. It should be able to take at least one full-powered punch from Dad."


    It wasn''t perfect because it was copied from magic I only saw once, but it was cast properly. It could probably withstand a blow from Uncle Bloody even if he used the Dance of Fireflies. I put the Crystal of Perfection on my hesitant third sister''s neck and gave her another green bracelet.


    "Summon, Green Deer." A green deer came out of the air upon my order. With this, she should be able to escape from almost any situation.


    "Hmm, it seems you really pushed yourself. Then, I''ll leave first." Hestia noona looked at me worriedly as I waved lightly and continued, "Take a good rest. I won''t try to catch you until we are going to go back home."


    "Thank you for that.¡± It seemed like she was being sincere. I think I really should take a good rest.


    Yuria looked at me and pointed her magic wand, but Hestia noona stood before me and blocked her, saying, "Let me have a word with you."


    When my third sister blocked her, Yuria faltered and lowered her magic wand. Fortunately, it seemed unlikely that Yuria would attack Hestia noona and cause an all-out war with the Crow Tribe.


    I ran away in relief. Hiding in the palace, I quickly headed to the room where Duke Asteria was assigned. When I arrived at the room, I took out my suit, changed into it, and wore the recognition interfering glasses.


    "Mmm, good. It''s working properly.¡±


    On the glasses, a small portion displayed the map of the capital and marked Hestia noona¡¯s location. It was a good idea to vomit blood on purpose and place location tracking magic and wiretapping magic on the Crystal of Perfection. I took advantage of the fact that it was hard to notice planting smaller magic amidst powerful magic.


    "Hua, I''m tired!" I loosened my tie slightly and lolled over the sofa.


    Now shall I listen to Hestia''s plan? I''m sure she¡¯s plotting something. The fact that she was easily caught by me and that she remained in that position proved it. Then, suddenly, I heard an interesting voice from behind me.


    ¡°Oho, was the banquet that tiring?¡±


    I stood up reflexively. "You have arrived!"


    "Make yourself at home; you look tired. But I haven¡¯t seen those glasses before.¡±


    I took off my glasses and laughed, "Haha, it is because my eyes are tired."


    I guess I really was exhausted. I didn¡¯t even feel Duke Asteria coming in.


    At my reply, the duke gave a gentle smile.


    * * *


    Duke Asteria, looking at the mirror Talaria took out, could not close his mouth. "This isn¡¯t a fight between humans."


    The clash between Denburg and Zendia was like something out of a myth. There was a feast of magic containing giant golems, knights on horses running through the sky, and terrifying magic that you could feel on your skin even from far away. And a single swordsman against all that.  It felt like a recreation of a legendary story.


    "Yeah. Denburg, that brat, was hiding his skills when he was fighting me.¡± Talaria wore a cheeky face and put an ear plug-shaped magic tool in her ear.


    She didn''t know what the two were going to talk about, so she purposely made it impossible to hear any sound from the mirror. This was because Zendia might accidentally leak secrets that should not be told to Duke Asteria. The battle in the mirror became more intense, and after Zendia was thrown into the ground, a meteorite was dropped above him.


    "Is In-law all right?!" The two jumped out of their seats in surprise.


    Even Talaria didn''t expect Denburg to really use a legendary meteor strike. In the aftermath of the meteorite, the image of the mirror showed static and momentarily turned off and on. Then, the reflection in the mirror showed Zendia with a half-broken Demon Sword and Denburg with the Holy Sword.


    "Whew, fortunately, In-law is safe.¡± Duke Asteria breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in place.


    Talaria was also relieved after worrying a bit, but she did not show any signs of this.


    "Huhuhuh, you''re all so impressive, In-law, grandson, and yourself, Big Mama. You didn''t even bat an eye at the risk of In-law''s death. I guess this is normal for the Crow Tribe.¡±


    Talaria wanted to shake her head. This wasn''t normal for the Crow Tribe either. It was a monstrous sight that even the people of her hometown couldn''t help but admire. She was actually scared internally and was relieved to see Zendia safe.


    "Hohoho." Talaria glossed over it with laughter. Then the two people in the mirror clashed again, and soon, Zendia¡¯s mask broke apart.


    ¡°...Grandfather?¡± Denburg''s voice was heard from the wiretapping magic tool in her ear.


    Then, Denburg''s mask also broke.


    "Huh?" Duke Asteria was surprised to see Denburg¡¯s face.


    This face was one he was familiar with.


    ¡°That face! Big Mama, did you know?¡± Duke Asteria asked.


    Talaria nodded. "Yes, I did."


    "Why didn''t you let me know?" To the uncomfortable-looking duke, Talaria showed him a contract.


    "It''s¡­ I see. Did he, no, did Den force you to do this?"


    "Yes, as you know, he is a clever brat."


    The duke smiled cheerfully at Talaria''s reply. "Ahahaha! I see."


    Now he understood why Den kept reminding him of his daughter.


    "Ahahahaha! I''ve grown old. I didn''t even know despite him being so close.¡±


    The two in the mirror were having a friendly conversation as if they had never fought. Duke Asteria was very envious of the sight.


    Ududuk!


    Suddenly, a fierce sound was heard, and the duke looked back at Talaria. Small fragments were falling from her hand, and she had a frightening smile.


    "Let''s go back. Your Highness, I will escort you."


    Duke Asteria was forced to nod at the voice full of killing intent.


    "These deer stand out too much, so I will unsummon them," Talaria recalled the deer and was able to safely enter the capital with the carriage they had prepared.


    The duke entered the palace again and briefly had an audience with the emperor. Then, he went to the banquet hall and returned to his room under the pretext of being exhausted. In the room, Denburg sat on the sofa with his tie slightly loosened.


    ¡°Oho, was the banquet so tiring?¡± The duke asked, pretending not to know.


    "You have arrived!"


    Denburg quickly rose from his seat, and Duke Asteria gestured lightly and said, "Make yourself at home; you look tired. But I haven¡¯t seen those glasses before.¡±


    "Haha, it is because my eyes are tired." At the duke''s words, Den sat back comfortably.


    The duke went to the wine refrigerator and took out the rare wine that Denburg had obtained before the banquet, asking, "Would you like a drink?"


    "Hahaha, didn''t you say you were going to drink that with a valuable guest?" asked Denburg.


    Duke Asteria smiled and said, "You''re a valuable enough person. How about it?"


    The duke poured the wine himself, and Denburg smiled and received it, "Then I will drink it thankfully. I actually wanted to try it."


    The two wine glasses bumped each other lightly. Droplets of water on the glass of cool wine shined and flowed down to the ground.

 Chapter 221: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (1)

    On the last day of the conference, Hestia and the other Crows headed to the train station, receiving a farewell ceremony from the capital''s knights. The Dragon Tribe set out on their aircraft last night so that the dragons wouldn¡¯t surprise the people of the empire.


    The Butterfly Tribe dilly-dallied while continuing their academic conference with the court magicians, saying that they would teleport back. From Hestia''s point of view, the great elder was procrastinating because he didn''t want to be separated from his grandchildren.


    "Hey, Hestia."


    When Gallahad called her, Hestia looked through the window in her carriage and shook her index finger from side to side. "Until we get back, it¡¯s deputy chief."


    Gallahad nodded with a sour face. "Yes, Deputy Chief-nim. Why didn''t you search for our little brother? If he was in the palace and we had asked the emperor or the prime minister, we could have caught him.¡±


    Hestia was stunned by Gallahad''s question. "Oh my god! Oppa is-"


    "That routine is getting old."


    Hestia smiled and shrugged lightly as Gallahad dismissed her statement with a single stroke. "Well, I''m sure we wouldn''t have been able to catch him even if we did that."


    "How come? I don¡¯t know about me and the others, but couldn¡¯t Elder Weger-nim have captured Den?"


    Hestia shook her head. "No, when I was at the banquet hall, I could only sense Den when he moved. That means no one will be able to sense him if he truly hides in the palace.¡±


    "Even Elder Weger-nim?"


    "Yeah, Elder Weger-nim too. According to Elder-nim, the magic circle surrounding the entire palace disturbs one¡¯s senses.¡±


    Gallahad nodded, convinced by Hestia''s explanation. "I thought I felt something weird."


    Then, after thinking for a moment, he asked, "But on the day of the banquet, why did you go to see Den? Honestly, you didn''t have any intentions of catching him then, did you?¡±


    Hestia was slightly surprised by Gallahad¡¯s suspicions. "Why do you think that?"


    "Rather than thinking, it¡¯s my intuition. When have I ever thought about things?"


    Hestia admired Gallahad''s grumbling. "I thought Den was the one who inherited Dad¡¯s intuition, but Oppa has a pretty good intuition too."


    "Ahem!" When Hestia agreed with Gallahad''s guess, he crossed his arms proudly and stuck out his chest.


    "Huhu, that¡¯s right. Our little brother might have noticed when he caught me, but I didn''t have any intentions of catching him.¡±


    "Then?"


    "I just wanted to see our little brother¡¯s face after such a long time. He always sends fake letters, so it made me wonder how he¡¯s been living. Don¡¯t you think about that as well?¡±


    Gallahad was taken aback by Hestia''s comments. "Is that all?"


    "Well? Did you think there was anything else?" When Hestia asked back, Gallahad became speechless.


    "Huhu, of course, I checked some of my hypotheses as well."


    Hestia held up the chess piece that she was fiddling with. Gallahad could not understand the meaning of Hestia''s smile as she stared at the chess piece.


    * * *


    Yahoo! Hestia noona has finally gone back home! I was almost aching from trying to hold my breath during the conference.


    Originally, the conference would only last for three days, but the conference this time was a prolonged week-long marathon. This was the maximum duration due to the talk of the currency reform.


    Throughout the conference, there were multiple times where I freaked out because Hestia noona occasionally visited Duke Asteria with Gallahad hyung. At this point, I thought Hestia noona was visiting just to tease me since she already knew my location.


    "Oh, if it weren''t for the great elder, I could have heard the conversation between Hestia noona and Duke Asteria.¡±


    Regrettably, it was useless because the great elder noticed my wiretapping magic and neutralized it. Fortunately, the location tracking magic was overlooked, so I was able to track her location. Maybe Hestia noona would have known even if the great elder hadn''t told her.


    "You''ve done a great job, Den."


    I smiled back at Duke Asteria as he gave me words of encouragement. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. Grandfather went through all the trouble."


    Duke Asteria was referred to as His Highness, the Duke, but he continued to strongly encourage me to call him grandfather when it was just us two. Thanks to this, the name ¡®grandfather¡¯ naturally came to my lips.


    The duke probably doesn''t know me much, but he seems to know my aunt very well, so I thought there would be no problem. If there''s a problem, Aunt will likely take care of it.


    "Hahahaha! Is that so?"


    Come to think of it, I felt like the way Duke Asteria treats me has changed. To be specific, after drinking the wine that I snuck away from the kitchen together, I felt like he regarded me as a cute grandson rather than a coveted talent.


    Of course, it was probably my misunderstanding, but it wasn''t such a bad feeling. After all, it wasn¡¯t like back in my hometown where they would pet me with sword aura or treat me gently with a fist.


    The duke sighed quietly and looked at the palace that was becoming farther away. "It''s the first time I''ve ever felt regret towards the conference¡¯s ending."


    Throughout the conference, he was ripping off the nobles for money, but the duke seemed sad, as if there were leftover pockets that he had not yet ripped off. Indeed, the feeling that Hestia noona and the prime minister held back from completely exploiting the nobles due to the ongoing currency reform was not there. The process of emptying, rather than filling, the pockets of the nobles was enjoyable, so the duke''s feelings were understandable.


    "There''s the next convention, isn''t there?¡±


    Duke Asteria laughed cheerfully at the consolation that he could continue his hobby after a year. "Hahahaha! That''s right; there''s the next conference. I''ll ask you next year too, Den."


    I nodded happily at the duke''s request. I wondered if it felt that good to rip off the nobles like that. Don''t tell me Hestia is coming to the capital for next year''s conference as well. Even if she came, I probably wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the pain of an overlapping request from my aunt alongside the conference again. However, if there¡¯s another one, I¡¯ll have to grab my aunt by the collar.


    "I look forward to your kind cooperation. So, is Grandfather going straight up to Asterium?¡±


    Duke Asteria nodded wistfully. "I''m afraid I have to. Since it¡¯s in the bordering area of the Demon¡¯s Territory, all kinds of problems will arise if you take your eyes off for a while."


    "I see."


    Sighing, Duke Asteria smiled as if he had a pleasant thought and said, "Right! If I can''t go, I''ll have them come!"


    At the duke¡¯s cry, I had a hunch that something very annoying might happen. "Uh... Who are you referring to?"


    He isn¡¯t talking about bringing the nobles up his territory to empty their pockets, is he?


    "Hahaha, you can look forward to it." Duke Asteria smiled pleasantly, and my intuition was somehow warning me that that smile was related to me.


    And it was a month later that the ominous feeling was proven to be correct.


    * * *


    "I''m back."


    After leaving the palace, I reported my return to the adventurer¡¯s guild headquarters and immediately left work. While I was away, Roseland was completely pulled out of the office, so Demuir became swamped with work, and he held onto my ankle and begged for help. But I kicked Demuir in the butt and left work.


    "You¡¯re back?" Back at the boarding house, Alice and Hillis welcomed me while playing Indian poker.


    "Oh? Alice, did you not go to school?¡±


    "Oh, we have a week off because all the professors canceled classes and went to the conference since the Butterfly Tribe went as well."


    I nodded and put down my bag. "Certainly, a magician''s enthusiasm is great."


    "How do you know? Oh, you told me your business trip was at the palace. Did you meet Yuria and Alphonso?¡±


    "Yes, thanks to that trip, I was at the academic conference."


    The great elder¡¯s gaze was sharp and stinging, but I just ignored it. Once he goes back to the Alps, the home of the Butterfly Tribe, we wouldn¡¯t see each other again.


    "What? Let me join. I haven''t met Yuria and Alphonso yet. What kind of people are they?¡±


    It seems Hillis had not yet met Yuria and Alphonso. Of course, this was only natural if Yuria and Alphonso went with their family and the Butterfly Tribe the day before I entered the imperial palace.


    I shrugged lightly towards Hillis¡¯s question. "Those two will probably be back today, so meet them in person.¡±


    Alice complained to herself when she saw me talking informally towards Hillis, and she eventually decided to speak informally to Yuria after she returned to the boarding house late that night. For your information, Indian poker was a victory for Hillis.


    * * *


    In a space full of darkness without a single bit of light, Sagittarius sat in his seat, placing a bright candle in front of him.


    "Oho, this is the biggest gathering I''ve ever seen."


    In the dark room, over a majority of the 12 seats around a large round table were taken.


    "I know. Is it okay for a patient to be sitting here?" Libra looked at Leo sitting in front of him and spoke sarcastically.


    Leo burst out in anger, "Shut up! I¡¯m not so weak that I need your concern!"


    Scorpio giggled and said to Libra, "Oh my, why are you acting like that towards a man crawling for life?"


    When she openly laughed at him, Leo¡¯s fist trembled in anger, but he was miserable since Scorpio wasn¡¯t wrong.


    "But anyways, how unexpected. You attended this time, unlike previous instances where you ignored the invitations, Aries."


    When asked by Libra, Aries ignored him and looked at Leo. "You have a rare curse placed on you."


    Leo rejoiced at Aries¡¯s words. "Oh! Do you recognize this curse?"


    Leo was ecstatic that there was someone who recognized the curse eating away at his body as they spoke. It was as if a traveler found an oasis in the middle of the desert and was exclaiming that he could survive.


    Yet, it was too early to rejoice. The oases he had discovered so far had been mirages. A sense of fear and desperation rose all the way up to his neck as he thought that the oasis he discovered this time might also be a mirage. He didn''t answer Leo''s question and muttered to himself.


    "Interesting, how are you still alive? There''s a mixture of mythical level curses that twist causality and will certainly kill the bearer of the curse. Hmm, is this magic divine power? No, is it a saintess''s miracle? I suppose miracles are the only way to avoid a mythical level curse. No, it''s strange...¡±


    Listening to Aries¡¯s muttering, Leo swallowed as his mouth became dry.


    "Is there anyone who has died instead of you?" Aries asked, and Leo nodded heavily.


    "I see; that''s why you''re alive. In my view, no matter how wide the miracles¡¯ permissible range is, it¡¯s limited to transferring the causality-twisting curse onto others and weakening the curse of death. If there weren¡¯t someone else to die in your place, the miracle would have failed."


    Leo closed his eyes heavily at Aries''s diagnosis. Then, he asked carefully, "Can you lift this curse?"


    Aries stared at Leo''s curse intently to see if he was uninterested in Leo''s question. "How interesting, how new. I don''t know who made this, but how interesting it was to bring a mythical level curse down to the level of great magic. I''d like to see the guy who put this curse on you.¡±


    As Aries was absorbed in his own world, Aquarius smiled bitterly and said, "More importantly, it seems the more urgent matter for Leo is whether it can be lifted."


    Aries nodded at Aquarius''s words. "I can lift it, but I have my own business and can¡¯t right now."


    "Business?"


    Taurus questioned as he sat next to Aquarius, and Aries nodded. "Yes. The reason I came to the empire is also for business."


    When Aries answered, Virgo looked at Aries calmly, and Pisces sitting next to her remained still and stared at the sky.


    "Well, let''s get the meeting started." Sagittarius drew their attention with a clap.

 Chapter 222: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (2)

    It''s been nearly a month since the conference ended. As we entered April, Flam and Dano were already saying that it was hot and were wearing their summer uniforms. The only thing different about the summer uniform was that it had a thin dress shirt and a well-ventilated vest without a coat.


    Demuir complained when he saw Flam in his summer uniform. "Why are there only winter and summer uniforms in the adventurer¡¯s guild? How nice would it be to have uniforms for spring and fall!"


    Surely, it was too hot to wear winter clothes in this season. However, the summer clothes were too thin, so it would be too cold to wear them.


    "Why don''t you suggest it to the guild director-nim yourself?"


    It was difficult to change the uniform unless one had as much authority as the guild director. This was because the adventurer¡¯s guild was a huge organization with its headquarters in the capital and a branch chapter in any decent-sized town.


    At my recommendation, Demuir looked at me with a slightly grumpy face. "The guild director-nim?"


    Demuir thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, that''s a little..."


    "Why? If you suggest it to the guild director-nim, he''ll come up with a spring and fall uniform, or if not, he''ll probably come up with a method to give us freedom over our uniforms during spring and fall."


    Uncharacteristically of a soldier, Guild Director Glont was not that closed-minded and inflexible. Rather, he leaned towards respecting his subordinates'' opinions. He probably won¡¯t put pink frills on the new uniforms or make you wear a V-neck so deep that it shows your ribs, right?


    Demuir looked a little dumbfounded when I asked. "Um, you and Flam are the only ones who feel and act so comfortably with the guild director-nim."


    "Huh? Why? He doesn''t come out as authoritative, and he also bakes cookies for us every break, though?"


    If Guild Director Glont were a man who had a heavy atmosphere and valued hierarchical order, then I wouldn''t have gotten cookies every break. Wouldn''t it be rude to be so formal when he wanted you to be casual?


    "It''s true that the guild director-nim treats us in a casual manner... But did you not buy the cookies you had every break and instead got them from the guild director-nim?"


    "Yes. The guild director-nim bakes wonderful cookies. They¡¯re delicious, aren¡¯t they?"


    Demuir was astonished at my question. "Uh, they are delicious, but don¡¯t you feel pressured by the guild director-nim?"


    "Certainly, the feminine frilly apron and blouse are uncomfortable."


    To be honest, it was beyond uncomfortable and was just gross. He was a nice person, but he was also a pervert.


    "No, not that. No, it isn¡¯t that, but he was a war hero and a famous general. There are still tens of thousands of knights, soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries who would voluntarily gather at a single word from the guild director-nim.¡±


    Tens of thousands, you say? That¡¯s at the level of a warlord. However...


    "So? That''s not exactly a reason why I shouldn''t be comfortable with the guild director-nim. It¡¯s not like guild director-nim dislikes it, as I interact with him comfortably. That''s rather unexpected. And it¡¯s not even Organ but Demuir, who is having a hard time with the guild director-nim.¡±


    Demuir scratched his cheek, apparently embarrassed. "That''s because those of our age grew up listening to the guild director''s sagas... But isn¡¯t that the same for you? You and I aren''t that different in age."


    I grew up listening to stories of when my father used to smash things outside my hometown, but I didn''t hear any of Guild Director Glont''s stories. Come to think of it, when I was young, I heard from a letter that Uncle Bloody went to war with a pervert he knew, but that couldn¡¯t be Guild Director Glont, could it?


    Ayy, no way. There¡¯s no way that Guild Director Glont was the crazy Underwear Man who was bathing in a valley in his underwear and beat up the enemy knights that attacked him with his bare hands.


    At Demuir''s rebuttal, I shook my index finger. "Even nature changes in ten years. The age difference of seven is already enough for me to call you ahjussi!"


    "My God, I''m an ahjussi?! How am I an ahjussi at 23 years old?!¡±


    As Demuir and I were chatting while working on the documents, Fiona brought a bunch of documents, came into the office, and clapped. "Come on, everybody, attention please."


    Fiona, now busy serving as Roseland¡¯s role in his place, looked tired. "Please gather if your business is not urgent."


    At Fiona''s call, all the people working at the headquarters gathered in front of Fiona. I say everyone, but without Roseland, it was just six people, including Fiona.


    "Then, I''ll tell you the results of the monthly meeting."


    The monthly meeting was held on the 1st of each month by branch directors and senior executives. People who were far away could also attend the meeting because they used magic communication. I heard that unless there was a big deal, the meeting was no more than reporting their monthly performance and saying hello.


    "First of all, we''ve decided to hire new recruits for the headquarters this June. We are thinking of picking two people this time as well."


    At Fiona''s words, Flam clapped. "Ohhh, so we can escape from being the youngest?"


    Flam and I weren¡¯t given extra work just because we were the youngest, so rather than being relieved about his now more comfortable work life, he was happier for the symbolic escape from the new recruit status. Most of all, as Roseland was excluded from working and the number of people at the headquarters was small, the fact that new people were joining contributed to the joy.


    "And not only Roseland, but also Dano, Demuir, and Den were among the candidates for promotion this time. In June, Dano will be given 6th rank of prestige, and Demuir and Den will be given 7th rank of prestige.¡±


    "Oh, me too?"


    I, as well as everyone else, were all surprised. Demuir was in charge of the overall accounting of the headquarters, so it was not unusual for him to be promoted because he was responsible for most of the trading performance. Yet, I was a new recruit who had been working for less than half a year.


    "Yes. Demuir has been promoted at an exceptional pace, but Den¡¯s is one for the records."


    Fiona looked at the pile of documents she was holding. "Let''s see, first of all, I''ve collected almost all the promotion points for the important war supplies management during the war, but the business trip to the imperial palace last month really drove it home. For awards, you were given a ton of extra vacation times, and a certificate for your hard work was issued in the name of His Highness, the Duke."


    Now that I think of it, a few days ago, when I went to get cookies from Guild Director Glont, I received some type of certificate, but it must have been the certificate of hard work. I didn''t know because I put it right into my pocket space without looking.


    Everyone applauded after Fiona finished.


    "Oh, I¡¯m jealous!"


    "Amazing!"


    Suddenly I felt embarrassed when I received an unexpected round of applause.


    "Haha, thank you. I''m not the only one getting promoted, but I''m a little embarrassed.


    Fiona also smiled and clapped for me. "No, it''s great. In particular, the certificate of hard work from His Highness the Duke is like a free pass to the 4th rank of prestige. Roseland is also getting promoted after receiving it. I''m a little jealous over this."


    Since the difference between 1st class and 2nd class knights was like the fourth and fifth rank of prestige, it was very difficult to attain the 4th rank of prestige. It was even said that the difficulty of moving from the 5th rank of prestige to the 4th rank was greater than for a 2nd rank to reach the 1st rank of prestige.


    "Organ, Flam, and I will probably get promoted next time. I didn''t know until now, but the management of war supplies gives a very high amount of points."


    "Ahahaha, well, then we¡¯ll be able to get promoted again if another war breaks out."


    When Demuir laughed and joked, Flam shook his head with a severe expression. "You shouldn¡¯t talk about war so easily."


    As Flam became serious all of a sudden, Demuir shrank and nodded at Flam''s energy. "Uh, um, sorry."


    "Mmm, as long as you know." At Demuir''s apology, Flam nodded.


    Just now, some martial aura leaked out from Flam, a delicate amount just enough to pressure Demuir. It was difficult for even a decent knight to control their martial aura that delicately. Suddenly, I wondered what Flam did before he became a civil servant, but I didn''t ask.


    Fiona continued to explain the details of the meeting, and when the explanation was over, she folded the documents and spoke as she passed us. "Oh, and I''ve been asked by the Asterium branch to help deal with the clean-up after the flood of demons."


    At Fiona''s words, Organ slightly frowned and asked, "So it will be a business trip?¡±


    Everyone had an unwelcoming mood because the remaining people would be busier as the number of people on the business trip increased.


    "Yes, I''m afraid so."


    "Then who will be going on the business trip?"


    Fiona smiled lightly at Flam''s question. "All of us."


    "What?"


    When everyone had trouble understanding, Fiona scratched her cheek. "To be exact, all of the adventurers in the headquarters and all of us who manage them."


    Duke Asteria had largely employed the entire adventurer''s guild headquarters. I felt like I vaguely understood what Duke Asteria meant a month ago.


    * * *


    Malecia led ten of his immediate subordinates into the Northern Alps, escorting Aries. Entering the Alps, Malecia and his men stuck their tongues out at the swarm of orcs.


    "It seems like the Alps are not called the monsters'' paradise for nothing. There¡¯s a colony of orcs as soon as we come in.¡± Malecia was relaxed and stood next to Aries as his men fought against a thousand orcs.


    Aries nodded. "But it''s less than Olympus Forest.¡±


    Malecia burst into laughter at Aries¡¯s assessment. "Are there three or four thousand orcs in Olympus Forest?¡±


    Aries shook his head. "No, a swarm of 10,000 deer roams around the forest.¡±


    "But only deer? Well, 10,000 is definitely a lot, but compared to orcs...¡±


    Aries smirked as Malecia trailed off while he watched his subordinates slaughter the orcs. "The deer there are no ordinary deer. If an Olympus deer goes on a rampage, that orc colony will perish in less than half an hour. If there¡¯s two, it will take less than ten minutes.¡±


    "Hahaha, where would such a hell exist?"


    When Malecia didn''t believe him, Aries snorted. "Because it is such a hell, it is considered to be the worst amongst the forbidden lands. Demons are not the top predators there."


    At the Aries affirmation, Malecia swallowed dry saliva. For a moment, he imagined the sight of 10,000 deer slaughtering orcs gathered around.


    "It gives me goosebumps. Then the Crow Tribe that lives there...¡±


    "They are monsters who are the top predators of Olympus Forest. If you encounter an old Crow as an enemy, just surrender. A Crow that lives to that old age will be no different than a dragon outside Olympus Forest.¡±


    Although Malecia was strong enough to be told that he was equivalent to an average battle race tribe, he was not strong enough to face a dragon alone.


    "Haha, I see. It¡¯s not for no reason that amongst the battle races that were dispatched, General Bloody is the only one whose powers are sealed. I fought him almost ten years ago, so it seems I almost died back then.¡±


    "The Crow Tribe only has people who are crazy about fighting, so if you surrender, they''ll stop paying attention to you, complaining that it''s too bad. If you ignore them thoroughly, no one is safer to be around than them."


    "Hahaha, they''re crazy,¡± Malecia spoke frankly of what he personally thought.


    Aries agreed. "They only have crazy people. Especially Mirpa, that alchemist is the craziest of the crazies. She''s so crazy that inversely, she looks normal on the outside."


    Aries shook his head as if he didn''t want to even think about it.


    "To tell you how crazy she is, if someone said she took in a completely incompetent disciple and turned him into a madosa, I¡¯d simply believe it. That¡¯s how crazy she is." Aries thought of the most impossible thing that he could imagine as an example and asserted that Mirpa was crazy.


    Malecia was curious about Mirpa Ainsmall, the person Aries said was this level of crazy, but he also thought that he didn¡¯t want to meet her.


    Then, Aries looked past the orcs. "Hmm, the disciples have arrived."


    Simultaneously as when Aries spoke, countless magic bullets poured down from the sky and slaughtered the orcs. And at the same time, five madosas in black hooded cloaks descended from the sky.


    "It has been a while, Teacher-nim."

 Chapter 223: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (3)

    Aries stared at his five subordinates and disciples, speaking indifferently, "You¡¯ve come?"


    There was no anger about them arriving late and making their teacher wait. However, there was no feeling of affection or interest either. He sounded as if he was just reading from a book.


    The disciples did not mind the indifferent tone that lacked any interest. "Yes, Great Teacher.¡±


    They just had a desire to learn magic and receive his teachings.


    "Did you find what I ordered?" Upon Aries¡¯s request, the five madosas knelt in unison.


    "We are sorry! The Alps were too wide...¡±


    "And while avoiding the eyes of the Butterfly Tribe...¡±


    "If you could give us a little more opportunity...¡±


    The five madosas who were usually admired and respected by any magician trembled and asked for forgiveness. It would have been no exaggeration to call a madosa a one-man corps, but none of them could remain confident in front of Aries.


    "Useless things." There was not a shred of anger in Aries''s voice. Yet, his robotic tone terrified the five madosas.


    "We are sorry! Please forgive us!"


    Their fear stemmed not from death or any impending punishment. Rather, even if Aries punished them and they died, they were happy and confident in ending it.


    "Please punish us!"


    At least them being punished meant they were receiving his attention. What they were worried about was that Aries might no longer feel they were useful and would not pay attention to them; thus, they would no longer receive his teachings.


    They would rather die receiving punishment than lose Aries¡¯s interest and not be taught. They hoped to be punished somehow and pleaded for forgiveness.


    "Crazy guys..." Malecia muttered as he watched the madosas bowing, scraping, and begging for death, as their failure led to the mission being delayed.


    Search missions were often within a narrow timeframe, but he sighed when he saw them tremble that much. He shook his head, thinking that none of the people who learned magic were normal.


    "That¡¯s enough." At Aries¡¯s words, the madosas¡¯ hearts seemed to drop.


    "Now that the ruins of the last queen of the Holy Tribe have collapsed, the secret place will have its mana slowly cut off and be revealed. Keep searching for the traces."


    But Aries¡¯s following words made the madosas feel as if they had come back to life.


    "Yes! We will not let you down!"


    "We will find it with our lives on the line!"


    The madosas shouted once more with eager faces, and Aries shook his hand in annoyance.


    In response, the madosas left with flying magic and scattered to various places in the Alps.


    Malecia looked at Aries¡¯s disciples flying away and asked, "There''s a fine parfait store in Asterium. Would you like to go?"


    At Malecia¡¯s recommendation, Aries nodded silently. There was a saying that one should give their boss sweet food if they were in a bad mood. Wait, was it not the boss?


    Malecia¡¯s memory was briefly confused, but he led his men to Asterium because good things were still good.


    * * *


    It was the day after I was told the ridiculous notion that the entire adventurer''s guild headquarters was being sent to the Asterium branch. I started preparing for a business trip over the weekend.


    "Another business trip?" Milpia crossed her arms and asked while leaning back against the wall.


    I was dumbfounded to see Milpia like that. "How did you get in here?"


    I was currently in the magic workshop that I obtained by selling Count Druval¡¯s corruption ledgers to my aunt.


    The value of the workshop itself was far less than the value of the corruption book. This was because it was a noble¡¯s slightly worn-out residence near the boarding house and was renovated to give to me. Instead, she offered me rare magic materials and blacksmiths to make things for me free of charge.


    To my question, Milpia shook her hand with the spare key I gave Aunt Talaria. "Big Mama-nim gave it to me.¡±


    I put a lot of magic on the key to prevent any copying, so the spare key that Milpia was holding was the one from me. There was no way the Big Mama Information Agency could duplicate my spare key when they couldn¡¯t even copy a single noble¡¯s identification card.


    "By the way, why did you put such tight security magic around here? I would have died without the key! Isn''t this almost at the level of the imperial palace?"


    Oh, I thought the security magic was activating earlier. It must have been Milpia wanting to attempt to sneak in. I assumed it was a petty thief.


    "The palace¡¯s defenses are similar because they overlaid magic on it like crazy, but my security magic is much more sophisticated."


    How dare you compare my security magic to that magic circle? This was a grave insult towards me.


    "Ah~ Really?" Milpia looked at me as if what I said was absurd.


    "So why are you here?¡±


    At my question, Milpia handed me a briefcase. "I heard you''re going to Asterium this time and that it was upon the duke''s request?"


    "So?"


    "Big Mama told me to tell you to be calm and not make trouble when you go to Asterium. Inside the envelope is information about people who should never be touched or contacted.¡±


    I wonder who they are if even my aunt is telling me this? I opened the envelope that Milpia gave me right away.


    "Aries?"


    The document was full of personal information about someone. The person was wearing a hood and a black mask in the portrait, similar to a wanted man. The portrait sketch was so obscured that I didn''t even know whether this person was a man or a woman.


    "Yes, she said that person is especially dangerous, so don''t try to fight them and run away immediately. We haven''t figured out their exact identity yet, but I''m sure this person is a great madosa level monster at the minimum.¡±


    Great madosa, you say. Those are monsters that I should never associate with. I¡¯ll have to read through the information on this guy later carefully.


    I flipped through the documents while listening to Milpia. "Huh? This ahjussi is..."


    Among the documents in the back was information about a man named Malecia. This ahjussi was definitely the self-proclaimed black knight I met at the Holy Tribe ruins who seemed to have hit puberty late.


    Milpia looked at the page I was looking at and asked, "You mean the Mercenary King?¡±


    According to the contents of the document, it seemed that he really was called the Mercenary King. Looking at his distinguished military service as a mercenary, he could receive at least general-level treatment if he was employed as a soldier in a kingdom. I thought he was just role-playing, but it seems he really didn''t want to be called the Mercenary King, so he was calling himself a black knight.


    "He is quite tough as well. If you exclude Aries from the people listed in the documents, he would be one of the most dangerous, not any weaker. Most of all, his survival skills are so proficient that you shouldn¡¯t mess with him if you want to avoid future troubles."


    According to the information, he was a specialist who succeeded in his missions multiple times despite purposely being sent to dangerous places to be killed. His feats included rescuing a captured prince from the enemy by himself, leading a single squad to the enemy camp, and assassinating the leader. He succeeded in stalling the enemy during a battle by leading a ragtag squad and defending against division-level troops for a week.


    "Wow, he''s so persistent. I guess he¡¯s not called the Mercenary King for nothing."


    I''ve only seen merits like these in Guild Director Glont''s military service records. I don''t know why such a man was doing mercenary work.


    "Is this all of your business?" I asked.


    Milpia shrugged lightly and put down the bag she was carrying. "And this is the first batch of magic materials you''ve asked for and the stuff our craftsmen made."


    "Woah! I assume it¡¯s been completed?¡± I excitedly picked up the bag that Milpia put down.


    "But what are you trying to make? I checked with the magicians at our organization, and they said they couldn''t figure out what you¡¯re attempting to create." Milpia openly admitted to digging up the information I gave her.


    "Of course, it''s a secret. It''s understandable that you can¡¯t comprehend the drawing because I explained it in a way even the great madosa level monsters wouldn''t recognize. So, you don''t have to be hysterical towards the magicians."


    Milpia frowned. "I''m not hysterical.¡±


    Having been raised by my aunt, this daughter probably won''t behave well. If she learned from my aunt, she would be fluent in pulling one over someone¡¯s head without them knowing it. I waved my hand lightly. "Goodbye, then. I won¡¯t see you off."


    Milpia left the room with a sour face when I said goodbye. When Milpia completely left the residence, I checked the contents of the bag she left behind. "All right, everything is here."


    After confirming that everything was in order, I hummed and headed to the basement of my magic workshop with my bag. The basement was an area inaccessible even with the spare key that Milpia had.


    Unlike the security magic installed outside the mansion, I paid a lot of attention to the security in the basement. Even if my aunt wanted to come in recklessly, she would have to risk her life.


    It was a pity that I couldn¡¯t make a perfect fortress, as it hadn''t been long since I started building the magic workshop. However, normally, a magic workshop was like a magician''s alter ego that he built throughout his life.


    I placed my bag on the desk I put at the end of the fairly empty workshop. Then, I assembled the parts in the bag and took out the cores of the golems containing the souls of the knights from my pocket space.


    I connected the assembled parts with the core and called out the dragon tooth soldiers. "Summon, Percival."


    A summoning circle was created in the air, and unlike other dragon tooth soldiers, a man with a strong impression came out instead of a skeleton.


    "Kneel down."


    At my command, the dragon tooth soldier who was a little taller than me knelt down. When I touched the back of the dragon tooth soldier''s head, the back of its head split open, and a space opened up. I put a core in the head.


    "Open your eyes, Percival."


    The dragon tooth soldier opened his eyes at my command. "Ugh! This is?"


    The Dragon Tooth Soldier Percival dizzily grabbed his head where the core was.


    "Stay still. You¡¯re dizzy because I''m synchronizing the core with my pocket space so that it won''t be demolished even if the head is destroyed."


    When the synchronization ends, even if the head is completely destroyed, revival is possible as long as there are enough materials.


    "You must be... Wait, what language am I speaking?¡±


    I smiled lightly at the confused Percival. "It''s the current imperial language. Although I can speak the ancient language, it¡¯ll sound like I have a heavy accent, so I updated your language.¡±


    Language was like a living being, and vocabulary changes over time. The dialects of the same country were the same language but also were different because language changes depending on the region.


    "Thank you for that. Honestly, I didn''t understand half of what you said in the ruins. I didn¡¯t really believe you could do it."


    That sounds about right.


    I made a full-body mirror with magic and asked while showing Percival his reflection, "So how do you feel now that you¡¯ve regained your senses?"


    Percival was surprised as he touched his face with his hands. "It''s just like when I was alive. It''s amazing. I feel as if I''ve come back to life."


    "That''s because I saw and reproduced the memories of you and your colleagues."


    Then, Percival gave me an expression as if he chewed on a bug. "I wish I hadn''t heard that. Do you have voyeuristic tendencies to be peeking into other people''s memories? Evil man."


    "The voyeurism was just so that I could create the form of your body during your prime. I''m not interested in the memory of you being dumped by a woman 20 years older than you when you were 12." Of course, I chewed some beef jerky and watched with interest while saying this.


    "You...! Evil man!"


    Looking at Percival shaking his hands in anger, I patted his shoulder. "Learn to precisely control your mana flow gradually. I have to get ready for my business trip."

 Chapter 224: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (4)

    It¡¯s been five days since everyone in the adventurer''s guild headquarters was notified that they had to go on a business trip. Individual arrangements were completed over the weekend, but it took a lot of preparation to move a huge group.


    In particular, the adventurer''s guild was closely tied to the nobles and the temple, so they had to be notified in advance. In addition, even if the headquarters was out of the capital, the requests coming into the adventurer¡¯s guild did not stop, so clients and adventurers who wanted to remain in the capital had to be connected with an adventurer¡¯s guild branch near the capital.


    "Then I''m off." I left the boarding house early in the morning and stood outside the front door with my bag.


    "How long is your business trip?¡± Lisbon asked as he prepared to go to school in his knight school uniform.


    I shrugged lightly and guessed, "I¡¯m not sure. It will depend, but they said at least a week and a month at most, but I think it will be a full month.¡±


    Alice asked in surprise, "What, you¡¯re staying that long?"


    Yuria and Alphonso also nodded at this.


    "I can''t help it. This time, Duke Asteria himself asked the capital for help. This is the first request he¡¯s made in ten years since the last flood of demons, so an imperial order must¡¯ve been used to help stabilize the situation."


    I stopped myself from mentioning that the emperor himself gave these orders to Guild Director Glont and that the duration could be longer.


    Then, Lisbon spoke with a look indicating that he suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Then we might be able to meet at the knight school practice if we¡¯re lucky.¡±


    "Practice?"


    At my question, Lisbon nodded. "Yeah, we have a training session for squires to assist stabilizing ever since the demon flood. Isn¡¯t that right, Alphonso?"


    Although it was said the southward movements of the great demon were sufficiently blocked, the damage caused was still great. Of course, it wasn¡¯t necessary to get help from the knight school students, but it was possibly due to the imperial court''s desire to give a good impression and provide decent training opportunities.


    When Lisbon inquired, Alphonso clapped his hands as if he had just remembered. "Oh, so that¡¯s it!"


    Come to think of it, middle-rank and low-rank knight schools worked in groups. Students at the middle-rank knight school gained experience dealing with and teaching squires alongside students at the low-rank knight school, and vice versa; the low-rank students learn from assisting the middle-rank students. I was told that Lisbon and Alphonso were in the same group due to their requests.


    "So you''re coming to Asterium?" At my question, Lisbon nodded.


    "Well, that makes sense since Warrant and the front lines are dangerous."


    That is, considering it was Lisbon who came to the front lines without telling Alice. It was a pity that I missed the chance to tell Alice; Hillis suddenly arrived at the boarding house, and I had to go on a business trip for the state conference.


    "But where is Hillis?"


    Mrs. Arscilla answered my question, "Miss Hillis said she was going to meet her friends and went out at dawn. She said she wouldn¡¯t come back for a few days.¡±


    "Oh, is that so?" I couldn''t believe Hillis had a friend.


    "Oh, it''s already time. I¡¯ll be going now."


    I left the boarding house after being sent off.


    * * *


    In the adventurer''s guild, resident adventurers and civil servants'' assistants were carrying luggage. Flam also rolled up his sleeves and transported the luggage alongside the big men carrying it.


    "Oh, you''re here? Hurry and go to the armory. Fiona¡¯s waiting." Finding me, Flam pointed to the armory, and I headed over.


    "You¡¯re here? Please fill out the distribution ledgers here."


    I wrote down the serial number of each gun and sword in the distribution ledger as Fiona instructed and was given an officer¡¯s rapier, a musket, and a pistol. Afterward, I joined the busy guild members outside as I carried things into the carriages.


    When everyone was ready to go, we formed a line in front of the adventurer¡¯s guild headquarters. The line included the headquarters¡¯ employees, guild members, and any adventure choosing to come along. Unlike the previous compulsory conscription order, people had the freedom not to go, so there were only about 1,500 people, including resident adventurers and adventurers frequently commissioned by the headquarters.


    "That''s more than I thought."


    During the flood of demons, conscription orders were issued, and, not just in the capital but also in satellite cities, adventurers were gathered to be troops at the corps level. However, it was surprising that such a number was assembled because participation was not mandatory this time.


    Flam responded by nodding at my words. "I heard that because it''s well-paid, even groups of adventurers from satellite cities have gathered."


    Then this number was understandable. The capital had less work for adventurers as it was safe. Less work meant fewer adventurers working in the capital.


    There were probably just over 500 adventurers operating only in the capital. Including floating adventurers entering and leaving the capital, the number would be five times more, but this was also a lot smaller than other major provincial bases.


    "Oh, the guild director is coming,¡± Flam muttered, feeling the aura of Guild Director Glont, who had yet to emerge.


    Guild Director Glont was not specifically emitting any aura, so Flam had sharp senses. As Flam said, Guild Director Glont emerged from the headquarters building, and the adventurers gathered in groups shut up. Unlike his usual appearance, Guild Director Glont was wearing a black adventurer''s guild uniform and a reserve forces general insignia, resembling a serious knight.


    "I wish he would dress like that normally." Flam clicked his tongue, shaking his head, and the people at the headquarters nodded subconsciously.


    If you looked at the current cool side of him, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to recognize his usual perverted-looking self. Near Guild Director Glont, three platinum plate adventurers stood side by side: Rosellis, Dane Walker, and Ruin.


    Dane Walker seemed to be better off now thanks to the medicine I gave him and the divine power of the Pagan Priest Ruin. This was also thanks to the fact that Ruin, a famous wanderer, was also staying in the capital to nurse Dane Walker.


    Glont took a look at the adventurers and began his speech by mixing mana into his voice so it could be heard from afar. "I would like to express my gratitude to the adventurers for coming together like this."


    As Guild Director Glont thanked the adventurers, their faces began to get oddly heated. I could see Guild Director Glont''s popularity based on this reaction to a greeting that was nothing more than a formality.


    "I am well aware that over a month ago, you were standing on the battlefield where the demons flooded in. Some of you may have lost a colleague there, and some of you may have fallen into despair."


    The adventurers maintained a heavy silence at Guild Director Glont''s slowly building speech. "Although the flooding of the demons has come to an end, the border area of the Demon¡¯s Territory remains in a difficult situation. I know it is not easy to rejoin a battle. That is why I admire your courage. I greet you all once more. Thank you all for gathering here!"


    The adventurers began to applaud as the Guild Director Glont bowed lightly. Actually, I asked the Big Mama Information Agency for information on the provinces near the Demon¡¯s Territory for this business trip. From the information I received, although things there were certainly harder than usual, it should not be that much more difficult.


    It seemed that Hestia and Duke Asteria had signed some kind of contract and sent three people to find me, including Leisha noona. I don¡¯t know about my fourth sister, but if Mac hyung and Lancelot were there, they would be of great help. Furthermore, Elder Mirpa was said to be in the Demon¡¯s Territory, so it should quickly return to stability. Although, I¡¯ll have to be careful not to get caught.


    I was clapping to match the atmosphere when Ruin shouted, putting divine power in his voice. "And there is some good news!"


    Everyone''s eyes turned to Ruin at his cry.


    "This time, there''s a lot of support from the temple for this dispatch request.¡±


    "Ohhhh!" The adventurers cheered at Ruin''s words. All of the temples in the Asteria duchy were also providing support, but the more priests who could heal wounds, the better.


    "Not only the priests of the temple but the high priests of St. Percival will also head up to the Demon¡¯s Territory!"


    "Woooow!"


    It was a massive deal that the high priests of that aloof temple were taking action. In particular, it was even more significant that elites belonging to both the great temple and Percival were going to the dangerous Demon¡¯s Territory.


    "And the most powerful knight division of St. Percival, the Consecrated Paladin Division, will also be fighting against the demon and monster rebellion!"


    "Wooow!"


    Wait, what? The Consecrated Paladin Division? The group of dullards that always stand by Hillis is going to leave her side? The same people who stare at me like they''re going to kill me every time we run into each other?


    "Even the Consecrated Paladin Division will be moving with us from now on!"


    "Wooooow!" The adventurers showed their enthusiasm at Ruin''s words.


    Familiar faces appeared from behind the adventurer''s guild headquarters building, receiving the adventurers¡¯ cheers. "Nice to meet you, adventurers. I am Albatoss from the Consecrated Paladin Division."


    I was dumbfounded and staring blankly at Albatoss when someone patted me on the shoulder from behind. I looked back, and my cheek was poked by a finger.


    "Hi~ I''m Hillis, the priest who will be going with you."


    The one who played this trick on me was Hillis, who completely concealed her divine power and mana.


    * * *


    The five madosas who spent over five days searching the Alps upon Aries''s command felt pressured to find traces of the ruins quickly. However, there was a risk that if they acted recklessly under pressure, they could get on the nerves of the Butterfly Tribe people.


    Of course, even though the Butterfly Tribe was not easy enough to deal with, neither were they. The children and young Butterfly Tribe members were nothing more than great magicians, but the middle-aged and older Butterfly Tribe members were all monsters who had risen to the level of a madosa.


    Even though a battle with a madosa wasn¡¯t decided by numbers, instead of being determined by how prepared one was and one¡¯s level, if hundreds of madosas came at you like a pack of animals, preparation and what else would all be useless. It would be a little different if they were great madosas, but currently, it was suicide to fight against the Butterfly Tribe people.


    "Damn, where is it!" The biggest of the five madosas kicked a huge rock with his mana-infused foot.


    Kwang!


    The madosa''s mana-infused kick smashed the rock, throwing debris all over the place.


    "Tau! What are you doing? Don''t destroy the terrain! If we¡¯re unlucky-"


    "I know! You''re saying we might catch the notice of the Butterfly Tribe people, Iota?" The madosa, who was called "Tau," made a fuss, calling out the name of the madosa who pointed him out.


    At that time, a female madosa who was looking down at the ground from the sky said, "Wait. I don''t think it was a useless act."


    "What do you mean, Delta?"


    At Iota¡¯s question, Delta smiled heavily as she saw it from the sky. "I think I''ve found a trace."

 Chapter 225: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (5)

    It was not wartime, nor had martial law been declared, so 1,500 adventurers could not take the train all at once. Even though trains were made for military purposes, ordinary citizens could not be randomly restricted from using them.


    As such, Guild Director Glont decided to move by splitting the adventurers into five units. The people from the headquarters and I ended up heading to Asterium alongside the temple people, with the platinum plate adventurer Ruin in the lead.


    "You must have obtained a first-class seat from the paladin gentleman. Is it fine for you not to go there?" I asked Hillis, who was sitting in front of me with her chin resting on the window.


    The seat I sat on was part of a four-person cubicle seat for official use, so it was uncomfortable and narrow compared to first class.


    Hillis shook her hand slightly at my question. "It''s okay, it''s okay. Right now, there are only stuffy old people in the first-class compartment, so it¡¯ll be uncomfortable.¡±


    No, I feel uncomfortable if you''re here. But Hillis smiled faintly, not interested in what I thought.


    "Really? But aren''t you two uncomfortable?" I turned my head slightly and asked the two big men.


    "Hahaha, this priest is fine, Brother-nim."


    "Of course, it''s uncomfortable."


    The priest, Ruin, smiled as bright as his shiny hair, while Albatoss answered with some dissatisfaction.


    Honestly, it was acceptable for Hillis because she was small, but it was very uncomfortable for those two muscular people to sit together in this narrow cubicle.


    "If you feel uncomfortable, how about going back to your seat? As far as I know, Paladin-nim¡¯s train ticket was bought by the adventurer¡¯s guild."


    This I knew because Demuir and I went and bought first-class train tickets for Albatoss and the Consecrated Paladin Division at the train station before we departed, using the adventurer¡¯s guild money.


    Albatoss glared at me fiercely. "It is my duty to stand by the Saintess-nim. How dare you ask me to betray my holy mission!¡±


    Because of that mission, Fiona, Demuir, and Flam, who were supposed to ride with me, were kicked to the first-class cars and replaced by the three people in this cubicle.


    I wish I were the one being kicked out. I said with a sincere sigh, "Well, why don''t one of you two go next to Hillis? You don''t have to insist on sitting next to me in this small space."


    Albatoss and Ruin responded to me at the same time.


    "Hahaha, how can my unworthy self cause inconvenience to the Saintess-nim?"


    "Isn¡¯t it only right that Saintess-nim should be at ease!"


    No, but still, it''s weird for three people to sit in a seat made for two. In addition, these two were muscular and were each almost the size of two people, so it felt like five people were actually sitting together.


    "Then how about losing some muscle? You both are the size of two people each, which is why it will be uncomfortable sitting next to Hillis."


    Albatoss was outraged by my comments. "What? How dare you tell me to give up this strong muscle? You¡¯re out of your mind."


    Ruin also agreed with Albatoss. "Ahhh, it''s a pity you don''t know this beautiful world of muscles. Rather, it seems like Brother-nim needs to build up your muscles. Let''s pray together for Brother-nim''s muscles."


    As Ruin put his hands together, Albatoss also put his hands together and began praying for grace to help me build muscles. I¡¯m going to go crazy.


    "Puhut, if it''s really uncomfortable, you can just come next to me.¡±


    Hillis said with a smile, and I also smiled as I replied. "Then shall I?"


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" Albatoss looked at me sharply while in prayer, but I sat beside Hillis, shrugging lightly.


    I felt a sense of freedom when I went from being squeezed into an open space.


    "Why? How dare you interfere with the Saintess-nim''s suggestion!" When I imitated Albatoss''s tone, Albatross was furious before becoming conflicted internally.


    He didn''t like me sitting next to Hillis, but he couldn''t disobey Hillis''s suggestion (order). Hillis and I looked at him and smiled playfully.


    "But I never would have dreamed that Brother-nim and Saintess-nim knew each other."


    When Ruin asked this, Hillis replied with a light laugh, "Hohoho, we just somehow ended up growing close. He is one of my few friends who treat me openly despite my status as a saintess."


    "Hahahaha. It''s also God''s blessing to meet a congenial friend."


    I was rather surprised that Ruin was such a high-ranking priest but had never met the saintess face to face before. The saintess only revealed her face to the archbishop-level or cardinal-level priests. Hillis¡¯s existence was that important to the temple.


    Well, besides her being important, it seems like Ruin also wanders a lot. It was said that Ruin almost received the posthumous title of cardinal but refused it to become an adventurer. As a cardinal, the radius of his activities would be limited, so it didn''t seem right for someone who loved to wander like Ruin. Rather, it was funny that a cardinal-level priest was called a pagan priest.


    "Oh, but I thought you left home to meet your friend. What¡¯s this sudden volunteer work?"


    Hillis complained when I asked her out of the blue. "What sudden volunteer work? Isn¡¯t it normally a saintess¡¯s job to reach out to people who need help?"


    Yet, for someone whose job was to help people, didn''t she mass-produce people who needed help in the past at the casino?


    "And it''s true that I''m going to see my friend; my friends are currently in Asterium. I''ll introduce you later. They''re pleasant friends, so you''ll like them.¡±


    Hillis smiled with delight. But why am I suddenly getting an ominous feeling?


    * * *


    "Iyaa, first class is comfortable. Thanks to it, I arrived comfortably."


    "Thank you."


    "Thank you. I arrived comfortably thanks to you."


    Flam, Demuir, and Fiona, arriving at Asterium after two full days, thanked me.


    "Are you making fun of me right now?¡± I arrived after being in a narrow cubicle, struggling and barely getting sleep between a paladin and a priest, but those three felt no fatigue from the trip.


    "Hahaha, we¡¯re not teasing you. We¡¯re just saying thank you purely because we got to experience first-class thanks to you."


    Demuir put his arms around me and smiled. I slightly twisted Demuir''s arm around my shoulder. "Argh!"


    "Oh, I''m sorry. Unlike all of you, my shoulders are stiff because I hardly got sleep in such a small place. That was a mistake." Fiona and Flam nodded and said it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    The people of the temple headed for the Asterium parish, and other people from the headquarters, adventurers, and I headed for the adventurer¡¯s guild branch.


    Demuir sighed quietly as he looked at the Asterium branch. "I never thought I''d be going to a dangerous area again.¡±


    Asterium was such a safe city that there was even a duchy located there. However, as Demuir was born and raised in the safe capital, he seemed to view Warrant and Asterium as the same type of places.


    "Well, Asterium is a safe city compared to Warrant. It also has good public order.¡± Demuir nodded and took comfort in my consolation.


    * * *


    Bloody casually twisted his body to avoid the joint attack of the White Tiger Knight Division, who was aiming for his neck and both sides. He then moved quickly and slashed the knights who attacked him with a wooden sword.


    "Uuk!"


    "Cough!"


    No matter how much armor the knights were wearing and despite the fact that Bloody''s sword was wooden, sword aura was flowing weakly through it, and with the powerful strength of the Crow Tribe, their armor was crushed.


    "Get it together!" When the leader of the White Tiger Knights yelled fiercely from the back, the knights became agitated and attacked.


    Each of the five knights'' swords was aimed at Bloody''s head, back, right flank, left arm, and leg. Bloody used the wooden sword to deflect the attack aiming at his side and put a strong aura on his left hand to grab the blade aiming for his head.


    He pulled the blade of the sword with his left hand to block the one heading for his left arm. After that, he jumped in place and avoided the sword trying to cut his leg while giving the knight aiming at his back a roundhouse kick.


    "Kuack!"


    The knight aiming for the back fell down, and Bloody hit three knights with his wooden sword while pulling the blade in his left hand.


    ¡°Keuk!"


    "Uaak!"


    "Uack!"


    Bloody smacked the last knight with a wooden sword.


    When all the knights of the White Tiger Knights collapsed, Bloody clicked his tongue. "There''s still a long way to go. They''ll have to be trained a lot more."


    Bloody''s harsh assessment brought the fallen knights to their feet in dissatisfaction. The knights returned to their positions and tried to pounce on Bloody when sudden clapping stopped them.


    "You have arrived, Your Highness the Duke?"


    When the captain of the White Tiger Knights saluted, Duke Asteria raised his hand lightly and received the salute. Behind the duke were Leisha and Lancelot.


    "Your body seems to have healed fully."


    When the duke looked around at the knights full of bruises, the knights lowered their heads in embarrassment. No matter the fact that the opponent was a Crow, he was a patient who was lying in bed not long ago. They did somewhat deserve to be ashamed for being beaten up by someone who was just a patient.


    "Yes, thanks to your consideration, I''m fine. Should I say I¡¯m feeling even better than before? Hahaha!"


    Bloody made a full recovery after shaking off the rebound from using the forbidden technique, the Dance of the Fireflies. His life was in danger after risking it to use the forbidden technique, but after using it, the sense given to Bloody by the Dance of the Fireflies gave him a path to a higher level.


    "What have I done for you? It was Leisha who worked hard to make the medicine."


    At Duke Asteria¡¯s praise, Leisha laughed and shook her hand. "Ha, no, it was thanks to Your Highness the Duke for acquiring high-quality magical materials."


    Leisha also treated the duke with ease because she heard in Hestia''s letter that Duke Asteria was her maternal grandfather. However, it was a secret, so she called him Your Highness the Duke around other people.


    "Hahaha, so modest. Alchemists in the estate all admired your alchemy."


    "It is all thanks to my teacher¡¯s teachings."


    She was embarrassed because the convenient magic that was considered miscellaneous in her hometown was seen as great outside the village. Still, it didn¡¯t feel bad. Leisha felt like she could understand the feelings of her runaway little brother.


    "Oh, now that I think about it, Glont''s come back up. Is it okay if I go see him?"


    Bloody was surprised when Duke Asteria asked. "Oh, Glont hyung is here? Why?"


    "Of course, that''s because I called him. I asked him to clean up after the flood of demons.¡±


    Bloody laughed his head off at the duke''s words. "Ahahahaha! Your Highness is probably the only one who asks Glont hyung to come and go like a servant! Hahahaha!"


    "So, are you going to go?"


    Bloody nodded at the duke''s question. "Yes, I should go."


    "Then I''ll come with you. I have some business."


    The duke smiled mischievously and asked Leisha and Lancelot, "Won¡¯t you two come with me?"


    The two nodded at the duke''s suggestion.

 Chapter 226: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (6)

    Malecia drank his tea relaxedly and looked at Aries eating the choux cream they got from Asterium.


    Feeling Malecia''s gaze, Aries wiped the choux cream off his mouth with his sleeve. "Do you have something to say?"


    Malecia smiled lightly, handed him a handkerchief familiarly, and said, "You seem relaxed for someone who just scolded your disciples, telling them to find it quickly."


    Aries wiped the cream with a handkerchief rather than his sleeve and calmly answered, "You¡¯re supposed to whip a racing horse. Since the place won¡¯t disappear if we¡¯re late in finding it, there¡¯s no need to be tense."


    In short, he only softly scolded them to work hard, and there was no problem even if it was found late.


    "So, the disciples didn''t have to look for it so hurriedly, did they?¡±


    Malecia clearly expressed his dumbfoundedness, but Aries did not care about Malecia''s response. "Well, that¡¯s right. And I¡¯m only expecting it to have appeared by now because it¡¯s been a while since the tomb of the Holy Tribe¡¯s last queen collapsed, but it may not have appeared yet."


    As Aries explained further, Malecia felt sorry for the madosas currently spilling blood to carry out Aries''s command. Didn¡¯t that mean they were doggedly trying to find traces of a place that might not even exist?


    "Well, if my calculations were correct, the seal should be rising up from all over the world by now, so it isn¡¯t in vain."


    "Doesn¡¯t that mean that this is just a waste of time if the calculation is wrong?"


    Aries nodded as if nothing was wrong. "That''s how it is. I''m not a space magician, and dimensional magic is not my specialty. There''s a good chance that the calculations will be incorrect."


    After speaking, Aries casually continued eating the choux cream. "Mmm, it''s good. Next time, get the one with the strawberry on top."


    Even if the calculations were wrong and his disciples suffered in vain for a few days, the disciples would gladly accept it. Aries¡¯s teachings were that important and precious to them. Aries was aware of this, so he gave the order casually. Malecia, unable to sympathize with the magician¡¯s world, just found it interesting that the disciples did not resist.


    Aries was eating choux cream diligently when he shook his head after much consideration. "No, as I thought, we''d better find it soon. This place is too close to those annoying Butterfly Tribe people. We''ll monopolize it before Arpen discovers it."


    Pure greed filled the usually indifferent Aries¡¯s eyes. Then, a woman in a black hooded cloak burst into the mansion.


    As soon as she saw Aries, she knelt down and shouted heatedly, "Please rejoice, Teacher! We have finally found a trail!"


    Aries responded casually, "I see, Delta. Then, did you check where it was?"


    Delta, kneeling on the floor, suddenly froze as her heated voice cooled sharply. "That, that is, to see if the trace was real or not, we haven¡¯t....¡±


    As Delta trailed off, Aries drank some tea and rinsed out the remaining cream flavor in his mouth. "How long has it been since you found the trace?"


    "¡­It has been two days."


    Aries quietly put down the teacup. The sound of the teacup clattering in the silence was deafening.


    "To take two days, how incompetent." He spoke in a casual tone as if he were reviewing the taste of the choux cream.


    "I''m sorry!" But for Delta, this normal voice seemed ferocious.


    "It¡¯s fine. Good job. You can leave."


    As Aries lifted his fork without looking at Delta, Delta broke into a cold sweat and hit her head on the ground on the spot.


    "Please forgive me!" Because she hit her head on the ground hard enough to make an audible thump, her skin was torn a little, and blood flowed from her forehead. Yet, she and Aries didn''t care.


    Aries spoke, stabbing the last remaining choux cream with a fork, "I said you can leave. And search the trace and find out where the castle is."


    Delta shuddered at Aries¡¯s calm voice. She felt like the fork stuck in the choux cream was stabbed into her head instead. It made her want to die right away to dare to make her teacher repeat himself.


    "Yes! I will¡­! I will never let you down!" Shouting, Delta quickly escaped the mansion, moving at a high speed for a magician¡¯s frail body.


    Looking at Delta''s back, Malecia sighed inwardly. "It seemed like she did try her best to find it, so I don''t think being so cold is beneficial for morale."


    At Malecia''s recommendation, Aries tilted his head as if he didn''t understand and swallowed the last remaining choux cream in one bite.


    Aries briefly savored the feast of cream flowing in his mouth, glanced at the empty plate, and smacked his lips. "I didn''t scold her as you advised, so what''s the issue?"


    "¡­Yes?" Malecia was taken aback by Aries''s words.


    "Why? Didn''t you tell me not to overly scold my disciples because they might get discouraged?"


    At Aries''s question, Malecia nodded nervously. "Yes, that¡¯s true...¡±


    "That''s why I didn''t scold her and sent her off pleasantly."


    "Uh... that was what you did?"


    Aries nodded, proud of himself for engraving his subordinate''s advice in his heart. But for Malecia, it was hard to tell how that was sending her off pleasantly. It didn''t feel much different from Aries¡¯s usual treatment of his students.


    "So then what was that about you saying they were incompetent? Wasn¡¯t that scolding?"


    Aries looked at Malecia incomprehensibly. "How could saying the truth be scolding?¡±


    Aries really couldn''t understand. "I can''t believe they took two days to confirm if it was real after finding the trace. Their senses are too lacking. They should have noticed as soon as they saw the mana in the trace."


    After saying so, he let out a small sigh. So far, after he¡¯d given his disciples an instruction, he took his mind off it afterward. But this time, he followed Malecia''s advice and repeatedly instructed the stupid disciple once more.


    Aries tapped his empty plate with a fork. Having thought about something he didn¡¯t care for usually, he wanted to eat something sweet.


    "Zeta¡­ Smith was born with a weak body, but her good senses made her talented. That''s too bad.¡±


    Aries felt pity for the previous Red Magic Tower Master that he had taken in as a disciple and sharpened to survive on the battlefield. "Strawberry choux cream.¡­¡±


    Malecia thought maybe he was sad about the choux cream he finished.


    * * *


    Arriving at Asterium, I unpacked my luggage at my appointed accommodation. Once again, an inn near the Asterium adventurer¡¯s guild branch was used, but fortunately, we were able to get individual rooms because we weren¡¯t a corps-level force like last time.


    Of course, 1,500 adventurers were not a small number, but this time, the headquarters did not have to take care of the adventurers'' accommodation and meals, so everyone could find their own inn as they pleased.


    "But is it really okay if we don''t find the adventurers any accommodations?"


    Fiona answered Flam''s question with a grin. "It''s fine. There are many adventurers and mercenaries in Asterium, so there are also many inns."


    Surely, Asterium had enough inns to accommodate 10,000 units of troops. There wouldn¡¯t be any homeless adventurers just because the number of people suddenly increased by 1,500.


    "And this request came from Duke Asteria, so there''s likely a certain amount of room and board support from the duke.¡±


    Demuir was startled as if he had a sudden sense of foreboding. "Wait. Doesn''t that mean we have to distribute the support funding?"


    I was frozen by Demuir''s words.


    "Ha, ha, no way, right?" Flam denied this reality, but the duke could not kindly give each adventurer a handout himself.


    In other words, we had to sort out all the money being handed out, put it in our pockets, and do some labor to distribute it to the adventurers.


    "Damn, sure enough, I did think it was strange that they took a lot of money to buy cloth bags!¡± Demuir was devastated by the facts that had been confirmed.


    Damn it; I learned something I didn''t want to know. If I wasn¡¯t aware, I could have had hope!


    Accommodation support was probably not limited to adventurers from the capital. There would be adventurers working in existing Asterium branches, as well as adventurers who gathered for money in the Duchy of Asteria.


    Organ and Dano were usually reserved and had no complaints, but even they were discouraged this time.


    Fiona clapped her hands in panic as the overall atmosphere became depressed. "But there¡¯s also our guild members and the Asterium branch! And on this request, they said they''d provide manpower from the local branches to the Asterium branch!"


    "Oh! Then it might be doable!" Flam spoke vigorously, but no one else responded.


    "¡­Then shall we go to the Asterium branch?" Fiona spoke carefully, and the people of the headquarters, including me, headed for the Asterium branch with depressed steps.


    * * *


    "Huh? Hillis?" Leisha was following Duke Asteria and was surprised to find Hillis lined up at a famous dessert shop near the adventurer''s guild.


    Hillis noticed Leisha and smiled brightly, and waved. "Wow! Long time no see, Leisha!"


    "Long time no see! But why are you here?¡±


    As they greeted each other, Duke Asteria looked on with interest.


    "It has been a while," said Duke Asteria.


    Hillis greeted the duke by bowing gently and lifting the edges of her skirt slightly. "It has been a while. Have you been well, Your Highness?"


    The duke received Hillis¡¯s greeting, lifting his hat gingerly.


    "Thanks to you, I''ve been living well. It is God¡¯s blessing."


    With the title of a duke, it was inevitable that there would be people he had not met before, regardless of group, faction, or rank. Naturally, he¡¯s had face-to-face encounters with the pope and the saintess, the highest officials of the temple, the state religion of the empire.


    "Do you know each other?" Duke Asteria asked, and Hillis affirmed with a fake gracious smile of hospitality that she used for entertaining guests.


    "Yes, we do. Our benevolent Mother intertwined the fates of Miss Leisha and me." Hillis answered using the idioms of the temple, saying that God brought them together.


    "I see. To meet like this, the benevolent Mother must have built a lot of crossroads between you and Leisha."


    "Yes, it is a wonderful blessing and arrangement."


    Leisha was not able to understand the conversation between Duke Asteria and Hillis at all.


    ¡°Would it possibly be rude if Miss Leisha spent time with me?¡±


    When Hillis asked, the duke laughed. "Hahaha, it would not be rude. Didn''t the benevolent Mother say that the petals of the blooming flower flow freely in the wind?¡±


    Hillis smiled and lowered her head slightly when the duke used the temple''s idiom of respecting Leisha''s free will. "Hohoho, thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. Leisha, if you have time, let''s grab some choux cream. I heard the strawberry choux cream here is so tasty."


    At Hillis'' suggestion, Leisha looked at the duke, and Duke Asteria smiled and nodded.


    "Hehe, let''s go, Lan! Hillis!" Leisha grabbed Lancelot¡¯s arm as he just stood there and headed to the line where Hillis was. Lancelot was forced to follow Leisha.


    "I will be back for dinner later!" Leisha grinned happily and waved at the duke and Bloody, and the duke smiled heartwarmingly and waved.


    "Well, then let''s go see Glont." Duke Asteria went with Bloody into the adventurer''s guild.

 Chapter 227: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (7)

    Duke Asteria entered the adventurer''s guild and glanced around at the scene inside.


    The manager of the Asterium branch recognized the duke and Bloody and rushed over, bowing his head. "Welcome, Your Highness! I am honored that Your Highness has come to pay a visit to my humble adventurer''s guild-¡±


    "There¡¯s no need for a lengthy greeting. Where''s the guild director and the branch director?" As the manager''s greeting went on, the duke cut him off and asked.


    "Yes! The guild director and the branch director are now in the branch director''s office! I will show you the way right this instant!"


    In response to the manager''s reply, Duke Asteria once again looked inside the guild and stepped upstairs with a slightly disappointed look.


    "Is there something you are looking for?" Bloody asked.


    The duke answered with a playful smile, "It¡¯s nothing. Let''s go up."


    While he said this, he was disappointed and went up at the manager''s guidance. After arriving at the branch director''s office on the top floor of the four-story adventurer''s guild building, Duke Asteria sent the manager back to work, saying he had done a fine job. Then, after knocking, they went straight into the branch director''s office.


    When the duke suddenly came in, the branch director jumped up in surprise and greeted him rigidly. "Your, Your Highness! It, it has been a while!"


    Glont had been sitting, but he also stood up. He gently rubbed the shoulder of the nervous branch director and spoke to Duke Asteria, "Hohoho, I should have visited you first, but I was a step late. Please have a seat."


    Glont gave up the upper seat on the reception couch, which the duke naturally sat on, and crossed his legs as he said playfully, "Good, at least you know. If you were here, you should have come to see me quickly instead of being lazy."


    Glont laughed pleasantly, "Ohhohoho! I just arrived and needed to rest a little bit, too.¡±


    "Tsk-tsk, resting that much. Were you planning on stopping by after I¡¯ve already passed away?¡±


    "I was going to come by in the evening. Oh, or were you going to go into the coffin by then?"


    "What? Hahahaha!¡±


    The conversation between Duke Asteria and Glont made the branch director freeze up, but it was just banter because the two knew each other well.


    Glont looked at Bloody accompanying the duke and sighed. "You look better by the looks of it."


    The last time he saw Bloody, his condition was severe. The blood vessels all over Bloody¡¯s entire body expanded as if they were bursting and looked like a spider web standing out on the outside of his skin. Even the capillaries were sticking out, leading to a bizarre appearance.


    At the time, his muscles might have become necrotic if they had not been treated. It was difficult for him to even scoop some rice with a spoon because of the muscle pain, but now he was moving just fine.


    "Ahahaha! Actually, while I was here, Mirpa ahjumma came and treated me."


    "Mirpa Ainsmall-nim did?"


    "Yes, she said to hand over the Turtle Carrying a Mountain because my elder brother-nim ended up losing the Dragon that Lived a Thousand Years."


    As Bloody spoke, he wondered what terrible monster a Dragon that Lived a Thousand Years was to have escaped from the hands of Doomstone. He got goosebumps and thought he should never fight it if they ever met.


    "So?" Glont inquired.


    "She robbed me of my share of the reward and bought a lot of the turtle by-products."


    Of course, Mirpa treated Bloody in exchange for the reward. With Mirpa''s medication, the aftereffects that would¡¯ve taken months to recover from were brushed off in 15 days.


    "Just a few days ago, the great elder from the Butterfly Tribe came and stole William''s reward and bought some turtle by-products,¡± Bloody said.


    "Hahaha, William must be in tears.¡±


    As Mirpa and Arpen took the by-products of the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, it was natural that the by-products available for study would be reduced.


    "Oh, by the way, did something happen in the capital? The great elder was asking Mirpa ahjumma what kind of crazy things she did.¡±


    Glont was lost in thought at Bloody''s words. "Well, something happened, but we haven''t been able to figure it out for over a month."


    "Oh, and in a few days, Mirpa ahjumma said she''d be back again. I''ll talk to her then. You should ask her to make some medicine for your health. You have to think about your age."


    "Hohoho. Oh my, you brat, I¡¯m still young and healthy, though?"


    While Glont and Bloody were talking, Duke Asteria naturally interrupted the flow of the conversation. "You have a visitor, and you don''t offer tea and refreshments? That¡¯s not adequate treatment for a guest."


    When the duke looked at Glont and asked him playfully, the branch director who was sitting nearby froze up. "I, I will get the tea out right now."


    As the branch director jumped up and headed for a kettle and tea leaves on one side of the branch director''s office, Duke Asteria raised his hand to stop him. "Oh, don''t tell me you''re going to brew such a cheap tea?"


    "Then, then..."


    When the branch director panicked, the duke threw a bag full of refined silver coins from his pocket. "Go get some nice tea and refreshments with this. Don''t just leave it in your room, but buy a lot so that the children below can eat, and put it in a pantry or something. Something luxurious, not cheap stuff like that. The children who came from the faraway capital should eat well."


    "Yes, I will be right back!" At the duke''s words, the branch director hastily left the room.


    Glont saw the branch director leave and gave Bloody money and said, "Come to think of it, I heard there''s a famous choux cream place in Asterium, can you get me some?"


    "What? Why me? The branch director went to buy the refreshments!"


    As Bloody grumbled, Glont disheveled Bloody''s hair and put strength into his hands while saying, "Go buy it because he wants it. I can''t leave a guest behind.¡±


    "Ow! But I''m injured? Ow! Ow! Okay! I¡¯ll go and come back!" Bloody hit away Glont''s hand and grumbled as he left the room.


    "Tch, the line there is annoyingly long.¡± Even after seeing Bloody close the door and leave, Glont remained silent until he focused his attention and confirmed that Bloody was leaving the guild building.


    After he could no longer feel Bloody¡¯s presence, Glont asked calmly. "So, what do you want to say to me after sending them all out?"


    "Didn''t you send General Bloody out?" Duke Asteria smiled playfully.


    "Well, if you don''t have anything to say, it doesn''t matter," said Glont as he shrugged lightly.


    The duke raised his hand lightly as if he had lost and laughed. "Hahaha, you¡¯re right. I sent the director out on purpose. You''re so quick-witted."


    Glont smiled bitterly when Duke Asteria admitted this. "After leaving the army and putting my foot halfway into administration, the only thing that I have noticed an improvement in is tact."


    "It''s too bad an innocent pervert like you is getting to know what the world is like."


    When the duke spoke in a tone of sincere regret, Glont looked at him as if what he said was absurd. "Don''t people usually say, innocent boy or young man?"


    "What are you talking about?! A pervert suits you more than those lively expressions!"


    The duke sighed after saying something unnecessary. "I''m here to ask you a secret favor. Can you keep it between us?"


    "Hmm, is it a favor that I can handle?¡± Glont retreated with a bad feeling.


    ¡°Of course. Would I ask you for a favor that you can''t handle?"


    Glont was livid when Duke Asteria smiled and spoke. "Haven¡¯t you done so often? You asked me to obtain the feathers of the great demon, the Eternally Burning Bird. You also asked that I enter the forbidden area, the Mephisto Gorge, where the Dragon Tribe lives to form an alliance and to eliminate the witch who cursed a nearby village!"


    "Ayy, but you''ve done it all. Besides, if you succeed, you''ll be paid an appropriate amount. Oh, I used that phoenix feather well. Thanks to it, I was able to lift my granddaughter''s curse.¡±


    "Paying me is obvious! Wait, what did you say? Granddaughter?" Glont had a dumbfounded face.


    "Your Highness, did you have an illegitimate child at some point? I thought Your Highness only had the Little Duchess Anemone."


    For a moment, he agonized over who to support in the issue of the duke¡¯s successor. After Anemone''s death, no one was able to urge the duke to choose a successor because they knew he loved his daughter more than anyone else.


    "What illegitimate child? She''s Anemone''s daughter. Unfortunately, she was born with the curse that Anemone had."


    "Is Anemone-nim still alive?" Glont asked, surprised.


    Duke Asteria smiled bitterly and shook his head. "No, she is actually dead now."


    "¡­I see.¡±


    Glont asked after a heavy silence, "So you''re asking me to help you in appointing your granddaughter as your successor?" It was understandable why he wanted the two of them to talk privately if this was true.


    "If so, I will draw my sword for your granddaughter. I have received unforgettable kindness from Anemone-nim."


    When Glont spoke seriously, Duke Asteria laughed his head off. "Puhahaha, what are you getting ahead of yourself for? Kuhaha! I will draw my sword for your granddaughter. Kuhahaha!"


    The duke suddenly laughed, and Glont became embarrassed and blushed. The duke wiped away the few tears that came out from laughing so hard.


    "Yeah, I have to wrap up the succession issue, but it''s not such a large request. Thanks for your concern, though."


    Glont closed his mouth at the duke''s thanks, and the duke grinned. "Are you upset? Well, to tell you under the condition that you keep it a secret, one of your subordinates is my grandson. I want you to help me get closer to him."


    "What?" Glont was once again taken aback by the sudden talk of a grandson, and he continued, "Grandson? It wasn¡¯t just a granddaughter?"


    "If you have a granddaughter, you can also have a grandson. What are you so surprised about? Oh, it''s complicated to explain, but the grandson doesn''t know I''m his maternal grandfather. I, myself, only just found out."


    "Is that possible? Well, it''s not impossible if Anemone-nim had hidden her identity... So who among my subordinates is your grandson?"


    "Den von Mark."


    "¡­What?"


    * * *


    "What are you doing hiding there?¡± Flam asked.


    I was surprised to see Flam suddenly entering the pantry. "What do you mean, hiding? I was in the pantry just to get some tea for us to drink together.¡±


    As soon as I entered the adventurer¡¯s guild, I felt familiar presences from upstairs, and I was told that Duke Asteria and Uncle Bloody were here. So, I hid in the pantry, erasing my presence to remain unnoticed. But no one should be able to tell that I was here from outside, so how did he know?


    "Oh, is that so? I lost my job to you. I was going to get the tea. Then, I''ll go buy some refreshments instead."


    Oh, he just came in to get tea.


    "Oh! Then I''ll go. I heard there''s a famous shop for choux cream, so I¡¯ll just go get some of that."


    "Uh, but doesn''t the choux cream shop have a long line?"


    "That just shows how good it is, right?¡±


    It just so happened that Uncle Bloody¡¯s presence had left the building, so it was better to run away.


    "Is that so? This is the money Fiona gave me to buy refreshments."


    I received the coin purse from Flam and rushed out of the adventurer''s guild.

 Chapter 228: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (8)

    Outside of the adventurer''s guild, I checked the money I got from Flam. With this amount of money, I could buy some choux cream for the Asterium branch people as well. After putting the coin purse in my pocket space, I thought about putting on my adventurer¡¯s guild coat that was part of the uniform.


    Before coming to Asterium, Demuir proposed making fall uniforms to Guild Director Glont. Thanks to this, we were allowed to wear plain clothes until the spring and fall uniforms were made, so everyone in the headquarters, including myself, was dressed in plain clothes. However, the Asterium branch members were, of course, all dressed in uniform, so it was a bit uncomfortable wearing plain clothes.


    "Hmm, is it a little odd if only I wear it?"


    None of the people in the headquarters were wearing uniforms, and it was strange for me to wear them alone. I think I¡¯ll just ask Fiona, the team leader, and do what she tells me to do. After all, it''s not even that cold anyways. But first, I headed to the famous choux cream shop.


    ***


    Malecia sighed and stood at the end of the long choux cream shop line. "Haa, damn strawberry choux cream."


    What is so good about the strawberry choux cream that I have to stand in such a long line?


    He wanted to have his subordinates do these petty tasks, but the person he was serving, Aries, had ordered Malecia to go specifically. The reason why he chose Malecia was that he was the only one who could survive and bring back the strawberry choux cream. For Malecia, it was so ridiculous that it was astounding.


    Currently, Asterium was home to Bloody, a Crow. William from the Butterfly Tribe also stopped by often for supplies. And Mirpa Ainsmall, someone even Aries called a lunatic, comes and goes every few days.


    Thinking about it like this, it seemed quite dangerous, but in reality, it was an extremely peaceful city protected by those monsters. Few cities were as safe as this one unless someone intentionally revealed themselves and started destroying things.


    Or so he thought. Kwang-!


    "What, what?"


    That was his line of thought until he saw Bloody flying in an arc through the sky with a roar. Malecia had no choice but to concede to Aries''s foresight. This place, or to be exact, the Crow Tribe people, were a bunch of lunatics.


    ***


    How could there dare to be such a stupid coincidence in this world? I came to buy choux cream to avoid my uncle, but why is Uncle Bloody in the choux cream shop? Damn it. I purposely picked the choux cream shop with the long line to avoid my uncle while he finished his business!


    "Uh... Long time no see?¡± Uncle Bloody was also flustered after encountering me in such an unexpected situation, and he greeted me with a stiff face.


    The good thing was that I wasn''t wearing an adventurer''s guild uniform, so he couldn¡¯t determine what I was up to with my current outfit.


    I slowly took out the white half-mask from my pocket space and greeted him brightly. "Hahaha, it¡¯s been a long time."


    Uncle Bloody replied as if he were a little dumbfounded, "Hey, isn¡¯t it too late to hide your identity?"


    I laughed airily at Uncle Bloody. "Hahahaha, it seems your brain is still not working. Why would I insist on wearing a mask that has already been revealed?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ is there a reason?¡±


    Of course, there¡¯s a reason. I approached my uncle with a smile. My uncle took a step back as I approached him as if he sensed something sinister.


    "Why are you stepping back? Aren¡¯t you happy to see your cute nephew?¡± Uncle Bloody once again moved back towards the store¡¯s exit.


    I passed my uncle and went up to the counter to order choux cream. "I''d like all the remaining strawberry choux cream, 20 green tea choux cream, and 20 regular choux cream."


    If you waited in line, shouldn''t you at least have a taste? Perhaps due to the strawberry choux cream¡¯s popularity, there were only eight left in stock.


    I don''t know whether to call this good or bad luck. If I had arrived late, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy strawberry choux cream, but I also wouldn¡¯t have met Uncle Bloody. I took the packaged choux cream and put it in my pocket space before lightly casting hallucination magic around the surroundings.


    "What, you still haven''t left yet? Do you have some business with me?"


    I gave him a chance to run away, but he was still here. Is he confident that he can deal with me even though he is in a sealed state? Of course, Uncle Bloody did have the strength to be confident.


    Even if he used Dance of the Fireflies, the achievement of cutting down a great demon in a single blow was worth being left in the records of history. Dance of the Fireflies, the ultimate forbidden martial arts technique, was nothing more than drawing out the power that the user already possessed. In other words, Uncle Bloody¡¯s power was enough to be confident.


    "No, well, I don''t have any business." Uncle Bloody scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward.


    Perhaps he reached a new level after using the Dance of the Fireflies. Then, was he trying to check his level through me?


    "Even though we met by coincidence, I need to at least pretend to put in an effort to try and catch you; that way, I have an excuse for my big brother."


    I felt some desperation in my uncle''s voice. When meeting my father, my uncle and I were the same in that we wouldn¡¯t offer a good impression.


    "Seems like it¡¯s been hard for you,¡± I said.


    "Ehew, it has. I''d be more than happy if you''d just go back without a fuss."


    "I wouldn''t ask for anything if you just pretended not to have seen me and let me go." Uncle Bloody and I looked at each other and sighed.


    ¡°Oh, you asked why I¡¯m wearing a mask, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Uncle Bloody sneaked towards the exit, feeling uneasy.


    For your information, I wore a mask so that those around me wouldn¡¯t pay any attention to us and to prevent them from being witnesses who could recognize me in this incident. Witnesses to what incident, you ask? The fight between my uncle and me!


    "Magic Bullets! Ten consecutive shots!"


    Uncle Bloody quickly exited the store. Because I activated the Witch of Pride¡¯s bracelet, there was little damage to the store, even though my uncle avoided my magic bullets. As a bonus, the hallucination I cast was starting to take effect, so even though I used attack magic, the customers of the store did not pay attention to Uncle Bloody or me.


    "Hey, you crazy bastard! How could you use magic in a place with so many people like this!"


    Uncle Bloody cried out in surprise, but as I had mastered the function of the bracelet, my magic would not cause the building to collapse or hurt people. Of course, even if I controlled my magic completely, I had to be careful because I couldn''t control my uncle''s sword aura.


    "Ahahaha! If you don''t want to see the city destroyed, just back off!"


    It¡¯s obvious, but my shout was a threat. Yet, to Uncle Bloody, it sounded like something an insane terrorist would shout. As a precaution, I planted a mine where my uncle''s foot would fall in his stride.


    "You, you bastard!"


    Sure enough, Uncle Bloody jumped at me, pulling out his sword.


    Kwang!


    Immediately after stepping on the mine, my uncle was caught in the explosion and flew in an arc into the distance.


    "That''s why I told you to back off! Why did you come running?!"


    Fortunately, my uncle instinctively protected himself with a strong aura and had no injuries. Looking at the floor with only a little soot left from the large explosion, I hid among the crowd with peace of mind. As expected, it was nice because I could run wild as much as I wanted thanks to the bracelet.


    ***


    Malecia was nervous and erased his presence just in case something happened. It was clear that the opponent was a pretty crazy guy to have magically blown away the Crow, General Bloody.


    "Hmm, that''s weird.¡±


    Even with such a sizable explosion, people seemed calm, as if they didn''t feel anything. In addition, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if the streets were filled with screams and terror after an explosion capable of sending a Crow flying far away.


    "Is it magic?" Malecia grasped the current situation from his experience.


    Among some of the crazy magicians who didn''t care about their surroundings, there were also those who didn''t like the fuss. Such magicians used hallucinations to even make people unaware that they were dying.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely strange.¡±


    It was certainly strange. Even if people were unaware of the situation, considering that he himself saw the explosion, the hallucination was not powerful enough to affect him. But why didn¡¯t he smell the unpleasant scent of blood? With an explosion of that scale just now, there would be dozens of people caught up in it.


    Malecia approached the source of the explosion, going past people who seemed to be in a distorted space. At the source of the blast, there was only a little soot on the floor, contrary to his expectations. There was a sense of dissonance when he saw something so skewed from his common sense.


    Malecia looked around to collect information about his surroundings as usual. "White half-mask?"


    It was just for a moment, but he felt like he saw a boy with a white half-mask moving in between the crowd. Of course, this could have been a mistake. However, the survival instinct that saved him up to this point was ringing and warning him to remember.


    Malecia cut in line while people were hallucinating and headed to the counter, where the attendant said, "I''m sorry. Strawberry choux cream was just sold out."


    ¡°Is this that White Half-Mask¡¯s doing?!¡± Malecia was forced to sigh.


    ***


    I breathed a sigh of relief when I returned safely to the adventurer''s guild with Uncle Bloody searching for me.


    "Huu, I survived."


    I didn''t expect to meet Uncle Bloody there. Indeed, it would have been annoying if I hadn''t used his belief that I wouldn''t hurt people to threaten him.


    I also realized that it was much safer to hide in one place than to walk around cautiously while avoiding him. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that there was a saying which said it was dangerous outside of your blanket.


    "What do you mean, you survived?"


    "Jeez! You scared me!"


    Flam suddenly popped up from behind me and became rather flustered. "I didn''t think you''d be that surprised. I''m sorry."


    "No, I''m fine. Oh, I said I survived because fortunately, I was able to get the popular strawberry choux cream.¡±


    Flam glowed as I smiled lightly and waved a box of choux cream. "Oh! Strawberry choux cream is a popular item, so it must not have been easy to get it."


    "I know. There were about eight left. Let''s go in and eat."


    I took the lead, and Flam followed and said, "Oh, come to think of it, while you were gone, there were some matters that Guild Director Glont came down and delivered himself."


    "What is it?"


    Flam answered my question casually. "It wasn¡¯t much. All the men at the headquarters were invited to Duke Asteria''s dinner banquet."


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown at Flam''s words.


    God damn it, Uncle Bloody wouldn¡¯t happen to be there too, right?

 Chapter 229: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (9)

    I put aside my worries for now and entered the office, pushing the door open with my elbow.


    "Everyone, I brought snacks," I spoke in a bright voice and presented the box of choux cream, but the atmosphere in the office was cold. What''s going on?


    "Oh, you''re here?" Nonetheless, Fiona still welcomed me with an awkward smile.


    Honestly, I thought Demuir would be ecstatic by the news of snacks, but Demuir was holding his head with his eyes closed.


    I asked Flam quietly, "What''s going on?¡±


    It was as if something serious came and went without me.


    "Oh, the thing is¡­.¡± Flam smiled awkwardly like Fiona.


    "Let me explain." Fiona got up and approached me with documents that looked like meeting notes.


    "For now, put down the snacks you brought and take these. These are the materials for this meeting."


    At her instructions, I put down the box of choux cream, took the materials, and skimmed them quickly.


    "As you can see from the materials, the knight school says it''s going to conduct their practice around here."


    "Yes, so it says."


    I already knew the knight school was going to practice around here because I heard from Lisbon before I arrived. The document stated in great detail how the practice would be directed. According to the document, they were scheduled to deal with monsters at the entrance of the Alps. This place was heaven for monsters and designated as a restricted territory.


    "The Alps. It¡¯s going to be quite difficult for the knight school."


    The Alps were dangerous enough to be designated as a restricted land. It was called monster heaven, and it was a place where even knights struggled. Even if they were only at the entrance, I thought it would be too difficult for students.


    But why is this data in the completely unrelated office of the adventurer¡¯s guild? The intelligence of the knight school would be second-class military secrets or at least third-class military secrets.


    "And as you can see from the final page, the knight school has requested help from our adventurer¡¯s guild."


    Well, then it made sense that these materials were here. The knight school''s curriculum included working as a free knight in conjunction with the adventurer¡¯s guild or the mercenary alliances. Thus, the knight school and adventurer''s guild had a pretty close relationship. This request could just be considered a request for assistance in that relationship.


    "Let''s see." After Fiona spoke, I looked over the document.


    According to the documents, they were asking for aid in various administrative and logistic areas, including supporting military supplies and learning tips on how to manage them.


    As I kept reading, I stopped at a certain point and frowned. "This is?"


    Fiona sighed and nodded at my question.


    Fiona''s affirmation shocked me because it was so absurd. "Is the dean of the knight school sane?¡±


    "Den! The knight school Dean-nim is a soldier and is also a general and a nobleman with the title of viscount!" Fiona was surprised and warned me to watch my language.


    The details of the request were so ridiculous that my inner thoughts popped out. According to the document, he was trying to drag noncombatant civil servants from the adventurer¡¯s guild to the Alps.


    "Hahaha, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s so ridiculous.¡± Everyone from the headquarters and the Asterium branch nodded in unison.


    To be honest, if the dean were a sane person, he would not be trying to drag along those who lacked constant professional military training and were essentially weaklings, no different from civilians. The Alps were a place where knights could become monster food if they let their guard down. Even if he took us with him, we wouldn''t even be able to ride a horse properly and would be nothing but a burden.


    "Ehew, I agree with that, but be careful."


    "Haha, okay, I will." At Fiona''s sigh, I smiled humbly and nodded.


    "So the reason the atmosphere is so depressing is from picking the people going to the Alps?¡±


    Fiona nodded.


    "That''s weird, though. The guild director-nim would have ignored this kind of ridiculous request," I wondered.


    Dano replied with a tired face, "The guild director-nim would have ignored the request if it was simply sent by the knight school dean, but the head of capital headquarters got it approved directly by His Majesty the Emperor and sent the request to the adventurer''s guild."


    "What?"


    I flipped through the document to the end at Dano''s words. There was an imperial crest stamped on it. In this case, it was only a request in name, but it was actually an imperial order. In other words, the moment it was not obeyed, you would go straight to the guillotine.


    "Ha-a, normally, if the administrative department and the military want to work together, it needs to be approved by His Majesty the Emperor." Fiona sighed deeply.


    As Fiona said, the reason these endeavors needed the emperor¡¯s approval was simple. This regulation was aimed at curbing administrative power in case the nobles incited some of the administrators to revolt.


    On the other hand, it also served to castrate the military¡¯s administrative power by controlling the administration, which holds the budget rights of the army, in case some of the imperial military forces revolted. It was a sort of imperial separation of legal, administrative, and judicial powers.


    "In that sense, we are under the administration.¡±


    As I dealt with adventurers and handled many weapons-like items, I felt more like a part of the imperial army than the administration. In fact, such a small request was usually informally handled through the signature of the emperor¡¯s head attendant.


    But just my luck, the bastard himself took care of the documents. Perhaps because he was ignorant and rose to power from politics and not combat, he pushed noncombatants to the battlefield.


    "Tch, this is why it¡¯s not good to have superiors who are ignorant of the situation."


    Someone from the Asterium branch clicked his tongue and lamented. It was a lament that could be interpreted as an insult to the imperial family, but everyone here nodded in agreement.


    Wait, didn''t this mean that if I applied, I could naturally get out of Asterium where Uncle Bloody is?


    "Well, everyone seems reluctant, so I''ll sign up." When I spoke casually, the civil servants in the office looked at me in surprise.


    "Wait! Den, don''t talk about it as if it¡¯s nothing! Do you know how dangerous the Alps are!" Fiona was rather angry when I volunteered.


    Well, it was famous for being dangerous, so they might have thought I was drunk on a hero mentality. Should I have pretended to be a little worried?


    "Well, it¡¯s fine. Someone must go, and I don''t think there will be any applicants."


    Then, one of the Asterium branch members, a man with a nice mustache, spoke sincerely, "It''s nice to see you trying to sacrifice yourself. However, maybe because you''re from the capital, I think you''re looking down too much on a restricted land."


    If I remember correctly, when he came to Asterium due to the draft, and I saw his rank, he was higher ranked than Fiona.


    "No, I''m aware of the dangers of a restricted land because I was born and raised around here. The place I grew up in borders the Olympus Forest.¡±


    No one here knows more about restricted lands than I do. I didn¡¯t say this due to my hometown being in the Olympus Forest, but because I had a general knowledge of every restricted land, as Elder Mirpa forced me to learn about all kinds of magic materials. I also had knowledge about magic materials that could only be obtained in the Alps.


    "You were born and raised in such a dangerous place, but you¡¯re still applying while knowing so!"


    The Asterium branch people applauded and praised my decision. I didn''t expect to be applauded for going to a safer place than my courtyard in my hometown.


    The man with a nice mustache agonized and asked my name. "What''s your name?¡±


    "I''m Den."


    The mustached man who heard my name once again seriously dissuaded me. "Yes, Den, I understand your courage. But while you went to buy snacks, we decided to exclude the new recruits from this mission. This mission is too dangerous for inexperienced people.¡±


    For some reason, I felt that if I hadn''t volunteered, this mustached man would have reluctantly volunteered after a long meeting. If I were him and someone said that they would do something dangerous in my place, I would have said that they were a good person and left it at that. This guy was a truly upright person.


    "That''s right. We can''t let Den go, especially because he''s new." Fiona nodded in agreement with the mustached man.


    However, I wanted to leave the city where my uncle was, so being constantly opposed was putting me in a difficult position.


    "I''m embarrassed to say this, but I believe I have had the most experience dealing with monsters out of all of us.¡±


    Those from the headquarters looked at me like they had never heard such a thing before.


    "Although I¡¯m just a newborn baby as a civil servant, I have been holding a sword since I was four and hunting with my family since I was five."


    To be exact, I was thrown at the monsters.


    I held an office-use dagger on my desk and let out mana weakly. "Thanks to my upbringing, I can do at least this much."


    Fiona looked worried when she saw the blue, twinkling sword aura flowing on the dagger.


    The mustached man, on the other hand, let out an exclamation. "Huh! What an impressive friend! As far as I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re still sixteen, but to think you can use sword aura. Forgive me for thinking you had zero experience because you¡¯re a new civil servant."


    I grinned at the mustached man''s apology. "What forgiveness? You did nothing wrong. So there''s nothing wrong with me going, right?¡±


    The mustached man nodded willingly. "With that skill, it''d be right for you to go."


    "Wait! But the Alps are still too dangerous to leave to a newbie...¡±


    The mustached man smiled bitterly at Fiona''s words. "Yes, Miss Fiona. You''re right. Even if that guy knows how to use sword aura, it doesn¡¯t make it much safer. But do you think any of these people here have the ability to come back safer than that guy?"


    Fiona was speechless towards the mustached man. In the end, this was because it was still dangerous no matter who went.


    But Fiona and the people from the headquarters looked at me anxiously, so I smiled lightly and said, "Actually, there''s a friend I know from the knight school, and I volunteered because I was worried about him. And don''t worry too much. There are also knights that escort the knight school students. Besides, would the guild director-nim really not give us an escort?¡±


    Personally, it would be more convenient if he didn¡¯t give us an escort.


    "Uh, it seems that it''s almost dinner time. The guild director-nim will be waiting.¡±


    I took a bite of the strawberry choux cream from the choux cream box. A refreshing and sweet flavor spread throughout my mouth.


    By the way, I''m worried about tonight.


    * * *


    "Strawberry choux cream?" Aries looked down at the crate with a dry look. Malecia was nervous in a cold sweat.


    "It was all sold out today...¡± As soon as Malecia brought up the term ¡®sold out,¡¯ fierce mana came out of Aries and pressed down heavily inside the mansion.


    "There was a situation...!¡±


    At Malecia¡¯s cry, Aries quickly retrieved his mana. Malecia managed to get by, but the subordinates who were on standby nearby knelt down, taking heavy breaths.


    "Describe."


    With just this short word, Malecia spoke quickly but didn¡¯t rush and described what he saw step by step. Fortunately, Aries''s interest shifted from the strawberry choux cream to Lupin wearing a white half-mask.


    "There was a big explosion. Nothing was broken, and no one was injured. It''s quite complicated, like magic from the last legacy of the Witch of Pride,¡± said Aries.


    Malecia asked, "Would such a precious thing be held by a petty thief?"


    "I don''t know. I didn''t see it in person. And even if he doesn¡¯t have the last legacy, such magic that doesn¡¯t cause harm can be implemented through spatial magic. It''s just a hassle."


    Aries murmured while stabbing the choux cream with a fork, "Lupin, you dare take my strawberry choux cream...¡±


    The grudges over food were deep and long-lasting.


    * * *


    Everyone from the headquarters traveled to the duke¡¯s castle in a large carriage sent by the duke, seeming nervous and happy. Perhaps this was because they were invited to a noble¡¯s dinner banquet for the first time. However, it felt like everyone was acting carefully towards me as if they had some sort of guilt about me going to the Alps. But anyways¡­


    "Is there something on my face?¡± For a while now, Guild Director Glont has been staring at my face as if he was trying to penetrate it.


    To my question, Guild Director Glont smiled, covering his mouth slightly with only his pinky. "Ohhoho, no, it¡¯s just because you''re handsome."


    Uwack! I just got goosebumps for real.


    "Um, please tell me verbally if I did anything wrong. I don''t know what it is, but it''s all my fault."


    When I suddenly apologized, Guild Director Glont was rather flustered. "No, what wrongs! Den didn''t do anything wrong. Hohohoho!¡±


    Damn, what the hell did I do wrong?! Suddenly, my thoughts got complicated.


    Did I get caught stealing high-quality snacks from the guild director''s office? Or pretending to be at work by leaving an illusion of myself and taking a nap in the night room? Or did he find out that I turned a blind eye to Demuir breaking the Guild Director¡¯s most cherished teacup in place of getting his snacks for a month?


    There were so many small things that I didn''t know what was discovered. I entered the duke¡¯s estate with Guild Director Glont¡¯s incomprehensible gaze pinned on me.

 Chapter 230: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (10)

    Even the entrance to the estate was quite ancient and fancy. The gradual sunset with the sky turning red made it look like a famous painting. It appeared very spacious from the outside, but after entering, it truly was incredibly spacious. If the place was this large, it didn¡¯t seem difficult to avoid my uncle as long as I was careful about the dinner banquet with Duke Asteria.


    "Welcome to the duchy. I''m Forte, the apprentice butler who will guide you." As we entered the castle, the apprentice butler bowed his head lightly and greeted us.


    As it was the first time everyone was greeted this way in such a place, they all received the greeting awkwardly.


    Guild Director Glont smiled at the scene and said, "I have something to tell the duke before the dinner banquet, so I''ll go ahead first. You guys can just follow the butler''s guidance.¡±


    The apprentice butler grew flustered, not expecting Glont to be moving separately.


    "Is His Highness in the office?"


    "Oh! Yes! Master-nim is in his office now! But, but I have to guide you...¡±


    "You don''t need to guide me. I''ll talk to the head butler, so you can just take care of these kids."


    Guild Director Glont walked casually as if he were familiar with the castle, and after being unsure of what to do, the apprentice butler sighed slightly and said, "Then I will show you around."


    Guided by the apprentice butler, I headed with the people from headquarters to a room where I could relax before dinner.


    * * *


    Glont entered Duke Asteria¡¯s office.


    "Oh, you''re here?" The duke took off his glasses and headed to the reception table.


    Glont sat on the sofa along with the duke and said, "I would like to finish what we were talking about in the branch director¡¯s office that day."


    "All right." The duke turned his head to the butler who was serving him, and the butler politely left the office after leaving tea and refreshments on the table.


    Glont watched him leave and rubbed his face, his mind full of complicated thoughts, as he asked, "Is Your Highness sure Den is really your grandson? Just in case, I checked his ID card, and it was only for normal nobles. According to the records, it says he is the son of a nearly fallen knight family."


    "Yes, I know that."


    The duke was aware of this before he knew that Den was his grandson. But now, he had confirmed that the records were all fabricated by Talaria. Duke Asteria admired the power of the Big Mama Information Agency. Even the duke was deceived by the documents recorded in his own territory.


    Glont''s face became contorted by the duke''s affirmation. "Did Anemone-nim marry into such a fallen knight family? And Your Highness allowed this? How can I believe something like this?"


    "What are you going to do if you don''t believe it? And I didn''t allow it. I just pretended I didn''t see her because she was throwing a tantrum."


    The duke still didn''t like the fact that a dam was broken because of nonsense from an old man with dementia or that he had an empty-headed man as his son-in-law. Although he knew that half of what Doomstone did was influenced by Anemone, did it make sense to do such ridiculous things? Of course, the main reason was to hide from political issues.


    "But I thought, if it were Your Highness, you would have forced her to bring him to be a live-in son-in-law. I can''t believe you disguised it with her death...¡±


    Duke Asteria smiled bitterly at Glont''s words. "Because Anemone didn''t want to. If it was known that she was alive, who knows what that lunatic, the Blood Emperor, would do to her family. Besides, she said it''s better just to live simply, both her and my son-in-law.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t say the words, ¡°Although, I don''t know if the Chief of the Crow Tribe can live simply."


    Glont smiled at the duke''s grumbling. "So, Your Highness cares not only for Anemone-nim but also your son-in-law.¡±


    "Hmmph, do you think I care about the jerk who never even came by to say hello after Anemone died? Besides, if he had grandchildren, he should have brought them to say hello immediately. The youngest grandson is already an adult, but he doesn¡¯t even bring them to say hello?¡±


    "Haha, I see.¡±


    Glont had an awkward smile but put on a serious face. "Then I''ll have another person go to the Alps, not Den. It said in the report that Den volunteered, but I can''t send your grandson to that danger zone."


    "The Alps? Why would a civil servant go there?"


    Glont bit his teeth and smiled when Duke Asteria looked at him dumbfounded. "The commander of the capital defense sent me a request for cooperation with a seal from His Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    Seeing the forced smile that Glont put on whenever he was angry, the duke burst into laughter. "He¡¯s a soldier, and he dares to turn you into an enemy, to think there¡¯s such a madman. Oh, is the current commander of the capital defense the one who got his position through his connections with the marquis?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct."


    "Tsk tsk, people like that always argue about standard procedures when it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Having made such an insane request towards his subordinates that he cared deeply about, all that was left was to retaliate. Glont''s influence in the imperial army was unquestionable.


    "It¡¯s fine. Send Den to the Alps if he wants."


    Glont looked astonished, and he stared at Glont. "What?"


    "Why¡¯s a guy with good hearing like you asking me to repeat myself? Send him. My grandson is brilliant like me, so I¡¯m sure he has his own plans."


    Of course, if Den weren¡¯t a Crow, he wouldn''t have sent him to such a dangerous place, even if it meant disobeying imperial order. However, the duke had witnessed the fight between Den and Zendia, and he knew full well that the Alps were not that dangerous for him.


    But Glont did not. "That¡¯s unexpected. I thought Your Highness was warm towards your family.¡±


    Duke Asteria smiled faintly as Glont looked at him as if he were cold-blooded. "Don¡¯t they say that lions drop their babies off cliffs?"


    It was a lie, but there was no reason to tell Glont that Den was a Crow.


    "Still, I will make sure to take care of him myself. A person from the knight school that I have my eyes on is also coming up for practice."


    "Well, do as you please. But rather, I feel sorry for the friend who caught your eye. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s been noticed by this pervert.¡± Glont became teary as the duke clicked his tongue and shook his head.


    * * *


    I just heard good news from the apprentice butler. Uncle Bloody was said not to be attending today''s dinner banquet. To be precise, in order not to make us feel pressured, they said only adventurer¡¯s guild people were invited to the dinner banquet. This was considerate for a man with a legend stating that he executed a civil servant who acted rudely 25 years ago.


    Fortunately, it meant there would be no need to cause a ruckus here. I don''t know why, but I didn''t want to cause trouble for Duke Asteria very much.


    "Really? That''s a shame."


    When I said the exact opposite of what I thought, the apprentice butler, unlike what a butler should do, nodded with an emotion-filled face. "Yes! It''s a pity that we can''t see Bloody-nim and Saintess-nim at the duchy, even though they are both here. I have only heard about her. Oh, how beautiful would Saintess-nim be?¡±


    Hillis was definitely pretty, but her personality was not great. It was nice because she had good chemistry with me, but objectively, it was a mistake to consider her to have a good personality.


    But you say Hillis is here? Certainly, with Duke Asteria¡¯s status, he would know the saintess, Hillis. In a way, it was natural for influential political and religious figures to know and invite each other. But more importantly-


    "Is it okay for a butler to talk about your guests¡¯ personal information like this?¡±


    "Huk!" The apprentice butler turned pale at my comments.


    Of course, I had coaxed the apprentice butler with fancy words to inquire about Uncle Bloody, but he seemed to have a chatty personality since he told me things I didn¡¯t ask about.


    "Well, the thing is...¡±


    "Yes, I''ll keep it a secret."


    The color returned to the apprentice butler. Smiling at the sight, I rubbed my neck and alluded, "Oh, I''m thirsty all of a sudden."


    "Yes! I''ll get you a drink right away!" The apprentice butler ran quickly as if his feet had caught on fire.


    I¡¯d only be here a short time, but it seemed like I¡¯d be able to spend it comfortably because I found someone to take advantage of.


    "Where''s the butler-nim going in such a hurry?¡± Demuir had been looking around the splendid room curiously before approaching me and inquiring.


    "He said he would bring us drinks so that we don''t get thirsty.¡±


    "Oh! A butler from a noble family sure is different. I was just thirsty from walking down the long hallway."


    I did ask for a drink just in case. The apprentice butler¡¯s impression rose, but I decided to move on since things were appropriate.


    "By the way, are you sure you''re gonna be okay? I heard the Alps are really dangerous." Demuir looked at me worriedly.


    I smirked and asked, "Why? If it¡¯s not okay, will you take my place?"


    "Oh, no, that''s a little... Sorry."


    Demuir apologized, and I slapped him gently on the back. "Argh!"


    "Don¡¯t be a wimp; I didn¡¯t hit you that hard, did I?¡±


    "No, it really hurts! Keuk! Even my mother''s palm wasn''t that painful!¡± Demuir started flopping around on the floor as if it really hurt.


    "Hahaha, don''t apologize over a joke. Besides, I caught an ogre when I was five years old, caught a demon when I was eight, and even caught a dragon when I was twelve.¡±


    "Hahaha, what a joke! Oh, that really hurts."


    "Hahahaha! I don''t think even a battle race could do that?¡±


    I told the truth, but Demuir and the people from the headquarters laughed it off.


    "Anyways, don''t worry."


    Everyone smiled bitterly at my words and nodded. The atmosphere was still a little dark.


    "Then, I''m going to the bathroom for a moment."


    In this atmosphere, I thought I¡¯d get an upset stomach even before dinner.


    "Come back before dinner." At Fiona''s request, I waved lightly and indicated that I would.


    Now, should I meet up with Hills in the brief time I have? I put on my glasses from my pocket space and checked Hillis¡¯s location. More specifically, I checked the location of the ribbon I gave Hillis. If Hillis had left it in her room or put it in a pocket space, it would be impossible to locate her.


    "Oh, it seems she¡¯s doing well."


    The recognition interference magic on the ribbon gave Hillis an on-off function, and the magic output could be adjusted. At its maximum output, it was possible for Albatoss, the captain of the Consecrated Paladin Division, not to recognize Hillis.


    "Let''s see where she is."


    She wasn''t that far away. I went out on a nearby terrace and skipped between the terraces, and arrived at the room where Hillis was. I felt three presences inside, and I didn¡¯t feel any divine power aside from Hillis¡¯s, so they weren¡¯t the paladins.


    Yet, the aura was stronger than I assumed? In addition, I could sense the scent of familiar mana. I was thinking about whether to knock or not, but I heard footsteps coming toward me as if they felt my presence from inside.


    I had been keeping my presence to a minimum, so Hillis¡¯s guest seemed to be quite a handful. The curtains on the terrace were pulled up, and someone opened the terrace.


    "Huh?"


    It was Leisha noona who opened the terrace.

 Chapter 231: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (11)

    Leisha noona pointed her magic wand at me and spoke fiercely, "Who are you?!"


    I thought she recognized me, so I freaked out for a moment. Yet, it seems that she didn''t identify me, thanks to my glasses. Indeed, monsters like Arpen, a great madosa, could recognize me, but my fourth sister was still a great magician. She was not good enough to penetrate through my magic.


    "Wow, calm down, will you? Hillis! Calm down this grumpy lady!"


    Hillis was wearing the ribbon that shared the recognition interfering magic with my glasses, so she would probably recognize me.


    "Ah. Jum. Ma?" Leisha noona glared at me with a murderous look.


    Then, she added sword aura to her magic wand and swung it widely. "Die!"


    "Aigoo!" I jumped on the terrace railing and avoided my fourth sister''s wand that was surrounded by sword aura.


    Despite this, she didn''t go on a magic rampage after she knew I was Hillis¡¯s acquaintance. Rather than using Leisha noona¡¯s flimsy sword aura, sticking to the basics and casting a magic bullet would be far more powerful. Of course, it was still not common sense to suddenly attack without warning.


    Hanging onto the floor of the upstairs terrace, I expressed my inner feelings. "Oh jeez, at this rate, you¡¯re no different than an animal. I can''t believe you''re attacking me without knowing anything.¡±


    My fourth sister had an angry look on her face, but she slowly backed away because she was afraid of the terrace¡¯s height above the ground.


    Hmm? She was flying around just fine when she was dealing with the great demon, but did she not get over her fear of heights?


    She seemed to have overcome it to some extent, considering that she came out onto the terrace without hesitation. Personally, I wanted to ask her, but there was no need to make things worse since she didn¡¯t recognize me.


    "Oh? Why are you here?¡± Hillis stuck her head out to the terrace when she heard my voice.


    "Do you know each other?¡± Leisha noona asked naturally as if she knew Hillis well, and Hillis nodded.


    "Yeah, he¡¯s my friend."


    ¡°Tch!¡± In response to Hillis, my fourth sister clicked her tongue in displeasure.


    Thinking that she wouldn¡¯t attack me anymore, I let go of the upstairs terrace floor that I was holding and landed on the terrace railing.


    "I heard you were here with an invitation from Duke Asteria, so I came to play. It seems there¡¯s a guest. Should I come back next time?¡± I just asked out of courtesy. Of course, I didn''t have plans to leave.


    No matter how much I was using recognition interfering magic, my fourth sister might still figure out the magic. Her skills were significantly worse than mine, but as a fellow disciple under the same teacher, we both had the same knowledge.


    However, Hillis clapped her hands as if to say that this was a good meeting. "Yes! You came just in time! I told you I had a friend to introduce you to! It¡¯s fate to meet like this, so at least have some tea before you go."


    Before I could even say ''Uh... well, no thanks,'' Hillis went inside. My fourth sister seemed to dislike me and asked me to come in with a disapproving look on her face. I couldn¡¯t do anything, so I followed Leisha noona inside with a soft sigh.


    As I went inside, Lancelot was waiting in a blind spot behind the wall with his sword pulled out. It''s been a while since I''d seen him, but he was following what I taught him from my combat book of ¡®101 Ways on How to Hit the Back of an Unlucky Guy¡¯s Head¡¯. It was nice to see him practicing my teachings of erasing one¡¯s presence and ambushing from a blind spot.


    "Your skills are good.¡± I complimented Lancelot as I walked by. It would be nice if Lisbon and Alphonso also followed my teachings well. He did not even listen to the "All-in-one Basic Guide to Increase Chance of Survival,¡± saying that he had to uphold his chivalry or something.


    I didn''t understand why he was being so picky when he was such a weakling. Still, maybe it wasn¡¯t necessary since he wasn¡¯t going to be meeting any battle races soon? But anyway, I couldn''t find Mac hyung. Where did he go?


    "Who are you to praise Lan?¡± Leisha noona seemed to be upset about me calling her an ahjumma, and she glared at me.


    "Ahjumma¡¯s skills are not good enough. Why don''t you try a little harder?"


    Somehow, the amount of mana she possessed hadn''t changed from when she was in our hometown. Outside the Olympus Forest, there was no crazy mana storm, so it was a really beneficial environment to train magic. A year in this environment was enough time to tear down the Mado Wall. However, she still hadn¡¯t crossed the Mado Wall.


    Tsk, tsk.


    "Woo-ssi! Who are you supposed to be?!" [1]


    My fourth sister was enraged, but at a glance, I instantly noticed that Lancelot''s aura looked different from before. I could see that he wasn¡¯t neglectful and put in effort even when he was not in our hometown.


    I approached Hillis, casually ignoring Leisha noona. Hillis had already finished preparing tea and refreshments. Hillis smiled at me and was trying to say something, so I cast soundproof magic around Hillis and me.


    "From watching you train Brother Pushover-nim and Alphonso at dawn every morning, I already thought this, but it seems your physical ability is indeed as good as a hero-nim chosen by the Holy Sword? I can''t believe you came here through the heavily guarded castle.¡± Hillis whispered quietly, but at that volume, it was nothing short of directly telling the people of my hometown.


    "I didn''t exactly break through the security."


    "Then?"


    "Of course, I was invited. The adventurer''s guild came at the request of the duke, so we had an invitation to the dinner banquet."


    Hillis tilted her head. "Really? I didn''t hear anything about that?"


    "That''s because they didn¡¯t invite you and General Bloody, so the people from the headquarters wouldn¡¯t feel pressured."


    Hillis had a look of surprise. "Heh, His Highness Duke Asteria is more precise than I thought."


    Hillis and I were having a conversation when Leisha noona interfered with the soundproofing magic and entered. "What¡¯s so special that you even put up soundproofing magic?¡±


    Oh, I''ll have to upgrade my assessment of my fourth sister. I can''t believe she detected my magic. It was commendable that she saw it when even Hillis, a madosa level priest, didn¡¯t notice.


    "It''s nothing. Now, let''s have some of the choux cream we bought today. Lancelot, come here and eat." Hillis smiled and skillfully turned the topic to the snacks.


    Everyone sat around the table. Leisha noona was still unhappy about being called an ahjumma and spoke bluntly with a sullen face, "Hillis, the friend you wanted to introduce me to, is someone who hides his identity with recognition-interfering magic?¡±


    My fourth sister pointed out my glasses, and only then did Hillis realize that I was using the recognition interfering magic. "I thought you were wearing glasses that I don''t usually see you in. Can¡¯t you take them off?"


    I shook my head. "No, I can¡¯t."


    If I were to take them off here, wouldn¡¯t I get caught immediately?


    I spoke to Hillis using sound transmission magic.


    - It doesn''t make sense that a civil servant from the adventurer¡¯s guild came to see you behind the duke''s back. I don''t want to be called a hero or something by others.


    For your information, the appearance of a hero inside the temple was still growing. Personally, I didn''t want my dark history to spread any further, but the information was spreading regardless of my desires. At this rate, if something were to go wrong, my aunt and Milpia might end up teasing me. How terrible.


    Hillis scratched her cheek at my firm refusal. Leisha noona tried to penetrate my recognition interfering magic secretly, and I easily interrupted her. Hillis had been trying to introduce me in the midst of the strange confrontation; she was embarrassed and tried to do something, but time just slowly passed.


    "I have something to do, so I''ll go ahead and leave first."


    Originally, I was going to kill some time and let her know that I was going toward the Alps, but I didn''t realize my fourth sister and Lancelot were here. Well, even if I told her, I didn''t think Hillis would follow me because of those good-for-nothing knights. Still, if she followed me, it would be good since I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Pushover or Alphonso getting hurt.


    "What? Already?"


    But since I don''t know what might happen, should I still let her know? I briefly explained to Hillis using the sound transmission magic. Hearing my explanation, Hillis understood and nodded as I headed back to the terrace.


    "Thanks for the snack.¡±


    After leaving those words behind, I casually jumped off the terrace. As was appropriate, I tried bypassing the guards to go to the room containing the headquarters people, but the back of my head became itchy.


    "Why don¡¯t you come out?" I looked down at the empty hall, and the presence showed some hesitation before appearing at the corner. It was Lancelot who followed me.


    "Why did you follow me?" I asked purely out of curiosity. There was no reason for Lan to come after me.


    Lancelot asked carefully, "You''re Den, aren''t you?"


    "Who''s Den? I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    I was so shocked that I almost let it show, but I managed to maintain a poker face and naturally pretended not to know. But how did he know?


    Lancelot spoke firmly, touching the tip of his nose with his finger. "Lies. I can¡¯t be certain because of the magic, but you smell like Den."


    Smell?! What an amazing sense of smell!


    It''s not like I was using any particular perfume, but identifying it meant Lancelot almost had a Cerberus¡¯s sense of smell.


    Lancelot looked at me with his slender body and moist eyes. "Why are you hiding it? Are you not friends with me anymore?¡±


    Among the ¡®101 Ways to Hit the Back of an Unlucky Guy¡¯s Head¡¯, this was the advanced technique, ¡®he who cries first, wins.¡¯ If it¡¯s as I taught him, there was surely a dagger flying towards my back! I quickly turned around and caught five daggers flying at my back. ¡®He who cries first, wins¡¯ applied with a surprise attack! Perfect!


    "See! If you weren¡¯t Den, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid it and died!"


    What a scary guy! It was such an excellent ambush that if I weren¡¯t the target, they wouldn''t have been able to escape death or fatal injury. Trying to kill me just to make sure it''s me. It seems I raised a tiger cub. There was no point in backing out if he was this certain. I gave up and took off my glasses.


    "Haha, you''ve improved a lot. To be able to handle five daggers at once. With this ability, you won''t be suppressed even if you joined the warrior division or the guards right now.¡± No, he was at least team leader level. I thought that if he did well, he would be able to even aim for the head of the guards.


    "Aang! Den!" Lancelot rushed at me with tears in his eyes.


    I momentarily almost grabbed his head as his image overlapped with Alphonso''s, but I wasn''t so evil that I couldn''t hug my friend after not seeing each other for a long time.


    I asked, stroking Lancelot''s head, "How did you know it was me? I doubt you knew just from your sense of smell from the beginning."


    "Huh? Uh, I thought it was a little weird when you called Leisha noona an ahjumma."


    Oh, indeed, I made a mistake. When my fourth sister suddenly showed up, I was flustered and used the nickname that came out when she upsets me.


    "Hmm, I see. You didn''t tell noona before coming here, did you?¡± I didn''t feel noona¡¯s presence or any of her magic around me.


    "Yeah. I wasn''t sure, so...¡±


    You''re not sure, but you threw your dagger? As expected of my friend. Since I''ve been caught, I''ll have him work for me as a spy.


    I smiled expectantly at Lancelot.


    1. Woo-ssi is an angry sound that Korean people sometimes make.

 Chapter 232: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (12)

    It didn''t take much time to convert Lancelot into a spy. Of course, Lancelot hadn¡¯t mastered ¡®101 Ways to Hit the Back of an Unlucky Guy¡¯s Head¡¯, which he learned from me. Still, it would not be difficult for him to fool Leisha noona or Uncle Bloody if he already mastered advanced techniques like ¡®He who cries first, wins.¡¯ However, Mac hyung was unexpectedly quick-witted, so I was a little worried, but I think it¡¯ll be okay.


    Mac hyung left the forest a month ago as Hestia noona''s escort, and he was in hell training after having his skills tested by Elder Weger and failing. It was clear that Elder Weger was using Mac hyung to vent about not catching me.


    "Take this." I handed the Big Mama Information Agency VIP identification card and a map showing their external branches that I received from Milpia. I just needed to talk to Milpia to get more. Milpia would probably be enraged, but that was none of my business.


    "If you need to contact me, go to the place marked here and show them this identification card and ask to deliver a letter to the director of the headquarters. Then a letter will be sent to me via the headquarter¡¯s director.¡±


    I''ll have to tell Milpia later. It was obvious that Milpia will complain about using her as an errand boy. Technically, she hasn¡¯t paid off the worth of Count Druval¡¯s corruption ledgers, so I¡¯ll just tell her that it¡¯s collecting interest.


    ¡°You''re not going to tell me where you live?¡± Lancelot said disappointedly, but I patted his shoulders lightly.


    "I''d let you know if you were alone, but I can¡¯t because of my sister and uncle who want to take me away."


    In fact, telling him how to contact me like this was a service that was a loss for me. Hestia noona would probably trace me to where I lived if she knew how to contact me. Of course, getting this information from the Big Mama Intelligence Agency was not going to be easy as it was my aunt''s organization. But the information agency itself was not my aunt. Clearly, there was bound to be a loophole.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. Can we keep in touch?"


    I agonized briefly over Lancelot¡¯s question. "Around once every three days would be good."


    Something tells me that Lancelot would be in touch every day without such restrictions.


    "Then, what about hanging out?"


    "Hmm, once a week if you don''t get caught meeting up with me."


    To be honest, I wanted to say once every 15 days. However, seeing Lancelot''s moist eyes made me feel weak, so I had to settle for a week.


    Lancelot had a face of outright disappointment, but he wouldn¡¯t tattle to my big sister. After all, he knew that if I were to run again, I''d really run away to a deserted place and remain dormant for years so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to track me. This wasn''t something I wanted either. It''s not easy to give up civilization, even if it was less advanced than my past life.


    "If I need to contact you, I''ll send you a chirp at night." After leaving him with those words, I departed, and Lancelot didn''t follow me.


    Shortly after returning to the room where the people at the headquarters were located, I headed straight to the dinner banquet hall. The dinner¡¯s food was created with plants from the cool North Continent''s inland areas. Duke Asteria''s head chef''s skills were excellent and did not fall short compared to the imperial head chef''s.


    * * *


    It has been two days since I visited the Asteria Duchy after the invitation. For some reason, Guild Director Glont kept making me run errands for him if he wanted to speak to Duke Asteria. Maybe it was because I at least knew Duke Asteria.


    Thanks to this, every time I went to the duke¡¯s castle, I had to be careful, hiding my presence to avoid Leisha noona and Uncle Bloody. Well, it was nice that I got to eat something delicious whenever I went on an errand.


    "Den, why don''t you come over for a second?¡± I was in the middle of filing in the office when Fiona called me out of the office.


    "I''ll finish up the rest. Go ahead." Dano was sitting across from me, and he took the documents I was organizing to his desk.


    After I volunteered to go to the Alps, they didn''t make me do any hard work. In addition, others around me took my tasks and did them for me. Personally, it was convenient and nice.


    "Okay, then I will leave it to you." I got up from my seat and left the office after thanking Dano.


    Outside the office stood a tall attractive woman wearing a large shield alongside Fiona. If I recall correctly, I remember seeing her when I was in Warrant. She was Asmona, a platinum plate adventurer nicknamed the Iron Wall.


    "Are you Den, the one who volunteered to go to the Alps?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s right."


    "I don''t know if you know me, but I''m Asmona. My colleagues usually call me the Iron Wall."


    I nodded at Asmona''s introduction. "Yes, I am aware. From time to time, Rosellis has spoken about Miss Asmona.¡±


    "Hahaha, I¡¯m sure she had nothing good to say. When she was in the Black Water Buffalo Knights, I trained her hard."


    Asmona was said to have been a former Black Water Buffalo Knight and Rosellis¡¯s superior. As a founding member of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, she quit her knighthood a few years after Guild Director Glont¡¯s retirement and turned into an adventurer. Asmona was also a follower of Guild Director Glont.


    "No, she said you were a respectable person." However, Rosellis did also say that Asmona nagged her a lot.


    "Hahahaha! I''m sure she said I nag a lot. It¡¯s obvious based on her personality." Asmona laughed her head off, saying it was clear.


    And then she got right to the point. "Let¡¯s leave the introductions at that. I''ve been asked to escort you to Asterium starting from tomorrow. Don''t worry. I''m much better at escorting than Rosellis."


    "Haha, is that so?"


    At my question, Asmona nodded and said, "Yes, I''m sure you were reluctant to go to such a dangerous place, but I commend you for your courage. I like courageous people."


    "Hahaha, it is an honor."


    Asmona smirked and asked to shake hands. "I look forward to working with you."


    I grinned as I shook hands. "Please take care of me."


    Today, when the knight school students arrived at Asterium by train, they were scheduled to leave for the Alps immediately after a day''s rest. Such a tight schedule was also planned by that stuck-up old man, the commander of the capital defense.  It was clear that he would make a schedule like this and record it as a meritorious war service. I''ll rob him later, and if there¡¯s any corruption, I¡¯ll send it to the prime minister.


    "Come to think of it, you added one extra person to the document. Who is it?"


    I smiled lightly at Asmona. "Oh, I''ve added someone I know as my assistant and escort. I''m from around here, and I just met someone from my hometown."


    The person I added to the document was Percival, who was floating around in my pocket space. I registered him while I was going to the Alps because there was nothing better than a real battle to learn fine control over one¡¯s mana.


    "Hmm, it''s not good to have two escorts,¡± Asmona spoke seriously.


    "Anyway, I have no choice but to focus on you because I¡¯m your escort. It¡¯ll be tiring to pay attention to what your other escort does." Asmona had never met Percival before, and she treated him like a burden.


    "Then, would you like to meet him? His skills are also excellent. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to check his skills in advance."


    It wasn''t detrimental to have Percival fight against people. The more materials to help control his mana, the better.


    "I see. I¡¯m only free today, so I''d like to check his skills at the exercise hall behind the guild building."


    "Then you should go to the exercise hall first. I''ll call him right away; he isn¡¯t staying far away.¡± I asked Fiona to be excused and left the guild building into a deserted back alley.


    "Summon, Percival." A magic circle was drawn in the air, and Percival walked out of the air.


    "What''s going on?" Percival had a novel in his hand that I gave so he could experience modern culture.


    "How''s the novel?"


    "Well, it''s not bad. It used to be mostly hero stories in my life, but it seems love stories are the mainstream in modern times. That likely means society has stabilized to such an extent that it doesn''t need a hero. Unless you put a love story in here on purpose."


    Percival''s insight was remarkable. Literature was certainly a mirror of society. Of course, it was not an exact reflection. However, one could infer society¡¯s current atmosphere based on the genre of the major literature that people enjoyed.


    "I just put in everything that was at the bookstore.¡±


    "Hmm, I see. So what''s going on?" When Percival asked, I briefly explained the situation.


    "I see. I¡¯m to compete against a modern knight to see what I can do and also learn to control my body. If you want me to, I will follow along.


    "For your mission?"


    "For my mission." Percival nodded with a serious face. I grinned and took Percival back to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    "You''re early." Asmona wore light armor from the armory and held her shield and sword.


    I picked up a random iron sword that was on the floor and threw it at Percival. "That should be sufficient, right?¡±


    Percival received the sword, swung it around, then frowned. "The maintenance of this sword is a mess. Well, it doesn''t matter because it''s not even a real match, but I hope you will give me a suitable sword in the future.¡±


    "Of course."


    Later, I intended to arm them all with the weapons in my pocket space. But the performance of the weapons in my pocket space was so high that they were inappropriate for observing Percival''s pure skill.


    Percival raised his sword and saluted in the style of the Nation of Prosperity. Asmona, of course, couldn''t have known a salute from more than 500 years ago.


    "I am called Percival. It''s an honor to face you and your sword. I heard that you once belonged to the most powerful knight division in this country. I thank you for the opportunity to see your skills."


    Seeing the subtle flow of Percival¡¯s aura, Asmona became tense. "I am Asmona. I think I should be the one thanking you. Meeting an expert like you, I realized that my perspective was limited."


    Adventurers began to gather around the exercise to watch Asmona''s spar.


    Objectively, Percival''s strength exceeded a typical member of a battle race. It was a spar that Asmona could not win.


    Percival nodded softly when he heard my sound transmission magic.


    - I understand. I''m rather grateful that you aren¡¯t insisting that I lose on purpose. To lose on purpose would be to disrespect her, a noble knight.


    Asmona and Percival let out their martial auras and began to fight for dominance of the surrounding space.

 Chapter 233: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (13)

    The confrontation between Percival and Asmona was longer than expected as they continued staring at each other. Originally, this seemed to be caused by Asmona remaining stationary due to her tactic of employing light armor and a large shield.


    However, the reason for the prolonged confrontation was mostly because Percival was adapting to his new body and was being cautious. The adventurers in the exercise hall that came to observe began yawning and grumbling about their boredom as the confrontation dragged on.


    Then, a familiar voice came from behind. "What, where did that monster come from?¡±


    Rosellis suddenly appeared from behind me and swallowed dryly as she looked at Percival''s aura. Rosellis looked surprised as she felt the battle for dominance that no other adventurers felt.


    "Oh, you''re here. I guess you must be done with that business of a demon sighting around here?¡±


    Rosellis nodded lightly to my question and couldn''t take her eyes off the exercise hall. The battle between the invisible martial auras was that fierce. "Yeah, we''re dismantling and getting the by-products at the Asteria Market."


    After thinking for a moment, Rosellis glanced at me and asked, "I heard you brought that monster. How do you know him?"


    "He''s just someone who is close with my relative.¡±


    Although, the relative is someone from 500 years ago. I continued with a light smile, "He''s just a sleepy ahjussi who''s been stuck in a corner of the countryside for so long that he doesn''t know anything about the world."


    He was a real sleepyhead who had been stuck for 500 years. My research results showed that when I stepped foot into the ruins, he had spent 500 years half-sealed using time-freezing magic.


    Rosellis smirked and laughed at my harsh assessment. "Well, it makes sense for him not to know anything about the world if he¡¯s been stuck in the countryside training up to that level. But he doesn''t look like a sleepyhead."


    As she spoke, the tense battle of auras ended, and Percival began to move first. Percival quickly narrowed the distance and struck down with his sword at Asmona''s head.


    Kang!


    Asmona lifted the shield, blocking Percival''s sword, and with the sword in her other hand, she held it to the side of the shield and stabbed at Percival''s abdomen without hesitation. Percival moved his body toward the shield and hid in a blind spot caused by the large shield. Asmona, however, tackled fiercely with her shield as she was accustomed to others hiding in her shield¡¯s blindspot.


    Percival easily avoided Amona''s tackle by backing up. "Your shield is solid. I have a friend who also uses a solid shield."


    At Percival''s words, Asmona looked both nervous and excited. "Is that right? Usually, only shield soldiers use a shield, and it¡¯s rare to find someone who uses it well. I''d like to meet your friend."


    "Haha, if you want to meet him, you''d better ask him, not me." Percival nodded and smiled at me.


    Percival''s friend who uses a shield was likely referring to Gwalchavad, who was the second stone statue. According to the statues¡¯ memories, Gwalchavad was a freak who bashed the enemy with a cross shield full of divine power.


    Percival apologized obediently at my warning.


    Looking at Percival''s body movements, I was sure he was quite talented, but there was a problem if he talked freely like this. However, if I suppressed his soul, he wouldn¡¯t be able to show his skills, and his effectiveness would fall.


    Ehew, I have no choice but to be careful.


    "I¡¯ll be serious now."


    Saying so, Percival narrowed the distance once more and raised his sword high. Asmona held her shield and prepared to stop the sword that was about to strike down. However, Percival did not strike with his sword and instead jumped high. He stepped on Asmona''s shield and aimed for her back. Asmona energized her entire body with mana and swung the large shield.


    Kang!


    Percival put sword aura on his sword and hit upwards from under the shield while leaning down to avoid the shield. Then, he stabbed Asmona in the solar plexus.


    Kang!


    Asmona used the weight of her shield to turn and block Percival¡¯s strike with it. Yet, Percival raised the blocked sword and aimed for Asmona''s chin.


    At that moment, Percival''s sword cracked. Percival stepped back, clicking his tongue. "Darn. It seems to be my loss.¡±


    The cracked sword made a cracking sound and split in half. It was natural that the sword¡¯s durability wouldn¡¯t hold up. After all, he used sword aura on a weapon that was already in terrible condition and continuously hit that solid shield.


    "No, it is my defeat. I was carrying a proper weapon, but you were not." Asmona seemed to think her loss was certain if that sword remained intact.


    "I think it''s just a matter of time when the equipment is poor. So, my defeat is correct." Percival clicked his tongue, looking at the sword that was broken in half. The condition of the sword seemed to have been more of a mess than I thought.


    "Looking at your form in combat, you look like you usually fight in sturdy heavy armor, but all you are wearing is light armor that covers your vital points,¡± said Percival.


    "You found out?¡±


    Percival nodded. "Based on what I felt, it seemed like your body was too light, and your movement was about an eighth faster than expected, creating a small gap."


    "Haha, you are correct."


    Cartoons often describe excessive weight as a seal that hides one¡¯s strength, but rather, a bearable weight could become a powerful weapon. And if you normally trained with that weight, it was actually detrimental to take the weight off.


    Percival grinned when Asmona affirmed his thoughts. "It''s a matter of habit, so it¡¯ll probably be hard to break. Well, it''s not significant enough of a drawback that it needs to be fixed. Armor is a lifeline for a knight on the battlefield. But if you want to reduce the gap, you can reduce it by putting more weight on your clothes with magic."


    Asmona was serious and nodded at Percival''s advice. "I will need to find a good enchanter."


    Percival glanced at me when Asmona spoke.


    I was dumbfounded by Percival''s words.


    Percival licked his lips.


    Percival looked at me with eager eyes.


    Well, since this was the first time, it would be better long-term to hand over a carrot than the stick. [1]


    - Thank you. Oh, and I¡¯d like a proper weapon instead of this piece of garbage iron that can''t even be called a sword. I think a mithril sword would be better than adamantium. I don''t think one made with dragon bone would be bad either.


    Percival smiled brightly as he handed me the sword broken in half.


    Should I just give him the stick instead?


    * * *


    Just past noon after Asmona and Percival¡¯s spar, 400 knight school students and instructors arrived at Asterium by train. Just getting off the train, the knight school students were excited about the new environment and chatted with each other.


    "Quiet! Are you here to play!?" The noisy students shut their mouths at the commanding instructor''s scolding.


    Dano approached the instructor with a light smile on his face. "Good work."


    When Dano saluted and spoke, the instructor laughed as well. "Hahaha, we''re always the same. Rather, those at the guild are suffering because of us."


    Then, the instructor looked at the students and yelled, "As of now, you will be serving as soldiers in the knight school! Do you understand?!"


    "Yes!"


    "The adventurers who help us are clearly your superiors in rank as well as instructors who will provide you with teachings! Do you understand?!¡±


    "Yes!"


    "Anyone who is disrespectful, the instructors will personally turn you into monster food! Understood?!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    When the students of the knight school answered with force, the instructor nodded with a satisfied face. "Line up and move to the designated accommodations!"


    "Move forward!"


    Following the instructor''s orders, the knight school students walked in step. At the end of the line, I could also see Lisbon and Alphonso. Alphonso saw me and waved his hand happily, but he was soon scolded by the instructor.


    After watching the students leaving the train station, the instructor greeted Dano and me. "It is nice to meet you. I am Aldante, the general instructor at the middle-rank knight school."


    ¡°I am Dano from the Adventurer''s Guild.¡±


    ¡°I am Den, also from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    The instructor who heard my name looked apologetically towards me. "Oh, you''re going to the Alps because of us. I am sorry. Because of our superior...¡±


    I waved my hand at the instructor''s apology. "It''s okay. We will both have a rough time."


    It seemed they were also being screwed over quite a bit due to their superiors.


    "Thank you for saying that. We will do our best to protect your safety."


    "Haha, thank you."


    On the contrary, I hope there will be no need for me to protect them.


    * * *


    Aries followed his disciples into the Alps.


    "It is this way." Delta, one of Aries'' disciples, used the mana flowing through the forest as a guide.


    Malecia was following behind Aries, and as Delta led the way, he asked, "Do we have to walk when you¡¯re a madosa? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to fly?"


    Delta sighed. "That''s why those ignorant of magic are no good. The space in this place is distorted by a mixture of the reverse world and the world of materials. If you fly recklessly in a place like this and encounter any peculiarities of space, you could fly to the end of the continent.¡±


    At Delta''s words, Iota smiled bitterly. "It would be fortunate if you were only teleported somewhere. If something were to go wrong, you could be sucked into the reverse world. If that happens, it¡¯s the end. It''s impossible to return unless you''re a monster who can force open the reverse world."


    "Well, if you''re as skilled at space magic as the Magic Kingdom¡¯s space specialist, you might have a chance of coming back."


    Even as the madosas said so, they cast glances at Aries cautiously because they felt like amateurs in front of a master. Aries looked ahead as if he enjoyed his disciples acting cautious and glancing at him.


    "We''ve arrived," said Aries


    Everyone looked ahead. The scene in front of them was a vast castle standing tall in a distorted space. The ancient castle, forgotten even in literature, was returning to reality.


    1. Better to give a horse a carrot to motivate it, than to beat it with a stick.

 Chapter 234: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (14)

    Arriving at their accommodations, the knight school students received a lecture on supplies at the Adventurer''s Guild exercise hall after having a simple meal for lunch. Unfortunately, I was one of the three people chosen to be a lecturer alongside Fiona and Dano. We were appointed as temporary instructors at the knight school.


    Originally, a veteran with a lot of experience like the mustached ahjussi in the Asterium branch would have been picked, not a newbie like me. And yet, the reason I was chosen as a temporary instructor was simple. I was the one going to the Alps.


    Well, my students were in the low-rank knight school, so it wasn''t that difficult. This simple thing gave me enough for a lecture. However, the problem was that my age was the same as the students of the low-rank Knights School.


    "Temporary Instructor-nims, why do you think we need to learn the supply transport routes? We are knights. Don''t you think something like supplies should be left to another department?"


    They were asking ridiculous questions like this because I looked easy to handle. At least, I really hoped that was their reason. Or the future of the Empire was bleak. Despite the fact that this was a low-rank knight school student, it was still a candidate for an officer position making these remarks about ignoring supplies.


    I swallowed a sigh coming out of me and just smiled. "There are dozens of reasons why you need to learn about the supply transport routes. But I will just say three things for the sake of time."


    I extended my finger and said, "First, we can infer enemy supply lines. Then, of course, we can cut the supply line and wither the enemy away.¡±


    Of course, the enemy will do everything in their power to protect the supply lines. That''s how important supplies were.


    "Secondly, if you don''t understand our supply routes, you''ll be devastated by enemy ambushes and raids."


    For this, they¡¯ll naturally understand once they have to survive on a finger-sized piece of moldy bread, so I skipped any additional explanation. Normally, it was quicker to comprehend by suffering personally rather than being given an explanation like this.


    "Third, the fact that we could be raided means that through information warfare, we can induce an enemy raid based on our supply lines. When we strategize, if we use a route that''s blatantly impossible to be a supply route, the enemy will realize it¡¯s a trap, right?¡±


    I was getting tired of having to explain these common-sense things. No matter how stupid the old knights were to think knowing letters was shameful, it was still like this despite the many changes since the fall of the demon king.


    It was just my luck that I had to continue this kind of lecture even as I moved to the Alps. I wet my throat with some water and continued my lecture. After the not-so-long lecture, the students and I managed to gain freedom.


    "Wah! Den!"


    Alphonso ran at me as usual, and I familiarly grabbed Alphonso by the head. "Although it¡¯s temporary, I''m an instructor, so you¡¯ll probably get in trouble if you¡¯re too outspoken.¡±


    Alphonso was dangling by his head within my grasp, and he touched his chin. "Hmm, is that so?"


    "So don''t move around wildly and follow the instructor''s orders. The Alps are a dangerous¡­  place."


    Frankly, it didn''t appear like a dangerous place for Alphonso, who lived in the Alps. However, considering his spars with Lisbon, this didn¡¯t necessarily seem true either.


    Well, that dimwit great elder definitely would not have let Alphonso go to any dangerous areas. In the first place, Everest was said to be a territory of the Butterfly Tribe people, and so monsters couldn¡¯t even get anywhere near it. Perhaps Alphonso had never met a monster before.


    At that time, Lisbon was walking over slowly from the direction of the middle-rank knight school students and waved. "Hahaha, Den, I didn''t expect you to teach as an instructor."


    I gave Lisbon a wry smile. "Yes, I didn''t expect it either. By the way, who is that next to you?"


    At my question, Lisbon smiled and introduced the student who came with him. "This is my senior, Gamry. He is in the same group as Alphonso and me.¡±


    As far as I knew, there were a total of 100 groups, with two middle-rank and two low-rank knights making up each group. However, the face of the person named Gamry seemed familiar as if I had seen it before.


    "It is nice¡­ to meet you. I am Gamry,¡± the student said, debating whether or not to speak informally, but ended up speaking formally.


    Even if it was temporary, I was still an instructor. So, he seemed to have chosen to treat me formally despite my young age to avoid being marked by real instructors.


    "My name is Den. By the way, have we met somewhere before?"


    Gamry tilted his head at my question. Then, Lisbon spoke with a smile, "Hahaha, you probably saw him at Alphonso¡¯s entrance exam. He was Alphonso''s opponent."


    "Oh! The one who injured his wrist."


    I certainly remembered that his wrist was broken when he had lowered his guard against Alphonso. When I mentioned the past, Gamry blushed and gave a fake cough. "Khmm!"


    It seems he realizes how embarrassing that was?


    Suddenly, a brown-haired low-rank knight student approached and talked to Gamry. "What are you doing gathered here?"


    Gamry seemed to be acquainted with the brown-haired boy, and he said, "Ahhh, Lisbon asked me to come this way."


    The brown-haired boy looked familiar as well. Gamry looked at me, introducing me to the brown-haired boy, "This is Alain. Should I say he¡¯s my squire? It''s complicated to explain to outsiders...¡±


    When Gamry couldn''t find the right word, Alain spoke bluntly, "It''s Alain. I''m learning the role of a squire from my senior, and I think it will be easier to think of it as a senior and junior relationship."


    Oh, I remembered. From my recollection, he was probably the boy who was taking the test at the No. 1 training hall when Alphonso was taking his.


    "Yes, I know the concept roughly from Lisbon and Alphonso. I know these two personally."


    Alain looked at me with a look of surprise. "Is the temporary instructor-nim that same Den who Alphonso always talks about and lives with?¡±


    "I don''t know what Alphonso has been saying, but if it¡¯s the Den who lives in the same boarding house, then that¡¯s me."


    Gamry gasped at my affirmation. "Huk, then, the sadist who is said to be stronger than our seniors...!¡±


    "Sadist? Oho, what is that supposed to mean?"


    When I smiled, Lisbon was startled. "Ah, no. I just told my senior about the training you''re helping me with...!¡±


    "And so you said I was a sadist?"


    "No!"


    This could not have been more heartbreaking. I was deliberately taking time to help you with your training, but you''re turning into a pervert who gets sexual pleasure from harassing others. How deplorable.


    "Come to think of it, I think you probably have not trained properly in my absence, so would you like to train hard today?¡±


    At my question, Lisbon turned pale and shook his hands violently. "No! No! Tomorrow we have to go to the Alps, and we are supposed to rest according to the instructor-nim¡¯s...¡±


    "That''s fine. We can just do enough so that you won¡¯t be too affected for tomorrow. I happen to know a competent priest, so I think it will be fine to be a little bit more intense."


    Hillis could probably make him well again, even if he were super dead.


    * * *


    Perhaps because I belonged to the Adventurer''s Guild, on my march to the Alps, I rode in a wagon loaded with supplies. During the march, students were marching on either side of the supply wagon. On the outside, the instructors moved on horseback to direct the students.


    "Hmm, that''s interesting. To bring together all the young knight candidates to train them would have been considered delusional during my days." Percival was holding the reins in the driver¡¯s seat, and he watched the students as if he was having fun.


    "Really? I''ve heard that the knight school existed almost from the beginning of the Empire, but I guess it didn''t originate from the Holy Kingdom?


    Percival nodded. "At least not in my time."


    Percival''s death in the Giant-Holy War 500 years ago was just before the fall of the Holy Kingdom, so it was safe to say there was no such thing as a knight school in the Holy Kingdom.


    "But it''s not like no one argued for creating these collective educational facilities. Lord Lancelot, the right-hand man of His Majesty the Holy King, insisted on creating such an educational facility." Percival smiled as if lost in memory.


    As the Holy Kingdom split into the Empire, Imperial State, and the Republic, it seems Lancelot became a member of the Empire.


    "Now that I think of it, about that mission you spoke of. Didn¡¯t you tell me that it is to protect the last queen when she is resurrected? Can you explain it more clearly?¡±


    Percival had a strained expression at my question. "That¡¯s, I didn''t understand Merlin''s explanation because I am a knight, not a magician. I think he said something about the star of fate, but I''m not very smart."


    When Percival apologized, I patted him on the shoulder, saying it was okay. Honestly, it wasn''t my mission, so it wasn''t my business.


    "Hmm, that clever Gwalchavad would have explained it well... But anyway, didn''t you say you read the memories of my colleagues and me?"


    "You guys don''t have a body, and it''s not easy to read memories from a soul."


    Typically, for a soul, one could only read the memories about its body or surroundings. Or if it¡¯s a memory that left a strong impression, like if you were dumped by your first love who was 20 years older than you.


    "Hmm, is that so? I''m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of help."


    I shrugged at Percival''s apology. "It''s okay, but I can roughly infer it. There were quite a few records at the ruins, and also, I tried deciphering the magic."


    "Oh! You did?" Percival looked at me with interested eyes.


    "Yes, if my interpretation is correct, the ruins where you guys were is some sort of huge sealing magic device."


    "Sealing magic? What was it sealing? You don''t think...." Percival had a serious face. It seemed that he noticed it. The one sealed was likely the last queen who Percival followed.


    "I don''t know exactly what''s sealed, but it was not just an ordinary seal. It was large-scale magic that sealed the target in the reverse world.¡±


    "Then, is there a way to unseal it?"


    I smiled lightly at Percival''s question. "The seal will probably be undone naturally as the ruins collapse. The time when the seal would be completely released is about three days later, if my calculations are correct. The sealed place might even be slowly coming back to the real world right now.¡±


    Percival clenched his fist at my guess.


    "Master, I have a favor to ask of you." Percival looked at me intensely, even speaking with honorifics that usually he didn''t use.


    "No." I refused even before I heard Percival''s request. Percival''s expression became distorted by my refusal.


    "Even if we go there now, we can¡¯t go into the sealed area anyways."


    Percival looked at me unconvincingly. I sighed and said, looking at the distant Alps, "Even if it reveals itself to the real world from the reverse world, it¡¯s nothing but a mirage. Besides, you have to risk your life just to get close.¡±


    Of course, watching it come back from the reverse world to the real world would be such an amazing sight that you¡¯d be able to write dozens of papers just from observing it. If I were a spatial magic specialist, no matter how dangerous it was, I would have stretched my eyes wide and seen it no matter what. But I am not a spatial magic specialist.


    "In three days, I''ll come with you when it has completely returned to the real world. So, I can¡¯t send you alone right now.¡±


    Percival looked at me with surprise and dropped his head. "Thank you, Master."

 Chapter 235: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (15)

    While Percival and I were talking, the scouts and Asmona who had entered the Alps entrance first came back.


    Asmona moved the horse she was riding next to our wagon and asked, "What were you talking so seriously about?"


    I replied with a shrug. "It''s nothing much. It''s just that Asmona is this ahjussi¡¯s first, uep-uep!¡±


    Percival was embarrassed and hurriedly covered my mouth. "Keup! No! It¡¯s not!"


    I forced Percival''s hand off and shouted, "What do you mean no! I know everything, I''m sure, uep-uep!¡±


    "Shut, shut up!"


    Percival tried to keep my mouth shut anyway he could. I created his body, but Percival''s power was so strong that I couldn''t take his hands off my mouth. Did he really want to hide the fact that Asmona looked like his first love so badly?


    Asmona smiled lightly as Percival and I tossed and turned in the wagon. "You two look like you¡¯re on good terms."


    Percival rebelled at Asmona''s comments. "Me, with this guy?"


    "Uep-uep-uep! Uep-uep!"


    As Percival kept holding my mouth shut, I hit him in the stomach hard with my elbow.  "Ook!"


    "How long are you going to shut my mouth!"


    Percival fell sideways, grabbing onto his solar plexus.


    Percival sent me a thought, holding his solar plexus, and I smiled refreshingly.


    Percival sat down again, gently touching his solar plexus.


    The pain from me hitting him in the stomach was the highest it could get. It was designed so that if you hit harder than this, the pain disappears.


    Percival nodded satisfactorily at my words.


    I asked Asmona, leaving behind a satisfied Percival, ¡°Is everything all right in the Alps?¡±


    Asmona nodded. "It was the same as always. The difference is that there are fewer monsters than usual, but that¡¯s not strange because it¡¯s only been two months since the flood of demons."


    "There were monsters?¡±


    That''s weird. I calculated that the ruins sending out mana were located in the Alps, but there were no signs of abnormality? Well, it was also strange that the monsters didn''t die and remained when the reverse world collided with the real world. I felt something shady going on as if someone were trying to hide the phenomenon of the sealed place coming up to the real world.


    If as many as 400 knight school students became a burden, I wouldn¡¯t be able to cover the situation alone. Of course, in the worst-case scenario, I¡¯d have to run with the group that Lisbon belonged to.


    Percival noticed and asked quickly.


    I agonized over Percival''s request. The command of the students was in the domain of the instructors, so I could not interfere. Thus, it would be better to wake up the guerilla-savvy fellow.


    - I¡¯ll wake up Tristan. I''ll have to prepare a bow.


    * * *


    Within two hours of entering the Alps in earnest, hundreds of orcs attacked us.


    "Everyone! Swords! Each group, maintain your formation!"


    At the instructors'' orders, the students were nervous and pulled out their swords. Out of all the students, it was likely that only a few of them actually had experience dealing with monsters.


    ¡°Hmm, this amount is too low for the Alps,¡± Percival muttered, calming the horses leisurely.


    "Really?"


    It was my first time in the Alps, so I didn''t know if this was a large number or not. However, the mana and aura that I felt from them didn¡¯t even equal a single deer from my hometown''s forest. Of course, it also wouldn¡¯t make sense for a mid-level monster like the Olympus Forest¡¯s deer to be comparable to orcs outside of the forest.


    It was Asmona who answered my question. "There are usually about 2,000 orcs in a colony in the Alps. Looks like someone''s killed a lot or a bunch died from the flood of demons.


    "Hmm, that''s about what I remember."


    I asked, looking at Percival agreeing with Asmona.


    If someone from my hometown ran wild and only scratched it, it was not just quite durable, but insanely so.


    "But since there¡¯s less of them, the students are doing well."


    Overall, the students¡¯ bodies were stiff from nervousness, but they were moving well, showing that the time they trained under the instructors wasn¡¯t in vain. In particular, the group that Alphonso and Lisbon belonged to were moving quite leisurely, having dealt with the fifth one already and were dealing with the sixth.


    Although an orc¡¯s strength was three to four times stronger than that of an adult, they had simple weapons like a tree club. Therefore, it was too much for the orcs to deal with students who trained systematically and wore proper equipment.


    Asmona agreed with my assessment and pointed at the rear. "It''s reassuring to have the paladins sent alongside us to protect the priests."


    I looked at the carriage of the Consecrated Paladin Division, who suddenly said they would cooperate and followed us. There were only thirteen people, but they provided reassurance as they were renowned knights and the strongest paladin division. In addition, divine power could be used to heal the instructors and students. Their purpose was to protect Hillis, so she was making full use of their worth.


    Asmona and I were looking at the priests and paladins when Hillis, hiding her identity in between the priests, waved at us.


    "Are you an acquaintance?" Unlike Rosellis, Asmona seemed to be unaware of Hillis''s identity. Well, Rosellis knew because she was related by blood to Guild Director Glont, so it was natural that Asmona did not know.


    "Yes, she is my friend."


    "Hmm¡­" Percival felt something odd as he looked at Hillis and frowned.


    I asked Percival again, and Percival replied in a slightly gloomy voice.


    - Yes, it feels like His Majesty the Holy King, or the Holy Grail, Gwalchavad¡¯s shield, like the Holy Sword in Master¡¯s possession.


    Percival looked at my inner pocket containing the Holy Sword.


    Percival''s words made the Holy Sword let out a small cry. It was as if it felt better when its name was called. To be honest, when I was searching for the legend of the Holy Sword, all I could find were stories of Oryana, the former saintess, so I hadn¡¯t known its name until now.


    When Percival seemed like he was going to give a verbose explanation, I stopped him and asked. The Holy Sword cried its head off, but that was none of my business.


    Certainly, Hillis was a saintess, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange that she felt similar. Coincidentally, it just so happened that the students of the knight school had defeated all the Orcs now. Among the students, the lightly injured had medicine applied to them, and the priests rushed to the severely injured.


    "For their first real battle, they did a good job." I agreed with Percival''s assessment. Overall, for the first battle, there were few injuries, and the students took care of all the orcs so no reinforcements could be called.


    The instructors ordered that they place the bodies of the orcs in one area, and they led the students to an open space for base camp. By the time the base camp tents were set up, the sun was gradually setting.


    Aside from those on lookout duty, I had to lecture the students on how to check the number of supplies, where they were, how to read and write Imperial Standard documents, and how to distribute supplies.


    * * *


    After the lecture, I hung out with Hillis, Lisbon, and Alphonso, and when it was bedtime, we dispersed into our tents. For some reason, Lisbon and Alphonso¡¯s fellow group members, Gamry and Alain, looked at me as if they were afraid. Well, I¡¯m probably mistaken, but don''t tell me it''s because I mildly trained Lisbon yesterday.


    At my words, Percival stood up as if he had been waiting for me. The sun had completely set, and the sky was dark as Percival and I sneaked out of the base camp, heading to a deserted place.


    "This should be sufficient. Summon, Tristan!" A summoning circle was drawn in the dark air, and a dragon tooth soldier in the shape of a young man with a pleasant impression walked out.


    "Kneel down."


    At my command, the dragon tooth soldier knelt down, and I took out the core of the golem, which contained Tristan''s soul, from my pocket space. When I touched the back of the dragon tooth soldier¡¯s head, the head cracked open, and there was a space inside.


    ¡°Yuck, does my head also split open like that?" Percival frowned as if he saw something he didn¡¯t want to see.


    "Of course, and don''t bother me from the side. This is a delicate operation."


    "Khmm! All right."


    I put the core in the head and ordered, "Open your eyes, Tristan."


    The dragon tooth soldier opened their eyes at my command.


    "Kuuuu, my head."


    Like Percival, Tristan also complained of dizziness when he first opened his eyes.


    "Stay still. I''m synchronizing with my pocket space so that even if your head is destroyed, the core will remain intact.


    "Huh. Mo, Modred? Where am I? I definitely died on the Golgoda Hill, keuk!" Tristan was holding his head tightly when he finished synchronizing completely, and as the pain disappeared, he took a deep breath.


    "Do you recognize who I am?" asked Percival.


    Tristan smiled playfully. "Haha, what do you mean who? Aren¡¯t you the captain who became a statue even after death? No, since you have your face from when you were living, are you not a stone statue now?¡±


    "If it¡¯s that much, I think it worked,¡± I said.


    Tristan smiled at me at my assessment. "Hahahaha! Isn''t this our new owner who looks like Modred? I look forward to working with you."


    For some reason, I felt like he adjusted too well.

 Chapter 236: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (16)

    ¡°¡®Master,¡¯ you say? Do you recognize me as your Master?" I asked.


    Tristan smiled, clasping his fingers together behind his head. "Wasn''t that what was promised? Master fulfills our mission, and we serve Master."


    I shrugged and pointed to Percival. "As soon as Percival woke up, he said something to me about being evil.¡±


    "Hahahaha! The Captain has an inflexible personality. He probably inwardly dislikes having to serve someone other than the Holy King."


    Percival glared at Tristan, who spoke brazenly. "What a load of rubbish! Don''t say things that hurt our solidarity, Tristan!"


    At Percival''s warning, Tristan hit himself on the forehead. "Kihya! Look how old-fashioned you are. I commend you, my Captain, for your character that never changes even after death."


    Percival put his hand on his face as if he had a headache, and I nodded and said, "Well, it''s fine. I didn''t think you guys would be loyal from the start, and I''m not going to ask for it. That''s a problem that time will solve. If you follow my orders, I''ll guarantee you some degree of freedom."


    Tristan held my hand. "As expected! Master is knowledgeable because he''s a descendant of Modred! The Holy King was so formal that it was stuffy."


    "Tristan! Don''t speak so lightly of His Majesty the Holy King!"


    When Percival got angry, Tristan hid behind me with effortless footwork and said, "Ayy, what¡¯s the problem? We''re already dead, aren''t we? If you''re too wound up like you used to be, you''ll become an evil spirit. Aigoo, it''s a demon. I''m scared, Master."


    Percival sighed deeply at Tristan''s playful appearance. "As I thought, I should have asked for Gwalchavad to be woken up, not you."


    At Percival¡¯s grumbling, Tristan smiled cheerfully as he approached Percival again and put his arm on his shoulder. "Iya, Captain, did you recommend me to Master instead of Gwalchavad? Wow, so touching. I didn''t know Captain thought of me like this."


    "Who cares about you!" Percival smacked away the arm off his shoulder.


    "Hahahaha, the Captain is still a miser." Tristan winked and sat on a nearby stump.


    "So, since you woke me up and not Gwalchavad or Boaz, you need to fight in complex terrain or act in secret, right?¡±


    I affirmed Tristan''s guess and pulled out a sofa from my pocket space, sitting down. "Yes, I woke you up expecting a potential guerilla situation.¡±


    "Guerrilla in the woods, there is not a more suitable mission, Master. By the way, does Master carry such a sofa in his pocket space?


    As Tristan looked at me, amazed, I smiled and pulled out a table, a kettle, and a teacup. "It''s a necessity for a comfortable life.¡±


    When I answered by boiling water with magic and making black tea, Tristan clapped and enjoyed the display. "Ahahaha! Usually, magicians carry magic materials and complain that there''s not enough space, but it was all an exaggeration!"


    "How could that be possible! Master is unique!" Percival shouted dumbfoundedly, and I took out another sofa and suggested that they sit.


    "This is employee welfare,¡± I said.


    Tristan smiled cheerfully and accepted the teacup as I poured him tea. "Khahaha! I like Master more and more. I like this welfare very much. Have a drink, Captain. It''s the first cup offered by Master!¡±


    Percival let out a small sigh, sat on the sofa, and took the cup of tea.


    "Captain, no matter how unhappy you are that it¡¯s not alcohol, you don¡¯t have to sigh.¡±


    Percival was livid when Tristan spoke playfully. "Do you think I¡¯m like you! I''m sighing because of you! Tch, I thought you were getting more serious through the war, but you''re back to your original self."


    "Hey, it''s a peaceful world, so there¡¯s no need to be so down and heavy.¡±


    Percival snorted at Tristan¡¯s sly smile. Tristan spoke casually at Percival¡¯s expression. "But considering that we revived like this, I don''t think the Great Madosa Merlin¡¯s prophecy was wrong either.¡±


    I was interested in the prophecy Tristan mentioned. "Tristan, can you elaborate on the prophecy that Merlin made? Percival remembers it so vaguely.¡±


    Percival flinched at my glare.


    "Hahaha, Captain is famous for being like that."


    "Khmm!" Percival coughed dryly, but Tristan sipped black tea and ignored him. Soon, he slowly recited Merlin''s prophecy.


    "The giants will be tempted by witches and start a war. The Starlight of Fate will, in turn, take the lives of great knights, and among them will be a traitor. King, watch out for the betrayer who you believe in the most.


    "On a day when the mute makes sound, those who you love will disappear to the other side of eternity, and when the king realizes love, the fate of the country will be over, so be careful."


    In general, the prophecy was similar to the ancient writing in the ruins or historical books. In history, the traitor would be referring to my distant ancestor, Modred.


    "Up to that point 500 years ago, the Holy Kingdom was already destroyed. There was a prophecy about the distant future, but I don''t know because I wasn''t there. Do you want me to tell you what I heard from Gwalchavad instead?¡±


    As I nodded, Tristan frowned as if to bring back memories of a distant past. Then, he spoke in a gentle tone as if someone else were talking.


    "If the prophecy comes true in the future, His Majesty the Holy King will not be able to escape death. So, Merlin tried to twist the Starlight of Fate to prevent his death. I don''t know if that means resurrection after death or disguising it as death by falling into a deep sleep. But the twist of fate can cause cracks in the world and bring in those who have been expelled, just as a small ripple from a butterfly''s wings can become a storm. Yes, the demon king. Merlin hoped that after we died, he could send our souls to the future to help stop the demon king from arriving. What are you going to do? If you agree, then I will nominate you, Tristan.¡± [1]


    Tristan laughed jokingly as he relaxed his frowning forehead. "Well, I was tempted by Gwalchavad, and now Master has captured my soul as collateral.¡±


    Even though he said this, from having read his memories, I knew that Tristan cared about and loved his colleagues more than anyone else.


    "You must have suffered a lot thanks to your generous colleagues,¡± I said jokingly.


    Tristan laughed playfully. "Ohh, you understand? As expected, Master is smart. I can talk about my hardships for all eternity. Do you understand, Captain?"


    "Khmm! I know you''ve gone through a lot. Isn¡¯t it because he believed in you that Gwalchavad nominated you?" Percival avoided Tristan¡¯s eyes and coughed dryly.


    "Eh-heng! Captain always knows what to say." Tristan crossed his legs and leaned back against the sofa.


    After hearing the prophecy from Tristan, I said what was on my mind. "Then, did Merlin make this suggestion to the knights that weren¡¯t most likely to be trusted by the Holy King?"


    In other words, this was evidence that those whose souls laid in the stone statues were not the ones that the Holy King trusted the most. Of course, this was because the Holy King would not send someone he primarily believed to be the traitor to the future.


    "Huh? Can it be interpreted like that? Haha haha! That makes sense, doesn''t it, Captain?" Tristan burst into laughter at my words, and Percival smiled bitterly.


    "It was obvious who His Majesty believed in the most," said Percival.


    Tristan continued Percival¡¯s words. "Modred, Master¡¯s distant ancestor, was worthy of not only the Holy King¡¯s trust but for all of us to depend on. For Merlin, the great madosa, he would have suggested this to anyone but Modred.¡±


    You mean Modred was the least likely to be trusted? This was very ironic.


    "Well, that''s enough small talk. I''ll give you the weapon you''re going to use.¡±


    I handed Tristan a bow and a quiver full of arrows from my pocket space. Tristan lightly nocked an arrow and pulled. "Oh, this is pretty good? Is there magic in the bow and quiver?"


    "Yes, the bow has magic that adds tension, and the quiver has space expansion and weight-reducing magic on it. I put about 10,000 arrows inside, so tell me when they are almost all gone."


    I cast the magic on the bow made by my hometown¡¯s craftsmen, but the consumable arrows were acquired through Milpia. Milpia asked dumbfoundedly what kind of war I was about to start, but she gladly found me some high-quality arrows.


    "Mmm, with this, it¡¯ll be able to produce enough power even without Fail-Not."


    The Fail-Not that Tristan used in his lifetime was a relic and should be well-kept in the palace in St. Percival, where the pope was now.


    "Is there no weapon for me?" Percival held out his hand proudly, and I squeezed a little dagger out of my pocket space.


    "Puhahaha! That dagger suits Captain!"


    Percival cried out at this injustice as Tristan teased him. "This is too much! You give Tristan a proper bow, and you give me a dagger! This is absolute discrimination! Give me a proper sword, too!"


    I took the teary-eyed Percival''s hand and infused mana. Then, the dagger''s handle grew longer and became a spear.


    "You normally use a spear. That''s why I gave you a magic spear to make it easier to carry around, but if you don''t like it, give it back.¡±


    "No! Hmmhmm, I can''t ignore Master¡¯s sincerity!" Percival retreated from me and lightly swung the spear around.


    "It¡¯s a pretty good spear. It increases and decreases in length, but the weight is still the same and remains heavy,¡± he said.


    "If you get used to it, you''ll be able to adjust the length while fighting. Then the opponent will find it difficult to judge the distance."


    Percival reduced the length of the spear back to a dagger, hung it at his waist, and spoke. "Thank you. This will be the spear of Master; I will defeat the enemy at any time."


    I put the table and sofa back into pocket space and said, "Really? That''s great. Since you two are not done adjusting your mana control yet, let''s just work on fine-tuning it tonight. There''s nothing like a real battle to learn control. Go in there and capture some big monsters.¡±


    Employee welfare is now over. Work, slaves!


    "Wow, it hasn¡¯t even been long since I woke up, but you¡¯re getting me to work right away! It''s an evil master!"


    I smiled refreshingly at Tristan''s jeers and pulled out a whip from my pocket space. "Work, slave 1! Slave 6! Hunt and offer me the by-products!"


    Now that I gave them amazing weapons as a carrot, it was time to whip them. I was going to have a pretty busy schedule because I had to teach them how to lead the dragon tooth soldiers without an ego within three days.


    1. Referring to the butterfly effect where seemingly small actions in the past/present can lead to a chain of events/reactions to greatly change the course of events in the future.

 Chapter 237: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (17)

    Three days in the Alps went by quickly. The students struggled to protect the base camp against the incessant monster attacks, and the instructors tried their best to prevent the formation from collapsing.


    Even with the students'' efforts, the battle line collapsed. The Consecrated Paladin Division and Percival had to step in and handle the situation. Thanks to this, Percival earned the respect of not only the students but the instructors too, and he taught them how to lead the soldiers from time to time.


    "Ahem, this is my approximate skill level." After giving the instructors a lesson, Percival came over to me while I was resting in the corner of the base camp as if showing off.


    "Yes, yes, that''s great. Give me your back so I can finish the adjustment,¡± I replied roughly and started Percival¡¯s final adjustment.


    Tristan was hiding in the woods with his presence concealed, and he ruined it.


    - Aigoo, our Captain must have gotten hungry for attention in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other. Kukuku.


    "Shut up! Go scout instead!" Percival waved at Tristan''s hiding place.


    At that moment, the flow of mana I was adjusting was slightly disturbed.


    "Don''t move. The mana will flow backward."


    "¡­I''m sorry." Percival calmly received the adjustment at my warning.


    - I''ve already scouted. Who do you think I am, Captain? It''s clear. You''ll have to deal with a bunch of goblins at most today.


    Goblins were not that difficult for students to deal with as long as they remained careful of anyone using poison.


    - In the first place, our evil Master made us hunt all the deadly monsters in the vicinity, so it''s not dangerous.


    I smiled lightly as I listened to Tristan''s grumbling. Thanks to them, I got quite a few usable magic materials. "All right, done with the adjustments! How are you feeling?"


    Percival carefully moved while controlling his mana. "The slight discomfort I had while controlling mana has completely disappeared. In particular, I can clearly feel the thing connected to the Miracle Crystal in your pocket space."


    The Miracle Crystal was the magic stone, the source of energy that the dragon tooth soldiers ran on. As it was the highest-ranking magic stone taken from the ruins where the stone statues were located, it seemed to be pretty compatible.


    - Then, is there no problem if we go to the place where the Holy King is sealed, as Master calculated?


    I nodded at Tristan''s question. "We will move after dinner. I will make a dummy for Percival so that we aren¡¯t noticed. Then we will leave."


    Percival nodded with a serious look. Then I heard Hillis¡¯s voice from behind us. "Den, what are you doing in this corner? The students at the knight school are sparring, so let''s watch!"


    "Okay!"


    I mentally told Tristan and Percival to take a break before following Hillis to the center of the base camp.


    * * *


    Malecia moved his hand forward slowly in the seemingly unchanged forest of the Alps. In this place where one couldn¡¯t see anything before them, Malecia was cautiously moving, but a spark shot out from his fingertips. It was the barrier set by Aries. Malecia passed the barrier, infusing mana into the necklace that Aries previously gave him.


    "It''s a hassle every time I come in here, and it''s weird.¡± The space inside the barrier was not an ordinary space but looked smudged as if water had been sprayed on a painting that was not dry enough.


    Someone cried out at Malecia coming in from outside the barrier. "Mercenary King, don''t move!"


    At Delta''s cry, Malecia stopped walking.


    "There''s a space distortion right in front of you. Go back slowly to where you came from."


    Malecia carefully backstepped, retracing his steps, and detoured to the side.


    "Jeez, I expected this, but it''s crazier than I imagined. I feel like I''m walking in a minefield that changes every minute.¡± As Iota stuck out his tongue, Aries''s disciples nodded. He couldn¡¯t relax because a space distortion suddenly occurred right where he had been standing last time.


    To rest, they just had to go outside the barrier Aries made to avoid being noticed by the Butterfly Tribe. Aries''s barrier was intended to prevent the further spread of the reverse world¡¯s influence and to prevent magicians outside from feeling any of the unusual changes.


    "By the way, our teacher-nim is truly great.¡±


    "I agree, Epsilon." At Epsilon''s admiration, Delta looked at Aries wandering casually inside. Aries was observing the process of the castle returning to reality from the reverse world while moving freely as if he knew where the space distortions would occur.


    "But it''s comforting to know that the space distortions are noticeably decreasing.¡±


    Everyone laughed bitterly at Iota''s sigh. They just barely managed to hover around the outskirts of the barrier without stepping into the central area. On the other hand, seeing Aries casually move around as if he were taking a walk in the courtyard, the disciples realized the clear difference in level.


    "Oh, Mercenary King. Come to think of it, I heard the knight school of the Empire entered the Alps. How was it?¡±


    To Delta''s question, Malecia answered seriously. "As expected, it seemed they were camped out at the entrance of the Alps and training their students."


    "It seemed? Didn''t you check it out yourself? Then how did you know it was the knight school?"


    When Iota frowned and asked, Malecia replied as if it were nothing. "First of all, we confirmed a lot of footsteps around the entrance of the Alps. Afterward, I sent my subordinates to Asterium to investigate and found that the knight school had entered the Alps to train their students."


    Iota looked dumbfounded. "The person who made that plan is a lunatic to send the chicks into a restricted land for training. If we hadn''t cleared the monsters while searching for traces, they would have been wiped out as soon as they came in.¡±


    Iota¡¯s assessment was accurate. The Alps were so full of monsters that it was called the Monster¡¯s Paradise. If they hadn''t cleared the monsters, the knight school would have been wiped out or killed and forced to retreat the day they entered the mountain range.


    "But why didn''t you check it out yourself? With your personality, you would have examined the situation personally."


    "We couldn''t get close because it was assumed that a ridiculous powerhouse was guarding the base camp of the knight school."


    "A ridiculous powerhouse? Can you go into detail?¡±


    Malecia responded calmly to Delta''s request. "As soon as I finished confirming the knight school¡¯s entry into the Alps, I was going to attract monsters that would be too difficult for them to handle, even if they were a bit far away."


    "That''s a decent idea. It''s their fault for sending newbies into the Alps in the first place." When Iota cut in indifferently, Delta gave Iota a glance and gestured to Malecia to keep talking.


    Malecia calmly followed Delta''s gesture and continued speaking, ¡°But there were no monsters.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    "All the large monsters that I found in advance had disappeared. Even the mutant Behemoth that most demons are reluctant to deal with disappeared.


    Epsilon replied, "Maybe the knights who followed to protect the knight school students subjugated them first? I heard that the imperial knights¡¯ skill levels increased dramatically under the influence of General Glont and General Bloody of the Crow Tribe."


    "Yes, even though they may be idiots, at the very least, there must be knights to protect the students. If it''s the imperial knights, they could likely take care of the leftovers from us cleaning out the Alps."


    When Iota agreed with Epsilon, Malecia shook his head. "I told you. It wasn''t ''subjugated''; it ''disappeared.'' There''s no sign of a fight in the monster''s territory. That means the monsters were killed in one fell swoop without giving them time to respond."


    "Then maybe they didn''t kill the monsters but lured them away?" Delta inquired.


    Malecia shook his head again. "Then there should be traces of the monsters moving to another area, but there weren¡¯t. Even my subordinates standing guard outside the barrier didn¡¯t report any disturbances.


    Aries''s disciples became serious at Malecia¡¯s words as he continued, "Looking at the traces in the territory of the big monsters, maybe two or three people moved in the middle of the night."


    "Two or three people, you say?"


    "One looked like a typical knight who couldn''t hide his tracks, and one seemed to be a hunter because his steps were light and there were almost no traces. If there was one more person there, he was someone who could probably use flying magic,¡± Malecia speculated.


    Delta asked, "What is the possibility that they have a different purpose?"


    "I don''t think they have any other purpose. In particular, the trail of the hunter hardly left the vicinity of the knight school¡¯s base camp, as if he were patrolling around it.¡±


    Delta nodded at Malecia''s assessment. "I''ll have to report to our teacher-nim."


    It was time for the disciples to discuss who would head to the center of the barrier to report. As the space began to twist, the space distortion that filled the vicinity disappeared. And the hazy castle started to grow clearly visible.


    - The castle has completely settled in the real world. Follow me.


    Aries¡¯s sound transmission magic came from inside the barrier, and his disciple and Malecia sprinted inside.


    * * *


    After dinner, Percival and I left under the pretext of being tired and headed to the tent. The instructors at the knight school did not keep me in consideration of my status as a weak civil servant who was dragged into such a dangerous place.


    Asmona, the escort that Glont attached to me, also did not stop me for my safety, perhaps because I was moving with Percival. In fact, without Percival, I might have had to stay with Asmona in a tent with other female instructors and priests in the name of protecting me. Fortunately, I was able to move freely thanks to a slave- I mean escort, named Percival.


    Before going outside, I made a dummy of Percival and me before sneaking out of the base camp. Outside the camp, we were slowly traveling towards the seal¡¯s position that I calculated when Percival and Tristan called out to me.


    - Master.


    - Master, sir.


    I nodded with a small sigh. "I know you''re following me, so come out, Hillis."


    There was rustling in the bushes, and Hillis stuck her head out. On her head full of leaves, the recognition-interfering magic ribbon I gave her was exerting its power.


    "Hoho, you found me." Hillis smiled as she shook the leaves off of her head.


    "How did you know I left?¡± That ribbon didn''t have the ability to locate me.


    Hillis gestured to my waist. Inside the robe, the place she pointed to was holding the Holy Sword.


    "Did you feel the aura of the Holy Sword and came here?¡±


    The aura was so weak that I couldn¡¯t even tell if it was there, but she was able to sense it. What kind of senses did she have?


    "Ahem! I''m still a high-class priest! I can feel the aura of the Holy Sword if it¡¯s not too far away!" Hillis proudly put her hands on her hips and stuck out her chest.


    - Master, do you want me to knock her out?


    Tristan suggested seriously as he hid and moved around in a tree. It was a pretty attractive proposal, but I was afraid of the consequences afterward.


    Then, Hillis looked at the place Tristan was hiding and said, "Whoever is hiding over there, how about showing your face and saying hello?"


    Tristan stopped breathing and became nervous. Tristan''s hiding skills were so sophisticated, even I had a hard time sensing him.


    - What should I do, Master?


    "Come out."


    At my command, Tristan jumped down from the tree. "Hahaha, cute little priest lady, how did you know where I was hiding?"


    Hillis shrugged when Tristan asked warily. "I¡¯ve felt it vaguely since yesterday, but you, Mr. Percival, and Den are connected by a strange feeling of divine power."


    It felt like Hillis poked my blind spot. The magic stone that was definitely connected to these two had magical power similar to divine power since it was a treasure of the Holy Tribe. There was no way Hillis wouldn¡¯t notice this when her senses were powerful enough to feel the inactive Holy Sword¡¯s aura.


    - What are you gonna do, Master?


    I sighed at Percival¡¯s question.


    - We¡¯ll bring her along. She may still be inexperienced, but she possesses the skills of the highest-class priest.


    In terms of power, as she was a precious priest, she did not lose out compared to Percival or Tristan. No, she even had some superior aspects.

 Chapter 238: A Forgotten Castle and a Sealed Queen (18)

    As the sun began to set, the streets of Asterium turned bright red, resembling the sky. Mirpa enjoyed the cool breeze at the top of the tall bell tower as she looked down at the view of the city she had visited just a few days ago. Following Doomstone and collecting extremely rare by-products wasn¡¯t bad, but it also felt good to relax while calmly enjoying the breeze.


    "Is this why the Youngest ran away from home?" Mirpa smirked and laughed at the sentiment she had never felt before.


    When she was young, times were not as peaceful as they were now. It was a turbulent period where she had to fight, study, and become stronger to battle the beings known as demons that no one had ever heard of, brought by the Demon King. In an era where the lives of many powerful people faded away and the weak survived only when they became strong, such a peaceful future like this could not be imagined.


    "He''s such an old man.¡± She could not believe he ran away from home at such a young age in search of freedom when she was just now looking to have some leisure. No matter how much she thought about it, she was sure he must be an old man on the inside.


    "Are you here?" asked Mirpa.


    Bloody jumped on the wall of the bell tower. "I''m sorry for being late."


    As Bloody apologized while standing on the bell tower railing, Mirpa looked at him pitifully and said, "What the hell are you doing when there are stairs?¡±


    "Hahaha, it''s quicker and more convenient to climb up the wall."


    When Bloody became embarrassed, Mirpa snorted. "So you ran into the Youngest brat here, and you lost him?¡±


    "Yes, I didn''t expect Denburg to suddenly use that kind of explosive magic in the middle of the city."


    Looking at Bloody scratching the back of his head, Mirpa looked down at the market street. "In the middle of that street, he used explosive magic substantial enough to make you fly away, and there were only small burn marks with no casualties?"


    Bloody nodded. "Yes, I also asked William in Warrant, and he said it''s not impossible, but the calculations are complicated.¡±


    "That''s when there¡¯s plenty of time to calculate." Mirpa looked with interest at the burn marks on the far-off road and continued, "You said this meeting between the two of you was unintended. It must have been the same for Denburg."


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Mirpa spoke seriously at Bloody''s affirmation. "Then he used a magic tool. As far as I know, there are only five magic tools that shorten the time required for such complex calculations into an instant."


    "Is that right?"


    Even though she spoke seriously, Bloody was not a magician, and he did not comprehend the seriousness of the matter. Mirpa clicked her tongue at Bloody. "Tch, I guess I skipped too much information even though you''re not even Hestia nor Denburg."


    Mirpa explained it in a way that even Bloody could understand. "A swordsman is crazy about a good sword, right? To put it simply, the five magic tools I mentioned are the magician version of the four God Swords. That''s how special and valuable they are."


    Bloody nodded at Mirpa''s intuitive explanation as she continued, "The Four Great Swords include the Holy Sword, Demon Sword, Spirit Sword, and Phantom Sword. The five magic tools are the life bracelet of the Witch of Pride, Druid Merlin''s Prophecy, the Space Specialist¡¯s Control Armor, the Giant Tribe¡¯s Curse, and Arpen''s 10,000 Year Icestone."


    Mirpa folded her fingers down as she explained, speaking while looking down at the streets that were slowly getting dark. "Among them, Merlin''s Prophecy and the Giant Tribe¡¯s Curse are unaccounted for, but the locations of the other three are clearly known. The bracelet is owned by your grandfather Galak, and the armor and icestone are owned by the Space Specialist and the elementalists who made them, respectively."


    Mirpa looked at Bloody as if asking if he understood now, but Bloody''s expression made it clear that he knew nothing, so Mirpa explained more. "In short, Denberg, whether he made a deal or was sponsored, has a connection with the three people I spoke about."


    "Aha! I see!"


    Bloody clapped his hands as if he finally understood but then tilted his head. "So?"


    Mirpa sighed as she looked at Bloody as he asked for more clarification. She didn¡¯t expect him to figure it out before being given the answer like Den and Hestia. Still, she wanted him to at least think about the implications when told something, but was it that difficult?


    "Hey, you stone head! I¡¯m saying he''s not alone right now; he might have a helper to take advantage of!¡± She began to miss her disciples, who would at least know one thing after being taught something.


    "Oh? That''s a big deal!"


    "What am I doing talking with an idiot who only knows how to fight?" Mirpa shook her head and casually climbed over the bell tower railing.


    "Where are you going?¡±


    When asked by Bloody, Mirpa flew up with flying magic and said, "I''m going to meet one of the owners of the magic tools I mentioned. He ran into the Youngest in the capital, so I¡¯ll ask if he knows anything."


    After saying so, she began to fly quickly toward the Alps, where the Butterfly Tribe lived. Bloody stared blankly at the sight and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I''m sure everything will be all right."


    He thought that even if something happened, it wouldn¡¯t be related to him. Bloody leaned against the railing and watched the dimming streets.


    * * *


    "Hey Den, where are we going now?¡±


    When Hillis asked, I answered, making up some parts of my story. "In the literature I read previously, it said there were some unknown ruins in this vicinity. So, I thought we could go tomb raid, khmm! Go excavate the ruins."


    Percival looked at me and asked in private.


    - Didn''t you just say tomb raiding, Master?


    - No, that can''t be true. You must have heard it wrong. Or something came out weird because he was making things up in a hurry.


    What tomb raiding? I¡¯m merely going to pick up the items that are just rolling on the floor without an owner and keep them until the owner appears. Therefore, it was not stealing. Of course, of course. If the owner actually shows up, he''ll have to prove he owns the item for me to return it, but it''s not theft.


    "Mmhmm, I see." Hillis nodded with a knowing smile.


    "My pocket space is spacious, so don''t worry, sweep it up, khmm! Let''s excavate!" Hillis cried.


    Tristan burst into laughter, and Percival wore a complicated expression.


    "Puhahaha! Master¡¯s friend is pleasant, just like Master! Hahahaha!"


    "Master? Is Mr. Tristan Den''s servant?¡±


    Tristan shrugged at Hillis''s question. "Well? It''s similar, but the relationship between Master and me is determined by Master."


    When Tristan spoke playfully, Hillis looked at me. Then, Tristan said, "To be precise, it''s complicated, but the result is... It''s just like being a hired hand."


    "So, as a comparison, would it be like the relationship between Albatoss and me?"


    I nodded at Hillis''s guess. "That would be the most similar."


    The paladins were no different from Tristan in that they had a master and servant contract with Hillis and had to follow orders absolutely. While chatting about one thing or another, we slowly reached the location I calculated.


    - Master, this area is where Merlin¡¯s castle that he used as a villa and a laboratory was located. But since we can''t see it, it seems like time has run it out of business.


    Percival looked into the empty space with disappointment. He seemed to have realized that he was living in an era where everything he knew from 500 years ago had disappeared.


    - No. I think it vanished somewhere else, not disappeared with time.


    I expected it to some extent after listening to Percival, but Merlin¡¯s villa and laboratory seemed to be the place where the last queen was sealed.


    "Everyone, stop. We''re here."


    Everyone looked at me with an uncomprehending expression at my words. What they saw in front of them was no different from the forest that they had seen so far.


    "Master, it''s just a forest?" It was such a perfect barrier that even someone with great senses like Tristan could not notice it.


    "Look closely." I moved my hand carefully. The barrier that my finger brushed against shot a small spark.


    I stuck my tongue out at the sensation I felt on my fingertips. "Someone came here first and set up the barrier. I don''t know who¡¯s inside, but they¡¯re no joke."


    At this barrier¡¯s level, even ordinary madosa would kneel at the caster¡¯s feet. It seemed that Aries was here. He was a person my aunt told me never to meet before I came up to the north. Come to think of it, this wasn¡¯t strange if I remembered that Malecia, the Mercenary King, was at the ruins. Something just made me want to go back.


    "Who dares!" But Percival was genuinely indignant and pulled out the spear I had given him.


    "Let''s go in right now!" Percival tried to force his way through the barrier with a strong aura all over his body.


    "Where are you going?" I grabbed Percival from behind him. I''ve never seen such an ignorant guy. I was also someone who thought that brute force was effective, but that was only when I was sure of my superior skill and what the situation was.


    "Do you want to die? If you go in there with only that much strong aura, you''ll become full of holes."


    Tristan also nodded at my words. "Calm down, Captain. I understand and agree with your anger, but this is a barrier that I can¡¯t even sense. We need to at least get some information before we move forward."


    Percival frowned and nodded. "I''m sorry. I think I lost my head for a second."


    "I''ll create a gap in the barrier for now, so just wait. In the meantime, wear these." I took a green helmet out of my pocket space and threw it at Percival, who was self-reflecting.


    "What''s this? It looks like a helmet, but it''s very light and colorful. Do you protect your face with these black slabs? But where''s the eyehole?" As Percival was touching and analyzing the helmet, I told him to just try it on and handed Tristan and Hillis a blue and pink helmet, respectively.


    "Oh my, I knew you could use magic, but is it really at the level where you can even use a pocket space?¡± Hillis looked at me as if this was a surprise.


    "Ahem, although I come across like this, I¡¯m the master of the Holy Sword, so this much is basic."


    "Ohhh, I''m covering my face with the black slabs, but I can still see clearly." Tristan wore the helmet and looked around in wonder.


    It was a helmet with night vision magic cast on it so that one could see in the dark as if it were broad daylight. I spoke while putting on a black helmet from my pocket space. "Okay, from now on, you''re Green, you''re Blue, Hillis is Pink, and I''m Black. Combined, we will be known as the Public Office Force."


    ¡°But you''re the only civil servant here?¡±


    I began to create a gap in the barrier before me, ignoring Hillis''s comments. Soon, a hole barely big enough for one person to pass through was made, and we could begin to see the castle in the distance.


    "That castle!"


    "Iyaa, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Percival and Tristan were surprised to see the castle, and I jumped through the gap and shouted, "Let¡¯s go! Public Office Force move out!"

 Chapter 239: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (19)

    Entering the barrier, the mana surrounding the castle was extremely abnormal.


    ¡°Keup!" It felt as if you were underwater due to the dense concentration of mana, making it difficult to breathe.


    "Are you guys all right?¡± The other party tilted their heads when I asked worriedly. Thanks to the helmets¡¯ ability to see each other''s faces through the helmets, their uncomprehending expressions were clearly seen.


    "Why? What just happened, Master?" I was dumbfounded when Tristan returned the question.


    "Are you guys not affected by this supersaturated mana?" The excessive mana weighing down on my whole body made me feel as if gravity had been increased several times.


    "Well, it''s not like we¡¯re completely fine, but we aren¡¯t like Master gasping for breath," said Percival.


    Tristan concurred, "I agree with the Captain, Master. Obviously, if the mana is this supersaturated, it''ll take a little more effort to create a sword aura, but that''s all."


    How can they be so insensitive? I looked at Hillis and asked her in bewilderment, "Are you okay, too?¡±


    Despite my question, Hillis looked around with a serious face, deep in thought, before I said, "Hillis?"


    "Huh? Yes, did you call me?" It looked as if she had come to her senses only when I called her name.


    "Are you okay?"


    Hillis nodded and looked at me as if I were strange. "Uh, I''m fine, too. By the way, how sensitive are you to mana to have such a reaction?¡±


    I was undoubtedly sensitive to mana, but the mana here was too supersaturated. Of course, when compared to my hometown, Olympus Forest was crazier. If I thought like that, it didn''t appear to bother me as much. It seems I¡¯ve gotten too used to the outside environment.


    "But what are you thinking so much about?"


    Hillis answered my question with a serious face. "For some reason, the mana that fills this place seems to be the same as the one in Zaharam the Holy Land."


    Zaharam, the Holy Land, was considered one of the Blood Emperor¡¯s best achievements in terms of lands conquered. The success of the Holy Land, Zaharam¡¯s conquest, forced the temple onto a leash, while the imperial family was able to lay the foundation for obtaining absolute imperial power. However, the irony was that because of this foundation, the two biggest political opponents at the time, the crown prince and Duke Asteria, joined hands and were semi-forced to be elected.


    It was Percival and Tristan who responded to Hillis.


    "Zaharam? Oh, you mean the desert with the branches of the World Tree?"


    "After hearing what Miss has said, it certainly does feel similar. By the way, isn''t it too much to say that Zaharam is a holy land? It''s just a place with some branches."


    Hillis was taken aback by the two. "Have you both been to the Holy Land? No, but you say that the giant tree is a branch?"


    Percival nodded. "Of course, according to the temple, the size of the original World Tree is akin to the whole continent."


    "That''s true, but-¡±


    I cut off Hillis and said, "Let''s put aside religious stories and myths and move quickly. The individual who set up the barrier is no ordinary person, and I¡¯m afraid that he will soon discover his barrier being broken through.¡±


    "I agree. As Master said, I can already feel about ten people coming here.¡± Tristan stood by with an arrow nocked onto his bow. The presences of those coming over were equivalent to high-ranking knights in the empire.


    "Tristan, take care of it."


    At my command, Tristan pulled the bowstring with a deep smile. "God''s arrow will be Master''s arrow. I will follow your orders."


    The arrow, shrouded in a strong aura, shone blue and split the air.


    * * *


    Just stepping into the castle, Aries looked back and said, "Someone has broken through my barrier and entered."


    The disciples were astonished at Aries''s words. "Just who would be able to break through Teacher-nim¡¯s barrier?"


    Despite them being at the level of madosa, Aries¡¯s barrier was too strong for the disciples to dare mess with.


    "I wonder if the Butterfly Tribe¡¯s Glacial Devil noticed this place?"


    When Delta asked, Aries walked back inside and said, "No, it''s not Arpen. That brutish guy would have smashed half the barrier before coming in. This feels like Mirpa.¡±


    While speaking, he thought it felt a little different from Mirpa. If it were the Mirpa that Aries knew, she would not simply create a gap but would have completely neutralized the barrier.


    Iota asked Aries cautiously, "These delinquents dare to interrupt Teacher-nim¡¯s research. Is it okay if we don''t intercept the intruders?"


    The disciples agreed with Iota, nodding their heads. Even if a monster that reached the level of a madosa broke through Aries¡¯s barrier, the odds were stacked against him in a fight against five madosas.


    When the disciples tried to leave the castle immediately, Aries said indifferently, "Foolish. Have you not figured it out yet? As soon as we stepped into the castle, leaving through any ordinary means will be difficult."


    The disciples looked around in surprise at Aries''s words. As soon as they observed their surroundings, they realized that the door they entered through had disappeared.


    "This, this is...!"


    "Teacher-nim, what kind of magic is this?!"


    Despite the disciples¡¯ cries, Aries moved forward, looking around with beaming eyes. "This is the lost magic of the druids. Interesting."


    Malecia stuck closely to Aries as he walked ahead and worried about his subordinates standing guard outside.


    * * *


    Letting loose an arrow, Tristan captured ten black men in a blink of an eye.


    "It''s not like you, Tristan, to have mercy on intruders.¡± Percival seemed to be unhappy with the people in black who were caught intact. Indeed, it was understandable that he was upset about the unfamiliar intruders, as they were in an important place where the last queen was sleeping.


    "Oh, Captain. The reason I''ve always had no mercy is that my opponents were a handful, but now the difference in skills is obvious.¡±


    Tristan shrugged and, sitting on the back of a suppressed black man, asked, "Now, Master. What do you want to do? Are you going to question him?¡±


    I nodded. "Of course, I have to. Although, I feel like I know who the intruders are."


    These black men were definitely subordinates of the self-proclaimed Black Knight Malecia from the ruins. As my prediction turned into reality, my discomfort turned to reluctance.


    "Oh, man. She said to never encounter him. What should I do?¡± It seems I''ll hear some nagging from my aunt later. I sighed and looked at the subjugated guys.


    "We will never surrender to any kind of torture!"


    "Yeah, okay. I already know that there''s a guy named Aries and a one-eyed ahjussi named Malecia anyway.¡±


    ¡°?!¡± For people who weren¡¯t giving in, their expressions said everything.


    I pulled out the documents given by Milpia from my pocket space and grabbed the heads of the glaring black men. "Let''s see, among the ones that came here, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta. All right, Delta''s here."


    There was no way that those who couldn''t manage their facial expressions could control their pulse. After slowly calling out the names all the way to Omega, I found out which of the magicians under Aries came.


    "Delta, Epsilon, Iota, Tau, Omikron. All confirmed to be madosas.¡±


    I clicked my tongue and put the papers back in the pocket space. It¡¯s become a hassle. It would have been much more convenient if there were hundreds of great magicians instead. Still, since the mana was so heavy here, I had no choice but to hope that this also made them weaker than usual.


    We abandoned the subdued black men and headed for the castle.


    - Percival, Tristan. Did you hear anything in detail from Merlin about the seal?


    The two shook their heads simultaneously when I asked.


    - No, I don''t think I''d understand even if I heard the explanation in the first place.


    - We are ignorant of magic, Master.


    Is that the case? Indeed, it must have been hard to explain because magic like the Reverse World was not only spatial magic but also complicated magic that used various other magic.


    - Oh, come to think of it, the Great Madosa Merlin said to try our best because it will be difficult.


    I had a somewhat ominous feeling about Tristan''s words.


    - You said he told you to try your best?


    When I was hesitating to go in from the front of the castle, Percival urged me. "Hurry up and go in. Every minute, the intruders¡¯ threat increases."


    "Hey, why don''t we just steel ourselves and go in there?¡±


    When I took a step back, Percival asked with a cold look, ¡°When will you be ready?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe in 10 years?¡± Hearing this, Tristan and Percival opened the gates at the same time as if they didn''t need to hear anymore.


    "Wait!"


    "There are times when a man shouldn''t back down! Let¡¯s not hesitate to go in, Master."


    As soon as my back was pushed and I stepped into the castle, unknown mana wrapped around us.


    "We¡¯re ruined."


    "What?" Hillis looked at me confused when I grabbed my forehead.


    "We are now trapped in the ancient castle."


    Hillis looked back at the door we came in with surprise. There was a long corridor rather than the vast castle gate we came in through. Is this the "Druid''s Labyrinth Forest" that appears only in legends? Of course, this wasn''t a forest, but it wasn''t much different in that the walls on both sides blocked our view. It was a pity that being told to try our best wasn¡¯t just empty words.


    "Wouldn''t we be able to escape through the window?" Hillis calmly approached the window.


    "Don¡¯t. If you do something wrong, you might fall into the unknown by yourself. Then, you¡¯ll wander through this maze and starve to death.¡±


    At my warning, Hillis became pale, backed away from the window, and came next to me before asking, "Wait, then at this rate, whether we are alone or together, won¡¯t we starve to death?"


    "It''s okay. I have food in my pocket space just for situations like this."


    Hillis cheered at my words.  "Oh, I knew it! I believed in you!"


    It didn¡¯t matter if Percival and Tristan didn¡¯t eat, so for Hillis and me, we could last around three months. If we ran out of food and still couldn¡¯t get out, I would have no choice but to completely destroy the castle and prepare to be buried.


    Tristan stroked his chin at my question.


    "Tristan, take the lead. Percival''s on guard in the rear." The two responded vigorously to my instructions.


    "Yeap! We follow Master''s orders!"


    "I shall put the safety of Master and Miss Hillis first."


    Tristan went ahead, and we began to explore the castle at a rapid pace.

 Chapter 240: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (20)

    I asked Tristan as he scouted ahead, "Tristan, what do you think is the most important place in this castle?¡±


    Tristan pondered over my question. "Well, I wonder. In regards to the most significant part of this castle, I suppose it¡¯s the Holy King¡¯s residence, the Great Merlin¡¯s research lab, the treasury, the armory, and the food storage room?"


    Of the five places Tristan listed, the first three were understandable, but the last two didn¡¯t make sense.


    "Why the armory and the food storage room?" I asked.


    Percival answered, "That''s because this was also the last refuge we had set up in case of an emergency."


    Tristan added with a bright voice, "That¡¯s right. So, the security levels of those two places are much higher than the treasury. A long time ago, Modred and I almost died trying to sneak in there for a late-night snack.¡±


    Tristan chuckled delightfully as he reminisced about the past, and Percival sighed and shook his head.


    "Hmm, but you two talk as if you''ve been here before?" Hillis asked, and the two smiled awkwardly as if they just remembered she was there.


    "Hahaha, is that so?"


    I glanced between the two as if they were pathetic and decided on my first destination. "First, let''s go to the magician''s lab. Maybe there''s a way to untangle the Druid''s forest that distorts the space."


    Most importantly, Merlin''s lab, which researched the long-lost nature magic, was the place I wanted to visit the most as a magician. The three people nodded.


    "Then the next destination is the treasury."


    "I guess after that, it must be His Majesty the Holy King¡¯s residence."


    "After the lab, the armory, Master?"


    The three who spoke at the same time looked at each other with surprised expressions.


    "Tristan, don''t forget our purpose! The armory! What are you thinking?!¡±


    Tristan protested against Percival''s rebuke. "Why? What''s wrong with the armory?! In our lifetime, khmm! There might be weapons to use! As long as we''re sure there are enemies in the castle, we need to arm ourselves properly first!"


    Hillis looked back and forth between the two incomprehensibly and shouted, "Isn¡¯t it obviously the treasury? We¡¯re here for a tomb raid- no, it''s an excavation! It¡¯s expensive, khmm! Then, we should be going to a place full of historical materials! Even more so if there are competitors!"


    I got a headache as the three of them clashed. "Get to the lab first before fighting! We don¡¯t even know if we will be able to get there because of the magic!"


    When I scolded the three of them simultaneously, they closed their mouths and nodded. For your information, I thought the food storage would be good in preparation for a potential long-term battle. If the food were staying in the reverse world up till now, time would not have passed, so the food should be fine.


    * * *


    Delta looked ahead at Malecia with a look of incredulity and asked Aries in a faint voice, "Teacher-nim, he doesn''t know magic. Is it okay to have him lead the way? Rather, wouldn¡¯t it be better to order Omicron or Iota....¡±


    As she was speaking, Delta shut her mouth at Aries¡¯s cold look as he said, "As far as I know, Malecia has the best survival-specific skills. And he¡¯s strong. You¡¯re inexperienced. If you actually fight him, you''ll have to put your life on the line."


    Delta could not accept Aries¡¯s assessment. Anyone who was a magician aspired to attain the level of madosa, and she had reached it. However, she could not logically understand the idea that she would have to put her life on the line just to fight a mere swordsman.


    However, she nodded because she could not ignore her teacher''s words. "Yes, I understand."


    Hearing the conversation behind him, Malecia moved on as if he was used to it. A magician''s sense of elitism was cute when compared to the nobles¡¯.


    Walking ahead, Malecia stopped and asked, "Master, are there perhaps any monsters living in this castle?"


    On behalf of Aries, Iota answered Malecia''s question, his tone indicating that this was common sense. "At this level, there must be some sort of intruder-fighting golem in the vicinity of important facilities."


    "Yeah? But don''t they usually only move when you trigger security magic?" When Malecia touched his sword and asked, the disciples felt something strange and gripped their magic wands tighter.


    "Yes, but why?" Iota asked.


    Malecia pulled out his sword and pointed to the corner. "Then why are they moving? Did someone trigger the security magic?¡±


    At the same time as when Malecia spoke, statues shaped like angels appeared around the corner.


    "What, what¡¯s that?!¡± When Aries''s disciples were surprised, the angel statues gave off a hideous smile and released terrifying mana.


    "Gar, gargoyle?"


    - Nyurak Ahtbimiht. (Intruder found.)


    The angel-shaped gargoyles came at them quickly, sounding like they were speaking in reverse.


    "Wake up and attack!" Malecia received a gargoyle''s sword and shouted, and Aries''s disciples came to their senses and began attacking the gargoyles.


    "Arrow of Flames!"


    "Chain of Restraint! Lock the enemy down!"


    "A thousand thorns stab and deliver a grudge!"


    With Delta¡¯s curse magic, Malecia shrouded his sword in a strong aura and cut off the head of the gargoyle, shouting, "The opponents are stone! Curses don''t work! Use physical magic!"


    ¡°Of, of course. The great destruction that eats away the world...¡±


    Omicron freaked out at Delta''s incantation. "Hey! Don''t use great magic in such a narrow place!"


    "But I''m a curse magician, so for physical magic, I only have great magic...¡±


    Iota was struggling with a gargoyle tied in a magical chain, and he cried out in frustration as Delta became teary. "Just shoot some magic bullets!"


    Aries observed the battle between his disciples and the gargoyles with interest. "Oho, it''s similar to the failed ritual in Zaharam. Was the hypothesis correct?"


    Aries was infinitely relaxed despite the fierce battle in front of him.


    * * *


    "Argh! What''s this?! Why does it regenerate again even when you break it?!¡± Tristan stepped back, shooting an arrow in between the brows of the angel-shaped gargoyle.


    "If there was such a thing, you should have told us earlier!" I ran away from the gargoyle and cried out. Percival and Tristan followed me after destroying a gargoyle, and they protested in a wronged voice.


    "As far as I knew, they didn''t move this freely!"


    "Yes! And they didn''t smile that weirdly! Uhhh, that''s creepy!"


    The smashed gargoyle returned to its original angelic form.


    - Arhahyiohtgyuk rhulahjbimiht! (Repel the intruders!)


    The gargoyle attacked us again, shouting something incomprehensible.


    "What are those things saying?¡±


    At my question, Hillis attacked with divine magic and cried out, "I don''t know! The light of glory! Holy Light!"


    The gargoyle, completely pulverized by Hillis''s Holy Light, slowly began to recover, and I said, "It seems when it''s completely pulverized, it takes a while to regenerate. Let''s run to Merlin''s lab first! Tristan, is it far from here?¡±


    "No, it''s just a little further! Follow me!"


    Tristan quickly ran ahead. "Excuse me!"


    "Kyakk!" I picked up the slow-footed Hillis and chased after Tristan.


    "Master, do you know anything about those monsters? I''m certain that Master has excellent magical knowledge!" While running away, Percival asked while shooting a sword aura and smashing a gargoyle.


    I frowned. "Damn it; there''s too much to think about. The most plausible possibility is that the magician controlling the gargoyles is regenerating them in real-time. In addition, the worst part is the unknown beings occupying the gargoyles¡¯ bodies that hypothetically only exist in the Reverse World."


    "If unknown existences have taken over the bodies, why is this the worst case?" Percival looked at me confusedly.


    "Why is it the worst? Do you think the unknown existences would only occupy the gargoyles¡¯ bodies?¡±


    Percival became pale at my words. "His Majesty the Holy King!"


    I felt sorry for Percival, but it was time to worry about us rather than the last queen. No matter how hard you looked at it, those gargoyles were too strong to be normal. It was terrible to think that the last queen might be running wild with amplified strength, controlled by an unknown existence. It was stated in literature that she inherited everything from the Holy Tribe.


    "Don''t worry too much. If it is the Holy Tribe from the books, even an unknown existence won''t be able to occupy their body easily."


    Of course, there was no given solution if the hypothetical unknown existences really had occupied their bodies. If my prediction was correct, those pieces of stones would only perform a set of actions that were programmed with magic.


    But if it were to take over a person''s body, it might gain free will. Then, over time, if it developed, a monster more terrible than a great magician would be born. Come to think of it, there was a story in Elder Mirpa¡¯s hypotheses that said the Demon King was an unknown existence from the Reverse World. In this tale, he had eaten a magician of the real world and manifested into the real world.


    "It¡¯s there! Master!" Tristan was running ahead, and he pointed past the corner.


    We ran at full speed and headed for Merlin''s lab. As the lab beyond the corner became visible in front of me, I noticed a man with one eye running towards us from the other side with magicians wearing hoods.


    And behind them, gargoyles in the form of angels were swinging swords and racing after them. I didn''t know when I started getting chased but seeing them being hunted, it looked quite ridiculous, like a third-rate horror movie. The problem was that we were doing the same thing.


    "Who are you?!" Among the magicians with the hoods, the small one pointed her magic wand and shouted.


    Considering her feminine voice, she seemed to be Delta. Percival pointed his sword at Delta''s cry. "Who are you!? How dare you step into this place!"


    Fighting was a matter for a later time. First, it was urgent to deal with those gargoyles bearing hideous smiles.


    I checked Merlin''s lab door quickly. Good. As expected, the security magic on the lab wasn''t a guardian like the gargoyles, but rather, it sent the person flying into another trap far away. This was the way it was supposed to be. After all, if there was a fight near the lab, precious research materials could be damaged in a stroke of bad luck.


    The Black Mask in the other party and I touched the lab door at the same time. This masked person fit the same description as "Aries" on the document given by Milpia.


    "You have an eye for detail.¡±


    I smiled lightly at Aries¡¯s compliment. "You as well."


    Aries and I simultaneously activated the lab''s security magic. The target was, of course, the disgusting gargoyles in the shape of an angel. In fact, I wanted to send away the other group along with the gargoyles, but it was too difficult because the control over the security magic rights was split between Aries and me.


    "Hoo, you have good skills.¡±


    "That''s what I should say.¡±


    Aries and I were fighting in real-time for the right to control the security magic, and the opponent was hardly showing any gaps.


    Boom!


    In the midst of a tense struggle for control, the security magic circle overheated and sparked, giving off a small explosion.


    "Impressive. It was just a simple battle for control, but I wasn¡¯t able to win. I don''t know how many years it''s been since this happened.¡±


    When Aries was amazed, the glares of the hooded magicians were so intense that I began to feel hot. Then, Aries and I simultaneously pulled out our magic wands from our pocket spaces and aimed them at each other.

 Chapter 241: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (21)

    As Aries and I aimed our magic wands at each other, the tension on both sides seemingly reached a climax like a tightly pulled bow. However, Aries and I withdrew our magic wands at the same time, and the group looked at me with curious eyes.


    "It would be foolish to show unjustified hostility in the druid¡¯s forest."


    The castle was acting like a druid''s forest using Merlin''s magic. According to the literature, anyone who takes someone''s life in the druid forest will be unconditionally penalized. Gargoyles weren¡¯t living creatures, so attacking them didn''t matter, but those people weren''t. Aries nodded as if he were concurring and said, "I agree. Druids are a peace-loving violent people. It''s completely illogical.¡±


    Of course, even so, we couldn''t let our guards down. It was always possible to deceive the druid''s unreasonable standards.


    "For now, let¡¯s stop fighting. What did you all come here for? If we can make concessions, let''s do so."


    "Master!" At my suggestion, Percival looked at me as if this shouldn¡¯t be allowed to happen.


    - Calm down. We¡¯ll only lose out fighting here. Our purpose is to protect the last queen anyway.


    Personally, I was greedy for Merlin''s research materials instead, but in the end, our purpose was elsewhere.


    - That... that''s true.


    Percival nodded with a grim look on his face. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to hand over the relics of the Holy Kingdom, which he had protected all his life. Naturally, I also wanted to hog everything here. I don¡¯t know about those people wearing the hoods, but Aries was a monster that I couldn¡¯t simply ignore. Roughly, he felt very similar to the great madosas Arpen and Elder Mirpa.


    "For the cease-fire, is it until we get rid of the druid''s forest, or also afterward?" Aries looked at me interestedly.


    "I think the former is natural, and the latter is also fine if we have different purposes."


    Aries nodded casually at my opinion. "Good. I''m not as belligerent as the Crow Tribe, so it''s a proposal worth considering."


    The conversation went better than I thought. By the way, as a Crow, I was sad that I could not deny it when he said he was not as belligerent as the Crow Tribe.


    Aries said his goal first. "My purpose is the last queen. To be exact, the lost magic that she will possess.¡±


    Percival''s eyebrows flinched at Aries''s words. I let out a small sigh. Hillis was listening, and she appeared to be slowly realizing the truth. It seemed difficult to continue deceiving her until the end, so I just told the truth. "Our purpose is the safety of the last queen. It seems our negotiations have broken down. Our intentions are different, but the items we must obtain are the same.¡±


    If it were ordinary magic, it could be divided by turning it into a magic book or something. At Aries¡¯s level, he¡¯d be able to obtain enough from just the magic book, but this was not the case for the magic of the Holy Tribe. The magic of the Holy Tribe was associated with the Holy Tribe¡¯s lineage, so it would be impossible to learn using just a magic book.


    Aries seemed to be aware of this fact and said in a flat and dry voice, "That''s too bad. I haven''t seen a good magician in a long time, but I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡±


    I didn''t feel any emotion despite him saying it was regrettable. "We''ll see who dies."


    "How dare you!" Aries''s subordinates were furious and tightly clenched their respective wands.


    However, contrary to their responses, they did not immediately start a fight despite the negotiations breaking down. They knew well that one could not act rashly as long as they were in the magic of a druid''s forest.


    "Then, let¡¯s go into the lab and deactivate the druid''s forest."


    Aries and I simultaneously touched the lab door and undid the lock magic. No matter how high its level was, the lock was easier to solve than the treasury''s vault because it was an old method. The view inside the lab was more like a giant botanical garden than a lab.


    ¡°It was worth having it disappear.¡±


    ¡°As expected, it was worth having it disappear.¡±


    Seeing the scenery inside the lab, Aries and I both expressed the same sentiment concurrently. The plants growing in the labs were only those that were terribly difficult to raise. They were all so rare that if Elder Mirpa had seen it, she would have drooled. If these plants were to be used as catalysts, no matter how effective they were, they would have died out.


    "Let''s share."


    "Fine." Aries nodded readily at my suggestion.


    It was more efficient to cleanly divide these precious materials in half than to fight for a monopoly and risk destroying them. At least if you stored it in the pocket space first, the materials wouldn¡¯t get damaged from fighting.


    "Give me all the lotuses. Instead, I''ll hand over all of this Laimondi."


    At Aries''s suggestion, I swept all the Laimondi into my pocket space and said, "Okay. Then I''ll have all these Udumbara flowers instead.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then I''ll take the Belladonnas."


    ¡°What about the dried ants?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s split it in half exactly.¡±


    Aries and I peacefully combed through Merlin''s lab and put all the magical ingredients into our pocket space.


    "Hey, Master. Isn''t this too peaceful? He''s the one who said he''d kill you?¡±


    Tristan looked at me dumbfounded. I shrugged lightly and said, "Who cares? It''s not like we¡¯re going to have a battle right now. Anyway, we can''t fight even if we want to until the druid¡¯s forest is undone.¡±


    Honestly, if I was alone, there was no reason not to fight. However, it was questionable whether the others would be able to overcome the anger of the druid forest.


    "Oho, you''re not human. It feels like a dragon, but is it closer to something like a Dragonian or a Spartoi?" As Aries looked at Tristan with interest, Tristan was creeped out and took a step back.


    "Ohh! Do you recognize it? The body was made using a dragon fang as a catalyst. It was refined with the dragonic force contained in a dragon heart."


    Aries and I continued our conversation as we finished distributing the magic materials and began to rummage through the research materials.


    "Hmm, was the mana refinement method based on alchemy? It''s interesting that you created dragon tooth soldiers with a different magic, not necromancy."


    It was an accurate assessment. Originally, dragon tooth soldiers were made using necromancy, but they had to be constantly instilled with death aura.


    "I''m not a black magician, and I''m too lazy to constantly obtain death aura."


    "That''s smart. If it¡¯s alchemy, it¡¯ll take almost no effort to maintain it."


    Aries nodded and asked, "Are you willing to be my disciple? I¡¯m starting to like you.¡±


    At Aries''s suggestion, Aries''s subordinates looked alternately at Aries and me, surprised. It was as if they''d heard something that couldn¡¯t occur in this world.


    "Well, I don''t think I''m at a level where I need to be taught by someone anymore.¡±


    It has been nearly two years since Elder Mirpa, one of the top madosas, told me that I was on my own now. I''ve walked too far on my path to ask someone to teach me.


    Aries nodded calmly at my refusal. "Is that so? That''s too bad."


    Considering that he said it was too bad, his emotionless voice didn''t seem to be disappointed at all.


    "Oh, I found it." Looking through Merlin''s research records, I found the Druid''s Magic Book.


    "Let''s look at it together."


    Aries and I sat in place and quickly looked through the magic book. The Druid''s Magic Book detailed the requirements of the druid''s forest and the location of its core.


    "Wow, crazy!"


    "Crazy."


    The more you looked at the content, the more the magic seemed to boast of its dreadful difficulty. Although the druid''s forest was powerful magic, with the effort it took to cast, one could use multiple magics that were more effective.


    "It''s inefficient, but how could it be this sloppy? Did people in the old days live thinking inefficiency was a virtue?¡±


    When I was dumbfounded, Aries calmly corrected my words. "No. It was efficient when the World Tree existed in the real world. Try putting a constant energy source in this formula."


    "Hmm, certainly, if it¡¯s like that, there¡¯s a lot less effort. But there shouldn¡¯t have been a World Tree when Merlin cast the druid''s forest?¡±


    "It didn¡¯t exist. Just looking at Zaharam right now...¡±


    Aries and I argued for a long time and debated about the druid magic.


    "Your knowledge is too limited in comparison to your skills.¡±


    "But your mindset is too old."


    Although we criticized each other, there was no denying that the other person was of great help in deciphering the druid magic.


    "Are you done?" Hillis was leaning comfortably against the lab wall when she yawned and asked.


    Looking around, Tristan was lying on a desk sleeping, and Percival was using the research facility to do pull-ups. This was quite the opposite of Aries''s subordinates, who were on their knees listening attentively to the conversation between Aries and me.


    "Hey, aren''t you going to get up?"


    I kicked Tristan on his butt to wake him up, and he stood while rubbing his eyes. "Oh, are you done? I was bored to death."


    "What do you mean ¡®bored?¡¯ you were sleeping the whole time." No matter the fact that it was magically impossible to attack each other, I at least wanted them to remain on guard, but it seemed to have been a futile expectation.


    ¡°Master, what were you talking to the enemy for so long about? It was as if you¡¯d known him for a long time."


    "And you sleep in front of your enemies?"


    When I looked at him in disbelief, Tristan shrugged slyly. "Hey, what¡¯s wrong? You said they couldn¡¯t attack us either. We all took a rest believing in Master. What do you think? This subordinate has absolute faith in Master¡¯s words!"


    "Ehew, you know how to speak at least. Get ready to fight."


    "Yeah!" The group warmed up and readied their weapons.


    I pointed my magic wand at the wall on the right side of the lab and told Aries, "I''ll take the magic circle on the right."


    Aries naturally pointed the magic wand at the left wall and said, "I¡¯ll ask again before we destroy the druid''s forest. Do you have any intention of being my disciple?"


    "I still don¡¯t."


    "I see."


    This time, I did sense a little bit of regret in his voice. I felt it during the discussion with Aries, but there was quite a lot I could learn from him. It was one matter to learn from a senior who¡¯d studied magic longer than I did, yet this was not enough to become his disciple. Above all, I was afraid of what Elder Mirpa would say after becoming someone else¡¯s disciple.


    "Let''s get started."


    Aries and I took turns counting and gathered mana.


    "Three."


    "Two."


    "One!"


    Right when the count ended, we began to interfere with and destroy the giant magic circle responsible for the ¡°Druid¡¯s Forest¡± that surrounded the entire castle.


    "It¡¯s too fast!"


    ¡°Increase the output!¡±


    ¡°Reduce the mana consumption!¡±


    "You''re the one who should use more mana!"


    We didn''t work together very well but still succeeded in destroying the magic circle. The mana fluctuated in real-time, and the distorted space felt like it was returning to its original state. I moved away from Aries and aimed my magic wand at him. In order to attack Aries, I was gathering mana, but then a wave of powerful mana flew towards us from afar.


    "Come over here!" At my cry, my group rushed to me without hesitation. The mana that was flying over was too vast to avoid.


    I sent Hillis behind my back and built a shield with the mana I gathered as I shouted, "Get ready for impact!"


    As I cried out, a massive ball of mana hit, and the lab disappeared. Half of the castle, which was apparently fine when my Crow Tribe ancestors ran wild, was completely crushed to dust.


    "Flight!" We landed safely on the ground by casting magic on the people who lost their footing.


    - Crrrrrrrrrr¡­!


    In the distance, a seemingly crazy woman was wearing an antique dress and holding a giant greatsword as she emitted black mana and growled. Percival saw her and groaned. "¡­Your Majesty the Holy Queen."


    It seems like that crazy woman is the last queen.

 Chapter 242: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (22)

    Even though we were quite far away, the magic of the last queen was so powerful and vast that my whole body became numb. It reminded me of the Turtle Carrying A Mountain I had faced a few months ago. No, this mana was more ferocious.


    "A monster like that was around, but the Holy Kingdom was still ruined? What kind of monstrous group was the Giant Tribe?" It was at that moment when I understood that the Giant Tribe was extinct. This level of power was enough to contend against my father.


    Percival and Tristan shook their heads with puzzled faces at my admiration.


    - No, Her Majesty was indeed strong, but she wasn¡¯t this formidable.


    - If Her Majesty had that much power, the war with the Giant Tribe probably wouldn¡¯t have dragged on for that long.


    The two men were nervous at the power of the last queen.


    "Your Majesty! Do you recognize us?" Even with Percival''s cry, the last queen only let out a low roar.


    Krrrrr...!


    "I don''t think she is in a state where she can hear you," I said. Percival gritted his teeth at my words and remained silent.


    At that time, Aries had landed a little ways off from where my group and I were, and he shook off the dirt with magic and said, "Looks like her sense of reason is gone."


    As expected, he was alive. For people at the level of Aries¡¯s subordinates, the wave of mana was not blockable, but considering that they were fine, Aries must have protected them.


    "What caused that, I wonder?¡±


    When I asked, Aries looked over the last queen with emotionless eyes. "Although a narrow-minded person like yourself may not know, it is hypothesized that there¡¯re spirits without physical bodies in the reverse world."


    This was a hypothesis I''ve heard many times somewhere. "The theory of the Demon King?" I asked.


    According to that theory, if an unknown existence from the reverse world occupied the body of the last queen, the current situation could be considered the worst. To think that the person who inherited all of the Holy Tribe¡¯s possessions was not just any magician, but the one who became the Demon King, how terrifying.


    Aries looked at me with astonishment. "How is it that you know of this?¡±


    The theory of the Demon King was apparently developed after Elder Mirpa and a few of her associates performed research together. Yet, how did Aries know of this?


    "I heard about it from my teacher. But how do you know about it?¡±


    "The theory was created after four people gathered to research it: the Magic Kingdom¡¯s Spatial Specialist, the elementalist of the Butterfly Tribe, the Crow Tribe¡¯s alchemist, and me. Who''s your teacher?"


    If Aries made the theory alongside three of the four great madosas, it was reasonable to think that he was the remaining great madosa, the Curse Specialist.


    I shrugged lightly at Aries''s question. "Do I have to answer that?"


    "Hmm, since you speak so rudely, perhaps you¡¯re a disciple of that Spatial Specialist. No, that son of a bitch wouldn''t take in someone like himself as a disciple."


    Let''s make note, the Spatial Specialist of the Magic Kingdom is a son of a bitch.


    "It would be hard to become a disciple of the vulgar lunatic alchemist as a foreigner of that tribe stuck in Olympus. Learning from that sucker elementalist who only cares about his children would be difficult as well. Are you a disciple of a disciple?"


    After meeting with those two people, I could tell that Aries''s ability to judge people was excellent.


    "It doesn''t matter whose disciple I am right now. It seems more important to deal with that white-faced lunatic."


    Aries nodded at my comments. "Certainly, that monster''s condition is more interesting. It''s worth researching.¡±


    I asked about how to run away or deal with it, but it truly seemed that only those who were out of their minds could become madosas.


    "What do you think? Can you get it back to normal?" I asked without any expectations. No matter how you looked at it, the last queen¡¯s state seemed like it¡¯d be hard to get back to normal.


    "Well, considering the Demon King, I think it''s likely impossible. More research is needed."


    "Is that so? Then, we''ll need to kill it.¡±


    Percival and Tristan looked at me in surprise at my words.


    "Master!"


    "Master, sir! That''s a little¡­."


    I looked at the two panicking and spoke coldly, "You said your mission is first, to stop the devil from coming, and second, to assist the queen. It¡¯s unfortunate, but that monster can no longer be considered the last queen.¡±


    I would guess that Merlin considered this situation and may have assigned stopping the Demon King from descending as the first mission. Then, the druid''s forest in the castle should have been acting as a seal to the last queen, not to prevent intruders.


    "Such..." Percival gritted his teeth.


    "That''s the Demon King. If it gets out of here, it¡¯ll be the second coming of the Demon King."


    I would have never thought that I might have to fight the Demon King in my life. I looked at Aries and made a proposal. "Hey, let''s cooperate."


    "I refuse."


    It was ridiculous that Aries refused immediately, so I asked, "Why?"


    "My purpose is the knowledge of the last queen, not that irrational monster."


    "You said you¡¯re going to research that thing!"


    "If you kill it, I can''t study it. And it''s more efficient to capture an angel-shaped gargoyle and research it than to experiment with that dangerous thing."


    I cried out in bewilderment as Aries spoke ever so naturally. "But if that gets released, it''ll cause a calamity!"


    "If it doesn''t get released, then that''s it. This place is within the barrier I personally set up and cannot be destroyed with that monster''s intelligence."


    "Uh... That¡¯s right?" The thought of simply running away popped up. Even Percival and Tristan were hesitant to fight, so was there a need to risk the danger? Honestly, no one would know if we ran away.


    "Wait! So you''re gonna run away?¡± Hillis asked as she listened to the conversation between Aries and me.


    Oh, it was Saintess Hillis. As a saintess, she could not run away with the Demon King in front of her. Percival and Tristan might curse at me, but all I had to do was put them in my pocket space and run away. Hillis, on the other hand, had to be persuaded.


    While considering the physical persuasion of knocking out Hillis, the last queen began to move as if it had fully charged up its mana.


    Krrrrrr...!


    I picked up Hillis and flew high into the sky as I asked, "You can fly, right?¡±


    Above the level of a  bishop, one would also learn flying magic. A saintess was not included amongst the religious ranks but was recognized as being just below the pope.


    "Huh? Yeah! I can fly.¡± Hillis flew through the air, infusing divine power into her clothes.


    "Hey! You''re really running away!?" Aries and his subordinates were indeed running away indifferently.


    "If you''re going to take care of it, do it well. I¡¯ll teach you about its particular weakness. There will be a medium for it to remain in the current world. You¡¯ll have to break that to deal with the monster. Do what you want." Aries left those words and took a gargoyle that was regenerating from powder before escaping the barrier.


    "I know that already!" I''ve studied so hard to create the reverse world, so how would I remain ignorant of even that much! I made a hand sign in the shape of a mountain at the spot where Aries disappeared.


    "Master! It¡¯s coming!"


    At Tristan''s cry, Hillis and I dodged the sword aura of the last queen. Tristan and Percival seemed to feel a sense of crisis at the last queen''s attack but were unable to take up arms willingly. Well, it made sense that they couldn¡¯t raise their weapons towards the person they used to serve.


    As I infused the Holy Sword with mana, I instructed, "Tristan, take Hillis and Percival and find the medium in the castle and destroy it!"


    "Okay, Master!"


    "Den, what about you?!" asked Hillis.


    I took off my cumbersome helmet and put it in my pocket space, and said, "I will be dealing with that woman. Hillis, smash any item that''s giving off suspicious mana."


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Hillis nodded, and I charged at the last queen, shouting at the hopeless-looking Percival, "Wake up, Percival! There¡¯s still a good chance the last queen hasn''t been completely taken over yet!"


    Kang!


    The Holy Sword and the last queen¡¯s greatsword collided, creating sparks.


    "Is that true?!" Percival looked at me with a sober face.


    "That¡¯s right! Merlin said he was going to save the queen! Do you think he wouldn¡¯t have taken any precautions?! Hurry and go destroy the medium!¡±


    "Okay!" Percival ran into the castle, which had been cut in half forcefully.


    I feel bad for Percival, but that was only a possibility. Still, it wasn''t entirely impossible either. Since Merlin was the one who perfectly placed the souls in the golems¡¯ core, it was likely that he implemented some safeguards. However, this left a question of whether the last queen¡¯s body could endure the process of extinguishing the unknown existence. Aries knew this, which was why he just gave up on the last queen and left.


    "Ootcha!" I swung the Holy Sword, dodging the blade of the last queen.


    Kang!


    "Incantation omission! Lightning that Races Across the Sky!" I launched a giant magic bullet towards the last queen at point-blank range, but the last queen deflected it with her greatsword. Then, she swung the greatsword at a speed almost invisible to the eye.


    "Emergency Escape!" I teleported behind the last queen and stabbed her back with the Holy Sword.


    Kang!


    However, I was blocked by the black mana surrounding her entire body.


    Krrrrrr...!


    The last queen turned around and swung her sword at me, and I ducked to dodge it.


    Kwagwagwang--!


    A massive sword aura shot out behind me and destroyed everything. In the gap created from swinging the greatsword, I stuck my magic wand at her chin and fired my magic. "Incantation omission! Dragon Breath!"


    The flames of the highest temperature directly hit the last queen''s head. I then put a strong aura on the Holy Sword and stabbed the last queen in the stomach, but she didn''t get a single scratch.


    "What a monster!"


    Kaoooo!


    The last queen released mana from her whole body, and I was swept away by the mana waves. As I flew, I barely managed to regain my balance, landed on the ground, and stuck my tongue out. "Wow! This feeling of hopelessness. It feels like I''m fighting against my father."


    This was the first time I had this feeling ever since a long time ago when I was thrown in front of a dragon at the age of 12. At the same time, it was pretty fun to feel the blood I inherited from my father boiling up inside. It¡¯s been a while, but I activated mana around my entire body and released my martial arts at full power.


    "Fusion Transformation Enlightenment! Firefly''s Bright Annihilation!¡±


    My whole body began to emit a subtle golden glow. I felt an indescribable force spreading from my heart throughout my whole body.


    "This is difficult, so let¡¯s have a short battle!"


    I teleported behind the last queen and kicked her head. Soon, my shining legs were surrounded by a strong golden aura, breaking the black barrier that surrounded the last queen and sending her far away. I teleported where the last queen was sent flying and swung the Holy Sword.


    Kang!


    The last queen instinctively put her greatsword out and stopped my sword. I raised my leg high and slammed down at the last queen¡¯s neck.


    Kwagwagwang-!


    The area collapsed around the last queen when I slammed down on her.


    "Lightning Races Across the Sky! Multiple shots!" I then continued to shoot Lightning Races Across the Sky towards the last queen, who was stuck in the ground.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Summon Chirps!" Then, I teleported far away and moved the chirps to form a magic circle.


    "Incantation omission! Beautiful and brave at the end of the legend! The Symphony of the Falling Star! Stardust of Falling Star!"


    The light of destruction fell from the sky towards the last queen.


    Kaoooo!


    The queen was embedded in the ground, but she raised her body and gathered an inhuman amount of mana on her greatsword in response to the white pillar. White and black mana mixed together to cause a large explosion.

 Chapter 243: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (23)

    The forest, engulfed by the giant explosion, turned into a plain, leaving charred black marks. The land had collapsed immediately. It was pushed and piled against the edge of the barrier, turning the area into a basin.


    I sent my thoughts to Tristan because the bisected ancient castle was among the things blown away by the explosion¡¯s impact.


    - Tristan, are you guys okay?


    Then, I heard Tristan''s startled thoughts come into my mind.


    - Ah, is it Master? We¡¯re okay over here. Moreover, what was that shaking just now? It was no joke.


    - Don''t worry. It''s just a slight tremor from me trying to exorcise that weird queen.


    - No, what kind of exorcism is that strong?! The Holy Queen is not dead, is she?


    Tristan asked carefully, concerned about the safety of the last queen.


    - She won¡¯t die as long as the medium exists, so don''t worry.


    In fact, you should worry about me instead of the last queen. The Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation was the result of combining the Dance of the Fireflies with magic. It had a minor reduction in power, but the rebound was significantly lowered. However, it did not completely remove the rebound. This spell didn¡¯t leave me as close to death as the Dance of the Fireflies would have, but after this fight, I had to be prepared for the aftermath.


    - What''s the situation over there?


    Tristan responded to my question in a dark voice.


    - We are currently engaged in a battle with the gargoyles. We¡¯re lucky that the lady brought by Master quickly found the medium¡¯s mana, but it will take a little longer because more and more gargoyles appear as we approach it.


    Tristan and Percival were fighting hard, and I could feel the mana being sucked away from the Miracle Crystal in my pocket space. I stroked the Holy Sword while examining the center of the explosion. Even if it had just been completely pulverized by the blast, the area would revive like the stone statues.


    - Keuu! Master, I''m glad you brought that lady here. She just wiped out 100 gargoyles by herself with a single shot of the Holy Light!


    At Tristan''s admiration, I warned with a wry smile.


    - Tell Hillis to save her mana as much as she can. If Hillis falters there, you guys won''t be able to handle it.


    Hillis''s mana management was so important that it could be said that the party¡¯s survival or total annihilation depends on her.


    - All right, how''s it going over there? I can hardly hear anything from outside.


    - It''s a lull now... No, we¡¯re starting again.


    Among the dust, I could start to see the last queen standing firmly with her clothes in tatters.


    - I¡¯m going back into battle, so I won¡¯t be able to contact you.


    Having said that, I unilaterally disconnected my thoughts from him. Then, I checked the remaining amount of mana I had.


    "Hmm, it''ll be a little close." I sighed and pulled out the Turtle Carrying a Mountain¡¯s mana stone from my pocket space.


    Thanks to the mana stone and the Miracle Crystal, my empty mana became almost full again. All right, this should be enough. I compacted and processed a mana stone the size of a child''s upper body.


    Kaduk! Kaduk! Kaduk!


    The volume of the great demon¡¯s mana stone became as small as a piece of candy, the noise of rocks grinding together sounding out.


    "Ehew, it''s a method I don''t want to use because it puts my body under pressure, but what can I do?¡± I sighed and held the small compressed mana stone in my mouth.


    I don''t know how many months I would have to suffer if I swallowed it, so I just bit down and held onto it so I could spit it out at any time. And then I slowly began to suck the mana out of the great demon¡¯s mana stone.


    "Fusion Enlightenment, Mad Banquet."


    I used the mana from the great demon¡¯s mana stone to fill up my mana reservoir and promptly began casting magic. For comparison, if mana were electricity, then the mana stone would be the generator and the magic wand the transformer. Mana recovery potions were a much safer method, but immediate mana recovery was not possible, so I picked the next best option.


    Krrrrr...!


    The last queen seemed exhausted from being beaten repeatedly as she cried out softly and supported herself by putting the greatsword into the ground.


    "Now, let''s start the second round." I put a lot of mana into the Holy Sword. Then, the Holy Sword produced a large blade.


    The last queen and I rushed at each other. When I slashed at the last queen''s throat, the last queen instinctively ducked and avoided it, unlike previously when she just ignored my attacks. The missed sword cut through the space behind the last queen.


    Krrrr!


    While ducking down, the last queen had the greatsword swipe broadly towards my torso. I teleported above the last queen and slashed with the Holy Sword. The last queen used the momentum from swinging the greatsword to avoid the Holy Sword, and at the same time, she cut upwards at me while I was still airborne.


    Kang!


    Is this also instinct? The swordsmanship that the last queen had acquired during her life seemed to appear instinctively.


    The mana contained in the two swords created sparks as they collided. Even though the mana power in the collision was similar, I couldn''t concentrate my power on the sword because I didn¡¯t have a foothold, so I was pushed back in the struggle.


    Being pushed away from the sword collision, I landed a small distance from the last queen, and I stomped my feet and rushed towards her. "Haap!"


    Just before reaching the last queen, my shadows split from my body, and four phantoms distracted her sight. As the main body, I penetrated the last queen¡¯s blind spot and stabbed the Holy Sword at the back, aiming for her heart.


    The last queen, distracted by my phantoms, swung the greatsword and cut my phantoms in one fell swipe. However, as soon as the blade of the Holy Sword penetrated her back, I was able to see signs of despair on the last queen¡¯s face, who had only shown instinctive reactions.


    "Die!"


    Kaoooo!!


    The last queen released a vast amount of mana from her whole body and blew me away. I clicked my tongue inwardly, brandished the Holy Sword, and sent a large stab to the last queen''s back.


    Kuaaahhhhhh!


    Blood spewed out from her back, and the last queen let out a painful scream. Yet, soon, the wound on her back healed.


    Strange. As far as I knew, the Demon King had no blood. And above all, I couldn''t see any glimmering black mana that was always there when the gargoyles were being restored. If the gargoyles regenerated by reversing time, the last queen¡¯s healing method instead resembled Hillis¡¯s divine power.


    "What? She wasn¡¯t completely taken over?"


    Damn, if I were serious, she might have really died. For some reason, the angel-shaped gargoyles just took the hits no matter how much they were attacked, but the last queen seemed to block persistently.


    "Hmm, so you can¡¯t do complete restoration?" I spoke with a fresh smile, and the last queen seemed to shudder. I must have been mistaken because an animal that moves instinctively without reason couldn¡¯t possibly understand me.


    "Enlightenment, Cut the Clouds."


    Kaang!


    The last queen raised her greatsword to block my surprise kick, but I stepped on the greatsword instead. "Enlightenment, add weight!"


    Then, I pressed down on the last queen. "Double gravity! Increase weight!"


    Ahhhhhhhhh!


    The last queen knelt on one knee under the sudden massive increase in weight.


    "Enlightenment, fall over!"


    When my blow went over the greatsword, the last queen let out a bewildered voice. The last queen swung the greatsword widely and threw me off. Landing on the ground with a somersault, I poured mana into the flying chirps to use magic.


    "Dube, Merik, Phecda! Three stars gather to block the front! Megrez, Alioth, Mizar! Six stars come together and embrace them! Alkaid! When the last star shines, the chain that connects the stars comes down and binds the darkness! Chain of Seven Stars!" Seven colors of light in the shape of chains poured out of the seven magic circles drawn in the sky, binding the last queen.


    "...and God''s punishment rings in the sky! The Spear of the Thunder God!"


    "¡­to reach the end is to be destroyed for the sake of reincarnation! Constellation of Flames!"


    "¡­and the dragon''s breath burns up fiercely like the morning sun! Dragon Breath!"


    The chirps moved quickly and created magic circles that filled the sky.


    Ahhhhhhhh!


    The last queen struggled to untie the chains that bound her, perhaps feeling the great magic that was about to befall her. However, as it was magic specifically made by Elder Mirpa to capture a great demon, it was ridiculously powerful. It even took my father ten minutes to break them, so there was no way a monster that couldn¡¯t properly become a demon king could undo these durable chains.


    I smiled and waved lightly. "Cheer up, don''t die."


    From the magic circles that filled the sky, the great magics that were fully realized without an incantation poured down toward the last queen.


    Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!


    The last queen screamed in pain, and the black mana was gradually cut away.


    Oh wow, mana is really being sucked out!


    If I had used this spell in my normal state, I would¡¯ve become a mummy from lack of mana. It was really advantageous that I had the great demon¡¯s mana stone. The Miracle Crystal, a relic of the Holy Tribe, contained so much mana that my body was not able to bear it even if strengthened with martial arts skills. The place where the great magic passed was sunken and blackened, and the last queen barely stood upright using the greatsword as a cane.


    I called back the chirps and aimed the Holy Sword at her.


    Krrrrr...!


    The queen cried low like a wounded animal.


    "Yes, come! You beast who couldn¡¯t become a demon king!"


    At my cry, the last queen rushed at me. Now, I was slowly getting close to my limit. I responded to the queen''s sword by infusing the Holy Sword with all the mana I had left.


    Kwang-!


    The Holy Sword and the last queen¡¯s greatsword collided, and a deafening boom rang out. The greatsword flew through the air, and the last queen collapsed slowly on her knees. The black mana surrounding the queen slowly faded, and her eyes became clear.


    "¡­Ca, Caron¡­? I''m... sor...ry.¡­¡± The last queen fell, muttering something incomprehensible.


    Considering that she came to her senses, it seemed the others succeeded in destroying the medium in the ancient castle.


    "Ahh! It''s over!"


    The tension went away, and at the same time, I lost my strength. The Fireflies¡¯ Bright Annihilation was released, and the golden mana that gently wrapped my whole body disappeared.


    "Ugh!"


    The aftereffects of the Fireflies¡¯ Bright Annihilation scattered the mana from my whole body. In this state, it was appropriate to say that I was a perfectly ordinary person who could not use simple magic or sword aura.


    Of course, it was temporary, and I would be restored in a week, so there was no need to worry. Considering that my Uncle Bloody used it for a very short time and almost lost his life, I almost felt sorry for the difference in the repercussions.


    "If it''s like this, it¡¯ll be even hard to beat the Pushover.¡± As I sighed and began to approach the last queen to help her, the sky suddenly began to shake.


    "What?! Why is the barrier about to collapse?"


    Few people could make a barrier made by a great madosa like Aries shake like this. Eventually, the sky collapsed, and a familiar voice was heard. "You unsociable Curse Specialist bastard! How dare you put up a barrier in my courtyard! Where are you?!"


    The main character behind the voice was the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe.


    "Breaking it down like a brute! That''s why people call you the Devil, you senile old man!"


    And I heard a voice that I haven''t heard in a while.


    "Teacher-nim¡­?"

 Chapter 244: A Forgotten Ancient Castle and a Sealed Queen (24)

    After returning from retrieving his men bound near the barrier¡¯s entrance, Malecia asked cautiously, "Is it okay to just leave like this?"


    Aries smiled faintly. "Even if there¡¯s a barrier, if you run wild like that, there¡¯s no way the Butterfly Tribe''s eccentric old man won¡¯t notice.¡±


    Aries''s disciples were slightly surprised. In their eyes, the barrier was so perfect that it was impossible to know what was going on inside.


    Yet, Aries looked interestingly at the barrier. "It¡¯s too bad. The last queen still seems to be fighting the unknown existence of the reverse world.¡±


    Aries turned his head away from the barrier, smacked his lips, and hurried back. If Arpen knew that the ancient castle appeared from the reverse world and was hidden from him, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be furious. This was a magical phenomenon that would only occur once!


    "If the last queen of the Holy Tribe is still alive, there will be another chance to gain the knowledge." However, if they did not leave this place, his subordinates and disciples would undoubtedly die. Rather than facing someone who held grudges for a long time like Arpen, it was better to avoid him.


    "I want some strawberry choux cream.¡± Aries looked at the stars in the night sky with longing eyes.


    * * *


    I''m doomed. I never thought Elder Mirpa would show up here.


    I instinctively tried to open my pocket space and take out my helmet, but my scattered mana did not comply with my will at all. Damn it, I knew it! I thought Aries gave up the last queen too easily, but he ran away because he knew those two were coming!


    "Light!" Arpen shot small beads of light high into the sky, and a tremendous amount of light poured down from the beads, making the surrounding area as bright as day.


    Arpen looked through the brightened surroundings, laughed merrily, and shouted, "Hahaha, you Curse Specialist! You must have had an uncharacteristically refreshing fight! Get out here! You think I can''t even find your mana? Get out here now!"


    He didn''t even look at me because I didn''t have any mana to detect. If I hid now, they probably wouldn¡¯t find me, but the battle between the last queen and me made the whole area a perfect flat land.


    "Hooh! You''re good at hiding your mana!"


    The only place to hide was the ancient castle, which was half destroyed and partially turned into rubble. With the current condition of my body, it would take me 30 minutes to run to the castle. This was due to the severe muscle pain and reduced physical strength from the recoil as my mana disappeared.


    "If you don''t come out, I''ll go to you first! You damn waste of space! I''ll kill you today!¡± Arpen gathered his mana and released magic everywhere.


    Elder Mirpa then struck Arpen in the back of the head with her magic wand. "Knock it off! If you can''t feel his mana at this point, then that unsociable guy probably already left a while ago!¡±


    Arpen got angry, caressing the back of his head. "Use your words. Why are you hitting me, you old granny! Keu! You think others don¡¯t know you¡¯re from the Crow Tribe?! It hurts like hell!"


    Elder Mirpa sighed when she saw Arpen crying as tears appeared in his eyes. "You damn old man! It''s been decades since that pet died, and you¡¯re still like this! This much resentment is a disease! You senile old man!"


    "Shut up! That pet was my oldest son''s birthday present for his eighth birthday! And you use it as an experimental animal and kill it? Do you know how disappointed Bendis was then!?¡±


    "You shut up! You old man! Your eldest son already has children! I''m going to *** it up! Don''t ****ing be such a ****! Act your age!"


    Wow, it''s been a long time since I''ve heard her swearing.


    Arpen had a blank face from all the cursing. "Wow, what''s that? That profanity... I''ve never heard those terms before, but it''s catchy."


    "I don''t know. My youngest student uses those curses, but they¡¯re catchy."


    While those two were chatting amicably, I carried the last queen on my back and fled to the outskirts of the barrier. I didn''t think they¡¯d notice because there was no mana left in my body. For magicians who typically detected life by sensing one¡¯s mana, they were often blind to moving creatures that lacked magic.


    "There!" Arpen blocked my path by shooting a long ice spear near me.


    I¡¯m caught! Although I didn¡¯t have any mana, it seems they still reacted to the last queen''s mana.


    "Huh? Is this Oryana¡¯s aura? No, it¡¯s different. Purer than that?"


    "Purer than Oryana?" At Arpen''s assessment, Elder Mirpa looked towards me purely out of curiosity.


    "Denburg?"


    Damn, I¡¯ve been discovered! We found it- the most untimely moment to get caught! It was when my mana was completely scattered, and I couldn''t use any magic.


    Elder Mirpa and Arpen flew towards me as Arpen said, "Haha, look at this. It''s been a while, kid.¡±


    I greeted Arpen with an awkward smile. "Long time no see, sir."


    Elder Mirpa looked down at me as if saying, ¡°look at this brat.¡± Then, she asked, "Do you even care about your teacher, who you haven''t seen in a while?"


    "Ahaha, how could I not? Have you been well? This student greets Teacher-nim. As Teacher-nim has said, I have been devoted to working hard to improve my foundation and not being lazy...¡±


    Elder Mirpa snorted as she cut off my long-winded greeting. "You must be in a lot of trouble now, seeing that you¡¯re talking so much.¡±


    I laughed, speaking truthfully, "Hahaha, was it obvious?"


    Elder Mirpa nodded as if saying it was clear. "Yes, I can hear you thinking all the way over here. How many years do you think I''ve watched you grow?"


    "Iya, jeez. Meeting Teacher-nim here is way beyond my expectations."


    "I¡¯m sure it''s not only meeting me here that was unexpected but also meeting me in that state."


    That was correct.


    "I don''t feel any mana from you at all. What magic gave you this aftereffect?¡± Elder Mirpa looked at me with purely academic interest.


    "Hmm, in this state, you have as much mana as a corpse.¡± Arpen also helped and examined my body interestingly. I felt uncomfortable because I felt like an experimental animal.


    "It''s nothing really. Just the aftereffects of a combination of martial arts and magic...¡±


    "Magic mixed with martial arts?!¡±


    Elder Mirpa''s eyes glistened with madness. I thought I would get captured if this kept up, so I beat her to it. "Do you want to know about it?¡±


    "Of course! If you use this combination well, you''ll be able to alleviate the life-threatening aspects from skills like the Dance of Fireflies!"


    Elder Mirpa grabbed me by the shoulder in excitement and shook me. It wasn''t like I couldn''t understand her excitement. The successful combination of magic and martial arts skills could not only change the village¡¯s view of magic but also allow the village to have future leaps in power.


    Elder Mirpa, although excited, calmly spoke with her eyes sparkling with madness. "Of course, it''s not free, is it?"


    "Haha, as expected, Teacher-nim knows me very well.¡±


    At my affirmation, Elder Mirpa took her hands off my shoulders. "All right, I have a lot of questions, but let''s hear your terms first.¡±


    I was nervous inside and offered the most important conditions. "First of all, please guarantee my freedom as of now. Of course, I won¡¯t ask you to stop my father''s activities or anything impossible like that."


    If my father made up his mind to fight, it was apparent that even Elder Mirpa would not be able to endure for very long.


    "Well, that''s fine. I don''t like that you ran away from home, but I''m in favor of you expanding your horizons outside."


    Unexpectedly, Elder Mirpa nodded readily. Elder Mirpa grinned as I gave her a look that showed this was unanticipated. "What¡¯s wrong? For a magician, experience is as important as theory, especially if the magician in question is a brat like you who only has a high level and biased knowledge."


    "Yes, I have also been thinking that lately." Certainly, I felt that my views were narrow after my discussion with Aries.


    As I was about to start full-fledged negotiations, I saw a group of people riding towards me on green deer from far away. I gave them the authority to open and close a part of my pocket space, and they were using it freely.


    "Den! Are you all right?!¡±


    "Don''t die, Master! I am here!"


    Tristan and Percival were running hurriedly because they got worried when the mana connected to me was completely cut off. For cases like this, I made the power for those two independent of my mana, so they had no problems moving.


    "Get away from Master!" Percival swung his spear like an angry bull, and Elder Mirpa and Arpen sealed off Percival¡¯s movements with a magic chain. The magic chain was pulled tight by Percival''s great strength, and several chains were broken.


    "Oho, he¡¯s strong.¡±


    "Dragon soldier? No, is it a dragon tooth soldier? Did you make those, my disciple?"


    The other three stopped at Elder Mirpa''s words.


    "Disciple?"


    I sighed and nodded my head. It would be quite a long story to explain to all of them.


    * * *


    I sighed after talking to Elder Mirpa separately for a long time. Although I succeeded in obtaining my basic right to freedom through negotiation, to gain this, I had to promise to hand over a considerable amount of research materials.


    "Oho, you''ve worked pretty hard. With this much, it''s going to be fun doing research for quite a while.¡± Elder Mirpa smiled pleasantly, but it was not comfortable for me to have to hand over my research results.


    Still, my magic materials were not taken away, and it was not a loss because I got Elder Mirpa¡¯s latest research paper. Since her level of alchemy was so high, the quality and quantity of the research were quite excessive.


    "So, how are you going to send the research materials? You probably can''t even open your pocket space as it is.¡±


    "I''ll do it the way I always send my letters."


    "You mean those letters full of lies? Well, if you leave it at the Asteria Market, it''ll be convenient for me since I can go get it anytime I want.¡±


    I climbed on a deer and sat behind Hillis as I requested, "Please keep your promise. Assure my freedom!"


    "You keep your promise. Just try not sending me the research papers and materials! I''ll wipe out the capital!"


    Elder Mirpa''s threat was not just a mere threat. It was really scary. She was a person who would really try to wipe out the city if I got on her bad side.


    I kicked the deer in the ribs and ordered it to run forward while Percival took the last queen and followed behind. Tristan hid his presence and disappeared into the forest, saying he was going on reconnaissance. It was nearly dawn as the black sky gradually turned navy blue, and we headed to the knight school¡¯s base camp.


    It wasn¡¯t until the evening of the fourth day of training that the academy was barely able to complete its schedule and return to Asterium. On the way back, Hillis asked me many questions, and I told her what I could tell in moderation.


    The last queen was unconscious even after my body fully recovered.

 Chapter 245: In the Meantime, During Official Duty, It Became This Jerk’s Birthday ~ (1)

    After returning from the Alps, I was assigned tasks with simple paperwork or going to the duchy, because they said I went through a lot.


    Percival registered as an adventurer at Asmona''s recommendation while Tristan followed suit saying that it seemed like it¡¯d be fun.


    Due to the recent incident, Hillis found out that Percival and Tristan were people from 500 years ago, and pestered them to tell her about the Holy Kingdom, which was deeply related to the temple. I allowed her to be informed on condition of secrecy. She listened to Percival and Tristan as if she were studying theology.


    It seemed that she thought I was a descendant of the Holy Kingdom because I went there to protect the last queen, but I didn''t feel the need to correct the misunderstanding. To be honest, it was annoying.


    "Come to think of it, Den''s birthday is at the end of May, right?"


    Having worked as a team member and temporary adventurer, after completing practical training in the Alps, Lisbon and his team were working temporarily as adventurers and inquired while looking at the request board.


    "Yes, well."


    I put a copy of the request on the request board with a casual affirmation. Alphonso tilted his head at my lukewarm response.


    "Den, you don''t enjoy your birthdays?¡±


    "It''s just the day I was born. Do I have to have fun?"


    Alphonso looked like he had a culture shock. "What?! Birthday is a day when everyone celebrates!"


    I grinned at his exaggerated response. "We don''t celebrate birthdays very much at home. The only difference might be that there''s a special side dish served with dinner that evening?"


    Because I had four siblings, I felt like birthdays came so often that I didn''t feel that much about it. And even if it was my birthday, it was not far from my mother¡¯s death anniversary. Perhaps because of that, birthdays didn¡¯t inspire a happy image.


    I don''t know about my siblings, but my father was always sad, even though he didn''t show it.


    ¡°Then what about a birthday cake or a party?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have it.¡±


    Actually, instead of a birthday cake, they put candles on dragon meat and sang happy birthday songs. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean memories of my birthdays were necessarily happy either. Being thrown in front of a dragon on my 12th birthday gave me half a trauma, so I had to be wary of being thrown to a dragon on the future birthdays. Dragons weren''t scary outside my hometown, but it was difficult to deal with them in Olympus Forest.


    Come to think of it, it''s been almost a year since I left my hometown. It wasn''t such a long time, but it seemed like quite a lot had happened.


    "Is there anything you want for your birthday?" Lisbon asked confidently as if he had collected quite a few payments from requests.


    "Hmm, a gift..."


    There wasn¡¯t anything in particular I wanted. If there was, it would be rare magic materials that I couldn''t get, but Lisbon wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire those.


    "Come to think of it, my supplied pen nib is worn out and it''s time to buy a new one."


    I alluded to what Lisbon could buy without strain. It would be troublesome if I said there was nothing and stirred up his pushoverness. If it was a cheap pen nib, it would be just right for him to buy with his allowance.


    "About my birthday, it''s a month away, but why are you asking me so early? Or are you telling me that it''s your birthday right after mine, and so I should prepare a present?¡± I asked jokingly.


    Pushover shook his head in embarrassment. "No! I didn''t mean that!"


    "I know, I was just kidding."


    I was going to give Pushover a decent protective gear for his birthday. He was not an official knight yet, so a sword was out, and his skills were not yet significant, so it was better to get him protective gear to avoid injuries.


    "Oh, I forgot, but Guild Director-nim seemed to have a pretty good impression of you. He said he wanted to teach you some time, so when you get back to the capital, let me know when you have time."


    Guild Director Glont was kind of a pervert, but his skills were good. It would be much more helpful to learn swordsmanship from him than me, who used an abnormal swordsmanship that changed from time to time.


    "By Guild Director-nim, you mean General Asilante?!" Lisbon cried.


    The people in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild looked over at us in unison.


    "Is it such a surprise?"


    "Of course! An undefeated general! The hero of the country! The best knight! If I were to describe General Asilante, I could say dozens more!"


    I shook my head looking at the excited Lisbon. "But in the end, he¡¯s a pervert."


    "Ohohoho, I''m sorry I''m a pervert."


    I was surprised to see Guild Director Glont suddenly appearing from behind. The lack of the ability to sense presences after losing mana was discomfiting.


    "No, you don''t have to apologize for being a pervert. It''s not like anyone is being inconvenienced just because you are a pervert."


    Of course, it was nothing short of terrorism in terms of aesthetics.


    Guild Director Glont laughed cheerfully at my slick remarks. ¡°Ohohoho! Aren''t you supposed to apologize for saying pervert normally?¡±


    "Eyy, but I didn''t say anything wrong.¡±


    He was not the type to get upset at my words, and I just said it as it is, so there was no need to apologize.


    When I shrugged lightly, Guild Director Glont laughed out loud.


    "Puhahaha! That''s true but no one says it so bluntly.¡± He coolly patted me on the shoulder, acknowledging that he was a pervert.


    "What do you mean no one, even His Highness Duke Asteria says Guild Director-nim is a pervert all the time.¡±


    Glont responded to me with a smile. "Ohohoho! That damn old man, khmm! His Highness the Duke says that? Please tell His Highness the next time you go to him on an errand that when he asks politely for help, I may stop helping him."


    "Yes, Sir." I nodded gladly. The delivery of these messages was one of my duties.


    "So, as you¡¯ve heard from Den, would you like to learn from me once? Of course it''s after returning to the capital. I don''t think it''s a bad offer for you either," Guild Director Glont asked Lisbon with a smile.


    "I... I would be honored!" Lisbon was so panickstricken and stiff that he couldn''t even raise his head.


    "Ohohoho, then I''ll take it as a yes. So what''s left is Den''s birthday present? You were just talking about his birthday present, right?¡±


    "Uh, you don''t have to worry about it," I said.


    Guild Director Glont shook his head. "Oh my oh my, did you perhaps think I wouldn¡¯t even celebrate my immediate subordinate''s birthday? I¡¯m not giving you any particularly special treatment, so don''t feel too burdened and let me know if you want anything."


    "I don''t really want anything¡­ Ah!"


    When I suddenly exclaimed as if something had come to mind, Guild Director Glont looked at me.


    "Did you think of anything you wanted?¡±


    "I''d like you to make me a snack. The Mont Blanc that you made last time was delicious.¡±


    To be honest, it was too tasty to sell.


    Guild Director Glont burst into laughter. "That''s a matter of course. Well, that''s good. You won¡¯t be able to think of something since I asked abruptly, so let me know if you want anything later.¡±


    After saying that, he went up to the branch director''s office. I shrugged as I saw him disappear from view.


    My birthday is still far away. Why is everyone already concerned over it?


    Just eating my favorite food was enough, but I felt like they were making a big deal out of it.


    After finishing posting the request forms on the request board, I told Lisbon and Alphonso that I was heading back and went back to the office.


    The peaceful daily life flowed quickly but also slowly.


    -o-


    It has been about three weeks since the last queen was brought from the ancient castle, which emerged from the reverse world.


    My mana had fully recovered and in the meantime, I gathered research journals and papers on the use of magic and martial arts together. Then they were magically packed into sealed boxes and sent to the Warrant branch¡¯s Asterium Market. Now, there won¡¯t be a case of Elder Mripa crashing down upon the capital. Probably.


    Right now, I came to the nearby inn that we put the last queen in, and I sighed as I watched her.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong, Master?"


    Percival looked at me with anxious eyes. He was worried that there might be something wrong with the last queen.


    "If there¡¯s something wrong, something¡¯s wrong. If it''s good, it''s good.¡±


    "What are you saying, Master? You can''t explain like that to an ignorant man like Captain. He won¡¯t understand.¡±


    Percival slapped Tristan in the back of the head. "If you keep teasing me, I¡¯ll hit you."


    "Wow, look, Master! Captain says he¡¯s gonna hit me after he hits me.¡±


    "This punk! I was saying I¡¯m going to hit you! You brute!"


    I laughed lightly as I saw the two men running around the small inn room and messing around.


    "I have both good and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" I asked.


    Percival, who was doing an arm bar with Tristan''s arm, paused and said, "Good¡­ Good news first please, Master."


    I readily nodded. "Okay, the good news is that the last queen doesn''t have a speck of other energy in her body. When she wakes up, she will be the last queen herself."


    Tristan, who was in Pericval¡¯s arm bar, sighed with relief at my affirmation. "I''m glad, but why is she still not waking up yet?¡±


    "That''s the bad news. She can''t wake up because of the severe physical damage.¡±


    At my diagnosis, Tristan, in the armbar, seriously asked, ¡°How long will she be asleep?¡±


    I just shrugged. "I don''t know exactly either. She will probably wake up in a month.¡±


    "Phew, is that so?" Percival breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It''s too early for a sigh of relief."


    Percival put on a serious face again. "Is it serious?"


    "Yeah, her life expectancy has been greatly reduced. I think she received some pretty serious damage before she was sealed.¡±


    "I can''t believe it." Percival was swept down on his forehead, downhearted.


    "Merlin used his brain and used the unknown existence of the reverse world to disperse the damage to the unknown existence.¡±


    In actuality, this would have been a risk for Merlin as well. According to his research journal, it seems that he was studying the existence of the Demon King and discovered the unknown existence of the reverse world. He was successful in dispersing damage using the unknown existence, but failed to fully heal her using the unknown existence.


    It was fortunate that the latter failed. Had it succeeded, it would have been a disaster as it would become a monster on a different level from the Demon King who descended 120 years ago.


    "Then... How long can she live?¡± Percival queried.


    I spoke calmly, "I don''t know exactly, but I think she will only live 60 years if short, 80 if long."


    Percival looked at the last queen with a twisted expression. "I see, 60 years if short¡­ Huh?"


    Percival and Tristan looked at me with resentment.


    "I thought it was serious!"


    ¡°That¡¯s long! Master is so mean!¡±


    I was mortified by the sudden criticism of the two. "It is serious! A person with the mana to live at least 200 years will only be able to live for 60 years now! It''s not half the life span, it''s a third!"


    She was a monster that emitted mana powerful enough to be on par with my self proclaimed world''s strongest father. Even considering that she was strengthened by the mana of the unknown existence, she was one of the world¡¯s most powerful people. The diagnosis that such a powerful person had her life span reduced to about 60 years was tantamount to a time limit for ordinary people.


    Two people looked blankly at my cry.


    "Oh... is that so?"


    "If you say it like that, then it seems so."


    Percival and Tristan looked at each other, unable to really grasp the concept.

 Chapter 246: In the Meantime, During Official Duty, It Became This Jerk’s Birthday ~ (2)

    It''s been about over two weeks since I last checked on the last queen¡¯s condition. It has been well over a month since I came to Asterium for a business trip, and was now past mid-May. The Knights School, including Lisbon and Alphonso, had already returned to the capital a few days ago. Although the business trip was longer than previously expected, the others and I at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters prepared to return to the capital today.


    "You look happy to go back."


    I looked at and asked Flam who was packing.


    Flam scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hahaha, I''m worried about Arwen."


    "Arwen, your sister?"


    Flam had a sister who couldn''t speak. I remember that fortunately, she was a cute little girl who didn''t look old or gruffy, like Flam.


    He nodded at my question. "Yes, she gets lonely quite easily, so I don''t know if she''s doing well because I¡¯m not around to take care of her.¡±


    "But I thought you have a teacher."


    If there was a teacher who had taken care of Flam and his sister Arwen, he would not have to worry so much, but he must be a good for nothing.


    Flam smiled bitterly at my words. "Haha, Teacher-nim is someone who always busily moves around."


    ¡°Then is your sister all alone?¡±


    Flam, who was done packing, shook his head. "No, there are people to take care of Arwen so I am not too worried, but she doesn''t give much affection to others."


    The last time we went to see a play together, it did seem that my friends and I made her felt uncomfortable.


    "Your sister must miss you a lot because of the long business trip.¡±


    "Hahaha, I don''t know about that. She always calls me a fool and gets angry."


    I smiled lightly as Flam shrugged.


    "Well, that''s what siblings are like. Even if siblings fight, they get along later as if they had never fought.¡±


    I always teased my older brothers and my small sister for being stupid, too. Well, they were actually stupid.


    "Ahahaha! Is that so? Well, Den, you did say you had lots of siblings, so I guess you understand."


    Flam and I grabbed our luggage and headed to the Asterium train station with the people of the headquarters.


    -o-


    Unlike when we came on the business trip to Asterium, for the train returning to the capital, we were able to take first-class cars due to Duke Asteria¡¯s consideration.


    The duke came to the train station to see off Guild Director Glont and also told me that I did a good job and gave me a precious looking watch as a gift. Since it¡¯s my birthday soon, the duke said it was my birthday gift in advance, but I don''t know why he would give me a birthday gift.


    But since I got it, let''s cast magic so that I can use it well for a long time.


    "Ootcha! We''ve arrived at the headquarters!" Demuir stretched and shouted as he entered the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters.


    Fiona clapped and drew attention from the people at the headquarters. "Now, let''s put the weapons in the armory and get off work right away. Let''s do our best at filing the paperwork starting tomorrow!"


    Demuir whistled and cheered. "Whew~! Awesome!"


    "Wah! I''m off work!"


    Fiona laughed as she saw me and Demuir hurraying.


    ¡°You all worked hard.¡±


    ¡°You all worked hard.¡±


    "Well done, everyone!"


    The people at the headquarters said good work to each other and immediately left after putting pistols and swords in the armory.


    "Den, are you going straight to the boarding house?"


    "Me?"


    I shook my head at Flam''s question.


    "No, I have somewhere I need to stop by."


    I was planning on stopping by the workshop to check the security magic again and look at the last queen who I sent to the workshop through Percival and Tristan.


    "Oh, is that so? I was going to ask you to help me choose a present for Arwen, but I can''t help it if you''re busy. Have a safe trip home." Flam turned away with disappointment.


    I followed after him and said, "It''s not exactly a busy matter, so would you like some help?"


    It didn''t matter since it wasn¡¯t like the workshop would disappear just because I came a little late. And since Percival and Tristan were by the last queen¡¯s side, I didn¡¯t have to worry about her personal safety.


    "Oh, really? Haha, thank you for this," Flam said.


    I shrugged lightly. "But don''t people usually buy gifts locally?¡±


    "Ahahaha, I forgot. We were pretty busy at Asterium."


    Certainly, I was comfortable because I volunteered to go to the Alps and was left out of most of the hard work. But others were quite busy managing adventurers.


    "That''s true. Then do you want me to give you some of the specialties I bought?"


    "Oh! Is that ok? Aren¡¯t those gifts to share with your colleagues?" Flam felt sorry.


    I smiled, saying that it was fine. "It''s okay. I bought a lot. And not only me, Lisbon and Alphonso also bought some, so many of them will overlap."


    "Is that right? Then, it¡¯s shameless of me, but I will take some."


    Pretending to put my hand in the bag, I reached into my pocket space and handed over the hairpin and ribbon that I was going to give to Alice and Yuria.


    "Oh, I''ll give you this, too." Additionally, I took out the choux cream from my pocket space.


    "Isn¡¯t this the choux cream from the famous choux cream store? It''s as fresh as you''ve just bought it, when did you buy it?"


    "Haha, I bought it before I got on the train."


    Actually, it''s been a while since I bought it. But it was fresh because it was put in the pocket space. In the pocket space, it was difficult for microorganisms to grow, making it perfect for preserving food.


    "The wait to buy this must have been long. Thank you."


    There were still a lot of choux creams in my pocket space.


    "I feel bad just receiving them. Ah! Would you like to go home and have a cup of tea?"


    "No, it''s okay...¡±


    "If I don''t at least treat you to some tea, I would be ashamed of myself."


    I tried to refuse but was forced to nod my head at Flam''s despondent gaze.


    "Then I''ll have just one cup and go."


    He led me with a bright smile.


    When Flam lived in the training center dormitory, I often went over to hang out at the dormitory, but it was my first time visiting his house since we were given our appointments.


    "Come on in."


    He opened the gate and went inside. The place was a small private house with a small garden.


    "You¡¯ve kept the garden well.¡±


    "Oh, the one who looks after Arwen said it was good for her emotions and created it." He opened the front door and shouted, "I¡¯m home!"


    A little girl flew out from upstairs at his shout.


    "Aigoo, dangerous. Ugh!"


    Flam tried to catch Arwen who jumped from the second floor, but was struck in the chest by her double side kick and collapsed to the floor.


    "Wow!"


    It was a perfect hectopascal kick. I don''t know who her master was, but she was taught properly.


    Arwen, who landed safely on the floor, hit Flam on the head.


    - Who?


    Arwen, who kept hitting Flam, found me, cast magic on her finger, and wrote in the air.


    "We''ve met once before. Don''t you remember?"


    Arwen thought for a while about my question, nodded, then wrote in the air.


    - Stupid¡¯s friend?


    "Hahaha, that''s right. The friend of Stupid lying on his stomach there."


    "Uuuuh, it hurts so much. You''ve improved while I¡¯ve been gone. You must have worked hard."


    Arwen nodded proudly as she watched Flam get up holding onto his chest.


    - Because I''m smart, unlike Stupid.


    "Hahaha, is that so? Oh, you''ve seen him before, remember?"


    - I know. He''s Stupid¡¯s friend. Why''d you brought him?


    Arwen glanced at me as if she was dissatisfied with my coming.


    "Den bought some famous choux cream...¡±


    - Welcome! Shall we get some tea ready?


    Arwen swallowed and looked at the box of choux cream in my hand before Flam was even finished.


    At her sudden change of pace, he smiled and asked. "By the way, are you alone?"


    - Ahjumma left saying she has work to do.


    "What ahjumma, if she heard it, she would probably swing a knife at you."


    - I know. I''m not stupid.


    I don''t know who the hell was taking care of her that she would wield a knife at being called an ahjumma.


    Arwen took tea leaves out of the kitchen and Flam led us to a table in the living room.


    "She''s a lot livelier than before."


    "Haha, I know. It''s probably because of the choux cream. The person who takes care of her manages her diet too strictly."


    So there was a reason why she looked happy when she saw the choux cream.


    "Teacher-nim brings some snacks when he comes over, but it seems it¡¯s not enough."


    Flam put the choux cream on a plate and Arwen put the tea leaves in the kettle.


    "But seeing her write in the air, she must know how to use magic."


    "Ahh, she¡¯s learning magic from the caregiver. It¡¯s too difficult for me to learn, but Arwen seems to have a talent for it."


    Arwen nodded, looking a little prideful.


    - Because I''m a genius!


    "Doesn¡¯t Teacher-nim always tell you to be humble?" Flam warned.


    An upset Arwen kicked Flam''s leg.


    I smiled slightly at the scene.


    "There''s a saying- know thyself. Looking at her use mana, it''s clear that she has talent."


    It seemed like she was unable to hide her mana that well, but the mana I felt from her seemed to be close to the level of a great magician. Of course, I would have to see the magic being used properly, but she didn¡¯t seem to be lacking to be called a genius.


    It was like watching my childhood. It was a good time to throw her before a demon.


    "Is that so?" Flam, who didn''t know much about magic, tilted his head.


    "Oh, we don''t have enough teacups. I''ll bring some."


    Flam saw that there were only two teacups on the table and headed to the kitchen, and Arwen looked at me as if she wondered who I was to assess her.


    She wrote her innermost thoughts in the air while Flam was away.


    - Just a mere civil servant.


    "Hahahaha, you kid."


    This child didn''t seem to have a pair of quite discerning eyes. I liked the cheeky look quite a bit. If I taught her properly, she could probably become a madosa before she turns 20.


    - I''m not a kid.


    "No, you are a kid. You haven''t even built a pocket space yet, have you?"


    If she had created a pocket space, there should be a subtle feeling of distortion of space.


    She frowned as if I had hit the nail on the head.


    "You have to at least make a pocket space if you don¡¯t want to be called a kid."


    She was choked up and scribbled roughly in the air.


    - Can you make one?


    "If I can?"


    - You''re lying.


    What to do, I like her talent.


    I understood a little of the feeling that Elder Mirpa had when he couldn''t teach me. I don''t know who she¡¯s learning from, but my hands felt itchy when I thought her talent might get wasted.


    I pulled out a magic wand from my pocket space and smiled.


    "I''ll show you a new world, kid."

 Chapter 247: In the Meantime, During Official Duty, It Became This Jerk’s Birthday ~ (3)

    When I took out the magic wand, Arwen was wary and took out a short magic wand from her breast pocket.


    "You don''t have to be vigilant. It¡¯s useless with your skills."


    I grinned and flicked the floor slightly with my magic wand. Then I teleported me and Arwen, still seated in chairs, to somewhere in the meadows.


    Arwen, who was suddenly teleported out of the house, looked around in bewilderment.


    "Is this your first time teleporting? Well, spatial magic is very difficult. But it''s too early to be surprised."


    I hit the ground with my magic wand again, the ground froze and ice pillars rose high everywhere. The surroundings froze too, creating a transparent ice castle.


    It was made in a hurry, so the durability was poor, but Arwen was mesmerized by the sight of the ice castle shining in the sun. As expected for a child, something flashy on the exterior seemed to work better than a complex mana structure.


    I got up looking at Arwen whose eyes were twinkling like a child.


    Now, shall I get started with showing off my skills...


    "Break down."


    I brandished my magic wand, and the ice castle began to crack and broke down into tiny pieces of ice. The plummeting ice debris was reflected in the sun, seeming like a diamond.


    "Reverse gravity."


    I spread the reverse gravity field around and the falling ice debris went up into the sky against gravity.


    "Pulverize!"


    The ice debris that climbed high in the sky turned into powder and scattered like snow.


    Arwen touched the slowly falling fragments of ice and was as amazed as a child.


    I approached her and asked, "What do you think? Don''t you want to try doing something like this?"


    Arwen nodded eagerly. If I were her, I would have been suspicious at first, but she was very na?ve.


    "If you learn from me, you can do it. Do you want to learn?"


    Arwen hesitated.


    "Oh, come to think of it, you can''t go out without a guardian, right? Have you seen cherry blossoms this year?¡±


    Arwen shook her head.


    "Darn, the cherry blossoms are all gone by now. Then shall we make them bloom again?¡±


    - Is that possible? Even though there are no cherry blossom trees around here?


    Arwen looked up at me with eyes full of anticipation.


    "If there are none, then we can just make some."


    I took cherry blossom tree seeds out of my pocket space and threw them around, then sprayed a magic reagent made through alchemy on it.


    "The breath of life is benevolent, so consume it. Grow."


    With my incantation, the seeds quickly consumed the magic reagent, rooted themselves in the ground, and grew. As they grew rapidly, they quickly consumed moisture from the surrounding land.


    "It''s the source of life, distribute it."


    I melted the fallen ice shards and sprayed them on the trees. The trees were full of water and quickly formed pink flowers and bloomed beautiful cherry blossoms.


    Arwen smiled and clapped, happy to see petals fluttering in the wind.


    "How is it? Don''t you want to try?"


    Arwen wrote in the air with a flushed face.


    - I want to try!


    "If you learn from me, you can do it too.¡±


    - Really?


    "Of course. All I''ve shown you is the basics.¡±


    Looking at the sparkling eyes, I felt guilty because I felt like some bad adult who seduced children with candy, but I was not lying.


    - Then I''ll learn!


    "You have to be polite. And also call me Master."


    - I want to learn, Master!


    Persuading Arwen was easier than I thought. At first, I was going to persuade her by showing magic only madosas could do or some other high-level magic. However, she didn¡¯t seem to have the ability to recognize them, so I only showed things flashy to the eyes, which seemed to be more effective.


    "Then as the first instruction as your master, don''t tell anyone anything about me. And also don¡¯t tell Flam."


    Arwen seemed hesitant but nodded.


    Is this what it feels like to teach a newbie? It makes me feel prouder than I thought.


    I teleported us to where we were originally. Arwen looked around curiously as the surrounding area turned into the familiar landscape of her home again.


    Flam, who happened to bring the teacups from the kitchen, smiled and said, "I''m sorry for taking so long. I don''t usually go into the kitchen, so I couldn¡¯t find the cups." He put the teacups down on the table, looked back and forth between me and Arwen, and asked, "Did something happen? Why are you standing?"


    "No, nothing happened, right?"


    Arwen nodded at my question.


    "Is that so? But Arwen being friendly to someone she has hardly seen is rare."


    I grinned at his surprise.


    "We decided to be friends.¡±


    I poured some tea into the cups and placed them in front of Arwen and Flam.


    -o-


    Since I took Arwen as my disciple, after drinking the tea, I decided to check her skills. If my eyes didn¡¯t deceive me, it was clear that she was talented. However, there was too little magic that she knew.


    Even so, the thought of the ahjumma who taught Arwen magic bothered me. According to the explanations written in the magic book that was given to Arwen as a teaching aid, she was not a madosa, but a great magician at the most. In particular, considering that the magic provided was simple and practical so that it could be used while moving, I thought she might be a battle magician or a magic swordsman.


    "Master, what are you looking intently at?¡±


    I shrugged at Tristan, who he was training lightly beside me.


    "I discovered a talented little kid before I came to the workshop, and I made her a disciple. I''m looking at the textbook she¡¯s been using, and it seems she was being taught battle magic for self-defense rather than the basics."


    With Arwen''s talent, it may not be a big problem, but there was a risk of hitting an obstacle when she tries to cross the Wall of Mado later. This was why I thought it would be better to teach her again from the basics. Come to think of it, Arwen''s mana pattern seemed similar to Hillis¡¯s. It would be fun to teach divine magic with the latter¡¯s help.


    Percival grumbled a little discontentedly at what I said. "More than that, I would like for you to look at Her Majesty the Holy Queen, Master."


    I closed the magic book and approached the last queen lying in the middle of the workshop. Around her was a magic circle that maximized natural healing.


    "Okay, now it¡¯d be better to gradually wake her up even if forcefully, so back away.¡±


    I beckoned Percival to step aside. Then I took out a magic wand and the Miracle Crystal from my pocket space.


    "Now, it''s time to wake up, Sleepyhead!"


    I opened a gap between the seals sealing the Miracle Crystal and poured the mana onto the last queen. Then the last queen, who was lying as if she were dead, flinched.


    ¡°U...uuuk!"


    As the last queen slowly opened her eyes, I closed the gap in the seal again and put it back into the pocket space. Hovering my magic wand at the edge of the magic circle, I spoke in the ancient language.


    "Don''t move. I''m in the middle of healing now."


    She was trying to force herself up but returned to lay helplessly and asked, "Caron? Where is this? I''m... Keuk!" She held her head as if she had a headache.


    I walked up to the queen and cast healing magic. "And who''s Caron?"


    Tristan answered my question with a wry smile. "That''s the name of Master¡¯s ancestor before he was named Modred. How can the descendants not know?¡±


    "Hey, do you even remember the names of your ancestors from 500 years ago? There are so many of my ancestors named Caron."


    My grandfather''s name is Caron, and my 8th generation grandfather''s name was Caron.


    "But it''s strange. His name was Caron but he left the village?¡±


    In fact, in my family, Caron was not only a name but also a title name. Those assigned to protect the Crow Tribe''s holy place were given the name Caron. Indeed, even I left the village despite being appointed as the next chief, so there was no reason why my ancestor would not do so either just because he was my ancestor.


    Then suddenly the last queen held my hand and burst into tears. "Heuk! Caron, you¡¯re alive. I''m glad... I''m glad."


    Because of the sudden crying, I looked back in bewilderment. I wasn''t the only one who was shocked by her tears.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I should have trusted you to the end. I''m sorry I drove you into a wall...¡±


    She continued to shed tears of regret.


    ¡°Look, I''m sorry, but I''m not the person named Caron.¡±


    "Huh?"


    "They say we look alike, but do we look that much alike? I''ve been told that I look like my mother quite a bit, but with someone from 500 years ago, I can''t confirm it."


    The last queen, who was looking at me with tears in her eyes, blushed and let go of my hand.


    "Khmm! I must have been mistaken! For-forget it!¡±


    I smiled and handed over my handkerchief at the sudden change in attitude.


    "Let''s wipe our tears and find our dignity first, shall we?"


    She snatched the handkerchief out of my hand, embarrassed, and asked, "Who... who are you? Where is this? Sir Percival! Sir Tristan¡­? I''m sure you two were killed in action?! Am I perhaps dead too!?"


    Percival and Tristan slowly explained what had happened to the bewildered Last Queen. She was initially panic-stricken but gradually calmed down as she listened to the story.


    "Is that so? Then you''re a distant descendant of Sir Modred. My knights and I have been blessed."


    I shrugged at her thanks. "I just followed my end of the deal, so there''s nothing to be thankful for.¡±


    "No, you certainly have the power to suppress the knights¡¯ freedom. Nevertheless, you did not suppress them, but rather helped them, so it is something to be thankful for. Also, thank you for bringing back the knights who made a stupid choice because of this stupid queen.¡±


    "I agree that it was a stupid choice, but you should be giving thanks to those fools. And consider this as someone else¡¯s home and please behave carefully. There''s a lot of dangerous stuff like hydrochloric acid."


    She nodded at my warning. "I see. By the way, I honestly can''t believe that Sir Modred''s descendant is a magician.¡±


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. Sir Modred had always lived by the saying that brute force was the most effective."


    I agreed on that point. Normally, brute force was the most effective.


    The smiling Last Queen asked cautiously, "Is there any record in your family about what happened to Sir Modred? Or, by any chance, anything about who he married...¡±


    Still, at least she seemed to be aware that it had been 500 years and did not ask if he was alive or not.


    "Hmm, if he had returned to town normally, wouldn''t he have played the role of protecting the holy place of my tribe? If I look at the genealogy, there will be records left, so I¡¯ll be able to find out about his marriage. Do you want me to look into it for you?¡±


    She shook her head. "Ah, no! It would be a bit of a shock if Sir Modred had married.¡±


    I stood up with a grin.


    "Then I''ll leave first. I''ll leave those two behind, so tell them if you need anything done.¡±


    Hillis came on the same train, so she must have gone home first. I wonder if she will nag me or something about coming back late.


    -o-


    One day, two weeks after returning from Asterium...


    No, it wasn''t just ¡®one day¡¯. Today¡¯s my birthday.


    "Um, do I have to wear this ridiculous hat?¡± I said.


    Alphonso nodded vigorously. "Of course! You''re the star of the day!"


    Can I not be the star of the day? Honestly, it¡¯s embarrassing.


    If it was just a cone hat, I would do it, but it was unpleasant to see strange characters drawn on it and strange decorations hanging like a tree.


    Hillis laughed as she took a picture of me with an expensive magic camera.


    "Huhu, who cares? Mrs. Arscilla prepared magnificently especially for you today, so shouldn¡¯t you smile?"


    I wanted to make fun of Hillis''s face, but it was my birthday, so I held it in.


    "What¡¯s the star of the day doing, not coming over here? Come on in!"


    Alice came out of the kitchen and beckoned me to come quickly and I was forced to follow Hillis and Alphonso into the kitchen.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Happy birthday!"


    It seemed to be similar to last year when I passed the civil service exam, but it was a bit grander.


    "Huhu, Alphonso said that Den never seemed to have enjoyed his birthday, so I tried my best."


    I responded to Mrs. Arscilla with a smile, "Haha, thank you."


    It would have been nice if it hadn''t been for the ridiculous hat on my head. Looking back, it''s already been a year since I left my hometown. Time seemed to have flown by quickly.


    "Come, it¡¯s time for a photo!"


    Everyone gathered by my side with the birthday cake at the employee¡¯s call.


    Click!


    Time flew by as the picture of me wearing the ridiculous hat got fixed.

 Chapter 248: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (1)

    By June, the trees planted throughout the capital turned green and the sun became hot. To be honest, it was early summer, I didn¡¯t really notice the heat so it didn''t really matter. But for me, who had a good sense of smell, the smell of the sweat of adventurers was unbearable.


    So, after making a suggestion to Guild Director Glont, I set up an air conditioning magic circle and a deodorizing magic circle at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters myself. It was guaranteed to be more efficient and high-performance than the inner court department in the imperial court.


    "Oh, I really don''t know how I lived before without this magic circle.¡± Demuir clung to the air-conditioning magic circle and put his cheek on it with an ecstatic face.


    However, Dano frowned while fanning himself with a briefing board while looking at Demuir. "Why don''t you detach yourself from there a little? The wind isn¡¯t reaching all the way here.¡±


    Dano seemed to be more sensitive to the heat, probably from being very muscular, so he worked overtime to enjoy the air-conditioning magic circle for a longer time.


    I also added to Dano''s complaint. "I set it up on a super small budget, so if you rub it like that, it will get erased easily. If you don''t want to manage and repair it yourself, please step away from it."


    That magic circle¡¯s management and repair was also my role, so I looked at Demuir tiredly.


    "Hmm, hmm! Okay."


    Dano and my stinging gaze made Demuir wobble and distance himself from the air-conditioning magic circle.


    Right then, Flam opened the door from the outside and said, "The promotions are starting now, so come on out."


    The people from the headquarters inside the office went out.


    A small platform had been set up in the hall on the first floor of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Headquarters. Next to it was Fiona with a script in hand, she then placed a microphone before herself.


    "The promotion ceremony will be starting now. Promotion recipients, please step up to the podium for promotion," Fiona said and looked in my direction.


    I smiled lightly and went forward towards the podium. There were three people standing in front of the podium, including me.


    "Now, we will be starting the 103rd regular promotion of the first half of the year 1628. According to the order, distinguished guests of the headquarters will stand up and sing the national anthem."


    The promotion ceremony was held twice a year under Fiona''s leadership. Adventurers who could play musical instruments began to play the national anthem and everyone, including adventurers who were watching from the surroundings, all stood up.


    Since I was a civil servant of the 98th class, watching the 103rd promotion ceremony meant, it had already been three years since I left my hometown.


    "Promotion recipient, Demuir Waltris."


    Demuir took a step forward at Fiona''s instruction.


    "The seventh rank of prestige, Demuir Waltris, is credited with the financial and accounting of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Headquarters, and Official Glont von Asilante, who serves as the Guild Director of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, dares to recommend a talent to His Majesty the Emperor."


    Demuir got down on one knee after the long line from Guild Director Glont.


    Standing on the podium, Guild Director Glont spoke, handing Demuir a certificate of promotion that looked like an award certificate.


    "Adventurers¡¯ Guild Guild Director Glont von Asiante will present the sixth-rank of prestige to Demuir Waltris, who has a seventh-rank prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."


    "Official Demuir Waltris dares to accept His Majesty Emperor''s blessing. Until the end of my life, I will consecrate everything for the empire and the imperial family."


    Accepting the certificate of promotion politely, Demuir slowly got up, took a step back, and returned to his place.


    "Promotion recipient, Den von Mark, step forward."


    This time I took a step forward at Fiona''s instruction. This time, the long rhetoric was left out and I fell on one knee.


    The long process was conducted only once for the person with the highest age and rank among those eligible for promotion, and the rest was shortened to proceed with the promotion.


    "Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director Glont von Asilante will award the seventh rank of prestige, Den von Mark, to the sixth rank of prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."


    "Official Den von Mark dares to accept His Majesty the Emperor''s blessing."


    I took a step back after reciting some perfunctory lines and getting a promotion certificate.


    "Promotion recipient Hameln von Deodorn, step forward."


    Hameln was a newcomer who came under me last year. He was about three years older than me, but he was kind and good at errands. Above all, he was very good at making tea.


    "Adventurer Guild Guild Director Glont von Asilante will award the eighth rank of prestige, Hameln von Deodorn, to the seventh rank of prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."


    "Official Hameln von Deodorn dares to accept His Majesty the Emperor''s blessing."


    After Hameln accepted the promotion certificate and stepped down, Guild Director Glont gave a not-so-long admonition and the promotion ceremony ended.


    "That''s all for the 103rd promotion ceremony of the first half of the year."


    Originally, it was supposed to be carried out for a very long time, but we were not such a strict group and he did not force us to proceed in a solemn and lengthy manner.


    "Thank you for your hard work. Are we having a work dinner today?¡± Flam clapped and asked.


    Demuir nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was Den''s birthday a few days ago, so let''s have a meal together. It''d be nice to have it as a birthday party, right?¡±


    I burst into laughter. "It''s already passed, so what do we need a birthday party for? If you''re going to have a work dinner, don¡¯t worry about such things, and let¡¯s just have it."


    Demuir put his arms around my shoulders and smiled. "Ayy, are you embarrassed? Are you nineteen now?"


    "Yes, because it''s past my birthday."


    "By the way, when I first saw you, you weren''t that big, but now aren¡¯t you taller than me?"


    Demuir compared the top of his head with the top of my head, and Organ and Dano laughed at him.


    "It''s obvious that Den is much bigger now."


    "Aren¡¯t you the shortest among us now?"


    When the two made fun of him, Demuir cried injustice. "But I''m taller than Miss Fiona!"


    Dano kicked Demuir''s butt. "Oh, man, how can a man compare height with a woman!"


    "Aheuk!"


    Everyone burst into laughter as Demuir laid down, holding on to his kicked butt.


    I had grown over 10 centimeters in the past two years and had to re-fit my uniform several times.


    "Come on, let''s talk about heights and work dinner after work and get to work now."


    Fiona clapped and encouraged us, and we went back to the office and started our respective work


    -o-


    Prime Minister Arcanta plopped across on the office sofa.


    William, who was checking the papers, looked at the drooped prime minister, and asked, "Did something happen?¡±


    Arcanta rubbed his face. "No, I''m tired from thinking about where to get the money from in the budget."


    "Oh, because of having to receive the Fairy Tribe¡¯s delegation this time?¡±


    The prime minister smiled bitterly and affirmed William''s conjecture. "Yeah, I heard that this time, a Khan of the Fairy Tribe is coming." Arcanta sighed.


    Bloody, who was eating snacks next to him, asked, "Khan? Compared with the empire, would it be a duke?"


    Arcanta shook his head. "No, the Fairy Tribe¡¯s nation doesn''t have a class system like the empire, so he''s not a duke. If you want to place a name to it, it''s more of a king than a duke."


    "Is that so?"


    "Well, even though I say a king, there¡¯s not much of a difference from a duke because a Khan manages territory given by the Great Khan, the emperor."


    There was a status system in the Fairy Tribe¡¯s nation, but there was no distinction in status between nobles, unlike the empire. Its status differentiations were only for the Great Khan, the emperor of the nation, imperial family, nobles, middle class, ordinary citizens, and low-class peoples. Even though a Khan was a king, the status ranks were quite complicated, as there were hereditary Khans, inheriting the title from generation to generation, and there were Khans appointed by the emperor without hereditary succession.


    "So who''s the Khan coming this time?" William asked.


    Arcanta sighed. "Well, it''s the grandson of the Great Khan, Khan Palamut who is leading the delegation, but in reality, it is likely the Guardian Knight Marsen who is in command."


    "Guardian Knight Marsen? The guardian knight of the Great Khan that I know?"


    When William was surprised, Bloody tilted his head.


    "Who is Marsen? Is he strong?"


    At Bloody''s one-dimensional question, Arcanta sighed deeply once again.


    "He¡¯s the Fairy Tribe¡¯s guardian knight who fought with your grandfather, Galak Blade, against the Demon King!" Arcanta cried.


    Bloody, who had been pondering, clapped his hands as if he finally remembered. "Oh! That pointy-eared ahjussi? I met him once when I was playing with my grandfather when I was a kid. He was a strong ahjussi."


    Arcanta looked at Bloody, who was nodding to himself, with surprise. "You have met the Fairy Knight, Marsen?"


    Bloody nodded his head like it was no big deal and put a cookie in his mouth. "Yeah, he looked very young for a friend of my grandfather¡¯s.¡±


    "Well, the Fairies are famous for nearly not aging. No, so tell me more in detail so I can use it for reference in welcoming the delegation."


    The prime minister didn¡¯t have to worry too much about the budget because the money would come if he squeezed the departments. However, due to the nature of the closed-door Fairy Tribe, foreigners were not welcomed, leading to a lack of knowledge about their culture and etiquette, causing a headache for the prime minister.


    "Hmm, what comes to mind is that he was a very simple person.¡±


    "Simple? A man famous for his resourcefulness?" Arcanta eyed him distrustfully.


    Bloody shrugged. "That''s what I felt. Well, maybe I could be remembering it wrong because I was so young."


    "Really? I''ll filter through the information myself, so keep going.¡±


    "He said if you easily show your back, it''s a disgrace as a warrior, and if you grill the meat whole, it''s...¡±


    "Wait, meat? I understand the Fairies are generally vegetarian.¡±


    "What are you talking about? He ate a wild boar all by himself. And what kind of vegetarian are they to learn archery and horsemanship from a young age? You don''t need archery and horsemanship if you''re a vegetarian."


    Bloody''s rebuttal left Arcanta perplexed.


    At Bloody''s words, William swept his chin and said, "Perhaps it¡¯s the thin bodies of the Fairies that makes others mistake them as vegetarians?" William surmised.


    Arcanta looked shocked.


    "I heard from my father that the Fairy Tribe used to be nomadic people, but if nomads had enough water to cultivate crops, they wouldn''t have been nomads."


    Bloody nodded at William''s words.


    "Right, you can''t be that strong from just eating grass. He really ate like a pig."


    At Bloody and William¡¯s words, Arcanta looked slightly shocked.


    "I feel like the image from my childhood fantasy is shattering. In the adventure children¡¯s tales I read about defeating the Demon King, the Fairy Tribe were elegant."


    At Arcanta''s dismay, Bloody shook off the crumbs from his hand.


    "Oh, that children¡¯s tale with my grandfather as the main character? Everything in it is fake. The just warrior Galak Blade? As far as I know, there are very few people who are as selfish as my grandfather. If we¡¯re talking about being just, my father is a lot more just than my grandfather."


    When Bloody snorted, William nodded with a sorry face.


    "I''ve read that children¡¯s tale, and I also definitely felt a sense of dissociation. My father came out as a wise man who was completely detached from the desires of the world, and for a moment I thought it was talking about someone else.¡±


    At Bloody and William word¡¯s, Arcanta felt like the last of his little remaining childhood innocence was shattered.

 Chapter 249: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (2)

    Hameln whispered quietly to me as it got late into the promotion and work dinner. "It''s very late. You should go back now, Senior. Mrs. Arscilla will be worried."


    Hameln had been living in the same boarding house as I for two years now. In the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, we generally treated each other comfortably, but since we were civil servants in a bureaucratic community, we had to consider the seniority system on the outside. Nevertheless, Hameln had always smiled and talked to me as if he was not uncomfortable living in the same house as I, his senior.


    I took out the watch that Duke Asteria gave me for my birthday. "Oh, it''s ten o''clock."


    Fiona also checked the clock at my words. "Oh my, it''s already this late. Let''s wrap up the work dinner here." She announced the end of the work dinner.


    Demuir smacked his lips in disappointment. "Ayy, that''s too bad.¡±


    It was still only about 10 p.m., but most of the people returned home around this time when access to the city gates completely closed.


    "There''s nothing we can do about it since we have to go to work tomorrow," Flam remarked.


    Fiona added: "That''s right. And because the Fairy Tribe delegation will be arriving shortly, the civil servants in each department have been asked to straighten up and mind their manners."


    Organ agreed with Fiona and added, "In short, they are saying not to create trouble that you could get blamed for."


    Demuir nodded with a helpless expression.


    I told Hameln as everyone got up and left the pub, "I have somewhere to stop by, so I''ll go home afterwards. Hameln, you go in first.¡±


    Hameln said respectfully with a slight bow, "I understand. Then what time should I tell Mrs. Arscilla that you will be home?¡±


    "I''ll be back before 11 p.m. But we just have a senior and junior relationship. It¡¯s a little uncomfortable to be so polite."


    Every time I saw Hameln, I felt like I was dealing with a butler.


    "Yes, I understand."


    Hameln smiled and said yes, but as always, he didn''t listen to me. However, it was strange to say something because he was being so polite, so I didn¡¯t say anything and moved on. There were no problems because he processed work or other requests before I even told him.


    "Then head in first."


    "Yes, please be careful."


    I gestured awkwardly to Hameln, who said goodbye politely and went towards the street.


    In fact, it was just last year that Hameln was assigned to this Adventurers¡¯ Guild. In other words, he entered the boarding house much earlier than us becoming a senior-junior relationship. Come to think of it, he spoke to me formally since he first entered the boarding house.


    "Well, maybe that¡¯s just his nature. Don''t you think so, Gwalchavad?"


    When I asked Gwalchavad, who had been lurking around me all day, hiding, and guarding me, a gentle smiling young man appeared from the dark on the side of the road.


    "Yes, Master.¡±


    Connected to my thoughts, Gwalchavad immediately knew what I was asking and affirmed.


    I asked as I headed to my workshop, "So the last queen, no Arietta, has returned from her journey?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct."


    It took more than half a year to bring Arietta, the last queen of the Holy Kingdom, from the Alps and recover completely with the help of Hillis. In the meantime, the knights who were asleep in the golem cores were awakened as dragon tooth soldiers, and Arietta taught me and Hillis the magic of the Holy Tribe.


    Arietta, who woke up and taught me most of her knowledge for about a year, wanted to go on a trip, saying she was curious about the world 500 years later. I gladly allowed her because she wouldn''t be much help even if she was around until I finished digesting all the knowledge of the Holy Tribe.


    "It''s funny to ask now, but was it fine for you to not have followed Arietta?"


    Percival, Agravain, and Boaz were the only ones who left to escort Arietta. The other nine stayed by my side, saying they would protect me.


    "Yes, now, my master is you. I swore to protect Master as the shield."


    Feeling through our mental connection, his words did not contain any trace of lies and were sincere. Rather, there was only...


    "But I think you''re still a little disappointed?" I said.


    Gwalchavad responded with a gentle smile. "Haha, jeez. It''s convenient that I don¡¯t have to express everything to Master because we are connected mentally.¡±


    What''s really scary was that what he just said was perfectly sincere. "Don''t people usually hate having their inner thoughts revealed?¡±


    "No way. Knights are supposed to only expose themselves to their masters and not hide anything."


    His loyalty went past being heavy to the point of giving me goosebumps. As if he read my feelings, he laughed awkwardly and said, "Haha, to answer your question, I actually wanted to also see that girl, who no longer has authority. She was overwhelmed by the throne that she inherited after the previous Holy King¡¯s death."


    "Based on her tone, she still seems to be overflowing with authority."


    Arietta''s way of speaking was basically informal and overbearing.


    "That''s because she was educated to succeed the throne since she was a child. It¡¯s gotten a lot better too. In fact, I''m sorry to the other knights for saying this, but in a way, I¡¯m relieved that the Holy Kingdom was destroyed."


    "Because Arietta is free now?"


    At my question, Gwalhabad didn¡¯t say anything but smiled bitterly.


    I grinned and spoke with my fingers interlocked behind my head, "But anyway, it seems I¡¯ll finally be able to work out the part that I¡¯m stuck on."


    The magic of the Holy Tribe was based on the bloodline and divine power of the Holy Tribe, so it could not be used by anyone other than the Holy Tribe. The divine power that I didn¡¯t have could be sufficiently substituted using the Holy Sword, but not the bloodline of the Holy Tribe.


    For this reason, I analyzed Arietta¡¯s blood, the last blood of the Holy Tribe, that I collected in advance, during the year that Arietta was not here. I found a way for those not of the Holy Tribe to use the magic of the Holy Tribe.


    "Let''s go in.¡±


    Arriving at my workshop, I immediately went inside.


    "Ohh, Master, you arrived?¡±


    As I entered the workshop, Tristan, who was hanging on the chandelier above, jumped down and welcomed me.


    ¡°I heard Arietta has arrived?¡±


    ¡°The Holy Queen is in the inner garden.¡±


    I walked to where Tristan pointed. As it was a noble¡¯s mansion that was turned into a workshop, there were many rooms and places for social gatherings. Of course, the inner garden was not used for social gatherings but to grow magic materials.


    Entering the inner garden, there were Arietta and three more knights.


    ¡°Hello, Commander-in-Chief.¡±


    ¡°Crow Tribe Prince, come over!¡±


    "Crow Tribe Prince, hurry up!"


    The man with brown hair and a pale beard who called me the commander was Caradoc. And the two who call me Crow Tribe Prince were twins with the same faces and full of mischief- Yvain and Ovain.


    "If you''re going to refer to me, I''d like you to call me by the same title."


    "Hahaha, it''s hard to change it now that I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Still, since you lead the army of many dragon tooth soldiers, doesn''t the title of commander-in-chief fit well?"


    Yvain and Ovain shook their heads at Caradoc''s words.


    "Come on, the prince is the next Crow Chieftain, so the title of a prince is more fitting than a commander!"


    "Of course, of course, prince fits well."


    The three people began to debate about what would be more appropriate as my title. I considered forcibly choosing a title but decided to leave them alone. Since we won¡¯t be walking about together in public anyways.


    "Hahaha, Sirs are still full of individuality and joy.¡±


    Arietta became reminiscent upon seeing the three men who were having a heated discussion on useless topics.


    "Did you enjoy your trip?" I asked.


    She nodded with a pleased look on her face. "Mmm, it was a lot of fun. I am very grateful to you. You have not only healed me but have lent your knights to me as escorts.¡±


    I smiled at her thank you and said, "There''s no need to thank me for the escorts because those guys went voluntarily. I promised to guarantee their freedom if they obeyed my orders in the first place."


    While they were escorting Arietta, I made them travel around various parts of the empire to collect the magic materials I wanted. The knights were connected to my pocket space, so as soon as they gathered them, the materials came into my pocket space. It felt as if I had turned on automatic hunting.


    "I can''t help but admire your vast generosity. But as someone experienced in leading knights, I advise you that it is important to have your own set of discipline and rules."


    "I agree. They are somehow too individualistic.¡±


    Of course, it was not without discipline. Absolute obedience to my orders. I was trying to let them be free as much as possible as long as they followed that one rule. Until now, all I had ordered was for them to train so that they wouldn¡¯t lose their sense of battle and also some small errands.


    I let out a small sigh and Tristan retorted.


    "My God, how can Master say such a thing when there is no one who is as unique as Master? Master, where''s your conscience?"


    Gwalchavad gave a gentle smile. "But still, Master is not forcing us to unify the titles into one. I don''t think Master views our individualism in a bad light."


    "Hmm, I think that¡¯s just because Master doesn¡¯t have a particular title he likes."


    To be honest, Tristan was right. My titles were Lord, Master, Sir Owner, Owner, Commander-in-Chief, Crow Tribe Prince, Your Majesty, Mordred, Boss, Brother-nim. There were 11 titles in total, each one of them cringy. I didn''t like any of them.


    I told them to just call me by my name, but they said it went against their sincerity to just call by my normal name.


    I was speechless.


    "Then what name would you like to be called, Master?"


    "Me? I... well, it''s better to be called by name, but if not, then by my rank, assistant junior official, no junior official now that I¡¯ve been promoted."


    Of course, there were only a handful of times that I was actually called by my rank. The knights who heard me didn''t have a good expression.


    "I don''t think that¡¯s right, Master."


    "I agree, Master."


    "Khmm! Isn''t the Commander-in-Chief lowering himself too much?"


    "We were told to dream big, Crow Tribe Prince."


    "Right, right. He''s the Prince we serve. Please think of it as if Prince is lowered, then so are we.¡±


    Then why did you ask? I gave up with a sigh.


    "Yes, call me whatever you want."


    -o-


    Hameln wrote a letter in a code that only they could recognize.


    To,


    Duke Asteria whom I respect.


    I''d like to give you a regular update on the young master. As always, Young Master is living a healthy and energetic life...


    ¡­(ellipsis)¡­


    ...He was awarded a sixth-rank of prestige with his own ability at today''s regular promotion ceremony.


    In addition, I am in the midst of collecting information regarding the Fairy Tribe delegation, so I will be able to send you information related to it in the next report.


    Sincerely,


    Butler Hameln.


    Upon finishing, he melted the wax mixed with fairy powder in a white envelope and sealed it with a sealing stamp engraved with magic. It was a seal mixed with fairy powder, so once you opened it, the wax seal would turn into powder and disappear, so it was perfect for security.


    He then picked up the letter and sent it to a designated location with wind magic.


    "It¡¯s so peaceful here."


    Hameln was content with his comfortable work here, unlike in the duchy.

 Chapter 250: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (3)

    I sat across from Arietta, brought out the Holy Sword from my breast pocket, and took out my magic wand from my pocket space. She was stunned at the moment.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Oh, no, See the magic wand and Caladbolg gave me the chills."


    Oh, was it because I had heavily beaten her with these when she was unsealed and had no rationality? Perhaps her subconscious remembers it.


    I said with a smile, "It¡¯s probably just a feeling."


    "Haha, I guess so...?¡±


    Arietta still looked at my magic wand with leery eyes. Somehow her reaction was interesting, but I didn''t bring these out to tease her, so I moved on to the point.


    "While you were traveling, I discovered a way to use the magic of the Holy Tribe.¡±


    Surprised, her eyes spread wide open. "Is that true?! Oh word, I''m surprised you succeeded in what Merlin said was impossible."


    "Well, that''s how advanced modern magic is. Besides, I had plenty of materials and information to study from.¡±


    To analyze the magic of the Holy Tribe, an analysis of the Holy Tribe¡¯s blood and their core magic was needed. Merlin, a great madosa, could have likely found a way 500 years ago even with the old-fashioned magic system. However, it would have been impossible because a magician who served the Holy Tribe could not demand blood from the Queen of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s lineage.


    But for me, the dignity of the destroyed Holy Kingdom was not my business.


    "Oh, so what''s the method?"


    "It''s simple. I just need to create a tool that will cause an error in the Holy Tribe magic, so it will recognize me as a part of the Holy Tribe lineage.¡±


    Arietta''s blood was a prerequisite to making tools that could use the magic of the Holy Tribe. I wore a dark red wristband that used her blood as a catalyst.


    "If you wear this and plant a chip connected to the Miracle Crystal in a magic wand, you can then use the magic exclusively for the Holy Tribe."


    The Miracle Crystal was similar to the unique mana of the Holy Tribe, enough to confuse it.


    "Can you use the magic of the Holy Tribe now?" Arietta looked at me with sparkling eyes.


    I smiled, swung my magic wand in the air, and used magic. "I command you as the inheritor of the blood of the first petals of the World Tree¡¯s flower, an arrow of blessing, appear before me and shoot down the enemy."


    My mana which was converted to divine power through the Holy Sword went through my magic wand and an arrow of divine power was shot out, but blocked by the room¡¯s barrier it quickly disappeared.


    Arietta clapped her hands, amazed, and said, "Ohhh! You used a very simple magic, memorizing the incantation and following the standard procedure! I''ve never seen anyone use magic that way before!"


    It was as she said. The magic I just used was the basic of the basics, at the level of a magic bullet.


    It was like multiplying numbers, but instead of multiplying immediately, you add the appropriate number of times. It was no different from doing ¡®10 plus 10 plus 10¡­¡¯ to get 100, rather than doing ¡®10 times 10¡¯.


    "What can I do, since I¡¯m unfamiliar with the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic system? Arietta, if you want to learn to use the basic magic bullet, you¡¯ll have to use the same method as me."


    For the past two years, I had been busy studying how to use the magic of the Holy Tribe but had been unable to decipher it. Of course, I had made a lot of additional achievements in my research.


    Arietta smiled and waved her fingers at me. "In addition to the magic of the Holy Tribe, I have learned the magic of the common people from Merlin. Something like a magic bullet is no harder than a finger flick." Saying so, she flicked her fingers to make a magic bullet.


    I honestly admired it.


    "Your mana usage is very outdated.¡±


    It was like looking at mana usage from 500 years ago. Oh, she was someone from 500 years ago!


    At my assessment, Arietta became flushed and made excuses in embarrassment. "Well, that can''t be helped! I have not had a chance to learn the magic of the future yet.¡±


    "If it¡¯s 500 years ago, wasn''t it almost before the circle theory which is now dead? Or, was it right around when it was about to happen?" She shouted seemingly shocked.


    "What?! The circle theory is dead? Oh my god! Why did the latest mana usage method die out!"


    "That was 500 years ago. It¡¯s already been 400 years since the limitations of circle theory were clearly pointed out."


    "How!?"


    "As the number of mana rings surpassed seven, most hearts burst because they couldn''t withstand the pressure from the mana.¡±


    Even for the Crows, who had physically strong bodies, eight mana rings was the limit. How do I know? There is a record that a magic-loving eccentric among my ancestors died when his heart exploded while making the ninth ring. He was called a great madosa at the time and also a monster who completed the magic circle to protect the village in Olympus Forest.


    "I can''t believe it." Arietta lamented in vain.


    "Then aren¡¯t the rings of my heart dangerous?"


    "How many are there?" She frowned with worry.


    I stretched her three fingers. "There are three."


    "And here I thought there might have been about seven. It doesn''t matter. I made up to eight to try to make my mana capacity bigger. Although I received a ton of curses from Teacher-nim saying that it was dangerous."


    Thanks to this, I''ve so far never seen anyone who had more mana than me.


    "Uh¡­ I think that is deserving of some curses. You and your ancestors are similar in your recklessness.¡±


    I shrugged when Arietta looked at me dumbfounded.


    "It¡¯s fine as long as you''re not dead."


    I took out an empty notebook from my pocket space and a magic book that I had organized myself regarding the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic. "Now, let''s get down to business. I¡¯d like to get some help in analyzing the magic of the Holy Tribe."


    Arietta looked fed up when dozens of magic books piled up on the table. "You¡¯re not asking me to give you instructions on all this magic, are you?"


    "Not everything, but let''s just say until I get the hang of it. If I read the instructions for about ten books, I should roughly know how to do it. Fighting!¡±


    "Ten of these thick magic books?!" Arietta imagined a bleak future and couldn''t shut her mouth.


    "Ayy, why are you being like that when you already know? You know that ten books are not even close to enough for other people."


    If it was an ordinary magician, even if a teacher kindly taught in addition to the instructions, learning it would still be 50/50. As I taught Arwen, I was clearly feeling the hardships of being a teacher. But still, she was able to at least learn five things when I taught ten, so she was pretty good.


    "That''s true, but aren''t you the great madosa who made it possible to use the magic of the Holy Tribe that even Merlin couldn¡¯t do? So¡­,"


    I grinned as I watched Arietta drag on. "Who paid for the journey Her Majesty has been on?¡±


    Arietta answered my question with bewilderment, "That, that''s... you."


    "I see. Who treated and healed the person who was on the brink of death so that she could travel?"


    "That is also you."


    "Whose chair is that you¡¯re sitting on, the tea you''re drinking, this house with the garden?¡±


    "It belongs to you."


    Arietta drooped her head down as if she were ashamed.


    I went to Arietta''s side and put my hand on her shoulder. "Well, that''s fine. Since I have all the things that were in Merlin''s lab and all the relics of the Holy Kingdom from when you were sealed, let¡¯s say that makes up the cost."


    Although it cost a lot of money, Arietta''s knowledge was more valuable than that.


    She was delighted at my words. ¡°Will... will you do that?!¡±


    Looking at her relieved, I smiled and nodded. "Of course, but if you leave here, do you have any place to go to?"


    "Huh?"


    Looking at Arietta with a dumbfounded face, I spoke once more, "I asked if you have anywhere to go to if you leave here. My workshop is a place that boasts security to be able to perfectly defend against tens of thousands of troops. That''s why the monthly rent is quite high, but do you have any money to pay?"


    Arietta trembled at my warm voice.


    I whispered slowly into her ear, "Do you know what to do now?"


    "I... I will work hard to write a manual!"


    It was good to see that she was motivated.


    "Take your time. We have plenty of time."


    At my gracious words, Arietta shook and nodded with motivation.


    I looked at the clock, the time I told Hameln was near. Now that I''d finished my business, it was time to go back to the boarding house.


    "Wow, Master is quite evil."


    The knights, who were listening in on our conversation, looked at me and murmured. Those gazes were unfair ¡­ Who was giving free housing like a pushover that even Lisbon would be proud of?!


    -o-


    Marsen, the guardian knight of the Fairy Tribe, escorted a huge carriage on which the Khan was riding and looked at the wall of the empire¡¯s border in the far distance. Calculating the time of his last visit here, he realized that it had been over two decades.


    ¡°Iyaa, it''s been a long time.¡±


    Crossing the border after a long time was very different than it was 20 years ago. At that time, there were no walls, and was a land that was still part of the Imperial State. To be exact, although the Imperial State was destroyed, the survivors put the royal offspring of the Imperial State at the forefront to barely maintain the lifeline of the Imperial State. Of course, it was not long until the royal offspring was captured and executed, and it all collapsed.


    As Marsen began to feel sentimental, a young man with a youthful face leaned out of the carriage.


    "Ohhh! Godfather, this is the empire! Come to think of it, this place used to be the Imperial State¡¯s territory, right?"


    "Well, I don''t know, but that¡¯s what they say. I mean, that is what they say, Khan Palamut."


    Marsen awkwardly changed to honorifics as if he was unused to it.


    Finding it funny, Palamut shook his hand with a burst of laughter over Marsen''s honorifics.


    "Ahahaha! Treat me as usual, Godfather, because it doesn¡¯t suit you. There aren''t many people in the empire who can speak our language anyway."


    Marsen looked perplexed at Palamut''s words. "No, but the Great Khan told me to follow protocol and formality because we are a delegation¡ª¡±


    "Then we can just do that when we go into the imperial palace. I''m already getting goosebumps hearing Godfather''s honorifics."


    Marsen smiled bitterly at Palamut''s suggestion.


    "Then shall we?"


    "But by the way, I''m worried that the only ones who can speak the language of the empire are Godfather, and Godfather¡¯s aide-de-camp."


    "Oh, it''s fine. There''s a weirdo in the empire¡¯s Adventurers¡¯ Guild who can speak the Fairy Tribe¡¯s language. He was someone who even knew the ancient language and collected old magic books even though he wasn¡¯t even a magician.¡±


    "Ohhh! That''s a relief!"


    Listening to the conversation between the two, Marsen''s aide-de-camp sighed automatically. They lacked the common sense that if it was 20 years ago in a foreign country, the person would be old and retired. Considering that Marsen, the only one in the closed-off Fairy Tribe nation with extensive experience in foreign activities, was like this, he was worried about what kind of trouble Marsen would stir up.

 Chapter 251: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (4)

    After finishing today''s work, while waiting for the time to get off from work, I used my spare time to analyze the difference between the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic and divine magic.


    ¡°Oh, what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°What, is there something interesting?¡±


    As always, Flam and Demuir, who had finished their work, clung to me and became interested in what I was doing.


    "It''s nothing. I got a new magic book and was reading it."


    Precisely, it was a magic book obtained through Arietta''s commentary and Hillis. What was quite interesting was that there were many similarities between the magic of the Holy Tribe and divine magic because they both seemed to be magic based on divine power.


    After seeing my magic book, Flam and Demuir were disgusted and pretended to retch.


    "Uwack! Studying during this precious break, I don''t understand,¡± said Demuir.


    Flam nodded furiously. "I agree. They say there is no end to learning, but rest is also important.¡±


    Actually, for breaks, I would finish the work I received in a few minutes, and take a break while pretending to be working.


    In terms of ratio, it felt like I was working for 10 minutes and taking 50 minutes of break, so I felt like I was taking too many breaks.


    I shrugged at their reaction. "This is also fun if you try it. If you don''t do even this much in the first place, you couldn¡¯t be called a magician."


    Demuir asked exasperatedly, "Are all magicians weirdos like that?¡±


    I nodded lightly. "Of course, and Flam said it, too. There''s no end to learning."


    Flam had a complex expression. "Is Arwen such a weirdo?¡±


    Because I visited Flam''s house several times to teach Arwen, he found out that I was teaching her magic. Of course, he didn''t know anything about what and how I was teaching.


    "Well, you can say that.¡±


    He looked shocked at my affirmation. "It''s shocking that my sister was such a freak!"


    "That''s a pretty strong reaction.¡±


    His gaze as if looking at a weirdo was too much.


    Then Demuir smirked. "By the way, Den, you¡¯re similar to your predecessor, the one that retired before the two of you were assigned here."


    "Oh, the former owner of that bookshelf?¡± I asked, pointing to the bookcase that was now mine.


    Demuir nodded. "The former owner of that bookshelf was quite eccentric. Did you know that he knew how to speak the Fairy Tribe and ancient languages?¡±


    Honestly, isn''t that basic?


    My predecessor was quite pitiful to be treated as eccentric because he knew how to do something anyone could do.


    "By the way, what was the predecessor like?¡± I asked again.


    Fiona answered as she came this way. "He was quite an interesting person. He was quick at calculations, so he was in charge of the entire accounting before Demuir, so he''d be more of Demuir¡¯s predecessor than Den¡¯s."


    "Ahaha, is that how it works?¡± Demuir made a slightly reminiscent laugh.


    Fiona approached my bookshelf with a grin. "Den, do you mind if I borrow your book for a while?"


    "No, what would you like to borrow?"


    I got up from my seat and stood in front of the bookshelf. There were some books that would be difficult for Fiona to reach given her height as the shelf was tall.


    "I''d like a Fairy Tribe language dictionary, please. I¡¯ve always felt this bookcase, sure is full of strange languages."


    "Hahaha, I agree with that."


    If you look at the commonalities of the old books on the bookshelf, it was that they were of various languages. Presumably, the predecessor was also a linguist.


    I smiled and pulled out three Fairy Tribe dictionaries on top of the bookshelf.


    "Here you go."


    "Ugh!"


    Fiona, receiving the books, wavered from the weight. One dictionary was as thick as a large dictionary, so three dictionaries would weigh quite a bit.


    "But why do you suddenly want a Fairy Tribe language dictionary?"


    "Oh, Den, you know that we''re having a Fairy Tribe delegation this time, right? In fact, their envoy sent a letter to the predecessor prior to attending the imperial court."


    Fiona put the dictionary down on her desk and pulled a sealed letter out of her pocket.


    "The Guild Director-nim asked me to interpret what this letter was talking about, so I''ll be borrowing the dictionary for a little bit."


    "Interpret the letter? If you¡¯re trying to interpret with a dictionary, you won¡¯t be able to finish interpreting even by the time the Fairy Tribe delegation has visited and left.¡±


    Fairy Tribe language was not phonetic characters, but ideograms, so it had more than 500,000 characters.[1]


    The thick dictionary on the bookshelf was like a children''s dictionary.


    Fiona made a difficult face at my certainty. "That puts me in a tough spot. I was told to find out what it says no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Then would you like me to interpret it for you?''¡±


    Fiona was startled by my words. ¡°What?! You can speak the Fairy Tribe language?¡±


    ¡°I can read just a little.¡±


    Fiona rejoiced and clapped her hands.  "Then could you read it for me?¡±


    I took the letter and opened it. Its contents were not very long.


    "Let''s see. Dear my close old eccentric friend, have you been well?"


    Everyone looked dumbfounded at my first line of interpretation.


    "Eccentric?"


    "Have you been well?"


    "You¡¯re interpreting it properly, right?"


    I shrugged at the looks of doubt.


    "I read it right. This character is strange, which means eccentric, and this ending of the words for informal speech tones. Shall I keep reading?"


    "Oh, yes! Please."


    Fiona looked at Demuir and Flam, told them to keep quiet, and asked me to keep reading.


    "It''s already been 20 years since I was guided by my old eccentric friend. How time flies by so quickly. No, perhaps it''s not that fast? People not from the Fairy Tribe age quickly, so I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s fast or slow.¡±


    Demuir snorted at the content of the letter.


    "Do the Fairy Tribe age slowly?"


    "Yes, they age slowly. I heard they look young at least until they are 100 years old. Starting then, aging progresses slowly, and on average, they live to be 150 years old."


    Demuir was mortified by my piece of common sense. "Really?"


    "Yes, I heard that the current Fairy Tribe¡¯s Great Khan is 150 years old. Guardian Knight Marsen is nearly 200 years old.¡±


    At 150 years old, it would not be strange to slowly start the succession. Considering that the Khan, who was coming as the head of the delegation, was the grandson of the Great Khan, he may become the next Great Khan. If so, then was this delegation mission a part of some sort of way to accumulate achievements?


    "Please keep reading."


    "Uh, yes."


    I read the rest of the letter at Fiona''s urging.


    "Anyway, I don''t like to write too long, so I¡¯ll get down to the main point. I want you to be the interpreter for the delegation, old eccentric friend. Considering the skills of the civil servants last time I visited, communication itself seems like it would be difficult. Then I''ll ask you for a favor, eccentric friend. Your friend, Marsen.¡±


    The Fairy Tribe language was certainly difficult to learn and become fluent in. There were 12 basic intonations, and one had to be proficient in 24 intonations to use some more complex vocabulary. In addition, it was not like the tribe was active in trading with other countries, so compared to the languages of the other countries, the importance of the Fairy Tribe language was much lower.


    "Marsen? Isn¡¯t he famous for being the Guardian Knight of the Fairy Tribe!?"


    "Right! The noble knight of the Fairy Tribe! I read a children¡¯s tale of warriors when I was a child, and it was cool!"


    Flam and Demuir made a fuss.


    By children¡¯s tales of warriors, do you mean the children¡¯s tales full of lies for commercial purposes?


    It was a children¡¯s tale that my big sister read to me quite often before going to bed when I was young, but Hestia noona always pointed out what was wrong.


    "Then can we see the famous guardian knight?" Demuir got excited.


    "It would be wise to leave a children¡¯s tale as a children¡¯s tale,¡± I advised with a wry smile.


    At least as far as I knew, my great-grandfather, the main protagonist of the children¡¯s tale, was neither as virtuous nor just. There was a strong tendency of being selfish and liking to play pranks on the eccentric oldie with a screw loose.


    Despite my warning, Demuir seemed to have not come to his senses and said some nonsense.


    "Is that so? But if we meet, it''d be good to get an autograph, right?"


    The children''s tale had been deceiving many people, and even the great elder of the Butterfly Tribe came out as a wise man who was detached from worldly desires.


    The old man, who had been coming from time to time for the past two years and had been half-forcibly robbing me of my Holy Tribe magic research, was a wise man? All the passing dogs would laugh at it.


    Well, it wasn''t so bad for me to be able to learn Arpen''s latest research and the arcane magic of the Butterfly Tribe in return.


    "Hmm, I see. Thank you for reading it. I will report it as it is."


    She appeared to have some misgivings because my interpretation seemed a little frivolous. But what was I supposed to do when it really was written like that.


    Fiona grinned at the translated letter and said, "I''ll buy you a meal later."


    Still, she seemed relieved when the interpretation that she would have had to cling to and do for a few days had ended quickly. Well, it was natural since I had saved her from endless overtime work.


    "Then I''ll expect an expensive one."


    "Hoho, I don''t have much money."


    Fiona smiled lightly and went upstairs.


    -o-


    "Ohhh! Godfather! This thing called the train is very interesting! There''s a reason why the empire is called the supreme ruler of the North. How about introducing a train like this in our country?" Palamut asked while enjoying the fluffiness of the first-class compartment.


    Marsen looked around inside the train, also finding it amazing. "Yes, it would be nice if there was one. There wasn¡¯t a train like this before. How amazing!"


    The aide-de-camp gave a small sigh and said, "Our state coffers are not rich like the empire. Besides, there''s a shortage of those talented in magic. We would need technical assistance from the empire to bring in these trains, and there are more than just a single mountain to climb to get that assistance."[2]


    Marsen was embarrassed by the aide-de-camp¡¯s comments.


    "But still, isn¡¯t it amazing.¡±


    "Mmm, no, Godfather. Godfather''s aide-de-camp is right." Palamut spoke to the aide-de-camp with a serious face. "Yes, you are right. It is foolish to introduce such a valuable thing without caring about the state of the country because it is interesting and we covet it."


    The aide-de-camp bowed at Palamut''s words. "This humble official is moved that my forthright words are being taken into account, Khan Palamut."


    The aide-de-camp was moved by Palamut''s acceptance of her blunt remarks that could have been taken as rude. She could understand why the Great Khan cared about Palamut.


    "Ahahaha! No. This Khan still lacks a lot. Are you not the subordinate that Godfather trusts and cherishes? I will continue to ask for your advice in the future.¡±


    "Yes!"


    Looking at Marsen''s roaring aide-de-camp, Palamut nodded and asked, "By the way, how long did they say it takes to get to the capital?¡±


    "Yes, according to the train engineer, we will be there by noon tomorrow."


    As the aide-de-camp, she could speak a little of the imperial language thanks to Marsen.


    "That quick? This precious thing is impressive.¡±


    Palamut touched his seat in admiration.


    1. An example of an ideogram language would be Chinese, which has unique characters for each word.


    2. By mountain, I assume it refers to obstacles here.

 Chapter 252: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (5)

    Around late lunch, a brown-masked Taurus came up to the deserted eastern outer wall. There was a familiar red-masked woman and a man wearing a yellow-green mask who he had not seen for a long time.


    He greeted the man in the yellow-green mask. "My god, isn''t it Capricorn? Long time no see. But I can''t believe I''m meeting you inside the empire."


    The man wearing the yellow-green mask called Capricorn replied sarcastically, "You speak as if I''m somewhere I¡¯m not allowed to be.¡±


    Taurus scratched his cheek in a quandary at the terse response. "It¡¯s not that, but I thought that when you would come to the empire¡¯s capital, you would have a plan and enter the Imperial Palace and attack General Bloody."


    Capricorn, whose aura had been responding peacefully and sarcastically to Taurus''s words, was full of killing intent. "Bloody, don''t say the name of that f**king son of a b*tch in front of me!"


    Taurus shook his hand in bewilderment. "It was not deliberate. I apologize."


    When the killing intent erupted, the red-masked Scorpio quickly put up a barrier to prevent it from spreading to the outside.


    "Goodness! Hey! How can you just suddenly spout killing intent? The security is already tight for the welcome parade for the Fairy Tribe delegation, jeez!¡± Scorpio said so but chuckled leisurely. It was a tone that it would not matter even if security guards or knights charged at them immediately.


    It''s the same with Capricorn, and he snorted. "Humph! So what if those rag-tags come here!"


    At Capricorn''s imposing manner, Scorpio flicked her index finger from side to side and spoke as if trying to reason with a child. "Whoever said to fear the guards? It''s just that ignorant, savage guardian knight. It''s just that it¡¯d be annoying if he growls at us all day because he feels threatened. Let''s not scratch it and have it turn into a pimple."[1]


    Capricorn snorted at Scorpio but seemed to accept it as he withdrew his aura. Even for him, who had a temper, the Fairy Tribe¡¯s Guard Knight was a formidable opponent. This guardian knight was a monster who wandered around the battlefield in a relaxed manner even after single-handedly cutting down 10,000 demons during the reign of the Demon King. It was clear that he would still be strong until his death due to the characteristics of a Fairy¡¯s body that aged very slowly. No, there was a possibility that it was stronger.


    Listening to the conversation between the two, Taurus suddenly asked, finding something odd, "But what was your motive for wanting to meet all of a sudden? We''re not even that close."


    Usually, when Scorpio did something, she was either alone or with Saggitarius. Sometimes with Libra, but not much. Taurus, who rarely worked with her, was curious that he was suddenly called.


    "What motive? Isn¡¯t that too much, considering our relationship?" She laughed playfully.


    Taurus and Capricorn felt goosebumps and took a step back.


    "Oh my, why such reactions? I''m going to get hurt. Huhuhu." Scorpio smiled and pointed to East Capital Station, which was visible from the outer wall.


    The train had just arrived there and a long line of honor guards, military bands, and knights of the capital were on standby for the parade. The spirit emitted by numerous high-ranking knights gave off a solemn and magnificent feeling even before the parade began. From that, one could confirm the power of the empire.


    "Come, look, that''s the power of the empire. On the other hand, we can only mobilize a few people within the empire at the most. They, who have such power, are moving to form alliances with the Fairy Tribe. What do you think that means?" Scorpio asked.


    Taurus answered seriously, "Does it mean the empire will become stronger?¡±


    Scorpio smiled playfully at Taurus''s answer and shook her index finger from side to side again. "Hohohoho! Isn¡¯t that too naive? It''s too much of a one-dimensional answer to say that the empire will become stronger.¡±


    Taurus tilted his head at her. "Hmm, then I don''t know. Does this delegation have any political meaning?"


    Scorpio pointed her finger at his question. "That''s right. Considering that you can think a little now, unlike before, you must have studied a little?¡±


    Despite her subtly looking down on him, Taurus proudly extended his chest and let out a snort. "Ahem! I''ve made some efforts."


    Having expected an indignant reaction from him, Scorpio lost her mood, sighed, and said, "Well, that''s right, as you thought, for political reasons, they are receiving the Fairy Tribe delegation. The empire is preparing now."


    Taurus looked at her as if he couldn¡¯t understand why she was reacting like that, and asked, "What is the empire preparing for?"


    Scorpio answered with a playful and brutal smile as if she had never lost the mood, "The empire is preparing for war."


    Taurus¡¯s mask under the brown mask became horribly distorted.


    -o-


    Today, I briefly took over the reception desk on behalf of Fiona, who was having a meeting with senior civil servants on the fourth floor. For some reason, however, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild was empty despite it being the peak time.


    "What''s going on?" I wondered aloud.


    Hameln was organizing the requests to be put on the request board, he smiled and said, "I think it''s because today is the day the Fairy Tribe delegation arrives at the capital."


    "Is it already that day? It was only a few days ago when I received an official message to keep a low profile, saying that the Fairy Tribe was coming. Time flies."


    It meant that they all went to see the welcome parade of the Fairy Tribe.


    To be honest, I didn''t know because I wasn''t interested. It was the Central Ceremony Department, not the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, that greeted the delegation and took care of them.


    Come to think of it, since we¡¯d received a letter for a retired civil servant yesterday, they might come to visit once. But since we couldn¡¯t just call out someone who had already retired, in all likelihood, the matter would end with Guild Director Glont.


    "Oh, that''s why Senior Demuir has been restless since this morning.¡±


    Unless they were secretly called two years ago due to the currency reform, a grand welcoming parade would have been held to welcome a nation¡¯s delegation. If it was a grand parade, it would make sense for Demuir to be so restless. It was even more so, especially because he could see the Fairy Tribe¡¯s Guardian Knight that he respected in the children¡¯s tale with his own eyes.


    Hameln smiled and nodded at me. "Yes, that''s why he even got permission directly from the Guild Director-nim to leave for the afternoon since this morning.¡±


    Is that why I couldn''t see Demuir?


    I thought he was quite passionate to even take a half-day off to spectate.


    Wait, the fact that Demuir took a half-day off means that I have to do the accounting paperwork that he needed to deal with? But he took the half-day off without telling me!


    Well, it''s not that difficult so it doesn''t matter. I guess I''ll have to take a lot of snacks from him later.


    Hameln had finished organizing the request documents, he left the bundle of documents and stood up. "Since I''m done organizing the requests, I''ll head out for a little while."


    "Why, Hameln, do you want to go watch the parade?"


    He answered my question with a smile. "You''re not wrong, but it¡¯s different because I have official duties." He pulled out the letter that I interpreted yesterday. "Guild Director-nim asked me to take yesterday''s letter to the Central Ceremony Department, which is welcoming the Fairy Tribe delegation."


    "Oh, please go ahead. I''ll put it on the bulletin board."


    Hameln bowed his head once apologetically and left the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    It felt good to see the empty and peaceful Adventurers'' Guild Hall without anyone inside.


    Ring! Ring!


    While enjoying the silence, the door of the Adventurers'' Guild opened.


    I greeted mechanically, smacking my lips, "Welcome."


    Inside was a pair of weirdos in hooded capes. On a hot day in early summer, it wasn¡¯t even a mountainous area, but they were wearing such thick hooded capes. It was obvious that they were weirdos.


    One was nearly 180cm tall and the other almost two meters. The skin under their hoods seemed to be very white. They must be weirdos of a high-ranking family.


    But the aura I could feel from the bigger weirdo was very strong. It was to the point I thought that this weirdo could even be stronger than my uncle or aunt.


    I inwardly tensed up at their sudden appearance and prepared to draw my Holy Sword and slash at any time.


    The weirdos looked around the inside of the Adventurers'' Guild, then came up to the desk where I was.


    "What can I help you with?" I smiled and asked according to the reception manual.


    The smaller weirdo replied, "I''m here. To meet. Someone."


    It was a woman¡¯s voice. She spoke with poor pronunciation in short bursts as if she were unfamiliar with the empire¡¯s language.


    She was similar to my height, so she was very tall.


    "You''re here to meet someone? Are you a client who left a request to the Adventurers'' Guild? Or did you make an appointment with us to meet someone else in particular?"


    The woman in the hooded cape was taken aback by my question.


    "Uh¡­"


    As she panicked, the 2-meter tall hooded cape weirdo took a step closer and laughed. "Hahahaha, she''s still not good at the empire¡¯s language, so she can''t understand if you say it that fast and that long."


    Listening to the voice of the hooded cape weirdo laughing cheerfully, it was a man.


    Then the woman shouted urgently in the Fairy Tribe¡¯s language.


    "Marsen-nim! If it is discovered that you are here and not guarding by Khan Palamut¡¯s side, things will get complicated! So please allow me!"


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. I''m just here to meet an old friend. And just in case, I got permission from Palamut.¡±


    That weird hooded cape must have been designed to cover the Fairy-specific pointed ears.


    By the way, isn''t Marsen the actual leader of the Fairy Tribe delegation?


    If I pretend to be friendly for no reason, things might get annoying. In this case, it was best to pretend to not know anything.


    I let go of the Holy Sword in my arms. Attacking an envoy who came to the empire would not be a matter that would not pass over with just a laugh. Above all, Marsen was a monster that stood shoulder to shoulder with my great-grandfather.


    I asked in the empire¡¯s language, grinning as if I had never planned to cut him down with my Holy Sword, "May I ask you once more? Did you make a request and are here to meet an adventurer, or did you make an appointment with a specific person?"


    Marsen answered my question with a pleasant smile, "Of course the latter, Crow friend."


    At the same time as Marsen''s words, explosive martial aura and mana collided between me and him.


    The hooded cape woman next to him raised her aura to withstand the sudden whirlwind created by the collision of martial aura and mana. Her hooded cape blew off in the gust of wind, revealing her pointed ears.


    1. Don¡¯t poke something unnecessarily, and have the situation get worse.

 Chapter 253: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (6)

    Marsen and my battle of auras took place suddenly and released martial aura and mana on each other. It was a light probe but based on what I felt from him regarding his ability in such a short time was appalling.


    "Iyaa, young Crow friend, you¡¯re extraordinary."


    Marsen smiled cheerfully, a single drop of sweat fell after having sensed my skills. It was not hard to imagine the consequences to the surroundings if we had a battle of aura to sense each other in earnest.


    I magically retrieved the documents scattered by gusts of wind caused by the collision between martial aura and mana.


    "Are you not being rude? You suddenly let out your martial aura without reason.¡±


    Jeez, the papers that Hameln organized were all mixed up now. It had to be reorganized from the beginning but now was not a situation to pay attention to the documents.


    Marsen looked at me and asked with interest, "Ahahaha! Isn''t this a simple greeting for the Crow Tribe?"


    "That''s¡ª"


    It was heartbreaking that Marsen''s words were undeniable.


    "This is not Olympus but rather the capital, so we must obey the laws of the empire. Those are manners," I said.


    Marsen scratched the back of his head and laughed as if he had nothing to say. "Ahahaha, I guess that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s certainly been a long life to be able to see a Crow following manners,¡± said he.


    "The people in my village also know manners. It''s just that they are "a little bit" aggressive.¡±


    Marsen couldn¡¯t hold it in and burst into laughter at my words. "If the Crow Tribe were only a little aggressive, then there wouldn''t be any fighting in this world.¡±


    I sighed at the fact that I couldn''t refute those words. Not all, but most of the people back home were crazy about fighting. Rather, I was treated as a freak because I didn''t like fighting very much.


    "Well, let''s just say so. How did you know I was a Crow?" I asked.


    Marsen sat on the desk and brushed his chin. "Well, there are a few things, but first of all, you smell of the Olympus Forest. It seems like it''s been about three years since you left the forest."


    According to old texts, the Fairy Tribe could distinguish the energy or even scent of a forest. So they never got lost in the forest and there was no one who could be their opponents.


    I never expected to actually confirm what I had read. It gave me goosebumps that he could guess the time I left my hometown.


    "Can the Fairies even figure that out?"


    Marsen smiled lightly at my uneasiness. "Ahahaha, my senses just became sensitive as I trained, so I guessed it right. If you¡¯ve been out of the forest for three years, the others probably can¡¯t sense the smell of the forest on you anymore.


    In other words, Marsen was a monster.


    "And also, you pretended not to, but you tried to cut me as soon as you saw me, didn''t you? People like those are usually the ones with a guilty conscience or the Crows."


    I answered immediately, "No, I didn¡¯t."


    It must have not been visible from the outside, so what''s wrong with his senses?


    "No way. Subtle martial aura? No, it can''t be called martial aura, but should I say that I felt the desire? I felt something like that.¡±


    "How can you feel something like that?"


    "Well, it''s hard to explain, but when you get to the level of Heart Sword, you feel it. Should I say that you can feel things like curses and people''s feelings that don''t have a physical form and cut them down?"


    Oh, come to think of it, it was not a vain remark considering my grandfather also cut down "Gaebolg," my lethal attack that was without physical form, a curse. This meant my grandfather was on the level of the legendary Heart Sword.


    "Hmm, it''s hard to explain.¡±


    "That''s fine. So what you¡¯re saying is that you catch innocent people without proof.¡± I snorted.


    Marsen stomped his foot, feeling wronged. "Ahh! No! I definitely felt that you wanted to cut me down!" he cried before sighing but immediately gave up persuading. "Phew, I''m not eloquent enough to convince someone who doesn''t believe me, so let''s move on. But for the last time, you¡¯re hiding it brilliantly, but I still felt martial aura from you."


    The last point was pointed out once before by the great elder of the Butterfly tribe. The great elder was a magician, so he didn''t notice it immediately, but Marsen knew it at once because he was a martial artist.


    "Well, I see,¡±  I admitted.


    Marsen looked surprised. "You don''t believe in the Heart Sword, but you do believe that I felt martial aura? Frankly, in the realm of the senses, they are similar."


    "Because I wasn''t trying to cut you down. It won¡¯t end with just a joke if I tried to cut you down, the leader of the delegation."


    Marsen clapped his hands and nodded at my words. "Oh! That''s why... Mmm, then since I answered your question, I''ll ask you a question this time,¡± he said brightly.


    I looked at him in ridicule and brought forth the reality. "Even if you answer my questions, I never said I''d answer your questions.¡±


    "What? Why? I¡¯ve answered you.¡±


    "Answering was all up to you and it¡¯s up to me if I want to answer. Did anyone tell you to answer?" I retorted shamelessly.


    Marsen scratched his head. "Hey, come on, just answer one question. It''s strange that a young Crow is strong enough to be on a par with me. Tell me who you are."


    Certainly, Marsen noticed at once that I was a Crow, but he didn''t seem to know who exactly I was or where I belonged in my hometown. Of course, considering the closed-off Fairy Tribe, even if they were to go back, they wouldn¡¯t be able to meet the people from my hometown. The problem was that while in the capital, there was a high possibility of meeting Uncle Bloody and people from my hometown. Lancelot was okay because we often met and hung out, but the other three were people who would inform my father immediately if they knew where I was.


    While I was contemplating, the Fairy woman next to Marsen frowned and spoke in the Fairy Tribe language.


    "Hey, you! You dare be so arrogant!? I¡¯m not that fluent in the empire¡¯s language so I didn''t understand the entire conversation, but this person here isn''t someone you can be arrogant towards!"


    I glanced at the Fairy woman and ignored her. Since I had decided to pretend that I didn''t speak their language, I didn''t have to acknowledge her words.


    "This guy!"


    Then the Fairy woman went into a rage and Marsen calmed her down.


    "Hey, calm down. Even if you speak for 100 days in our language, he won¡¯t understand." Marsen reminded her.


    Then, she spoke clearly. "No! I''m sure he can speak the Fairy Tribe¡¯s language. Or he would not have said that the act of attacking us in the empire would not end simply as a joke. That¡¯s because he knows we are the Fairy Tribe delegation!!"


    I thought she could hardly speak the empire¡¯s language, but I guess she was better than I thought.


    At her words, Marsen looked at me with a surprised face. Then he asked me in the Fairy Tribe¡¯s language, "Is it true you can understand the Fairy Tribe¡¯s language?¡±


    I replied with a smile, "Please speak in the empire¡¯s language."


    Marsen again looked at the Fairy woman and translated, "He is asking us to speak in the empire¡¯s language."


    The woman looked at me and asked in the empire¡¯s language. "You... You understand, don¡¯t you?"


    "What?" I asked back.


    Marsen spoke in the empire¡¯s language to explain it. "This friend says you know about us but are feigning ignorance. The only way you would know we are the delegation is because we had a conversation in the Fairy Tribe language, so she says you know the language. Do you know our language?"


    I shrugged my shoulders and answered slowly, "Well, it''s not wrong. But first of all, if there are people who speak a foreign language that is not usually heard at the time of the Fairy Tribe delegation¡¯s arrival, wouldn''t you think that they might be the Fairy Tribe?"


    The Fairy woman also shut up as if she roughly understood me. I added, to nail it home. "And isn''t it a little too much to carelessly say Marsen''s famous name and hope no one would know?¡±


    Listening to me, she fell to her knees blushing, and apologized to Marsen in the Fairy Tribe language.


    "I''m, I''m sorry. Because of this servant¡¯s carelessness in calling the Lord Guardian¡¯s name¡­! Whatever punishment you give me, I will receive it.¡±


    Marsen waved his hand as if it wasn¡¯t important. "It''s okay. I feel like that quick-witted Crow friend would have noticed it, even if you hadn¡¯t said anything anyway."


    Correct. Yesterday''s letter suggested that Marsen or his subordinate would come. I didn''t expect him to visit and while skipping the parade. However, it would also be strange not to connect the letter and a visit from a monster like him.


    Marsen smacked his lips and expressed his regret in the empire¡¯s language. "Well, if you don''t want to answer my question, I can''t help it. I''m not such a thug as to intimidate my friend''s people. Even more so if it''s a civil servant of the empire that I¡¯m visiting for the sake of peace."


    The friend would mean Galak Blade, my great-grandfather.


    "So who would you like for me to call?" I had my conjecture but nonetheless asked.


    Marsen nodded and said the name. "I''m looking for a friend named Hildegarn, who speaks the Fairy Tribe language very well. I sent a letter in advance."


    I took the original letter from Marsen out of my pocket. "This letter?"


    When I had interpreted it, Guild Director Glont asked me to find a dictionary and interpret it more perfectly just in case.


    "Huh? Why does the Crow friend have it?"


    "What do you mean, the seat that Hildegarn vacated after retirement is my current seat.¡±


    "What?! Hildegarn retired? Why?"


    Marsen looked like he was hit in the back of the head as if he had never considered the possibility of my predecessor retiring.


    Then the woman next to Marsen whispered in the Fairy Tribe language, "Lord Guardian, I heard that 20 years is a very long time for foreigners. So it''s not very strange that he retired."


    "Oh, really?" Marsen, with an enlightened face, soon became perplexed. "Then who¡¯s going to be the interpreter? I don''t know political terms or difficult words."


    "Wouldn¡¯t the empire have prepared interpreters? There wasn¡¯t necessarily a need to come all the way to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to look for one."


    "Hildegarn spoke our language better than the interpreters prepared by the empire. He didn¡¯t interpret it awkwardly or incorrectly.¡± Marsen grumbled at my words.


    Unfortunately, as I was thinking about how to keep my identity secret from Marsen, who was about to give up, three people abruptly kicked the door open and came in.


    The trio that entered in a trice were the Guild Director Glont, Rosellis, and Dane Walker.


    Dane Walker looked surprised after looking around urgently. "Huh? I''m sure I felt a clash of some frightening auras from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild." He wondered aloud when he saw the inside was still intact.


    What the three felt was likely the aftermath of my mana and Marsen''s martial aura clashing.


    "Oh, you mean that? That was me and young...¡±


    "Hang on!"


    I was in a hurry, so I cried out in the Fairy Tribe language. Then Marsen and the Fairy woman looked at me in surprise.


    "What? I thought you didn''t know how to speak the Fairy Tribe language.¡±


    When Marsen asked in the Fairy Tribe language, I asked back in the Fairy Tribe language as if I didn''t understand what he meant.


    "I never said that!¡±


    I never said I couldn''t speak the Fairy Tribe language.

 Chapter 254: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (7)

    "Why are you looking at me like that? Isn¡¯t it common knowledge for a civil servant to speak one or two foreign languages?" I spoke casually in the Fairy Tribe language.


    Marsen was dumbfounded and the Fairy woman next to him became furious.


    "If you can speak our language, you should have said so earlier!"


    "Why?"


    "What?"


    The Fairy woman looked at me dumbfounded and I shrugged.


    "There''s no reason for me to use the Fairy Tribe language that I''m not familiar with."


    "But out of consideration...¡±


    I cut off the Fairy Tribe woman.


    "Of course, I could do it out of consideration. But that''s something that someone who is being considerate should say, not someone who¡¯s inconsiderate."


    The Fairy woman was speechless.


    I added further. "And in the first place, it''s under the control of the Central Ceremony Department to host the delegation. Please contact them for such consideration." I handed it over to their jurisdiction, as was often done.


    Marsen laughed cheerfully at my words. "Hahaha! That''s true. This is the empire. Besides, it''s our fault for suddenly barging in."


    The Fairy woman seemed a little upset at Marsen''s words.


    "So why did you stop me, even going as far as to use my nation¡¯s language?" asked Marsen.


    I smiled and responded. "I don''t necessarily want others to know that I''m a Crow. Please keep it a secret."


    Marsen looked curious at my request. "Secret? Why are you trying to keep it a secret?"


    "I just want to live at ease and in peace. But people around me will keep bothering me if they know I am a Crow."


    Marsen poked his finger in his ear as if he had heard a strange sound. "Ease? Peace? Crow Tribe? Is there something wrong with my ears?"


    "There is nothing wrong with the Lord Guardian''s hearing. That is also what I heard.¡±


    He looked at me like I was a weirdo at the Fairy woman''s comment.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    "No, I thought the Crows were all combat freaks looking for fights."


    I laughed lightly at Marsen''s words. "There are always exceptions everywhere."


    Marsen thought for a moment, smiled mischievously, then asked, "Then what are you going to do for me keeping it a secret?¡±


    I waved my finger. "No, you should be asking me to not do anything, not do something."


    "What? Why?"


    Marsen tilted his head as if he didn''t understand me. It was the Fairy woman who understood instead.


    "So you¡¯re saying you won''t make a fuss, so please keep your identity a secret?"


    I flicked my fingers and smiled. "Bingo!"


    She growled with a distorted look on her face. "How arrogant! Even if you go on a rampage, do you think Lord Guardian would even bat an eye?!"


    "No, I''m at a loss.¡±


    It was Marsen who denied the Fairy woman''s words.


    "Yes?"


    "When I probed earlier, this friend is really good. I won¡¯t be able to easily subdue him if he''s serious."


    The woman was appalled.


    It was understandable that she was confused because Marsen was the reason she was able to come out confidently. To be honest, if there was a fight, it was more disadvantageous for them since they had something to protect. Of course, I would also have to risk my life to deal with him if he was serious.


    I crossed my arms and spoke triumphantly, "Ahem! I''m this good. The job I got to live peacefully is also a type of shackle, and so I won''t have to behave any longer if you reveal my secrets."


    The Fairy woman clenched her fist and was silent.


    Marsen, who had been pondering, proposed a deal with a big smile. "All right, well, in exchange for keeping quiet, you behave yourself, but in addition, let me know who you are."


    "What do you want to know my identity for?"


    Marsen shrugged lightly. "As a guardian knight in charge of protection of the delegation, it is unacceptable for a powerful man of unknown identity to be near us¡­ Is that enough?"


    I grinned. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just purely curious."


    Marsen was a colleague of my great-grandfather, so he had visited my hometown several times. It was my first time meeting him, but I''d heard roughly about his personality.


    "Hahaha! That''s true."


    "Well, that''s fine." I sighed helplessly and spoke with sound transmission magic.


    - A likely friend of yours, Galak Blade, is my great-grandfather.


    "What?! Really?"


    When Marsen was surprised, Guild Director Glont, the two platinum plate adventurers, along with the Fairy woman looked at Marsen, unable to determine what was going on.


    "Yes, it is true."


    "Ahahaha! My goodness! I¡¯ve met an unexpected fate! So, how''s he doing?"


    "I¡¯m not sure? He comes back to his hometown sometimes, but I don''t know because he is always roaming outside. Well, if it¡¯s that old man, I¡¯m sure he is taking good care of himself."


    He was even stronger than my grandfather, so he wouldn''t get beaten up anywhere.


    "Ahahaha! That''s true, too.¡± Marsen patted me on the shoulder.


    At that time, Guild Director Glont approached slowly. So far, because we were speaking in the Fairy Tribe language, he couldn¡¯t understand a thing, so he cautiously just watched.


    "Excuse me, are you the Guardian Knight of the Fairy Tribe delegation?¡± Guild Director Glont asked.


    Marsen smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Ahahaha, that''s right. I was only going to meet my friend secretly, but I accidentally got caught," he said in the empire¡¯s language.


    Glont introduced himself with a relieved look on his face. "Nice to meet you. My name is Glont, and I am in charge of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild."


    Marsen seemed immersed in some thoughts but soon clapped his hands. "Glont... oh! I heard of you when I visited the empire before. A promising rookie knight of the empire led a company and destroyed an Imperial State¡¯s Regiment."


    He was talking about something from over 20 years ago. As far as I knew, it was shortly after Guild Director Glont graduated from the Knights School that he destroyed the regiment''s headquarters with only a company of cavalry.


    When Marsen recollected Guild Director Glont, the eyes of the man himself opened wide as if had never thought the other would know about him.


    "It''s an honor that you remember me. Compared to Marsen-nim''s reputation, it is only embarrassing."


    Then the Fairy woman whispered quietly in Marsen''s ear who in turn smiled and said, "No, General Glont is famous even in our country. You are also called the hero of the old country.¡±


    Even at a glance, it was obvious he didn¡¯t know, so it was clear that the Fairy woman told him.


    Guild Director Glont also noticed the fact and smiled lightly. "Haha, it''s all stories from a long time ago. By the way, by friend, do you mean Mr. Hildegarn, who retired?¡±


    "Yes, I didn''t know he was retired." Marsen glanced at me and asked, "But what does that friend do?"


    "Do you mean Den? Was my subordinate discourteous?¡± asked Guild Director Glont.


    The Fairy woman''s lips shook, but she eventually kept her mouth closed.


    Marsen laughed cheerfully and said. "Ahahaha! What discourtesy! He''s a very pleasant guy. He''s also good at the Fairy Tribe language like us."


    At Marsen''s assessment, the Fairy woman glanced at me as if she was a little dissatisfied, but that was the extent.


    "Is that so? I''m glad.¡±


    "Oh! So that being said, do you mind if I take him as an interpreter instead of Hildegarn?"


    I almost screamed at Marsen''s words.


    "Interpreters have been prepared by the Central Ceremony Department to greet the delegation, but do you have a particular reason you would like to take my subordinate?"


    Good! Please kick him out just like that!


    Inside, I was cheering enthusiastically for Guild Director Glont but Marsen smirked at me.


    "Having spoken with him, he speaks the Fairy Tribe language better than Hildegarn. To be honest, I think he speaks better than I do."


    "Hahaha, it couldn¡¯t possibly be that good. And besides, Marsen-nim is fluent in the empire¡¯s language."


    "I speak a little of the empire¡¯s language, but I''m blind to the culture of the empire. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have to meet with the Great Khan of the Empire, but I''m afraid I might make a mistake."


    Marsen''s thoughts were not wrong. No matter how many people in the delegation could speak the empire¡¯s language, considering Marsen, who was also fluent, few seemed to be also fluent in the empire¡¯s culture.


    Guild Director Glont seemed to be contemplating the matter as he glanced at me.


    Please say no!


    "Well, certainly Marsen-nim has a point. All right, I will inform the director of the Central Ceremony Department and the prime minister. Instead, I will trust that you will take care of my subordinate¡¯s safety."


    I''m doomed!


    "Ahahaha! Of course. This friend''s skills, khmm! I will keep him safe."


    Marsen coughed and changed his words as I shot a subtle martial aura at him.


    Guild Director Glont came up to me and patted me on the shoulder. "Ohohoho, I''m sorry, but while the delegation is here, take good care."


    "Yes... I understand."


    At my disheartened reply, Guild Director Glont promised a reward vacation.


    That''s how I ended up as an unexpected interpreter.


    "Hahahaha! Please take care of us from now on. Cro...khmm! ¡®Civil servant¡¯ friend!¡±


    It felt like he was emphasizing the word "civil servant," but I couldn''t help it. I was a cog of a bureaucratic society where I had to do what I was told.


    -o-


    After briefly packing the things I needed, the place where I was taken away by Marsen was an embassy house temporarily set up near the palace for the Fairy Tribe. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t have a lot of time, but it was a very large building. The soldiers and magicians seemed to have been worked hard.


    "But why did you bring me here?¡± I asked.


    Marsen smiled and said, "I told you. We need an interpreter who''s good at the Fairy Tribe language and knows the culture of the empire."


    "Is that really all?"


    As I eyed him suspiciously, Marsen spoke while entering the embassy.


    "I''m the only one who can speak the empire¡¯s language properly, but I don''t know the etiquette of the empire, and the interpreters prepared by the empire are poor at the Fairy Tribe language."


    As soon as we entered the embassy''s residence, dozens of Fairy Tribe knights greeted us with a loud voice. "The Lord Guardian has arrived!"


    Marsen raised his hand lightly and answered the greeting.


    "Where is the Khan?"


    Marsen''s question was answered by a Fairy man who had the most amount of mana.


    "The Khan is currently on the third floor in the delegation office!"


    "I see. Oh, this is the interpreter who will interpret the empire¡¯s language by the Khan and my side from now on. He also has excellent martial arts skills, so if you want to fight, tell me later!"


    "Yes!"


    I cried out to Marsen in the empire¡¯s language, appalled by the loud response of the Fairy Tribe knights.


    "Hold on! Who are you telling to fight with who?!" I cried.


    Marsen looked at me rather curiously and spoke in the Fairy Tribe language, "Why? Aren¡¯t you content with them? Hmm, I suppose you may think they''re just little kids and nothing special, but they''re the elite of the guards who protect the Khan."


    At Marsen''s words, the gazes of the Fairy Tribe knights surrounding me were so hot that it was painful.


    "You''re doing this on purpose, aren''t you?¡±


    As I glanced at him, Marsen smiled mischievously and moved forward.


    "Come on, let''s go. I have to introduce you to the Khan."


    I followed Marsen upstairs, frowning as my head started to hurt.

 Chapter 255: The Fairy Tribe Delegation (8)

    On the third floor, the most noticeable were the two Fairy Tribe knights guarding the large room.


    "Loyalty! Welcome back."[1]


    Marsen raised his hand to receive the knights¡¯ salutes who greeted him in Fairy Tribe language.


    "Um, isn''t it too much to drag me out here all of the sudden and not even give me a break?"


    As I spoke in the empire¡¯s language with fingers behind my head, Marsen''s aide-de-camp frowned and warned.


    "If you behave so disrespectfully in front of Khan Palamut, you will be punished."


    "Ahahaha, it''s okay. Palamut isn''t a very uptight guy either."


    As soon as Marsen knocked on the door, he opened Khan''s office door before hearing an answer.


    When the door of the office opened abruptly, the young Fairy man was about to get angry but instead welcomed with a big smile when he saw Marsen.


    "You¡¯ve returned, Godfather!"


    That man was likely Khan Palamut, the one leading the delegation. I heard that he was over 50 years old, but seeing that he was still a young man, the Fairy''s body aging speed seemed to be very slow as I¡¯d heard. Judging from the mana and aura that I could feel from him, it seemed that aging had not slowed due to training. Compared to the people of my hometown, his skill level was around the middle. Of course, he¡¯d be able to handle the knights of the empire easily.


    ¡°Yes. Did you talk to the prime minister of the empire?" Marsen asked.


    The prime minister of the empire would be referring to Arcanta.


    Palamut smiled subtly. "Haha, as Godfather said, the interpreters they prepared were not good, so it ended quickly."


    Marsen smiled resignedly. "Well, isn''t that the same with the interpreters we prepared? There have been too few interactions between us to foster good interpreters."


    Palamut sighed and nodded. "Well, that''s true. And the man standing next to you is the friend Hildegarn that Godfather spoke of?"


    "No, he''s...¡±


    Marsen stopped talking and looked at me because I had asked him to keep my identity a secret.


    I took a step forward, bowing politely, holding my hands together in a pogun, and greeted in the Fairy Tribe language.[2]


    "Nice to meet you. This lowly one of the empire is called Den. It''s an honor to meet the honorable Khan who leads so many Fairies."


    Palamut and Marsen, as well as the Fairy woman who was Marsen''s aide-de-camp, seemed surprised.


    "Haha, you know the manner of our country well. It also seems you¡¯re fluent in our language," said Palamut.


    I smiled and said, "No. I am still lacking in education, so there will be times when I accidentally dampen the mood of the mighty Khan and Lord Guardian. I just ask you to have mercy on anything you may become upset about."


    At my request, Palamut rose from his seat, came next to me, and said, "No, rather, that''s a request that my group and I should make." He grinned, in a good mood, and told Marsen, "Hahaha, Godfather has resolved the worries of finding someone talented. I can''t believe you brought a friend who is so familiar with our culture and fluent with our vocabulary.¡±


    A dumbfounded Marsen came to his senses and nodded. "Oh, yeah. That''s right."


    Palamut tilted his head in wonder at the reaction of Marsen and his aide-de-camp. "Why are your reactions like that?"


    I answered, in place of Marsen, "Lord Guardian must have been nervous to bring me on a whim, who is less than my retired predecessor, and introduce me to the Khan."


    "Ahahaha! Is that so? That''s not like you, Godfather. You don''t need to be nervous. Looking at the friend you brought, I feel like I''ve obtained a thousand troops and horses."


    As Palamut smiled and spoke, Marsen nodded at me with a strange look.


    "Yes, I''m glad."


    Marsen''s gaze was full of discomfort as if he was scamming an innocent child.


    "I am grateful for your high opinions of me."


    The more I spoke, the more rapidly Marsen and Marsen''s aide-de-camp¡¯s expressions changed. They glanced at me, reading each other''s countenance.


    How unfair that their eyes are still full of complaints even though I was trying to be polite according to the Fairy Tribe''s cultural etiquette.


    "No, oh! Godfather, the interpreter who suddenly came and you also need to rest. Who''s out there?!"


    At Palamut''s cry, a knight guarding the door opened the door and entered.


    "Did you call?"


    "Yes, show Godfather, his aide-de-camp, and the interpreter to their rooms."


    "Loyalty! I will follow your orders. I will guide you all."


    At Palamut''s command, the two and I followed the Fairy knight.


    "Oh, work is good, but you take a good rest, too. If you work like that, you''ll get sick."


    "Yes, ok, Godfather. I''ll see you at dinner."


    Palamut waved with a nice smile and Marsen''s aide-de-camp and I bowed.


    After the door was completely closed, Marsen''s aide-de-camp gave me a look as if she had a lot of complaints.


    I spoke in the empire''s language so that no other Fairies could understand.


    "What''s wrong? I behaved politely, following etiquette as you wanted, but you seem to be full of complaints."


    "¡­No." Marsen''s aide-de-camp answered bitterly in the empire¡¯s language.


    Marsen laughed cheerfully and slapped me on the back. "Ahahaha! How unlike your family, I didn''t expect you to know our etiquette!"


    "It''s nothing. It''s just basic knowledge. I¡¯m interested in the magic of the Fairy Tribe, so it¡¯s just something extra I learned while studying. It¡¯s not worth bragging about it."


    What I said surprised him. "Magic? You, a Crow?"


    I warned, putting my index finger to my mouth, at his careless words. "Don''t speak in a way that it¡¯s audible to others."


    "Oh, sorry." He apologized gently.


    I smiled and said. "No, you spoke in the empire¡¯s language just now, and you can just be careful in the future. And I am a magician. Of course, I''ve learned swordsmanship, but it''s nothing compared to my magic."


    "What? Really? Considering that, your martial arts aura gives off a very intense feeling,¡± he said, surprised.


    I shrugged. "But it''s not like I can''t do swordsmanship and martial arts. I''m pretty much average in my hometown."


    "Oh! Really? Do you want to go for a round before dinner?"


    The way he spoke gave off the feeling of a high schooler, who had to stay at school for night studies, asking if you wanted to go to a PC room before having dinner.


    "Hmm, I''m not particularly tempted."


    I wasn''t tempted because to spar here meant revealing my skills to the Fairy Tribe.


    "You! This is good. Opportunity."[3]


    Marsen''s aide-de-camp, who started speaking in the empire¡¯s language, spoke in the Fairy Tribe language as her temper flared.


    "Hey! Do you even know how great an opportunity this is to say no? Receiving a lesson from Marsen-nim is an opportunity that even knights in our country dare not dream of!"


    Marsen''s aide-de-camp looked at me as if looking at a fool kicking treasure.


    Certainly, if I wasn''t a magician, I might have jumped into the fight with excitement.


    By the way, she looked pretty cute when she spoke in the Empire¡¯s language because she looked dumb, but the image was broken when she spoke in her native language.


    Marsen laughed at his aide-de-camp''s response and waved his hand. "Hahaha, it¡¯s not to that extent. But it''s also very helpful to compete against someone you don''t usually spar with. So let''s have a sparring match."


    Rather, because Marsen seemed to cling to me, his aide-de-camp seemed unhappy.


    At that time, the Fairy knight who was guiding us stopped walking and stood in front of a large door.


    "We have arrived. This is the room where Khan Palamut is staying, so Lord Guardian can stay in the room on the right. Lady Ophelia, the aide-de-camp, has a room directly connected inside Marsen-nim''s room, so you can stay there. By the way~" The Fairy knight glanced at me.


    "Oh, this guy''s gonna share a room with me. It was decided that I would take care of his safety when I borrowed him."


    At Marsen¡¯s words, the knight, who was guiding us, looked at me in surprise and saluted Marsen. "Then I will continue to guard Khan Palamut."


    "Okay, work hard."


    Gesturing at the knight going back the way he came, he entered the room.


    I followed inside and asked in the Fairy Tribe language so it would be easy for the aide-de-camp to hear as well, "But why did that knight look at me in surprise?¡±


    "It''s only natural since Marsen-nim, the Lord Guardian, only guards the Great Khan and the blood relatives of the Great Khan."


    "But why do you keep talking down to me?" I complained.[4]


    Marsen''s aide-de-camp snorted. "Obviously because I''m many times older than you."


    "How old are you?"


    "I''m ninety years old."


    Wow, that was almost five times as old as I was. It was similar to my grandfather''s age.


    "Please keep talking down to me, Grandma."


    "!?"


    The aide-de-camp clenched her fist at the title of grandma.


    "Gran-grandma?! I''m still young!"


    "Ayy, you¡¯re not young. If the average life expectancy of a Fairy is 150 years, and the average life expectancy of a normal person is 60 years, you would be around 36 years old, so that''s not really young!"


    I couldn''t finish my sentence because I was avoiding the sudden punch of the teary aide-de-camp. It may be different if medical treatment advances and the average life expectancy increases, but if the life expectancy is 60, then 36 was like the 50s in my previous life. No matter how I thought about it, I had to classify it as middle-aged.


    I looked at the tears at the corners of her eyes and asked Marsen, "Did I do something wrong?¡±


    He seemed at a loss and avoided meeting my gaze. "At least, touching a woman¡¯s age is not something a gentleman should do."


    Hmm, I don''t understand. Age is just a number anyway, so I don''t know why you would care so much.


    In particular, I couldn¡¯t understand since the Fairy Tribe did not show signs of old age until they were 100 years old.


    As his aide-de-camp continued to throw punches, Marsen stopped her.


    "I know you''re anxious that your youth is coming to an end, but still since you are on duty as a member of the delegation....¡±


    "Whose fault is it that I can¡¯t marry and am turning into a spinster!? How could you say that!?"


    There was no answer to this.


    I chose to flee in the gap while the arrow temporarily pointed to Marsen.


    "Hey! Where are you going?!"


    Marsen tried to grab me but I activated my martial arts to the maximum and left the room.


    ¡°I will wish you the best of luck.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I quickly closed the door and blocked his retreat. It would be troublesome to leave open a path of retreat and get swept up in the mess. I felt sorry for Marsen, but it would take time for the aide-de-camp to calm down, so I''d have to stay somewhere out of sight.


    Uuuu, how scary.


    I shook my head and went downstairs.


    1. Loyalty is the word they say when saluting.


    2. Pogun is a greeting where one puts one hand over their fist over their chest area and bows. Often seen in Asian martial arts for greetings.


    3. Author wrote it broken up like this.


    4. The aide-de-camp is speaking informally, with no honorifics.

 CH 256.

    "What do you mean the empire is preparing for war?" Taurus asked seriously.


    Scorpio answered lightly as if it were nothing, "Literally. Can¡¯t you figure it out from just looking at the current situation of the empire?"


    Taurus shook his head as if he didn''t know still, and Scorpio took out the map from her pocket space, helplessly, and spread it out.


    "It''s been decades since the empire has been expanding its military power under the pretext of the threat of the Demon Territory. The neighboring countries are wary of the expanding empire¡¯s power,¡± said Scorpio.


    Capricorn snorted as if it was an obvious thing. "It was only 28 years ago that the Blood Emperor¡¯s war of conquest was going on. The Imperial State has been completely destroyed, and our kingdom, which was confronting the southeastern border of the empire, was deprived of the Holy Land of Zaharam," said he. He ground his teeth so angrily to the point of it being audible.


    Taurus kept a heavy silence.


    Scorpio followed with a shrug and explained, "Since the kingdom that Capricorn originally belonged to was a place of contention with the empire over the Holy Land, fine, but the Magic Kingdom and the Trade Union, which had originally been in contact with the imperial state due to the imperial conquest war, also began to feel threatened."


    Capricorn clenched his teeth and raged, "In this situation, they are making peace with the Fairy Tribe Kingdom far away in the Southern part of the continent? In the end, it¡¯s not a good situation for our kingdom and the trade union, caught in the middle of the empire and the Fairy Tribe Kingdom."


    As if his anger had nothing to do with her, Scorpio calmly pointed to the location of the Fairy Tribe Kingdom on the map. "It is a typical tactic to form friendships with distant countries to attack nearby countries and expand their territories. It¡¯s evidence that the empire is revealing its sharpened claws and teeth and showing its true colors."


    The distance between the Fairy Tribe Kingdom and the empire was considerable. Taurus looked at the map seriously.


    "The present emperor is known to be moderate, but it''s all a matter of time before the conquered lands are absorbed. In the end, he¡¯s not by any means moderate. Taurus, you know that the best, don¡¯t you?" she asked in a playful tone.


    Taurus clenched his fist. "¡­I''m well aware of that." He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at her with calm yet hot eyes. "So what are we going to do?"


    Scorpio smiled playfully and said, ¡°We have to interfere, of course, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    "Huhut, I have an interesting way."


    Scorpio glanced at Taurus with eyes like a snake and smiled cruelly.


    -o-


    As I went downstairs, not only the Fairy knights but also the envoys in charge of the mission gathered and chatted.


    Then a Fairy knight who saw me asked with a pleasant smile, "Oh, isn''t this Mr. Interpreter that Marsen-nim brought? Are you fine not resting in your room?"


    I answered with a smile, "I live in the capital, and I am not tired enough to take a rest. And right now, it''s a little...¡±


    They all smiled bitterly.


    "Marsen-nim must have made a slip of the tongue again."


    "Aide-de-camp, Lady Ophelia, must be prone to hysteria?¡±


    They responded as if it was expected and natural.


    "It must be a pretty common occurrence?¡±


    "Yes, Marsen-nim is a man who loves to wander from place to place. And because she has been following him around, she hasn¡¯t had the opportunity to date a boyfriend. She''s usually competent, but she''s a little hysterical when the topic of age is brought up."


    The Fairy knight who was speaking so casually shut up and turned blue. Looking back at the direction he was looking, Marsen''s aide-de-camp was coming down the stairs.


    "Sir Natalie."


    When Marsen''s aide-de-camp, Ophelia, calmly called his name, the Fairy knight, who was exaggerating to me, saluted with a rigid gesture and stated his rank and name.


    "Major Natalie Patalehine!¡±


    Ophelia slowly walked down the stairs and spoke coldly, "I understand now what you usually think of me."


    "Ah, no!"


    "What''s no?" she remarked.


    The Fairy knight named Natalie stuttered in a cold sweat. "Well, that''s...¡±


    "Isn''t it that you normally regard me as a hysterical superior?"


    "No!"


    What do you mean, no, she seems to be hysterical right now.


    It seemed fun to see her scolding her subordinates, but I decided to appropriately change the subject since I was an outsider.


    "But is Marsen-nim in his room?" I asked.


    Ophelia put on a tearful face but quickly wore a fake smile. ¡°Who knows? I don''t really know.¡±


    "Why are you speaking formally all of a sudden...¡±


    "I said I don''t know."


    The aura of ¡®don¡¯t talk to me¡¯ that she was letting out was quite scary. She must be really angry that I called her a grandma.


    Ophelia went out to the backyard, saying she was tired.


    As she disappeared completely, the Fairy knight, rigid with a salutation posture, drooped on the sofa with a sigh of relief.


    "Aiya, thank you. Thanks to you, I survived."


    I smiled and shook my head. "No, it¡¯s nothing."


    "Mr. Interpreter may misunderstand Colonel Ophelia-nim, but she''s usually kind and doesn''t get angry."


    Given that everyone nodded their heads at those words, her usual impression must be good.


    "Maybe it''s because we are in an unfamiliar foreign country, but I think she is very on the edge today. Please don''t view her through tinted glasses."[1]


    I nodded at the request. "Of course."


    I thought it was probably because of me and not because she was in a foreign country. All right, let''s pretend I don''t know.


    Then Marsen stuck his head out from the stairs upstairs.


    "Did Ophelia leave?"


    While scoping out the surroundings, Marsen came down with a sigh of relief when he didn¡¯t see his aide-de-camp.


    "Natalie, tell the chef I''m asking for a sweet dessert today.¡±


    "Yes, sir!" The Fairy knight headed for the kitchen.


    "Ophelia is strangely delicate, so please be careful." Marsen requested.


    "I will be careful." I smiled and nodded playfully.


    He put his arm around my shoulder, smiled, and said, "Now, shall we go for a little spar?


    The Fairy knights were surprised and looked at the two of us.


    "Wasn''t it a joke that Mr. Interpreter¡¯s is quite skillful at martial arts?"


    "I wasn¡¯t joking? Right?" Marsen looked at me and asked.


    I sighed while frowning. "It is not much compared to Marsen-nim."


    He didn¡¯t even listen to me and pointed to the building floor plan that was hung against the wall.


    "It turns out they''ve got a training hall in the basement. It''s made sturdy by magic, and most attacks won¡¯t even leave a scratch, so let''s have a match there."


    The basement training hall was likely a consideration provided by the empire so their training would not be seen.


    Without anything else to do, I followed Marsen to the basement training hall. All the Fairy knights found it interesting and came down to the basement together.


    The hall was underground but was bright with magic, void of the humid smell as if it was well ventilated.


    "No matter how strong the magic here is, if Marsen-nim runs wild here, it¡¯ll be destroyed," I said, lifting up a practice iron sword arranged in the corner of the training hall.


    "I know," Marsen answered lightly and swung with the practice iron sword.


    I don''t know if he actually knows.


    "Let''s not use mana."


    Marsen puckered his lips as if he was dissatisfied with my suggestion, which I made in case the building might really be destroyed.


    "Ayy, then it won¡¯t feel like a fight," he complained.


    The Fairy knights tried to stop him.


    "Do you intend to destroy the embassy?"


    "Please hold it in. You can just fight General Bloody to your heart''s content later?"


    At the dissuasion of his subordinates, Marsen grumbled, "I get it," and walked to the center of the training hall.


    I reckoned that when I later meet Uncle Bloody, I¡¯ll need to at least wear the glasses that interfere with recognition, and stand in front of Marsen.


    "I''ll give you the first move."


    "Then gratefully, I will go first."


    I quickly narrowed the distance and stabbed Marsen in the neck.


    Kang!


    Marsen grabbed his sword and pulled it up to block my stab precisely. I turned the blocked sword sideways and brushed against his sword and aimed at his neck again, but he put strength into both hands and struck away my sword.


    I took advantage of the momentum of being pushed, spun once, and cut hard at Marsen''s shoulder, but Marsen quickly swung the sword to block it.


    Kang!


    During the match of strength with our clashed swords, I tried to kick Marsen''s inner leg. He lifted his right leg and blocked it with his shin and at the same time, both of us stepped back two steps and opened the distance.


    ¡°Let''s end the probing here.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    "Then I''m coming this time."


    Marsen quickly narrowed the distance again. His sword came stabbing towards my chest, and I retreated to avoid it, and while doing so lowered my body and slashed at his leg.


    He came at me but grabbed my shoulders and jumped over while spinning in the air, and tried to cut my back.


    Kang!


    I quickly turned to block his sword and rushed forward to push hard. He was competing in strength in the air, had no land to support his body, and instead turned his body and dispersed the force.


    "Hut!"


    He stabbed my temple as he landed the somersault. I tilted my head to avoid his sword and cut upwards aiming for his chin.


    He pulled back and did a roundhouse kick. The gap with him was too narrow to avoid, so I lifted my knee to defend my side.


    "Keuk!¡±


    I was pushed far away by his kick and regained my stance immediately again. The blow was heavy even though he was not using mana at all. It was to the extent that the leg that I blocked with was numb.


    He was a monster with no equal.


    Marsen smiled and said, "As expected, you¡¯re strong. Should I say that it¡¯s only obvious?"


    "The Lord Guardian is not at all decrepit for his age."


    My muscular strength had grown dramatically as I grew physically for three years away since I left my hometown, which was how I was able to block his kick. Three years ago, without mana, I would have been sent flying into a wall.


    Likewise, Marsen, who was straightening his posture, suddenly asked, "By the way, how old are you?"


    "I am nineteen this year."


    He seemed interested in my response. Then, he replied in the empire¡¯s language so that people around us could not understand it, "If it¡¯s nineteen years old, is that the same age when your father left his hometown? Like father, like son.¡±


    I asked back in the empire¡¯s language, "Have you ever met my father?¡±


    Marsen smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Yes, the young one was very strong. At the age of nineteen, he managed a draw against me, so I can''t wait to see how strong he must be now.¡±


    My father indeed. A nineteen-year-old managed a draw with a monster who was always mentioned in the discussion of the world''s strongest.


    "My father will be pleased if you visit him later. He always complained that there was no one to fight with."


    "Ahahaha! I understand that feeling. It''s very boring if there''s no one to compete with."


    Marsen smiled and raised the sword again, and I also pointed my sword.


    ¡°Let''s slowly finish up.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    At the same time we finished speaking, we rushed towards each other.


    1. Don¡¯t form preconceived notions.

 CH 257.

    "Thank you for your hard work."


    I greeted Marsen with the sword broken in half. It was decided that the spar was my loss because my practice sword broke in half. In fact, even if the sword did not break, I would have lost in the end because I was overwhelmingly lagging in swordsmanship.


    Marsen smiled refreshingly, putting the scratched-up practice iron sword over his shoulder. "Thanks for putting up with my compulsion. It''s surprisingly fun to spar with just pure swordsmanship without using any mana."


    He stretched as if he had warmed up after a long time.


    "By the way, did you learn swordsmanship from that Weger kid? It''s Weger''s swordsmanship style, the way you pretend to do some technique but overpower with strength," he asked in the empire¡¯s language.


    I nodded and answered in the same tongue, "Yes, although he is a little too old to be called a kid now.¡±


    "Oh, is that so? Well, it''s already been a while. Maybe I should stop by Olympus sometime.¡±


    After the spar, Marsen and I put the swords back where they were, and the Fairies who were watching gathered around me.


    "Are all the empire¡¯s interpreters this good at swordsmanship?"


    "Even though mana wasn¡¯t used, it''s the first time I''ve ever seen a match so even against Marsen-nim!"


    ¡°Please spar with me next time!¡±


    ¡°No, with me!¡±


    It was Marsen who stopped the sudden influx of Fairies.


    "You guys! You¡¯re putting Den in a tough spot! Shoo! Shoo!¡± Marsen waved his hand like chasing away flies.


    The fairy knights complained.


    "Booo! How can Marsen-nim try to monopolize Mr. Interpreter?¡±


    "Let us spar, too!¡±


    Seeing them gathering around, asking to spar, it felt as if I had come back to my hometown. I gave a dry cough and calmed the knights down. "Hmmhmm! I know a little swordsmanship, but my mana is nothing much, so it''s too much to fight one after another."


    The Fairy knights exclaimed regretfully.


    Mana was like stamina, so no matter how good your skills were, it was impossible to fight back to back if you lacked mana. Of course, that wasn''t the case with me.


    Marsen looked at me as I lied thick-faced but lightly ignored me.


    "And my skills are still low. It''s because Marsen-nim went easy on me, but if he had not, I would have lost in one blow."


    "No, I didn¡¯t go ea-, ugh!"


    I stepped on Marsen''s foot, who was being tactless.


    "It''s almost dinner time, so we should get ready for dinner," I said.


    Then, Marsen spoke to me as if he had suddenly remembered, "Oh, come to think of it, Palamut wants you to teach him the table manners of the empire, so let''s have dinner together."


    "Could you¡¯ve at least told me that before the spar?¡±


    I was going to wash up after dinner, but I had to wash up right now because of the sweat from sparring.


    "Ahahaha! Sorry."


    I asked as I unwrapped the collar of my sweat-sticking Adventurers¡¯ Guild uniform, "Where is the shower room?"


    "The men''s shower room is on the first floor, at the end of the hallway on the right," one of the Fairy knights answered.


    It was a good thing that I carried an extra uniform in my pocket space. Of course, I did have a high-end suit that could perfectly replace the uniform that Duke Asteria had bought me a few months ago when we visited the capital for the state conference.


    Tomorrow, I had to enter the palace as an interpreter, but I was reluctant to wear plain clothes for official duties.


    "Come on, let''s all go up!" Marsen said.


    The gathered Fairy knights went up to the first floor with disappointment.


    Marsen whispered to me when he saw his subordinates going up, "Later, let''s use mana and magic to spar with all our might.¡±


    He said so unilaterally and went up first while humming happily.


    I followed with a scoff.


    -o-


    Arcanta looked at the documents, busier than ever. "I didn''t think the level of interpreters who know how to speak the Fairy Tribe language would be so horrible." He sighed.


    William, who was sipping tea next to him, shrugged. "Well, the level of difficulty of the Fairy Tribe language is too high. The fact that there was almost no trade between our countries also played a part.¡±


    The prime minister snorted at the excuses on behalf of the interpreters.


    "But isn''t it a problem that interpreters who are paid by the country''s taxes have the vocabulary of a child? I''m going to fire them all.¡±


    While the matter was brought up, Arcanta ordered the interpreters to be demoted far away to the provinces. Interpreters were also civil servants, so they could not be fired easily.


    Having received the instructions, the deputy drafted and sent documents to the personnel manager of the Central Ceremony Department.


    "I''m telling you, when I met Khan of the Fairy Tribe, I was stunned by the interpretations. I was lucky to have you there,¡± said Arcanta and sighed.


    William spoke as if it were nothing, "I wasn''t that good at speaking in the Fairy Tribe language either. It''s too hard. Oh, by the way, didn''t you say that Mr. Glont''s subordinate went to the Fairy Tribe embassy as an interpreter?"


    Arcanta nodded.  "I heard that the Guardian Knight of the Fairy Tribe took him with him, saying that he was better at Fairy Tribe language than he was. Was his name Den?"


    Arcanta recalled Den, who was a boarder in a boarding house run by his mother as a hobby.


    "Huh? The one who went as the interpreter is Den?" William was surprised.


    Arcanta wondered then recalled the relationship between the two. "Oh, he¡¯s your nephew''s friend. I heard you''ve met him a few times?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve met him a few times because my father was quite interested in him."


    "If it''s your father, the Great Elder-nim?" Arcanta was astonished.


    William sipped the cold tea and replied, "My father says he''s a talented but a rude brat, so he occasionally meets to teach him."


    The truth was that he wanted to meet for the research on the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic but William didn''t know.


    "If Great Elder-nim says he''s talented, does that mean he¡¯ll become a madosa later?"


    Arcanta was sullen to have had him taken away by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. He would have been very useful if he had brought him to the treasury office and raised him directly, but what a shame.


    Seeing him assisting Duke Asteria at the side at every state conference gave him a rough idea.


    Should I steal him away?


    He couldn''t help but get greedy considering that he was good at document processing, accounting skills, and fluent in Fairy Tribe language, which would play an important role in magic in the future.


    Arcanta muttered to himself, licking his lips, but William smiled bitterly.


    "Haha, perhaps, but it¡¯s more likely because of Yuria. It was like that when I was a kid too, but my father doesn''t restrain himself when it¡¯s related to the family."


    In William¡¯s eyes, he was a polite boy who couldn¡¯t be politer and was Yuria¡¯s friend. However, in the eyes of his father, he seemed to be a shameless person who wanted to take away his granddaughter. He was proud of and respected his father, but honestly, he was also embarrassed by that side of his father.


    "Hahahaha, he certainly was like that two years ago when we were here for the currency reform." Arcanta laughed.


    William became embarrassed, sighed, and changed the subject. "By the way, I don¡¯t see Bloody. Where did he go?"


    Arcanta dropped the document he was checking with a serious face. "Bloody went to capture Capricorn.¡±


    William was taken aback. "By Capricorn, you mean the Hunter Tribe warrior from Operation Spider Trap eight years ago?¡±


    "Yes, a woman who is the head of the Big Mama Information Agency headquarters has handed over circumstantial evidence to Bloody that Capricorn has entered the capital."


    "That''s why he¡¯s tracking Capricorn alone? What about the seal?¡±


    Bloody¡¯s strength was half sealed by the noble faction to be kept in check. As William worried, Arcanta smiled.


    "I''ve given him a tool to temporarily unlock the seal.¡±


    Originally, it was an act that could come under criticism by the noble faction, but it had to be done because they had to succeed in the exchange with the Fairy Tribe.


    "It''s essential to join hands with the Fairy Tribe to prevent war.¡±


    The Kingdom and the Trade Union, who had allied with the Hunter Tribe, were secretly preparing for war against the empire. Likewise, the empire was preparing for war, but war was expensive and they did not want to waste as much money as possible.


    If the talks with the Fairy Tribe went well and the alliance, successful, not only would the empire not have to go to war but could also implement foreign policies to pressure them without fighting.


    "But still, wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous going alone?¡± William voiced his concern.


    Arcanta shrugged. "Well, since it¡¯s Bloody, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Is he the type to get hurt?"


    "No, I''m not worried about him getting hurt, rather if the surroundings will be okay. Have you forgotten the noble street that Bloody destroyed when he was unsealed eight years ago?"


    Arcanta''s face turned pale when he realized William was asking if it was okay to not have someone go who could stop Bloody.


    "Do... Do I have to send someone?"


    "I recommend you do.¡±


    There was no need to worry about the safety of the Fairy Tribe as long as the Guardian Knight Marsen was there. However, who would ensure the safety of the capital where an unbridled Bloody might run wild? Arcanta stared into the air and avoided reality.


    "General Glont''s subordinate¡¯s role as an interpreter will be important.¡± He said things that didn''t match the flow of the conversation and decided to tackle the things that were bad for his stomach later.


    However, 24 hours later, Arcanta regretted that he didn¡¯t tackle the issue immediately.


    -o-


    It''s been a day since I was brought in as an interpreter.


    Dinner was of course, but breakfast also had to be with Palamut to teach imperial court etiquette and table manners. In addition, after he heard that I had sparred with Marsen the previous night, I also had to do a simple spar with him at his request.


    At Marsen''s behest, I went easy and lost on purpose, but Palamut was quick-witted and threw a tantrum so I had to fight him again multiple times.


    "I apologize for that. I''m sorry."


    On our way to the palace, Marsen apologized to me for having to continue to spar with Palamut.


    "I don''t accept purely verbal apologies."


    At my blunt words, Marsen laughed cheerfully.


    "Ahhahaha! All right. Regardless of what and when I''ll do you one favor."


    ¡°Lord Guardian!¡±


    Marsen''s aide-de-camp Ophelia was surprised and tried to stop him, but I grabbed his hand before he could take back his words.


    "Sounds good. A man never goes back on his word."


    "Of course!" Marsen smiled cheerfully and nodded gladly.


    Ophelia frowned as if she was getting a headache.


    Finally, the carriage, which entered the inner palace, stopped in front of the building and an imperial servant came out to meet the carriage.


    "I will guide you from here on out. It would be appreciated if the knights could come down from their horses."


    Without my need to interpret, the servant spoke skillfully in the Fairy Tribe language.


    "If there was someone who could speak the Fairy Tribe language this well, shouldn''t I not be here?" I asked.


    Marsen scratched his cheek. "Yeah, that''s weird. Palamut said there was no one who could speak the Fairy Tribe language."


    He then ordered the knights to dismount at the servant¡¯s request, and the Fairy knights carried out the order in unison.


    "Only selected people can be armed within the imperial palace, so those armed, please go to the left. Those unarmed, please follow me." said the servant.


    Marsen and the Fairy knights, who were armed, went to the left. I wasn¡¯t, so I stood by Palamut''s side.


    Then the servant approached me and apologized. "You''re an interpreter, aren''t you? I''m sorry, but could you go over there and help them with the disarming? I''m the only one who can speak the Fairy Tribe language, and I''ve been ordered to assist Khan Palamut."


    At the request of the servant, I delivered the servant¡¯s words directly to Palamut.


    Palamut readily nodded and said yes. "Go ahead. Godfather can speak the empire¡¯s language, but he doesn¡¯t know of the empire¡¯s etiquette."


    Certainly, I did give Palamut a quick rundown on the etiquette, but Marsen just slept like a log. I felt a bit uncomfortable, but Palamut told me to go, so I headed in the direction Marsen went.


    "Huh? Why are you coming this way?"


    At Marsen''s question, I said the truth and he smiled cheerfully putting his arms on my shoulders. I chatted with him and went the direction as we were told to, but no servant appeared to assist in disarming.


    "Hmm, this is strange."


    "What?"


    I was going to tell Marsen what the strange part was, but then, a servant bleeding from his stomach quickly walked towards us quickly from afar.


    "Trouble, big trouble! Fake servant, cough! The Khan... of the Fairy Tribe!"


    No one could understand anything except me and Marsen because he spoke in the empire¡¯s language. But seeing the bloody servant, everyone froze.


    After understanding the servant¡¯s words, Marsen exhaled killing intent and pulled out his sword.


    "Khan is in danger!"


    He pulled out a sword and ran to the place where he split ways with Palamut.


    But there was no Palamut, only the unarmed Fairy envoys laid out on the floor covered in blood.

 CH 258.

    Amid the bloodied Fairies were similarly bloodied imperial servants and soldiers.


    I don''t know who the perpetrator was, but it was certainly not anyone ordinary to be able to penetrate the crazy magic circle protecting the palace and pull this off. Still, there were only a few deaths thanks to the interference of the magic circle.


    "Get back! We''re starting treatment!" I cried.


    Marsen hurriedly pulled back the Fairy knights.


    "Oh! You said you were a magician, right? Everybody back off!" Marsen shouted.


    The flustered Fairies stepped back, and I took out Elder Mirpa¡¯s special recovery potion from my pocket space and sprayed it all over the place. The wounds of the injured quickly healed because it was a magic potion that was effective enough to even reattach a cut off arm.


    "Kkeuaaaah!"


    "Uaaaak!"


    However, although the effect was good, one had to struggle in extreme pain while healing as a side effect, but it was better than dying.


    "The effects are amazing."


    Even in the urgent situation where Palamut disappeared, Marsen could not hide his admiration.


    I forced awake one of the Fairy envoys who had fainted from struggling with the healing pain.


    "Ugh...!¡±


    I slapped the Fairy envoy, who was still unconscious, and asked, "Wake up! Where is Khan Palamut? And what happened?¡±


    Hearing Palamut''s name, the envoy woke up and shouted in an urgent voice, "Khan has been kid-kidnapped! Ugh!"


    "By whom? Why?!" Marsen got stirred up and growled.


    I reached my hand out to Marsen to calm him down and said to the Fairy envoy calmly, "First of all, tell us what the kidnapper looked like."


    ¡°Looked, like, keuk! Dressed as a servant of the empire...¡± The Fairy envoy exhaled harshly from having yet to fully heal.


    "Servant of the empire!" Marsen cried.


    "He means dressed up as a servant of the empire. Please calm down!" I said.


    Marsen was releasing so much killing intent to the point it was suffocating, so Ophelia and I calmed him down.


    "Please continue talking. What happened?¡±


    I cast magic on the Fairy envoy, who was breathing hard, so he wouldn''t feel pain.


    When the pain disappeared, the Fairy envoy quickly explained what had happened. "The servant who was guiding us suddenly took out a magic wand from the air and attacked us. Then he removed a layer from his face and a red mask appeared underneath."


    "A red mask?¡±


    "Yes, and the gender also suddenly changed into a woman."


    Marsen asked impatiently, "Which way did the kidnapper go?"


    The Fairy envoy struggled to point in the direction that the kidnapper went, with his shaky hands. "That... that way."


    "All right! Ophelia, take command of the guard! I¡¯ll track down Palamut!" Marsen immediately flew in the direction pointed by the Fairy envoy.


    I took out a mask with a recognition interference magic and recovery potion from my pocket space and threw it at Marsen.


    Receiving my items, Marsen had a curious look on his face.


    "The potion is the same recovery potion as now. You have to consider if the Khan is hurt."


    Marsen nodded heavily.


    "Wear the mask. There''s a recognition interfering magic on it, so it''ll be more convenient to move about. And there''s also location tracking magic on it, so we can always locate you."


    I had originally made the mask to hide the appearance of the dragon tooth soldiers who had the looks of skeletons and check their locations.


    "Thanks!"


    Marsen carefully put the potion in his clothes and wore the mask. Then, he jumped up the wall surrounding the palace and disappeared.


    After seeing him, I wore the pair of recognition interfering glasses and checked Marsen''s real-time location and asked the Fairy envoy.


    "Did the kidnapper say anything? For example, the purpose, or any nonsense like some kind of ritual."


    The Fairy envoy closed his trembling eyes and thought hard. "Come to think of it, the kidnapper did have a conversation with the Khan, but I didn''t hear it properly and fainted... I''m sorry."


    "No, it¡¯s ok, just let me know if you remember anything." After saying so, I used magic to wake up those who had fallen. "Now, Mr. Servant over there, you should quickly inform the superiors of the imperial court of what happened here. I also need you to tell me the rest of what happened."


    At my instruction, the highest-ranking servant ran to the residence of the prime minister, and I bowed my head to the Fairy knights and apologized. "I am very sorry that you all encountered such a disgraceful event in the empire. There is nothing more that I can say other than I am sorry. I apologize as a civil servant of the empire. I know our credibility has been lost as this happened in the palace, but we promise to do our best to find Khan Palamut."


    I don''t know exactly what the purpose of the kidnapper was, but if it was aimed at breaking the harmony between the empire and the Fairy Tribe, then it could be considered to be a success. It was a grave mistake that the empire couldn¡¯t avoid responsibility over allowing an attack on the Fairy Tribe¡¯s delegation and kidnapping of the Khan, especially in the palace. If something went awry here, we would have to include the Fairy Tribe nation on the list of enemies.


    Caradoc, Tristan.


    At my call, the two responded with their thoughts.


    - Did you summon, Commander-in-chief?


    - Did you summon me, Master?


    It''s work. I need you guys to find someone.


    I quickly explained the situation and ordered them.


    Tristan, track down Khan Palamut. The opponent is presumed to be at least a madosa level magician, but you can do it, right?


    Tristan answered my question confidently.


    - Of course. Even just the number of Giant magicians and witches I assassinated is in the thousands. Compared to assassination, tracking is simple.


    This time, I ordered Caradoc.


    Caradoc, use the dragon tooth soldiers to conduct a covert search. The kidnappers should not be revealed if possible, even to the empire.


    - It should be no problem, Commander-in-Chief. It''s easy to move the dragon tooth soldiers who are faithful to commands compared to instructing soldiers who have their own will.


    Caradoc was also confident.


    All right, let''s move.


    They answered in unison.


    - I receive your orders.


    - I receive your orders.


    Mana began to slip out of the Miracle Crystal in large chunks from my pocket space. I don''t know who the kidnappers were, but they were annoying me.


    -o-


    Scorpio put Palamut, who was being floated in the air with magic, on the floor of the basement and pretended to wipe the sweat off above the red mask.


    "Whoa, that was hard."


    "Not to mention sweating, you¡¯re not even tired, so don¡¯t be a crybaby."


    Capricorn snorted and Scorpio laughed mischievously.


    "Oh my! You¡¯re too much. Do you know how hard it is to get through that outrageous magic circle with no equal? And I''ve had to toil hiding this great figure underneath men''s clothes."


    It sounded as if it was harder to dress up as a man than to break through the magic circle. When Scorpio winked with her hands on her waist, Capricorn and Taurus pretended to gag.


    "Yuck!"


    "Ohohoho! Your reactions are too much!¡±


    Scorpio smiled but also truly emitted killing intent.


    Taurus, not caring whether Scorpio was emitting killing intent or not, asked her, "But did you really kidnap the head of the Fairy Tribe delegation?" He looked at Palamut and her alternately, apparently not very pleased.


    Scorpio nodded as if it were natural and seated Palamut in a hard chair.


    "Well, it''s good to say that this kidnapping has destroyed the empire and the Fairy Tribe alliance.¡±


    "But this savage method of kidnapping is a little...¡±


    Capricorn sneered at Taurus as he trailed off.


    "Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Did the empire kill refugees from the Imperial State because they were benevolent?¡±


    Taurus''s aura became violent at Capricorn''s words. The latter burst into laughter at his reaction.


    "Ha ha! Aquarius taught his disciple too gently. As a teacher, he is insane, that¡¯s why his disciple¡¯s mental state is like that! If you''re angry, try hitting your opponent and see what happens!"


    "Don''t insult my Master as a person who abandoned your younger brother to survive cowardly!"


    ¡°What did you say! You trash!¡±


    Taurus gnashed his teeth and exploded his killing intent, and Capricorn matched it accordingly.


    Scorpio clapped her hands and put up a barrier to prevent the killing intent from their battle of nerves from leaking out, and eased the tension. "Now, now, don''t fight. We''ll be doing the same as per the original plan, so Taurus, you can protect that kid, Khan.¡±


    She sighed and dragged out Capricorn, who was still grinding his teeth.


    "Phew, I''m the pitiful one to be working with these things."


    As the two left, Taurus sighed and sat in an empty chair.


    Palamut, who he thought had fainted at the time, gently raised his head and asked in a slightly murky language of the empire, "You don''t seem to get along very well with them.¡±


    Taurus looked at him in surprise. "You¡¯re awake?"


    "Ahh, should I keep sleeping? If you let out killing intent like that, anyone would wake up." He smiled bitterly at his arms and legs that were tied firmly.


    Taurus looked curiously and asked, "You know how to speak the empire¡¯s language?"


    "Not much compared to Godfather. No, it''s lacking, but I can. I studied to be able to lead the delegation. I''d like you to talk like a turtle if possible,¡± he said awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh, you want me to speak slowly?¡± Taurus smiled and asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Palamut nodded.


    "You said kidnapping was savage. And got angry at the one who insulted your teacher. You seem to be of a different class than the woman who kidnapped me, so why are you associating with such a nefarious person?" asked Palamut.


    Taurus shut his mouth tightly.


    ¡°Is it ok to answer?¡± asked Palamut.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Taurus.


    "Oh, because my language of the empire is overflowing."


    "It''s lacking."


    "Oh, the empire¡¯s language is difficult.¡±


    The two, who were exchanging such a conversation, smirked and laughed.


    "But aren''t you a little relaxed for someone kidnapped?" Taurus was dumbfounded.


    Palamut laughed cheerfully. "Hahaha, they say even if you''re taken away by a tiger, you''ll live as long as you¡¯re relaxed."


    "It¡¯s if you get your act together."


    Palamut smiled lightly at Taurus''s point.


    "This or that. I¡¯m more concerned about my colleagues than me. I was not injured, but they were seriously injured, so their lives would be in danger. I hope there is a good healer in the palace."


    Taurus admired Palamut''s words.


    "You''re a rare strong individual. You don''t even know what''s going to happen after you''ve been kidnapped."


    "Haha, the King must be strong. Otherwise, it would be all those under me who would be anxious. The Great Khan taught me that I should be able to smile even if a knife comes towards my throat."


    "I see.¡±


    Palamut smiled lightly as Taurus nodded seriously.


    "Well, actually, it''s not that I¡¯m strong, but rather, I just believe in my godfather."


    Palamut''s belief in Marsen was absolute. If there was any concern, it was that the Guardian Knight might destroy the streets of the capital in search of him.


    Wouldn''t it be sad if the streets of the beautiful capital were burnt to the ground before he had the opportunity to see it?


    Taurus lowered his head heavily at Palamut''s faith.


    "Actually, you''re not their objective." Taurus confessed.


    Palamut smiled.  "I know. The one with the loose lips who introduced herself as Scorpio said so. Their target is my godfather." He snorted as if it were ridiculous.


    "The reckless are insane."


    Palamut''s faith did not change.

 CH 259.

    I did the final treatment of the wounded who had survived a life-threatening crisis and then classified them into those who needed continuous care and those who didn''t. With this, the imperial court should be able to take care of the patients themselves.


    Marsen''s aide-de-camp Ophelia, a witness to my quick handling of the situation, was amazed.


    "So you weren¡¯t lying about being a magician. I didn''t know you were such a great healer on top of that."


    I pointed out two things to her. "First of all, what I used is not healing, but alchemy. And why are you suddenly speaking with honorifics?¡±


    She blushed and let out a fake cough. "Khmm! I was wrong up until yesterday. It was rude of me to speak informally when you were in a position to do us a favor that was close to being forced to do so. I officially apologize."


    Her apology stunned me.


    "No, it''s natural, considering your age.¡±


    "I¡¯m!"


    Ophelia, who cut me off with a shout full of murderous aura, took a deep breath and forced a smile.


    "Whoah, I''m not that old. You must consider the average life expectancy of the Fairy Tribe and that of the general population before comparing them.¡±


    I wanted to say that 90 years old was still old but swallowed it for now.


    "And I was scolded for speaking informally by Marsen-nim. He said your relationship with him and your relationship with me are completely different, and so, just because he was speaking informally, did not mean I can as well."


    Certainly, Marsen was a friend of my great-grandfather and practically the actual leader of the delegation, and therefore a person of high status to me personally and also publicly. Ophelia, on the other hand, was a complete stranger to me and it was difficult to establish a hierarchical relationship between us.


    She became slightly sullen, and bowed her head again in all seriousness. "First of all, thank you for saving the envoys of our delegation. No matter how advanced the magic of the empire is, if it weren''t for you, more than half would have died and the rest disabled."


    "I only did my job as a civil servant of the empire. Of course, even if I weren¡¯t a civil servant, it''s natural to save acquaintances.¡±


    At my modesty, Ophelia shook her head. "No, the people you saved are valuable people in our country. We will make sure to not allow any reprimand to befall you."


    She was also a civil servant, so she seemed to know how to handle situations in a bureaucratic society. In fact, it didn¡¯t really matter because Guild Director Glont, who suddenly sent me to be an interpreter at Marsen''s words, would protect me well. Even if there was damage, it would be a negative impact on my promotion at best. Besides, I didn''t become a civil servant to have a successful career anyway, so it didn''t matter if I didn¡¯t get promotions. It''s just, I might feel crappy enough that I might start working as Lupin again.


    "That''s reassuring." Ophelia continued saying that it was not the end. "Even though I dare not promise that my nation will repay you, I promise that I will repay you in the name of the guards."


    The Fairy knights surrounding and guarding the patients nodded. The patients who were lying down didn¡¯t want to lose out and also lifted their bodies and spoke.


    "The envoys of our delegation have also received the grace of life, and so we will repay it."


    "Thank you."


    Although I said so, I honestly hoped there wouldn¡¯t be a war with the Fairy Tribe. As it stood now, whether it be friends or allies, we were on the verge of war.


    At that time, two men with pale faces came running with knights from afar. The pair in the front were familiar faces.


    "Are you all right?!"


    It was Arcanta, the prime minister, who managed to endure gasping for breath from running in a hurry with a frail body and shouted.


    I bowed my head while raising my senses to make sure that Uncle Bloody was not around. Fortunately, I couldn''t feel his presence around here.


    Arcanta glanced at me then immediately headed to the injured.


    Then the fairy knights blocked the front of the prime minister with their swords.


    "You cannot approach the injured."


    At the words full of murderous aura, the knights who followed Arcanta also grabbed their sword handles nervously.


    Ophelia stepped forward and shouted dignifiedly.


    "We were attacked in the imperial palace of the empire, where you claimed it to be safe! Do you think we can trust you?!"


    When he suddenly heard the Fairy Tribe language, Arcanta looked at me confused. I sighed inwardly and translated what Ophelia said. The prime minister turned blue. The fact that they were attacked inside the palace was the worst possible situation.


    "Interpret what I''m saying. I want to meet Khan Palamut."


    Arcanta didn''t seem to have heard that Palamut had been kidnapped yet. I told him what happened rather than interpreting his words.


    "Excuse me, that Khan Palamut was kidnapped by the perpetrator who attacked them."


    "What... what?!" Arcanta staggered in dismay, holding on to his stomach.


    "And Marsen-nim chased after the kidnappers and the rest are guarding the wounded."


    "I see~" Arcanta took a deep breath and finished comprehending the situation.


    Then Ophelia spoke to me, "Mr. Interpreter, please interpret. The highest-rank, Khan has been kidnapped, second rank Marsen-nim has chased after them, and third-ranked envoys have been injured, so currently the authority to lead the delegations is transferred to me. Please tell him that if he has anything to say, to speak to me."


    I interpreted as she said and Arcanta greeted Ophelia with a pogun.[1]


    "I''m sorry for the late greeting. My name is Arcanta, and I am the prime minister of the empire."


    In this way, in the middle of the hallways of the palace, which was not even a reception room, an extraordinarily cold meeting between the delegation and one of the top officials of the empire began.


    It would have been a fun scene to watch if I hadn''t been stuck in the middle, but since I had to work hard to continue to interpret, it wasn¡¯t that enjoyable.


    -o-


    Marsen quickly followed the scent of the forest on Palamut''s body. Tracking the scent of the Olympus Forest they had left three years ago was a way unique to the Guardian Knight.


    He followed the scent and wandered through the streets of the capital, and thought because there was no scent of blood mixed into the scent... Palamut seemed to be still safe.


    However, it was too early to be relieved in this urgent situation where he didn¡¯t know when harm might come to the khan.


    Running fast, Marsen fired a sword aura into an alley.


    Kwang-!


    The alley was completely smashed by the blow and a dust cloud rose.


    "Who is it?"


    When Marsen emitted killing intent, a man wearing a mask appeared without a speck of dirt on him. It was Tristan who was tracking Palamut at Den¡¯s command.


    "Aiya, I didn''t know you were so hot-tempered. You are Marsen, right? I am older than you, so I''ll speak informally to you, ok?"


    "I asked who you are."


    Tristan shrugged lightly as Marsen growled and pointed his sword at him.


    "Me? Haven''t you heard from Master? Hmm, am I supposed to keep it a secret?"


    "Don''t mess with me. I''ll kill you."


    Tristan chuckled and laughed as the other exuded a vicious aura.


    "It''s been a long time since I felt this. It feels like when I met the King of the Giant Tribe on the battlefield. Although, I killed him after we met.¡±


    Marsen''s killing intent amplified at the playful response.


    Tristan thought it would be a fun fight since he had the best body and it didn¡¯t matter if the body was destroyed; also, he had an endless supply of mana. He was itching to fight. If he were alive, his body would have been his life as a knight, but the way he was now, Master would fix it even if his body were destroyed again and again.


    However, currently, following orders was the top priority.


    "I''m Tristan, the knight of Lord Den who you took as the interpreter. I''m searching for a Khan of the Fairy Tribe named Palamut under the orders of my master."


    Marsen''s killing intent reduced by a notch. "Den? How can I believe that?¡±


    But the situation wasn¡¯t that good that Marsen could just naively believe him.


    It was because the enemy could try to trick him with the intention of lowering his guard.


    "Hmm, if you ask me that, I can only prove by... Oh, here is one."


    Tristan went from being perplexed to clapping his hands and touched the side of the mask he was wearing.


    - Can you hear me?


    "What¡¯s this?!"


    Marsen was flustered when a sudden voice that seemed like thoughts rang in his head.


    "It''s a communication feature built into the mask. Master equipped this mask with a lot of miscellaneous functions. If you don¡¯t believe this, then hey, I don''t think you¡¯ll believe me no matter what proof I bring out.¡±


    Marsen nodded as Tristan playfully shrugged his shoulders.


    "Well, all right, I''ll hold off on trusting you, but let¡¯s say for now that you¡¯re Den''s subordinate."


    "Do as you please, you look like a growling mother who lost her baby. Words don¡¯t usually go through for such people."


    Marsen could not easily deny Tristan''s tongue-clicking remarks. He was well aware of the fact that he was somewhat not thinking straight.


    "So Den told you to help me find Palamut?"


    Tristan shook his head dumbfounded with a smile at Marsen''s question.


    "No, we¡¯re just tracking the same target, so our paths overlapped, but you¡¯re the one who attacked me?¡±


    Marsen and Tristan''s methods of tracking were completely different. However, it was caused by overlapping paths while chasing the same target.


    Then Tristan looked far into the distance. "Hmm, I don''t have anyone who would come to meet me, so that person coming here to meet is for you, I assume?"


    Marsen didn''t understand at first, but at some point realized that the scent of Palamut''s body was coming this way.


    "Ah¡­!"


    He looked back at Tristan after looking in the direction of the smell, but the other was already gone.


    Tristan was no ordinary fellow to be able to deceive his on-edge senses and move around.


    "Den, you have an interesting guy as a subordinate."


    Marsen swallowed dryly and focused his mind on the enormous mana approaching him. The mana with the scent of the forest did not belong to Palamut.


    Palamut''s mana was not this strong. The only thing he could think of was that they were using the khan''s clothes to provoke him.


    "Ududuk!"


    Marsen was so angry that the sound of his teeth grinding was audible, but soon after, a woman in a red mask, wearing Palamut¡¯s outer clothing, and a man in a yellow-green mask appeared.


    "Ohohoho! Oh my, since when have you been into playing with masks? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t recognize you because you have recognition interfering magic on it?¡± Scorpio giggled and asked.


    Marsen clenched his teeth and emitted killing intent. "Are you the ones? The ones who kidnapped Palamut?!¡±


    Scorpio laughed playfully. "Ohohohoho! And what if that¡¯s the case?"


    "I¡¯ll kill you!"


    At Marsen''s ferocious killing intent, Capricorn crouched to resist the aura, but Scorpio did not budge and smiled.


    "Ah~ Just charging in without any reserve, you¡¯re still the same, you barbarian.¡±


    "Barbarian?"


    Marsen frowned at the somewhat familiar nickname.


    Scorpio and Capricorn each raised their magic wands and swords.


    "Don''t forget that we have your treasured Khan in our hands."


    Marsen''s face distorted at Capricorn¡¯s words, and Scorpio delightfully laughed and began to attack with magic.


    1. Pogun is that greeting with putting one fist on your other palm in front of your chest. The Fairy Tribe¡¯s way of greeting.

 CH 260.

    After a long temporary meeting in the hallway of the palace, the direction of the delegation was divided into two. One was to continue guarding the wounded and still immobile envoys, and the other to follow after Marsen and rescue the kidnapped Palamut.


    For the Fairy Tribe, the priority was of course the rescue of Khan Palamut. However, when they thought of forming a rescue team they felt uneasy entrusting the wounded to the untrustworthy empire, and furthermore, they were not familiar with the layout of the capital. At present, it was not possible to form a rescue team without the help of the empire.


    "Our delegation was attacked in the imperial palace. Even if the empire says that it was not their doing, it still happened in the imperial palace and so we cannot trust you. But I can trust you."


    From the dilemma, the method that Ophelia chose was me. The reason she trusted me was simple. I may be a civil servant of the empire, but I was, in the end, a Crow. In addition, I had healed the injured before their eyes.


    "I would like your help.¡±


    It was possible because Ophelia knew about it.


    "What''s the help?"


    "Be the guide for the rescue team. If possible, lend us some strength as well."


    To show strength so openly, it seemed like it would interfere with my peaceful life. If it¡¯s really needed, then I¡¯ll move sneakily or just have Tristan do it.


    "Yes, that sounds good. I would rather not have the relationship with the Fairy Tribe go awry and cause more trouble."


    Ophelia nodded seriously at my agreement.


    "What are you going to do about the guards for the wounded if you set up a rescue team?¡±


    "First, we''re going to divide up the guards and form a rescue team and a guard team. For the insufficient number of guards, I am planning to ask for help from someone named William of the Butterfly Tribe."


    She seemed to be of the opinion that William could be trusted since he was not purely a citizen of the empire. Well, it was probably not much different to the trust in me, who she met yesterday, or William. The question was whether the prime minister would allow the Fairy knights to roam freely in the capital.


    "All right." I nodded and immediately translated Ophelia¡¯s intention.


    Contrary to my expectation, Arcanta accepted without hesitation under the condition that they cover their Fairy Tribe¡¯s characteristic pointed ears and move with the Black Water Buffalo Knights.


    Arcanta said to me solemnly, ¡°You''re the one who treated the injured?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right.¡±


    Among the people I treated were not only the Fairy Tribe envoys but also the imperial servants, so the prime minister would have noticed.


    "Thank you. It''s also thanks to you that we were able to communicate so smoothly. If there happened to be death among the envoys, we wouldn''t even have been able to talk.¡±


    Some of the weak servants ended up dying, but none of Fairy Tribe envoys died because they were still of the battle race.


    "No, it was something I should have done."


    Arcanta smiled lightly at my modesty. "There are plenty of people who can''t do what should be done. Same with me. There will be a natural reward for the person who did the right thing. I promise in my name."


    He patted my shoulder as if to tell me ¡®good work¡¯.


    "Oh, William said that the Elementalist Madosa says you have talent.¡±


    The prime minister''s words startled me for a moment. What has that damn old man been going around saying? He¡¯d promised to hide my identity with his name on the line, but my magic abilities were not included.


    "If you want, I''ll give you a special admission to the Magic School. Or why don''t you try joining the Treasury? I''ll let you take the most elite course."


    Fortunately, seeing that the prime minister was talking about sending me to the Magic School, he didn''t seem to have actually been talking about my magic skills.


    "Haha, I''m content with the present."


    "Really? Well, we can continue this later."


    From the look in Arcanta''s eyes, for some reason, it didn''t think he would give up on me.


    Are you trying to send me to the Magic School to make it easier to get me out of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild under the pretext of reward and then re-appoint me? Ayy, probably not.


    At the end of the conversation between me and the prime minister, Ophelia concluded the formation of the Fairy Tribe rescue team.


    "I would like to command the rescue team, but I should remain because the talks with the empire are not completely over. Also, I''m the only one who can speak a little of the empire¡¯s language except for the wounded," Ophelia said and looked at a Fairy knight.


    "I am Natalie and I will be in command of the rescue team. I look forward to working with you, Sir Interpreter."


    "I look forward to working with you as well."


    At that time, the knights behind Arcanta approached and greeted me.


    "I am Molk of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, and I have been put in charge of the support rescue team for Khan of the Fairy Tribe.¡±


    I left the palace with the Fairy knights and Black Water Buffalo knights.


    -o-


    Marsen flung himself to the side, deflecting Capricorn''s sword. Sharp thorns rose from where the Guardian Knight was.


    "Jeez, he has such good senses. Huhut!"


    Scorpio smiled and created three summoning magic circles in the air, and three red-skinned ogres appeared.


    "Krrrrrrrr!"


    As soon as the ogres landed on the ground, they growled low and charged at Marsen.


    Marsen stepped on the arm of an ogre, who was punching him, and jumped high, and quickly struck the ogre¡¯s neck with a strong aura.


    Kang!


    "Kuaaaaa!"


    The ogre received a large wound on his neck and screamed painfully. Marsen shot the strong aura with the intent to cut off the neck completely, but its neck made a sound of metal and only got cut halfway.


    "Crazy! What kind of strength is that!"


    The wound on the neck began to regenerate as quickly as a troll.[1]


    Seeing the scene, Marsen realized these were not ordinary ogres but chimeras.


    "Ohohoho! Don''t look down on my cute little uglies."


    When Scorpio waved her magic wand, two ogres charged from both sides. Marsen twisted his body in the air and flung sword aura at his surroundings. As the sword aura poured down like a rain shower, the ogres raised their arms to cover their faces and stopped.


    However, Capricorn quickly ran toward Marsen, avoiding the downpour of sword auras.


    Kang!


    A gap appeared as Marsen and Capricorn''s sword collided in the air while Scorpio aimed magic at his back.


    "The Spear of the Fire Giant!"


    As a huge spear made of fire flew toward him, Marsen hurriedly released mana all over his body and turned around to respond to the magic.


    "Are you looking down on me?!" yelled Capricorn.


    When Marsen, who was facing him, showed his back, Capricorn angrily cut at him.


    Kagagagang-!


    Marsen''s protective strong aura and Capricorn''s strong aura collided, creating a sound of iron grinding. Capricorn''s strong aura squeezed through the protective strong aura and wounded Marsen¡¯s back. But it was not as threatening compared to Scorpio¡¯s magic. Having made that judgement, Marsen negated the magic and turned back to look at Capricorn.


    "How dare you!" yelled Capricorn. Marsen''s response hurt his pride.


    But Marsen didn''t care. "Shut up! You''re just a brat with a loud voice!" he shouted. He hit his sword to make a gap and kicked his abdomen hard.


    "Uhuk!"


    Kwang!


    Having been kicked in the air, Capricorn went flying and smashed through a building. After landing on the ground, Marsen went after Scorpio and shot a strong aura with all his might.


    "Haaap!"


    It was a force powerful enough to cut down a huge mountain. When it was shot at Scorpio, the three ogres jumped in front of Scorpio.


    "Kuaaaaaa!"


    Through Marsen''s strong aura, two of the three ogres had completely disappeared, and the other was turned to powder with only one arm left behind.


    "Hahahaha! It seems I can¡¯t use them anymore.¡±


    Scorpio, who was able to avoid the strong aura thanks to the intervention of the three ogres, laughed like crazy.


    "By the way, you''re still a brute! Barbarian! Do you have any awareness that this is a city where people live?¡±


    The winds produced by Marsen''s strong aura also smashed the sidewalk on the streets. The sidewalks were misshapen, and clear cracks formed on the buildings. But fortunately, shortly after the fight broke out, the White Deer Knights evacuated the people living in the vicinity, so there were no casualties.


    All of this was due to Arcanta''s instructions in preparation for Bloody¡¯s rampage.


    "Shut up!"


    Marsen once again jumped high towards Scorpio and launched a strong aura.


    "Fire Giant! Come!"


    Scorpio infused the magic wand with as much mana as possible, summoning a giant muscular man-shaped fire spirit over her head. The fire spirit blocked the strong aura and punched Marsen.


    "Ohohoho! It¡¯s a disaster-level spirit! Even if it¡¯s the most powerful swordsman like you, Barbarian, it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Spirits were classified according to their power, and the disaster level was the highest level among spirits to the point of being called natural disasters. Despite Scorpio''s triumphant cry, Marsen expressionlessly cut off the fire spirit''s arm with his sword.


    "Ohohoho! Even if you cut the spirit, it will soon¡­ What?!"


    Scorpio had been laughing cheerfully but was surprised when the severed arm fire spirit scattered away without regenerating.


    "If you cut with your heart, there is nothing you can''t cut in this world!"


    Marsen wielded a sword that was not even wrapped with sword aura, let alone a strong aura. Then the fire spirit split in half and turned into a normal fire, and disappeared.


    "A disaster-level spirit... Has been destroyed?"


    When something logically impossible occurred, Scorpio went beyond shock and was dumbfounded. If it were a normal spirit, it would have been possible to understand. But a spirit of the disaster level was different. They were not called disasters for nothing. Such a spirit had not been unsummoned but was destroyed. It was something that was unheard of.


    "Phew!"


    Landing on the ground, sweat cascaded down from Marsen''s whole body like a waterfall.


    "I only know of one person who calls me a barbarian and is also a spirit magician capable of handling disaster-level spirits."


    Along with Marsen''s soft words, Scorpio¡¯s red mask cracked and fell to the ground.


    "The Witch of Greed, Selina."


    Scorpio¡¯s face, whose mask disappeared, was as white and free of wrinkles as it was 120 years ago.


    Marsen looked up at Selina and exuded killing intent. "Why did you kidnap Palamut?¡±


    Selina laughed merrily at the sharp killing intent. "Ahahaha! Why do you think it is, Barbarian?¡±


    "Just answer what you were asked, Witch of Greed!" Marsen cried.


    Selina said playfully, "Take a guess. The hint is Drachen!"


    Marsen exploded with killing intent. "Were you the one who killed Drachen?!" He was shocked.


    Selina grabbed her stomach and laughed her head off. "Ahahaha! Correct!"


    "Why!!?" he cried again.


    Selina giggled. "As a prize for getting the answer right, I''ll kill you too."


    Infusing mana into her magic wand, she summoned thousands of spirits.


    "SELINA!!"


    Thousands of spirits charged towards Marsen at Selina''s order.


    1. Trolls are monsters known to have very high regenerative abilities.

 CH 261.

    I could feel a strong mana in the distance between noble and market streets. What was surprising was that in addition to Marsen''s mana, there was mana at a similar level to his.


    Despite such powerful forces facing off against each other, the capital was somehow still intact.


    "Is this the power of the Fairy Tribe¡¯s Guardian Knight?"


    Molk, the leader of the Black Water Buffalo Knights, swallowed dryly and murmured in awe.


    The Black Water Buffalo knights nodded in sympathy with the murmur.


    "Leader-nim, don''t you think you can contest against them?¡± asked a Black Water Buffalo knight.


    Molk tried not to betray his emotions but could not hide his bitter smile. "Perhaps."


    Uncle Bloody would not be able to join in the fight of those monsters, I was sure, as his nephew. Well, actually, there was a way he could contend with them.


    Uncle could fight if he used the Dance of the Fireflies, basically a suicide bomb, with all his might. No, if Uncle used the Dance of the Fireflies, he could likely overpower them. Though the aftereffects would kill him.


    - Tristan, Caradoc. Did you find the location of Khan Palamut?


    My question was answered at the same time.


    - I have succeeded in specifying the approximate region, Commander-in-chief.


    - I think I know roughly what path he took, Master.


    Good. As expected, they were competent. It would have been perfect if they were usually a little less individualistic, but what a shame.


    - Caradoc, you explain first.


    - Yes, as you instructed, we first started searching from the outskirts of the capital using the dragon tooth soldiers. At first, we began to look for the escape route, based on the premise that a large number of people would have been deployed, but we couldn''t find them.


    - And so?


    - So we changed the focus of the search, and on the contrary, we searched areas where a small number of people would hide, and considering the current battle area, we were able to determine where the kidnappers might be.


    The fact that there were only a few kidnappers was quite important information.


    Tristan continued after Caradoc.


    - I found traces from the palace and tracked them down. I''m a hunter by birth, so this was faster for me. Especially this time, it was easy to track because the kidnapper magician used the way witches snuck around a long time ago.


    Witch, you say. It seems that the one fighting Marsen must be a witch.


    It was thought that the witches went extinct after their home was completely engulfed into the Demon¡¯s Territory, so it was surprising that there was someone left as strong as Marsen.


    Since witches did not succeed through blood relations, but by individual ties, there was no law saying that the disciple could not surpass the teacher.


    Or a monster that lived before their home was engulfed by the Demon¡¯s Territory was still alive.


    - But the capital is still intact despite them running wild like that. It would be normal if there was destruction just from the aftermath of their attacks.


    Caradoc had the same thought as me, but Tristan smiled and spoke.


    - Maybe because they¡¯re focusing so much on killing each other, there¡¯s less of an aftermath.


    I agreed with Tristan.


    Since there were no wasted movements or efforts in attacking each other, the capital was intact even though such powerful mana was unleashed. It was similar to the fact that if you hammer poorly when you drive in a nail and hit the surroundings, you¡¯ll destroy the object. Of course, it was impossible to incorporate the concept into battle at a superhuman level.


    - Hmm, I guess so.


    Caradoc seemed convinced by Tristan''s explanation. In fact, the former had less direct combat experience and was weaker than other knights.


    Well, Caradoc¡¯s true value laid in his genius mercenary tactics and strategies, so it didn¡¯t matter if his individual strength was a little weak.


    Although I say weak, it was only in comparison to the other knights, but Caradoc himself was plenty strong.


    - So where is Khan Palamut being held?


    Caradoc and Tristan answered at the same time.


    - The end of the street between noble and market streets.


    - It''s an old temple 700 meters from the guard post at the outskirts of the walls of the capital.


    I combined their answers with a map in my head.


    I see where he is.


    - First, withdraw the dragon tooth soldiers and you two keep an eye out. I''ll be right there.


    - I receive your orders.


    - All right.


    After disconnecting my thoughts from Caradoc and Tristan, I smiled lightly as I saw Natalie leading the Fairy Rescue Team.


    Now, how can I naturally get rid of these people?


    -o-


    Marsen jumped at the spirits coming at him. The thousands of spirits varied in type, size, and class. It was clear that if he used the heart sword on all these spirits individually, he would be exhausted first. He had to deal with them efficiently


    Kuaaaaaa!


    Marsen cut down an earth spirit that was aiming at his right. Then he jumped up and stepped on a small lightning spirit flying in the sky to jump even higher.


    Kyuk!


    Then, the wind and fire spirits, that wielded strong power, punched harshly from both sides.


    Marsen quickly swung his sword wrapped in a strong aura to unsummon the two spirits. Then he stepped on the small wind spirits nearby and took another leap.


    Kyuk!


    Kyuk!


    Kyuk!


    From time to time, depending on the spirit, Marsen shot a sword aura or strong aura to cut them down. In an instant, he quickly reached Selina''s vicinity.


    The biggest weakness of spirit magicians was spirit magicians themselves. No matter how strong and how many spirits were summoned, if the summoner was dealt with, all of them would be unsummoned at once.


    Selina was well aware of the fact and had placed strong spirits near her. As Marsen approached her, lightning and water spirits near disaster-class simultaneously sent lightning and water blades toward him.


    "Heart Slash!


    Marsen stopped breathing and cut with all his power. Then the spirits of lightning and the spirits of water turned into sparks and droplets, respectively, and disappeared. The powerful spirits had completely disappeared.


    "Ohohoho! That skill is a total scam!" Selina clenched her teeth and swung her magic wand. "Ravage him, nature! Confine him, chains!


    In response to Selina''s magic, the spirits changed their form into chains and rushed to Marsen.


    "Whoa!"


    Immediately after using the Heart Sword, a highly stamina-consuming skill, Marsen sighed in exhaustion and shot the sword aura in all directions.


    The sharp sword aura broke the chain made of spirits, and the spirits were unsummoned or returned to their original form.


    He stepped on a small fire spirit nearby and jumped towards Selina.


    Kyuk!


    "Die! Witch of Greed!"


    He made a strong aura with all his might and fired it at her. There was too little time to avoid it by teleportation.


    Kwaaaaa-!


    As Marsen''s strong aura approached, tearing apart space ferociously, Selina gathered the spirits to her and blocked it.


    Keeuuk!


    However, because it was not enough to block it completely, all the spirits used as shields were unsummoned and her right arm was destroyed.


    "You let your guard down! Witch of Greed! That''s why you can never beat the Witch of Pride!"


    At Marsen''s provocation, Selina clenched her teeth and stared at him.


    "Shut up! What do you know, Barbarian?!"


    Selina caught the magic wand that fell when her right arm was destroyed with her left hand and swung the magic wand. From the magic wand that contained an enormous amount of mana, all that was fired was the basic magic bullet. Although it was a basic magic bullet, it was still very powerful because of the magician''s skill and terrifying amount of mana.


    Marsen knew about it, but he laughed to provoke her. "Ahahaha! It''s only a magic bullet!"


    "Ohohoho! Only you say! That''s why you¡¯re a barbarian!"


    Selina clenched her teeth and swung her magic wand. Following her magic wand, the hundreds of spirits that were left gathered towards the magic bullet and began to turn it into new magic.


    "Pureness will soon be cruel! Gather together, pureness! Gather and gather and release your voice! Spirit magic, Mother Nature''s Disaster!"


    In line with Selina''s mana, the spirits gave attributes to the magic bullets and began to run wild.


    "Crazy! This is how you handle pure spirits?!¡± From the pure spirits running wild on the magic bullet, Marsen could feel the sheer madness and malice. He was appalled and shouted at Selina. "You¡¯re crazy! Witch of Greed!"


    Spirits were creatures with emotions, too. To a spirit magician, spirits were not just tools, but family. However, Selina drove those spirits to madness.


    Marsen could never understand.


    "Ahahahaha!! It''s this world that''s crazy! It''s normal to be crazy in a world like this!"


    Marsen landed on the ground as he was attacked by spirits from all sides like a storm. Now, there were no spirits to use as stepping stones, so he could not stay in the air. Feeling his energy slowly running out, he gulped dryly at the incessant attack of the raging spirits.


    He and Selina were both getting close to their limits. It was time to determine the winner.


    Marsen drew his mana with all his might and began to concentrate on the sword. Selina, who had read Marsen''s flow of energy, also began to draw on her dwindling mana to the magic wand.


    "Be a ray of light shining on the turbulent sea! Elemental sanctuary!¡±


    "One mind to split the sea!"


    Spirits gathered from Selina''s magic wand and shot at Marsen as a beam of light. At the same time, he swung his sword containing an unknown power, which was neither sword aura nor strong aura.


    When the sword and magic collided, space began to be distorted by the vast power. The two people who attacked each other felt the sense of time getting jumbled as if the world were slowing down or speeding up, but it was only for an instant.


    Within that sensation, Marsen unconsciously twisted his body slightly. That difference decided the victory.


    Marsen''s left shoulder was penetrated by Selina''s magic, and her waist was cut by his Heart Sword.


    "Ugh!"


    Marsen grabbed his penetrated shoulder, and Selina fell to the ground with her body split in half.


    I won. As soon as he thought so, he began to feel an unknown pain from his back and abdomen.


    "Huh¡­?"


    A sharp blade came out from his stomach.


    "Tch, what a clumsy finish. Hahaha! Is she dead now, being cut in half and all?¡±


    From behind Marsen¡¯s back, Capricorn, wearing a yellow-green mask, smirked as he pulled out the sword that was stabbed into Marsen¡¯s back.


    "Cough!"


    Marsen vomited blood and blood poured from his perforated shoulders and stomach.


    Capricorn raised his sword as he watched Marsen fall.


    "You, bastard¡­!" said Marsen.


    Capricorn smiled and said goodbye to Marsen who was looking up at him.


    "It was an honor to meet you and let''s not meet again, Old man."


    Capricorn swung his sword downwards aiming for Marsen''s neck.


    Kang-!


    But before reaching its target, his sword was blocked by an arrow wrapped in a strong aura. He looked in the direction of the arrow and shouted with a vicious smile.


    "Bloody!"

 CH 262.

    "Whee-ooh~! Your skills remained.¡±


    As Bloody whistled and clapped, Mac smiled and nocked an arrow on his bow.


    "Of course, despite how I look, I¡¯m called the best archer in our village. My view isn¡¯t obstructed, and it''s only a distance of about 2 kilometers, so it¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    Bloody smirked as Mac acted smug.


    "That''s funny, I wonder who taught you to shoot the bow.¡±


    "Yes, yes, it was my elder brother, Bloody, the has-been who gave up on the bow for more than a decade. Ouch!"


    As Mac acted up, Bloody smacked him.


    "I¡¯m not a has-been. And from what I can see, you still have a ways to go. Oh, he¡¯s coming this way." Mac laughed playful at Capricorn running this way, emitting large amounts of killing intent


    "Wow, I can feel the killing intent from all the way here? Don''t you think it feels like we''ve just met our archenemy or something?" Mac said.


    Bloody pulled out his sword leisurely. "It''s nothing much. I killed his younger brother."


    "Oh, is that so?" Bloody casually remarked.


    Mac also nodded just as casually. "By the way, did you give him a funeral?"


    "Of course. Arcanta wanted to put his head on a pike as an example for others, but I forced him to let me give a proper burial."


    Unlike the older brother, the younger brother was pleasant and fun to fight. If it weren''t for the older brother, the younger brother could have easily lived, but Bloody felt sorry that he chose to die to save his stupid older brother.


    "Does that older brother know that?" Mac asked.


    Bloody shrugged lightly. "He probably doesn¡¯t know?¡±


    "No, don''t you have to tell him that?" Mac looked at him dumbfounded.


    Bloody grumbled that it couldn''t be helped.


    "Arcanta put someone else¡¯s head on a pike instead of his younger brother''s, but he got fooled by it and came charging in, then got angry that he got fooled by it and didn¡¯t listen to me. What could I do?"


    Bloody added while surrounding his sword in a strong aura. "And he''s gonna die by my hands anyway."


    Seeing Bloody smile, Mac sighed.


    "Yep, please just do as you will.¡±


    Mac shot an arrow at the sprinting Capricorn¡¯s forehead. The latter struck the arrow with his sword covered in a strong aura.


    "Then I''ll take the fallen old man over there to Little Miss.¡± He put the bow over his shoulder and said he would take Marsen to Leisha.


    Bloody nodded. "Yeah, it¡¯ll be a pain in the neck if that old man dies. Well, he is such a strong guy that I don''t think he''ll die even if we leave him alone.¡±


    "Hahaha, is that so?"


    Mac laughed, but Bloody meant it. He wondered if such a monster like Marsen would die from just a hole in his stomach and shoulder. Bloody was sure that Marsen probably could have run away even if Mac hadn''t interfered with Capricorn with an arrow.


    "Hurry and come back."


    "It¡¯s a little bothersome, do I have to come back? Or, why don''t you hand the man in the mask over to me? It''s been a while since I''ve had a good fight.¡± Mac gazed at Capricorn.


    Bloody simply waved his hand like swatting away a fly. "Shoo! Shoo! Don¡¯t try to take my prey."


    "Tch, so petty,¡± Mac grumbled and diverted from Capricorn''s direction.


    Capricorn ignored Mac as if he could only see Bloody and ran straight for him.


    "BLOODY!!"


    "Come!"


    Bloody launched an aura blade at Capricorn running at him. The latter jumped over the aura blade and hit him with all his might.


    Kang!


    Bloody used his sword to block and applied force to his feet to diffuse the impact.


    Cra-cra-crack!


    Consequently, the shock was delivered to the building where he was stepping on with his feet, causing cracks and its collapse.


    When the four-story building collapsed, Bloody and Capricorn stepped on the debris of the falling building and swung swords at each other.


    Kang!


    As Capricorn quickly went after Bloody''s neck, Bloody struck away Capricorn''s sword and aimed a kick at his chest. Capricorn blocked Bloody''s kick with his left hand without a sword and kicked a fragment of the building to increase the distance from Bloody. Then he blew dozens of sword auras at Bloody.


    "Ootcha!"


    Bloody smiled joyfully and jumped high on the falling debris of the building, avoiding the sword auras. Then, he launched a huge strong aura aiming for Capricorn. Rather than responding to the strong aura, the other flew to the side to avoid it.


    Kwang!


    When Bloody''s strong aura hit the ground, a huge dust cloud rose. After the building completely collapsed, Bloody, who had leaped high, landed into the dust cloud. With no visibility at all, Bloody quickly turned around and swung his sword.


    Kang!


    As the sound of swords hitting and a spark splashed, Capricorn clicked his tongue.


    "Tch, you''ve got good instincts!"


    Bloody smiled cheekily and said, "Ahahaha! My good instincts are a tribe trait like how the Hunter Tribe has a good sense of smell!"


    It was thanks to his sense of smell that Capricorn was able to attack Bloody accurately even in the dust cloud with no visibility.


    Their swords clashed several times, but others could only see bluish light from sword auras clashing from the outside due to the thick dust cloud. Bloody produced a sword wind and blew away the distracting dust. Suddenly, when visibility returned, Capricorn attacked more fiercely.


    When Capricorn stabbed at Bloody''s chin, he moved back to dodge, then stepped on Capricorn''s foot and threw a knee kick.


    "Keuk!"


    Capricorn, whose foot had been stepped on and could not avoid it, had no choice but to block it with his left hand. Feeling the strain on his left wrist against the strong power unique to the Crow Tribe, he directly brought down the sword that was aiming for Bloody¡¯s jaw.


    Bloody quickly stepped back and avoided the sword. Then he launched a strong aura straight away.


    Without a chance to dodge, Capricorn wrapped his sword that was swung downwards in a strong aura and struck upwards against the strong aura flying towards him.


    Kaang-!


    As one strong aura and another strong aura collided, it created intense sparks. Perhaps because it was done in haste, Capricorn¡¯s sword could not withstand Bloody¡¯s strong aura, breaking in half.


    "Just obediently surrender. If you surrender now, I''ll consider your younger brother and let you keep your life. Well, although you''ll rot in prison for the rest of your life."


    "You bastard!"


    At Bloody''s provocation, Capricorn threw the broken sword to the ground in frustration. Then he took off and threw his mask.


    "I can never forgive someone like you-!¡±


    At the same time that Capricorn shouted full of hatred, his body writhed and thick fur grew from all over his body.


    Bloody rolled up his sleeves and quickly grabbed the unsealing magic tool from his pocket and released his seal.


    When Capricorn¡¯s appearance turned into a wolf with a completely golden-green mane, he released an aura at a completely different level from before.


    "Krrrrrrr-!"


    Bloody, who had been unsealed, felt refreshed with the activation of his martial arts for the first time in a long while.


    "All right, now we can really fight!"


    The half wild-eyed Capricorn growled and revealed his bloody claws on both limbs.


    "I will honor your brother''s soul, a great warrior of the Green Mane Tribe, with your blood!"[1]


    "Ahahaha! Try it if you can! I''ll see how much you''ve improved!"


    The two rushed towards each other.


    -o-


    Mac smacked his lips when he saw the building, which had been perfectly fine before, collapse.


    "That looks like fun. Tch, petty elder brother. I want to fight, too."


    Mac grumbled as he approached Marsen, who was sitting leaning against the collapsing building.


    As Mac approached, Marsen grabbed his sword.


    "Whoa, I''m not an enemy. Well, I do want to fight with Old Man-nim, but I don''t have a hobby of fighting with injured people.¡±


    Marsen laid down his sword when he saw Mac joke and raised his hands while smiling.


    "Are you a Crow?"


    "Oh? How did you know?¡±


    "I can sniff the scent of martial arts from you," Marsen said.


    Mac sniffed the smell from his body. "Is it possible to even distinguish that? Wow, you totally have a dog¡¯s nose.¡± He was amazed


    Marsen laughed bitterly. "You don''t smell it with your sense of smell. It''s something you know with your heart. Cough!" He vomited blood


    Mac approached him and laid him on the ground. "Well, let''s first do some first aid.¡± He took herbs and bandages out of his pocket.


    "Haha, the first aid of the Crows is credible. When the magicians, Wayne and Arpen, were not around, I got a lot of treatment from Galak."


    "Ahaha, I can''t believe Old Man-nim who¡¯s so self-centered treated others." Mac smiled and undressed the other to see the injured area.


    "Right, I always had to spar with him as the price for treatment when he was done. Even though I was a patient. Ugh, there¡¯s nothing, cough! He won¡¯t do."


    "Hahaha, that does sound like Galak Old Man-nim. Oh, don''t keep talking. If you keep talking about the past, it¡¯ll seem like your life is flashing by before your eyes," he said mischievously.


    Marsen smirked. As Mac was trying to stop the bleeding from the wounds with herbs, a small glass bottle rolled down from Marsen¡¯s clothes.


    "Huh? Where did you get this?"


    The bottle that Mac picked up was a healing potion that Den had given Marsen. "Someone I know gave it to me to use. Why?"


    "Well, I think that someone is someone I know too.¡±


    As Mac shook the glass bottle, Marsen looked at him curiously.


    "I¡¯m sure you know the person. He''s from the same town."


    "Ahahaha! That''s right. We know each other well.¡±


    Mac nodded with a smile. Then he pulled out the cork from the glass bottle.


    "It hurts like crazy when you use this potion, but it works crazy well.¡±


    "Wait! There''s someone who needs that potion."


    Mac was confused when Marsen raised his hand and refused.


    "Is that person seriously injured?"


    "No, I don''t know about that, but he could be hurt." Marsen¡¯s tone was serious.


    Mac nodded solemnly. "I see. All right. Then I won''t use it."


    After saying so, when Marsen felt reassured, Mac poured the potion on his wounds.


    "Arghhhhhh!!¡± Marsen screamed at the pain from the wound.


    "Iya! So loud!" Mac clapped with a joyful face.


    "Keuk! It hurts, you punk! What did you do?! You said you weren''t going to use it!¡± He protested.


    Mac smiled playfully and shrugged. "I didn''t say who I wouldn''t use it on. And who else would I use it for if not the man with a hole in his belly?"


    "Keuuuuu!" Marsen struggled with the pain of his wounds recovering quickly.


    "But why is someone like you from the Fairy Tribe delegation fighting so brilliantly in the middle of the capital?¡± asked Mac.


    Marsen touched his pierced shoulder and stomach and raised himself. The holes in the stomach and shoulders had already healed.


    "There¡¯s no time to explain. If you''re going to follow me, come, if not, then don''t."


    Mac smiled cheerfully as he saw Marsen leading the way. "Iya, it looks like fun, so of course I''ll have to follow."


    Mac followed the man to where Palamut was being held.


    -o-


    After joining up with Tristan and Caradoc, I looked at the temple that Palamut was being held in.


    "He''s been held there?" I asked.


    The two confirmed at the same time.


    "Yes, that is correct."


    "Yep, that¡¯s right."


    At my urgings, the Fairy knights and the Black Water Buffalo Knights should be scattering and searching around here. My plan was to deal with the kidnappers inside first, leave only Palamut, then encourage the rescue team to find the Khan.


    "There was nothing strange, was there?¡±


    Caradoc answered my question.


    "There was not."


    "All right, Caradoc, keep a lookout from nearby, and Tristan, go to Marsen just in case. There was fierce fighting until just now, but since it¡¯s quiet now, the victor must have been determined."


    Both of them nodded at the same time.


    ¡°I receive your orders.¡±


    ¡°Then, I''ll be back.¡±


    Tristan headed to where Marsen was and I pulled a white half-mask from my pocket space for the first time in a while.


    "It¡¯s time for Lupin to make an appearance!"


    1. I guess the green mane is a characteristic of the Hunter Tribe.

 CH 263.

    In the past two years, the white half-mask had undergone numerous upgrades, as it was written "ver.7.8" under the right eyehole.


    "There seems to be a halo flying above you, Commander-in-Chief!"


    When I wore the white half-mask, Caradoc applauded. But it¡¯s not that it seems, but there really was a halo.


    "Ahem! I tried including a halo effect with this upgrade."


    Honestly, it was really useless, but if it''s cool, that''s all that matters.


    "Ohhh!"


    Version 1''s white half-mask only had a recognition interfering magic on it, while version 2''s white half-mask had a strengthening version of the magic. Then with subsequent updates, I focused on adding additional features.


    The value of mana stone and magical materials that went into it was astronomical, but it didn''t matter. After I sold some aphrodisiacs through Big Mama Information Agency, I got a little more than a year''s worth of finances for an average territory. Apparently, there was a demand for it in foreign countries, too. Come to think of it, a lot of things had happened in the meantime before version 7.8 was reached.


    "Tell me right away if anything happens outside.¡±


    Caradoc nodded at my order.


    "Yes, Sir."


    I slipped right into the old temple, leaving Caradoc behind.


    The temple seemed so old and worn out that it was abandoned. Still, because it was a temple, there were simple religious murals around.


    As I went inside, I stopped in front of a large stone goddess statue.


    "Hmm, is it here?"


    The stone statue was as old and dusty as the temple. However, the thickness of the dust piled up on the nearby abandoned chair and the thickness of the dust piled up on the goddess¡¯s statue were subtly different.


    Looking at the floor where the goddess¡¯s statue was placed, there was a little more dust piled up than the surrounding floor. And as if the dust had fallen, it was gathered by the pedestal of the goddess¡¯s statue. It was clear that the goddess¡¯s statue had recently been moved and that dust had fallen on the ground.


    Drrrruk-!


    Dust rose when I pushed the goddess¡¯ statue lightly with my foot. There was so much dust that I felt lucky that I had installed a gas mask function into my mask.


    When the goddess¡¯s statue was pushed back, a secret space was revealed on the floor. Looking at it closely, it was supposed to be lifted, not pushed. No wonder there was no sign of it having been pushed.


    "Wow, who put such complicated security magic here?"


    Even at a glance, the security magic that protected the secret space was not installed by any ordinary magician. The person who installed it must have at least been a madosa.


    "But it''s old-fashioned."


    It was security magic that would have been popular about 120 years ago. Oh, perhaps the person thought it would be harder to deactivate it because it was so old.


    The way the magic circle was designed was that the trap would trigger if it was broken through with force. It was so blatant that it felt as if it had been made on the premise that someone would just try to break through with brute force.


    Clack! Clack! Clack!


    "It¡¯s solved."


    When the security magic was completely lifted, the door to the secret space opened by itself, and stairs appeared. I slowly stepped on it.


    At the end of the stairs, which was not so far, there was an ordinary door with no magic on it. There were two presences that I felt inside, one was Palamut¡¯s mana, who I had become familiar with over the spar yesterday.


    Caradoc and Tristan had pinpointed the location. Maybe I should reward them later.


    However, the other person¡¯s presence also felt familiar. To start, I knocked.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    As manners maketh the man and knocking was a basic courtesy. I''m a gentleman, so I have to keep my manners. At the sound of the knocking, the presence inside approached the door.


    "What are you knocking on the door for, uack!"


    Kwang!


    I kicked the door the moment the doorknob turned.


    A burly man wearing a brown mask was thrown into the wall screaming along with the smashed door.


    Thinking about it, I thought it would be fine not to keep manners for the kidnappers.


    The scene inside the secret space was more peaceful than expected. Palamut, who had been kidnapped, came out with a puzzled look as he held a chess piece and looked back and forth between me and Brown Mask. He seemed to have been playing chess peacefully with the kidnapper.


    "You''re not on the same side?¡± Palamut asked.


    He didn''t recognize me because I was wearing a mask.


    Brown Mask rose, clutching the part that got hit. "No! Who are you!"


    The man in Brown Mask was on guard against me, prepared to pull out his sword.


    I took a liquid sleeping drug out of my pocket space and poured it on a handkerchief.


    "What is that?¡± asked Brown Mask.


    I grinned, ran towards Palamut, and covered his mouth with the handkerchief.


    "Uh! Uhh! Uhhh...!¡±


    He fell asleep in three seconds. To be honest, I was too lazy to explain. As expected, it''s more efficient to put them to sleep.


    I picked up Palamut and naturally headed back to the door I came from.


    "What have you done to him?! Let him go right now!"


    "I refuse! I will take this man!"


    Listening to me and Brown Mask, who tried to block me, it seemed like I was the kidnapper and Brown Mask was protecting Palamut, but it was actually the opposite.


    "What harm are you trying to do to him?"


    "You¡¯re the ones who must have done the harm! You kidnapper!¡±


    Brown Mask was speechless at my rebuke. Then he closed his eyes as if conflicted, and said, "That, that''s no excuse."


    Somehow, it wasn''t the reaction I expected from a kidnapper. Since they had charged into the palace and kidnapped, I thought they would have been crazier, but it felt like I was interacting with someone reasonable.


    The distressed Brown Mask pointed at me and shouted, "But seeing that you are also wearing a mask, you must not be an honorable person! You even have recognition interfering magic that¡¯s strong to the point of making me dizzy!"


    "Ridiculous! Why don''t you say that after taking off your mask?¡±


    "Ugh...!¡±


    Once again, after I hit the nail on the head, Brown Mask hesitated.


    I quickly tried to get past him and exit through the secret passageway. However, he quickly came over to block me.


    "You can¡¯t leave!"


    He punched me in the face. At the same time as I deflected his punch with my left hand, I threw a knee kick at his side. He blocked it by lifting his shin.


    In the blocked state, I leaned my weight forward and hit him on the chest with my left hand. When he blocked my fist, I folded my arms and tried to elbow his chin. But he backed away and avoided my elbow.


    "You¡¯re not ordinary!" he cried. Then he shook his arm as if his hand that blocked my fist had gone numb.


    ¡°That''s what I was going to say.¡±


    His muscular strength wasn¡¯t normal. If he was at a decent level, I would have been able to penetrate through with force, but the fact that it was blocked itself meant that he had that much power. On top of that, his fighting sense was pretty good. However, the unfortunate thing was that there was a risk of being buried if we recklessly used our strength since the space was small and we were in the basement of a building. Well, it didn''t really matter since it wasn''t that big of a building, so I wouldn¡¯t get hurt that bad.


    I put a magic barrier on the slumbering Palamut, covered my left arm in a strong aura, and raised my hand.


    "Bring it on."


    Seeing my strong aura, Brown Mask shouted in panic, "We''ll all be buried together!"


    "It''s not even a place where people live, so who cares?"


    He quickly dodged to the side.


    Kwang!


    My fist hit the wall right behind where Brown Mask was, got stuck, and made a big crack.


    "Are you insane?!"


    He shouted and began to pull out a familiar brown bottle from his pocket and drink it. That was definitely the aphrodisiac I had sold at a high price.


    "Keuuu! Bitter!" Brown Mask wiped his mouth and began to accumulate his mana.


    As a person who made that medicine, I knew well that taking that medicine would not make you stronger. It was an aphrodisiac that just had nourishing effects and strengthened your ¡®energy¡¯. It only had the effect of preventing the body from getting ill and suppressing aging. However, Brown Mask¡¯s mana began to amplify rapidly.


    "What?! What did you eat?!¡± I was surprised.


    Brown Mask put a strong aura around my fist and shouted as he threw a punch. "It''s a tonic!"


    "Lies!"


    The aphrodisiac I created has no such effect!


    Kwagwagwang-!


    I quickly cast a barrier and with Brown Mask¡¯s punch, the room was completely destroyed. I could see the sun setting in the sky. The temple that was just above was reduced to a pile of stones and got blown far away.


    "You brute!"


    I was going to tell him to get out of the way if he didn''t want to be buried, but he made the temple disappear completely.


    "That''s what I should say! I can''t let myself be buried like this!"


    "I was just trying to blackmail you to get out! Use some common sense!"


    He was dumbfounded as if the thought never crossed his mind. "Oh, is that so?"


    I left the surprised Brown Mask and just directly flew upwards.


    "Where are you going?!"


    He jumped high up and blocked me. Coming out of the pit where the temple was, we both stared and confronted each other.


    "Caradoc!"


    At my call, Caradoc, who was watching from afar, teleported to my side using my pocket space. It was thanks to the functions I had planted to be able to call the dragon tooth soldiers at any time.


    The sudden appearance of the Caradoc surprised Brown Mask.


    "Did you call me?"


    I said, as I handed over Palamut, who I was carrying, "I¡¯ll leave Palamut to you."


    "Should I hand him over to Sir Marsen?"


    "That''s up to you. But Palamut''s safety comes first."


    "I receive your orders."


    Saying so, Caradoc carried Palamut and disappeared far into the distance.


    Brown Mask, who heard me and Caradoc talking, asked seriously, "Marsen? Are you a person of the Fairy Tribe by any chance?"


    I smiled and answered him, ¡°That''s not what''s important right now.¡±


    ¡°So what''s important?¡±


    "Of course, how did your mana get amplified from taking the aphrodisiac?"[1]


    "What do you mean¡­?"


    I scoured Brown Mask with interest and he shuddered a bit and took a defensive stance.


    It was interesting. I needed to know if the aphrodisiac I made had this effect originally or if it was produced by interacting with some other variable condition.


    "Don''t look at me like that! Doesn''t it seem like you¡¯re trying to dissect me?"


    "Come on, there¡¯s no way I would do something as idiotic as dissecting such a valuable specimen. I just want to draw some blood and make you do a few things.¡±


    The original plan was to catch the kidnapper and throw him to Marsen, but I could not hand over this precious subject.


    "Argh! Back off! If you come, I won¡¯t leave you alone!" he shouted.


    I smiled and took a step closer.


    "Argh!"


    Accordingly, Brown Mask took two or three steps back. Then without even looking back, he started running away.


    1. The word for aphrodisiac and energy tonic/stimulant is the same. So Brown Mask probably bought it thinking it was an energy stimulant while Den is thinking it¡¯s an aphrodisiac.

 CH 264.

    I magically built a stone wall ahead to block Brown Mask¡¯s escape.


    "Where are you trying to run?¡±


    Brown Mask momentarily flinched at my words. "I won''t be dragged to a place like a lab!"


    I scratched the back of my head and sighed. "Well, aside from experiments and research jokes."


    "Oh, was that a joke?" he asked in a relieved voice.


    It wasn''t really a joke. It was just that the first priority was to send him to jail. I didn''t reveal my inner thoughts and spoke seriously, "Things have become crazy because of you. Kidnapping? Are you out of your mind?¡±


    "That''s¡ª"


    According to the testimony of the servants and the Fairy Tribe delegation, the kidnapping was carried out by a crazy woman wearing a red mask. However, the words and actions of her colleague, Brown Mask, seemed to be quite rational. Of course, considering that he was a part of the kidnapping group, he probably wasn¡¯t actually sane.


    Brown Mask spoke sternly and solemnly, "But I couldn''t help it. It¡¯s to prevent war!"


    "What?!"


    It was so ridiculous and my inner thoughts just popped out of my mouth as I thought he was out of his mind.


    "What nonsense are you talking about? More like to start a war."


    "What are you talking about? The empire is preparing for war! The alliance with the Fairy Tribe is for that!"


    I was dumbfounded by Brown Mask. That lunatic seemed to be genuinely thinking that.


    "It¡¯s the opposite, you idiot! It''s not the empire that''s preparing for war, it''s the Hunter Tribe, their allies the Kingdom, and the Trade Union!"


    "What did you say?!¡±


    "The alliance with the Fairy Tribe right now is a foreign policy to prevent war! You guys breaking that has half-confirmed the war!"


    I had also heard this information through Big Mama Information Agency, so the public couldn''t have known it.


    "That, that can''t be!" Brown Mask was genuinely shocked.


    "And! What kind of idiot would kidnap the most important VIP in a country to stop a war? No, before that, if you wanted to make excuses, you shouldn''t have tried to kill the envoys at the least!" I roared.


    His pupils dilated greatly. "There, there were deaths...?¡±


    There weren¡¯t, but there was no need to tell him.


    "Is the fact that there are dead people important right now? The relationship with the Fairy Tribe has already been shattered. If I hadn''t saved Khan, we''d be at full-scale war with the Fairy Tribe right now."


    Actually, even now, there was no guarantee that there would be no war with the Fairy Tribe. For the empire, they had to prove that the kidnapping was not a self-made play by the empire.


    However, even if the real kidnapper was captured and handed over, it was questionable whether the Great Khan of the Fairy Tribe would believe it. If it could be resolved this easily by handing over the kidnapper, there would be no such thing as a diplomatic war with foreign countries.


    But luckily, Palamut was rescued without wounds and none of the envoys were killed. Now, the prime minister''s relationship with the Fairy Tribe would be determined by how he handled them.


    "You, you are¡­!¡± Brown Mask was thrown into confusion.


    I said with a sigh, "You know what? I hate war.¡±


    In the event of a war, the draft order would be dropped again and I would have to wander around the field under Guild Director Glont. In other words, walking around the field was no different from being on overtime every day. Uncomfortable bed, seemingly daily night watch, an environment where it¡¯s hard to properly bathe¡­ Bad tasting military meals, having to constantly carry around a bulky gun and sword, and lastly having to manage supplies.


    It''s hell!


    "So you need to be captured here for peace."


    The kidnappers had to be handed over at the least for the prime minister to make excuses. Then he could somehow entice the Fairy Tribe to prevent a war.


    I believe that the prime minister I know of would show that kind of ability. Of course, his stomach would be a mess, so I should send him some good stomach medicine through the Big Mama Information Agency.


    Brown Mask shook his head and clenched his teeth. "I... I can''t trust the empire. Those who brutally slaughtered my friends and villagers are trying to stop a war? Don''t be ridiculous!"


    "Slaughtered?!"


    "I''m certainly in the wrong to be involved in the kidnapping. But I cannot be caught by you."


    Brown Mask put his hands on the stone wall that I made and shot out mana.


    Kwang-!


    It was a stone wall that was a meter thick, but a large hole was bored through it at once.


    "Tell Khan of the Fairy Tribe that I''m sorry."


    Brown Mask began escaping through the hole. I don''t know what''s going on with this guy, but I couldn''t let him get away. I couldn''t go into a hell of overtime like this.


    I quickly chased after him. "I asked where you think you''re going!"


    I manipulated the ground with magic to create spears made of rock as big as the human body and attacked Brown Mask. My goal was to capture, so the tip of the spear was blunt.


    Brown Mask avoided the spears that attacked suddenly from below in a flashy manner. And the ones that couldn''t be avoided were cut with his sword.


    I blocked the front of Brown Mask, who got delayed avoiding my magic.


    "Get out of the way!"


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Don''t regret it!¡±


    Brown Mask sheathed his sword and attacked me with his fist. It was a quick and accurate attack, but I lightly turned my upper body to avoid it.


    But was he confronting barehanded because he thought I didn''t have anything in my hand?


    I don''t know if it''s arrogance or stupidity. Based on his words and actions, it was probably the latter.


    "It''s been a long time since I fought bare-handed."


    It didn''t seem bad to have a bare-handed fight for once. No, it was rather good. If I used my sword and he died suddenly, I wouldn''t be able to glean the secret of my aphrodisiac.


    I grabbed Brown Mask¡¯s outstretched arm and at the same time, moved forward, grabbed him by the collar, and hurled him. Losing his balance, he twisted his body to disbalance me, wrapped me with his inside leg, and wrapped my neck with his arms.


    ¡°Pass out for a moment!¡±


    ¡°Heup!¡±


    As expected, he had a great fighting sense. In no time, it went from grappling to a back choke. His power was strong enough to match that of my eldest brother. However, his form was not perfect because one of his arms was held by me.


    As my body had developed, I was confident in my strength. I put strength on my leg that wasn¡¯t caught by his inside leg and jumped right up.


    "Oh!" exclaimed the flustered Brown Mask.


    I turned in the air, turned him toward the ground, and pressed down.


    "Kuok!"


    Having turned the tables, the arm that was wrapped around my neck lost strength. I hit away his arm and put an armbar on the arm I was holding.[1]


    Crunch!


    I was going to twist and break his arm, but he raised his arm with me attached to it.


    What a monster to lift me up while in an armbar!


    "Uaahap!"


    Then he slammed me towards the ground with a strong aura, but I let go of the armbar and escaped being crushed into the ground.


    Kwang-!


    Brown Mask hit the ground so hard that the surrounding land was smashed and the area shook as if it were an earthquake. It was so powerful that I wondered if he was some battle race.


    I swatted away the rocks that flew from where he hit the ground while quickly charging towards him and launching a jab.


    Brown Mask lowered his head to avoid my fist, came closer, and hit me with a hook aiming for my chin. I pulled my head back to dodge the hook and jumped up and tried to catch his arm in an armbar in mid-air. But before I could wrap his arms with my legs, he swung his arm wide as if to shake me off and sent me flying.


    "Ootcha!"


    I flipped in the air and landed.


    "Whoah, that was dangerous. I thought you were a striker since you tried to elbow me in the temple, but it seems like you''re a great grappler." Brown Mask stuck his tongue out and shook his arm in pain from when I twisted it.


    I said with a smirk. "Well, when I learned to fight barehanded, I was too young and lacked strength."


    Of course, I was superior in muscle strength compared to my peers, but I was lacking a lot compared to my older brothers who were already fully grown. My brothers were not the type to go easy because I was weaker, so I naturally learned grappling.


    "Haha, I don''t think that¡¯s the case now. A grappler with superhuman strength sounds terrible. My limbs won¡¯t be fine, the moment I let my guard down."


    Despite saying so, he smiled as if he liked it. Based on his aura, it seemed like he gave up on running away and was trying to subdue me instead.


    We both smiled, emitted a martial aura, and ran towards each other.


    "Uwack!"


    As we tried to exchange fists with each other, a giant, blood-stained wolf suddenly flew from far away and crashed into Brown Mask, and rolled on the ground.


    "Ahahahaha! Will you be able to get revenge for your brother with only this much strength!"


    With the familiar voice and martial aura, I looked in the direction the wolf flew from.


    "Keuuk! Bloody!!"


    There stood Uncle Bloody, smiling in ragged clothes that looked like it had been torn with claws, and covered in wounds. I did feel strong mana in the distance but turned out it was Uncle Bloody fighting.


    "Huh? That mask, are you perhaps Denburg?"


    Uncle Bloody talked to me, wiping the blood from the wound on his forehead.


    For a moment, my heart was fluttering at the fact that I was wearing the Adventurerd¡¯ Guild uniform, but luckily, it seems he didn''t recognize my outfit because of the mask.


    Lucky!


    I almost got caught in a difficult spot.


    "Long time no see, Uncle."


    "Yeah, I haven''t seen you since Asterium, so it''s been two years?"


    Uncle Bloody seemed excited as if it¡¯d been a while since he had a proper fight. At that time, the wolf, who had rolled on the ground, put a strong aura on his claw and jumped at Uncle.


    Kang!


    "Aigoo!"


    Uncle blocked the wolf''s claws with a sword.


    "Bloody! How dare you get distracted in front of me! Are you praying for me to kill you?!"


    The wolf growled as if his pride had been hurt.


    By the way, it was amazing that a wolf spoke. Was it a magically created chimera? Or a person of the Hunter Tribe?


    Considering the green mane, if the wolf was of the Hunter Tribe, he could be one of the trio of brothers of the Hunter Tribe, Great Warriors of the Demon King subjugation party 120 years ago.


    Then Brown Mask shouted and asked, "Capricorn! Is it true that this kidnapping is not to prevent war, but to start a war?¡±


    "I don''t have time to deal with you right now!"


    The wolf, called Capricorn, let out killing intent and attacked Uncle Bloody who skillfully received it.


    "I need to hear it now!"


    Taurus emitted a martial aura and got between the wolf and Uncle Bloody.


    "Hey! You''re interrupting Taurus!"


    The wolf swung his claws at Brown Mask and Uncle Bloody smiled wide.


    "What? Internal conflict?¡±


    Then he cut at the wolf¡¯s neck with his full strength.


    1. Armbar is a grappling technique.

 CH 265.

    The wolf put a strong aura around his claw and blocked Uncle Bloody''s sword.


    Kang-!


    "How fun! Let me join too!"


    The wolf growled angrily at Uncle''s teasing.


    "I said I must know!"


    "Taurus, shut up!"


    The wolf kicked at Brown Mask who raised his arm and blocked it. Then he pulled out a sword.


    "Capricorn! If you won''t tell me, I''ll force you to spit it out!"


    When Brown Mask pointed his sword, the wolf became on guard against not only Uncle Bloody but also Brown Mask.


    "Are you turning traitor!?"


    "Are we even on the same side? Weren¡¯t you just trying to take advantage of me!"


    The wolf laughed at him. "Shut up! You idiot! Have we ever been on the same side?"


    "Capricorn!"


    "Didn¡¯t your teacher teach you!? That the Twelve Zodiacs is a place where you get stabbed in the back if you let your guard down!" yelled the wolf.


    Brown Mask tightly clenched his fist.


    "Then is it true that this kidnapping is not intended to prevent war but to provoke one?"


    Brown Mask must have been genuinely angry because he emitted a martial aura. In response, the wolf began to emit mana from his whole body.


    "Yes, you idiot! Such a fool! All right, I''ll kill you too if you get in the way!" He kicked the ground hard and rushed towards Taurus.


    Brown Mask got ready at the charge, but the wolf never reached him.


    "Jeez, you''re giving a magician in front of you too much time.¡±


    The chains that shot out from the magic circle in the air bound the wolf just before he reached Brown Mask. He gnashed his teeth at me at the unexpected attack.


    "You!"


    "Aigoo, your voice is so loud. Oh, didn''t I say I was a magician?"


    I dug my ears and looked indifferently at the wolf.


    "Where do you keep going? You¡¯re making me sad!" said Uncle Bloody as he swung a sword at the wolf''s neck.


    The wolf tried to block Uncle''s sword with his claws, but because he was tied up by chains, he only barely managed to raise his arm and avoid a cut in the neck.


    "Kuaaaah!"


    He succeeded in wrapping his arm in a strong aura and blocking it. However, Uncle Bloody''s sword cut off the wolf''s left arm and blood spewed all over the place. He struggled in pain.


    "What, what?! Why are you so strong!" I shouted in fluster.


    With red eyes, the wolf broke my magic chain with his full strength. Then he rushed at me so quickly that neither Uncle Bloody nor I could react.


    "Die!"


    "Gasp!"


    The wolf penetrated my abdomen with his remaining right arm.


    "Denburg!"


    Uncle Bloody shouted my name in surprise and the wolf shouted triumphantly.


    "This guy definitely called you Uncle Bloody! Feel the pain of losing your family, too!"


    I grabbed the wolf''s arm with a shaky hand.


    "Ahahaha! Even the Crows are nothing much when they¡¯re careless! And you call me weak!"


    To the wolf laughing cheerfully, I whispered hard and slowly, "I¡¯m. Just. Messing. With. You."


    ¡°What?!¡±


    After being penetrated by the wolf, I turned into a tree and began to wind around his body.


    "What, what?!¡±


    I appeared casually next to the bewildered wolf then sat on top of the rubble of a nearby building.


    "I told you. You gave the magician too much time."


    "You, you punk!"


    The wolf struggled to escape from the tree that was clinging to him, but the more he struggled, the tighter the tree wrapped around him.


    "It won''t do any good to resist. I was so bored that I really put effort into this magic."


    As it reproduced the magic of the extinct Druids, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to release the magic unless he was a pretty decent madosa. Well, if it¡¯s William, he could probably release it without difficulty. Although he¡¯s like that, he was still the son of Old Man Arpen and a direct disciple.


    "How, how dare you!"


    The wolf stuck in the tree tried to yell something, but his mouth got buried into the tree as well. Finally, before his eyes were about to be buried too, I smiled and waved my hands lightly.


    "Bye. The next time you wake up, you''ll be in a prison in the empire, although I don''t know where exactly."


    He looked like he was going to kill me with his bloodshot eyes. However, unlike his desire, he could not get out of it and only one large tree replaced where he was.


    "Haam~! Boring. I thought you''d put up more of a fight, so I set up about five more traps.¡±


    I didn''t know he would get so careless from being emotional and end with the first trap. I was smacking my lips with regret, but Uncle Bloody, who suddenly approached me, slapped me on the back of the head.


    "Ouch! Why are you hitting me!"


    When I caressed the back of my head and complained, he put me in a headlock.


    "I thought you actually got done in, you punk!"


    Then he tried to whack my head again. At that time, when I disappeared like a wisp of smoke and reappeared in front of him, he looked at me in surprise.


    "Ayy, if I was going to get done in from just that, then I wouldn''t have been able to even leave home. Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "No, it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t feel your presence when you were escaping from the headlock. I think it would be fun to fight you. What do you think?"


    Uncle Bloody shook his sword with a smile unique to our hometown. It was in contrast to the last time I encountered him in Asterium when he was wary of me. As expected, since there was no one around who could get dragged in, the fighting instinct seemed to come out naturally like others in our family.


    "I''m sorry, but I¡¯ll decline. If I fight with Uncle now, the Prime Minister Arthemius¡¯s stomach probably won''t be able to endure it."


    In the place near where the kidnappers fought with Marsen, there were likely no houses left for anyone to live in. In addition, Uncle and Wolf were going around fighting to the point of getting all bloodied, so it was clear that there would be more than just one or two damaged houses and streets.


    "Ahaha, that''s true, isn''t it? Phew! I need to get some rest.¡±


    Uncle Bloody sat on the rubble of the building where I was sitting, tired from fighting the wolf. I smirked and took out a recovery potion and stomach medicine out of my pocket space and tossed it to him.


    "The green bottle is a stomach medicine made according to Teacher-nim''s recipe, so give it to the prime minister."


    "Ohh, thanks."


    Uncle Bloody did not use it but put it in his pocket. However, if you use it, it hurts like hell, so you wouldn¡¯t use it unless it was an emergency.


    I magically built a thick stone wall to block the escape route of Brown Mask who was slowly sneaking away.


    "Where are you going? It''s not settled yet. If you''re going, at least leave a blood sample."


    He answered me as if he were sick of it.


    ¡°Wasn''t experimenting a joke?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s that rare."


    When I smiled and got ready, Brown Mask also put away his sword and got ready.


    "Considering you turned Capricorn into a tree, you seem to be quite a high-level magician, so why do you use magic only to stop me from escaping and fight me in a bare-handed fight?"


    My answer to his question was simple.


    "Well? Should I say it¡¯s a similar reason why you don''t use a sword? I don''t hate fools who honestly deal with opponents and fight barehanded because the other is barehanded."


    In fact, it was to capture my valuable sample alive and check his combat capabilities without inflicting too many wounds. So far, my barehanded fighting has been a kind of experimental process.


    "Really? You are an unusual man. It''s like I¡¯m looking at my teacher-nim."


    His words made me feel a prick in my conscience. Of course, I didn''t hate honest fools like Brown Mask. I rather liked it. Although if you ask me to live like that, I will refuse firmly.


    It was Brown Mask that attacked first. I moved inwards, deflecting his fist with a guard. Then I aimed for his chin and struck upwards. He pulled his head back to dodge then aimed for my temple. I blocked with a strong aura around my arm and kicked his calf.


    Kwang!


    Even though I blocked it with a strong aura, there was still a sound of a fierce clash and the shock was intense.


    "Keuk!"


    "Ugh!"


    I was greatly pushed back by his fist, and he lost his balance from his calf being kicked. I reached out my left hand, quickly approaching the unbalanced Brown Mask.


    He regained his balance, twisted his body to the left, avoided my hand, and launched a counter at my face. However, perhaps because my left hand towards his face blocked his vision, his reaction speed was a half-beat slower. With my outstretched arm, I grabbed his countering arm, and lifted myself up to lock him into an armbar.


    Like before, Brown Mask tried to send me flying with a strong swing before the armbar got locked. I gave up on the armbar and dealt him a strong knee kick in the face.


    Crack!


    Brown Mask got hit directly in the face, he retreated greatly with a nosebleed.


    "¡­Huh?"


    The mask cracked after a knee kick with my full strength and fell to the ground in pieces.


    "Flam?!"


    The face underneath the mask was all too familiar. Why is it Flam?


    While I was dumbfounded by the completely unexpected face, something flew at me.


    ¡­An arrow?


    I was so surprised that my reaction was delayed, and the arrow with a strong aura broke the string of the white half-mask I was using and then got stuck in a nearby building.


    "Den?! You, you, how!"


    When the white half-mask left my face, Flam was surprised. Then he quickly took out a mask from his clothes, wore it, and ran away.


    I was so surprised that I couldn''t even think of chasing Flam, and instead, I grabbed the mask that fell to the ground and put it back to my face.


    "You, those clothes!"


    Damn, it''s too late! Uncle Bloody already recognized my clothes. I got caught.


    "Tch!"


    I clicked my tongue and put the mask off of my face and put it into my pocket space.


    "Ah, I got caught.¡±


    "Were you working for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild?"


    Uncle Bloody looked shocked as if he had never expected it. I was too careless because I upgraded my mask. In the past, I would definitely have changed my clothes before going out. It had been so peaceful for such a long time that I seemed to have thought it would be fine.


    "Why ask when you already know?" I said curtly.


    Uncle Bloody seemed surprised. ¡°My god, what Hestia said was true.¡±


    "You mean Third Sister?¡±


    "Hestia said two years ago that you were working as a civil servant at a government office inside the capital.¡±


    Two years ago... That¡¯s when she visited the capital for the currency reform.


    As expected of Hestia Noona. I can''t believe she found my whereabouts in that short period of time.


    "So I searched all the documents on the civil servant register inside the capital, but I couldn¡¯t find you so I thought Hestia was wrong."


    He couldn''t have found it because Aunt Talaria had forged all of my relevant documents. I laughed bitterly and pulled the arrow from the wall. It was an arrow made of wood from Olympus Forest.


    As far as I knew, Mac Hyung was the only monster who could shoot an arrow from a distance I couldn¡¯t detect and only target the string of my mask. Sure enough, when I looked in the direction of the arrow far away, Mac Hyung was smiling and waving at me.


    I looked at Uncle Bloody and asked, "So what are you going to do?¡±


    "Huh? What do you mean?" he didn''t understand and asked back.


    I sighed and said, "Are you going to tell Father where I am?"


    Uncle Bloody¡¯s face stiffened at my question.

 CH 266.

    Arcanta grimaced after drinking the stomach medicine contained in a green bottle. "Argh, that''s bitter."


    The stomach medicine was as effective as it was bitter, and the abdominal pain that felt as if he¡¯d swallowed a ball of needles quickly subsided.


    "What¡¯s really bitter is the current situation." William sighed as he looked at the White Deer Knights¡¯ damage report and other documents regarding policies for future interactions with the Fairy Tribe.


    Arcanta agreed with William and rubbed his face. "That''s true. It''s not this medicine that''s truly bitter, but the situation right now. Even if I flatter and try to persuade the Khan and the Guardian Knight, all the power lies with the Great Khan."


    Palamut had been drawing attention as the Great Khan¡¯s next successor before he was kidnapped. In addition, this also happened inside the palace. For the empire, this was no different than if Crown Prince Zantes had been kidnapped. If that were to happen, the empire would have immediately raised its troops and demanded that responsibility be taken.


    Fortunately, Palamut, the Khan and leader of the delegation, was safe. However, the envoys and the Guardian Knight, Marsen, were seriously injured. Based on how Palamut and Marsen were persuaded and the situation they reported, the Great Khan would decide the relationship he wanted to establish with the empire.


    "Even if things go well, we can''t stop the war, can we?¡± William''s question was not about the relationship with the Fairy Tribe. He was talking about the Kingdom, Isaslowell, that bled over the Holy City of Zaharam during the time of the Blood Emperor.


    Arcanta nodded heavily. "Yeah, we might even need to have Orphina come back down from the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    William was surprised by Arcanta''s words. If Orphina withdrew personally, half of the troops in the Demon¡¯s Territory would move south. He asked, "What? Is it that bad?"


    "This time, they¡¯ve got the resources of the Trade Union. If things don¡¯t go well, we may end up in a prolonged war.¡± Arcanta said as he continued, "If we¡¯re avoiding an extended war, we''re going to have to attack all out in one go. For that level of power, we need to bring out the troops from the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    At Arcanta''s explanation, William looked seriously at the map. The empire¡¯s forces were currently distributed as such: 50 percent in the Demon¡¯s Territory, 35 percent at the border, 5 percent in the capital, and 10 percent spread around the country. Considering that the most recent war eight years ago was fought using only the troops from the border area, the scale of the troop mobilization was different this time.


    Arcanta laid down on the sofa to cool off his complicated mind. Then, he looked at the dazed Bloody and asked, ¡°What have you been thinking so hard about?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh, just something minor.¡±


    Arcanta smirked as he watched the bewildered Bloody respond vaguely. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of your runaway nephew, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Bloody flinched as Arcanta went on. "And I heard it was Denburg Blade that saved the Fairy Tribe¡¯s Khan, in addition to being the one who caught Capricorn using strange magic."


    Bloody swallowed dryly at Arcanta¡¯s casual remarks. "Uh¡­ yes."


    "And you missed him again?¡± Arcanta asked playfully, and Bloody smiled awkwardly.


    William smiled and said, "Actually, I''m glad you missed him. Imagine if Bloody created a fuss trying to catch his nephew."


    Arcanta shuddered. "Don''t say such horrible things! The damaged buildings and streets are a pain in the ass, and you''re talking about Denburg Blade running around wildly? My stomach won''t be able to take it!"


    Arcanta and William laughed cheerfully before Arcanta said, "When I first heard the news about him running away, I couldn''t sleep because of the thought of some crazy incidents occurring, but I''m glad it¡¯s been quieter than I thought.¡±


    "No, honestly, it hasn¡¯t been that quiet, right? He suddenly started stealing under the name of Lupin.¡±


    At William''s words, Arcanta waved his finger. "Not necessarily. To be honest, besides being active as Lupin, it¡¯s not like he destroyed the palace or caused any trouble that was publicized.¡±


    The lack of publicized issues was solely due to the many accidents that hadn''t been revealed. It wasn''t hard to resolve any problems if they were not exposed.


    "Hmm, is that so?"


    "And rather, we received help from Lupin."


    "Help?" William tilted his head as if he didn''t understand.


    Arcanta stood from his resting position and pointed his fingers as he explained. "First of all, he saved the magicians of the collapsing Red Magic Tower, and despite the ruins collapsing, he prevented the Twelve Zodiacs from obtaining the previous magic stone. Although he took the great demon¡¯s mana stone, it was because of him that we were able to beat the great demon with few losses. Most importantly, the stolen corruption ledgers of the nobles came into my hands through the Big Mama Information Agency."


    Arcanta crossed his legs and smiled. "When it comes to losses and gains, it''s rather profitable, and the empire has practically lost nothing."


    There were perhaps more things he didn''t know about, but as far as he knew, this was how it was.


    "Ah, no matter your preparations, were the corruption ledgers the reason you could successfully pass the currency reform so quickly?¡±


    Arcanta nodded at William''s guess. "Of course, since we don¡¯t know when he might cause an accident, he¡¯s like a powder keg...¡±


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Arcanta stopped speaking and told the person knocking to come in.


    "Good afternoon." It was Marsen and Palamut who came in with the aide-de-camp.


    Arcanta quickly rose from his seat and welcomed the two. "Welcome! If you had sent us a message, we would have had some refreshments ready. I¡¯m sorry about that."


    At Arcanta''s apology, Palamut said something in the Fairy Tribe language, and an interpreter was immediately heard from behind. "The Khan says, ¡®It¡¯s fine. It''s our fault for coming without any warning.¡¯"


    Den was following Marsen and Palamut as he smiled and spoke. As soon as Bloody¡¯s eyes met Den¡¯s, Bloody¡¯s face became stiff, and he smiled awkwardly, avoiding Den¡¯s eyes.


    * * *


    Uncle Bloody awkwardly evaded my gaze when I walked in. Perhaps it was because of his simplicity, but he couldn''t maintain a poker face and made it obvious. I recalled last night when Mac hyung''s arrow made my mask fall off, and my workplace was revealed.


    "So, what are you going to do?"


    Uncle Bloody¡¯s face stiffened at my question, and he grabbed his head as if he didn¡¯t know what to do. "Uh, what should I do? I never thought I''d really find out where and what you were doing."


    I grabbed his shoulder and smiled. "Then let''s just pretend it didn''t happen. We¡¯ll simply have to clear your memory."


    When a huge greatsword came out of my pocket space, Uncle Bloody freaked out and backed away from me as he exclaimed, "Hey! You''re gonna kill me if you hit me with that!"


    "Oh, don''t worry. This sword is one of the treasures of the Holy Tribe¡¯s royal family, so it won''t break."


    This was a sword that wasn¡¯t even scratched after I smashed it with all my might using the Dance of Fireflies. It didn¡¯t have any special power like the Holy Sword Caladbolg, but it was hard enough to be even sturdier than Old Man Arpen¡¯s 10,000 year Ice Stone magic.


    "No! I¡¯m not saying that the sword will die; I¡¯ll die!"


    "Ayy, how can a sword like this kill your hard head?" I believe that Uncle Bloody''s head is harder than this sword.


    Boom-!


    When I swung lightly, Uncle Bloody took a considerable step back and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    "Hahaha, I''m just kidding, just kidding." I put the greatsword back in the pocket space.


    "Where did you even get that kind of greatsword? The power I feel from it is about the same as your grandfather''s favorite sword."


    "I got it as a gift from someone I know.¡±


    Uncle Bloody looked at me with suspicious eyes. "You didn''t steal it?"


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    It was a sword that Queen Arietta possessed, but she gave it to me, saying that she had no use for it anymore. Although to be precise, she couldn¡¯t use it because her body was too damaged.


    "So what are you going to do? Are you going to inform Father and turn the capital into a flat land? Or will you keep your mouth shut?"


    While I pushed for an answer, Mac hyung approached me at some point and put his arm on my shoulder. "Ahahaha, Youngest Master, don''t be so difficult. Even if we say that we¡¯re going to let the boss-nim know, you¡¯ll just run away again anyways. No, considering Youngest Master¡¯s personality, perhaps you¡¯ll just leave since you don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll come crashing in?"


    That''s right. Mac hyung knows me too well.


    "Well, I won''t deny it." Uncle Bloody was in a difficult position when I shrugged lightly.


    If I decided to hide again, there was no guarantee that he¡¯d be able to find me. There were two options that Uncle Bloody could choose from. One was to keep it a secret. The other was to subdue me here. If he decided to select another option, I would naturally consider it as him choosing the latter.


    After careful consideration, Uncle Bloody nodded. "Hmm, all right. I''ll keep it a secret."


    ¡°What about Mac hyung?¡±


    Mac answered my question with a smirk. "I''ll keep it a secret until I¡¯m asked directly.¡±


    He¡¯s so quick-witted and cunning. He knew I wanted him to say that he was going to keep it a secret, and so he did.


    I clapped and said, ¡°All right, that''s the end of the contract.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? A contract?¡± Uncle Bloody didn''t understand and looked at me. At the same time as I clapped, a magic circle appeared near me.


    "What is this?!¡±


    I looked at the surprised Uncle Bloody and spoke as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. "It''s magic created by mixing the Holy Tribe¡¯s magic with the Druid''s contract. It forces you to follow through with your words."


    ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I wonder what¡¯ll happen?¡± I returned the question and smiled playfully.


    I glanced at Uncle Bloody, interpreting Palamut''s words. It seemed that Uncle Bloody was perplexed as his mind grew complicated. Maybe Uncle wasn¡¯t thinking at all, but my thoughts were convoluted, and in my eyes, this is what he looked like.


    Actually, yesterday''s contract magic was all a lie. Magic that forced a person to act a certain way wouldn¡¯t be so simple. I was just fooling around with fancy effects. If they believe it, they won''t be able to ask Leisha noona anyways.


    I bought some time, but what should I do?


    I have a lot on my mind.


    * * *


    There was a secret prison west of the capital that laid underneath the headquarters of the White Deer Knights. It primarily kept prisoners who could not be made known to the public.


    "Senior, what kind of prisoner is this?¡± asked a knight guarding the bars as he sat on a chair and rested his chin.


    The knight sitting next to him yawned and shrugged his shoulders. "Haam~ I don''t know. I''m just guarding because I''m told to. It''s not like this is the first time our superiors have asked us to do something weird."


    "Hahaha, that''s true.¡±


    As the two knights chatted and chased their sleepiness away, they suddenly felt pressure in their hearts and found it difficult to breathe.


    "Sen, Senior!"


    "Go upstairs!"


    Faced with this abrupt situation, they hurriedly tried to leave the basement but couldn''t reach the stairs as they couldn''t breathe. As their consciousness became blurry, the two knights saw a woman wearing a red mask.


    "Ohohohohoho! How stupid, getting sealed like that.¡±


    "Shut up. Anyways, you were alive...¡±


    That was the last thing the knights'' consciousness heard before completely disappearing.

 CH 267.

    I shook hands with Palamut and Marsen at the train station, saying, "You''re leaving earlier than I thought."


    "What can we do? There was a kidnapping incident.¡± Marsen smiled bitterly.


    As someone who interpreted for the prime minister and Palamut, I could understand the meaning of Marsen¡¯s smile. It was appropriate to say that the alliance between the empire and the Fairy Tribe had completely disappeared.


    Palamut smiled and held my hands tightly. "I heard from Godfather that Mr. Interpreter was the one who knocked me out and rescued me?"


    At Palamut''s words, I looked at Marsen. Marsen laughed awkwardly. "Haha, that''s...¡±


    "Don''t blame Godfather. It''s because I inquired about how I was rescued while unconscious."


    Palamut smiled playfully. "I''m sorry I knocked you unconscious. I did it because it was a little too complicated to explain."


    To be specific, it was more troublesome than complicated.


    "No, I''m not blaming you for knocking me unconscious. I''m just saying thank you for saving me. There are many reasons for me to be thankful towards you: saving my subordinates, healing Godfather, and keeping the relationship with my country from going down the drain."


    This was beneficial for Palamut as well since a collapsing relationship with the empire wouldn¡¯t be good for the Fairy Tribe either. Yet, I shook my head at Palamut''s words. "I don''t know about anything else, but in the end, it is up to Khan Palamut and the prime minister. All I did was interpret some political terms that Marsen-nim couldn¡¯t interpret."


    What I said was not being humble but truthful. There was no way I could be bothered to step up and mediate between them.


    Palamut acted as if he heard modesty and spoke with a smile. "No, the meeting itself was possible because you were there. This grace will be repaid independently of the empire. Let me know if you ever need any help."


    Marsen also continued where Palamut left off. "I''ll also add to that. I will help you with anything you request without any questions."


    It seemed that he didn¡¯t forget that he promised to do me a favor once before.


    "Thank you. I''ll ask you later if something happens."


    Marsen laughed and hit me on the back. "Hahaha! You should!"


    Then Ophelia, Marsen''s aide-de-camp, smiled and said, "As an interpreter who is fluent in our language, you probably already know, but in our country, to say we will repay the favor is a promise to meet again.¡±


    It was my first time hearing about such a promise.


    "Come and visit. There are a lot of people who want to treat you for saving their lives."


    The envoys and knights who were loading luggage on the train all agreed with Ophelia''s words.


    ¡°Please come and visit, Mr. Interpreter!¡±


    ¡°We will be waiting.¡±''


    Oh, my. Them acting like this all of a sudden is making me feel embarrassed. If I ever quit being a civil servant, it would be nice to visit the Fairies¡¯ country.


    "Yes, all right."


    Everyone started boarding the departing train, and Palamut whispered to me, "But what''s your real name? Den von Mark isn¡¯t your real name if you are the direct descendent of the Crow Tribe¡¯s chief."


    I burst out laughing. "Did Marsen-nim, no, did that old man say that?"


    "Hahaha, isn''t Godfather an innocent person? It wasn''t hard to trick him into confessing the whole truth." Palamut laughed playfully and continued, "How can I have any face as a Khan when I don''t even know the name of my benefactor?"


    I grinned at Palamut¡¯s nonsense and said, "Denburg Blade. That''s my name."


    "Well, Denburg Blade. I memorized it. Let¡¯s meet again next time, friend."


    Palamut left these words and got on the train. I looked at Palamut in surprise when he suddenly called me a friend, and Palamut smiled and waved. Soon, the train door closed and began to leave the capital.


    "Well, it seems I''ve made an interesting friend,¡± I mumbled as I left the train station.


    * * *


    After my work as an interpreter ended, I immediately returned to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was as lively as usual with adventurers.


    "I''m back."


    I approached a desk and greeted Fiona while she worked. Fiona got up from her seat and replied, "Well done. I was worried because there was a rumor that something had just happened at the palace, but I''m glad you''re safe."


    Judging from her reaction, it seems it was not yet known that Palamut was kidnapped.


    "I heard that the Fairy Tribe delegation was leaving today, but it looks like they¡¯ve already left, considering that you¡¯re back."


    I nodded at Fiona¡¯s guess and asked, "Yes, I saw them off. Am I coming right back to work?"


    Fiona smiled at my question. "No, I can''t have someone who just got back from a business trip start working immediately. It''s our rule to leave work early the next day if you work overtime, right?"


    ¡°That''s true.¡±


    Rather than this being a benefit offered to civil servants, this was an advantage of having Guild Director Glont as a boss. As I thought, it was fortunate that I rejected the prime minister''s proposal to work at the Treasury Office. It had the highest levels of promotions and salaries, but there were rumors that it was overtime hell over there, so it was best to avoid it.


    "Oh, do you know where Flam is?"


    "Flam? Flam is probably at home because he took a vacation two days ago and didn''t come to work."


    Two days ago would be the day after Palamut was kidnapped.


    "Now that I think about it, it''s weird. Usually, for vacation requests, I take care of it and send it to the top, but I was informed by Guild Director-nim that Flam was on vacation.¡±


    "Well, Flam is close to Guild Director-nim, so maybe he mentioned it in passing, and Guild Director-nim took care of it on the spot?"


    Fiona nodded as if she was convinced by what I said. "Well, I guess if it were Guild Director-nim, he would do that."


    It was possible that the Guild Leader would do this, but if it were Flam, he would have tried to follow the proper procedures. There''s no way that stiff old man ignored the middleman. Is it because he was discovered by me three days ago? Maybe I should go to Flam''s house.


    "Then I''ll leave work right away."


    "Yes, thank you for your work. I''ll tell the others that you¡¯ve returned safely."


    "Thank you."


    "Go ahead before Demuir grabs you by the pant leg."


    "Hahaha, all right." I laughed at Fiona''s joke and headed to Flam''s house.


    * * *


    It wasn''t hard to get to Flam''s house. I was very familiar with the route from frequently visiting to teach Arwen. When I arrived in front of Flam''s house, I thought about ringing the doorbell but decided just to go in. It would be annoying if he tried to run away after hearing the doorbell.


    I took out the all-purpose lock-picking wire from my pocket space and unlocked the front door. As soon as I opened the door, a kick flew at me. I grabbed the foot and tried to throw my assailant, but I realized that the size of the foot was not that big.


    I turned my body, dispersing the impact, and gently put the guy who kicked me on the ground before saying, "To suddenly throw a double flying kick at your teacher¡­ You''ve grown up, my disciple."


    Arwen safely landed on the floor, and she flinched and apologized.


    - I''m sorry, Teacher-nim. I thought it was Fool- I mean Flam.


    When I saw the writing in the air, I smirked and stroked Arwen''s hair. "It¡¯s not."


    Come to think of it, Arwen has grown substantially in the past two years. Not only did she increase in height, but her magic skills also improved rapidly, raising her to the level of a great magician.


    Arwen''s eyes shook when I asked, ¡°I want to meet Flam, but did he go out?¡±


    - That¡¯s-


    A voice answered from the second floor instead of Arwen, who stopped writing in the air. "He ran away from home.¡±


    I didn''t feel any presence at all, but I looked up in surprise at the unexpected voice. "Aunt? Why are you here?"


    "That''s what I should be saying. Why are you here? And ¡®teacher?¡¯ You''re the bastard who¡¯s been filling Arwen with nonsense and teaching her magic?¡±


    Arwen became flustered when Aunt Talaria and I looked at Arwen at the same time.


    - Uh... you two know each other?


    Arwen''s question was answered immediately by my aunt.  "It''s my damn nephew."


    I complained at Aunt Talaria''s words. "It''s too much to say, ¡®damn nephew.¡¯ You spinster, ootcha!


    As soon as I said spinster, my aunt threw a dagger at my forehead without hesitation. There''s a reason I called her a spinster. Look at her violent personality!


    I sighed and asked, pulling out the dagger stuck in the wall, "Was Aunt the ahjumma that Flam''s said was taking care of him?¡±


    Aunt Talaria frowned. "That punk called me an ahjumma?"


    ¡°Does that matter now?¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn''t matter right now.¡±


    Seeing her clenching her teeth, it seemed as if it would become important later. Let''s mourn in advance for Flam.


    "But where is Flam?"


    Aunt Talaria sighed at my question. "I don''t know. The idiot ran away after his identity was discovered by you three days ago. He''s stupid, but if he really tries to hide, it''ll be hard to find him even with my information agency."


    Arwen was surprised to hear that I had discovered Flam¡¯s identity, and she looked at me. I stroked Arwen''s head and said, "By the way, my grandfather was wearing a blue mask and working under the name of Aquarius, right? I haven''t asked before because I''ve been too lazy, but what kind of organization is the Twelve Zodiacs?"


    Arwen held her breath at my question, and Aunt Talaria smiled interestedly. "When I tried to explain before, you said you didn¡¯t want to be a part of anything bothersome. I guess you must be pretty intimate with Flam.¡±


    I shrugged lightly. "Well, we see each other every day, and even if I don¡¯t want to get close, he clings to me."


    "All right, if you want an explanation, I¡¯m happy to give it to you. I''m about to ask you the second request." My aunt jumped off from the second floor and gestured to follow her.


    "I don''t really want to hear the second request, though." I scratched the back of my head and followed Aunt Talaria with Arwen.


    * * *


    In the palace¡¯s secret conference room, Bloody was thinking carefully.


    William was sitting next to Bloody, and he looked at Bloody with curious eyes. "What have you been thinking about these past few days? Is something bothering you?¡±


    "Huh? No. No worries."


    Bloody was evasive, but his facial expression told the truth. William gazed gently at Bloody and said, "No one else is here yet. His Majesty is always late because he tries to avoid the eyes of his servants, and Zantes and Arcanta are delayed from being busy preparing for war.¡±


    Bloody hesitated at William''s words, and William persisted, "I have tight lips. You''re going to have to take the lead in a situation where there might be a war. Is it all right for you to be full of so many worries? I''ll put my name and magic on the line and keep it secret, so tell me what you''re worried about."


    At William''s suggestion, Bloody cautiously asked about his worries. "Then... is it possible to apply a contract magic or whatnot one-sidedly?"


    William spoke dumbfoundedly, "Of course you can''t. I don''t think even my father can do that.¡±


    "What?"


    Bloody became flustered, and William looked at Bloody with an uncomprehending expression. "But what does that have to do with your worries?"


    "Haha, that is..." Bloody scratched the back of his head.

 CH 268.

    My aunt headed to the living room and simply pushed the sofa away before opening the secret passageway on the floor. Seeing that Arwen was surprised at the secret passage, it seemed to have been kept a secret from the people living in this house.


    As if Aunt Talaria had guessed what I was thinking, she flippantly said, "It''s not exactly a secret. It was created to make it possible for Arwen and Flam to escape in an emergency. I just didn''t tell Flam because I thought that idiot would go around talking about it beforehand."


    "If the person who¡¯s supposed to use it doesn''t know about it, isn''t it useless?¡±


    My aunt snorted when I asked her dumbfoundedly. "There''s an emergency contact magic in this house, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    After following my aunt through the secret passage for a long time, a very luxurious room appeared. This was a place I¡¯d been to once before. Was it when I was in the middle of training at the district office and had cornered the poisoning suspect?


    My aunt touched a large picture on the wall and asked, "You were here about three years ago, weren¡¯t you? Was that when Information Head Pelgrant was almost poisoned?¡±


    "I think so."


    So he was also the head of an information department. The marquis threatened to poison him, so I assumed he wasn¡¯t anyone ordinary, but if he was the head of the information department, he was the closest aide to the prime minister.


    The painting that my aunt was touching moved sideways, revealing a space. At first glance, there was a lot of security magic placed. Each individual security magic was nothing, but based on the quantity, it looked like it would take a long time for even me to sneak in. Of course, if I¡¯m not trying to be secretive, I could take care of it all in one go.


    "It''s my first time bringing outsiders to this space. This is a place where only me, Milpia, and the top three executives can enter."


    I was reluctant to ask Aunt Talaria, ¡°But is it okay for us to come in?¡±


    "It''s fine. I''m letting you in. Who¡¯s going to say anything about it? And don''t worry, you know all three top executives," said my aunt casually.


    "Me?"


    This is the first time I¡¯m hearing about it.


    "Yes, your grandfather, your maternal grandfather, and Hestia, these three are the top executives."


    "Wow, that''s perfect family management." Milpia, the head of the headquarters, is my aunt''s adoptive daughter, so it¡¯s basically all family.


    "Wait, maternal grandfather? Do I have a maternal grandfather?"


    When I asked in bewilderment after hearing it for the first time, Aunt Talaria opened her eyes wide in surprise. "You still haven''t heard? Uh, then pretend you didn''t hear that."


    From my aunt''s reaction, it seemed highly likely that it was someone I knew. Who is it? Not many people around me were old enough to be my grandfather.


    My aunt broke my focus by coughing dryly as I was about to start guessing about my maternal grandfather. "Ahem! Since we''re here, let''s get straight to the point."


    When Aunt Talaria put her mana into the table, a hologram shaped like a constellation appeared in the air. It was a simple but complex magic made up of spatial magic and light magic.


    "What we''re about to talk about now is highly classified security information, so don''t mention it outside."


    My aunt manipulated the hologram after her threat. Portraits depicting various individuals appeared below the twelve constellations. The portraits were painted with familiar masks, but under Taurus, there was a portrait of a mask that Flam used.


    "There are also black and white portraits," I said.


    Below the black and white portraits, it said Gemini, Cancer, and Scorpio.


    "Black and white portraits are those who have been confirmed dead.¡±


    Then there were three deaths.


    "The Twelve Zodiacs is an organization named after the zodiac constellation signs and is composed of 12 people."


    "Yes, I know that much."


    "Just listen quietly. The Twelve Zodiacs is ostensibly known as the organization that wants to destroy the empire, but in fact, it¡¯s a strange group where each member¡¯s goals are different."


    "They all have different goals?¡±


    My aunt nodded at my question. "Yes, according to the goals of each member of the organization, there are four categories: those who wish to eliminate the empire or the imperial family, those wanting to revive the Demon King, those with the inclination to defend the empire and stop the resurrection of the Demon King, and those who are just associated as members.¡±


    The portraits in the holograms on the table were classified according to what my aunt said. Those in the first category were Taurus, Leo, Capricorn, and Cancer, while the second included Sagittarius, Libra, Scorpio, and Gemini. The third group contained Aquarius and Virgo, and the last group was Aries and Pisces.


    "It is such a bizarre group,¡± I said, and Aunt Talaria nodded as if she agreed with my brief assessment.


    "But why was Flam a civil servant with an anti-empire disposition?¡±


    To be honest, it was a little shocking that Flam was anti-empire.


    My aunt answered my question after a moment of silence. "I don''t know the exact reason, but it''s a long story."


    "Please explain briefly if possible."


    I didn''t like to pry about personal matters, but this time I felt like I needed to know his motivation. Even if I wasn¡¯t quite sure why I needed to know, the unique sixth sense that I had inherited from my father was telling me so.


    "I¡¯m surprised that you care so much about another person''s business. I only heard it from my father, so I don¡¯t know much, but I''ll explain it to you.¡± Aunt Talaria took a bunch of documents from the bookshelf, rummaged through it to find the ones she wanted, and handed me the papers.


    "Flam is from the Resistance Village of the fallen Imperial State. The town was slaughtered by the imperial army in the pretext of a rebellion, and Flam was the only survivor of the village."


    The documents regarding the massacre plainly exposed the dark side of the empire.


    "It''s disgusting.¡± I frowned and looked through the documents. There were more than just a single village massacred. While looking over the papers, I suddenly realized that the date the massacre stopped coincided with the time when Guild Director Glont retired from his position as a general.


    My aunt noticed my realization and gave me an additional explanation. "At that time, the imperial army was fighting in a battle for power between the imperial faction that General Glont was associated with and remnant forces of the former emperor, the Blood Emperor. The Blood Emperor at the time wanted to eliminate the uncertain element known as the Resistance."


    "Then, the Blood Emperor¡¯s forces carried out the massacre, and Guild Director Glont, the general at the time, felt responsible and retired?"


    If it were Guild Director Glont, he would have felt responsible even if he didn¡¯t know about the massacre.


    "That''s right. The massacre was especially shocking when it was discovered that, in addition to the Blood Emperor¡¯s followers, parts of the imperial faction and Temple forces within the imperial army were found to have been involved.¡±


    Come to think of it, that¡¯s strange. How did Flam, the only survivor of the massacre, get close with Guild Director Glont, the pinnacle of the imperial army?


    As if she could read my mind, Aunt Talaria handed over more documents and asked, "How do you think Flam survived?¡±


    "Well, I don''t know. Did he hide somewhere?"


    "That¡¯s right. Flam was only seven years old at the time, and he hid in a potato storage room inside a warehouse before being saved by your grandfather and Guild Director Glont. After that, Flam became your grandfather''s disciple and wandered all over the empire.¡±


    "Grandfather?¡±


    Flam had often talked about his wandering teacher, and it seemed this person was my grandfather. Now that I thought about it, Flam also had the martial arts technique of amplifying mana. So, it wasn¡¯t the aphrodisiac that heightened Flam''s mana, but the martial arts? No, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if he was using martial arts.


    "Yeah, your grandfather introduced Flam to the Twelve Zodiacs, saying that he can try getting revenge on the empire if he wanted."


    "Wow, that¡¯s intense."


    If it¡¯s the grandfather I knew, his intentions in introducing Flam weren¡¯t really for the sake of revenge. My wise grandfather would have likely hoped Flam would see contradictions in the words and actions of an organization hostile to the empire. In fact, even the recent kidnapping was done by tricking Flam into thinking it was to stop a war when in reality, they were trying to start one.


    "So why did Flam become a civil servant?"


    "Guild Director Glont recommended it. He told Flam to become a part of the empire and experience for himself whether the empire was an evil that needed to disappear."


    "I see."


    Aunt Talaria didn¡¯t seem to know the exact details either.


    "That¡¯s the end of what you wanted to know, and from now, I¡¯ll tell you what I brought you here for."


    "I don''t want to know."


    My aunt snorted at me and said, "It''s too late. Think of it as paying for the information and be quiet and listen.¡±


    Auntie spoke sternly and touched the hologram again. The portraits of Aquarius and Virgo were enlarged. "The reason your grandfather and I joined the Twelve Zodiacs is not just to act as spies for the empire-"


    "Wait a minute." I cut off Aunt Talaria''s explanation and asked, "Grandfather is Aquarius, so then Aunt is Virgo?¡±


    "Is there a problem?" my aunt frowned.


    "No, rather than Virgo, shouldn¡¯t it be spinster--!"


    Before I could finish my words, my aunt threw a dagger accurately at my forehead. "Think before you speak, you damn brat. Otherwise, a dagger will fly at you."


    "You should say that before you throw a dagger!"


    "I¡¯m saying you might get more flying at you,¡± Aunt Talaria said with a dagger in her hand.


    "Don''t cut me off and just listen. The Twelve Zodiacs were made by three people, Sagittarius, Scorpio, and Libra.¡±


    "So its original purpose was not to destroy the empire, but to revive the Demon King."


    My aunt affirmed what I said. "Right, the resurrection of the Demon King required a variety of materials, but the empire stood in the way of collecting these items and reviving the Demon King, so they allowed anti-empire people to join."


    The purpose of destroying the empire was essentially a dummy.


    "That''s why your grandfather and I went in there to stop the resurrection of the Demon King."


    "I see. And so? Are you perhaps asking me to join the Twelve Zodiacs to help you with your work? That doesn''t meet the terms of the contract."


    In the contract between my aunt and me, she was not allowed to have me do something that would increase the number of requests she could ask of me. Therefore, I couldn''t accept a request to join and continue to help.


    Aunt Talaria smirked at my words. "I know. It¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to do anyway, so I don¡¯t need to make a request."


    "What..."


    I had an ominous feeling.


    "I heard you used the documents for summoning the Demon King as firewood to make roasted sweet potatoes."


    "Ye, yes. So what?"


    "Whether it¡¯s Libra or Sagittarius, they will come to you one day to get that summoning document.¡±


    "Why!? I''ve already burned it!"


    My aunt laughed bitterly at my cry. "Because you''ll have that summoning document in your head. That¡¯s why you shouldn''t have used the doppelganger magic."


    After hearing my aunt''s words, I could only fall into despair.


    Damn it. I''m screwed.

 CH 269.

    Doppelganger magic was a form of demon summoning contained in the Demon King summoning document. Of course, rather than a demon, the doppelganger I used could only be seen as a minor alter ego with AI that copied my thought process. Even so, the structure of the technique was based on demon summoning, so it could not be called completely different magic. It was the magic of the so-called ship of Theseus. [1]


    "Why did you go and burn the Demon King summoning document?"


    I couldn''t help it back then. I happened to have run out of firewood. The trees near the village were so resilient that I would need to suffer for an entire day to cut one down. In addition, the freshly cut trees would burn poorly because they wouldn¡¯t dry up. And if a paper like that exists in the first place, won¡¯t the Demon King get summoned again?


    "Well, luckily, thanks to you, the advent of the Demon King has been delayed." My aunt smiled lightly and manipulated the holograms to display a portrait of a mask that was half-black and half-white, like half-and-half chicken. Arwen was stunned to see the portrait.


    "This guy''s code name is Libra, and he''s the Demon King worshipper who detected the doppelganger magic you used."


    That Half-and-Half Mask was definitely the black magician who aimed for Hillis more than two and a half years ago. At that time, I was in Hillis''s domain proclamation, and my senses were disrupted, so I lost him. I was too lazy to find him, and I didn''t chase after him because I thought the capital would be destroyed if we fought without restraint, but I didn''t expect it to come back to bite me like this.


    "Should I have killed him back then?"


    When I clicked my tongue, Aunt Talaria shook her head. "Arthur is not someone your grandfather, nor I can touch recklessly.¡±


    My aunt''s words were unexpected, and I remarked, "He was at least a madosa-level magician, but I didn''t think he was that impressive."


    Aunt Talaria nodded at my assessment. "Yeah, Arthur himself isn''t someone we can¡¯t handle. However, even if he dies, ¡®Libra¡¯ will not disappear unless the root of it, the Demon King worshippers, disappears."


    If he falls, then a second or third Libra will appear? Talk about being a Demon King. Oh, is that why he¡¯s a Demon King worshipper?


    "Then, he''s like a cockroach that can''t be exterminated unless we destroy the place where he lays his eggs.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to be too careful because if I recklessly messed with them, the amount of annoyance brought by the Demon King worshippers wouldn¡¯t be small.


    My aunt smiled bitterly at my analogy. "Yes, but more than that... No, there''s no need to tell you yet. Firstly, even if he has detected your doppelganger magic, that''s all. The information hasn''t been traced to you, and currently, I''m interfering with it.¡±


    If the Big Mama Information Agency were directly interfering with the information, it would be fine to relax for now.


    "So I¡¯m not in danger of any immediate harm at the moment.¡±


    "Yes, but don''t let your guard down." Aunt Talaria turned off the hologram and handed me a bunch of papers as she continued, "First of all, here are the details of the Twelve Zodiacs.¡±


    I got the documents and quickly scanned them before pointing out, "But there''s very little information about Sagittarius and Pisces.¡±


    My aunt sat on the edge of the table and said, "That''s all the information we have on Pisces, and as for Sagittarius, I can''t tell you.¡±


    "You can''t tell me?¡±


    "Yeah, Sagittarius is very dangerous, so it¡¯s better for you to remain unaware right now."


    He must be an even greater monster if my aunt was describing him like this. It was different from two years ago when she gave me information on Aries and told me to avoid meeting him.


    "Now, I''m asking you for the second request."


    Her playful smile made me very nervous.


    "You¡¯ve already guessed that this alliance with the Fairies has failed and that war is going to break out, right?¡±


    "So?"


    "Ignoring the fool who was tricked into joining, it means that the people responsible for the kidnapping, Scorpio, and Capricorn, want war."


    "That''s definitely weird."


    Capricorn wanted a war because he was anti-empire, but it was strange that Scorpio would desire one. According to Marsen, the person who fought Scorpio, Scorpio was Selina, the Witch of Greed. Yet, why did the Witch of Greed want war with the empire?


    "Is war necessary for the resurrection of the Demon King? No, it''s a distraction.¡±


    My aunt smiled and nodded at my guess. "Right, we don''t know exactly what they¡¯re planning, but the empire must be getting in the way of whatever they¡¯re trying to do."


    "Or maybe they¡¯re trying to distract Aunt and Grandfather." Since my grandfather and aunt were inside the group as spies, we should consider this possibility.


    My aunt opened her eyes wide and was lost in thought as if my words hit the mark. "It''s... possible.¡±


    My aunt contemplated with a serious face before she finished organizing her thoughts and smiled as if she found it interesting. "Okay, that''s a good idea to consider. It seems Hestia isn¡¯t recommending you as chief for no reason."


    "No, anyone could have, wait, then the second request is...¡± I spoke, feeling anxious.


    As if my guess was right, Aunt Talaria nodded with an insidious smile. "As expected, you¡¯re quick to catch on. I¡¯m going to need you to help end the war quickly.¡±


    "How?"


    My aunt shrugged at my question. "That''s for you to find out. Use the Big Mama Information Agency whenever you need. Any information or funding will be provided free of charge."


    I slammed the table and shouted, "This is tyranny!"


    But I had no choice but to listen to her request.


    * * *


    In the middle of a pitch-black room, Libra lit a candle sitting on a table and spoke, "Not even wearing a mask, how careless of you, Scorpio."


    Selina was wearing brown overalls and a beret that looked like something an artist would wear as she appeared in the candle-lit room. She smiled and waved her fingers jokingly when Libra rebuked her. "Ayy, what¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s just the two of us here anyway. It''s not like we don''t know each other''s faces. More importantly, it¡¯s your fault for calling me here while I was in the middle of enjoying my break after completing the job."


    Libra laughed dumbfoundedly, "Ha, you talk a lot for someone who failed."


    Selina grumbled, "Hey, it''s not a failure. There''s going to be a war. I even recovered the captured Capricorn and released him.¡±


    Capricorn had returned to his country grinding his teeth, bearing a prosthetic that Scorpio made for his severed arm. He had to depart because a general responsible for leading the army could not continue to remain in a foreign country when there was a risk of war.


    "That was the minimum goal, but you failed to kill Marsen, and he¡¯ll get in the way later."


    When Libra pointed out Selina¡¯s barely-justifiable excuse, she shrugged as if she didn''t care. "How could I have known someone went to the temple and rescued Palamut before Barbarian got there? I even pretended I was dead to lower their guards.¡±


    The original plan was that if the half-dead Marsen dragged his injured body over and tried to force his way through the secret door to rescue Palamut, the trap would be triggered. However, even before Marsen arrived, someone rescued Palamut and delivered him to Marsen, making the trap useless.


    "What? Did you try to kill Marsen on purpose?¡±


    "Jeez! You surprised me!"


    "Show some presence when you move about!"


    When Sagittarius suddenly talked from behind the duo while hiding his presence, Libra and Selina were surprised and got angry.


    Sagittarius scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh, I heard Scorpio died, so I came out because I was worried.¡±


    "Oh, did you worry about me? That''s unexpected." Selina smirked and put her hand on Sagittarius''s shoulder.


    Sagittarius smiled cheerfully and lifted Scorpio by the neck.


    "Kuk! Kuk!"


    The abrupt action left Libra frozen, unable to stop him.


    "But why did you try to kill Marsen?"


    When Sagittarius asked calmly, Scorpio struggled with her face white and clasped her neck. Sagittarius maintained his smile and asked, "Don''t just choke, answer me. Hmm?"


    As the space slowly filled with killing intent, Libra swallowed dryly and tried to stop Sagittarius. "Let''s calm down first...¡±


    "Calm down? What do you mean? The number of times I¡¯ve been angry can be counted on one hand. Don''t you think, Selina?¡±


    Selina barely managed to open her mouth. "Sa, save me...!¡±


    "Hmm, asking to be saved from only this, I guess the consequences of being cut in half by Marsen are great? Well, Heart Sword is essentially a fraudulent skill." Sagittarius smiled and let go of her neck.


    "Kuk! Huk! Huk!" Selina was released, and she lost strength in her legs and sat on the floor, gasping for air.


    Sagittarius casually took out his handkerchief and wiped off Selina''s saliva from his hand. "Well, Marsen is alive, so let''s leave it at this.  Even if friends bicker, they shouldn¡¯t really go after each others¡¯ lives. Right?"


    Selina nodded urgently at Sagittarius''s caring voice. Sagittarius asked, throwing his saliva-covered handkerchief into the trash can, "Oh, were you also the one who killed Drachen?¡±


    Selina was nodding when she looked at the ground with a stiff head and expression. She couldn''t raise her head under the unexpected feeling of heavy pressure and broke into a cold sweat.


    "Puhahat! I''m kidding." The heavy pressure was suddenly released by Sagittarius''s laughter as he said, "Drachen, that old man, did live a long time. What''s the point of killing an old man on the brink of death? Don''t you think so?"


    Selina smiled awkwardly and agreed, "That, that¡¯s right. When, when we subjugated the Demon King, that old man was already over 100 years old."


    "He was a delightful old man. It''s a pity that he died. The damn old man always said he wouldn''t die before me. Funny old man, huh?¡±


    Selina sweated, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    "Even I think it was a boring joke. Sorry," said Sagittarius.


    Sagittarius patted Selina on the shoulder and left the meeting place. "I''ll head out first. It''s not my cup of tea to attend a meeting I haven''t received an invitation for."


    Seeing the back of Sagittarius leaving with a lighthearted smile, Libra and Selina remained silent for a long time.


    * * *


    After separating from my aunt, I asked Arwen, "Flam ran away, and if my aunt and grandfather become preoccupied, you''ll be alone. What will you do?"


    Arwen was troubled by my question, and I went on, "At 14, it''s a little early to stand on your own feet, but your magic skills are enough to be self-reliant."


    Arwen grabbed my sleeve with anxious eyes. I smirked and patted Arwen on the head, saying, "I''m just talking about when you¡¯re alone. I still have a lot to teach you, so I won''t go anywhere."


    Arwen seemed relieved, but she didn''t let go of my sleeve.


    "Then do you want to come with me? The boarding house I stay in is nice, and my workshop is a suitable place to live as well."


    Gwalchavad''s cooking skills were excellent, so she at least wouldn''t suffer from a lack of appetite. Moreover, Percival''s housekeeping skills were reasonable, so I didn''t have to worry about laundry or cleaning. Above all, it was safer than the palace, so she could feel protected.


    Nodding her head at my proposal, Arwen chose the former of the two.


    - Boarding house.


    "Okay, if that¡¯s what you want. I need Mrs. Arscilla¡¯s permission, but with my introduction, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡±


    A certain feisty prime minister might assign some surveillance to Arwen for a month, but it¡¯s not difficult to deceive their observing gazes.


    Arwen and I headed to the boarding house. "I''m back."


    After the sudden business trip, it felt like it¡¯s been a long time since I came back to the boarding house.


    "Welcome."


    It was Arcanta, not Mrs. Arscilla, who welcomed Arwen and me. Arcanta sat on the living room sofa, and Uncle Bloody and William sat on either side of him.


    I didn''t panic, and I bowed my head to greet the prime minister as required by court etiquette. "I greet His Excellency the Prime Minister and the general-nims."


    Arwen awkwardly copied my greeting, and Arcanta waved his hand with a smile. "Hahaha, there''s no need to stick to etiquette that much. Isn''t home supposed to be a place to relax comfortably? My mother doesn''t like it when people are too formal, either."


    "Thank you for your consideration."


    "By the way, you did a great job regarding the Fairy Tribe delegation. Thank you, I was originally only going to have you be an interpreter, but unexpectedly, I even left the overall work to be done by you. You worked hard, even having to send them off."


    What''s going on here? It was strange that Uncle Bloody and William were accompanying him.


    I hid my inner thoughts, smiled, and spoke humbly, "No, I only did what I should naturally do."


    "That''s not true. You deserve some gratitude. I''d like to thank you again, Den von Mark."


    There was an unknown sense of alienation from the prime minister''s words. The prime minister smiled with his hands on his chin. "Or rather, should I call you the Denburg Blade?¡±


    At the same time as the prime minister spoke, the atmosphere filled with tension.


    1. Ship of Theseus, is also known as Theseus¡¯s paradox, and is a question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object.

 CH 270.

    As the tension in the room grew to the point of being palpable, I felt tired and raised my hand, rubbing my eyes. When I moved, the prime minister''s guards that were hiding and keeping an eye on me took action.


    "Stop!"


    When I shouted, the prime minister''s secret guards fell from the ceiling unconscious. At the same time, Bors and Lionel stopped moving, nearly about to stab their swords into the prime minister''s throat. Before I knew it, Gwalchavad and Percival had readied their shield and spear, respectively, as they arrived at my side. I tapped on their shoulders.


    "Withdraw." The five knights guarding me opened my pocket space and withdrew, including Tristan, the one responsible for overpowering the guards in the ceiling at my command.


    "Teleportation? No, a pocket space? But a pocket space isn¡¯t an area that living beings can endure,¡± William asked interestingly, as befitting a magician.


    As expected of Arpen''s son, he doesn''t care about his surroundings and is asking these kinds of questions.


    "I''ll explain that later if I have a chance, and I''m sorry about that. They''re very loyal."


    Fortunately, the prime minister''s guards seemed to have just passed out. Tristan usually acts like a wild child, but it was a relief that he knew how to control himself during this type of situation.


    The prime minister glanced at his guards that had been overpowered in an instant and shook his head in a cold sweat. "No, it seems my subordinates acted first, so it''s fine."


    "Thank you for your understanding. Arwen, can you go to my workshop for a while? I think this conversation is going to be a little lengthy.¡±


    Arwen hesitated for a moment and nodded.


    "Agravain."


    "Did you call for me, Master?"


    William¡¯s eyes twinkled, and the prime minister broke into a cold sweat as Agravain suddenly appeared from my pocket space.


    "Please escort Arwen safely to the workshop."


    "Yes, sir."


    Agravain left the boarding house with Arwen, and I waved at Arwen.


    "Who''s that child?" asked the prime minister.


    I sat opposite the prime minister and answered, "She is my disciple. She''s a talented child, so I''m learning a lot too."


    William nodded as if saying he could relate. Come to think of it, William was also giving lectures at the Magic School.


    "By the way, seeing that you''re here, Uncle must have called you. I thought I managed to thoroughly trick Uncle," I said.


    "Oh, it''s just that I thought something was a little off... But you''re not mad, are you?" said my uncle.


    I didn''t expect my uncle to notice that I tricked him. I shouldn''t have tried to fool him, but I temporarily forgot that my family has good instincts. If he were as intelligent as Hestia noona or Leisha noona, he would¡¯ve ignored his sixth sense, but it seems to have been counter-effective for people who preferred to trust their instincts like him.


    Uncle Bloody looked at me with hesitation. I guess Uncle Bloody was sorry that he told other people when he said he would keep it a secret, despite the fact that I tricked him.


    "No, I just won¡¯t be able to be a civil servant in the future."


    My uncle flinched for a moment at my words. If it were anyone else, then maybe I could continue, but since the prime minister found out, I could safely say that my civil servant life was completely over.


    "No, I didn''t mean for that to happen."


    I smirked at Uncle Bloody, who looked flustered. "I know, but you''ll still get scolded by Third Sister. Third Sister was probably just going to secretly find out where I was and slowly try to convince me, but with this, it¡¯s all gone down the drain."


    My uncle looked tired, thinking about the future. Well, Hestia noona¡¯s scoldings were pretty scary. It was all the more terrifying because it led to my father''s iron fist sanctions.


    On behalf of the speechless Uncle Bloody, the prime minister said, "Why do you think it¡¯s completely over? Just continue as you¡¯ve been doing. Your civil servant life, that is. We''re not mean enough to interfere with your hobby.¡±


    "It¡¯s fine. It''s funny to hear that from someone who''s only thinking about taking advantage of me."


    At my bitter grin, the prime minister said with a kind smile, "That''s not true. It''s heartbreaking that you thought I¡¯m such a bad person that I would take advantage of my friend¡¯s nephew."


    Seeing the prime minister pretending to be just made me scoff. "If you didn''t intend to take advantage of me in the first place, you wouldn''t have shown up pretending that you didn¡¯t know who I was."


    "Haha, that''s...¡± His words trailed off as if I hit the mark.


    "Well, I can guess why you''ve come here. In all likelihood, it''s asking me to participate in the war.¡±


    The prime minister gave a gesture of surrender and affirmed my guess. "Information travels very fast. Just meeting with the Fairy Tribe alone would not have been enough to conclude that there¡¯s going to be a war.¡±


    The prime minister was secretly searching for information about me. I shrugged as if it were nothing much. "It''s already been three years since I left my hometown. I have my own information network and forces."


    The prime minister smiled. "That''s scary. Are the two people who held a sword to my throat or the two who guarded you also part of your forces?¡±


    "Well, I suppose you could say that.¡±


    Even at a glance, it was apparent he thought that he had another card to use.


    "I see. Alright. Since you already know why we¡¯re visiting, what are you going to do? Will you help us?"


    I became lost in thought at the prime minister''s question. Initially, if I were caught by the prime minister, regardless of Aunt Talaria''s request, I would have ignored it and ran away. But two things stopped me.


    Firstly, the people who were trying to revive the Demon King would come after me. And as for the second reason, Aunt Talaria might hold a grudge, and after ignoring her request, she might interfere with my new home. If I accomplish her three requests, my aunt would be a reliable ally, so it was better not to reject her.


    Additionally, I formed too many relationships during the past three years, so it was necessary to sort that out to some degree in order to leave. I can¡¯t simply run away like Flam without finding a replacement just because my identity was revealed. I would at least make some guides for my replacement.


    When I grew silent while I organized my thoughts, William and Uncle Bloody looked at me nervously. The prime minister pretended he wasn¡¯t anxious, but his eyes trembled slightly. I grinned at the sight. "Since you''re in the position of asking, I assume you prepared for the cost, right?¡±


    In any case, cooperation with the empire was essential to grant my aunt''s second request. Originally, I was going to talk to Uncle Bloody about it, but it became easier since he showed up and asked of his own volition.


    At my question, the prime minister was sweating and gave a happy expression as if he had passed the first hurdle. "Of course. What do you want? Since it¡¯s for someone of your level of power, I''ll ensure that it does not disappoint you.¡±


    I crossed my legs and smiled. "I don''t like annoying tasks. If it''s something I have to do, I would like to finish it as soon as possible."


    The prime minister beamed brightly at my words. "That''s exactly what I want as well.¡±


    "It''s nice that we are on the same page. Then, how much authority are you willing to give me to get things done as quickly as possible?¡±


    At my question, the prime minister''s face momentarily went stiff then relaxed as if he put on a mask. "By authority, do you mean military authority?"


    "Of course. Are you here to ask me to work as a military magician?¡± I replied.


    The prime minister looked at me seriously. "The war could break out in a month. In terms of the period needed for the procedures, the time required to transfer military command on a scale that you want...¡±


    "Well, your way of thinking is too narrow. Don''t you have a good figurehead next to you?"


    The prime minister looked at Bloody, following my gaze. "I see. If it¡¯s like that, it would be possible."


    Uncle Bloody received the prime minister''s and my gaze, and he looked puzzled because he didn''t know why he was being looked at.


    "But Bloody leads 10,000 troops. Will all those troops simply obey your orders?"


    I sighed when the prime minister looked at me doubtfully. "That''s why there''s a figurehead. With the exception of a few executives, the soldiers will think they are following Uncle."


    The prime minister clapped at my point. "Aha, you don''t have command on the surface, so you can''t move a large force on your own.¡±


    "I won¡¯t be the official commander there, so if my actions are deemed strange, I could be inspected. However, this could cause the chain of command to split and create confusion in the command system."


    "That won''t be a problem because Bloody is your family member and will trust you completely.¡±


    I nodded lightly.


    "All right, I''ll give you the position of Strategic Advisor to lead Bloody''s vanguard, even though we''ll need the Emperor''s approval. Right now, you¡¯re at the sixth rank of prestige which equates to a major, but I''ll give you a promotion for the Fairy Tribe delegation work, so you¡¯ll be a colonel."


    It seems like I¡¯m about to get a promotion directly to the fourth rank of prestige, equivalent to a first-class knight. Usually, even the elites only get this position in their late thirties, but it seems I¡¯ll be getting it before I¡¯m even twenty. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be treated the same because civil servants and actual knights had different promotion systems. In fact, the rank didn''t matter.


    "But you talk as if I already agreed to participate in the war. This is only one of my conditions."


    The prime minister, whose face lit up, became severe again at my attack."What else is there? A reward? If so, then, of course, I will give you one.


    I waved my finger. "You can just match the reward with my military service. I''d feel sorry if I asked you for a hefty reward when my military service amounts to little."


    The prime minister smiled bitterly at my modesty. "You have a lot of confidence. Aren¡¯t you saying that since there¡¯s no way your military achievements would be small, I should prepare a large reward?"


    My goodness, you interpreted my modesty in that way! Of course, he wasn''t wrong.


    "So, what are the conditions you want to add?"


    I answered the prime minister''s question without a hitch. "First of all, we need to touch up the soldiers'' weapons. For rifling a musket, it takes a lot of time and is expensive, so let¡¯s simply change the bullets into Nessler bullets." [1]


    The prime minister didn¡¯t understand what I was saying and asked, flustered, "Nessler? What do you mean by rifling? And use a musket? Are you suggesting we start line battles again, something that was abandoned 80 years ago?"


    In this world, although it was only for a short period of time, line battles were prevalent in war after the musket was invented. However, with the presence of magic, weather, and superhuman soldiers using magic, muskets have been reduced to objects used against monsters and demons. When muskets became antiques, wars reversed back to a generation of armor and swords.


    "Don''t worry. Only a part of the unit will use muskets. Grunts should do what grunts do. Huhuhu." At my laughter, the three of them got goosebumps and shivered a little.


    When I brought up using a musket, William enquired, "If you were to use a musket, what would you do for defense magic against lead bullets?¡±


    "Naturally, there''s a method. Huhuhu."


    There was anti-bullet magic, cheats, make-shift approaches, and many other ways to avoid that issue. Coating the lead bullets with copper or applying grease was one of the various methods for this effect. It seemed that the wind of war, which smelled of gunpowder, was blowing toward the empire.


    * * *


    Uncle Bloody, William, and the prime minister went back, and I returned Arwen to my room. The room I entered for the first time in a few days had a window open, one that had definitely been closed. After shutting the window, I saw a short letter on my desk, along with two gold coins, which were now hard to see due to the currency reform.


    - I''m sorry, I''m finally paying you back the gold I borrowed from you. Arwen has nothing to do with the kidnapping I committed, so I hope you can treat her the same. She¡¯s become much brighter since learning magic from you.


    I took out a debt certificate from the casino that I received for paying off Flam''s debts.


    "You idiot, you didn''t pay back the interest.¡±


    I''ll still have to hold on to this debt certificate. I''m going to teach Flam the scary magic of compound interest.


    1. Rifling is making spiral grooves in the inside of a rifle barrel.

 CH 271.

    Early in the morning, I apologized as I sipped on tea that Mrs. Arscilla poured for me while we were in the garden. "You probably heard from your son, but I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you."


    Mrs. Arscilla smiled casually and drank her tea. "It¡¯s all right. I was caught off guard, but you didn''t have any ill intentions. I heard you left your hometown for a peaceful life?¡±


    "Yes."


    "That''s the same reason I run a boarding house. I understand Mr. Den fee- no, Mr. Denburg''s feelings."


    In contrast to someone of high nobility, Mrs. Arscilla was not only humble but also kind-hearted. To be honest, I¡¯m indebted to Mrs. Arscilla quite a bit. So, while I was still wearing the hat of a civil servant, I was going to go along with the prime minister¡¯s plans to some degree.


    "You can call me Den as usual. I chose my nickname as an alias anyway."


    "I see. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Den."


    "I look forward to your working with you as well, Mrs. Arscilla."


    After saying goodbye, Mrs. Arscilla and I went into the boarding house. Arwen was sitting in our general direction, intimidated and surrounded by the residents of the boarding house. I grinned and sat next to Arwen.


    "Now, everyone. There are two pieces of news today,¡± Mrs. Arscilla said with a gentle smile, and everyone looked at Arwen. Then, they looked at Mrs. Arscilla with curious gazes, wondering what the other piece of news was.


    "Starting today, a new resident, Miss Arwen, will be staying at our boarding house. Miss Arwen was introduced by Mr. Den, so she won''t be leaving the boarding house in a month."


    Mrs. Arscilla''s boarding house was monitored by the prime minister for a month and then examined for any suspicious motives. But Arwen was introduced by me, so that process was omitted. This signified that he wouldn¡¯t needlessly offend me.


    Everyone looked at me when Mrs. Arscilla spoke, and I said, "Arwen is a disciple of mine whom I teach magic. My paternal grandfather raised her, so she is also like my little sister. Hillis, Lisbon, and Alphonso have met her while hanging out with Flam a few times. She and Flam are also step-siblings."


    Lisbon and Alphonso didn''t understand this complicated relationship, and their eyes showed that they were lost. On the other hand, Hillis understood roughly, and she smiled lightly as she asked me, "So you''re a distant relative of Mr. Flam?¡±


    "Well, I didn''t know about that until recently, but it seems so."


    Hillis taught Arwen about basic divine magic, so she knew Arwen as well as Flam.


    "Oh, and Arwen can''t speak, so please be aware of that.¡±


    At my explanation, Lisbon sadly spoke to Arwen in sign language. Arwen magically wrote in the air.


    - I can hear you, so you can just speak. Stupid.


    "Ahaha, sorry."


    Even though he was called a fool, he smiled and apologized like a pushover. I warned Arwen, "Arwen, Lisbon is a fool, but you shouldn¡¯t say that to his face. From now on, call him a pushover."


    - Yes, I understand. I look forward to working with you, Pushover.


    "What do you mean Pushover! That¡¯s mean!" Lisbon looked teary, and everyone laughed.


    "And the second news is¡­ I think it would be better for Mr. Den to say it himself."


    Everyone looked at me again,  and I nodded lightly. "I purposely never mentioned it before, but actually, I¡¯m from the Crow Tribe.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    When everyone heard me, there was no reaction as if they didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Hello? I said I''m from the Crow Tribe.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± It was not until I repeated myself that it registered for everyone, to their astonishment. Hameln, in particular, could not keep his mouth shut as if he had cognitive dissonance.


    I kept it a secret, but was it that surprising? Actually, I thought about asking them to keep it a secret. However, there was no need to keep it a secret since Uncle Bloody, William, and the prime minister had already found out.


    "Oh, and my name is Denburg, but since my nickname is Den, you can keep calling me Den.¡±


    When I added, Alice stood up and shouted as if she were dumbfounded, ¡°You were even lying about your name?!¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, it seems so.¡± When I laughed it off casually, Alice plopped down into her seat again, feeling despondent.


    "Ah!" At that time, Yuria exclaimed as if she suddenly remembered, "Denburg¡­ I''m sure my uncle said the next chief-in-line for Crow Tribe who ran away was Denburg Blade!"


    Everyone looked at me with astoundment.


    "Hahaha, did Mr. William even say that? Actually, I don''t really intend to inherit the position. Personally, I want Third Sister to succeed my father, so I ¡®ran away¡¯ on purpose."


    Of course, the fact that I had no intention of becoming the next chief was the exact reason why I ran away. Although Hestia noona was weak, it was time for our tribe to move away from focusing only on strength. I believe that Hestia noona will play that role.


    Then, as Hillis listened carefully, she shouted in surprise, "Wait, Blade? You¡¯re Leisha¡¯s younger brother?!¡±


    "Oh, Fourth Sister? I¡¯ve always been Leisha noona¡¯s younger brother."


    When I responded casually, Hillis looked at me, flabbergasted. "Leisha has been painstakingly looking for you. To think that you were hiding in plain sight."


    "Ayy, what do you mean Fourth Sister has been searching for me? I heard from Lancelot that she''s already given up and has been having a good time hanging out with you.¡±


    Leisha noona gave up looking for me about a year and a half ago and went around having fun. Well, if it was a year and a half ago, she did search for me for a long time. I would have given up at the start.


    At my point, Hillis stuck out her tongue and smiled. "Ahaha, did you already know that?¡±


    Alice looked at me with a suspicious face. "But why are you telling us now?¡±


    Alice was shocked, but she didn''t lose her cool. Although she was somewhat cynical, I personally placed a high value on this trait.


    "Uncle Bloody caught me hiding, so there''s no reason to keep it a secret.¡±


    I didn''t tell Mrs. Arscilla, Yuria, and Hillis I was a Crow because I was afraid my location would be discovered through them, but now there was no need to hide it.


    Alice gave me a look of discontent and sighed. "At least you told us in the end.¡±


    Her words were a bit sarcastic. Lisbon was flustered by Alice¡¯s words and tried to say something, but Alice quickly spoke first, "Well, it¡¯s not like anything will change just because you''re from the Crow Tribe."


    Alice avoided my gaze, embarrassed by what she said, and Lisbon and Alphonso nodded as well.


    "Right, Den is Den, isn¡¯t he? It doesn''t make any difference."


    "Yeah! That''s right!"


    When everyone agreed with Alice, I burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!"


    "Why, why are you laughing?!"


    Alice was embarrassed by my laughter, and I shrugged and said, "No, it¡¯s just I thought I have some interesting friends."


    They really were interesting friends.


    * * *


    I went to work at the Adventurer''s Guild and began to check and organize documents that could be processed quickly. I didn''t know how many months it would take, but since I wouldn¡¯t be able to work for the time being, I was going to sort through as much as I could.


    "Oh, Den! Why are you working so hard today? I''ve never seen such an enthusiastic Den before,¡± Demuir commented.


    I answered without pause, "Because you¡¯ll have to work without me for a while. No, perhaps you¡¯ll have to do without me in the future frequently?"


    Demuir was perplexed by my meaningful smile. "What? Den, are you being appointed elsewhere? Are the rumors that you''re being pulled over to the Treasury true? Don''t go! How can I handle all these accounting books without you!"


    When Demuir made a fuss, Dano and Organ next to him looked at me in surprise. I asked bewilderedly, "Was there a rumor that I was being taken by the Treasury?¡±


    Demuir asked with a puzzled face, "Huh? Are you not? The story from the inner palace is that you caught the prime minister¡¯s eye due to the Fairy Tribe delegation task."


    "There was definitely a suggestion like that, but I''m not crazy enough to transfer to that overtime hell. Of course, I refused."


    Demuir looked at me with relief and concern. "Is it okay to refuse even though it¡¯s the prime minister¡¯s offer?¡±


    "Yes, it¡¯s fine." I handled the bundled documents quickly, answering him offhandedly. With this, they won¡¯t notice my absence for the next ten days. After ten days, they would be busy with more work to be done, but I can¡¯t take care of the work that doesn¡¯t exist now.


    Not long after I finished the paperwork, Fiona scrambled into the office. "Den, is it true?¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°A special promotion!¡±


    At Fiona''s words, Demuir looked at me astonished.


    "Oh, yes. It should be true.¡±


    I nodded casually, and Fiona was shocked. "Then what about being appointed somewhere else?!"


    "What? You said you weren''t going to the Treasury!"


    I peeled off Demuir as he clung to me, making a fuss, and said, "It''s not the Treasury, and it''s a temporary appointment. Also, I told you, you have to work without me for a while."


    The place where I¡¯m being appointed is likely the staff office of the Third Field Command Headquarters, where Uncle Bloody was located. According to what I heard in advance, the Third Field Command was the place where the elites were left behind when Guild Director Glont was discharged from the military, so I should think about how to interact with them.


    "You seem to already know where you''re going to be assigned," said Fiona.


    I nodded. Fiona sighed and spoke, "Take care of yourself. The army is the perfect place to get hurt. Go up to see the Guild Director-nim."


    "Then I''ll be back."


    Fiona patted me on the shoulder, and after I greeted the people at the headquarters, I went up. Even before I knocked on the door, Guild Director Glont felt my presence and told me to come in.


    I opened the door and went in. "Did you call for me?"


    Guild Director Glont was looking out the window when he gazed back at me with a complicated expression.


    "I heard you were... Denburg Blade." Guild Director Glont¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise rather than betrayal.


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct. I''m sorry I did not tell you the truth."


    Glont¡¯s abilities as a boss were favorable enough that he accepted my apology. "No, it''s okay. Things happen. Everyone has at least one thing they want to hide from everyone...¡±


    I asked carefully when Guild Director Glont trailed off, "Are you¡­ referring to Flam?¡±


    Guild Director Glont looked at me cautiously as I continued, "I heard from Flam. I learned that Guild Director-nim and his teacher, I mean my grandfather, knew each other."


    "How much do you know?"


    Guild Director Glont''s gaze became sharp in an instant. I said with a smile, "Nothing. It¡¯s not possible to know anything unless you¡¯re directly involved.¡±


    His sharp aura slowly eased up. ¡°I see. Shall I tell you the details?¡±


    I shook my head at the suggestion. "That''s okay. I plan on hearing about it later when I meet Flam."


    Glont smiled lightly. "I''m glad he''s got a great friend. It was fortunate that I brought you with Flam.¡±


    Glont approached and gave me a certificate of promotion along with a colonel''s rank before speaking seriously, ¡°As you may already know, the place where you were appointed is the staff office of the Third Field Command. It''s a place full of all my past subordinates, so if they act tough and aren¡¯t welcoming, just crush them with your full might and tell them my name. Then they¡¯ll obey you."


    I saluted when I received the certificate of promotion and rank. "I understand."


    Glont patted my shoulder and said, "Come back when the war is over. I''ll always be on your side."


    I said with a smile, "Thank you."


    With those last words, I left the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.

 CH 272.

    I headed for the imperial army command in the southern outskirts of the capital.


    The imperial army mainly consisted of imperial forces under the emperor''s command, reserve forces composed of adventurers and mercenaries, and local defense forces from each local lord¡¯s soldiers. The imperial army was divided into three groups, and the Third Field Command, where I was appointed, was one of the three.


    It was safe to say that the Third Field Command was essentially the forces of the imperial army¡¯s general command because it mainly protected the imperial family and the capital, as well as served to subdue the rebellion of local lords. To be specific, if the general command was the head, then the Third Field Command was the body.


    After walking quite far from the Adventurer''s Guild, which was in the center of the capital, I began to see the imperial army headquarters building surrounded by enormous walls. When I tried to enter the headquarters, a sentry guarding the entrance stopped me. ¡°Stop. What brings you here?¡±


    I showed my rank and civil servant ID from my pocket. "I''m Colonel Den, and I''ve been assigned to the staff office of the Third Field Command."


    After confirming my identity, the guard saluted me and opened the door. "Loyalty! Excuse me!"


    It felt strange that a soldier who looked much older than me was saluting me politely. In my past life, it was more based on age than class, but it was different here because it was a rank-based country. No, once you got around to being a colonel, age didn¡¯t matter that much, so maybe he thought of me as an equal.


    I went straight into the headquarters building.


    "Welcome. What brings you here?" When I entered the building, a female soldier sitting at the counter gave a fake smile and asked.


    I looked at the interior of the building behind the female soldier and said, "I''m here to see General Bloody."


    "Yes, the General? Did you make an appointment in advance?" The female soldier seemed to be a little tired, as if people looking for Uncle Bloody was a common occurrence.


    "Tell him that the colonel who''s been assigned to the staff office is here."


    "Ah! Loyalty! I''ll deliver the message right away!" The female soldier at the counter radioed the news of my visit.


    Despite it being the headquarters, I didn¡¯t expect they would have even installed a radio, a piece of high-tech equipment, on the counter. In spite of both areas being headquarters, the Adventurer''s Guild and the imperial army were on a different level.


    "Yes, sir! They want you to head inside. I will guide you."


    After ending the radio call, the female soldier got up to guide me, but I raised my hand and declined. "No, it¡¯s okay. I just have to go to the place that says commander''s office within the building, right?


    ¡°Yes? Oh! Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Then, keep up the good work.¡± I headed to the commander''s office on the very top floor.


    I knocked in front of the commander''s office and went right inside before I heard the answer. "I''m here¡­."


    When I entered the commander''s office, there were several gray-haired generals as well as Uncle Bloody. "Iya, I thought General Bloody would be the only one here, but there were other generals. It is nice to meet you all. I am called Den."


    Even with my bright greetings, the generals¡¯ expressions were hard. Only Uncle Bloody laughed as he sat at the head of the table, holding his stomach. "Puhahaha! You''re early. I was just talking about you right now. Let me introduce you all to my nephew, Den, who is also joining as a staff officer in this war.¡± [1]


    These were all people who I needed to meet to direct the army, but it was sooner than expected. I said, "I will introduce myself again. It is nice to meet you all, Commander of the Third Army, Commander of the Eighth Army, Commander of the Fourteenth Army, and Chief of Staff."


    Everyone looked surprised when they were called by their posts before they even introduced themselves.


    "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Lieutenant General Fabian charged with leading the Third Army, as you say."


    ¡°I¡¯m the Eighth Army Lieutenant General Alain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Fourteenth Army Lieutenant General Orleon.¡±


    They took turns shaking hands with me, and lastly, the chief of staff shook hands with me and said, "You probably think I''m just a figurehead, but I''m Lieutenant General Isaac, your immediate supervisor.¡±


    The chief of staff did not seem to like me, someone who seemed to have just suddenly parachuted down into the scene. For a subordinate to suddenly show up and start giving orders, it was natural for that person to be an unthinkable existence in the military.


    "Hahaha, what do you mean, figurehead? That¡¯s not true. It''s small, but it signifies that I look forward to your kind cooperation." I handed thick paper envelopes to each army commander and the chief of staff.


    "What is this!? Bribery from day one! Do you think we¡¯re that easily swayed because you¡¯re the Head Commander¡¯s nephew?!" said the Third Army Commander.


    Each commander looked at me sharply, agreeing with the Third Army Commander''s scolding. Indeed, he was a hot-tempered man, as reported by the information I obtained earlier from the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "Hahaha, why don¡¯t you check the contents first? I''ve prepared something special.¡±


    The Third Army Commander clenched his fist and tried to yell at me again but was interrupted by the chief of staff.


    ¡°Well, the bribe is excellent.¡±


    ¡°Chief of Staff-nim!¡±


    When the Third Army Commander grew flustered and looked at the Chief of Staff, the Chief of Staff pointed to a paper bag in the Third Army Commander¡¯s hands and said, "Check what¡¯s inside and then get angry, Third Army Commander."


    At the words of the chief of staff, everyone opened the paper envelope to check the contents.


    "Paper? No, documents?"


    The commanders grew perplexed when they saw that the folder¡¯s contents were different from what they expected, and they looked through the documents.


    "This, this is!"


    The commanders browsing through the documents gazed at me in amazement, and I smiled lightly. "Well, actually, it is a bribe, as I look forward to working with all of you."


    Even at my joke, the Third Army Commander asked with a serious face, "Are you sure about these contents? Or rather, you at least know that the solidarity of the imperial army could collapse?¡±


    I nodded lightly. "I''m sure. It''s from the Big Mama Information Agency. It cost me a lot of money to obtain."


    All the information costs went out of Aunt Talaria''s pocket, but whatever. It was my aunt who told me to take the information and money when desired.


    At my answer, the commanders groaned. "Hmm. Is that so... I don''t like that illegal group, but their information is reliable. Still, to think that there were so many inside men and spies in the imperial army...¡±


    I spoke to the Chief of Staff. "We¡¯ll want to use these spies later."


    The chief of staff understood me right away, and he looked at me with interest. "Hmm, instead, you want to use them to plant false information?"


    I nodded with a smile, and the chief of staff bobbed his head in agreement before adding, "But I''m going to have to remove every single inside man in the staff office."


    "Of course, the staff office is where every operation is produced. So, there''s one more gift for Lieutenant General Isaac in particular." I took out a thick envelope from my pocket space and handed it to the chief of staff.


    The chief of staff checked the documents in the envelope and laughed in amazement. "Haha, you''re well prepared. Are you really the Head Commander''s nephew?


    "Just because we¡¯re family doesn''t mean I''m as ignorant as he is. Although, in general, my family tends to lack some common sense as they rely on their instincts,¡± I said.


    Uncle Bloody spoke out, "Guys, aren''t you being too direct in front of the person you¡¯re talking about?"


    The chief of staff smiled at Uncle Bloody''s complaints. "Aigoo, I can''t speak because I''m so afraid. Then, we shall withdraw so Colonel Den and I can continue to talk behind the Head Commander¡¯s back."


    "Hush! Get out of here!" My uncle waved his hand, and the chief of staff and I stepped out from the commander''s office.


    "You seem to be a close acquaintance with the Head Commander-nim."


    "Haha, it''s been decades since we started going into battle together. It''d be weirder not to get close,¡± the chief of staff said as he reminisced. "We weren''t that close at first, actually. He was no less than General Glont¡¯s successor after all. It was hard for anyone to trust him, but as we traversed around the battlefield together, we had to have faith in one another. Should I say that he brought people together in an odd manner?"


    "Hahaha, I think I know what you mean."


    If you disregard the fact that my uncle is a fool, he¡¯s quite a competent boss. It was said that because Uncle Bloody produced the best results with his unique instincts, the person who took over as the head of battle had quite a hard time.


    "Thank you for understanding. But you said you''d employ musketeers that aren¡¯t used anymore, right? Do you think that¡¯s practical?"


    I nodded at the sudden question. "I think it¡¯s plenty practical."


    "If it''s a long-range battle, there are archers. So why would you use a musket with poor accuracy?"


    "Well, first of all, what would you do if the accuracy was similar to that of an archer?"


    The chief of staff answered my question after thinking briefly. "Similar to the archers... Still, aren¡¯t muskets behind in their firing rate?"


    "But their power is infinitely higher than the archers. It¡¯s enough to pierce armor."


    The chief of staff nodded. "That''s true. Wait, armor? Are you thinking of building a squad dedicated to shooting commanders?"


    As expected, he didn¡¯t become the chief of staff of the imperial army for nothing. He correctly guessed my intentions with a simple hint.


    "Yes, that''s right. Traditional arrows are not enough to penetrate a commander''s armor. As such, I''m going to build a special unit that will have the unique mission of shooting down commanders to end the war as quickly as possible."


    "I see. If you''re only going after the commander, you don''t need a high firing rate. But how are you going to increase the accuracy? With magic?¡±


    Using magic to draw in mid-air, I tried to display a conical shape with the rear drilled through with a bullet. However, when I decided there was no way he would understand from these crooked lines, I waved my hands to erase the drawing.


    "It''s possible without magic. Most certainly, the best method is to dig spiral steel lines into a musket. Alas, it''s impossible to build the muskets and train the men in time, so we will increase the accuracy rate with modified bullets.¡±


    "Modify the bullets? Will that really increase the accuracy?¡±


    The chief of staff looked at me with suspicious eyes, and I laughed insidiously, "Uhuhuhu, it''s possible. I''ll show you a magic-like miracle even without magic."


    At my conviction, the chief of staff looked at me quietly, then grinned. "You know, before I met you, I trusted you even less than the Head Commander when I first met him. You¡¯re young and don¡¯t have any war experience. And on top of that, you directly asked for command. Honestly, it was unpleasant.¡±


    He spoke his mind without any qualms.


    "So, how was your first impression of me?"


    At my question, the chief of staff smiled, waving the envelope I gave him. "It wasn''t as bad as I initially thought. It''s too early to judge, but I think I know why Guild Director Glont-nim said it would be good to believe in you.¡±


    "That''s a relief. Honestly, I was worried about what to do if Chief of Staff-nim objected till the end."


    In fact, it would have been challenging if the chief of staff crazily tried to hold me down. If the staff office becomes paralyzed, that means I have to run around like mad, but I can''t be on every battlefield.


    "It''s too early to be relieved. I haven¡¯t acknowledged you as the boss yet, and if I think your decision is wrong on a real battlefield, I will certainly disagree.¡±


    That meant that he would definitely listen to my opinion. That was enough.


    "Of course."


    Standing in front of the staff office, the chief of staff suddenly asked before opening the door, "By the way, did Guild Director Glont-nim not give you any advice before you came here?"


    "Ah, he did. Guild Director Glont-nim told me that if they act tough and are unwelcoming, I should crush them with force and mention Guild Director-nim¡¯s name."


    The chief of staff laughed cheerfully. "Hahaha, that sounds like him. Actually, that''s not a bad course of action. I can cover for you on the staff officer side, but the Black Water Buffalo guys that Guild Director Glont-nim raised himself have strong personalities. You''ll probably have to crush them at least once to handle them properly.¡±


    "That''s scary."


    I grinned at what the chief of staff said, and the chief of staff smiled as well. "Rather than scared, you seem interested.¡±


    "Well, you¡¯re not wrong."


    The chief of staff opened the door, and I followed him into the staff office.


    1. Staff used in the context of the military here is regarding upper echelon officers who are in charge of strategizing and commanding.

 CH 273.

    The atmosphere inside the staff office was muted and quite bleak. In addition, all of the staff officers were middle-aged, and the youngest were lieutenant colonels in their mid-30s. Indeed, becoming a lieutenant colonel while one was in their mid-thirties meant they were remarkable elites. In comparison, a knight fighting at the frontlines would also be called an elite if he became a major in his early 30s.


    "You have returned?" The brigadier general welcomed the chief of staff and glanced at me.


    The only ones who knew the truth about me were likely the chief of staff, the commanders of each army, and the captain of the Black Water Buffalo Buffalo, which served directly under Uncle Bloody. It was not too late to gradually inform the other staff members of my existence after seeing the staff officers¡¯ responses.


    "He¡¯s a new recruit. Please introduce yourself."


    I saluted the chief of staff. "It is nice to meet you. I am Colonel Den, and I have been assigned to the staff office."


    The brigadier general who greeted the chief of staff smiled genially and extended his hand. "Oh, you''re the colonel who suddenly got transferred? You look very young; it¡¯s impressive that you were able to obtain your current rank. I''m Brigadier General Garam."


    I shook his hand and smiled. "I look forward to working with you."


    I said I was looking forward to working with him, but despite the brigadier general¡¯s appearance as an upright person, he was an inside man and thus a purge target. So, he was someone who might actually lose his life in a few days for treason. Of course, considering his deceit and the need to confuse the enemy''s information, the reasoning revealed to the public would be embezzlement and a breach of duty.


    "Ahhaha! It''s nice that you¡¯re so amiable,¡± the brigadier general laughed cheerfully, not knowing that I was the one who revealed him.


    His attempts to make a good first impression were likely because he saw my high position relative to my age and was trying to look favorable for my backers. He was my most hated type of person, the kind that clung to power and played word games.


    "Hahaha, I may be lacking, but I hope you''ll give me a lot of guidance in the future."


    "Ahahaha! Of course.¡± At my request, the brigadier general seemed happy and patted my shoulder.


    The way that the chief of staff looked at me seemed to say that I was cruel, but that''s none of my business.


    "Firstly, Colonel Den will be my aide, so just know that." Everyone looked at me with surprise when the chief of staff spoke.


    From the information I gathered in advance, the chief of staff was a perfectionist in his work, so he did not have a personal aide other than an aide-de-camp who ran errands. The reason he appointed me as his assistant was in consideration of my need to understand the staff office¡¯s internal affairs as soon as possible. That way, I could easily access essential military secrets for my work.


    When my introduction was over, the chief of staff headed to his seat and said, "Come on, let''s get to work."


    At the same time, the staff office members began to work at their seats.


    "Colonel. Your seat is next to mine."


    I looked at the place where the chief of staff was pointing. In that spot, there was a young lieutenant in charge of errands for the chief of staff.


    "Yes, sir."


    The lieutenant named Marton was more of a resident soldier than a staff. [1] Since this staff office handled many secrets that would cause trouble if leaked, it seemed they had an officer act as a resident soldier since ordinary soldiers were not allowed in.


    I greeted the lieutenant, unpacking my luggage at my seat. "I look forward to working with you, Lieutenant... Marton."


    "I look forward to working with you too, Colonel Den-nim. I''m just a lieutenant, so please speak comfortably." Lieutenant Marton treated me naturally as if I were a member of the command headquarters.


    "I¡¯m just used to using honorifics."


    I was looking around the interior of the staff office while organizing my belongings, and I could see a familiar portrait hanging on one side of the wall.


    "That portrait is...¡±


    When I mumbled while looking at the portrait, Lieutenant Marton explained with a smile. "Oh, that portrait? That is General Caradoc, a famous commander of the Holy Kingdom and the last chief of staff of the Holy Kingdom army. He''s a great man who''s partly admired as a god by his staff for his elusive tactics."


    "Ahaha¡­ is that so?"


    The portrait was painted quite beautifully. In reality, he had a sunken face as if he had insomnia and was a grayed ahjussi, but the Caradoc in the portrait looked lively and intelligent. It was like seeing a child''s fantasy.


    I turned a blind eye to Caradoc''s portrait and asked Lieutenant Marton, "I haven''t received the Third Field Command uniform yet, so where might I obtain it?"


    Only then did he realize that I was wearing regular clothes and got up, inquiring, "Oh! Department Head-nim, do you mind if I show Colonel Den around?"


    The chief of staff nodded while checking documents. "While you''re on the way, look around the area. People in other units are basically operating under the staff office¡¯s strategies, so you at least need to know their faces. If there''s anything you don''t know, ask Lieutenant Marton."


    "Yes, sir." As he said, it¡¯d be appropriate for me to take a look at them since they were definitely people who would have to risk their lives on my commands.


    Lieutenant Marton smiled, opening the door of the staff office and saying, "I''ll show you the way."


    The first place I went to under Lieutenant Marton¡¯s guidance was the administrative department.


    "Everything that costs money is mostly found in the administrative department. Oh, the ordinary soldiers¡¯ uniforms and commonly used consumables are in the warehouse behind the headquarters building."


    I signed my signature at the administrative department, got a dark blue officer uniform, and changed right away in the dressing room. The uniform¡¯s only accents were gold buttons and a shoulder insignia, so it was a little bland compared to the Adventurer''s Guild uniform. The chief of staff¡¯s chest looked quite colorful with various embroidery symbolizing medals, but there was nothing on mine, so it looked dull. Well, it¡¯s easier to move around in, so it doesn¡¯t matter.


    "It looks good on you,¡± Lieutenant Marton praised.


    I smiled and received the officers'' rapier and pistol. "It seems there¡¯s no musket."


    I received one when I was in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. When I asked about it, Lieutenant Marton reacted as if he had heard a strange noise. "What? Muskets aren¡¯t distributed to officers, yes?"


    Aha, I see. I didn''t know, as this was my first time being an imperial soldier. When the great demon came down two years ago, it appears that Roseland and Fiona were not missing their muskets because they purposely ditched them. Honestly, since then, I had no need to touch a musket, so I didn¡¯t know.


    "I see, but it looks like there''s still magic on the rapier and pistol."


    The rapier did nothing more than spray out flames, but as for the pistol, if you pulled the trigger, a fairly powerful magic bullet shot out instead of a lead bullet. Looking at the magic formula or mana stone embedded in the pistol, they seemed to have thrown a lot of money at it.


    "Do you recognize them? These are the rapiers and pistols distributed to any officer who is a colonel or above. Along with the wand, they¡¯re called the Three Artifacts!"


    Lieutenant Marton became excited and began to explain a great deal. As I kept listening to the explanation, I appropriately stopped him. "I understand that Lieutenant Marton wants to be a regiment commander someday. So, let''s go on a walk around the headquarters as Chief of Staff-nim ordered."


    Marton left the administrative department with a regretful face and guided us to the various troops stationed inside the headquarters. It was said that each units'' headquarters were mostly scattered near the capital, and they were gathering one by one in preparation for the war.


    Uncle Bloody''s vanguard was estimated to have around 50,000 soldiers. There were as many as 50,000 people just serving as the vanguard. The main force was led by Orphina, and she was currently in the Demon¡¯s Territory. Her forces were about 200,000 strong, but I was planning to end the war with only the 50,000-man vanguard.


    Lieutenant Marton and I wandered around the headquarters for quite a long time and finally headed to see the Black Water Buffalo knights.


    "The Black Water Buffalo knights, as you know, are unquestionably the strongest knight division of the Empire! Personally, I feel lucky that I was appointed to the headquarters, if only for the chance to pass by and see the Black Buffalo knights'' training!" Lieutenant Marton excitedly began to tell stories about the Knights of the Black Water Buffalo knights.


    Just as we were about to arrive at the Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ training ground, Uncle Bloody suddenly jumped down from the ceiling. "Yahoo! Found you!"


    Lieutenant Marton had been chattering away when he became rigid at Uncle Bloody¡¯s sudden appearance. No matter how used to the staff he was, it seemed he wasn¡¯t immune to the top boss.


    "Is something wrong?" I asked Uncle Bloody casually. As he stood beside me, Lieutenant Marton looked at me with a frightened face.


    "Of course! I went to the staff office looking for you, but Isaac said you were going around getting used to the headquarters. But I couldn''t feel your presence at all, so I''ve been looking for you for a while.¡±


    I realized that I¡¯ve been hiding my presence when I heard Uncle Bloody''s grumbling and said, "Oh, I have a habit of assimilating my presence with my surroundings. So what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re being bothersome."


    Lieutenant Marton had a fascinating change in expressions when I rubbed my ears and asked dryly.


    ¡°You know about the Black Water Buffalo, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I do know about them.¡±


    Lisbon¡¯s goal was to join the Black Water Buffalo knights, so I heard about them so often that it was embedded in my ear. Come to think of it, it was soon time for Lisbon¡¯s graduation exam to join a knight division. Personally, I thought this was the worst time to be commissioned, right before a war. But since he¡¯s graduating, I should at least give him a graduation gift.


    Uncle Bloody heard me, and he spoke with a playful smile, "They said they want to know what you''re capable of, asking if a magician is capable of giving commands."


    When I heard Uncle Bloody''s words, I grinned. "That''s an insignificant provocation. What is it? Are you begging me not to use magic? Well, if so, then I could be inclined to avoid using magic."


    Of course, I could grind them up plenty without magic. Uncle Bloody found my words amusing, and he chuckled. "Without magic, it probably won''t be easy for you either? They¡¯ve done a lot of battle race training; even I struggle many times as well.


    "Uncle too?"


    That was quite unexpected. No matter how much Uncle¡¯s strength was sealed, he was stronger than the average person from my hometown.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that someone like Uncle would struggle. Uncle Bloody smiled and put his arm around my shoulder. "What do you think? Sounds fun, huh? You can, of course, use magic. William said he wanted to see your magic skills.¡±


    "We can check my magic skills later. I must first squash the Black Water Buffalos to keep them from carrying their noses too high."


    Since Uncle struggled, it should be enough to at least warm up my body for once in a long time.


    ¡°Really? William will be sad,¡± Uncle Bloody said as he smiled.


    I felt like I directly fell for my uncle''s provocation, but it was something I had to do anyway. It would be too easy to win if I used magic, so it wasn¡¯t a poor idea to add some extra entertainment.


    "Oh, the soon-to-be graduates from the middle-rank knight school are here to watch, so cheer up."


    I was flustered by what Uncle Bloody added. "What? Why are they coming?"


    "What do you mean why? They¡¯re visiting to see which knight division they want to apply for before the entrance exam. Why? Do you feel unconfident?¡±


    At my uncle''s ridiculous provocation, I took out my recognition interfering glasses from my pocket space and wore them. "I''ll make it so there won¡¯t be anyone applying for the Black Water Buffalo knights at this entrance exam.¡±


    1. Resident soldier is a soldier that is in charge of managing/upkeeping the residence of higher ranked officers.

 CH 274.

    I followed my uncle into the Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ training ground. Lieutenant Marton followed me, not understanding what was happening.


    The Black Water Buffalo knights were running around the training grounds. Along the outskirts of the training grounds, people who seemed to be middle-rank knight school students were sprawled out, covered in sweat. Considering that some of their fellow students were mixed amongst the running knights, they were probably allowed to join the physical training as a sample.


    ¡°Everybody, stop and assemble!¡±


    The Black Water Buffalo knights that were running around under Uncle Bloody''s command quickly lined up in front of him.


    "Have you warmed up?!"


    "Yes!"


    "I trust you didn''t push the students too hard?¡±


    "Yes! We did not!"


    Looking at the Black Water Buffalo knights answering loudly, the middle-rank knight school students appeared exhausted. It was as if one was looking at a bunch of monsters. In fact, the knights did not have a single drop of sweat.


    As he examined the students, Uncle Bloody smiled at a student who was hardly sweating. "Hey, you. Come here.¡±


    The student who was identified quickly jumped out, shouting his position and name. ¡°Trainee number 74, Lisbon von Carter!¡±


    The student standing in front of Uncle Bloody was Lisbon. Since I was only using the lowest level of recognition interfering magic, Lisbon recognized me and was surprised but did not show it.


    "Your stamina¡¯s pretty good. Take it. It''s a gift."


    After receiving the coin thrown by Uncle Bloody, Lisbon was puzzled.


    "If you want to join the Black Water Buffalos, show it to the officer at the entrance examination. There will be extra points."


    The students who heard my uncle let out exclamations and envied Lisbon.


    Lieutenant Marton saw the scene, and he gave an additional explanation. "Wow, I¡¯m jealous. The person who receives that coin is essentially already accepted, Colonel-nim."


    "Oho, I see.¡±


    Well, Lisbon was well-deserving of it. I trained him for more than two years and raised his physical strength to where it was near the level of those from my hometown. In addition, Glont and Rosellis seemed to be teaching him often.


    "Come on, Leader. It''s the moment you asked for," said Uncle Bloody.


    A well-built knight standing at the front came forward. Then, he approached and looked at me, saying, ¡°Hello. I''m Proban, the head of the Black Water Buffalo knights."


    I was a pretty sizable guy, but Proban was almost two meters tall. I shook his hand with a smile as Proban looked down at me with indifferent eyes. "Nice to meet you; I¡¯m Colonel Den. You can refer to me comfortably."


    Proban raised his martial aura as he shook my hand. "I''ve heard about you. To be honest, this is very unpleasant.¡±


    "Ahahaha, is that so?"


    When I responded with a smile even under Proban¡¯s intense martial aura, Lieutenant Marton looked at me anxiously as he stood beside me. "Col, Colonel-nim."


    I gave Lieutenant Marton a grin and said to Proban, "Guild Director Glont said that if I crush you once and speak his name, you¡¯d be subdued.¡±


    "Oh, is that so? If General-nim says so, so be it."


    A smile spread across Proban''s expressionless face, and his martial aura erupted. At the same time, the Black Water Buffalo knights also smiled and let out martial aura. The students who were watching the scene shivered under the pressure of the martial auras.


    "Oh, jeez, how inconsiderate to Colonel-nim who is a magician." At the same time as when Proban spoke, the martial aura that had filled the whole area disappeared instantly, and the students who were shaking gasped for breath.


    "No, I''m fine. It¡¯s just a morning greeting. How would it be inconsiderate? Oh, it''s afternoon, so is that why you said it was inconsiderate?¡±


    It looked like he might apologize even if his greeting was at the level of a good night. [1]


    "Ho, is that so?" Proban gave a deep smile. As expected of my uncle¡¯s subordinate, it seems he¡¯s a battle maniac too.


    "So, you want to see my skills? I''ll take it easy on you, so how many people are coming? I¡¯ll specifically abstain from using magic."


    The Black Water Buffalo knights leaked martial aura as if they had heard a provocation.


    "A magician who won¡¯t use magic... That''s a lot of confidence."


    "I¡¯m not saying that I have a lot of confidence, per se. It''s just that you don''t seem to be satisfied with a magician."


    Proban smiled lightly as I spoke bluntly. "There¡¯s no need for you to do that. Your older sister, Miss Leisha, also used her magic at full power and failed to beat three average knights from our division."


    I was honestly surprised by what Proban said. Fourth Sister''s magic skills were pretty solid too. However, the fact that she failed to win against three average knights meant that the Black Water Buffalo knights had good teamwork.


    I nodded my head seriously. "I see. Then, I''ll be a bit of a pushover and ask for just half of the opponents."


    "Half of three?"


    Proban didn''t understand me, and he returned the question. I shook my head. "What do you mean? If it¡¯s half of three, will one fight with his legs tied?"


    "Then...?"


    "Of course, it''s half of the entire knight division."


    At my obvious reply, Proban, as well as the knights and the students watching, looked at me with bated breath.


    "Hahahaha! As expected of Den! Kkk, keuuuuh!" Within the entirely silent training grounds, only Uncle Bloody held his belly and burst into laughter.


    The head of the Black Water Buffalo knights frowned at my reply. "Can a magician without magic handle half of the knight division?"


    I shrugged. "I''m not a person who lies about what I can handle."


    ¡°Fine. Let''s have a spar in the training grounds with half of the finest knights here. Group 1, Group 2, Group 4, and Group 6! Take up your swords!"


    At the same time as Proban¡¯s command, the knights from the named groups pulled out their swords in unison. At a glance, I approximated that there were about 30 people.


    "What will you use for a sword? Would you like to use our knight division''s sword?"


    I pulled out the officer¡¯s rapier at Provan''s suggestion. "No, I''ll use the sword that I just got."


    This sword didn''t even have a minuscule amount of mithril, but the Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ swords seemed to be made of an alloy with a small amount of mithril and adamantium.


    "Are you sure that will be all right? It won''t be strong enough compared to our swords."


    When Proban asked, I wrapped the sword in a strong aura and spoke, "I may be lacking, but I''m past the age where I complain about my swords.¡±


    For a sword, having the durability to withstand mana was enough. Besides, my sword was sufficiently well-made. When I let out a strong aura, various sword-wielding knights surrounded me, and the knights and students who weren¡¯t fighting withdrew to the outskirts of the training grounds.


    "Come to think of it, when knights are sparring, it''s courtesy to reveal where you belong, right? Just in case you don''t know, I''m from the staff office."


    Proban pulled out his sword and stepped back. "You, of course, know, but we are the Black Water Buffalo knights division."


    The Black Water Buffalo knights and I fought a war of nerves, pointing our swords at each other. When did I last experience martial aura pointed at me from all directions? I don''t even remember.


    It was the Black Water Buffalo knights that moved first in the confrontation. The Black Water Buffalo knights pulled out the magic manrikis from their waist and threw it at me. [2]


    "What is this!"


    I threw myself away from the manrikis flying towards me from everywhere. Since I declared that I would not use magic, I had to keep away from those chains at all costs. Those chains had magic on them that would shock the opponent upon contact, halting their movements and letting the chain wrap itself around the opponent.


    "Is it okay for a knight to use something like this?"


    At my cry, Proban shouted proudly, "Of course we can! We''re a unit specialized in fighting against battle races!¡±


    The knights who threw the manrikis at me infused mana into them and swung them like whips, while the knights who did not use chains charged at me. Three Black Water Buffalo knights approached directly from the front and swung a sword at my neck, chest, and side.


    I tried to deflect them with my sword, but I had to throw myself back to evade the manriki that flew by, skirting past it in the nick of time. "Ootcha!"


    As if I were doing a backward roll, I touched the ground with one hand and put strong aura around both legs to kick the sword that was aiming for my chest. This way, I made it divert the blade that was slashing toward my neck. Then, I twisted to dodge the sword coming at my side and wrapped my leg around the neck of the sword¡¯s wielder, slamming him into the ground.


    "Tch!"


    Before I completely hit the ground, another chain sped after my legs. I used the force I had generated when slamming the knight to lift myself up and avoid the manriki. Right as my legs were about to touch the ground again, manrikis flew at me from every which way.


    As I lowered my body and rushed forward, I tried using my strong aura-wrapped sword to cut the still off-balance knight that was almost stuck in the ground. However, the two knights charging toward me blocked my sword with their own blades, which were also enveloped in a strong aura.


    "Keuk!"


    "What power!"


    They succeeded in blocking my sword but were pushed back along with their teammate, who had just regained balance.


    "Gosh, I must have underestimated you all too much."


    I never thought they¡¯d use manrikis, which were hard to learn. Was this the anti-battle race tactic created by Guild Director Glont? This was the first time that the strategy of many people attacking one was so thoroughly employed.


    As soon as the three knights were blown away, manrikis flew at me from all directions. As ten chains soared toward me simultaneously, there was no room to escape. I jumped up high and tried to break the chains by shooting out sword auras. A manriki becomes useless if you break the chain.


    The Black Water Buffalo knights seemed to be well aware of this and retrieved the chains like a whip. In the end, there were only three chains that had their weight broken off.


    "Hey! It''s a foul to attach a new weight!¡± I yelled.


    The knights recovered the now weight-less chains, took out new weights from the bag hanging from their waist, and attached it to the chains.


    Proban boldly shouted back as if it were obvious, "An extra weapon is common sense!"


    That''s true, of course. No, but that''s still too much!


    I ran towards the Black Water Buffalo knights, and they threw the manrikis at me again. When I turned my body away to avoid the weight flying towards my forehead, a chain tried to wind around my right leg. I agilely ran and dodged it, and manrikis flooded in from both sides.


    Kang! Kang!


    I deflected the manrikis with sword aura, and as soon as my feet landed on the ground, I activated my martial arts skills to the max and ran towards Proban. When I was right in front of Proban, six more manrikis came after me, and I slid to evade the manrikis that shot right over my head. Afterward, I pushed off the ground and immediately went for Proban''s neck. Then, Proban took some small beads out of his bag, infused mana into them, and threw them at me.


    "What, this bast-!¡± As I spouted curses, I put up the most durable, protective, strong aura I could, and the tiny beads exploded right under my nose in response to mana.


    Kwaaaang-!!


    The sound of the explosion buried my curses.


    1. This might be slightly confusing, but basically saying that the attack with martial aura was so weak that it only amounts to a morning greeting, while an afternoon greeting would be stronger, and a good night would be even more intense.


    2. Manriki is a chain with weights attached at the ends. Used in feudal Japan.

 CH 275.

    They must have spent a ridiculous amount of money on those small beads because the amount of power they had was no joke. Considering that I could still feel the impact through the protective strong aura, if that blast hit me unobstructed, I would have died.


    White powder smoke enveloped me and blocked my vision, and I heard the sound of additional manrikis flying towards me from all directions once more. I closed my eyes since I couldn''t see anyway, relying on my sixth sense to shoot out sword auras and knock away the manrikis. Kangkangkangkang-!


    I heard the sound of my sword auras cutting the manrikis, and the chains that lost their weights fell to the floor. I swung my sword and dispersed the smoke with the sword wind, but a manriki wound around my arm as soon as my line of sight became clear.


    Pazizik-!


    A sizable amount of electricity flowed into me from the chain wrapped around my arm.


    "It worked!"


    The Black Water Buffalo knight who successfully caught me shouted a cheer, but I smiled and looked at the knight. "It¡¯s the other way around!"


    I pulled at the chain around my arm, blocking the electric current as much as I could with the protective strong aura.


    "Let go of the chain!" Proban shouted urgently, but the knight who was pouring mana into the chain missed his chance to stop the flow of mana and let go, getting dragged towards me.


    "Ugh!"


    I instantly knocked out the knight who came flying towards me by striking his solar plexus, and I took the chain from his hands. When the knight supplying the mana fainted, the chain that was winding around my arms was released, and the electric current stopped.


    I twirled the manriki with the hand that wasn¡¯t holding my rapier. "That¡¯s one! There''s no way you didn''t know that this tactic had such a loophole. Do you have a method to fall back on when you¡¯ve lost the manriki?"


    As I provoked the Black Water Buffalo knights, I confirmed the chain¡¯s abilities. The manriki was better made than I initially presumed. Depending on the user''s mana, the chain stretched and shrunk, and it was designed to be able to withstand a decent level of sword aura and not break. However, it was unlikely that you¡¯d be able to properly use it with a normal amount of practice.


    The knights knew that better than anyone else and did not panic as one said, "Do you think you¡¯re able to use that just because you took it?¡±


    "Well, that¡¯s too difficult at the moment. For now." I smiled and tossed the weight at the forehead of a knight who had the least amount of mana. Using the manriki was too challenging, but it was possible to simply throw the weight.


    After I focused on him, the knight quickly dodged the weight. Throwing the weight like this was a formidable tactic because it would wind around the opponent just from touching them. I tried to swing and steer the chain, but it didn''t go where I thought it would go.


    "It won''t be easy!" shouted Proban.


    At the same time, the knights replaced the missing weights and hurled the manrikis at me. I pulled back the chain and dodged the manrikis flying toward me. I kept avoiding the manrikis targetting me, and I threw the weight to counteract one of the manrikis thrown toward me. The manrikis that collided wound around each other, and the electric currents were offset. I yanked the chain, pulling the knight that was holding the wound-up chain.


    "Second one!"


    "Ugh!" The knight who fainted after being hit in the solar plexus collapsed, spitting out short death throes.


    I put the rapier back into the sheath and took the manriki from the fallen knight. I laughed cheerfully, spinning the manrikis with both hands, "Ahahaha! You didn''t think I''d aim at the manriki, did you?"


    One of the knights grew flustered and exclaimed at my provocation, "How can you use the chain¡¯s functions? There should be a few layers of security magic!"


    The knight''s face was quite familiar. Did he say his name was Molk?


    "Security magic? Oh, the magic that¡¯s acting as a decoration? It''s so sloppy that I don''t even have to undo it to use this weapon."


    Of course, as someone who wasn¡¯t the recognized owner, using the manriki required more than just injecting mana. Still, infusing mana in a roundabout way was not a big deal. The response time was just about four seconds slower than the original user. So, as long as you used it four seconds earlier, it was no problem.


    "Crazy! That¡¯s magic that the court magicians developed over three years...!¡±


    I hurled a weight at the astounded Molk''s leg. "Let''s make small talk after the spar!"


    Molk leaped back to avoid the manriki, and I threw the manriki in my other hand at him while he was in the air. Molk pulled a sword out in mid-air and blew away the weight with a sword aura.


    While my chain was outstretched, all the knights aimed and flung their manrikis at me. I discarded the cut manriki and pulled the other one back while twisting my body to avoid the manrikis. Five knights rushed at me and swung their swords, targeting the gap that had formed while I was turning.


    "Uaahhhh!¡±


    I pretended to retrieve the manriki and aimed at the back of a knight running toward me. The knight who was hit by the manriki was electrocuted and got knocked down.


    "Third. Hmm, now my hands are starting to get used to it."


    I could sense the way the chain moved now. I manipulated the chain and simultaneously tied up two knights that were sprinting at me before taking out my rapier to deal with the remaining two knights. I quickly deflected the attacks coming at me from both sides and used the handle of the rapier as knuckles to hit their solar plexuses.


    "Oook!"


    "Uwack!"


    I smiled as I moved past the five fallen knights. "Eight people. Are the manrikis and bomb beads all you have to show me?¡±


    If I ignored how the security magic and the electric current of the manrikis were weaker than expected, the manrikis were quite threatening. It wasn''t a lie when my uncle said he struggled.


    The Black Water Buffalo knights around me remained vigilant and maintained their martial auras, and Proban laughed amusedly. "Hahaha, it was hard to deal with General Bloody or Mac hyung, but the situation now is very different from the one during training."


    Indeed, it was clear that neither Uncle Bloody nor Mac would even think of trying to steal the chains and using them.


    "Well, they''re both awfully ignorant. There may be opponents who can take away weapons and use them like this. Well, it seems you thought of that and cast security magic too."


    Proban nodded, affirming my guess, and I continued, "This level of security magic can be lifted in no time even if you are only a great magician, not a madosa.¡±


    At my criticism, Proban argued back, "A magician of that level wouldn''t steal and use them like this."


    "Oh, that''s true, too.


    The security magic would work on someone who didn¡¯t know magic, and a magician who could dispel the security magic would not be able to use such a complicated weapon.


    It seems this is the reason it looked like William didn''t even bother touching the security magic. Yet, there may be cases like mine, so I''ll have to tell my uncle to strengthen the security magic.


    ¡°Then, do you have more to show me?¡±


    Proban shook his head at my question. "It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t have anything else, but it''s not appropriate for use in a spar."


    "I see." I nodded and threw away the manriki. My sudden action baffled the knights as I went on, "Since there''s nothing more to see, let''s stop playing around."


    After saying so, I released martial aura to the point where it was past the level of just a greeting. The Black Water Buffalo knights clenched their swords and chains at my martial aura, and some of the students around me were shivering and even vomiting. I don''t know if they can be proper knights when they¡¯re so fainthearted.


    "Everyone! Formation 3!" The knights immediately gathered in groups of three and surrounded me.


    "Assume that it''s the real deal from now on!"


    At Proban¡¯s cry, the knights replaced the chain weight with anchor-shaped hooks. Then, the sword in his hand emitted strong aura at full power.


    What? So you did have more to show.


    With a smile, I rushed towards the nearest group. The knights I was targeting threw black hooks wrapped in sword aura at me, and I jumped high and stepped on the hook.


    "Enlightenment! Stepping on Grass."


    A spark flared on the chain as it tried to wrap around my feet, but before the chain caught my ankle, I kicked the hook and leaped toward the knights. The three knights tried to cut me as I directly charged at them, and I sprung up again, kicking a chain that was a great foothold in the air. Then, I turned my body over their heads and shot a strong aura at the knights.


    "Keuk!"


    While the knights were responding to the strong aura, I grasped their backs and hit their heads to knock them out.


    Eleven!


    As soon as I knocked the knights out, I gathered as much mana as I could and launched strong aura at the nearest knights. The knights who managed to stop my strong aura sat down on the spot, forced to rest due to excessive mana usage.


    "14!"


    While I had gathered mana and launched a strong aura, two groups of knights threw manrikis at me. I wrapped both of my arms in protective strong aura and blocked the chain with my arms.


    "Oh, that''s numbing!" Since several chains were releasing an electrical current synchronously, some electricity penetrated through the protective strong aura and damaged me.


    Three knights pulled back, and the others rushed at me from the back and front. I used the outward force of the chains from both sides as support, spun as if flipping over a horizontal bar, and kicked the knights coming at me from the front.


    Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty!


    Six knights fell unconscious when I finished spinning one time.


    "What!" The knights were shocked, and I gathered as much martial arts as I could and yanked on the chains that were pulling my arms.


    "Aaaaap!¡±


    With my shout, the knights on both sides were dragged towards me. "Enlightenment! Catching a Gecko!"


    "Huh?!" The knights who tried to release the chains panicked when they couldn¡¯t let go, and they were dragged away. Because their hands were stuck to the chains, they couldn¡¯t block my punches properly and fainted.


    "26! Ugh, it''s been a while since I''ve run low on mana!"


    Perhaps it was because my fighting level was so low compared to my magic, but my mana efficiency was not as high. Of course, I still had quite a bit left before my mana would run out, but since I don''t usually use a lot of mana, I felt as if I was already lethargic.


    Before we started sparring, I thought the fight would be simple. Maybe this was because I neglected my martial arts too much. I didn''t expect to be reflecting like this.


    "Well, there are five left, including Leader-nim. What will you do?¡±


    My rapier still swelled with a strong aura, and Proban was pointing his sword at me when he lowered his weapon and said, "We surrender. We lost."


    Hearing the surrender, I released the strong aura from my rapier and put it back into its sheath, saying, "Thank you for displaying the skills of Black Water Buffalo knights. As expected, my uncle deserves to be proud."


    After saying this, I sank to the floor. The Black Water Buffalo knights were so weak that they could not compare to those from my hometown at an individual level. However, with their teamwork, fighting them at the same time was more difficult than dealing with people from my hometown.


    "Aigoo, have I relied too much on magic lately? It''s so hard to fight without magic."


    To be honest, if the entire knight division had participated, I probably would¡¯ve ended up using magic while fighting. In fact, I had to consciously avoid using magic in the battle just now.


    "You''re exaggerating. It''s a complete defeat, Colonel-nim." Proban reached out to me, and I smiled and grabbed his hand to stand up.


    As I dusted the dirt off my butt, I thought,


    ... I wasn¡¯t exaggerating.

 CH 276.

    I took out a mana recovery potion from my pocket space to drink, and as Lieutenant Marlon stared blankly at me, I said, "I think I''ve seen approximately every unit, so let''s go back to the staff office."


    "Huh? Oh, yes! Okay!" Lieutenant Marton replied, frozen to the bone.


    When I was in my hometown, this level of sparring was done every day, so I wondered if it was worth freezing up over. He¡¯d likely freak out if he saw how my brothers and I toiled under my father and Elder Weger.


    "Oh, Head Commander-nim."


    When I called Uncle Bloody, he looked revolted after being referred to by his title. "Uack, what¡¯s a Head Commander-nim? Just call me uncle as usual."


    I sighed and shook my head at Uncle Bloody. "You should get used to it. We must differentiate between our public and private matters. People will swear if you show your family ties at work.¡±


    "Well, that''s true, but it makes me cringe if you call me Head Commander-nim.¡±


    I threw a wooden box of pills from my pocket space at my grumbling uncle. "It''s a nourishing potion which I made myself that also has stamina and mana enhancing effects. If you feed it to your subordinates and train them, it¡¯ll be quite effective."


    "Oh! Thank you!" After receiving the wooden box, Uncle Bloody threw it at Proban and said, "The instructions are written in there, so you can take them as outlined."


    "We¡¯ll take it with gratitude, Colonel-nim."


    I nodded my head and left the training grounds with Lieutenant Marton, who was looking between Uncle Bloody and me in surprise. It wasn''t a secret that I was Uncle Bloody''s nephew, as it would¡¯ve been exposed either way if I had a match with the Black Water Buffalo Knights. However, it seemed like it was discovered a little earlier than planned. Well, it''ll work out somehow.


    * * *


    The fallen Black Water Buffalo knights were moved to the lounge, and the visiting soon-to-graduate students from the middle-rank knight school also departed.


    Proban, the leader of the Black Water Buffalo knights, was left alone in the training grounds with Bloody, and he sighed.


    Seeing his subordinate sighing, Bloody spoke while sitting on a bench. "Good job. That was good enough."


    "By that, you mean losing miserably against a magician who didn''t use magic?" After saying so, Proban rubbed his face. For him, the knights¡¯ loss in the spar was shocking.


    "Well, even before he ran away from home, he was one of the most powerful individuals amongst his age group. Perhaps it¡¯s due to his physical growth, but he''s gotten stronger."


    Proban smiled bitterly at Bloody''s consolation and inquired, "If he¡¯s gotten stronger, to what extent would that be?"


    Bloody pondered and answered, "Well, based on what I saw today, not considering his age, he would probably stand within the top ten of the young people.¡±


    "How about including everyone?"


    "In all honesty, I''m not sure since there are so many monsters in my village. Even including the elders, I''m certain he would at least be in the top 300."


    Proban stuck his tongue out. "You mean he¡¯s in the top 300 without using magic?"


    "Yeah, so don''t be so dejected. He wasn¡¯t chosen as the next chief for no reason."


    Bloody didn¡¯t mention that Mac would be much more powerful if he abstained from using magic. It would have hurt their pride to say that Mac often controlled his strength when he fought against the Black Water Buffalo knights.


    Proban asked Bloody one last question as his officer patted him on the shoulder, trying to get him to stand up. "Then, what would his level be if he used magic?¡±


    "I don''t know, but the great madosa Mirpa ahjumma said that there¡¯s probably no one who can be his opponent besides my older brother-nim, the current chief." While saying this, Bloody grinned as if he was dumbfounded by his own words, and he continued, "Neither my older brother-nim nor I were that strong at his age.¡±


    While smacking his lips, Bloody mumbled that if it weren''t for the potential aftermath within the capital, he would have completely released his seal and tried fighting Den.


    * * *


    I opened the door to the staff office and greeted everyone. "I''m back."


    None of the staff seemed to have left work even though it was pretty late. I headed to my seat with Lieutenant Marton.


    The chief of staff saw me, and he stared in a daze, asking curiously, "You¡­ What have you done to make your new uniform so ragged?"


    For the chief of staff to ask me that, I had to admit that my appearance did look quite atrocious. The sleeved areas where the manrikis caught both of my arms were charred, and I was covered in white dust from being caught in the bead explosion.


    I didn''t know when this occurred, but it seems I wasn¡¯t able to dodge everything, as there were three slashes on the hem of my clothes. I probably got cut when they switched out the weights on the manrikis for the bladed hooks. It seems I¡¯m still too inexperienced.


    "Hahaha. Well, I just did what Guild Director Glont-nim said."


    At my words, the chief of staff¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. "That¡¯s a lot faster than I thought. I thought you¡¯d do it in about a week."


    "That''s what I was thinking, but the Head Commander-nim suddenly dragged me away,¡± I said, conveying my lack of control over the situation.


    The chief of staff grinned. "That sounds like the Head Commander-nim; did you win?"


    "Yes, I won, but they were much stronger than I expected. It wasn''t easy."


    At my honest admiration, the chief of staff nodded as if it were natural. "That''s because they use the tactics that Guild Director Glont-nim taught them. So, how many did you go against?"


    I smiled humbly and straightened three fingers, and the chief of staff remarked, "Three? I thought you''d fight at least five?"


    "Haha, not three, but thirty."


    The chief of staff was beyond taken aback, growing stunned by my correction. "That''s ridiculous. Even Head Commander-nim only deals with ten people at once...¡±


    "Head Commander-nim? No way. If it¡¯s Head Commander-nim, he would be fine even if he went against all of them.¡±


    Uncle Bloody was a monster who Elder Weger recognized as a genius that was above himself. Personally, I thought Uncle Bloody was more powerful than Aunt Talaria in terms of pure strength. Of course, if they really fought, I believed that my aunt would win using mental warfare and her equipment.


    "Oh! Is it because he usually seals his strength? Or maybe it''s to teach each knight." It could be both.


    "Well, that''s not important, so let''s move on. These are the things I thought about while looking at the units. Please take a look." I handed a notebook to the chief of staff, along with a report describing the renovated appearance of the musket and ammunition.


    The chief of staff quickly skimmed through the notebook and report before saying, "I didn''t send you expecting something like this... It was a short duration, but you''ve accurately assessed the characteristics of each unit.¡°


    "There was a lot of help from Lieutenant Marton."


    Lieutenant Marton knew a lot of people and had more knowledge than I initially presumed. The chief of staff nodded and said, "Pages 1, 3, and 7 are innovative, but in reality, we don''t have enough time to practice unit teamwork, so it''s almost impossible.¡±


    "Is that so?"


    When I smacked my lips, the chief of staff grinned. "I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s too much at the moment; the idea is not bad. I''ll keep it in mind. And pages 2 and 5 are acceptable. They¡¯re feasible to use right now. Can you make a detailed report?"


    Number 2 was to improve supply routes by connecting with the Railroad Association, and number 5 was a practical method I thought of after seeing the Black Water Buffalo knights.


    "I''ll send it by lunch tomorrow."


    The chief of staff folded the notebook and examined the report. "This report doesn''t have any pictures.¡±


    "Ahaha, I have no drawing skills."


    "That''s just like Head Commander-nim.¡± The chief of staff was reading with a smile after his joke, but he became more serious. After examining the entire report, he started assessing it again from the beginning and asked, "Are you sure about the practicality of the measures written here?"


    "Yes, of course." As I responded, the chief of staff promptly marked the cover of the report with the stamp associated with top secrets.


    "Do you... have any demons in your head? If what is written here comes true, the battlefield will become hell.¡±


    I shrugged lightly when the chief of staff spoke in a cold sweat. "What do you mean? You speak as if the battlefield wasn¡¯t already hell. War is the act of creating hell."


    The report was just about how muskets and bullets should evolve in the future. It was simply a detailed explanation of what war would look like if it developed like that, referring to the world war from my previous life.


    "¡­That''s true. I''ll tell the weapons manufacturers to start implementing the Nessler bullets that were described at the beginning of the report. However, rifling is too difficult right now."


    "Yes, I know. There¡¯s not enough time to train the soldiers."


    It was impossible to use musketeers extensively in this war. Yet, its unexpected role as a joker against the enemy would be well worth it.


    "If the war wasn¡¯t right around the corner, we could have made cartridges and rear-mounted rifles. It¡¯s such a shame,¡± said the chief of staff.


    I smiled lightly at the chief of staff. "It won''t be easy. They¡¯re not something you can manufacture easily just by knowing how to make them."


    "That''s true. Even more so because there are no drawings, nor designs."


    I was stung by the chief of staff''s joke, but I couldn''t help it. What can I do with my poor drawing skills?


    "I''m sorry about that."


    The chief of staff smiled lightly at my grumbling. "Haha, are you upset?"


    "No, I¡¯m not."


    In reality, despite the lack of any blueprints, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the empire to follow the report to some extent since they had the technology to make trains. Even if the guns were developed, it was highly likely that the formation centered on the knight divisions would change considerably.


    No, the rise in importance of any superhumans that were impervious to bullets was clear. All I did was throw a small stone into a puddle. No one knew how the puddle would change, even me, the one who threw the stone.


    "Oh, when war breaks out, I¡¯ll likely be at the frontlines with Head Commander-nim, so I was thinking about having personal guards."


    "Guards? You want me to take soldiers out for you?"


    I shook my head. "No, it would be better to think of them as my personal soldiers."


    The chief of staff looked at me with a bit of distrust. "Are they trustworthy? With your skills, I don''t think you need a guard."


    I glanced at the portrait of Caradoc hanging on one side of the staff office and said, "That''s true, but they''re reliable. In fact, rather than guard me, I''d like them to advise me because they''re very experienced on the battlefield. And I¡¯m certain of their skills as well."


    The chief of staff nodded bitterly. "Well, I''m not in any position to restrain you, so you can do as you please. If it''s helpful, you might as well try and see how it goes."


    The chief of staff said so, but it¡¯s not like he was a low-ranked soldier. He would have a significant influence on the vanguard¡¯s advances. It seemed he didn¡¯t like the fact that there would be an unidentified person around me.


    "Then, I''ll take it as you are giving me permission." After saying so, I went back to my seat.


    Come to think of it, since Lisbon was just about to graduate and would be joining the Black Water Buffalo knights, it appeared that he was going to the frontline.


    Jeez, just one more thing I have to pay attention to.

 CH 277.

    It was well into the evening when I returned to my boarding house with new and extra uniforms.


    "I wonder if everyone already had dinner.¡±


    When I said this, Gwalchavad appeared smiling from his hiding spot somewhere around the room and asked, "Then shall I make you something?"


    "I''d appreciate it.¡±


    Gwalchavad''s cooking skills were comparable to that of a top chef.


    Gwalchavad said with a gentle smile as usual, "Come to think of it, Master said that the Head Commander was your relative, yes?"


    "Oh, you mean Uncle Bloody?¡±


    Gwalchavad nodded. "Yes, he¡¯s not ordinary. Of course, he spotted me, but he also noticed Tristan, the person who¡¯s the best at stealth."


    They were always standing guard around me. Even when I was in the imperial army headquarters building, they were protecting me from a distance.


    "It''s not impossible for Uncle. The reason why he didn''t do anything was likely because he recognized your presence from when he came to the boarding house with the prime minister."


    Gwalchavad laughed freely, "Uhuhu, I''d like to try having a match with that knight. If it were the battle maniacs Gwalchmai or Bors, they would¡¯ve probably stirred up a fuss, saying they wanted to fight right then and there."


    "That''s going to make things difficult." This was especially true because my uncle seemed like he would actually agree and have a match.


    Arriving in front of the boarding house, Gwalchavad concealed himself again and said, "I will withdraw once more. I have put your meal in the pocket space just in case."


    "Yes, thank you. Oh, tell Caradoc to help me come up with a strategy later.¡±


    Gwalchavad was completely hidden at this point, and he replied with a thought.


    - Yes, sir.


    I went into the boarding house, listening to his reply, as I announced, "I''m back."


    "Welcome! I heard you won against the Black Water Buffalo knights today!" When I entered the boarding house, Alphonso asked with sparkling eyes. However, thanks to his mental and physical growth over the past two years, he didn''t rush at me suddenly. Although, he still acted remarkably childish.


    ¡°Yeah, did you hear from Lisbon?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Alphonso nodded and talked about the rumors surrounding me.


    Certainly, I knew my name would spread throughout the headquarters, but it proliferated faster than expected, extending to the low-rank knight school in less than a day.


    "What¡¯s Lisbon doing?"


    "He¡¯s training in the garden. The entrance examination is two days away."


    I nodded at Alphonso''s reply. Lisbon¡¯s goal to join the Black Water Buffalo knights had existed since he entered the knight school, so he¡¯s been working hard.


    "You''re going up to the middle-rank knight school next year, right?¡±


    "That¡¯s right. I personally wanted to volunteer under my uncle, but he scolded me, saying that war was not easy,¡± Alphonso said sullenly with disappointment.


    Although it was not known to the public yet, among the knight school, Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and Mercenary Alliance, the upcoming war seemed to be common knowledge.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not wrong.¡±


    ¡°But you said you were going to war,¡± Alphonso said, puffing his cheeks.


    I gave Alphonso a flick. "Ouch!"


    I spoke as Alphonso clutched his forehead. "My participation in the war is not of my own volition. And don''t fantasize about war. You won''t be the only one to die with those complacent beliefs.¡±


    I didn''t want to get caught up in such a nuisance like war if possible.


    I sighed and went to the garden where Lisbon was, remarking, ¡°You''re working hard.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, Den, you¡¯re here?¡± Lisbon smiled, wiping his sweaty face with a towel.


    "Don''t push yourself too hard. I heard that with the coin you received today, you¡¯re basically already accepted."


    As he listened to me, Lisbon scratched the back of his head and laughed, "Ahaha, but my role doesn¡¯t end when I join because there¡¯s a war soon."


    Perhaps it was because he fought two years ago during the great demon¡¯s southward movement, but his face was full of tension rather than ambition.


    I grinned and threw the pills and medicine that I gave to the Black Water Buffalo knights earlier to Lisbon. "I know you won''t listen even if I tell you to rest, so eat this.¡±


    This medicine would fetch a steep price if you sold it.


    "Thanks. But hey, can I ask you a favor?¡±


    "Favor? That''s out of the norm for you to ask for a favor."


    Lisbon replied with a shy smile, "Hahaha, I thought it would be good to try fighting with a ¡®battle race'' after seeing you clash against the Black Water Buffalo knights today.¡±


    Lisbon had always been combatting members of a battle race. He was constantly training with Alphonso, a Butterfly, and I often helped him train. Yet, I could tell that wasn¡¯t what Lisbon meant. What Lisbon wanted was to try sparring against someone who was excessively stronger than him, someone so powerful that he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them alone.


    ¡°It''s not a poor idea, but I don''t recommend it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I sighed a little at Lisbon¡¯s question and said, "It''s not such a pleasant experience to face someone with an overwhelming difference between your skills. If it goes well, it can be a goal to overcome, but if it goes wrong, you could feel doubt about yourself and lose your motivation to grow.¡±


    What I realized from my father¡¯s training was that I could never beat him with martial skills or martial arts. Of course, since I was a magician and also not warlike, it didn¡¯t matter if I couldn¡¯t win, but it was not the same for my older brothers. My older brothers tried arduously to beat our father after getting a taste of despair.


    "I understand what you mean, but if it¡¯s something I¡¯ll come across eventually, I¡¯d rather experience it now,¡± said Lisbon.


    Once again, I tried to dissuade Lisbon, "Compared to the Black Water Buffalo knights, you¡¯re like a chick who just hatched from your egg. In my opinion, I recommend that you take it step-by-step under Guild Director Glont."


    Although I believed that Lisbon had greater potential than the Black Water Buffalo knights, I couldn''t say that his skills were that high right now.


    Despite my dissuasion, Lisbon''s willingness seemed firm, so I said, "If you¡¯re that set on it, that''s fine. I''ll be your opponent."


    I picked up Lisbon¡¯s spare sword lying on one side of the garden. It was for training, so it didn¡¯t have a sharp edge. And because it had been used for an extended time, there were scratches everywhere, but he must have taken suitable care of it since the sword was sturdy.


    Lisbon pointed his training sword at me nervously. I took a deep breath, then pointed my sword at Lisbon and let out martial aura at full power.


    "Ooook!" Lisbon threw up, trembling under the weight of the martial aura pressing on his body.


    "What are you doing? Did you ask me to be your opponent because you just wanted to throw up?¡±


    "No, no." Lisbon wiped his mouth with trembling hands and pointed his sword at me again. Then, he began to fight back against my martial aura by emitting his own martial aura.


    The guards of the boarding house came over, surprised by my martial aura. However, Lisbon was overwhelmed from just trying to overcome my martial aura and couldn''t see his surroundings.


    "Uaaahp!" Lisbon ran to me, shouting. He put a defined sword aura around his sword and sliced downwards, aiming for my head.


    Kang!


    I gently deflected Lisbon''s sword and hit his stomach with my palm as if pushing him away.


    "Ook!" Pushed far away, Lisbon got up, clutching his abdomen.


    "Your sword has become dull. Where''s your usual sophisticated swordsmanship?!"


    At my scolding, Lisbon clenched his teeth and rushed back at me. I dodged Lisbon¡¯s sword swings and occasionally hit the areas where his posture had collapsed.


    "Keuk!"


    Now his legs were shaking, not from my martial aura, but because of the accumulating damage from being hit. As he kept swinging his sword nervously, he ran out of stamina faster than usual. The waving sword that sought to cut me stopped at some point, and Lisbon collapsed, breathing heavily.


    "Aigoo." I supported the falling Lisbon while withdrawing my martial aura and asked, "Are you satisfied?"


    Lisbon shook his head. ¡°No, it was a mess.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re aware.¡±


    At my sigh, Lisbon laughed as if he was content about something, ¡°Hahaha, but that was good training.¡±


    ¡°Is getting beat up considered training? Are you a masochist?¡±


    Lisbon denied my joke seriously. "No! It''s just that, should I say the sense of alienation I¡¯ve felt while you''ve been helping train me has been resolved?"


    Saying this mysterious sentence, Lisbon asked, "Do you think I can become stronger?"


    I answered the question truthfully, "Yes, I don''t know how many years it''ll take, but you''ll be able to fight one-on-one against a decent member of the battle races."


    "If you say so, then I¡¯ll believe it...¡± Lisbon smiled contentedly and fainted.


    The unconscious Lisbon struggled quite a bit the next day. Fortunately, he was able to pass and enter the Black Water Buffalo knights the next day after receiving my treatment and restoring his condition.


    * * *


    About a month has passed since I was assigned to the staff office. Many things have happened in the meantime. The busy days were passed by training the recently-formed musketeers, clearing the staff office¡¯s inner circle of spies, and filling in new vacancies.


    As I initially expected, the enemy countries eventually began moving large-scale forces, and since last night¡¯s declaration of war, they have invaded the border extensively. Thanks to the prime minister preparing for a long time, the border was firmly guarded, but it would become a dangerous situation when the enemys¡¯ main forces reached the border.


    Uncle Bloody went up to the podium in front of the training camp, where tens of thousands of soldiers stood.


    "Everyone, attent-!"


    "We don''t have time! We''ll skip unnecessary procedures!¡± Uncle Bloody cut off the major general as he tried to make the soldiers get in attention to salute my uncle. Before the imperial flag was pulled up and the military band could start playing the national anthem, an unconventional military departure ceremony began at Uncle Bloody''s shout.


    I frowned with a headache.


    Uncle Bloody pulled out a sword from its sheathe on his waist and stabbed it into the podium, speaking forcefully while infusing mana into his words, "I''ll be brief because there¡¯s no time. Imperial soldiers! We¡¯re at war!"


    The soldiers'' atmosphere changed sharply by the one word, ¡®war.¡¯


    "I hate war! I like fighting, but I hate war! War is a dirty and ugly act that afflicts the weak!"


    There was a heavy silence among the soldiers at my uncle''s words.


    "We''re going to the battlefield as the vanguard starting now, but we are not going there to make war!"


    Uncle Bloody pulled out the sword he had stabbed into the podium and shouted, "We''re going there to end the war! Without a need for the main force! With just our vanguard!"


    Everyone was surprised by my uncle''s declaration. The reason why the vanguard was made up of 50,000 soldiers was simple. This was the amount that the enemy had mobilized.


    Yet, Uncle Bloody carelessly shouted with confidence, "Only those who¡¯ll come with me to end the war should follow!"


    Everyone shouted in response as Uncle Bloody roared, "We''re going to Dresden!"


    It was a reckless and messy departure ceremony, but it wasn''t bad. Just like Uncle Bloody, it was a simple and concise statement that contained justification for the troops. Sometimes it was fortuitous to be simple and ignorant.


    "Let''s go! We''re moving out!"


    After Uncle Bloody''s speech, the military band played a magnificent trumpet in a timely manner, as if to signal the beginning of the war.

 CH 278.

    As the war broke out, the vanguard moved quickly to the head of the frontlines, located to the southeast. The supplies were already moved near the frontline when the threat of war first occurred. So, all that was left was to deploy the troops. It would not take too long for the vanguard to be transported using all of the empire''s trains.


    The command office, set up in the first compartment of the train heading to the frontline, was strictly barred to anyone aside from me, Uncle Bloody, and the chief of staff. My uncle crossed his arms, looking at the map of the frontlines on the table as he said, "Hmm, I did yell that we¡¯d finish the war with just the vanguard, but that is possible, right?¡±


    I laughed dumbfoundedly and asked, "You yelled that without any certainty?¡±


    My uncle just shrugged. "No, but since you''re here, you said you''d end the war as soon as possible."


    Uncle Bloody''s confident attitude made me laugh helplessly. Actually, I was thinking of ending the war with just the vanguard, so I didn¡¯t say much.


    "Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking as well, but the commander shouldn''t shout things without certainty."


    My uncle smiled shamefully at my point. "Hahaha, who cares? You¡¯d better think hard. After all, you¡¯re my certainty."


    My uncle patted me on the shoulder, and I shook my head as I looked at him. "I guess I can''t help it. Let''s take cowardice and cheapness as our motto for victory."


    If I start using cowardice and cheapness as my motto, even Hestia noona won¡¯t be able to handle me. When I ran away, I couldn''t resort to cowardly tricks because my conscience didn''t allow me to deal with the people of my hometown like that, but not this time.


    "Well, I¡¯m sure our great prime minister will bear all responsibility,¡± I said.


    Uncle Bloody dissuaded me, telling me to take it easy. "Hey, Arcanta''s stomach is going to explode. Don''t do anything you can''t handle."


    "It''s okay. I sent him two months'' worth of stomach medicine before I left. Let''s finish this quickly before he runs out."


    In response to my serious reply, Uncle Bloody looked at me as if I were cruel. For him to direct that expression towards someone who sent the prime minister stomach medicine for his health and safety, a person overflowing with benevolence, was just too much.


    "However, the map isn''t that helpful. Inside the empire, it¡¯s pretty detailed, but the actual necessary section within the enemy territory is insufficient."


    At my point, the chief of staff smiled bitterly, saying that it couldn¡¯t be helped. "Since they¡¯ve been an enemy country for a long time, the map is bound to be inadequate. Maps are the most important strategic materials."


    "Yet, the enemy will clearly know the areas around the empire¡¯s border since it used to be their territory in the past." The Dresden area, which became a frontline, was a region conquered during the Blood Emperor era.


    I sighed helplessly and pulled out a new map from my pocket space, spreading it on the table.


    "This! How did you get such a detailed map!"


    "I told you, being cheap is my motto. This is the product of that cheapness."


    It was simple to make such a product of cheapness. I asked Milpia to create a map from pictures taken by my magical satellite. Since the satellite was launched while it was still in its developmental phase, it boasted extremely poor cost-effectiveness in terms of efficiency, but it was all resolved with the Big Mama Information Agency¡¯s funds.


    Uncle Bloody touched the map in wonder, and I exclaimed, "Woah, take it easy. It cost about a tenth of the empire''s yearly budget to make that.¡±


    In truth, it did not matter if the map got ruined because Milpia and my aunt''s subordinates were still working hard to make copies, but currently, there weren¡¯t many available. At most, it could only be distributed to staff at the regiment level.


    Hearing me, Uncle Bloody carefully put down the map. "This, this is that expensive? Where did you get that kind of money?¡±


    The satellite''s size and performance were at the level of a junk computer, but it cost a lot of money to raise the satellite to orbit safely. Milpia coveted my satellite when she saw the picture, but because we launched an incomplete test product, the main memory device broke after sending the photo, which ended its lifespan. Actually, I didn''t know that the satellite would really work. There was only a 5 percent chance of success.


    "Aunt gave me the keys to the safe, saying I could use it as I please. Aunt sure is wealthy."


    My uncle shook his head, convinced by my answer. "Indeed, Talaria noona is rich. I¡¯m surprised my selfish sister gave you the key to the safe."


    To be specific, she didn''t give me the key to the safe but instead gave me its location and instructed me to ask Milpia to open it so I could access it. But telling me the location of the safe was the same as giving me the key. Of course, of course. It wasn''t easy to undo the security magic as Elder Mirpa had placed it herself, but surely my aunt didn¡¯t think that I wouldn¡¯t be able to unlock it.


    I spoke, pointing to the middle of the frontlines and the enemy¡¯s capital on the map, "Using the disposable product of cheapness, I discovered the location of the enemy''s main forces here three days ago, and the vanguard was here."


    "It¡¯s possible to check things like that?¡±


    When Uncle Bloody grew surprised, I grinned and nodded. "Yes, considering that the enemy has no state-of-the-art means of transportation such as trains, moving supplies will be more difficult for them. We can expect the location of the main forces to be here and the vanguard to be there."


    The chief of staff saw the position I pointed out, and he looked critically at the map as if he was trying to poke a hole through it.


    "If they were here three days ago, wouldn''t they have gone a little further? I¡¯m thinking around here." The chief of staff pointed to a location a little further than where I specified.


    "Hmm, let''s calculate using the distance that the Chief of Staff-nim and I pointed out as the estimated travel section.¡±


    At my suggestion, the chief of staff agreed and pointed to the mountainous terrain on the map. "That''s a good idea. So, it''s a week to ten days before the enemy¡¯s main forces get to the front.¡±


    "Then, I¡¯ll set an early deadline of five days for when we have to decide whether we¡¯ll attack or defend."


    "No objection."


    Uncle Bloody was unable to join the conversation between the chief of staff and me, and he looked at us curiously.


    "To put it simply, after we get to the frontlines, we have five days to beat the enemy''s vanguard and charge in,¡± I explained.


    The chief of staff put figures representing our troops and the enemy forces at the border. He then added, "Since time is running out, if the current frontlines are maintained, the enemy''s main army will be forced to defend itself on the current frontline, which is also the border region."


    I opened a space between our troops¡¯ figures which were placed by the chief of staff, and advanced the enemy pieces into the empire to explain further. "Therefore, we won¡¯t be able to move recklessly until our main forces arrive. If we act hastily and our defense gets penetrated, the enemy will step into empire territory.


    The chief of staff pushed the pieces back to their original positions before using a baton to move our troops towards the mountainous terrain in the enemy¡¯s direction. He said, "But if we break through the frontlines in five days and defeat them, we can make the mountainous area the new frontlines."


    I pointed to an enemy fortress beyond the mountainous terrain. "If we penetrate through earlier, we can try attacking this fortress. That way, we can use it as a base for guerilla tactics around here and go from place to place.¡±


    The chief of staff stroked his chin. "That''s a very hopeful observation. We have to win in three days at the latest to get there. It''ll also take time to attack the fortress."


    "Nevertheless, with this fortress alone, we''ll be able to relieve some of our worries in the rear."


    The chief of staff nodded at my words and explained to Uncle Bloody, "That''s true. If we dig into enemy territory, our foe must deal with us before they attack the border. If they hastily go for the border, they¡¯ll expose their back to us."


    I talked about the drawbacks while swiping my finger between the fortress and the border. "But if we advance this far, we may have a problem with the supply line."


    "There''s nothing we can do about that because the supply lines would still be in the middle of the battlefield within enemy territory."


    "If we take over the fortress here, we would only need to be wary of the defeated enemy vanguard¡¯s remnants. After all, in order for the enemy¡¯s main force to hit us from behind, they would have to take a long detour."


    This fortress was geographically the best place to defend itself from foreign forces. In contrast, if we take this fortress, we can grab the enemy by the throat.


    The chief of staff nodded at my words. "If we take this fortress, for sure, the enemy would need to make a long detour to hit our supply line. Or they would have to cross the mountain with little troops since we¡¯ll be in the way of their route."


    I smiled and nodded. "With our elite soldiers, it would be too difficult for them to hit our supply line with a small number of troops. And if they recklessly try to make a detour, it would give us an excuse for further advancement."


    If the enemy does not use the extreme method of Qingye tactics, there should be plenty of food collected for military provisions in each territory. [1]


    I made a broad swipe through the rugged mountainous terrain with my finger and smiled. "That is why we must decide; whether we will choose safety or risk."


    "It''s not a poor idea to camp in the mountains, as Chief of Staff-nim mentioned. In reality, if you advance too fast, you are bound to have greater losses."


    The chief of staff and I looked at Uncle Bloody. Uncle Bloody thought hard and shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea before asking, "Den, you''d choose adventure over stability, wouldn''t you?¡±


    "What makes you think so?¡± I asked.


    My uncle spoke proudly, "My instincts, of course!"


    "Uh-huh, try thinking about it, damn you!"


    The head commander in charge of the entire army was unequaled in his irresponsibility.


    "Ayy, I said it after thinking about it."


    I was dumbfounded by Uncle Bloody''s protest, and I inquired, "Where are you going?"


    "Based on your personality, when you brought up the idea of taking over the fortress, didn¡¯t you already come up with a plan to occupy it while minimizing our losses?"


    I had no choice but to be shocked by my uncle''s logic. "Oh my god! Uncle Bloody is getting smarter!¡±


    "Hey! I¡¯ll hit you!"


    I laughed playfully when my uncle clenched his fist and continued, "Well, I''m not 100 percent sure either, but since I said I was going to be cheap, I¡¯ll use a cheat key.¡±


    Like ¡®black sheep wall¡¯ or ¡®noglues.¡¯ [2] For ¡®show me the money,¡¯ I''ve already used my aunt''s safe. [3]


    Uncle Bloody and the chief of staff shivered as if they were cold when they saw my smile. The air conditioning in the train must be too high.


    I looked at the map and said, "What''s truly challenging isn¡¯t the process of taking over this fortress, but what comes afterward."


    "After taking it?"


    Uncle Bloody looked at me as if he didn''t understand, and the chief of staff thought about it intensely and asked me, ¡°You mean the supply problem?¡±


    I shook my head at the chief of staff. Then, the chief of staff looked at me curiously and said, "Even if we block their path, it''s meaningless if our enemies encircle us and block the supply line just before it reaches us."


    "We are going to use teleportation. To be exact, one of my subordinates will send supplies to my pocket space after I order it." Percival was now gathering food with Queen Arietta. As expected, the food will be taken care of with my aunt''s money.


    "Is, is that possible?!"


    "Yes, compared to maintaining the supply line, it¡¯s an issue because it costs money each time,  but it''s better than starving to death."


    It was easily doable. In the past, when Arietta went on a trip, she used the pocket space to send me a present in real-time.


    "Huhhuh, this is something beyond innovation. I¡¯m not too familiar with it, but I heard that spatial magic is on a whole new level of difficulty."


    Actually, teleporting supplies for tens of thousands of people was crazy enough to be used only by the Great Madosa Spatial Magic Specialist. My method will just be expedient.


    "I don¡¯t understand too much, but that¡¯s good news. So then, what''s the problem?" asked the chief of staff.


    I smiled lightly and said to the chief of staff, "Enemies attacking after we take over the fortress.¡±


    The chief of staff laughed, saying that I was worrying too much. "That¡¯s something to worry about after taking over the fortress. Even if we¡¯re able to get enough time to go to the fortress, it won¡¯t be easy to occupy it."


    "Hahaha, certainly."


    I also laughed and agreed, but when the time comes, and we are attacked, there¡¯s likely to be a high chance that it¡¯ll be more troublesome than what the chief of staff is vaguely thinking about. Obviously, before that, as the chief of staff said, the most important thing was to push the enemy out of Dresden.


    1. Qingye tactics refer to the strategy of removing all food and supplies that could potentially be used by the enemy in order to exhaust them.


    2. Cheat codes for the game ¡®StarCraft¡¯. Black sheep wall is a code to show the entire map. Noglues prevents Protoss from using psionic storm.


    3. StarCraft cheat code to get lots of resources.

 CH 279.

    Up until a day before we were to arrive in Dresden, I had to meet with the general and heads of each unit dozens of times to talk about tactics.


    "What is this strange-looking thing?" Lieutenant General Fabian, the commander of the 3rd Army, asked while touching the item I gave him.


    "It''s a wireless magic communicator that I made. The range is a radius of 10 kilometers centered around me, so we can communicate anywhere within that area."


    "This finger-sized thing can do something like that from such a long distance?"


    The wireless magic communicator that I created acted akin to a radio tower and significantly increased the range of telecommunication. However, its weakness was that if someone were further than 10 kilometers from me, our messages wouldn¡¯t reach each other. Yet, this problem was solved by attaching a repeater to other people¡¯s communicators.


    "Yes, the magic communicators distributed to the regimental commanders serve as radio repeaters, and so, theoretically, the maximum range of the radio is across both ends of the border. However, even with the repeaters, I think the maximum distance is 100 kilometers due to the deterioration of the sound signal."


    Extending this distance might be possible if I made a radio amplifier in the middle, but there was no time to make that.


    "Huh, even William-nim couldn''t build a communicator like this. Does it really work?"


    When Lieutenant General Orleon, the commander of the 14th Army, expressed his doubts, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Isaac expressed my thoughts for me. "It was brief, but we did a real test. I only went 50km away because I didn''t have time, but the sound quality was clear enough to understand, and we were able to communicate.¡±


    As this was on an entirely different level from the current innovations, the highly advanced technology made everyone feel like they were entering a new world.


    "That''s¡­ that''s impressive, both the performance of the invention and the creator¡¯s abilities."


    I responded humbly to the 14 army commander¡¯s compliment, "In General William¡¯s case, he is an elemental magician, and producing magic tools is not his specialty."


    Of course, my specialty was not making magic tools either.


    Everyone said, ¡®oh, I see¡¯ and moved on, but the commander of the magic corps gazed at the magic communicator as if he were observing a godly object. He appeared as if he wanted to study it after the war ended, but it was a futile dream since I was going to destroy them all remotely after the war was over.


    "If it''s this small, we won¡¯t need to have to have a separate signalman to manage it.¡±


    I shook my head. "No, I didn''t have a lot of time to make it, so the inner structure isn''t that sturdy. You should use the current, more durable communicator for normal situations. My invention was originally made for disposable use strictly during this war."


    "Hmm, is that so?"


    Everyone smacked their lips with disappointed faces. I smiled and taught them how to operate the magic communicator. "Hmm, it''s not difficult. In fact, I like it because it''s simple."


    Simplicity in its functions was essential because it was designed for older people like generals and individuals at the regiment commander level or higher.


    As we were finishing our preparations, an announcement was broadcasted on the train through the speakers.


    - Addressing all soldiers on the train, this train will soon enter the North Dresden station, its destination. All soldiers, please prepare to get off the train. I will repeat once more. All soldiers, please prepare to get off the train.


    "It seems we¡¯ve arrived. Everyone, once we stop, lead your soldiers to the south gate. We will head right to the frontlines."


    "Yes!" At Uncle Bloody''s order, the commanders of each unit saluted and left the conference area to head to their respective units.


    When all the commanders left, Uncle Bloody stared at me with worried eyes and asked, "But is it really possible to send orders to all the troops immediately? No matter how fast the communication is, I don''t think that¡¯ll be easy."


    I smiled lightly at my uncle''s concern. "You don''t have to worry. A quiet morning is good for strategic tactics."


    In fact, I initially wanted to control the army at the company level, not as regiment units, but I didn''t have enough time to create the communication devices. The communicator was not the only thing I had to prepare, so I couldn''t help it.


    "And they''re all war veterans. So, if I can''t cover a certain situation, I''m sure they''ll take care of it on their own.¡±


    Obviously, I was going to "make" it so that there wouldn''t be a situation that I couldn¡¯t cover.


    "Huhuhu."


    Uncle Bloody heard my laughter, and he gave me a creeped-out expression. As expected, the air conditioning must be too high.


    * * *


    Malecia stood in front of Aries''s mansion door, blocking Capricorn, who was wearing a yellow-green mask. He said, "I don''t know why someone like you is here when you should be with the kingdom¡¯s main assault force that¡¯s heading to the empire¡¯s border.¡±


    Capricorn took off his mask and glared at Malecia as he stood in his way. "I have nothing to say to a servant. I''m here to see Sir, so get out of the way, Mercenary King."


    Malecia smirked and shrugged. "First off, to correct the words of the Great Warrior General, I am not a servant."


    Capricorn furrowed his brows and revealed his displeasure. Nevertheless, Malecia did not stop talking. "And without a prior engagement, the Master does not meet others."


    "I already said I have nothing to say to a servant.¡±


    Despite Capricorn''s growl, Malecia did not care and finished what he had to say. "Lastly, I want you to refer to me as the Black Knight rather than Mercenary King, Sir Defeated Dog."


    Towards the end of Malecia¡¯s sentence, Capricorn released his killing intent. "Do you want to die?! A trivial piece of trash running his mouth, relying on Sir!¡±


    When Capricorn pulled out his sword, Malecia smiled and readied his own blade, saying, "Hmph, I don''t know why you¡¯re talking about dying when you¡¯ve had your arm cut off by Bloody. He hadn¡¯t even released his seal properly. Were you perhaps saying that to yourself?"


    "You mercenary trash!¡±


    When Capricorn put a strong aura around his sword, Malecia sneered mockingly. "Well, that''s mean of you to call a mercenary, ¡®mercenary trash.¡¯ Oh, but it appears as if you found something like that somewhere. Did you search around a junkyard?


    Malecia¡¯s provocation made Capricorn lose his rationality, and he screamed, "I''ll rip your mouth off!"


    "Try it! Defeated Dog!"


    If it was before Capricorn had his arm cut off, then perhaps not, but the odds were in Malecia¡¯s favor now that Capricorn was maimed and his body was out of balance. When Capricorn swung his sword, and Malecia tried to receive it, they suddenly changed positions and hit the air.


    "Hmm, I''ve tried recreating the Druid''s magic, and it''s not bad.¡± When Aries exited the mansion wearing a black mask, Malecia immediately put his sword back in its sheath.


    Aries gazed indifferently at Capricorn and said, "But fighting in my territory? It seems you want to die, brat.¡±


    Capricorn''s survival instincts screamed, despite the complete lack of emotion in Aries¡¯ voice, and he exclaimed, "Oh, no, Sir!"


    ¡°So, then, what¡¯s with that sword?¡±


    When Aries pointed out the sword in his hand, Capricorn quickly put the weapon in its sheath and made excuses. "This, this is, Sir¡¯s servant was rude, so I was simply going to discipline him.¡±


    Aries stared at Capricorn and spoke indifferently. "A disciplinary action¡­ You have a Druid¡¯s curse on you, and you¡¯re going to discipline my ¡®subordinate¡¯?¡±


    "A Druid''s curse, what do you mean?"


    Aries yawned and faced Malecia as if he was unconcerned with Capricorn''s question. "Too bad you missed the chance to resolve your grudge. Didn¡¯t you say that your colleague died at the hands of that brat?¡±


    "That¡¯s all in the past. Only children who lack control over their emotions possess grudges about deaths on a battlefield.¡±


    "Is that so? Despite that, it seemed like you were seriously going to cut him,¡± Aries commented.


    Malecia laughed leisurely. "Isn''t it only natural since he drew his sword in Master¡¯s territory?"


    Aries nodded, convinced by Malecia¡¯s matter-of-fact answer. "That¡¯s true, but if that brat dies in my territory, I¡¯ll feel reluctant to visit the graves of the Tri old men. After all, he is a direct descendant of the Tri old men."


    The Tri old men that Aries spoke of were the Tri brothers of the Hunter Tribe, members of the subjugation party that defeated the Demon King 120 years ago.


    "Truly? It seems I was short-sighted." Malecia stood behind Aries, answering casually.


    Meanwhile, Capricorn was left with his question unanswered, and he took a deep breath and repeated himself, "Sir, what curse is on me?"


    Aries yawned and nodded as if he were bored. "From the looks of it, you¡¯ve been done in by that weird helmet bastard. I''m sure the only ones who can use Druid magic right now are that bastard and myself."


    "A helmet?"


    Capricorn gave another query, unable to understand Aries''s words, but Aries stared at Capricorn''s body, disinterested in his question, and asked, "Have you been covered by trees recently?"


    Capricorn nodded in surprise. "Yes! That''s correct. The white half-mask, the nephew of Bloody Blade, caught me with that type of sealing magic."


    "Seal? Oh, so you can use it like that. Using a curse as a seal... that has many useful applications. Was it Scorpio that undid the seal? Libra couldn¡¯t have solved it since he is a narrow-minded man."


    "Yes, that¡¯s correct. Is it a severe curse?¡±


    Aries grinned as he saw the somber expression on Capricorn¡¯s face. "Not really. At most, you only lose your appetite and starve to death, or your vitality is drained, and you shrivel up and die, but it''s not anything impressive.¡±


    Capricorn turned pale at Aries¡¯s diagnosis. Indeed, Capricorn noticed that he was still tired even after resting. He just didn''t know that he had such a curse, thinking that it was the aftereffect of his arm being cut off. He muttered, "Scorpio, that bastard. She did a poor job undoing it, saying she didn¡¯t know about the magic.¡±


    Capricorn then asked, "Sir, could you possibly undo this curse?"


    Aries yawned and touched Capricorn''s forehead with his index finger before he stated, "I''ve undone it."


    Then, he waved at Capricorn. "Haam, I¡¯m lacking sleep. I need to sleep more, so leave, brat."


    "Wait a minute, sir!" Capricorn caught Aries as he tried to go back inside the mansion.


    Aries looked at Capricorn in annoyance, and Capricorn went on, "Currently, our Hunter Tribe¡¯s people and our allies, the kingdom, are at war with the empire. I have come here as a member of the Hunter Tribe to ask Sir for assistance."


    Aries gazed at Capricorn with blatant irritation in his eyes. Capricorn said, "Sir also doesn¡¯t like that the empire stole Zaharam, so Sir joined the Twelve Zodiacs!"


    "No, I¡¯m part of it because Sagittarius said he¡¯d find me the Demon King¡¯s summons."


    Capricorn was flustered by Aries''s words. "This war will have the support of the Trade Union and the Magic Kingdom. Not only is it a chance to regain Zaharam, but also to destroy the empire!"


    ¡°Magic Kingdom?¡±


    Aries seemed as if his willingness to participate had fallen even further. Then, Capricorn made an urgent suggestion. "Sir can take whatever Sir wants from the supplies!"


    Seeing he was still not interested, Capricorn used his last resort. "In the name of the Green Mane tribe, I request of you! Please join us in the war!¡±


    Aries looked taken aback, and he replied, "You''re asking me for something like this? All right. Then this fulfills the request promised to the Tri old men. Do you agree?"


    Capricorn forced himself to nod at Aries''s question. This war was the only chance he had to get back at Bloody for the grudge over his brother. He had been told that he would get used to the artificial arm, but he made this decision because he realized more than anyone that he could no longer regain his full strength.


    At Capricorn¡¯s consent, Aries yawned and waved. "Haam~ Okay. Then go. I''ll sleep a little more and join you."


    After saying that, he went straight into the mansion. Capricorn closed his eyes tightly and turned around. He prayed that his choice was not wrong.


    * * *


    I sighed, sitting on the castle wall facing the enemy. "Oh jeez. The curse on that wolf has been lifted."


    The curse on the wolf was the lost Druid magic. The fact that it was released meant that the wolf had contacted the Curse Specialist who shared the Druid magic with me.


    "That''s annoying."


    How come my ominous premonitions are never wrong? Now, since it¡¯s already happened, let''s just walk in the face of the annoying Curse Specialist.


    Then, I heard a magnificent horn, and arrows began to fly.


    A siege was about to begin over Dresden.

 CH 280.

    The Dresden frontline was divided by a large wall that spanned across the border. The enemy tried to cross the wall and capture it, and the empire¡¯s forces had no choice but to utilize siege defense to protect the fortification as much as possible. However, my goal was not to protect the castle from the enemy but to defeat the enemy, so I had to give up the defense advantage and attack.


    "Iya, it''s a nice and trustworthy feeling to hear that the Youngest Master is participating in the war, isn''t it?" said Mac, as he stood next to me with his hands behind his back.


    Lancelot nodded. "Yes! Because Den is strong!"


    Lancelot looked at me with sparkling eyes. He looked ecstatic to have escaped the pressure of keeping my location a secret. He then asked, "By the way, where''s Leisha noona?"


    I answered Lancelot''s question, pointing backward. "Fourth Sister? She''s probably preparing to treat any of the future wounded soldiers alongside the people in the rear medical unit."


    Originally, the magic corps wanted to serve as support in the battle, but I forced them into the medical unit. This decision was based on the fact that my sister¡¯s healing magic would serve a greater user in the war than her battle magic. After all, there won''t be any magic battles for her to look forward to anyway.


    "And I''m not going to attack. If I''m distracted by fighting, I can''t reduce our casualties." Most importantly, it would be annoying if our troops got caught up in my magic.


    "Is that so?" Lancelot looked disappointed. At times like this, I thought he resembled the people from our hometown.


    "If you want to fight, you can go to the battlefield and stir up as much trouble as you want. It''s not like I don''t have a guard." In fact, it was better if the two of them agitated the battlefield and dispersed the enemy''s lines rather than staying by my side.


    Mac hyung sat next to me as if he were uninterested and said, "I don''t have a hobby of slaughtering weak people. I''ll wait here and, if there''s someone who looks interesting, I''ll go.¡±


    Lancelot nodded and seated himself beside me as well, agreeing with Mac hyung. "If Den¡¯s not there, I''ll just stay here."


    "Do as you please. Come out, everyone." At my call, eleven knights came out of my pocket space, except Percival, who was preparing to send me supplies from the capital.


    "Did you call, Master?"


    "Oh! It''s a fight!"


    "This brings back some nostalgia."


    Mac hyung''s eyes twinkled as he saw the knights appearing one by one, listening to what each of them had to say. He cried, "What! Youngest Master, there are so many interesting people right here!¡±


    The muscular Bors and the lean Gwalchmai responded, "You also look like you¡¯d be fun to fight. Hyung-nim! Can I have a bout with this friend?¡±


    "Obviously, you can''t. Bors and Gwalchmai, put your swords down.¡±


    "Tch, all right, Boss." Gwalchmai lowered his sword, lightly clicking his tongue.


    I sighed and took out a Mana Stone and the eyes of the demon, Horus, from my pocket space as I said, "Lion who controls heaven, I will use your eyes to see through the world. Clairvoyance."


    The clairvoyance magic was simply a substitute for a telescope. However, if Horus''s eyes were used as a catalyst, the entire perspective would change, and one could survey the whole region like a satellite.


    Then, I put the magic communicator in my ear and began contacting the commanders of each unit.


    "This is the command headquarters. Each army, respond."


    - 3rd Army, received.


    - 14th Army, received.


    - 8th Army, received.


    The responses were heard, the sound quality as clear as if they were speaking right next to me.


    "Command headquarters, received. Operation timing will be ordered by the command headquarters, so continue the siege defense at each location until given further instructions."


    The enemy forces appeared to be evenly distributed, but their siege weapons were concentrated to the right. This meant that the enemy would advance towards that side. I connected a personal communication line with the commander of the 3rd Army and said,


    "3rd Army Commander-nim, we''ve got siege weapons gathering in your area. I''ll send reinforcements over to you."


    - All right. It¡¯s nice that we don¡¯t need to have a battle of wits against the enemy with you around.


    I cut off communications with the 3rd Army commander and connected to the entire 14th Army. "Command headquarters speaking. The direction of the enemy¡¯s siege weapons has been identified. Send reinforcements from the 14th to the 3rd."


    - Understood. The 14th Army will send two regiments.


    Shortly after, two regiments began to move below the wall towards the right. The right side of the wall had no issues now since the siege defense weapons were moved alongside the troops.


    In the first place, the besieging side would be at a disadvantage during a siege. If someone was defending in a siege, they could hide behind a massive shield called the wall and shoot arrows. On the other hand, the attackers could only fight properly once they crossed the wall under the rain of arrows.


    As the enemy charged in earnest, the battle became fiercer on the right side of the wall, as I expected. Compared to the left or center of the wall, the number of boulders flying through the sky was overwhelmingly higher on the right.


    "Tristan, Mac hyung. Can you break the ropes on the catapults with an arrow?¡±


    As I pointed far away at the catapults on the right front, Tristan and Mac hyung immediately nocked the arrows on their bows.


    "It''s not hard to break that big rope, Master."


    "It''s so thick that you can probably hit it with your eyes closed."


    The target was so far from my viewing position that I could barely see the outline of the rope, but this didn''t seem to be the case for the two of them. Yet, Mac hyung could hit the string on my mask from a distance of 2km, so was my request really that difficult?  And Tristan was definitely not any worse of a shot than Mac hyung, perhaps being even better.


    "Then, just shoot the ones over there and cut the ropes."


    As soon as I finished speaking, Tristan and Mac hyung released their arrows and began to cut the catapults¡¯ ropes. When dozens of catapult ropes were suddenly broken, the leaders of the enemy army seemed to be thrown into disarray and began to move busily.


    "Master, the catapults are starting to move from the center and left to the right. Should I shoot them?"


    I shook my head when Tristan inquired as he nocked another arrow. "No. Let them move to the right. Instead, shoot an arrow into the cannon just as it¡¯s about to fire and destroy it from within."


    If an arrow full of mana is fired into a cannon just before the cannonball is fired, the barrel of the cannon will become cracked or destroyed from the shock.


    "All right."


    At my instruction, Tristan and Mac hyung began to destroy the cannons one after another. I couldn''t help but admire their skillful movements.


    If the cannonball inside were TNT or a bomb, it would have exploded and caused a large blast in the middle of the enemy¡¯s ranks, but unfortunately, the cannonball was just an iron ball. Of course, even an iron ball by itself was a threat to the walls.


    As the catapults and cannons were destroyed, the siege weapons naturally began to move to the right. And as anticipated, the troops started to move to the right as well.


    "Command headquarters speaking. Enemy troops are beginning to move to the right front. The 8th Army is to support the 3rd Army."


    - Understood. 8th Army will send a brigade.


    Since it was almost impossible for soldiers to break through the castle without siege weapons, it seemed that they had chosen to gather all their forces and have troops cross the wall simultaneously.


    As our troops moved to the right, the battle on the right wall began to intensify.


    "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army. We''re starting the operation now! Black Water Buffalos, 8811th Cavalry Regiment, 98th Sniper Unit, prepare to sortie!"


    - Oh! Prepare to sortie!


    Uncle Bloody shouted in a pleasant voice.


    This was a public announcement currently, so I didn''t want him to say anything personal, but I let it slide since it''s Uncle Bloody.


    I said, temporarily handing Horus''s clairvoyance magic over to Caradoc, "Bors, Gwalchmai, and Agravain, move with the Black Water Buffalo knights and attack freely."


    "Oh! It''s a fight!"


    "I''ve been waiting!"


    "I receive your orders, Master."


    Bors and Gwalchmai ran excitedly, and only Agravain followed them calmly after saluting.


    "Palamedes, Lionel, and Bedivere, move with the 98th Sniper Unit to guard them."


    "I, Palamedes, receive Your Highness¡¯s command."


    "I''ll be back, Master." Unlike the other two, Bedivere nodded silently with a serious face.


    The three jumped off the wall and headed toward the gate.


    ¡°Master, is there something for me to do?¡±


    I dismissed Tristan''s hopes. "Cut the catapult ropes when I give the order."


    Leaving a disappointed Tristan behind, I handed out fist-sized magic tools to Yvain and Ovain.


    "What''s this, Crow Prince?"


    "This is a Magical Pulse Effecter or MPE. It¡¯s a magic tool that generates a powerful mana-resistant field that prevents magic from being used. Simply put, it''s a tool that temporarily turns the area into Olympus Forest.¡±


    In reality, although I called it a powerful mana-resistant field, it was weak compared to Olympus Forest. For people who were familiar with Olympus Forest¡¯s crazy mana flow like me or Leisha noona, it wouldn¡¯t have much effect. However, it was the worst development for someone who had only used magic in the calm mana outside the forest.


    "Wow! This will cripple all of the enemy magicians."


    "It''s perfect for us, who are called the Witch Hunters.¡±


    Cold killing intent hovered between the two brothers'' playful smiles.


    "Based on the flow of mana, I think the magicians will shoot a pretty powerful great magic at the walls. Take care of the magicians over there first, then go around and take care of any other magicians if you find them,¡± I instructed.


    Yvain and Ovain jumped off the wall with a high five.


    "Yahoo! I''ll be back, Crow Prince!"


    "Yahoo! I''ll be back, Crow Prince!"


    I called out hastily, leaning against the wall, "If you can, pull out any mana stone or magic materials that are usable! Got it?!¡±


    Whether they heard me or not, the two brothers waved their hands over their heads and quickly disappeared among the enemies, hiding with concealing magic.


    My order to collect mana stones and magic materials wasn''t just my greed talking. Mana stones were a vital strategic resource. Taking mana stones not only hinders the enemy magicians¡¯ power but also allows our troops to use them. Of course, I''ll be taking half of them.


    "Master, arrows from afar may reach us. Let''s go inside,¡± Gwalchavad advised anxiously, and I withdrew, smacking my lips.


    "If it''s important, how about relaying it again with thought transmission, Commander-in-Chief?"


    When Caradoc smiled and asked as he overviewed the entire frontline with the Horus''s clairvoyance in my place, I waved my hand. "No, it''s okay. It''s a priority to cut down their magician force; doing so could cause chaos. How do the frontlines look?"


    Caradoc bobbed his head. "They are gathered to the right."


    I nodded and turned on the magic communicator again and said, "Headquarters reporting! Open the gates! Black Water Buffalo, 8811th Cavalry Regiment, 98th Sniper Unit!¡±


    - Open the gates! Move out!


    Uncle Bloody shouted excitedly.


    Soon after the gates opened, the Black Water Buffalo knights led by Uncle Bloody ran out energetically on horseback. Seeing this, I pulled out a magic wand from my pocket space.


    "Now, time to watch the show."

 CH 281.

    Bloody led the Black Water Buffalo knights, and as his horse galloped to their destination, he asked, "Are you guys Den''s subordinates? You look like you¡¯d be pretty fun to fight!"


    Bors was riding an alchemic lifeform horse, and he yelled, "You give off such a refreshing vibe that it makes me want to fight! I like it!"


    On the way to the battlefield, Bloody freely released his martial aura and hit aside an arrow that flew at him. "Then, let''s have a fight later!"


    A rebuke came from the communicator before Bors could answer.


    - Make small talk later. I''ll direct you. If you turn to the left and go straight ahead, you''ll find the knights who seem to be the enemy¡¯s key forces on the left battlefield. Destroy them.


    At Den''s message, Bloody laughed and shouted, "Good! Turn left!"


    The Black Water Buffalo knights turned at Bloody''s instructions.


    The 8811th Cavalry Regiment following behind the Black Water Buffalo knights along with the musket-wielding 98th Sniper Unit continued to travel in their original direction as if they had received different orders. The Black Water Buffalo knights turned to the left and wandered through the enemy camp, meeting the enemy knights.


    "Lance Charging!"


    At Bloody''s cry, the Black Buffalo knights rushed toward their foes, readying their lances in unison. Surprised by the Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ sudden appearance, the enemy knights tried to endure, but the battle line collapsed due to their late response.


    "We¡¯ll go around and destroy them!" Bloody called out.


    "Circle!"


    "Circle!"


    The leaders shouted with Bloody and directed their horses in a circle. The Black Water Buffalo knights once again lanced the enemy''s knights and threw them off their horses. A few of the enemy knights managed to persist, and they swung their swords, but their necks were soon wound in manrikis, and they were killed.


    Right as the enemy''s core troops on the left battlefield were defeated, an order came from Den.


    - The Black Water Buffalo knights are to continue heading in that direction towards the center of the region!


    Following Den''s instructions, Bloody inquired, "I haven''t destroyed the left battlefield¡¯s command yet. Is that all right?"


    - The 98th Sniper Unit cleared the left battlefield¡¯s command after the 8811th Cavalry Regiment caused disruption and broke through the rear. The Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ next target is the enemy''s central command post. Caradoc will guide you.


    At Den''s reply, Bloody laughed and exclaimed, "Come! The next target is the enemy''s central command!"


    The Black Water Buffalo knights followed Caradoc''s directions through the chaotic enemy ranks and burrowed straight into the center.


    * * *


    While Uncle Bloody faced the enemy knights, the main force of the enemy''s left command, the 8811th Cavalry Regiment and the 98th Sniper Unit made a major detour and raided the left battlefield¡¯s rear.


    It was too difficult to reach the heart of the enemy with a regiment-level cavalry unit. However, they were successful in delivering the 98th Sniper Unit directly to the enemy''s left command. The enemy command felt safe from long-range attacks due to their full-body armor, yet they were destroyed by a shower of bullets. The 98th Sniper Unit was only able to succeed because the enemy was focusing on the right side of the wall.


    "Command headquarters speaking. We have successfully wiped out the enemy¡¯s left command post and their knights. 14th Army, come out and deal with the remnants of the enemy''s left army!"


    At my command, the commander of the 14th Army laughed gleefully and roared.


    - Hahaha! All right! Let''s go! Open the gates!


    As the gates were opened and a force of 10,000 was mobilized, the enemy¡¯s left army that had lost its command post was thrown into disarray.


    I communicated with the commander of the 14th Army in private. "14th Army Commander-nim, please preserve your troops as much as possible. This is not the end of the battle."


    The 14th army commander replied in a calm voice to my unnecessary worrying.


    - I know that as well.


    "I''m counting on you, Commander-nim."


    - Don''t worry.


    After hearing his final words, I cut off communications and kicked at the Hunter Tribe member who had crawled up the wall on the right. "Hectopascal Kick!"


    The Hunter received my kick with both hands but was pushed away due to insufficient strength. I wanted to command as relaxedly as possible, but I couldn''t help myself when I saw the Hunter Tribe people climbing up the wall. Within the imperial army, those who were capable of dealing with battle race members were now stirring the fields outside.


    "Last time it was a green wolf, this time it¡¯s a striped cat?¡± I wondered.


    The striped cat hollered, "I¡¯m a tiger! How dare you compare me to a cat!"


    "Aha! No wonder. You do seem like a big cat with round ears."


    "I¡¯m a tiger!"


    It''s very cat-like to get all worked up over nothing. Still, despite me calling him a cat, he was the strongest of the Hunters who were climbing up one after another.


    "Master! How could you act without me, Master¡¯s shield? I can''t protect you if I¡¯m not there!"


    "Right! It''s too much to go by yourself, Den!"


    Gwalchavad and Lancelot complained.


    "Oh, what¡¯s this? It''s the Hunter Tribe that I¡¯ve only heard stories about, Youngest Master!" Mac hyung laughed cheerfully and shot an arrow at the striped cat without warning.


    The Hunter, barely escaping the swift arrow, raised the fur on his entire body. "Krrrrrrr!"


    "It was worth waiting! I''ll deal with the cat brother here!¡±


    "I said I¡¯m a tiger!" The striped cat ignored me and immediately attacked Mac hyung.


    "I¡¯m Gentamet, a red-striped great warrior!"


    "I am Mac, vice-captain of the warrior unit!"


    Mac hyung continued to release arrows, and the striped cat quickly dodged, stepping on one of the wall¡¯s watchtowers while surrounding his claws with strong aura.


    Brother Mac yelled, infusing strong aura into his arrows, "Youngest Master, don''t interfere! It''s been a while since I had fun!"


    Mac hyung laughed excitedly. After competing in strength with the much larger striped cat, Mac hyung stepped on the cat''s knee and kicked his solar plexus and chin one after another.


    Getting struck in the chin, the cat took two steps back and laughed, "Kuhuhu! That''s funny! I can''t believe a man like this is not the captain but the vice-captain. The captain must be stronger, right?"


    "Haha, Sir Captain is not here right now, so be satisfied with me!¡± Mac hyung fired an arrow as he retreated, and the striped cat chased Mac hyung, leaving a gash on the wall with its claws.


    Well, if it¡¯s Mac hyung, he won¡¯t lose. I spoke to Gwalchavad and Lancelot. "You two, please deal with the guys climbing here. Go after the fox and the wolf-like dog that look like they¡¯d be good for fur."


    The fox and the dog that just crawled up the wall flew into a rage.


    "Fur! You wicked person!"


    "I¡¯m not a dog that looks like a wolf; I¡¯m unquestionably a wolf!"


    At that instant, Lancelot displayed his flying swordsmanship and hurled daggers at the two enraged Hunters¡¯ blindspots. The fox and the dog narrowly dodged the unexpected daggers and got poised to fight. Lancelot and Gwalchavad also pulled out their swords and hollered,


    "If Den says you¡¯re a dog, you¡¯re a dog! I''ll engrave that in your bones, you pup!"


    "I''ll present Master with a nice fur pelt as a gift!"


    No, I was just trying to provoke them, so I don''t need fur. No matter how much they look like animals, I''m not crazy enough to wear human skin.


    Before I could correct myself, Lancelot and the Gwalchavad entered battle with the Hunters.


    - Commander-in-Chief, the enemy¡¯s left army has collapsed.


    Caradoc reported, and as he shared Horus¡¯s clairvoyance with me, I looked at the battlefield. As Caradoc said, the enemy¡¯s left line had collapsed, and at some point, Uncle Bloody''s Black Water Buffalo knights wrecked the central command post.


    "Command headquarters announcing to the entire army! The enemy¡¯s left battle line has collapsed completely, and we have succeeded in destroying the enemy''s central command post."


    At my announcement, cheers could be heard from place to place over the radio. I corrected them and said, "It''s still too early to cheer! 14th Army, suppress the rear of the enemy''s central army. The 8th Army is to attack the enemy''s central army!"


    - This is the 14th Army; we will follow the directions from the headquarters.


    - This is the 8th Army. We will attack. Open the gates!


    While I was looking at the battlefield, I intercepted the Hunters crawling up the wall with magic bullets. This time, the Hunters arriving late were far weaker than the three Hunters who showed up earlier. Of course, being far weaker was still much stronger than the knights fighting on the wall.


    "Wow. A spotted cat, antler, teddy bear, and a blue piglet. Such diversity.¡±


    The spotted cat and the deer flew into a rage at my assessment.


    "Such rudeness! Spotted cat! I¡¯m a leopard!"


    "Don''t call people those types of names!"


    On the other hand, the red bear laughed merrily, and the boar looked curious.


    "Hahaha! A teddy bear! It''s the first time I''ve been called something so cute since my grandmother called me that when I was a kid!"


    "Wait, then am I the piglet? What''s a piglet?"


    Observing the battlefield, I could see that, as the central command center was destroyed and the central army was being attacked, the entirety of the enemy army fell into chaos. The enemy''s right command post seemed to be attempting to patch things up somehow, but it was already too late.


    It was their fault for revealing that they were targeting the right side before the siege even began. I felt a little guilty, but it''s the enemy''s fault!


    "Command headquarters speaking! 14th Army, open up a little wider and surround the central army! 3189th Regiment, 7781st Regiment, take a detour and attack the rear of the enemy¡¯s right forces!"


    - This is the 3189th Regiment! Understood! We will take a detour to their rear!


    - This is the 7781st Regiment! We will take a detour as well!


    My zoo friends saw me giving orders as I stood before them, and they began to emit killing intent.


    "How can you command from here as if you can see the whole battlefield?"


    "You''re the head! It wasn''t Bloody!"


    I exclaimed in Hunter Tribe language as the Hunters growled and looked as if they would pounce on me at any given point. "That''s a lot of talk, hurry up and come at me! I''ll let you have breakfast in the cage at the zoo tomorrow!"


    At my provocation, the zoo friends attacked simultaneously. I shouted, infusing mana into the Holy Sword, "Command headquarters speaking! 3rd Army, leave a minimum number of people to guard the walls of the castle and destroy the enemy''s right army!¡±


    - This is the 3rd Army! If we do that, then the castle will be completely empty! Is that all right?!


    At the 3rd army commander¡¯s question, I cut the deer''s antlers with the Holy Sword and jumped over the wild boar while replying. "This is command headquarters! I''ll be here, so it¡¯ll be fine! If you''re nervous, deal with the enemy quickly and return!"


    - Ahahaha! Impressive! Understood! Open the gates! The 3rd Army is deploying!


    I turned in the air and slashed the boar¡¯s back.


    "Kuaak!"


    The boar collapsed, spurting blood from its back. As soon as I landed, the red bear and the spotted cat rushed at me from both sides. I dodged the spotted cat¡¯s claws that were covered in strong aura, grabbed his arm, and threw him forcefully at the red bear, who was slamming down with both hands from above.


    "Friend Shield!"


    "Kuok!" The spotted cat was attacked by a red bear in my place, and it fainted with its back folded over.


    I threw away the stunned spotted cat and gathered martial arts to hit the red bear''s solar plexus. "Enlightenment! Crushing rocks!"


    "Ugh!"


    As the red bear collapsed while vomiting blood, I spoke in a low voice. "That¡¯s the revenge from your friend who collapsed under your attack!"


    The red bear dropped to the floor, unable to answer, and the deer with a cut antler looked at me tiredly. "Crazy psycho!"


    So, you can show emotions with the face of a deer. Is it because they¡¯re half-human? How fascinating.


    "What are you saying, you invaders?! Hand over the remaining antler and go to sleep!"


    When I cried out while pointing the Holy Sword, the deer grabbed its remaining antler as if it were precious and put strong aura around his legs, screaming, "I can''t let you have my sacred antlers!"


    The deer jumped high and kicked with strong aura on his leg. I dodged to the side and cut off the remaining antler.


    "My antler!"


    I hit the back of the shocked deer¡¯s head with my sword handle.


    After dealing with the Hunters, I filled the Holy Sword with mana. Using the blade of the now giant holy sword, which was as large as a house, I swept the enemies climbing up the wall as if I were sweeping a broom.


    ¡°Good, the battle should be over before dark." I withdrew the mana in the Holy Sword as I stood on the wall and watched the enemy force¡¯s battle line become surrounded and start to collapse.

 CH 282.

    Now, there were no more enemies trying to climb up the wall. On the battlefield outside the fortification, there were only enemy soldiers fleeing. Hostile soldiers who succeeded in climbing the wall sensed their defeat, and they threw away their weapons, hoping that they would be taken prisoner.


    "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army. Chase the defeated, but don''t go too far, and minimize unnecessary killing."


    I magically trapped the fallen Hunters in a corner and healed their wounds as I gave out commands. Then, I made a personal call to the chief of staff. "Chief of Staff-nim, please contact the surrounding territories and have them send troops to take care of the prisoners.¡±


    From the looks of it, this was a huge victory, with prisoners numbering in the tens of thousands. Since the vanguard''s next strategy was to continue advancing, there was no time to manage prisoners until General Orphina''s main forces arrived.


    - Ahahaha! All right. By the way, this is one of the empire¡¯s greatest victories throughout every war it¡¯s been in. No matter how advantageous the defending side of the siege may be, we annihilated them immediately at the beginning.


    In general, when you talk about annihilation, you¡¯d think that everyone was killed with no one left behind, but in war, annihilation essentially meant that the enemy could not function properly.


    "I didn''t know it would turn out this well either.¡±


    I was lucky in many ways. From the enemy''s point of view, they would have tried to gather information about the empire vanguard¡¯s advance with reconnaissance, so they wouldn''t have expected that we¡¯d come charging at them at the start. If I hadn''t analyzed the enemy vanguard with a satellite beforehand, my first course of action would be to gather information as well.


    I told the truth, but the chief of staff perceived it as humility.


    - Hahaha, you''re so modest. You commanded as if you were watching the enemy''s movements in real-time. With that level of prediction, it''s basically foreknowledge.


    This was natural since, rather than making predictions, I actually was watching the enemy as they moved, directing the soldiers while observing.


    "Haha, you¡¯re exaggerating. Anyways, I will leave it to you."


    - Yeah, it¡¯ll probably take a day.


    "The soldiers will have to rest for a day before mobilizing anyway, so that''s perfect. Then, I''ll end the line."


    - All right. Good work.


    After ending the communication, I looked at Mac hyung, who was having fun. Excited from having his first real fight in a long time, Mac hyung loosed arrows at the striped cat while jumping around and dodging its attacks. The striped cat narrowly avoided Mac hyung¡¯s arrows and charged.


    "Let''s see, is there any jerky left?" I took beef jerky out of my pocket space and watched Mac hyung''s fight. As I did this, Mac hyung approached after avoiding the striped cat¡¯s wildly-swinging clawed hands, firing an arrow at the cat''s chin.


    "Keuk!" The striped cat just barely managed to pull back and avoid the arrow.


    However, Mac punched the cat in the side with martial arts, his foe too slow to respond while it was dodging. He yelled, "Enlightenment! Breaking Ice!"


    The striped cat hurriedly rolled to the ground to avoid the awl-like fist full of sharp, penetrating force. Yet, he was unable to dodge entirely, and the punch penetrated the protective aura and tore a long strip off the cat''s skin.


    "Hahaha! It''s been a long time since I''ve had such a fun fight!¡± shouted Mac.


    The striped cat laughed loudly, grabbing his bleeding side, "Ahahaha! How scary! A powerful arrow at long range, a sharp close-up combat technique at a close distance.¡±


    "We have skills called martial arts.¡±


    "Martial arts? I see. You are a Crow! Hahaha! Scary, how scary! As expected, they are unrivaled in battle!"


    Even though he said it was scary, the striped cat laughed joyfully and gave off martial aura. The wound on the cat''s side healed so quickly that it was visibly closing. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen the super healing power of the Hunter Tribe in person.


    "Oh, how fascinating.¡±


    The striped cat smirked when Mac was amazed, and he boasted, "Even within the Hunter Tribe, this is a recovery technique that only those of the great warrior level can wield."


    So that''s why the Hunters I faced fell without regenerating.


    The striped cat glanced at the battlefield outside the walls and smiled bitterly. "It looks like we''ve already been defeated."


    Mac hyung shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, it seems so, but you don''t have to be so hard on yourself. Our victory is because there''s a mischievous boy on our side who has a suitable mind for being evil.¡±


    That assessment was too much.


    "Hahahaha! Is that so!? Was there a man like that!?" The striped cat smiled cheerfully.


    The merry laughter of the cat gradually stopped, and he spoke seriously. "It is shameful as a warrior to surrender just because we have been defeated on the battlefield. Will you hang out with me till the end, Young Crow!?¡±


    "Of course! It''s not refreshing if you don''t see it to the end!"


    The two stared at their foe before leaping toward each other, not waiting for the other to make the first move. The striped cat kicked down vigorously at Mac hyung with strong aura on his legs. While avoiding the cat''s kick, Mac hyung fired three arrows.


    Kwang-!


    Part of the wall, which had been kept sturdy with magic, collapsed from the striped cat¡¯s kick and produced a cloud of dust. This was quite an impressive show of strength, considering that even a decent amount of force wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on the walls.


    I backed away, avoiding the rubble and dirt. In this situation where visibility was obstructed, Mac hyung jumped high through the dust and shot an arrow while flying through the air. The roar of the walls being destroyed with each mana-filled arrow echoed.


    "Wow, the cost of the repairs is going to be crazy."


    Mac hyung''s arrow destroyed the wall as much as the striped cat did, if not more. At that time, a violent gust of wind blew from the dust cloud, and five powerful streams of strong aura rushed out. Mac hyung quickly gathered his martial arts and kicked the air to avoid the strong auras.


    "Crrrrrr...!" The striped cat¡¯s form was revealed as the dust cloud settled, and he looked like a half-wild animal, arrows stuck all over his body.


    Mac hyung turned in the air and landed on the wall. As soon as he landed, the striped cat quickly charged with strong aura all over his body. Mac hyung did not avoid the charge but responded by pumping mana at full power into an arrow and firing it.


    Kwang-!


    Massive amounts of opposing mana collided, causing an explosion with a boom, and the striped cat was buried in the wreckage of the collapsed wall, unconscious.


    "Uaah, that was fun!" Mac hyung sank into place from lack of mana.


    However, his expression told me that he felt good after sweating refreshingly. I threw Mac hyung a mana recovery potion and spoke. "Good job."


    "Oh! It''s the thing called an MP potion. Thank you, Youngest Master."


    As I stared at Mac hyung while he thanked me and drank the potion, I asked in a low voice, "But you were calling me a mischievous boy?¡±


    Mac hyung laughed jovially, "Ahahaha! Of course! Look at the things you''ve done. Can you do that with a normal mind? You shrewd fellow."


    Mac hyung pointed to the wall that was now included in the post-battle cleanup. I snorted at this and said, "If you keep doing that, I may reveal to the world why hyung has a strange beard and an odd way of speaking."


    My threat made Mac hyung turn pale and begin to stutter. "Young, Youngest Master! Anything but that! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Lancelot had just finished fighting, and he inquired with an innocent face, "By the way, why do you insist on that beard and tone?¡±


    The dog that was Lancelot''s opponent hung upside down in the air, sealed in a mana-induced slumber. Unlike with Mac hyung, the only signs of Lancelot¡¯s battle on the wall were from the Hunters.


    "You''ve improved."


    Although his opponent was a step weaker than the Hunter Mac hyung faced, it still wouldn¡¯t have been easy. Yet, he still overpowered him cleanly.


    Lancelot scratched his head after being embarrassed by my compliment. "Hehe, no. I¡¯m still a long way off."


    ¡°I caught one, too, Master." Gwalhabad tied and dragged over the stunned fox, not even having a scratch. He continued, "I''m sorry, I wanted to capture him alive so that his fur wouldn''t be damaged as much as possible, but it''s a little marred."


    From what I could see, I couldn¡¯t tell where it was damaged. I said, "No, the fur will be treated humanely as a prisoner. I won''t take off his skin."


    Gwalhabad exclaimed regretfully, "Really? Then, I worked hard to capture him without damaging his skin for nothing."


    From Gwalhabad''s thought transmissions, I could feel that his emotions were causing him to blame himself for being distracted by the fur, putting guarding me on the back burner.


    But he didn''t really mean to turn the Hunter into fur, did he? I can''t ask because I''m scared.


    The imperial army was returning to the wall after more or less finishing cleaning up the battlefield.


    "Is the next battle the fortress siege?"


    This battle was based on siege defense, but defending in a siege and besieging an enemy were on different levels in terms of difficulty.


    * * *


    After waking up, Aries yawned and went down to the first floor of the mansion.


    "Are you up, Master?"


    At Malecia''s greeting, Aries nodded slightly; his eyes partially closed from tiredness.


    "There''s a document that¡¯s been left behind by that great warrior of the Green Mane tribe. Would you like to check it?" Malecia asked.


    Aries reached out silently, and Malecia naturally handed over the documents. While Aries was reviewing the documents, Malecia poured black tea into a glass and added sugar cubes.


    Aries drank Malecia¡¯s tea and said, "What happened to the disciples?"


    Malecia smiled bitterly. This was a question that expressed Aries¡¯s extremely indifferent personality toward others. However, one couldn¡¯t blame Aries because there were too many magicians who claimed to be his disciple when all he did was point something out in passing. Aries''s question was not really asking about those who were considered his disciples but about his followers.


    "You will have to ask Alpha about things regarding the magicians, but there are about six thousand soldiers."


    Not only did magicians follow Aries, but also lowly mercenaries as well.


    "Six thousand? Wasn''t it around 400 last time?¡±


    "That was 18 years ago. And that''s when I came under Master,¡± Malecia pointed out.


    Aries sipped his black tea dully and nodded. "It''s only been a while, but the number has increased a lot.¡±


    Aries acted surprised, as if he had been told this happened in just a week.


    "These are lives saved by Master while he was wandering around the battlefield to gather death aura."


    "I did?" Aries tilted his head as if he had never heard of such a thing.


    "Well, I knew Master wouldn''t be aware of this. They¡¯re following us by their own accord anyway, so it''s nothing Master needs to pay attention to."


    "Hmm, then all right."


    When told he didn¡¯t need to pay attention to them, Aries indeed stopped thinking about them. Aries savored his black tea and handed the documents to Malecia. "After roughly looking through them, it seems the person we met at the Alps is in the imperial army. If he''s there, I''d say  the frontlines at the border have collapsed, and our vanguard has lost at this point."


    "What? Is that possible? It¡¯s around the time that the empire¡¯s vanguard would first arrive,¡± Malecia said, shocked.


    Aries took out a magic wand from his pocket space and replied, ¡°If a great madosa wants to, it¡¯s not difficult to erase a simple vanguard. Although, I don''t think he''d do something that¡¯s such a waste of mana."


    Standing up, Aries made a warp gate in the air.


    Malecia stepped back anxiously. "Will you wait a moment, Master?"


    "Delta will be at Shellen Fortress. I¡¯ll head over there leisurely."


    Having no good memories of the warp gate, Malecia retreated again and said, "Ma, Master, it doesn¡¯t take long to go to Shellen Fortress, so!"


    Malecia was backing away when he fell into a warp gate that Aries had created on the floor, and he screamed, "Maaaasterrrr!!"


    Aries gave a warning to the voice calling him. "I made a gate behind you, so be careful.¡±


    But it was already too late.


    "The tea is delicious.¡± Aries just leisurely relished the tea.

 CH 283.

    It was the morning after the battle at the great wall in the Dresden territory. The soldiers who suffered yesterday were all resting, except for those guarding the wall. Meanwhile, because we had to mobilize immediately tomorrow, the chief of staff and I had to make plans and couldn¡¯t take a break.


    As I was checking various documents, I was surprised to see how many people were on the prisoner list. "There are so many prisoners?¡±


    The number of prisoners reached nearly 20,000. Considering that the enemy vanguard contained close to 60,000 soldiers, this meant that nearly a third of the vanguard was captured.


    "Of course, there¡¯s wounded from the left and the central forces, but because they surrendered when we surrounded them at the end, there¡¯s a lot of prisoners. However, since many managed to run away, I think we need to be careful,¡± said the chief of staff.


    I nodded. "But we¡¯re fortunate that most of the enemy commanders are either dead or captured and can''t bring the defeated together."


    The chief of staff grinned and bobbed his head. "That''s true."


    "By the way, the feudal lords¡¯ backs will break trying to feed and keep the prisoners alive."


    The chief of staff smiled at my joke. ¡°Luckily, that¡¯s not our concern."


    The chief of staff also had an evil side. Since we were leaving tomorrow, we didn''t have to care about how many prisoners there were. In reality, we were just throwing the work onto others, but that¡¯s none of my business.


    I smiled the same way as the chief of staff, put the documents in one corner, and laid a map on the desk, saying, "Since we destroyed the enemy vanguard well ahead of the deadline we set, I think we have plenty of time to aim for Shellen Fortress."


    The chief of staff nodded and agreed with me. "If we capture the fortress, not only will it be easier to confront the enemy in the future, but if we join up with the main force, we¡¯ll be in a position where we might even be able to target the capital."


    It was almost impossible to advance to the capital with just the vanguard alone. Therefore, the chief of staff''s remarks also suggested that we should consider waiting for General Orphina to join up with the main force.


    I shook my head when I noticed the chief of staff''s intentions. "No. There¡¯s a high likelihood that the outcome of this war will be determined at Shellen Fortress."


    The chief of staff looked at the map intensely and asked, "What makes you think that? If we take the fortress and stall the enemy''s main army, we can work with our main force to cleave a way forward."


    The chief of staff spoke, pointing to the gateway to the enemy capital beyond the fortress as he continued, "I think the current imperial army has enough power to reach here. I thought this would be the place to determine the outcome of this war, but it seems you don¡¯t think the same.¡±


    The chief of staff¡¯s opinion was absolutely right. If this was a war between just the imperial army and the enemy, as the chief of staff said, it would have turned into a full-fledged battle with the enemy. However, the story was different if the great madosas entered the war.


    "When we confront the enemy¡¯s main force at Shellan Fortress, either the enemy¡¯s forces, our own, or both of us will be annihilated. I think it will be one of those three."


    "It''s not that one will be defeated, but annihilated? And it¡¯s also possible that both sides are destroyed?" The chief of staff had a hard time understanding and looked at me.


    With the chief of staff and I being the only people in the tent, I put soundproofing magic up to prevent any information from leaking out before saying, "Only Chief of Staff-nim should know this. If this becomes known, morale will be at its worst. Oh, and obviously, I''ll tell the Head Commander-nim."


    "What is it that would make morale plummet to its lowest?"


    I smiled bitterly. "It''s highly likely that a great madosa will be participating in this war."


    "What!" The chief of staff jumped to his feet in shock, and he exclaimed, "That, that''s ridiculous. That kind of monster is participating?!¡±


    "Please calm down."


    The chief of staff¡¯s face turned blue at my words. "Do I look like I can calm down right now?! There''s no way 50,000 troops can stop a monster like a great madosa!"


    I sighed at the overly agitated chief of staff. This is why I didn''t want to mention it. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that Arpen, a great madosa, was called Glacial Devil. Great madosas were treated as a source of despair by their enemies just from existing.


    "What can we do if the Chief of Staff-nim loses his reason?¡± I said.


    The chief of staff sat down again, rubbing his face with complicated thoughts. "Yes, the Chief of Staff must not lose their composure at any time. So, since you said the probability of participation is high, how much do you think it is? And if one is to participate, who do you think it would be?"


    "There¡¯s around a 90 percent chance it¡¯ll be the Curse Specialist and about 30 percent for the Magic Kingdom¡¯s Spatial Specialist."


    Of course, the Elemental Specialist and Alchemy Specialist were allied with the empire, so they were excluded.


    Hearing my guess, the chief of staff closed his eyes tightly. "You''re saying there''s a chance that both of them will participate.¡±


    "Well, I think there''s about a 3 percent chance that both of them will join the war. The Curse Specialist and the Spatial Specialist have an abysmal relationship."


    How bad was it exactly? If the two of them were on the same side, one of them would happily stab the other in the back. In fact, the only great madosa who did not antagonize their associates was my teacher, Elder Mirpa. To be specific, it was more like the other great madosas avoided her, saying she was a crazy dog.


    "Then, even I think it would be better to get ready here in preparation for the great madosa. We would be able to collaborate with the main force of the imperial army in that case."


    I shook my head at the chief of staff¡¯s passive defense strategy. "No, this place is not that suitable for defending against a great madosa. The wall where the battle took place yesterday serves to prevent foreign invasions, so the defense range is too wide. If even a part of it gets knocked down, the advantages of a siege defense disappear. Then, the situation would be where a great madosa is able to run wild in the empire.¡±


    "That''s a horrible thought. So then we have no choice but to move before they get here?"


    I nodded to affirm his conjecture. As an imperial force defending the empire, such monsters could not be allowed in.


    "You know that a great madosa is participating, but since you¡¯re so calm, you''ve got a way to deal with them, right?¡±


    "Well, I have a few, but I can¡¯t be sure they¡¯ll work."


    The chief of staff responded as if my words were natural. "Two years ago, when the great demon showed up in the south, we prepared a lot of measures, but none of them worked. Great madosas are no different than great demons. Rather, they have high intelligence that great demons can''t keep up with, so it''s even worse."


    "Haha, I agree with that."


    The chief of staff sighed deeply and asked, "So, what''s the plan?"


    Although I called it a plan, there was nothing special about it.


    "The basic plan is for me to go out and face them myself."


    The chief of staff looked at me as if he were looking at a suicidal person. "No matter your abilities as a Crow, great madosas are on a whole new level.¡±


    "I know. Don''t tell me you don¡¯t know that my teacher is Mirpa Ainsmall.¡±


    The chief of staff opened his eyes wide at my indifferent answer. "Your teacher is that great madosa, the root of all alchemists?"


    "Well, I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say she¡¯s the root; she just did some compiling and advanced the field by about 3,400 years."


    Before Elder Mirpa, alchemy was treated as something similar to magic but not actually treated as magic. Now, it''s one of the top three magic categories within every field of magic.


    "And just because I¡¯m facing the person directly doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re forced to fight. There¡¯s a way to talk things through reasonably.¡±


    Although, I don''t know if that guy with the communication disability will listen to me too much. To be honest, I had no choice but to improvise because I didn''t know how my opponent would act.


    I opened an enlarged map of Shellen Fortress, smiled, and said, "First off, let''s think about how we''re going to occupy the fortress.¡±


    You have to have at least one breakwater to face a great madosa, even if the breakwater would be something stolen. By the way, to utilize the fortress, we had to conquer it with as little damage as possible, having no section collapsing.


    * * *


    At the end of the Battle of Dresden...


    Appearing at Shellen Fortress, Malecia was ¡®forced¡¯ to arrive, and he pulled himself together. He passed through the dark streets and headed for a small mansion, Aries¡¯s base.


    "Long time no see, Mercenary King."


    As he entered Aries''s base, a young man with a neat impression greeted Malecia with a fresh smile. Malecia replied, "Long time no see, Beta."


    The young man who greeted Malecia was Beta, Aries¡¯s disciple.


    "Master said Delta would be here, but I didn''t expect you,¡± Malecia remarked.


    Beta said with a light smile, "If the teacher-nim doesn''t summon us, we all wander freely and explore magic. I''m snooping around trying to make money because I heard there''s going to be a war."


    In short, he was here to play as a mercenary.


    "You''re a weirdo to serve as a mercenary despite being a madosa."


    "Ahahaha, you need a lot of money to research magic."


    When Beta replied with a playful smile, Malecia thought it was unexpected that there was someone normal among the crazy magicians, and he said, "It would be easier to work with others if they were normal like you.¡±


    "Oh, who said that? That Beta''s normal?¡±


    The one who challenged Malecia''s statement was Delta as he walked down from the second floor. He went on to say, "He only looks normal on the outside. He''s the craziest one among teacher-nim''s disciples. Do you think you can cross the wall of Mado in your late 20s without being crazy?"


    Beta laughed gently at Delta''s harsh criticism and said, "Haha, that''s too much, senior. What do you mean, crazy? I just crossed the wall a little earlier than others, and so if you say that, I''ll be hurt."


    When Beta pretended to hold onto his chest in a playful way, Delta snorted. "Shut up. You go crazy over anything related to magic, so what are you even saying?¡±


    "I certainly don¡¯t tend to do that."


    Delta looked at Beta and said with a fed-up look, "If you don''t tend to act like that, you''ll have to say that there''s also no craziness in this world."


    Malecia sighed and asked as the two quarreled, "That''s just great. How many of Master¡¯s disciples and followers are here?¡±


    Delta answered with an expression of ¡®why are you even asking.¡¯ "There¡¯s quite a few people here, most likely aiming for war pay. About 700 people?¡±


    "Among the seniors, there¡¯s Iota, Lambda, and Mu."


    Malecia smiled at Beta''s reply. "Then we should be able to buy some time until Master arrives.¡±


    Beta and Delta were astonished. "Teacher-nim is coming here?"


    "Yes, Master is participating in this war."


    Delta muttered at Malecia''s confirmation, "Oh, my god, maybe the sun will rise from the west tomorrow.¡±


    Then, Beta looked at Malecia and asked, "Wait a minute. What do you mean we can buy time until Teacher-nim comes?"


    Malecia placed the documents on the table and said, "It seems that there is a great madosa-class monster who¡¯s on a similar level to Master in the imperial army."


    At Malecia''s words, Beta and Delta stopped breathing and became tense.

 CH 284.

    Delta asked in a trembling voice, "Are, are we supposed to deal with a great madosa level monster whose abilities are similar to our teacher-nim? Are you crazy?"


    When Delta questioned Malecia''s mental state, Malecia replied with a smirk, "If you can say those exact words in front of Master, try it. After all, I''m doing this because Master told me to.¡±


    Delta flinched and stepped back. "That''s not what I''m saying!"


    Delta disheveled her hair in distress and cried, "How can we deal with that person with just us!?"


    Malecia spoke casually, "Why are you worried? You said two years ago in the Alps that you five could face him.¡±


    "What? Senior! Did you really say that?¡±


    When Beta looked at Delta in surprise, she blushed and said, "That''s only possible when the other person is off guard, and we use a surprise attack! What magician would have their guard down in the middle of a war! No, and of course, I was bluffing a bit when I said that!"


    At Malecia and Beta¡¯s gaze, Delta turned away. "And at the time, we had teacher-nim, so it wasn''t impossible if he helped a little!"


    "Oh, so then, you could have made a real attempt." Beta nodded, convinced, and he asked Malecia, "So, is the great madosa siding with the empire the Glacial Devil, Arpen Fendria? Or is it the Alchemic Grandmaster Mirpa Ainsmall?"


    Malecia handed over the documents he had received. "Both guesses are wrong."


    ¡°It¡¯s neither of them?¡±


    Malecia nodded as Delta stared inquisitively. "Delta, you''ve met him before. Apparently, he was the one wearing that strange helmet in the ancient castle in the Alps."


    Delta was astonished. What? The magician who wore that black helmet was a great madosa?"


    "Hey, Mercenary King? I think the document is wrong."


    Beta was examining the documents he received from Malecia, and, pointing to the section on the list of people to watch out for, he spoke. "Why is someone who¡¯s supposed to be a great madosa in between his late teens to mid-20s?"


    "The great warrior of the Green Mane tribe says he''s Bloody Blade¡¯s nephew. As far as I know, his nephews should be around that age."


    Beta and Delta couldn''t believe this, their jaws hanging open.


    "If he¡¯s a great madosa at such an early age, just when did he break through the wall of Mado?"


    "Wait, if it''s Bloody''s nephew, then isn¡¯t he the son of that ¡®monster¡¯?" Delta spoke with a pale complexion as if she were reluctant to mention him.


    "That monster? Oh, perhaps you mean the chief of the Crow tribe, Doomstone Blade...¡±


    "Don''t just say that name!" When she heard Doomstone''s name, Delta shouted as if she were having a fit.


    At the sudden outcry, Beta looked at Delta in bewilderment. Likewise, when Malecia saw Delta, he looked fed up, and he asked, "You, by any chance... were you in that society?"


    "Hiik! No! Save me! I don''t want to die!" Delta panicked as if Malecia saying the word ¡®society¡¯ was a trigger.


    When Delta started hyperventilating, Beta covered Delta''s mouth and cast sleeping magic. This magic wouldn''t have been easy to cast on her under normal circumstances, but the panicked Delta fell right asleep.


    "This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Senior become so frightened. And regarding that society, I thought none existed for curse magic?¡± Beta asked while laying Delta on the sofa.


    Malecia answered with a sigh. "It no longer exists, to be specific. Well, at your age, you wouldn¡¯t know of it. Originally, there was a society for curse magic."


    "I''ve never heard of it.¡±


    Beta looked at Malecia, interested in the information he was never aware of. Malecia sighed and continued speaking, "It was home to a disaster so horrendous that it gives me goosebumps just by mentioning it.¡±


    "Disaster?"


    At Beta''s reply, Malecia nodded and said, "About 18 years ago, Doomstone Blade suddenly stormed into the Curse Society. He told them to bring out all the information regarding curse magic while emitting killing intent.¡±


    "The chief of the Crow tribe? I thought he didn¡¯t know magic."


    Malecia shrugged. "I don''t know what happened either since I wasn''t there. Anyway, the great magicians and madosas there all refused to comply with Doomstone''s request."


    Beta nodded. "Of course. Even if your opponent is not a magician, you can''t give him valuable research."


    "Then, Doomstone said he''d take it by force, and all the magicians in the society attacked Doomstone. As a result, every madosa there perished. And, all the great magicians, except for a few who became disabled, died as well."


    Beta couldn''t close his mouth, and he inquired tentatively, "How many madosas... were there?"


    "I don''t know, but I heard that there were more than 50 madosas and over 400 great magicians. For your information, I remember that Master was lamenting that there were three madosas who were on the verge of reaching the great madosa level.¡±


    "That, that¡¯s not a person. How can 50 madosas and 400 great magicians all at once...¡± Beta¡¯s astonishment grew until it became amazement.


    "Thanks to that incident, the curse magic that was in its prime due to Master¡¯s existence fell tremendously, making the number of curse magicians even less than black magicians."


    The reason why the curse magicians did not go extinct was also because of the Great Madosa Aries. So many high-level people were exterminated that, if Aries weren¡¯t around, there would have been no one to pass down the teachings of curse magic. In this incident, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if the root of curse magic schooling had perished.


    "So you¡¯re saying that Senior was in that society?"


    "There isn¡¯t much else that would make Delta overreact like that. Well, during the time when Doomstone was active 28 years ago, there were quite a few of those incidents, so it might also be due to something else."


    However, her response to the "society extermination" made it clear that the fear towards Doomstone was carved into her. At Malecia''s words, Beta stuck his tongue out. "Senior did a good job surviving."


    "No, normally, the Crows say they aren¡¯t interested in the weak, so she probably managed to avoid Doomstone because she was weak at the time."


    Delta was an up-and-coming rising star back then, but it was not enough compared to great magicians and madosas. Thanks to this, it allowed her to avoid Doomstone¡¯s attention to survive unnoticed.


    "When Delta wakes up, avoid mentioning it as much as possible, and if you need to refer to it, say ''a disaster from heaven'' or ¡®a Crow of death.¡¯"


    Doomstone had dozens of nicknames, but they were all hideous.


    "I''ll have to. By the way, considering he could face the curses of 50 madosas and 400 great magicians before killing them with brute force, is it impossible to curse him without the legendary magic tool, the Curse of the Giants?"


    The Curse of the Giants was a legendary magic tool that every curse magician dreamed of using at least once. It was a magic tool of fantasy whose existence itself was uncertain, being created by the Giant Tribe during the Giant-Holy War about 500 years ago.


    "Well, I was wondering if that¡¯s even something a person can handle." Since Malecia had assisted Aries for so long, Malecia was well-versed in information about magic tools and magic.


    "That''s true. It''s also unclear whether it truly exists or not." With Beta''s affirmation, Malecia nodded and reached into his bag, pulling out a map of the fortress along with a map of its surroundings.


    "Now then, we''ll have to figure out how to deal with that great madosa.¡± Malecia sighed as he looked at the map. To gain command of the fortress, Malecia wouldn''t face any difficulty in obtaining this with the achievements and authority of the great madosa, Aries.


    The question is, how do I defend our troops until Aries arrives?


    * * *


    I sighed and looked at the map of Shellen Fortress. Based on my analysis of the photos taken by the disposable satellite five days ago, there were more than 10,000 troops stationed in the fortress. Among them, there were about 1,000 people dressed as magicians. This number of magicians was far too large for a fortress that was somewhat far from the border.


    Perhaps most of the magicians were mercenaries. But even if they were a mercenary, a magician is a magician. It would be difficult to lead them without a distinguished commander or a magician with overwhelming skills.


    "It¡¯s a good thing we plundered the enemy¡¯s magic supplies.¡±


    The opposing magician force wouldn''t last long because most of the enemy vanguard¡¯s magic supplies were prevented from being taken back when they retreated. The issue here was that we also had to take the fortress before the enemy''s main force arrived.


    At my murmur, Yvain and Ovain asked with a playful smile.


    "What? Did we do a good job? Crow Prince?¡±


    "Really? Did we do a good job? Prince Crow?¡±


    I patted the twins'' hair because they looked like puppies searching for compliments and said, "Yes, good job."


    Then, the twins gave each other a high five, and Ovain asked, "By the way, where is Prince Crow going?¡±


    I smiled faintly and pointed to a prison where the prisoners were temporarily detained.


    "Prison? Prince Crow, you''re going to interrogate them yourself?" Yvain looked at me as if he didn''t understand why I would want to interrogate the prisoners myself.


    Certainly, it was better to leave this type of work to a professional interrogator, but there was no time. We had to depart by this afternoon to buy enough time to attack the fortress. And we can''t take prisoners on the march.


    "I haven''t learned how to interrogate someone, but I can tell if they¡¯re lying or not."


    If it was someone who mastered Elder Weger¡¯s 1,000 things like me, I could reveal the truth without needing to resort to torture.


    I went into the tent where the enemy soldiers were held.


    "Loyalty!"


    I raised my hand in response to the guard¡¯s salute and looked inside the tent. The tent was divided by simple wooden bars. The prisoners behind these bars were restrained depending on their level of strength. Their restraints ranged from simple handcuffs to their whole body being chained. For some, even their movements were sealed by magic.


    "Hi, have you been well, Striped Cat?¡±


    The one I was looking for was the most tightly bound of all. His animalization was undone, and so he looked like a muscular man, but the wounds he had suffered from Mac were still present in the same locations. In addition, I sealed his movements myself, so I could recognize him at a glance.


    "How many times do I have to say I¡¯m a tiger?" At my greeting, the Hunter great warrior growled.


    "Did you say your name was Gentamet?¡± I flicked my finger gently and released the seal.


    As his body suddenly became free, the prison guards were flustered and pointed their spears in nervousness.


    It wasn''t just the guards who were surprised; the Striped Cat asked, "Why are you releasing me?¡±


    "It doesn''t matter if you run away. Either way, you''ll be caught in no time.¡±


    Gentamet smirked. "But don''t you think I might be able to escape?¡±


    At the petty provocation, I grinned and warned, "If you try to escape, I''ll kill you."


    Gentameta noticed my warning was sincere, and he started sweating nervously. "You. You must be stronger than that young Crow warrior.¡±


    Gentamet, soaked in a cold sweat, spoke as if he had seen something ridiculous. "No, it''s not just strength... Crazy. How can this be at such a young age....¡±


    I put my finger on my mouth and smiled. "Shh. Just like an animal, your senses are quite developed.¡±


    Gentameta knelt down and held out both palms facing upwards. "I¡­ have lost. I won''t even think about running away. Spare me."


    I licked my lower lip as Gentamet surrendered. "How boring."

 CH 285.

    I unlocked the wooden bars which imprisoned Gentamet and said, "Come out."


    Gentamet looked at me with frightened eyes. "If, if I come out of here, aren¡¯t you going to kill me?"


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. So just come on out.¡± Was my threat excessive? I just allowed him to realize the gap between us because I didn''t have time, but he¡¯s overreacting.


    Gentamet seemed nervous, and his movements were stiff. The guards and prisoners nearby looked at Gentamet as if they did not understand why he was moving so slow.


    Gentamet and I were about to leave the tent when a tied-up prisoner bumped into the wooden bars, drawing my attention. ¡°Heuheuk, please give me my antler back.¡±


    ¡°Antler?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but become flustered as a prisoner suddenly asked me to give back his antler when I¡¯d never met until today.


    Gentamet looked at the prisoner leaning on the bars with sympathetic eyes and said, ¡°A warrior of the White Antler Tribe.¡±


    ¡°White antler? Oh, that deer.¡± I didn''t recognize him because the Hunter transformation was undone, but it seems like this was the deer who charged me with a bunch of people and had his antler cut off.


    "Heuk! Please return my antler.¡±


    Gentamet looked at the sobbing deer with pity and spoke to me cautiously. "Um, if you''re not going to use that antler, why not give it back? In the White Antler Tribe, antlers are said to be symbolic, as well as their pride as warriors...¡±


    I took the antlers out of my pocket space. "Hmm, it has mana contained in it, and it¡¯s a valuable material. You can''t reattach it even if I give it back anyway, right?¡±


    The imprisoned deer shook his head passionately. "No! I can reattach it!"


    You can stick it back on? Now that I think about it, how is this still a deer antler when the Hunter transformation has been undone? Suddenly, I started to become curious.


    "Really? It''s a waste, though. The antlers will regrow, either way, right?¡±


    This was worthy of research. If it goes well, I might be able to figure out the mechanism of the Hunter transformation. If it weren¡¯t for the war, I would have taken my time researching the Hunter Tribe.


    "Heuk, heuk! It¡¯ll take decades to grow back! Without my antlers, I cannot go back to my tribe. Please, have mercy!"


    In addition, antlers with this much mana were not common. It was likely that only the deer in Olympus Forest had antlers similar to this one.


    I grinned as I looked down at the begging prisoner. "Tribe, you say¡­ hu."


    At my smile, Yvain and Ovain covered their mouths and whispered,


    "Wow, he has such a bad personality, that Crow Prince."


    ¡°Yeah, that''s cruel of the Crow Prince."


    "I can hear everything. Why don''t you just say it out loud?¡±


    The twins laughed playfully.


    "Ayy, then it won¡¯t feel the same."


    "Talking behind someone¡¯s back has that unique feeling."


    I don''t know who the one with the bad personality is when they¡¯re openly talking behind their master¡¯s back.


    I sighed and looked down at the weeping prisoner. "Okay, I''ll give it back."


    "Re, Really?¡± The prisoner looked up at me with a joyful face.


    "Really. But what can you give me?¡±


    "What?"


    I drew closer to the blank-faced prisoner and whispered in his ear, "It¡¯ll cost something to get what you desire. I really want this antler."


    For some reason, I smiled at the prisoner as he shook with a frightened expression, and I continued, "Wouldn''t I be happy to return your antler if you gave me something that would sate my greed?¡±


    The prisoner swallowed dryly and asked carefully, "What, what do I have to do?"


    I smiled and flicked my finger, releasing the prisoner''s restraints. "Well¡­ besides that, Antler, what''s your name? I can¡¯t keep calling you Antler.¡±


    The suddenly freed prisoner said his name with a puzzled face. "I am called Perfilio Violet di Trahamolia."


    It''s long! It''s unnecessarily lengthy; even royalty wouldn¡¯t have that name. Why is it so long?


    "All right, Antler. You come along as well,¡± I said.


    Antler was confused and tried to introduce himself again. "No, my name isn''t Antler, it''s Per-¡±


    "I know, Antler." I shook the antler while cutting off his introduction and inquired, ¡°You don''t want it back?¡±


    ¡°My name is Antler.¡±


    Good. It seems that Antler has realized his situation and accepted it.


    "As expected, he''s evil.¡±


    "No morals."


    The twins murmured loud enough for me to hear again.


    I hit the twins on the back of their heads with the antler and left the prisoner tent.


    "Ouch! You''re so mean, hitting a lovely subordinate!¡±


    "Really! Are you worried that someone won¡¯t think you¡¯re a Crow if you aren¡¯t violent?!"


    Ignoring the complaining twins, I took the two Hunters to my private barracks. When we arrived at the private barracks, I immediately handed over a bunch of paper and a pen to the two Hunters. I instructed, "Write down everything you know: the primary formations of the main force, the commander¡¯s name, their personality, the most commonly used tactics, the structure and force of Shellen Fortress, and the amount and level of the available mercenaries."


    At my request, the two Hunters swallowed dryly and looked down heavily at the bunch of paper. I pulled out a sofa from my pocket space, sat comfortably, and alerted them. "Oh, I''m warning you now. You''re banned from talking to each other from this point on. If you break this rule, I''ll impose a penalty.¡±


    This was a natural measure since the two of them might work together to write down lies. At my warning, the two Hunters sweated and glanced at each other before looking back at the papers. What I was doing now was telling them to betray their allies, so I could understand why it wasn¡¯t easy to write.


    I magically made a blind between the two so that they couldn''t see each other and asked, "Why aren''t you moving your pens? Is there an issue selling out your own tribe? If so, then you don''t have to write about the Hunter Tribe."


    The Hunter Tribe was a significant part of the enemy''s strength. It was a considerable concession to tell these two that they didn¡¯t have to write about them. The two Hunters¡¯ complexions noticeably improved.


    "Honestly, you didn''t want to fight the empire either, right?¡±


    The Hunter Tribe were simply allied with our foes and were not considered an enemy of the empire. It was different for each tribe, but most of them had a much more mild relationship with each other than the one between the Crow Tribe and the empire. In fact, to my knowledge, the reason why they were our enemies was that the Green Mane Tribe, the head of the Hunter Tribe, forced them.


    "Now, the pen should feel lighter, but since you aren¡¯t moving it yet, do I need to force you? All right, since we don''t have time, it''s not that bad of an idea to force you."


    I spewed martial aura and clamped down on the two Hunters. "First, let''s start talking about the support of the Magic Kingdom and the Trade Union."


    I let out martial aura and, at times, killing intent to forcefully make them confess. When the pens stopped moving, I talked about the time when their tribesmen were taken prisoner, mixing conciliations and intimidations appropriately.


    I checked the statements around the time that I assumed they had no other information. "Hmm, I see."


    According to the statements, the support of the Trade Union and the Magic Kingdom was greater than expected. It seems they didn¡¯t declare war against the empire for no reason.


    "Well done. Yvain, take these two to an empty tent and give them a proper meal." It would be annoying if they admonished me for giving them superior meals in the prisoner of war tent.


    "Okay, I can just kill them if they try to escape, right?¡± Yvain purposely put pressure on the two Hunters with brutal words and martial aura.


    ¡°Um, my antler...¡±


    When Antler trailed off, I smiled and cut off a small portion at the end of the antlers and threw the rest at him.


    "Why did you cut the antler...¡±


    "I told you, I''m going to research it. There needs to be a sample. A little bit should be fine, right?" After being forced to accept this, Antler transformed and placed the antler on the cut-off spot and attached it with mana.


    "Oh, can you show me one more time?" I asked.


    Antler freaked out and quickly undid his transformation. Then, the antlers also disappeared.


    "Tch, that''s too bad. Well, this is a gift for writing the statements." I magically overlaid an illusion that made it look like they had a bunch of injuries.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Won¡¯t it be suspicious if you just went back unharmed? Don''t tell me you want to be glared at by the other prisoners.¡±


    They may not be masochists, but they¡¯ve got a weird fetish. When I looked at them as if they were perverts, the two shook their heads and fiercely denied it.


    "It''s a misunderstanding!"


    "Never!"


    I grinned at the two¡¯s denials. "I''ll give you an exceptionally small meal at dinner, so eat well now."


    If I gave them a meager dinner, the others would think that they remained loyal. And instead, if they had not responded obediently, I would have treated them magnanimously.


    Shortly after Yvain took the prisoners away, Ovain selected two enemy generals and brought them to me.


    "Hello, everyone," I said.


    The enemy generals looked like they had chewed on a bug. Whether their dinner would be plentiful or poor all depended on how many details they gave me. Unfortunately, since I decided to believe in cowardice and being cheap, I didn¡¯t plan on being kind in consideration of their circumstances.


    * * *


    "All troops! March!"


    At each army commander¡¯s cry, the imperial army began to move forward vigorously. It would take about two days to get to Shellen Fortress if there were no interruptions along the way.


    "By the way, where did you learn to interrogate people? This information is very detailed. From what I heard, you even tortured them.


    The chief of staff looked at the statements written by the prisoners and admired them.


    "Ayy, what torture? I didn''t do anything so annoying or barbaric."


    I really didn¡¯t touch the prisoners. I just gave anyone who was uncooperative some luxurious treatment that matched their spirits. There was no need to stop them when they said they¡¯d give me what I wanted to know.


    "Haha, is that so? Well, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re telling me, then I¡¯m sure it¡¯s true. By the way, do we only have three days at most to attack the fortress?"


    The prisoners¡¯ interrogations yesterday told us that the enemies were located about nine days away, as we expected. Assuming that we and the enemy''s main force were moving at similar speeds, the time we had to attack the Shellen Fortress was limited to three days at most.


    "Yes, if you can¡¯t take it within that time, we will have to retreat."


    If we failed to take the fortress within three days, we would have to retreat to the mountainous region, as first proposed by the chief of staff. Once there, we would need to conduct guerilla warfare against the enemy¡¯s main force.


    "Are you confident this time as well?" asked the chief of staff.


    I shrugged. "I¡¯m not sure. There''s a rumor in the information that said they might utilize the Mercenary King, which bothers me."


    According to intel from the Big Mama Information Agency, the military achievements of the ahjussi named Mercenary King were no joke. At his level, he was capable of being scouted as a general, but I didn¡¯t know why he was a mercenary. Now that I had to save as much mana as possible in preparation for the great madosa, this would be a great challenge.


    The chief of staff examined the statements. ¡°Most assuredly, if it¡¯s the Mercenary King, he could be a substantial stumbling block. But even if he accepts the request and heads to Shellen Fortress, there wouldn''t be enough time to figure out the chain of command, so it shouldn¡¯t be too significant of an issue, right?¡±


    "I¡¯m not sure if it will turn out that way.¡±


    It¡¯d be nice if this were just unnecessary worrying.

 CH 286.

    It wasn''t that difficult for Malecia to take command of the fort and move the soldiers. He was treated as a lowly mercenary by royalty and nobles, but there were many people in the army who owed him their lives.


    "How is it? Will you be able to stall the imperial army until Teacher-nim comes?" Beta asked.


    Malecia smirked as he looked inside the fortress. "Honestly, it¡¯s a 50 percent chance."


    Beta did not hide his surprise. "The odds are that high even though you¡¯re dealing with someone who''s supposed to be a great madosa?"


    "That calculation is actually the probability of our opponent coming at us full force."


    "What do you mean?" Beta tilted his head, not understanding Malecia.


    "It''s just as I said. If the opponent comes at us with his entire might, we won¡¯t be able to stop him. If he doesn¡¯t go all out, we¡¯ll be able to stop him,¡± Malecia replied.


    Beta laughed playfully. "Ah! So the odds are fifty-fifty. Aren''t you pretty confident? I mean, you¡¯re saying that if the great madosa doesn¡¯t move, then you¡¯ll 100 percent be able to stop them.¡±


    When Malecia heard that, he smiled bitterly. "No, I''m not that arrogant. I don''t think there''s more than a 20 percent chance of him using his full power."


    This implied that within the remaining 80 percent, there was a 30 percent chance of defeat.


    "Doesn''t that mean that if we purely defend in the siege, we have at least a 60 percent chance of stopping them? That''s a good chance!" Beta said hopefully.


    Malecia shook his head. "No, war is a series of battles. Winning one battle doesn''t mean winning the war."


    Beta grew silent again, and he said, "That means we have to repeatedly fight battles with a 37.5 percent chance of defeat."


    "Yeah, we¡¯ll have to persistently continue battling with a 3 out of 8 chance of losing until our main force gets here."


    At Malecia''s confirmation, Beta sighed. The number of troops stationed in the fortress was significantly smaller than the enemy''s vanguard. Of course, that was not a decisive disadvantage that would ensure a loss in a siege defense.


    "And I¡¯m sure our chances of losing will increase if we have to keep fighting without rest."


    However, even if they were in the advantageous position of defending in the siege, it was not without drawbacks. The disadvantage during a siege defense was that the enemy determined when they would fight. In short, if the imperial army used their numerical advantage to attack in three shifts, the kingdom¡¯s army, which had relatively few numbers, would have to fight day and night without rest.


    "It¡¯ll be a miserable period."


    At Malecia''s words, Beta smiled bitterly. "We¡¯ll die of exhaustion. Wouldn''t it be better for us if the enemy¡¯s great madosa just fought us at full power?"


    Malecia nodded in agreement. "If the great madosa comes out with all their might, no matter our resourcefulness or whatever, the only answer is to run away. I¡¯m not crazy enough to think I can beat a natural disaster."


    "Hahaha, I agree with that," said Beta.


    Malecia grinned and continued to analyze and reinforce the fortress.


    * * *


    The march to Shellen Fortress was easy. Normally, we would have to go through the occupied territories and disband its defending forces to protect our rear, but we simply moved on. Despite this, we were never attacked. The chief of staff laughed bitterly at the reality of not being attacked. "As I expected, the empire and this place are just like each other.¡±


    This was a place that didn¡¯t have an open railroad like the empire. In other words, a large portion of the vanguard who attacked the empire was made up of troops from the frontline territories. Most nobles would only have a minimal amount of troops to defend their territories, as many had died or were captured in Dresden. Under such circumstances, it was natural for the lords to stay still. After all, if they attacked us recklessly and lost, their territories could be destroyed.


    "Well, inhabited areas are all like that."


    If they attack us, our advance will be delayed, and as a result, we will lose time to attack the fortress. That would be the worst situation for us, but to the enemy, it was the best way to reverse their unfavorable situation. Nevertheless, the fact that no attack was made meant that their land and property were more precious to the lords than the safety of their nation.


    "Foolish. If they''re smart, they should realize that they can only survive by at least pretending to attack with their lives on the line,¡± scoffed the chief of staff.


    I shrugged. "People typically can''t help but be nearsighted in times of crisis."


    The lords here wouldn¡¯t survive whether the empire won or lost the war. If the empire wins, it will demand war money and territorial concessions, while the kingdom would pass this burden on to the frontline territories. This is because if the kingdom lost the war, it was caused by the frontline nobles¡¯ inaction in preventing the empire¡¯s advance.


    On the other hand, if they were victorious, it was clear that the kingdom would state a similar reason and exclude the frontline territories from any conferment of honors. There was even a chance that they might try to seize the nobles¡¯ money and territory.


    "Tsk tsk, all you have to do is pretend. Then you could turn the crisis into an opportunity.¡±


    If they bought time by just pretending to attack, the first possibility could be avoided. It was a great opportunity to find a foothold and advance into the central political arena. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t realize that opportunity lies on the other side of disaster.


    "If they were able to think like that, they most likely would¡¯ve already received a better territory or been the center of politics. In that case, they would not have been lords of territory on the border."


    The chief of staff nodded at my words, convinced. "Hmm, is that right?"


    For your information, when those at the borders were called great lords and knights for being watchmen of the border, it was mostly fiction.  Even if there was such a title, it was nothing more than a conciliatory title for the central political community to take advantage of. Still, I''m glad there''s no idiot who ¡®actually¡¯ decided to attack us, enchanted by such a title.


    "By the way, what kind of tactics are you going to use initially when targeting Shellen Fortress? Our staff members have come up with many pretty good ideas," said the chief of staff.


    The other staff members also looked towards me and the chief of staff, carefully paying attention. Before the war began, everyone seemed unhappy with me taking command, but after experiencing the Battle of Dresden, that atmosphere disappeared neatly.


    "Well, we should use a basic strategy and go with Vice Chief of Staff Major General Warble''s three-shifts tactics.¡±


    Wobble clenched his fist at my words. "All right! Everyone hand it over."


    When Warble reached out his hand, everyone took money out of their wallets. It seems that they made a bet on whose tactics would be used first. At that time, the staff manager raised his hand and shouted. "I have an objection! Major General Warble¡¯s strategy is a ''basic method!¡¯ But isn¡¯t it the first time we are using it?"


    When the staff manager stated this opinion, everyone put the money back into their wallet. As the money disappeared before his eyes, the vice chief of staff shouted urgently, "No! What do you mean basic?! It has to be ingrained from beginning to end to be called basic! So, even if my tactics are being called a basic tactic, this would be the first time they¡¯re used!"


    "That''s not true. The purpose of the three-shifts tactic is to let our troops rest without giving the enemy a break. As such, shouldn''t we look to the first objective of having our troops recover as the basis for our tactics?"


    According to the chief of staff¡¯s belief, if it turns out to be true and I use another tactic after the battle begins, the initiator of that tactic would win. The vice chief of staff, however, refused to accept the staff manager''s disagreement and countered. "That''s sophistry. The three-shifts tactic starts when the entire army is divided into three divisions!"


    "If it''s in three shifts, we can attack using each army without a need to separate into three groups. There''s no need to change it when it¡¯s already divided, so Major General¡¯s starting point is ambiguous.


    "You want to fight, Brigadier General?¡±


    "Of course not. I am just pointing out the inconsistency in Major General¡¯s logic."


    The vice chief and manager continued arguing with each other. I intervened in the debate between the two and turned it into a discussion on how the enemy would react.


    "You''re very proficient in turning useless discussions into productive ones,¡± the chief of staff admired.


    I smiled playfully and took out some jerky from my pocket space, and chewed it. "It''s nothing. Lieutenant General Isaac, would you like some?"


    "Thanks."


    The chief of staff and I watched the two discussing and hinted at topics from time to time as if adding firewood. As expected, watching a fight is the most entertaining thing about it, even if it''s a verbal fight.


    * * *


    After Malecia was forcefully sent to Shellen Fortress, he reorganized its military structure for three days and strengthened the fortress¡¯s security. In addition, he absorbed a part of the defeated vanguard that retreated from Dresden, improving the fortress¡¯s strength.


    "Thanks for your hard work."


    At Beta''s thanks, Malecia smiled and climbed up the fortress walls, playfully saying. "It''s too early to hear thanks. Don''t you mean that I need to start working hard from now on?¡±


    Beta nodded as he climbed up the wall alongside Malecia. "That''s true, as well. Teacher-nim does sometimes work people hard.¡±


    "It''s sad that I can''t deny it even if I want to."


    Malecia sighed sincerely. At this, Beta smiled lightly and asked, "By the way, is there anything you want to do after this war?¡±


    "What I want to do?¡± Being asked a question he had never thought about, Malecia stared at Beta.


    "You know, like going on a trip to the South and relaxing while drinking coconut juice?¡±


    "Are you talking about a vacation?"


    When Malecia grinned, Beta nodded. "Rest is the driving force behind work."


    "I¡¯m not sure; I don''t think too much about other things when I''m working. It''s not too late to make a vacation plan after the war." Having climbed to the top of the fortress walls, Malecia headed for one of the towers.


    Beta shrugged as he followed Malecia. "Well, that''s true too. Wow, a lot of people are here. I guess it''s true that, at the Dresden front, the empire received very little casualties."


    Beta was astonished by the tens of thousands of troops seen outside the fortress.


    "The bad news always turns out to be true.¡± Malecia sighed, pulled out his sword, and shouted, "No one should think about rest! Either you die and rest, or our allies arrive and you rest! It''s only one of those two options! It''s a hell of a day!"


    Everyone swallowed dryly at Malecia¡¯s cry, and he continued, "But don''t worry! Three days! We just need to endure three days! If we last three days, it¡¯ll be our victory!¡±


    At Malecia¡¯s declaration, the tension turned into a roar that shook the fortress. A trumpet sounded to signal the beginning of the battle.

 CH 287.

    Shellen Fortress was built with a highly durable structure, as it was located on the neck of the road to the kingdom. Surrounded by a total of three layers of walls, the fortification also had a moat around it so that one could recklessly climb up with a ladder. In addition, the outermost walls utilized the surrounding cliffs, narrowing the area available for assaulting the fort.


    "Let''s see¡­ We just need to cross one wall each day."


    When I put it simply, the chief of staff laughed as if the idea was absurd. "That¡¯s easier said than done. I didn''t know when I looked at the map, but it''s truly impressive seeing it in person."


    "Even if it doesn''t work out, we have to make it work. After all, if the soldiers want to endure the great madosa¡¯s magic, they will need the walls."


    The chief of staff nodded somberly. "Then, I''ll go to my position. I wish you all the luck."


    "I wish you all the best as well, Chief of Staff." I smiled and answered while withdrawing Horus''s eye and some mana stones from my pocket space. After that, I immediately examined the surroundings using clairvoyance magic.


    "Command headquarters speaking to the 302nd and 811th divisions. Each division is to make a detour from side to side as previously discussed."


    After giving instructions through the wireless communication device, an answer was soon heard.


    - This is 302nd Division; we will go right.


    - This is 811th Division; we will take the left.


    The 14th Army was the center of the frontal attack, so the divisions from both the 3rd Army and 8th Army were removed and ordered to take a detour to the cliff. Although it would not be easy due to the steep cliffs, narrow paths, and the enemy''s well-protected defenses, it was worth a try.


    In the distance, I saw a one-eyed man on the fortress lookout tower. The face I saw definitely belonged to the troublesome Mercenary King from about two years ago who asked to be called ¡®Black Knight.¡¯


    "If we last three days, it¡¯ll be our victory!" The Mercenary King roared, pulling out a sword while the enemy forces cheered.


    I also opened every channel on the wireless communication devices and shouted, "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army! Attack!"


    At my cry, the trumpets¡¯ fanfare rang out from all sides, signaling the beginning of the battle while rocks were sent flying from catapults toward the fortress.


    "Youngest Master, you''re not going out?¡±


    Mac hyung asked, sitting comfortably next to me and looking at the wall. I shrugged. "I am going to head out. It¡¯ll be sometime on the third day."


    At first, I had considered only dealing with the Curse Specialist, but after seeing the prisoners'' statements, I couldn¡¯t ignore the Space Specialist. Therefore, I was extremely reluctant to use mana. This is because if the fortress turned out to be too resilient and something went wrong, I could end up straining my mana circuit.


    So, when the enemy''s body and spirit are exhausted, and they reach their limits, I¡¯ll safely do something interesting. Something very interesting.


    "Wow, what kind of evil thoughts are in your head for you to smile like that?¡±


    Lancelot countered Mac hyung''s comment. "Den is not a bad person! He¡¯s just wise!"


    Leisha noona sighed as she came toward us from the medical team. "Don''t you think you need to see reality a little? The Youngest is evil enough to be comparable to the devil."


    "Isn''t that evaluation too harsh, Fourth Sister?"


    Fourth Sister snorted at my complaint, "Hmph, how about you remember your actions and say that while putting your hand on your chest?"


    I put my hand on my chest and said, "There are few people as good as me. Right, Lan?"


    Lancelot nodded energetically. "Right!"


    When I looked at her like, ¡®I told you so,¡¯ Leisha noona frowned as if she had a headache. "Over my dead body."


    "But what brings you here? Don¡¯t you have to take care of the patients at the medical corps?"


    Fourth Sister shrugged at my words. "There need to be patients for us to take care of them. Besides, since you said you''re going to alternate the troops in waves, the medical unit is also splitting up its members to go on rotation.


    "Really? That''s good. I think there are about four or five madosas in the enemy camp. When they¡¯re fighting with their lives on the line, won''t a couple of them cross the wall of the Magic Way?¡±


    Leisha noona looked at me with an ill and tired face. "You want me to deal with all those madosas? You plan on killing me!"


    "Ayy, why would I push you to death? Of course, I¡¯ll send people with you- Yvain, Ovain."


    At my call, the twins appeared from my pocket space.


    "Did you call us, Crow Prince?"


    "How many madosas did you say you killed in the old days?" I asked.


    The twins folded their fingers and counted.


    "Was it 23 madosas?"


    "No, there were 55 of them if we count the number we killed as a group."


    "When we faced all the witches together, there were moments when six madosas attacked us at the same time."


    "Right, it was tough back then. We were only able to kill two of them, but we were so tired that we had to flee.¡±


    The twins weren¡¯t called Witch Hunters for no reason, considering they killed 23 madosas with their strength alone.


    "I''ll send these two with you. Go play."


    "Oh, then should I come too?" Mac hyung was relaxing calmly when he also stood up and grabbed his bow.


    "Oh, Hyung, if you''re going as well, you should go and destroy every siege defense weapon you see."


    "Yep, all right.¡±


    "However, you surely know what your top priority is, right?¡±


    Their first priority was the protection of Fourth Sister. For someone from our hometown, Leisha noona had little experience in fighting, but if the three of them went with her, she should be able to come back without getting hurt.


    "Of course. Come on, let''s go, Miss."


    With her safety guaranteed to a certain extent, Fourth Sister seemed to be convinced.


    Looking at the back of the four people heading to the battlefield, I shouted into the radio, "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army! Confirmation that the enemy is preparing for great magic on the left! 14th Army, withdraw from the left side. Catapult troops focus on the left and concentrate on besieging those walls!"


    As soon as my instructions sounded, our catapults began to turn in unison.


    - This is the 14th Army; can you tell us the location of the great magic and the area affected?


    "The target location is estimated to be 200 meters to the right of the 1499th Regiment, and the area is approximately 500 meters in diameter. Magic completion time is approximately three minutes!"


    There were as many as 80 magicians casting this magic together. Its power was expected to completely turn the 500-meter area into a pile of ashes.


    - Understood! Commander of the 14th Army speaking! The entire 1409th Division on the left side, move back quickly!


    The commander of the 14th Army pulled back the entire 1409th Division, which included the 1499th Regiment.


    As the boulders from the catapults flew intensely toward the magicians, the enemy magicians¡¯ casting slowed down as they blocked the projectiles. Soon after, the great magic was completed, and a huge fire rain came down, but the targeted area had already been vacated.


    "Command headquarters speaking. Magic Division, put out the residual fire as soon as the great magic ends."


    - This is the Magic Division. We will follow the command of the headquarters.


    If the fire was extinguished by magic, the temperature would fall far enough for the soldiers to walk on it again. Upon hearing my instructions, the 14th Army commander understood my intentions and immediately gave the orders.


    - The commander of the 14th Army speaking to the 1409th Division. Attack the left side as soon as the fire is under control.


    In various ways, the troops moved busily and steadily attacked Shellen Fortress.


    * * *


    Putting mana into his voice, Malecia bellowed loud enough to burst his throat. "Make the protection of magicians a priority! To the right, keep firing arrows so that the men who withdrew can¡¯t come back!"


    Delta encouraged the magicians as she magically intercepted the flying rocks. "Focus! If the mana gets messed up, we¡¯ll have to start all over again! Trust your fellow magicians! They can block it!"


    The magic was completed with Delta''s encouragement, but the empire¡¯s forces had already evacuated from the scope of the attack.


    "Darn it! Ridiculous! How did they know where it was going to fall!?" Delta cried out in frustration and commanded the magicians, "Prepare for the next great magic! Mu! You help, too!¡±


    At Delta¡¯s call, the muscular man with a snake tattoo hollered while gathering mana into his magic wand. "I''m busy, too! Ask Lambda!"


    When Mu turned it over to Lambda, a middle-aged man with half-white hair grew annoyed as he retreated and yelled, "Are you kidding?! Who do you think is putting mana into the walls¡¯ defense magic circle?"


    "Then Iota! Where''s Iota?!"


    Delta looked for Iota, and Beta in the castle tower answered, "Senior Iota is resting after casting a wide-area debuffing curse on the enemy¡¯s right side!"


    Unless there were ultra-rare supplies such as mana recovery potions, to use large-scale magic, mana stones had to be consumed. However, the number of mana stones in Shellen Fortress was vastly depleted from their stores being commandeered by the vanguard troops bound for Dresden. In addition, for some reason, only a few magic resources were brought back from Dresden by the retreating troops. Because of that, mana stones had become an extraordinarily scarce strategic resource.


    "Then, you come at least!"


    "What? But I''m busy dealing with the imperial army¡¯s magic soldiers!"


    "Lambda''s putting mana into the walls¡¯ defense magic circle! A little bit is fine!"


    At Delta''s words, Lambda freaked out. "Hey! Are you telling me to block all those enemy magicians¡¯ magic by myself?!¡±


    "There''s nothing we can do about it. Senior Lambda, I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    When Beta stopped keeping the imperial magic division in check, magic hit the walls one after another. As a result, Lambda''s mana was drained without restraint.


    "Hey! How can you actually leave your position!" Lambda shouted urgently, but Beta had no choice.


    In the meantime, Mu performed a large-scale magic single-handedly, but the imperial army quickly avoided it. When he saw this, Malecia yelled, "Large-scale magic is a waste! Use magic that can be sprayed in large quantities and that¡¯s low in mana consumption, like magic bullets!"


    Mu protested, "The basics of siege and siege defense is great magic! I''m sure you know that such small magic can only be used to keep them in check!"


    "Then don''t reveal where you''re going to cast your magic!" Malecia roared as he ran to the right and gave commands.


    Delta and Mu clenched their fists as if their pride was hurt. Beta looked at them and spoke seriously, "I think the Mercenary King is right this time. At this rate, we have no choice but to acknowledge the skills of the alleged great madosa in the imperial army."


    It was difficult to analyze where the target was in a short period of time after spotting the large-scale magic formula, but it was not impossible for a madosa. Yet, the opponent knew the magic that was hidden by the wall. This was no different from saying that by analyzing the flow of mana during the magic¡¯s preparation, the opponent was capable of accurately identifying the magic.


    "All right, we¡¯ll give up on great magic! Everyone, get in groups of five!" The magicians formed a group with people close by at Delta''s cry.


    "It''s less efficient than using great magic, but from now on, we''ll cast single magic in groups of five to increase power!"


    Compared to great magic, which attacks hundreds and thousands of troops at a time, they chose to use magic that had a limit of attacking only dozens of people. It would be possible for enemy magicians to block the attacks, but at least they couldn¡¯t move en masse and avoid every possible injury.


    Delta was trying to reorganize the magicians and launch an attack when she was interrupted. Flying past her, a dagger landed between the eyebrows of the magician standing beside her.


    "Peek-a-boo! Here comes the Witch Hunter who makes crying children stop wailing!"


    "Or otherwise called, the Giant Curse Magician Hunter!"


    On the wall, the brothers Yvain and Ovain had daggers in between each of their fingers and were smiling mischievously.


    "Enemy! Intercept them!" yelled Delta.


    The magicians fired magic bullets at the twins in unison, but the magicians'' numerous attacks were blocked by three layers of barriers.


    ¡°Wow, Crow Princess, you''re pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Very good, Crow Princess.¡±


    To the twins'' compliments, Leisha replied with a pale complexion, frightened by the great height of the fortress wall, "Don''t call me Crow Princess!"


    The twins took Leisha¡¯s cry flippantly, and sword aura shrouded the daggers that were sent after the magicians.


    "Ahhahaha! Okay! Crow Princess!"


    "Ahahaha! Cheer up! Crow Princess!"


    Leisha grasped her magic wand tightly and prepared to cast magic.

 CH 288.

    Yvain and Ovain looked around in a relaxed manner despite the enemy¡¯s gazes focused on them.


    "As Crow Prince said, there are five madosas."


    "Yvain and I will cover two madosas and magicians each."


    "Crow Princess, please deal with one madosa."


    Saying so, the twins rushed in at the same time. Yvain threw a dagger at Delta and Lambda each in provocation, and Ovain attacked Mu and Iota on the wall. Naturally, Leisha confronted Beta.


    "Jeez, I don''t want to fight women and children,¡± Beta said but still infused mana into his magic wand. He continued, "Yet, war is violence that doesn''t take age and gender into account, so I can''t help it."


    Leisha was nervous about the madosa''s vast and deadly mana. The opponent was stronger than herself. As soon as she could sense this fact through her skin, she could feel her blood boiling.


    "How funny, but it won''t be one-sided violence!" Explosive martial aura and mana erupted from Leisha''s entire body.


    Beta¡¯s eyes opened wide when he saw this. "Outstanding mana at an early age, at least at the level of being a great magician. A so-called genius. All right!"


    Beta and Leisha began a battle of control for the area, painting their surroundings with their mana. It was no exaggeration to say that a fight between magicians was a battle dictated by the amount of control they could each wield over the surrounding mana. The invisible fighting of their auras remained precarious despite the overwhelming difference in level.


    "Dube! Merik! Phecda! Megrez! Tie four stars together and become a monster! Come on out, beast of seven stars!"


    The tense battle collapsed with Leisha''s advance. A translucent right hand dressed in adamantium armor punched Beta from a magic circle, which was created in the air with Leisha¡¯s incantation.


    Beta flew up quickly to avoid the punch and was astonished. "What! That¡¯s not a monster that can be handled at the level of a great magician!"


    Even though the monster had only revealed a part of its body, Beta trembled from the power that he could feel from it. Beta''s judgment was accurate. Leisha had only pulled out one arm and attacked, but she was overwhelmed from just controlling the monster.


    "It¡¯s no problem!" Leisha bluffed, waving her magic wand and shooting out flames.


    The arm that Leisha brought out was an alchemic life form created by her teacher, Mirpa. Its power was similar to a disaster-class spirit that Mirpa had given Leisha to use after crossing the wall of the Magic Way. Leisha failed to cross the wall of the Magic Way, but she had to bring out such a monster to narrow the gap against a madosa.


    Beta waved his magic wand in the sky. "Rain falling in the darkness sneaks up and whispers!"


    Getting goosebumps from Beta''s magic, Leisha covered herself with her summoned right arm. Immediately after blocking with the right arm, Beta unleashed countless black raindrops, which started to collide with the adamantium armor.


    "Ugh!" Leisha clenched her teeth under the pressure of the forceful pouring black rain.


    "The breath of life is benevolent, eat! Grow!" When Leisha scattered a handful of seeds and magic reagents from her pocket space around the whole area, trees began to grow rapidly everywhere. Beta magically cut down the trees by making wind blades, but the tree with the magic reagent grew so fast that it had already covered part of the wall.


    "Move! Attack my enemy!"


    At Leisha''s command, a small forest stretched out a thick branch and attacked Beta. Beta wielded his magic wand, infusing magic power. "Hellfire from hell falls down!"


    From Beta''s magic wand, an extremely hot hellfire began to burn the trees. The flaming branches stretched toward Beta but soon became ash and withered away. Yet, Leisha''s purpose was not to attack using the branches. While Beta¡¯s gaze was distracted by the tree, Leisha pulled out a giant left arm behind Beta and stretched it towards him.


    "Ugh!" Leisha was sweating like a waterfall from controlling both arms.


    Beta instantly created a barrier and prevented his body from being directly grabbed. "Whew, that could have been dangerous."


    When the hand initially wrapped around him, he panicked, but as time passed, the force that the large left hand pressed against the barrier became weaker. This was proof that Leisha was having trouble controlling it.


    Beta released mana and created a gap in the grasping hand, and escaped. Then, he began drawing a summoning magic circle in the air. "Summon! Watchdog of Hell!"


    In an instant, the space within the completed summoning magic circle was distorted, and a giant cerberus with three heads stuck its heads out. Beta looked at the cerberus with sad eyes. "Go, Zeta! No, cerberus of Senior Smith!"


    "Kuaaaaaa!" The air trembled as the three dog heads howled.


    Cerberus completely emerged from the summoning magic circle, and it rushed toward Leisha as soon as it landed. Leisha returned the summoned alchemic lifeform¡¯s left arm and blocked Cerberus with the right arm.


    "Keuk!"


    A single head of the Hell''s Watchdog was twice the size of the cerberus that they raised back in her hometown, and its power was unparalleled.


    "The breath of darkness is benevolent! Mercy of death to the enemy!" Black fog gushed out of Beta''s magic circle and poured down quickly.


    Feeling a creepy aura from the fog, Leisha infused mana into her wand with all her strength and recited an incantation in response. "Dragon howling at dawn! Knight! Where did the morning sun go? Ah! A dragon has eaten the morning sun!"


    But before the incantation was finished, the black fog quickly reached Leisha.


    Dangerous! As her survival instinct rang loudly, Leisha circulated her mana circuit to the limit and took the risk of attempting a double incantation.


    "And so, the dragon''s breath must burn like the morning sun! Dragon Breath!¡±


    "Alioth! Mizar! Alkaid, three stars come together to form the handle of the dipper! So combine seven stars together to form the dipper! Show yourself to the fullest! Beast of seven stars!"


    The dragon breath was sped up in its completion and darted toward Beta. At the same time, the summoned giant translucent knight surrounded Leisha¡¯s body and defended her from the black fog. Leisha, simultaneously performing two magics that were challenging for even a madosa, vomited blood as her mana flowed backward.


    As Leisha fell, Mac caught her. "Jeez, don''t push yourself too hard.¡±


    Leisha didn¡¯t even recognize Mac, and she checked Beta with blurry vision before she fainted. Beta had blocked her magic, but a huge arrow was stuck in his shoulder. It wasn¡¯t until Leisha saw the arrow that she noticed Mac''s presence, but she soon fainted.


    "I was having fun with the Mercenary King hyung, but I can''t help it. Let''s pull out!"


    At Mac''s cry, the Yvain and Ovain brothers who were dealing with the madosas and the magicians began to make a retreat. Carrying Leisha like luggage, Mac jumped off the wall, smacking his lips with regret.


    * * *


    After seeing the situation on the walls with clairvoyance magic, I put my magic wand back into my pocket space. I was preparing for a long-range attack, but fortunately, I didn''t have to waste my mana. While I was focusing my attention on the walls, Caradoc magically mimicked my voice and worked hard on commanding through the radio.


    "Good work, Caradoc."


    I was looking at the situation from time to time, but it seemed like it would be better if Caradoc conducted the war than if I did. He wasn¡¯t called an unprecedented genius of tactics in history for no reason.


    "No, it was fun to be in command after a long time. But the other commander is amazing, too.¡±


    I had no choice but to nod at Caradoc¡¯s compliment. No matter how closely Mac hyung was watching Fourth Sister while destroying the siege defense weapons, the Mercenary King continued to command seamlessly while dealing with Mac hyung.


    "If that person is the commander, it¡¯ll be too risky to occupy the fort in three days."


    Gwalchavad and Tristan were astonished at Caradoc''s assessment.


    "For Ahjussi to say that... he¡¯s that skilled?¡±


    "That''s impressive, to even receive Sir Caradoc¡¯s recognition.¡±


    I pondered over Caradoc''s comments. Tristan asked in a calm voice, having noticed what I was thinking, "Should I assassinate him?"


    I shook my head. "No, let''s try to capture him alive if possible."


    According to my information, Malecia was a highly cherished subordinate of the Curse Specialist, Aries. His value as a hostage was considerable. Caradoc laughed helplessly at my judgment. "That won''t be easy. I realized from the way he commanded his soldiers that he is the type that¡¯s very difficult to assassinate or capture."


    I looked at Caradoc, and he nodded and continued to explain. "My guess is heavily based on my experience, but he is the type to put his safety first over winning or losing. If necessary, he will desert without hesitation."


    Tristan smiled bitterly as if remembering something from his previous life. "It''s definitely hard to assassinate that type of person. He''ll survive no matter how hard I drive him into a corner.¡±


    Caradoc looked interestedly at the fortress walls. "I think there''s something more to it than a difference in skills. It''s been a while since I''ve wanted to emerge victorious against someone. That¡¯s why it¡¯s also a shame. The battle would¡¯ve been fierce if we fought on equal terms."


    As of now, the empire had an overwhelming advantage, but time was not on our side. I opened the radio channel and gave instructions.


    "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army. The 14th Army will return to the rear and rest, and the 8th Army will attack the fort." Four people, including Fourth Sister, had just disturbed the forces on the wall, so there shouldn¡¯t be any threatening magic attacks even if the troops were replaced.


    At my command, the 14th Army quickly began to retreat, and the 8th Army filled the vacancy.


    Seeing this, I murmured, "Then shall we try to further exhaust him to capture him alive?¡±


    Seeing Mac hyung carrying Leisha noona over like luggage, I got ready to treat her.


    * * *


    Malecia comforted the soldiers on the wall and looked at the magicians. "Is Beta all right?"


    The other madosa were tired, but they weren¡¯t injured like Beta. Beta said, "Ahaha, I''m fine. I''m sorry. I let my guard down."


    "No. Rather, I''m sorry. I should have held down that sly Crow better.¡± Malecia sighed. That person was a powerful individual, one that Malecia himself wouldn¡¯t be able to compete against one-on-one. Nevertheless, he was able to deal with the Crow¡¯s many attacks. However, that was only because the person who introduced himself as Mac was unable to focus entirely on their fight.


    "What about the damage to the magicians?" Malecia asked.


    Delta sighed and reported, "52 dead, 30 seriously injured. All the rest have minor injuries."


    Malecia bit his lips lightly. "The magicians¡¯ power has been greatly reduced. I''m sorry, but can Iota and Mu lead the magicians and deal with the surprise attack that will come from the left and right cliffs?¡±


    At the instruction of Malecia, Iota and Mu looked at Malecia curiously. "Now? No, was it possible to make a detour before? It''s pretty rough."


    Malecia nodded. "I think the opponent is looking at the situation as if he were watching from above. If so, then he can guide the troops making the detour."


    "What? I''ve never heard that something like that was even possible?"


    Malecia sighed at Mu''s rebuttal. "If this weren¡¯t true, how would the opponent be able to pinpoint the location and scope of a great magic attack? The opponent is madosa level. If you act using common sense, you¡¯ll lose."


    Everyone shut their mouths at Malecia''s convincing remarks.


    "All right. Then, let''s go to the cliff." Iota sympathized with Mu''s words and led the magicians.


    Malecia looked at the far-off enemy command headquarters and thought. Just what kind of monster is over there?

 CH 289.

    It was slowly growing dark.


    A radio transmission arrived from the divisions that were sent to sneak attack the right flank while the battle was still ongoing.


    - 302nd Division notifying command headquarters. The flanking surprise attack failed.


    - 811th Division notifying command headquarters. Likewise, we have failed.


    As soon as I received the report, I checked the casualties first.


    - This is command headquarters; what is the damage to each division?


    - The 302nd Division has 49 deaths, 32 seriously injured, and a large number of minor injuries.


    - The 811th Division has 60 deaths, 23 seriously injured, and a large number of minor injuries.


    Nevertheless, considering the size of the divisions, the losses were not significant. Even so, I was forced to order a retreat. "Set up a position after retreating and rest until dawn. Commence the attack once again at 06:00 the next day."


    - Understood. We will retreat.


    On the side of the fortress walls where the fighting was occurring, the surroundings were lit up with torches. However, if it became too dark, the troops¡¯ movements would inevitably have to become passive for their safety. The Magic Division¡¯s mana was not infinite either, so there was a limit to using magic for illuminating the surroundings.


    I sighed as I finished the treatment of my unconscious sister, Leisha. "Well, that''s not bad."


    "What do you mean?¡± Uncle Bloody asked as he took off his helmet, having just failed to break through the wall at the front line.


    "Oh, it''s nothing, but I think Fourth Sister is halfway over the wall of the Magic Way."


    Although she did not completely overcome it, she would become a madosa within a couple of months if she fully repaired her mana circuit and contemplated. Despite having the ability to overcome the wall of the Magic Way, she was unable to. So, I sent her into battle to create an opportunity for her advancement.  But in the end, rather than finding the key, she broke the lock.


    "Oh! Isn''t that a good thing?"


    "It''s positive in the long run, but at the moment, she¡¯ll have to lie still for about 15 days.¡± If I were to use my Holy Tribe magic, I would be able to have her up and about tomorrow. Alas, since I had to save mana as much as I could, I gave her an elixir instead.


    "It¡¯d be nice if Hillis were here.¡±


    No matter how beneficial my treatments were, it didn''t come close to what the saintess, Hillis, could provide. I smacked my lips and asked my uncle, "What do you think? Do you think you can break through the gates?¡±


    Uncle Bloody shook his head. "No. They¡¯re all defending as if they know where we¡¯re going to attack. Well, I did expect that this wouldn''t be easy since the Mercenary King is guarding the fortress."


    "Uncle, have you ever had a match with the Mercenary King?"


    Uncle Bloody shrugged. "I''ve never clashed swords with him myself. But once upon a time, before Glont hyung retired, I did fight against a unit led by the Mercenary King."


    "Really? So did you win?¡±


    Uncle Bloody smiled ambiguously when I asked in anticipation. "Well, I lost."


    "You lost?"


    "The Black Water Buffalo knights, including me, were lured to a remote place, and our base camp was ambushed by a detached force. At that time, Glont hyung remained in the base camp and fought against the Mercenary King. He emerged as the winner, but we had already lost the battle."


    Now that I think about it, I believe I''ve seen information on that battle in the staff office data. The Black Water Buffalo knights¡¯ defeat left the overall situation at a disadvantage, but the Mercenary King was seriously injured in the battle, lost an eye, and fled the war. And soon after, I heard that the war ended with the empire coming out on top thanks to the disappearance of the prominent commander, Malecia.


    "If we can just smash the gates completely, we¡¯ll be able to charge in right now." Uncle Bloody disliked the rounds of small attacks and expressed his dissatisfaction by pouting his lips.


    "No, if we smash the gates, how are we going to deal with the main force when it hits us later? That¡¯ll be at least a few times the size of our vanguard."


    The entire fort was going to be used later, so we had to capture it as intact as possible. In addition, it would not be easy to smash the gates, as they were protected by all kinds of magic.


    "That''s true." My uncle nodded as if he couldn''t help it.


    That''s how the first day of the attack went.


    * * *


    It''s been a day since the imperial army attacked the fortress. The dawn sun rose, and the surroundings gradually began to brighten. The soldiers were limping around to stop the imperial army from attacking, even in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, no soldier had collapsed yet because Malecia divided the troops into four and allowed them to rest in turns.


    "The imperial army, which withdrew yesterday, has begun to raid the side of the cliff again!"


    At the urgent report, Malecia was unable to clean himself, and he wiped the sticky grease around his face. "For god''s sake, they really won¡¯t let us take a break!"


    When Malecia took his sword and got up from his seat, Iota forced him to sit down again and stopped him. "I''ll go. You get some rest. Didn''t you command without a wink of sleep? If you fall, there''s no one here that can command."


    Lambda agreed. "Sleep even if it''s just for an hour. When the sun rises completely, the offensive will get stronger again, so you can take command then."


    Malecia sighed tiredly at their dissuasion. "Yeah, I should take a rest, too. They will probably come looking for a breakthrough at the side."


    As Malecia spoke, Iota and Lambda nodded and listened. Malecia continued, "The right will probably come here or here, and the left here, here, or here. And be on guard against that archer who came up the wall yesterday; he may appear on either side."


    Iota and Lambda¡¯s faces crumpled.


    "Okay, I''ll be careful."


    They acquainted themselves with the spots on the map and moved quickly.


    "Beta, can you summon the cerberus that you summoned yesterday again?" Malecia asked.


    Beta was resting his back against the wall with his shoulders and arms set with splints, and he smiled. "It''s possible."


    "I''m sorry to ask someone who¡¯s wounded, but let it loose at the imperial army before the sun rises completely.¡±


    The defense was starting to hit its limit since Mac destroyed all the siege defense weapons in his sight yesterday. If they didn''t turn it around and take the offensive, the wall might be breached before the end of the day.


    "We¡¯re going to have to turn our defense into an offense somehow."


    Beta poured mana into her magic wand and drew a summoning magic circle in the air.


    "Kyaaaaaaaa!" Cerberus jumped out of the summoning magic circle, leaped off the wall, and rushed at the imperial army.


    "Delta and Mu, I¡¯ll leave the left and right troops to you two. There won¡¯t be any more attacks until cerberus is eliminated and the battle lines are straightened out again,¡± Malecia instructed.


    "Okay, get some rest."


    Malecia stood up and waved his hands without saying a word, heading to the barracks set up inside the fortress. After waking from the nap, he would have to fight fiercely again.


    * * *


    I was sleeping well, leaving the overnight command to Caradoc, when I suddenly felt a strong mana source inside the fortress walls and woke up. I left the barracks while wearing the overcoat from my uniform that was hanging by my bedside. I approached Caradoc and asked, "What''s going on?"


    "Enemy madosa summoned a cerberus."


    I clicked my tongue. "Tch, a cerberus while I was sleeping?¡±


    The size of the cerberus in the distance was much larger than the mutts we raised in my hometown. Its head alone was more than twice the size of our cerberus and several times the size overall if you compared their bodies.


    "The Black Water Buffalo knights rushed in and are blocking it, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be enough."


    "What? What about my uncle?"


    If my uncle were there, there was no way we would be struggling. Caradoc smiled bitterly at my question. "He¡¯s fast asleep now."


    Well, yesterday we fought all day and night without a break, so even my uncle would be tired. The Mercenary King probably knew when Uncle Bloody would take a rest and specifically chose to release that cerberus at this time.


    "What about Mac hyung?"


    "While you were sleeping, I sent him to reinforce the flanking ambushes."


    Did he also take into consideration Mac hyung¡¯s movements?


    "Good job. You should have sent Tristan to the other side." Tristan also had a style of combat specialized for mountainous terrain.


    Caradoc nodded and smiled as if he knew I¡¯d say that. "Yes, that''s why I already sent him. I also thought about waking General Bloody up, but what would you like to do?"


    I flicked my finger to summon a green deer and climbed up, answering, "No. Let him rest. I''ll go."


    He looked at me in surprise. "I didn''t expect you to come out until the end."


    "Ahh, that was my initial plan, but that cerberus smells of familiar mana. Besides, I should gradually check how tired our enemies are."


    Then, I rode the deer toward the cerberus.


    "Command headquarters speaking! Pull the battle lines back together and withdraw! The commanders of each unit, be ready to attack as soon as that cerberus is dealt with!"


    At my command, the commanders began to pull their troops back, fixing the crumbling battle lines. Going against the flow of retreating troops, I quickly ran towards the mutt.


    I lightly shot a magic bullet instead of a greeting and shouted, "I''ll deal with the cerberus! Black Water Buffalo knights, please be prepared for an enemy attack!"


    To be honest, they¡¯d get in the way if they were too close while I was dealing with the mutt.


    The Black Water Buffalo knights withdrew the chain that was wrapped around the cerberus¡¯s body and stepped back.


    "Krrrrrrrrrrr!"


    "Hi, mutt! We meet again."


    The dog shuddered at my greeting. As expected, it was the mutt that I was thinking of. I¡¯m certain that the beast¡¯s contractor was the skeleton that was the master of the Red Magic Tower, so why would it be here? There were many possibilities, but the most plausible was that the Red Magic Tower Master was a spy and the magician who summoned the mutt had the same background as the skeleton.


    "But didn''t I say that if you crawled out again, I''d put a tear gas grenade up your nose and blow it up?"


    I took out a tear gas grenade filled with CS particles from my pocket space. Seeing the familiar object, the mutt backed away from me and cried.


    "Kyaaaaaa!" The three snouts all howled. The volume was extremely loud; it was as if one were listening to surround sound.


    "Since you crawled out like this, you must have missed my tear gas?¡±


    I may already have a reputation as a prominent tear gas restaurant in hell. In order to create regular customers, visitors must be treated well.


    "Krrrrrrrrrrr!"


    See? Look at how his mouth is watering.


    "Don''t worry, even if you don''t urge me like that, I''ll put my special tear gas in your nose and blow it up."


    The mutt came at me while drooling, and I also ran at the three-headed mutt, infusing mana into my holy sword. I controlled the green deer and jumped high, lightly stepping on the front foot of the mutt. Simultaneously, I cut the mutt''s leftmost neck with my holy sword.


    "Kkaaaang!!¡±


    I tried to cut the neck completely, but the muscles were tougher than I thought, and I only ended up leaving a deep wound. This was certainly capable of making the Black Water Buffalo ahjussis struggle.


    The head of the wounded mutt grew enraged, and it turned around and tried to bite me despite the blood flowing from its neck. I controlled the green deer to jump up, and I trampled the dog''s left head.


    "Sit!"


    "Kkack!"


    As the weight on one head increased, the dog''s body tilted. At that moment, I pulled the tear gas grenade¡¯s safety and threw it into the nose of the head in the middle.


    Boom!


    There was the sound of tear gas exploding inside its nose, and soon there was smoke mixed alongside the tear gas. The mutt began struggling due to the tear gas, and I controlled the deer to back away.


    "It''s nice to see that you like it. Spread rumors that this is a famous tear gas restaurant."


    I don''t know if it was listening to me or not, but the mutt rolled on the ground, savoring the taste of the tear gas with its whole body.

 CH 290.

    The mutt had been struggling with all its might when it blew its nose, pulled out the tear gas grenade, and began to run towards the wall.


    Using magic, I poured water onto the tear gas so that our troops wouldn''t be affected. Then, I directed the green deer to chase after the mutt and shouted, "Hey! Where are you going?! I prepared a lot for dessert!"


    From my pocket space, I took out one of the manriki used by the Black Water Buffalo Knights and threw it at the mutt. I pulled back forcefully as the chain wrapped around the neck of the mutt¡¯s middle head.


    ¡°Aigoo, as expected of such a big dog, you''re full of energy." The dog was nearly four meters tall from its shoulders to its feet, and the green deer''s hooves dragged on the ground as the large dog tried to escape in any way possible.


    "Green Deer! Freeze beam!¡±


    - Freeze beam!


    At my command, a freezing beam flew out of the green deer¡¯s antler, forming ice around the mutt''s legs. As this occurred, the dog¡¯s movements became dull, and the deer stopped getting pulled.


    When I got off the deer and yanked the chain, the house-sized mutt was helplessly dragged toward me. I grabbed the middle head and looked into the mutt¡¯s eyes. "Oho, you''re pretty good. Did you go easy on me yesterday?"


    Cerberus heard me, and it grew dismayed and was unsummoned. I climbed on the deer again and looked at the wall. "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army. The enemy''s demon was destroyed. Resume the attack!"


    After giving the order through the radio, I rode the deer back to the headquarters barracks. "By tonight, it should be enough.¡±


    * * *


    "Gasp!" Beta sank to the floor in a cold sweat.


    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" Delta asked worriedly.


    Beta was terrified, unable to even answer the question. As Beta was seized with fear, Mu grabbed his face, essentially slapping him with the force that was exerted, and he shouted, "Get a hold of yourself!"


    Feeling pain in both cheeks, Beta breathed in harshly, coming back to his senses.


    "Are you all right?"


    When Delta repeated the question, Beta yelled agitatedly, "Am I okay? No! How can I be okay when a monster like that is in front of me!"


    Beta rarely got excited or angry, so when he raised his voice, Delta and Mu looked at him in surprise. Beta also realized his mistake, calmed down, and wiped away the cold sweat on his face. "Ev- everything''s been uncovered. There¡¯s no way. Presumed to be a great madosa? No, that''s unquestionably a great madosa."


    ¡°Uncovered? What do you mean? Don''t tell me you¡¯ve been discovered just from him dealing with your familiar?¡±


    At Mu''s question, Beta nodded. "That monster used the thread-like connection between my familiar and traced it back to me, discovering everything. And then he spoke as if he were looking at me, not the familiar."


    Beta took a deep breath and spoke slowly, ¡°¡®You''re pretty good. Did you go easy on me yesterday?¡¯"


    "Slack? By yesterday, you mean that Crow girl?"


    Beta nodded and closed his eyes at Delta''s question. Then he bit his lips, feeling as if everything had been laid bare. "I think so."


    "Did you retrieve the familiar to avoid leaking any more information?" Mu asked.


    Beta shook his head as if that was definitely not it.


    "No, I only unsummoned it because I was scared. I sent it back because Cerberus was disoriented after getting hit by the tear gas, and also because I was afraid."


    Delta and Mu were surprised to see Beta so overwhelmed with fear.


    "Maybe that person has only our Teacher-nim in his mind."


    Beta''s guess made Delta and Mu frown, and Mu asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying that the great madosa in the imperial army is stronger than Teacher-nim?"


    Beta shook his head. "No. It¡¯s just that even the five of us attacking simultaneously won''t do that much damage to him."


    At Beta''s confirmation, Delta and Mu looked seriously at him. Beta¡¯s judgment especially carried weight because he was usually gentle and mild-mannered.


    "I don''t think such a skilled person will show himself like this just because of some minor damage."


    "Teacher-nim is arriving soon. Our enemies can also easily speculate this. It is natural for the imperial army¡¯s great madosa to be wary of receiving damage in preparation of meeting Teacher-nim,¡± Mu said.


    Beta shook his head once again. "No, the extent of injuries we can give him isn¡¯t likely to impact the fight with Teacher-nim.¡±


    "Then why do you think he''s worried about the damage?"


    When Delta asked, Beta spoke in an unconfident voice. "Perhaps...  It''s because of the rumors that the Space Specialist from the Magic Kingdom might join."


    If the enemy were assuming he¡¯d have to deal with two great madosas at the same time, it was natural for him to worry about even the smallest bit of damage.


    "But every magician knows that Teacher-nim and Space Specialist have a poor relationship."


    "It''s just a guess. In the first place, isn''t it surprising that Teacher-nim is participating in the war?"


    "That''s true." At Beta''s statement, Malecia was the one who responded as he climbed back up the wall of the castle.


    "Shouldn¡¯t you rest more?"


    When Mu asked, Malecia smiled bitterly and looked out of the castle where the battle had begun again. "I can rest after the war. I''m used to being in these kinds of extreme situations."


    Now that he was getting old, it was harder for him to rely on his mental strength to endure like he used to. However, after calculating the time until the end of the battle, it seemed like it would be fine if his stamina didn¡¯t hold out for long.


    "It looks like tonight will be the turning point.¡± It was as if the instincts nurtured over the many years on the battlefield were whispering to him.


    * * *


    Despite sending Mac hyung and Tristan to the left and right flanks, I was notified that they failed to break through. Indeed, you could say this was the natural result since the fortress itself was difficult to attack due to its surrounding geographical features. Still, since those two were deployed, it was fortunate that there were few casualties from the enemy madosas.


    ¡°The troops directed to the detour have sent a message stating that they¡¯re running out of drinking water. Why don''t we have them withdraw, supply them with water, then send them back?"


    The detour was so rough that they had no choice but to carry a little bit of food and drinking water. In that situation, the drinking water was depleted first because of the extensive maneuvers during the battle.


    I shook my head at the chief of staff. "No, reducing the range of the front line will lower the pressure on the enemy. Right now is the time where we need to put as much pressure on the enemy as we can."


    "Well, that''s true, but we should also consider our troops¡¯ exhaustion."


    I spoke emphatically at the chief of staff¡¯s concern. "It will come to an end soon. For now, it¡¯s sufficient if the flank attacks cause the enemy to feel threatened. I''ll tell them to just pretend that they¡¯re attacking."


    The lack of drinking water was a grave situation, but we could not let the enemy take a breath. The enemy''s condition should be where the soldiers are just about ready to collapse from exhaustion.


    ¡°I''ll trust you if you say so.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Thanks to the Mercenary King''s miraculous strategic skills, they were barely able to hold on. Yet, so far, they had not been able to rest for 44 hours, suffering from the imperial army¡¯s attacks.


    The sun was slowly setting; night came quickly because it was a mountainous area. I grinned. "It''s a little early, but I think it''s almost time.¡±


    When I clapped my hands, ten knights appeared beside me from my pocket space. The chief of staff was surprised when he saw the knights¡¯ sudden appearance. Come to think of it, I had never summoned them in front of the chief of staff.


    "Now, Uncle, it¡¯s time for you to get ready too."


    Uncle Bloody had been resting all day, and he excitedly woke up. I opened all the radio lines and gave out orders. "Command headquarters speaking to the entire army! We will take the fortress before the night passes! We are launching a full offensive!"


    The 14th and 8th armies were taking a break from my commands when I gave this order, but they quickly completed their maintenance and began preparing for battle.


    I ordered the divisions on the side cliffs to pretend that they were attacking and looked towards the fortress. "Agravain, what was the result of the reconnaissance of the enemy''s main force?"


    "They¡¯re approaching with a rapid march with the news that Shellen Fortress is under attack. I think they will arrive in the next two days, Master."


    Two days was within the expected range.


    "Lionel, how was the Magic Kingdom reconnaissance?"


    The Magic Kingdom moved differently from the enemy''s main force, so it would have been difficult to specify their location without the prisoners'' information.


    "Their forces number about two regiments, less than expected. However, most of them are magicians, so we expect firepower above the division level."


    "And the Space Specialist?"


    "I was not able to confirm it directly, but given there was a strong presence, it''s highly likely that he is participating."


    There was a small chance that the presence Lionel felt was fake.


    "Tch, moving his heavy butt."


    In addition, he was highly authoritarian, so I thought he wouldn''t take many actions. It was very unexpected that he¡¯d come here in person.


    "We¡¯ll need to take over the fortress quickly and renovate the fort.¡±


    For one to hold out against two great madosas, the fortress was like a piece of paper.


    "Now, here comes the ''secret weapon.¡¯" I smiled and took my magic wand out of my pocket space.


    * * *


    The sound of drums announcing the battle rang throughout the fortress. These weren¡¯t the sound of the allies¡¯ friendly drum; it was the drumming alerting them of the imperial army''s offensive outside the fortress.


    "All we have to do is endure tonight! Tomorrow, the main force will arrive! That''s why they are on a full offensive!" Malecia shouted using mana. Tired of Malecia''s cries, the soldiers shouted as loud as they could and moved to counter the imperial offensive.


    "Wait, is it certain that the main force is coming tomorrow?"


    When Delta whispered nervously, Malecia whispered back confidently, ¡°Of course it''s a lie.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Malecia covered Delta''s mouth with his hands as Delta exclaimed in panic. "Shh. The lie will lose effectiveness if you yell. Manage your expressions too."


    "But, but-"


    "As long as we get through the night, the imperial army will fall into a dilemma- retreat or take over the fortress. They will be forced to choose between the two,¡± said Malecia.


    Delta spoke as if she didn¡¯t understand, "Of course, they¡¯ll try to take over the fortress. That¡¯s what they¡¯ve been fighting for this whole time."


    "No. Not necessarily." Malecia continued to explain, rubbing his forehead from tiredness. "If they can¡¯t get the fortress after tonight, it''d be more advantageous for the imperial army to retreat to the mountains and set up camp there rather than forcefully recapture it."


    "Why is that?"


    "For our main force, it¡¯d be very dangerous to have Shellen Fortress taken, so they''ll come as fast as possible. Of course, it''ll still take two days at the earliest.¡±


    "Then, isn¡¯t it certain that we¡¯ll lose before the main force comes?"


    "No. The Imperial army, even if they occupy the fortress, will have to face overwhelming enemy forces without proper rest."


    "Aha, that means they¡¯ll be in the same shape as us now.¡±


    Delta understood this in her own way, and she asked another question with a look of incomprehension, "Wait, will it make a difference if the enemy takes over one day faster?¡±


    "Of course it will. Firstly, they¡¯ll have plenty of time to rest. And the enemy great madosa will have time to repair the fortress. The imperial army wouldn¡¯t have to deal with Master¡¯s magic with just their bodies."


    With Malecia¡¯s last words, Delta understood why the enemy was charging in. There was a huge difference between the presence and absence of a fortress while defending from a great madosa. This would be even more effective if the fortress were repaired and renovated by a great madosa.


    "And most of all-¡±


    "An, an enemy has come on top of the wall!"


    Malecia''s explanation was cut off by the soldier''s cry. Malecia shouted, pulling out his sword, "Magicians create lights with magic!"


    To deal with the enemies who¡¯d appeared faster than expected, Malecia ordered them to brighten up the darkened surroundings. As the wall lit up and they saw the enemy, Malecia, as well as the older commanders and knights, couldn¡¯t help but fall into panic.


    "Ahahaha! Are you all doing well!?"


    A man bearing muscles like Mount Tai and a giant frame greeted with a smile, and Delta screamed, "Kyaaaaaa! No! I don''t want to die! S-save me!"


    Malecia had to stop Delta right away, but he was so shocked that he couldn''t move. Malecia swallowed dryly and called the name of the intruding enemy.


    "Doo, Doomstone Blade."


    The arrival of the worst monster left everyone without a will to fight.

 CH 291.

    Only the young knights retained their ability to move properly on the walls. They grew up intimidated by the name of Doomstone, but their fear toward him was less than those who lived through his more active years.


    "Stop!" Despite the fierce martial aura that erupted from the muscular giant, the knights gripped their swords and surrounded Doomstone.


    "Uahahaha! You''re brave! Yes! One who holds a sword should have that kind of spirit!"


    For the young knights, this was only possible because Doomstone¡¯s existence was akin to a tiger in a children¡¯s tale, something used to scare them when they cried during their childhood. But the young knights¡¯ reckless bravery did not extend into their next action.


    "So you won¡¯t mind if I become a little serious, will you?¡±


    As Doomstone took a step forward, the young knights knelt down due to the overwhelming gap in martial aura and vomited. Only then did the young knights try to run away, their survival instincts being the only thing left in their minds. Yet, their trembling legs did not work, so they crawled on the ground.


    "Hmm, that''s not fun."


    If the way forward was blocked by a sword, shouldn''t you go forth and attack?


    He felt displeasure when the young knights started crawling after he didn¡¯t do anything. So, he ignored the knights and walked into the fortress.


    No one could obstruct Doomstone as he walked proudly among his enemies like he was on a leisurely stroll. In addition, the entirety of the imperial forces who climbed to the top of the wall froze, not even thinking about fighting.


    "Please wait a minute!" Then, Malecia stopped the Doomstone as he strolled around. While clutching his trembling hands, Malecia said, "How did the head of the Crow Tribe end up entering this war!? Based on the fact that you are participating, does the Crow Tribe plan on being an enemy of our Kingdom?"


    Malecia tried to urge Doomstone to step down, reminding him that his every action could be construed as a political move. Alas, his opponent was Doomstone.


    Doomstone spoke sourly, picking his ear with his pinkie. "Such difficult topics are none of my business. Is there anyone with enough guts to have a fun fight with me?"


    While he asked this casual question, his vicious martial aura spread everywhere. Faced with the frighteningly fierce martial aura, Malecia realized that he was nothing against Doomstone. It was a mistake to use diplomacy against a monster that threw away the Crow Tribe¡¯s political relations and went on a rampage 28 years ago.


    "Or are you going to come out to fight me?" As Doomstone''s gaze landed on Malecia, Malecia stepped back for a moment.


    "Good senses. No, rather, your survival instinct is well developed."


    There were small holes in the place where Malecia had stood. Seeing the holes, Malecia asked in a cold sweat, "I couldn¡¯t even see you move. What kind of technique was that?"


    "Enlightenment, or not. It''s just an application of a finger flick.¡±


    Malecia untied the sword around his waist, threw it to the ground, and raised both his hands. "We surrender, disarmed...¡±


    A magic flew at Doomstone as Malecia tried to disarm and admit defeat. The eyes of the audience turned to the magician who shot the magic.


    "Hiccup! No, no! I- hiccup!¡± The person who shot the magic was Delta, who was in a state of panic from her deep-rooted fear. She made a mistake that she would never have made normally, and when she saw Doomstone smiling at her, she felt extremely nauseous and almost threw up.


    "Senior!" Beta held Delta and cast barriers with all his might.


    However, even if it was a madosa''s barrier, magic cast by someone who was completely worn out was nothing more than a decoration. Beta''s barrier was shattered by an invisible strong aura, and being hit, Beta collapsed, vomiting blood. "Uaahhhhh!!¡±


    Delta grabbed her magic wand as she watched the bloodied Beta fall. At that moment, Malecia quickly knocked Delta out by hitting the back of her head. "All of you disarm! We¡¯re surrendering!"


    At Malecia¡¯s cry, all of the knights and soldiers alike laid down their arms. The knights of the Empire who climbed up the wall arrested those who surrendered. Then, they immediately operated the pulley that controlled the gate and completely opened it. Once this was done, the middle and the inner gates were opened in short order.


    "This friend''s teacher and senior fell to you in the past, and she almost lost her life as well! Please show mercy!"


    Delta lost her teacher and her senior when they died at the society, with them being a great madosa and a madosa, respectively. After she was left by herself, she was taken in by Aries as a disciple. Doomstone passed Malecia with a blank face as Malecia revealed the truth and stepped in front of the fallen Delta and Beta.


    * * *


    I created an illusion and tried as hard as I could to talk and act like my father. In order to keep this ruse undiscovered, I kept my enemies at a distance so no one noticed. Although I was anxious because the fort had as many as five madosas, when I saw that the gate had opened, I could say my plan was successful.


    "Have mercy!"


    I was slightly surprised by the Mercenary King''s words, but this all stemmed from my father''s incidents in the past.


    This problem was just because he went way too far in his actions, but I didn''t think he did anything wrong. Her teacher and senior probably did something worthy of death.


    - Aren¡¯t you being too trusting, Master?


    I answered Tristan''s thought transmission as a matter of course.


    - I think I roughly know what kind of situation she was involved in.


    Considering that she was a curse magician, she probably witnessed the massacre of the Curse Magic Society. Even after the incident, one of the four great madosas, the Curse Specialist, did not particularly antagonize the Crow, which was enough to guess my father''s justification.


    - Well, it was excessive, though, considering curse magic almost completely disappeared.


    I passed by the Mercenary King and stood in front of the two people who had fallen. The Mercenary King closed his eyes tightly, but I took out a healing potion from my pocket and poured it onto the bloodied young madosa.


    The unconscious madosa squirmed in pain as their wounds healed quickly, and the Mercenary King looked at me as if surprised by my actions.


    - Anyway, what''s the situation like over there?


    Tristan replied leisurely to my question.


    - It seems they¡¯re slowly realizing that the fort has fallen.


    If I were the one to notice that the fort was captured, I wouldn''t continue to fight for nothing. As soon as the Mercenary King realized that I had no intention of starting a massacre, he tried to escape.


    I glanced at Malecia trying to sneak away. Then, Gwalchmai, Lionel, and Bors surrounded Malecia. Wouldn''t it be a waste if we lost the enemy general after spending all that time taking over the fortress?


    "I surrender." The Mercenary King obediently gave up fleeing and remained calm as he was caught.


    He''s shrewd, so I''ll put surveillance on him later.


    I saw Uncle Bloody with a regretful expression on his face, having expected a large battle. I nodded in his direction, motioning for him to go inside the castle sitting in the center of the fortress. When Uncle Bloody and I entered the castle and were alone, he asked, "Is it okay to pretend to be hyung-nim like this?"


    I answered, erasing the illusion, "It''s okay. It''s a trick the great madosas will see through immediately when they get here anyway. It''s a perfect single-use tactic."


    Considering I made the plan knowing it would get discovered soon, I wasn¡¯t worried about it putting any burden on my hometown. Bluffs like this were usually an extremely common strategy during war.


    Sagongmyeongju Saengjungmoon.


    Isn''t there an idiom saying something about scaring the enemy so much that they¡¯re still frightened even in death? It''s the fault of the fool.


    Uncle Bloody found my answer amusing, and he smiled. "If such a convenient method existed, couldn¡¯t we have just used it on the first day?¡±


    "No. No matter how much weaker the opponent was, there were still five madosas. In order for this kind of trick to work, you have to push the enemy to their limits so that they don¡¯t notice it."


    Furthermore, considering how the Mercenary King tried to escape at the end, his intuition was incredibly sharp. After resting in prison, the Mercenary King will likely be the first to realize something was off.


    "But you said you¡¯re going to have to deal with two great madosas. Are you acting confident?"


    I shrugged. "Well, it''d be a lie to say I¡¯m confident. But I have a lot of tricks. It''ll work out somehow."


    Uncle Bloody smiled at my optimistic answer, saying that was just like me.


    First, I¡¯ll have to allow the soldiers to rest before repairing the fortress''s defensive magic circle. It¡¯s going to be a pretty busy two days.


    * * *


    "Ha-am~!"


    I looked at the entire fortress from the top of the old castle in the center of Shellen Fortress. I could see the sun rising from the far east ridge. Although the outer walls had collapsed a little in the last two days of fighting, it didn''t seem like it¡¯d take long to repair.


    Roughly estimating how I would renovate the fortress in my mind, I looked at the handcuffed Mercenary King. "Did you sleep well?"


    Malecia shrugged with a comfortable expression. "Thanks to you, I slept soundly. If you get tired before going to bed, you usually end up sleeping well."


    Although he acted like it was fine, in reality, he must have been exhausted to the point where he fell asleep on the spot. It was likely that he barely slept for the past two days, and that couldn¡¯t be resolved by sleeping for four or five hours.


    I took some nutritional supplements out of my pocket space and threw them at Malecia. "Eat. You''ll get some energy if you eat.¡±


    Immediately after I finished speaking, Malecia swallowed the nutritional supplements I gave him, and he asked with a sly smile, "Mmm, it''s tasty. Is it orange flavor?¡±


    I replied with a smirk, "I don''t like bitter things."


    "Haha, you''re young. Well, I don''t like bitter things too, so I guess I''m not an adult either." Malecia seemed at peace, convinced that I wouldn''t harm him.


    As expected, he¡¯s quick-witted. He was accurately judging his worth.


    He continued, ¡°I expected you to be young, but you''re much younger than I guessed. How old are you?"


    "Nineteen."


    Malecia was surprised. "That''s impressive. I''ve met all kinds of geniuses, but compared to you, it seems they weren¡¯t actually geniuses."


    "Well, I don''t really think I''m a genius." I thought this from the bottom of my heart.


    "Having too much humility isn¡¯t polite."


    "No, it''s more like the truth than it is humility. I know a real genius. Compared to their brilliance, I''m merely smart."


    That genius being someone like Hestia noona. It was difficult to call myself a genius compared to Third Sister.


    "That''s scary.¡±


    "Well, that''s enough chatter. Aries- no. Is the Curse Specialist going to participate this time?"


    When I asked this, Malecia looked at me as if I were asking the obvious and replied, "Don''t you already know that? Master is also of the Hunter Tribe, so he will be participating in the war."


    I knew this, but I didn''t want to hear it. This unequivocal answer made me sigh. Malecia¡¯s odd interrogation, which wasn¡¯t really an interrogation, continued.

 CH 292.

    "So, is that all you wanted me for?¡± Malecia yawned, covering his mouth with his hand sleepily.


    "Yeah, good work. Go and rest comfortably. I told them to treat you like a prisoner of the highest level."


    Malecia spoke with a relaxed smile. "Thank you for that. I couldn''t bathe for some time thanks to someone, so I''ll wash up and get some more sleep.¡±


    "Hahaha, such poor treatment.¡± I knew full well that this someone was me, but I pretended not to know.


    Hearing this pretense, Malecia sighed. "Right, he treated me quite harshly.¡±


    At these sincere words, I asked suggestively, "Then, do you have any thoughts about coming under my employ? I''ll act with only the highest regard for you. I don''t treat people poorly."


    Malecia raised both handcuffed hands with a look of regret. "Unfortunately, my life was already bought a long time ago. Being a mercenary is a job where everything goes downhill if you lose your credibility."


    I smacked my lips at his refusal. The more we talked, the more I coveted him. I said jokingly, "Didn''t you ask me to call you the Black Knight before?"


    "Well, I''d appreciate it more if you called me that.¡± Malecia smiled mischievously and left through the door. Caradoc was waiting outside, and he escorted Malecia down the stairs. If it''s Caradoc, he¡¯ll notice beforehand if Malecia tried to pull any nonsense.


    I clicked my tongue as I felt Malecia¡¯s presence grow further away. "What a sly person.¡±


    As I was mumbling, Tristan jumped off the roof and came in through the window. He cried out in surprise, "Oh, my! For Master to call someone else sly!¡±


    I sighed. "He pretended to cooperate with the interrogation while simultaneously trying to figure me out and flip the questions around. Yet, the way you¡¯re talking seems to be pretty cheeky?"


    "Ayy, when did I ever speak cheekily to Master?¡±


    I shook my head as Tristan whistled and avoided my gaze.


    * * *


    A messenger horse came running with a notice for the Magic Kingdom¡¯s main army as it headed for Fort Shellen, bearing a red flag that signified an emergency. As soon as it arrived at the campsite of the main force, the horse collapsed from exhaustion, and the knight riding the horse did not have a healthy complexion either.


    "I belong to the defense forces stationed at Shellen Fortress! Emergency! It''s an urgent matter! Please take me to the command headquarters!"


    When given the knight¡¯s identity and rank, the soldiers guarding the entrance delivered the information to the upper line. Soon afterward, a group of knights emerged from the command headquarter barracks and brought the messenger back to the command headquarters. When the knight bearing the notice entered the barracks, he couldn¡¯t breathe due to the heavy atmosphere. It was as if there was no oxygen in the air.


    "Everyone, I think we have important news, so why don''t we put off the fight for a while?" The gentle middle-aged man who just spoke was sitting at the topmost seat. He was General Bringer Di Peset, the commander-in-chief of the kingdom''s main force.


    A madosa who was sitting at the right of the commander-in-chief yawned and nodded at this suggestion. "All right."


    He was Alpha, the oldest disciple of the great madosa, the Curse Specialist. He continued, "Since the Commander-in-Chief says so, let''s move on."


    As Alpha withdrew his aura, a madosa sitting across from him followed suit, wearing a robe symbolizing the Magic Kingdom. The man in the robe was the Madosa John Hower, who was considered the best disciple of the great madosa, the Space Specialist.


    When the auras filling the barracks disappeared, the knight bringing the news could breathe again. With the intangible aura that was pressing down on him dissipated, he was able to look around. The knight realized that a battle of pride between the great madosas¡¯ disciples was in full swing until the moment he¡¯d entered the barracks.


    "What are you doing!? If you have a message, say it quickly!"


    The one who yelled was Philon Tri, a great warrior of the Green Mane Tribe, which occupied the largest faction of the Hunter tribe. He crossed his legs with an irritated face and fiddled with a yellow-green mask with his one remaining arm.


    "Don''t push him like that, Great Warrior. Don''t you think he needs some time to regain his breath?" At the commander-in-chief''s words, Philon Tri snorted and crossed his legs.


    "So, what''s the status of Shellen Fortress? I heard that it isn''t a very favorable situation."


    When the commander-in-chief asked, the knight lowered his head and talked about Shellen Fortress¡¯s situation. "Shellen Fortress¡­ has fallen into the hands of the enemies."


    Everyone inside the barracks drew their attention to the knight in an instant.


    "The fortress has been taken? That natural fortress that the legendary Mercenary King was protecting?"


    "Yes, the Mercenary King singled me out just before the imperial army¡¯s all-out attack began and told me to notify you that the fortress has been taken."


    The commander-in-chief clenched his fist in disbelief. "I thought he could at least hold on until the main force got there."


    At the commander-in-chief¡¯s lamentation, the knight shook his head with a face of shame. Then Alpha asked, frowning, "Five of my fellow disciples were present there, not just Malecia. What happened to them?"


    "I left just before the fortress was taken, so I do not know exactly, but they all seem to have been taken prisoner."


    Alpha was surprised. "All of my fellow disciples present at the siege are madosas. No matter how urgent the situation is, it shouldn¡¯t have been difficult to escape by themselves!"


    "That¡¯s- all of a sudden, Doomstone Blade stormed into the fortress!"


    The inside of the barracks froze.


    "Who, who did you say stormed in?"


    The commander-in-chief stuttered and asked, and the knight replied again with a woeful look, "The Crow that brings destruction, Doomstone Blade, stormed in!"


    The air grew heavy with fear when it was reported that Doomstone was in the fortress.


    "There were no messages about the chief of the Crow Tribe participating in the war!"


    The commander-in-chief was growing flustered when the Space Specialist''s disciple brashly got up and shouted, "Ca, calm down!"


    "Do I look like I can calm down right now?! This is a breach of the arrangement! I will tell my teacher-nim immediately!"


    At John''s shout, Alpha sighed. "If there is such a monster, we also cannot rush to assault the enemy."


    "But! Are your fellow disciples not being held captive at the fortress?!" The commander-in-chief yelled.


    Alpha casually replied, "I will negotiate and meet them separately in the name of my teacher-nim, the Curse Specialist. Teacher-nim and the Crow Tribe¡¯s Alchemy Specialist know each other, so it is possible."


    At Alpha''s words, the great warrior of the Green Mane Tribe stood up and shouted, "Wait! Sir has already promised to join the war!"


    "I know. It was a promise that he made due to his agreement with the Tri Sirs, but we can make enough holes to get out of it."


    Even if he was going to participate in the war, it was the Curse Specialist¡¯s decision whether to fight with a sword or magic. The great warrior did not have the power and ability to force him to fight using magic.


    "Uduk!" The great warrior stared at Alpha with his teeth clenched, but Alpha didn''t like the fact that he was participating in the war in the first place.


    "Everyone, calm down for a moment! Let''s see if what this person says is true first!" The commander-in-chief calmed the two madosas and glared at the knight who was the source of the barrack¡¯s violent change.


    "You. Are you sure Doomstone Blade is there? Isn''t there a good chance you might have been mistaken or something?!"


    At the commander-in-chief''s question, the knight knelt sadly and hit his head to the ground. "Uheuk! My comrades surrounded Doomstone Blade, but I saw with my own eyes that they were subdued through his martial aura alone. I''m a piece of trash who left his comrades behind!"


    The commander-in-chief had wanted to hear that the knight may have been wrong, and he frowned.


    The atmosphere was already at its worst.


    "You...!


    "Cough! Cough!"


    The commander-in-chief tried to rebuke the kneeling knight for not reading the mood, but the knight coughed and vomited blood. "Keuk, I''m, I''m sorry. I was hit by an arrow while leaving the fortress...¡±


    At the words of the knight, everyone in the barracks looked at the commander-in-chief in unison. The commander-in-chief had just become trash who grew angry at this knight, someone who¡¯d escaped at the risk of his life and brought information. The commander-in-chief noticed their gazes and had no choice but to shut his mouth.


    "Wouldn¡¯t it be better to send the knight to the medical corps first?"


    As the Space Specialist¡¯s disciple looked at the commander-in-chief critically, the commander-in-chief coughed in vain and shouted so those outside the barracks could hear, "Someone get in here and help this knight to the medical corps!"


    "I am sorry." The knight slowly rose from his seat, wiping the blood from his mouth, and a soldier who was standing guard outside of the barracks came inside to help him.


    "Thank you." The knight thanked the supporting soldier and tried to leave the barracks, but suddenly his abdomen was penetrated by a huge magic spear.


    "Huk!"


    "Is it an enemy?!"


    In this abrupt situation, the people inside the barracks equipped weapons in unison and grew tense. Those trying to respond to the enemy''s surprise attack grew bewildered when they saw the man responsible for shooting the spear appear outside the barracks.


    "Teacher-nim?"


    When the Space Specialist''s disciple was flustered and called his teacher, the Space Specialist dug his ears and became irate. "Why is the meeting taking so long? I told you to keep the power struggle to a limit and come back!"


    To the Space Specialist, it seemed more important that his disciple was running late than the knight he had penetrated with a magic spear.


    "Teacher-nim, why...¡±


    The Space Specialist saw his bewildered disciple and clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, you''ve still got a long way to go. Hey! What are you doing pretending to be dead?¡±


    The knight that had collapsed with his abdomen penetrated lifted his head and laughed cheerfully at the Space Specialist¡¯s words, "Ahahaha, I got caught. I wasn¡¯t expecting to meet a great madosa here."


    "Are you the one presumed to be a great madosa in the imperial army? Your skills are certainly not bad, all right.¡±


    The knight shrugged at the Space Specialist¡¯s assessment. "Nice to meet you. Feel free to call me Den."


    The Space Specialist was not interested in Den¡¯s greeting and observed the body that Den was controlling. "That body is made up of a dragon tooth soldier¡¯s basic composition. You must have a lot of dragon bones, then? Seeing as you sent an expensive dragon tooth soldier to an enemy camp.¡±


    "Oh, my hometown is overflowing with them, so it¡¯s fine."


    "Overflowing? Come to think of it, the outer appearance resembles an alchemic life form. Are you perhaps a disciple of that crazy old woman?" The Space Specialist asked.


    Den nodded. "If ¡®crazy old woman¡¯ is referring to Mirpa Einsmall, she is indeed my teacher-nim."


    "Ahahaha! That crazy old woman created trouble. I can''t believe she actually raised a great madosa! Hahaha!"


    The Space Specialist was laughing cheerfully, wiped away his tears, and said, "I thought the first one to become a great madosa would be the eldest son of that old maniac of the Butterfly Tribe, but that old man Arpen must be heartbroken! Hahaha!¡±


    "Besides that, I heard he lost a bet and had to give up quite a bit."


    At Den''s words, the spaceman smacked his lips and said, "Well, in terms of the bet, I also lost too, so tell your teacher I''ll give it to her later since I''m in the war right now."


    Den scratched his cheek, at a loss for what to do. "Well, I''m in a war, as well."


    "So? Why don''t you leave the fortress and deliver the message?"


    The Space Specialist responded as if it were natural, and Den sighed. "I also have certain circumstances, so that¡¯ll be difficult."


    "Really? Even if we meet in battle, I¡¯m not going to go easy on you."


    "Hahaha, please be gentle. Now, for security purposes, this body will explode in five seconds. Five, one!"


    Boom-!


    Leaving out the numbers between five and one, Den¡¯s dragon tooth soldier created a massive explosion.


    "Cough! Cough! Jeez, what a rude bastard! You have to count all the way!¡± The Space Specialist grumbled, protecting himself and his disciple with a barrier.

 CH 293.

    I opened my closed eyes. "How did it go?"


    I sighed and scratched the back of my head at Caradoc¡¯s question. "I failed."


    I never thought I''d run into the Space Specialist there.


    "Is that so? That was a pretty shoddy job you did, khmm! I thought it was a plan with a high chance of success."


    "You also say whatever you want, huh?¡±


    When I thought I might have given them too much leeway, Gwalchavad nodded, having acted as my guard while I controlled the dragon tooth soldier. "It seems we''ll need to reconvene as a group and hand out some disciplining.¡±


    Caradoc, Tristan, and the twins immediately grew pale. The twins had been throwing darts, using daggers in place of actual darts, when they heard Gwalchavad.


    "Wait, wait a minute! I''ll talk to Caradoc; anything but a group meeting!"


    At Tristan''s desperate words, Gwalchavad spoke with a gentle smile, "You''re the biggest problem. Don''t you act too candidly just because Master treats you charitably?"


    Everyone blanched when they heard these firm words.


    "Ma, Master! Save me!"


    "I''ll be obedient from now on, Crow Prince!"


    "I won''t complain, Crow Prince!"


    In addition to these three, the already sickly-looking Caradoc had also grown paler.


    "That''s right, Commander-in-Chief! It''s wartime right now, so we have to think about morale!"


    What the hell did Gwalchavad do in the old days to make them tremble like this? Frankly, I was curious, but as Caradoc said, we didn¡¯t have the leisure to do that now.


    "We''re at war right now, so no. Do it after the war is over,¡± I ordered. Gwalchavad bowed his head, and the other four breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I''ll assist you with all my heart, Commander-in-Chief!"


    "Oh, by the way, it''s a shame that the plan failed,¡± I said.


    The plan was to divide the enemy by deceiving them with my father¡¯s presence. Unfortunately, the plan had failed. If it had gone well, the Space Specialist could have been sent back to the Magic Kingdom.


    "That¡¯s true,¡± Caradoc also sighed, agreeing with my sentiment.


    The worth of one great madosa was beyond that of even hundreds of ordinary madosas. For the Magic Kingdom, it was far more beneficial to accept the penalty of breaking the agreement and retreat than to have the Space Specialist deal with an unreasonably strong person like my father.


    In addition, when the Space Specialist¡¯s disciple heard that my father was present, he said that it violated the agreement. My father¡¯s presence was essentially a guaranteed defeat for them, so the disciple clearly said those words after calculating and trying to avoid paying the penalty.


    "Oh, well. I¡¯ll just have to be satisfied that I''ve delayed the enemy¡¯s advance."


    The bluff¡¯s effect had been reduced since my identity was revealed, but they still didn¡¯t know if my father was truly in the fortress. By planting such a thought, they were now in a situation where they had to consider the what-ifs.


    "I never want to meet Commander-in-Chief as an enemy,¡± Caradoc said appreciatively with a tired expression.


    I smiled lightly. "Thank you for the compliment."


    Moreover, the enemy¡¯s main force was not made up of only a single army. The forces and support of the Magic Kingdom and the Trade Union were also present. In addition, there were also the Hunter Tribe people who were not part of any country, even though they were referred to as the Curse Specialist¡¯s allies. It was safe to say that the enemy army was a multinational coalition.


    "It is as expected. The idea that having numerous cooks will spoil the broth is a truth that has not changed over time.¡±


    In their commander-in-chief¡¯s point of view, as long as the imperial army was in their territory, the only answer would be to attack, but that was not the case for the Magic Kingdom or the Trade Union. For them, reducing the collateral damage as much as possible was their top priority. However, their choice to match the level of the empire was shackling their ankles.


    "Well, it''s still true that we have an overwhelming disadvantage, though."


    The vanguard of the empire was only the vanguard alone. The opponent was not the vanguard but an army that was raised to deal with the entire imperial army, and even at first glance, it contained more than 300,000 troops. Furthermore, there were even two great madosas there. If it went by the book, Shellen Fortress would melt away like fat on meat.


    ¡°I''d like to have some brisket tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I gave Gwalchavad the menu for tonight, as he was a top chef who was second to none. Then, I asked Caradoc, "Where''s the Empire¡¯s main force again?"


    Caradoc checked the messages sent from the main force. Since we were far away from the empire¡¯s territory, we were not communicating with radios but with carrier pigeons and messenger horses.


    ¡°According to the correspondence, it says they are almost at the border.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re running late.¡±


    Yet, it was only natural that they would run into many problems that needed to be dealt with as the troops stationed in Demon¡¯s Territory were pulled out and gathered on the front line. If we had been too slow and were unable to take care of the enemy¡¯s vanguard, our allies would have welcomed the enemy¡¯s main force at the border.


    Caradoc spoke with a smile at my complaint. "It has not even been ten days since the war began. When you consider this, I¡¯m sure they likely pushed ahead, ignoring some of the procedures."


    "Hmm, is that so?"


    "Also, shouldn''t we be proud to have captured the most important strategic area in the enemy''s territory just around a week after the war initially started?"


    ¡°Ayy, it¡¯s not like that."


    I only used various bluffs and other methods to expedite the process. To be proud of something like that would cause tiny stabs in my conscience.


    "Well, if the Commander-in-Chief says so, I''ll move on."


    Caradoc continued to read the notification, and he smiled brightly. "There is one piece of good news. After hearing that the enemy has great madosas, it seems the imperial family has asked the Elemental Specialist and the Alchemy Specialist to deal with them."


    "Really? Are those cranky old people coming?" I asked.


    Caradoc nodded. "But they say that it''s going to take a while."


    "Then I suppose they¡¯ll arrive after we¡¯re all dead."


    Caradoc laughed helplessly at my joke.


    I took out the mana stone of the Turtle Carrying A Mountain from my pocket space. Over the past two years, the mana stone had restored its depleted mana and now boasted its original prowess. "I¡¯ll strengthen the fortress with this. It just finished replenishing all of its mana for the first time in a while, but it seems like it¡¯ll be drained again.¡±


    It would be an astronomical sum if the mana in it were converted to money, but I don''t know if the prime minister could pay for it. Well, if we win, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll charge a war penalty to obtain it or use some other means. After all, the prime minister isn¡¯t incompetent.


    I took a deep breath and started to cast a complete defensive magic on the entire fortress.


    * * *


    After the dragon tooth soldier exploded, there was a crater that stood hundreds of meters wide around the command headquarters barracks. Those in the barracks were somehow able to defend themselves from the explosion through their own means. However, the general and field officers resting in the area were caught up in the blast.


    The only people in the explosion¡¯s range that were left without a single scratch were the great madosa, the madosas, the great warrior, and the soldier who supported the dragon tooth soldier. The soldier thought he was going to die, but under Den¡¯s protection, he was alive without a single strand of hair being damaged.


    "Crazy." The commander-in-chief hadn¡¯t been able to protect himself entirely, and he grabbed his head, which was wrapped in bandages.


    The loss of various commanders forced the entire military to undergo reorganization. This was because the only way to divide the units that lost their commanders was to transfer them to other units. Meanwhile, the Magic Kingdom and the Curse Specialist¡¯s disciples expressed their intention to join the war only after a reconnaissance of the fortress was conducted, and Doomstone was confirmed not to be present.


    "Did you aim for this? To buy time?" The commander-in-chief had no choice but to recommend that the reconnaissance be completed while the troops were being reorganized. This was because no matter how much control one had, they could not force those who joined hands for a temporary advantage.


    When the commander-in-chief, General Bringer, was lamenting that nothing could make the situation worse, that exact situation was happening in the camp.


    "Long time no see, Communication Disorder."


    "Still as rude as ever, Bit*h."


    The commander-in-chief had been controlling the situation so that the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist wouldn¡¯t meet each other, as they weren¡¯t on good terms. However, when he became busy with the military reorganization, the situation he was trying to avoid happened.


    As soon as the Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist came across one another, they frowned and glared at the other person.


    "Oh, but seeing that you responded, you must have learned to communicate?" At the Space Specialist¡¯s provocation, the Curse Specialist responded by putting his middle finger up.


    "You bastard!"


    When the Space Specialist took out a magic wand from his pocket space, the Curse Specialist also took out a magic wand.


    "Te, Teacher-nim! Please calm down!"


    ¡°We''ll be in big trouble if you fight here!''


    Alpha and John sweated as they stopped their respective teachers.


    "If you''re going to fight, please end it with words!¡±


    "We can''t stop the aftermath of you two fighting!"


    At the earnest and desperate pleas of their disciples, the Curse and Space Specialists clicked their tongues and put their magic wands back into their pocket spaces.


    "It seems you¡¯re still in the habit of wearing a mask, Communication Disorder?¡±


    At the Space Specialist¡¯s attack, the Curse Specialist answered with a snort, "And I see you''re still unable to forget the woman who cheated on you and ran away in the past, seeing how you¡¯re still wearing that ring. Bit*h."


    "What! Well, seeing that you''re still wearing a mask, I guess you couldn''t remove the old curse you placed on yourself by mistake.¡±


    The Curse Specialist clenched his teeth at the enraged Space Specialist.


    "What? Are you serious?" The Space Specialist hadn¡¯t even known that he hit the nail on the head, and he laughed cheerfully. "Hahahaha! That is a masterpiece! Are you serious?! Hahahaha! You¡¯re a great madosa now, but I can''t believe you still can''t solve a single mistake from when you were young!¡±


    When the Space Specialist laughed and teased him, the Curse Specialist gathered mana in both hands. "¡­I''ll kill you.¡±


    Despite whatever shameful thing happened in the past, it was unforgivable to look down on a magician¡¯s magic in the present.


    "Oh, then come and give it a try!" The Space Specialist also gathered mana and glared fiercely.


    "Teacher-nim! Please!"


    "No! Teacher-nim!"


    The disciples tried to stop them, but the two great madosas flew high into the sky and began to fight. Still, the two did not forget they were participating in a war and controlled themselves so that the aftermath would not affect the camp.


    The commander-in-chief heard that the great madosas were fighting in the midst of his busy schedule, and he began to get a stomach ache. He worried about the morale of the soldiers, but ironically and unexpectedly, the soldiers were encouraged from watching the fight of the great madosas, lifting their morale.


    Life was full of unexpected occurrences.


    * * *


    Time flew by while I was renovating the fortress and working with the staff members. In the meantime, we tried to block the reconnaissance sent by the enemy, but in the end, they seemed convinced that my father was not in the fortress. Otherwise, the enemy wouldn''t have flocked here.


    "Caradoc, when are the old people and the main force coming?¡±


    "Tomorrow at the earliest,¡± he said.


    "We''ll have to estimate three days to be on the safe side."


    Considering the size of the main force, they were running over here at an insane speed.


    At my regret, Caradoc nodded. ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I gave up on the reinforcements, stood right on top of the fortress tower, and shouted, "Now! The battle begins!¡±

 CH 294.

    At the same time as my shout, I heard trumpets announcing the start of the war from all around me.


    "We did a great job taking down Shellen Fortress. Otherwise, we would have had to deal with hundreds of thousands of troops directly,¡± Uncle Bloody remarked.


    I sat on the edge of the fortress tower and said, "Ayy, we wouldn¡¯t have done something crazy like that. Naturally, we would have retreated and began to use widespread guerilla warfare.¡±


    Of course, if we were to use guerrilla warfare against that great army, it would become a war of attrition. In any case, now that the defense was thoroughly prepared and we had a barrier known as a fortress, it was clear that our situation had greatly improved.


    "But you know it''s all thanks to me that we¡¯re able to fight back like this, right?¡±


    Uncle Bloody sat next to me and smiled. "Yes, it''s all thanks to you.¡±


    Shellen Fortress was in a highly favorable defensive position. Located in a deep canyon, the maximum number of people that could attack at once was 50,000 to 70,000. The side path was so rugged that a division-level force was the largest unit that could traverse it. On the other hand, the inside of the fortress was large enough to accommodate up to 100,000 troops. If you looked at the structure of the fortification, it was as if a cliff was carved out to build a fortress.


    "But wouldn''t it be a significant problem if our enemies attacked in shifts as we did?"


    I admired Uncle Bloody''s concern. "Oh, how did you manage to think of that?"


    "Hey, don''t look down on me. I''ve had a lot of experience.¡±


    Certainly, he did serve in the imperial army for almost 15 years. He had served in the imperial army for such a long time that he felt like he wanted to return to his hometown. So, it seems he at least had that much common sense.


    "It''s okay. We''re going to rotate our troops when we defend, too."


    "Is that possible?¡±


    The reason Malecia was forced into his exhausted state was that the number of troops in the fortress was far smaller than what the fortress could hold. Since they tried to man a huge fortress that could accommodate up to 100,000 people with just over 10,000 people, a gap would be created if even a minuscule amount of troops were removed.


    "It''s close, but it''s possible to rotate in two shifts.¡±


    Of course, as the battle continued, the rotation could become messed up due to the increase in wounded soldiers, but that would just have to be resolved by covering the right places with dragon tooth soldiers.


    "Then it seems there won¡¯t be a problem. It should be enough to last three days." Uncle Bloody laughed, but our situation wasn''t without problems.


    We were running out of supplies, drinking water, to be exact. According to that guy, Malecia, he said he threw away all the drinking water inside the fortress so that we couldn¡¯t utilize it. However, the reality was that he used scorched earth tactics in anticipation of the fortress falling. [1]


    Cunning bastard.


    "Then, I''ll take a look around." Uncle Bloody stood up and dusted the dirt off his butt.


    "Go ahead. If you notice any enemy magicians on your way, please send them a sword aura and properly take care of them."


    "All right." Uncle Bloody walked off, waving leisurely.


    By the way, we were fine because I could receive drinking water in real-time through my pocket space. Otherwise, we would have died of thirst before the fight even began. The chronic supply problem that arises when you go too deep into the enemy''s territory almost becomes a shackle.


    "It¡¯s a good thing I left Percival in the capital."


    Looking at the circumstances, Malecia was preparing to take away the disciples of the Curse Specialist before dawn. Yet, this remained just an attempt after I suddenly stormed in, disguised as my father with an illusion. He was not called the Mercenary King for nothing. He knew how to choose the next best tactic if his first choice didn¡¯t work, destroying the enemy in the most efficient manner even if he lost.


    "To be specific, rather than it being fortunate that you left the Captain behind, isn¡¯t Commander-in-Chief¡¯s magic a scam?"


    I shrugged and answered Caradoc''s playful question as he looked at the battlefield with Horus''s clairvoyance. "It¡¯s all the same. You''re all operating off my magic anyway."


    Caradoc smirked. "Hearing it that way, I guess it¡¯s true.¡±


    Then, Caradoc commanded the army while imitating my voice with magic. It was hard to notice unless you looked closely, but the movements of the enemies seemed to be a little off. Caradoc seemed to have seen this and pointed it out, ordering an attack.  "It seems that Commander-in-Chief''s self-destructing dummy has led to a large number of enemy commanders being caught in the explosion."


    "It seems that way, right? Otherwise, there''s no way the army would be that out of sync.¡±


    The forced self-destruction resulted in an unexpected result. Is this what you call a blessing in disguise? I didn''t really aim for it, but the enemy commander-in-chief must be having a stomach ache.


    "It looks like the Space Specialist was forced to show up. Otherwise, he would''ve successfully teleported the self-destructing dragon tooth soldier far away.¡±


    When I spoke with a light smile, Caradoc spoke his opinion seriously. "Or maybe it was to measure the Commander-in-Chief''s exact skill level."


    "My skill level?"


    "From the point of view of the great madosas, it is better to measure Commander-in-Chief¡¯s power and lose some commanders."


    Is this what they mean by if you know yourself and your enemy, you can win every battle? It certainly made sense. However, it would have been too difficult to fully grasp my skills through the dragon tooth soldier. Yet, I couldn''t imagine that the Space Specialist whose self-esteem pierced the sky would risk personal injury to figure me out.


    "Hmm, maybe he just wasn''t interested in whether his allies were harmed or not. Or he didn¡¯t know there were commanders nearby.¡±


    "Well, that''s a possibility. After all, magicians are people who don''t know how to take care of their comrades,¡± Caradoc said.


    "Why does it sound like you''re talking to me?"


    At my playful question, Caradoc became pale and looked around. "How, how could I? There¡¯s no one who cares more about their comrades than Commander-in-Chief!"


    Unfortunately, Gwalchavad was not here. I don''t know what happens when they are reconvened to make even the frigid Caradoc tremble.


    I grinned at the relieved Caradoc. "Caradoc, if you say so, then it must be so. Hey! I can see a gap!"


    When I pointed, Caradoc moved the soldiers using my magically-generated voice and ordered an attack at the gap. Then, some of the enemy lines collapsed, causing damage to the next unit.


    "This is the first time I''ve ever used this kind of fraudulent technique, so I am still not used to it.¡°


    "No, it''s just that your eyes are not used to it. You''re doing well enough.¡±


    Well, who in this world would have a real-time map of people moving around that you can shrink and enlarge with a swipe of the screen?


    "Thank you. But Commander-in-Chief, when do you think the enemy''s great madosas will come out?¡±


    I pondered over Caradoc''s question. "Well, maybe tomorrow?"


    Caradoc thought about my answer while continuing to command the army for me. "The enemy¡¯s main force is only a few days away. Would the enemy not want to quickly retake this fortress?¡±


    "It¡¯s because they want to recapture the fortress that they aren¡¯t using the great madosas. After all, ''I¡¯m¡¯ in the imperial army.¡±


    Caradoc understood and smiled bitterly. "I see. Certainly, if the great madosas fight with their full power, there will be no fortress left."


    "Also, the imperial army has a shield called the fortress while the enemy doesn''t, so they have to be more careful."


    The reason why I thought the great madosas would step forward by tomorrow was simple. It was because if the main force of the imperial army arrived and entered the fortress, it would become disadvantageous for them. Thus, it would be better for the enemy to make the fortress obsolete and enter an all-out war.


    "There''s no shield...¡±


    Caradoc heard me, and he laughed at the thought of something funny. "Commander-in-Chief, didn¡¯t you use the great demon¡¯s mana stone to create a defense for the fortress?"


    "That''s right."


    "How long do you think we can withstand the clash of the great madosas?"


    "For quite a while. It''s just the body of a great demon that lacked any proper techniques, but it was hard enough to hunt and possessed a great deal of mana...Wait. You¡¯re not!"


    When I realized what Caradoc meant, Caradoc smiled insidiously and asked. ¡°Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    When I expressed my hatred of the idea, Caradoc smacked his lips and said slyly, "It''s a foregone conclusion anyway. Is it really impossible?"


    I frowned. "No, your suggestion is the best method at the moment. But it¡¯s too much to launch a preemptive strike on great madosas who are staying still!¡±


    Caradoc sighed at my complaint. "You¡¯re already aware that if the enemy knows the timing of the great madosas¡¯ attacks, they¡¯ll just withdraw, leaving us alone to endure the aftermath."


    "Yet, if we buy time, we can join the great madosas who are coming from the rear."


    "I''m sure the enemy is expecting that much. I must say that as a staff member, we should avoid hoping that our enemies are fools as much as possible."


    As I narrowed my brows, Caradoc looked at the enemy and said, "Commander-in-Chief, you have also said that this plan is indeed ¡®the best method we have at the moment."


    There was no greater method than to directly teleport the great madosas who were on their way, but one of the enemies was the great madosa, the "Space Specialist.¡± There was no way that the Space Specialist would sit around doing nothing if we tried to teleport them, so it was better for me to make the first attack at the moment.


    "I''ll tell Gwalchavad that you¡¯re driving me to my death.¡± I sighed and pulled out a magic wand from my pocket space.


    "No, no! That''s not fair! Please do not distort my advice!"


    "All troops, prepare for impact. It''s been two years since I¡¯ve used full power, so I can''t really control it."


    Saying so, I flew high into the sky, leaving the flustered Caradoc behind. The view from the sky was different from the view from the clairvoyance magic.


    "Let''s just give a light greeting first! Summon! Giant Golem!¡±


    As my magic wand flowed full of mana, five summoning circles appeared in the air. Five giant golem bodies were dug up from the ground at the collapsed ruins and restored. The golems landed on the ground.


    What is the most powerful use of a giant golem? Punching? Stomping? None of them. The most efficient use of their overwhelming weight is:


    "Roll!"


    At my command, the giant golems began to roll their heavy bodies at the enemy. They weren¡¯t aiming to fight in a limited space nor to concentrate their attacks against a handful of enemies. Hundreds of tons of mass rushing forward were enough on their own. I knew this well because I''d been crushed under it before myself.


    "Hahahaha! Roll!"


    Enemy knights and magicians fired sword aura and magic to stop the fiercely rolling stone statues ahead, but they could not stop them, leaving only scratches.


    However, soon, I clicked my tongue and smiled bitterly. "So you showed up."


    Unsurprisingly, I felt a high purity of mana, and my giant golems were shattered along with the space. It was smashed into pieces like a plastic model that my nephew played with on holidays. Tears covered my eyes when I saw my efforts break apart, turning into dust.


    "Keuk, they¡¯re worth more than just bait.¡±


    The shadows of two people came out through the remains that I had worked hard to restore.


    "Hahahaha! A crazy greeting befitting a disciple of that crazy Alchemy Specialist!"


    "I had my guess, but it seems you¡¯re pretty messed up in the head, too."


    The Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist looked at me with interest, and each said a word, and I shrugged lightly. "But aren¡¯t you two the same?"


    At my question, the two of them nodded and pulled out their magic wands at the same time.


    "That''s true."


    "Ahahaha! That''s right. Now, let''s see a junior''s talent!"


    The Space Specialist, Curse Specialist, and my magic collided intensely.


    1. Scorched earth tactics is to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy.

 CH 295.

    I swallowed dryly, defending against the magic of the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist that filled the entire area. I hadn¡¯t felt something like this since I faced Arietta when she was just about to become a Demon King.


    "Pretty good."


    "Pretty good."


    The two people in front of me said the same thing simultaneously and turned to look at each other while spitting out:


    "Don''t copy me, Communication Disorder."


    "That''s what I was about to say, Bit*h."


    They growled as if they were about to fight each other at any moment, but their mana was still fierce, as if they were going to devour me.


    The Space Specialist stared at the Curse Specialist before scoffing and looking at me. "It''s impressive that you aren¡¯t getting pushed back by me and Communication Disorder, Kid."


    The way he spoke made it seem like he was looking down on me, but his eyes couldn''t hide their admiration. I smiled lightly and answered casually. "It''s basic."


    "There are so many people who can''t even do that basic thing."


    That''s true.


    "Come to think of it, I haven''t heard how old you are, so why don¡¯t we properly introduce ourselves? I am Grand Duke Parablum di Wisendria Blando, the Royal Instructor in Crescendria, the Magic Kingdom. I¡¯m usually called the Grand Duke Wisendria or the Space Specialist." [1]


    The Space Specialist emphasized his specialist title as if that was what he was most proud of being called. This wasn¡¯t a surprise since having this title was no different from being recognized as a symbol and representative of the branch of magic known as space magic.


    The Curse Specialist sneered at the Space Specialist''s introduction. "Your introduction got really short. You used to talk all day long in the past."


    "Shut up, Communication Disorder. You''ve been called Communication Disorder for years now because you don¡¯t know when to speak or not,¡± the Space Specialist retorted with clenched teeth, but the Curse Specialist just yawned and ignored him.


    I wonder if they¡¯ll start fighting each other on their own if I ignore them.


    The Space Specialist stared fiercely at the Curse Specialist, then looked at me. I scratched the back of my head and introduced myself. "I¡¯m Denburg Blade. First of all, I am a civil servant in the Empire. And... What else? Oh! I''m a disciple of Mirpa Ainsmall and the son of Doomstone Blade. I''m 19 years old this year."


    It was my first time introducing myself like this. After giving my introduction, it turned out there wasn¡¯t much to talk about. However, the two opened their eyes wide at my ordinary introduction.


    "19?! Impossible!"


    "Crazy."


    For some reason, these two¡¯s reactions were similar to old man Arpen¡¯s.


    "No. If it¡¯s Mirpa, that crazy Alchemy Specialist, it might be possible." The Space Specialist smiled in vain, convinced.


    "Hey, you aren¡¯t even going to introduce yourself?"


    At the Space Specialist¡¯s complaints, the Curse Specialist only said his name. "I¡¯m Pelefasta."


    "Are you worried that someone won¡¯t know you have a communication disorder?"


    When the Spatial Specialist shook his head and took a magic wand out of his pocket space, the Curse Specialist also took a magic wand out of his pocket space. At that moment, their mana rose explosively. When I released mana accordingly, a vast amount of mana collided and began to distort the entire space.


    "Now, let''s get started!" The first one to move was the Space Specialist.


    "Reflect! Everything that the image shines on!" At the same time as the Space Specialist¡¯s incantation, his body split, and hundreds of clones appeared everywhere.


    "Ha! How¡¯s that!"


    "Ahahaha!"


    "Will you be able to find out where I am?"


    I smirked at the Space Specialist¡¯s voice that was coming from everywhere. "I know how to do something similar. The mirror and mirror face each other and grow! Mirror of Ten Thousand Images!"


    In the same manner as the Space Specialist, I spread hundreds of clones around the area and disguised myself among them.


    "Oho! This isn''t space magic."


    At the Space Specialist¡¯s analysis, my illusions and I nodded and answered, "Yes, it¡¯s elemental magic using light."


    "But the result of the magic is the same. Interesting. It¡¯s hide-and-seek from now on!" As he cried out, the Space Specialist¡¯s illusions simultaneously moved in unison and attacked with magic.


    While on the other hand, my illusions scattered and avoided the Space Specialist¡¯s attack. This was to minimize the effect that the aftermath of this battle had on the fortress as much as possible.


    "Now, which guy is the real one!¡±


    The illusions of the Space Specialist and myself roamed right above the battlefield, firing tens of thousands of substantial magic bullets in all directions. The Space Specialist¡¯s illusions were erased with my magic bullets, and similarly, my illusions were also erased by his. The number of illusions quickly decreased.


    I scanned the flow of mana to try and find the Space Specialist among the vanishing illusions.


    "Ayy, I don''t know! Incantation omission! Reaching the destruction at the end is for regeneration! Flame Constellation!"


    I shot a great magic in an area where I roughly estimated the Space Specialist to be located. From my magic circle that appeared in the air, a white flame flew out and made dozens of the Space Specialist¡¯s illusions disappear.


    "Ahahaha! It''s not there!"


    "Where are you aiming at!"


    The illusions of the Space Specialist were laughing playfully, but I definitely brushed by him just then. I quickly examined the Space Specialist¡¯s illusions that were flying in all directions one by one.


    "Is it there!? Thunder Spear!"


    At the same time, my illusions and I all threw a thunder spear at the only Space Specialist whose sleeves were slightly scorched.


    "Reflect! Space!"


    As expected, the targeted Space Specialist magically deflected the thunder I shot. Having been caught, the Space Specialist removed the other meaningless illusions. The Space Specialist knew that once revealed, the same magic would not work.


    "How did you discover my real location?"


    The Space Specialist¡¯s magic was perfect. No matter how keen my senses were, I didn''t know his exact location. At that question, one of my illusions raised their arm and pointed to his sleeve.


    The Space Specialist shot a magic bullet at the illusion pointing out the sleeve and destroyed it, and then checked his sleeve. Seeing that it was subtly scorched, he clicked his tongue. "Tch! This is why battle races are absurd.¡±


    The Space Specialist wasn¡¯t a battle race, and he seemed to think having pure physical abilities outside of magic was unfair. I suppose it was strange to be able to spot fine soot on someone¡¯s sleeves from hundreds of meters away. If it weren''t for my previous life, I wouldn''t have understood the word absurd.


    "Isn''t life normally absurd!?" Life was full of absurdities, just like how I was forced to participate in the war. Shouting with sincerity, I controlled the illusions and had them charge at the Space Specialist at once.


    "¡­be overwhelmed by a squall of vengeful spirits."


    At that time, the Curse Specialist had been watching the battle of illusions between the Space Specialist and me, and he launched a great magic toward my illusions. A gray skull-shaped smoke cloud formed from the Curse Specialist''s magic, wiping away my illusions.


    "Hey! You bastard!"


    The problem was that the Space Specialist was also caught up along with my illusions. I was at the edge of the great magic¡¯s range and avoided it without difficulty, but the Space Specialist had no choice but to be hit directly alongside my illusions.


    "Incantation omission! Event Horizon!"


    The Space Specialist¡¯s magic stopped the Curse Specialist''s own as it rushed over him. To be exact, with the Space Specialist at the center, the entire space near him stopped as if time had frozen.


    "Exit Gate!" Subsequently, when the Space Specialist left the area using teleportation, the Curse Specialist''s great magic devoured where he was just located as if time had resumed.


    "Tch!"


    The Curse Specialist clicked his tongue, and the sweating Space Specialist grew infuriated, shouting and pointing. "Hey! You bastard! I almost died!¡±


    The Curse Specialist¡¯s magic must have been immensely powerful for even the Space Specialist to say that.


    "I aimed it at that guy. Who told you to stay within the range of attack?¡± The Curse Specialist pointed at me.


    "What?!?"


    "And it¡¯s fine as long as you''re not dead. If that attack could kill you, you would have already died by my hands,¡± the Curse Specialist brazenly said.


    The Space Specialist gritted his teeth. "Oho! It''s my fault that I was playing around with a guy like you nearby! You just try giving me an opening later!"


    "Hmph, there won''t be a chance like that."


    Unfortunately, the two remembered that they were on the same side of the war and didn¡¯t end up fighting each other to the death. The two great madosas were too intelligent for their emotions to overcome reason.


    The Curses Specialist snorted. The Space Specialist and Curse Specialist both growled at each other before unleashing their magic with all their might.


    "To sever the chains of causality is to sever space! Cut off the wings of the small butterfly! Isolation Dimension!"


    "God gave the foolish doll a box of blessings! What''s in that box is an endless flood of evil! Pandora''s Box!"


    With the Space Specialist¡¯s space magic, the space around me was divided, and my movement was sealed as if it became a different dimension. In that state, the Curse Specialist¡¯s curse flocked to me.


    I hurriedly took the Miracle Crystal out of my pocket space and attached it to my magic wand. After that, I instilled mana into the Holy Sword and cast Holy Tribe magic. "The first flower of the World Tree gives blessings like all the morning dew in the world! With the sacred Holy Spirit! Its name is also a divine hope!"


    The thick barrier of divine power and the vast curse of the Curse Specialist perfectly opposed and offset each other. Then, I cut down the Space Specialist¡¯s movement-sealing magic with the Holy Sword.


    "What?! What magic is that? What kind of sword can cut my boundary so easily?!" The Space Specialist was flustered after seeing this magic for the first time.


    However, the Curse Specialist¡¯s eyes shot open as if he could guess the magic I used. "The Holy Sword and Holy Tribe magic."


    "Holy Tribe magic? The bloodline magic that was lost after the Holy Tribe was destroyed? How can the Crow Tribe use it?!¡±


    As soon as I moved, I rushed to the Space Specialist. The curse of the Curse Specialist was terrifying, but the Space Specialist¡¯s magic that interfered with my movement was a greater threat.


    "Extreme Enlightenment, dropping the sun!" Using all my might, I activated martial arts and cut the Space Specialist¡¯s neck at a speed that would not leave even an afterimage.


    I was certain that my swing was quick enough that the sound of the Holy Sword cutting through the air followed behind me. Yet, my sword slashed through the empty air. More specifically, it split the air over the Curse Specialist¡¯s head.


    "Don''t think that my magic was simply a barrier. I''m not foolish enough to allow a Crow to approach me."


    The Space Specialist now stood in the spot where I originally was as I arrived at the place where he¡¯d just stood.


    Hmm, I think I know what magic this is.


    It was a magic that not only cut off the target in space but also cut off the magician himself. He wasn¡¯t a great madosa for no reason.


    "You¡­!" The Curse Specialist almost had his head cut off without warning, and he moved his hands over the top of his head and stared at the Space Specialist.


    "Tch, you managed to live because you¡¯re short. I already told you not to show any openings, Communication Disorder." The Space Specialist widened the distance between us, and the Curse Specialist quickly backed away from me as well.


    "Come! Let''s stop probing each other; start for real!"


    At the Space Specialist¡¯s shout, the three of us began raising our mana to the limit. The only magic that could be called with our full power was the Domain Proclamation. One had to create his own domain faster than his opponent, but at the same time create a solid foundation for it. I used the full extent of my abilities to chant the incantation, also drawing mana from the Miracle Crystal.


    1. Royal Instructor here refers to being the King¡¯s instructor.

 CH 296.

    The first person to start casting their magic was the Space Specialist. "Like a movement marking the beginning of the world, dots, infinite dots!"


    The Curse Specialist was the next to start his incantation. "Pure evil born in the beginning, darkness that has fallen into the infinite abyss after losing to goodwill!"


    I was the last one to start casting. "I''m a person who walks on a network consisting of lines connecting countless nodes!"


    The start of each person¡¯s magic was different, but no one dared to compete for dominance of the mana that spread violently in all directions. The incantations persisted in the fierce battle between the forming domains.


    "Lines, boundless lines, and multiple lines fix the stability of dimensions!"


    "A collection of absolute malice that rules the dragon of ruin, the existence of an abyss worshipped by demons in hell!"


    "Gather the lines here and make a hub and connect them all!¡±


    As the overwhelming domain fights intensified, the domains began to overlap with each other. Not only me, like riders on a crazed bull, the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist also couldn''t stop at this point as they continued to chant.


    "As if comprising the movement of life, sides, infinite sides, and multiple sides!"


    "The resulting purity of the beginning arising from the abyss, whose form has not been decided. Curse of the abyss!"


    "Every dot in the world. Put a line here, unite! Powerfully! Powerfully!¡±


    Usually, when a battle of domain proclamations occurred, the more complete and solid domains would consume the others. I have never seen nor heard of domains getting mixed up like this without a clear result.


    The two great madosas and I had cold sweat at the unexpected situation but completed our domains.


    "To combine the composition of these substances to transcend dimensions! Overlap here! Multi-dimensional illusion!"


    "Rise back up to this land and eat the world! Manifest here! Pure evil of beginning!"


    "I''m the one who controls the net! All dots below me, surrender! Hacking Field!"


    As the incantations were finished, the completed domains mixed together in one area, distorting the space. At the same time, the area was also filled with pure death energy.


    "Hahahaha! Who would have thought this could happen! This was a war that I was forced to participate in, but what a huge harvest!¡± The Space Specialist wiped away his sweat and looked at the domains with sparkling eyes.


    "¡­.Amazing."


    "It ended up being split three ways."


    The Curse Specialist and I also reacted in the same way.


    If you¡¯re within another person¡¯s domain, you¡¯ll barely be able to use the mana in your surroundings. Two and a half years ago, solely from being in Hillis'' domain during the martial arts competition, the impact was so significant that I lost my Half-and-Half Mask. But now, my domain occupied this area alongside the other two¡¯s domains. Any magician would be curious if they were placed in this situation.


    "Now! Shall we acquire as much data from this rare situation as possible!?"


    At my words, the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist nodded.


    "Good! I''ll go first!" The Space Specialist controlled his domain and folded the space I was standing in.


    It was highly challenging magic, but the Space Specialist was being supported by his domain, allowing him to omit the formula construction and incantation. I smiled playfully and went inside the folding space before teleporting behind the Space Specialist.


    "How?!" The Space Specialist grew flustered when he didn''t detect my teleportation, and I tried to cut him with the Holy Sword.


    The Space Specialist moved to my original position due to the effect of Isolation Dimension, which was previously cast before the domain proclamation. The Space Specialist was faced with the folding space instead of me, and he urgently canceled the magic.


    "What did you do?! How can you fool my senses while using space magic?!" The Space Specialist bit his lips as if his pride had been damaged.


    "Who knows?! I wonder what happened?" I pretended to be surprised and laughed jokingly.


    In fact, I did nothing more than move through space using the Space Specialist¡¯s magic. The hacking field, my domain proclamation, was literally magic that hacked and controlled magic cast in the domain.


    "Maybe that''s how great my space magic is?"


    Of course, it was difficult for me to hack into a great madosa¡¯s magic even with my domain¡¯s assistance. That is, if the other person knew what my domain did and resisted. On the other hand, this also meant that if my opponent wasn''t aware of my domain''s effect, I could take advantage of them as much as I wanted.


    "Hmph! I''m sure you used my domain!" The Space Specialist said and tried to analyze my domain. Yet, that won''t be easy. Because I¡¯ll interrupt!


    "Don''t you know that peeping into someone else''s house is a crime?!" I shouted and fired thousands of lightning arrows at the Space Specialist.


    "Ahaha! What insignificant interference!"


    The Space Specialist teleported the incoming lightning arrows toward me instead. I slightly twisted the Space Specialist¡¯s magic, changing the target of the teleportation to the Curse Specialist.


    The Curse Specialist was suddenly showered with lightning arrows, and he quickly put up a barrier and blocked them. "What do you think you¡¯re doing!?"


    "Ahahaha! It seems you two really do have a bad relationship!"


    The Curse Specialist grew incensed, and I smiled joyfully and tried to drive them apart.


    "Hmm? That¡¯s weird.¡±


    "What are you saying went wrong?!" The Curse Specialist poured out the pure evil curse energy that was melted into his domain and launched it at the confused Space Specialist. The Space Specialist isolated the energy of the curse into space and teleported it back to me.


    I swung my magic wand to dissipate the energy of the curse, which made the Curse Specialist grow interested in me.


    "How did you do that?" While muttering this, he tried to get confirmation by pouring out more curse energy rather than listening to an explanation from me.


    That was a mistake! This is dangerous.


    I flew up high to avoid the large amount of curse energy that suddenly rushed towards me, but the Space Specialist used his space magic to prevent me from dodging. I hacked into the movement-blocking barrier that surrounded me and used it to seal the energy of the curse.


    "Stay still!"


    "I didn''t do that! What?! What''s wrong with this?" The Space Specialist was bewildered by his magic suddenly not listening to him. Then, he noticed the effect of my domain at once. "You punk! You stole control of my magic in secret!"


    "Ahahaha! You got me!"


    He was indeed a great madosa. I can''t believe he noticed it after only three times. However, the preparation for the base was already completed.


    "How fun! That''s why I couldn''t read the space magic you used! Because it was my magic!"


    "Ahahaha! That''s correct!"


    I shot dozens of Thunder that Races Across the Sky at the Space Specialist. By borrowing the power of the domain, it was possible to use great magic at the same time without the expedient known as Chirps. My domain proclamation did not stop at simply hacking magic. Even the opponent''s computational power and mana circuit could be hacked and used.


    "Ugh!"


    "Keuk!"


    The Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist hurriedly grabbed the mana being sucked out of them in bundles. The Space Specialist tried to avoid the attack by quickly teleporting. Yet, when the teleportation failed due to my hacking, he avoided my Thunder Racing Across the Sky with high-speed maneuvers.


    "My magic and mana! You won¡¯t be able to use them as you wish anymore!"


    The Space Specialist and Curse Specialist controlled their domains and firmly defended themselves. Certainly, using the magic or mana circuit of two great madosas was too much at the moment.


    "Really? Then I''ll give up on you two." At my words, the Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist became wary. I smiled lightly and swung my magic wand.


    "Domain proclamation Mark 2! DDoS Attack!¡± As I shouted, nearly 10,000 magicians flew up from the battlefield. Among these people were a number of magicians from the Magic Kingdom.


    "John? I told you not to interfere rashly!"


    "T, teacher-nim! My body isn¡¯t listening to me!"


    "What?"


    The person who just called the Space Specialist ¡®teacher¡¯ was a madosa.


    "There''s quite a lot of big fish. Go! Zombie magicians!"


    The magicians who were hacked and infected by my domain started to inject mana into their wands. All at once, they attacked the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist. Even the madosas mixed in with the magicians were no exception. Due to the countless magic attacks soaring toward them from all directions, the two great madosas were forced to defend by swiftly flying in sporadic movements.


    "You... You wicked person! Stop this!" The Space Specialist¡¯s disciple tried to rebel by clenching his teeth, but he continued to put his all into casting his magic at the Space Specialist.


    I casually ignored him and spoke to the Space Specialist. "Ahahaha! What do you think? This is the magician corps that I control!"


    I thought the Space Specialist would be angry, but unexpectedly, he laughed joyfully, "Puhahahaha! I''ve never seen a crazy guy like you! So you¡¯re even more insane than your teacher! Good! Curse Specialist! Let''s work together!"


    Throughout the battle, the Space Specialist had repeatedly called his fellow great madosa Communication Disorder. Yet, now, he referred to the Curse Specialist properly and proposed an alliance.


    The Curse Specialist clicked his tongue and nodded. "Tch, all right, Space Specialist."


    The Curse Specialist had been calling him a Bit*h, but he also addressed the Space Specialist correctly and accepted the alliance proposal.


    "If I had known about your domain from the beginning, it would have been a good one-on-one match."


    "I know, but this is a war,¡± I said.


    The Space Specialist nodded pleasantly. "Yes. The Curse Specialist and I have been defeated after letting our guard down for a while. We forgot that we''re in a war! I''ll admit this. But we only lost as individuals, not as allies!"


    "...How cringy,¡± the Curse Specialist murmured.


    The Space Specialist laughed pleasantly, "Ahahaha! Shut up! I don''t want to form an alliance with you either! But I should teach that punk defeat!"


    "I agree.¡± The Curse Specialist nodded and materialized pure curses. The Space Specialist divided the materialized curses into small pieces and teleported them to me. I interfered with the teleportation as much as I could.


    Although it was impossible to take control, I could interfere with their magic. But it was too challenging to interfere with all of them, so I flew around quickly to avoid the curses that flew at me.


    "You loach-like punk!"


    The Space Specialist and Curse Specialist persistently targeted me, offsetting their subordinate¡¯s magic charging in from all sides. As the two great madosas¡¯ tenaciously attacked, a few curses flew toward me and could not be avoided.


    "Friend shield!" Whenever that happened, I escaped the crisis by using the two¡¯s disciples as shields.


    "You wicked man!"


    "Thanks for the compliment. Now! Launching an energetic great magic at the front!"


    The Space Specialist¡¯s disciple named John had become a shield, and he cursed but continued to fire great magic as a faithful doll. "I¡¯m sorry, Teacher-nim!"


    "Oh! You incompetent disciple! Devote yourself more in the future!"


    The Space Specialist simply dispersed the disciple''s great magic and teleported to the space behind me.


    "I can read your pattern!" I shot a Dragon Breath at the anticipated teleportation. The mana and computational power extracted from about 10,000 magicians was giving me infinite power.


    "Keuk! I''m the bait! You fool!" The Space Specialist shouted while receiving my Dragon Breath directly, and at that moment, I realized my mistake.


    While I was focused on the Space Specialist, the Curse Specialist had closed in on me using the Space Specialist¡¯s teleportation, and he now sent a materialized curse at me.


    "As the first flower of the World Tree, I order you! Bless!" Holy Tribe magic was a kind of magic that could not be handled with my proclaimed domain, so I had to chant each incantation.


    "Tch!"


    The magic that I hurriedly launched was not enough to block the curse of the Curse Specialist. I poured as much mana as I could into the Holy Sword and flew at the curse rushing towards me.

 CH 297.

    Injecting vast amounts of mana into the Holy Sword caused it to form a massive blade, and I used this blade to cut down the weakened curse. Originally, no matter how tangible it was, it was impossible to cut down an insubstantial curse. However, the divine power of the Holy Sword contradicted the curse, changing the impossible to possible.


    Breaking through the curse to approach the Curse Specialist, I cut him with the Holy Sword. "Tch, is it a double trap?!"


    The bisected Curse Specialist turned into a blackish liquid that tried to swallow me.


    "Enlightenment! Lotus flowers bloom!" I blew away the curse by shooting sword auras made of divine power in all directions. Then, I looked for the Curse Specialist. Alas, I couldn''t see him.


    "What are you looking at?!¡±


    The Space Specialist tried to teleport something through my body, but as soon as I sensed the magic, I quickly moved away from the target area. Daggers appeared where I stood just before and fell to the ground.


    "An attack suited for the Space Specialist,¡± I said.


    "Right?" The Space Specialist laughed jokingly, and a warp gate opened over my head, dropping more weapons.


    I was casually moving to the side to dodge the weapons when a dagger flew toward me from my blindspot. I twisted my body to avoid it, but one after another, weapons continuously shot at my blind spots.


    The Space Specialist shouted confidently, "Now! Keep trying to dodge it!"


    Even if I raised a barrier, he would teleport them inside, and when I interfered with his teleportation, he created dozens of warp gates simultaneously. I had no choice but to avoid the unblockable weapons charging toward me from all sides.


    The Space Specialist was predicting my movements and shooting weapons at me while blocking the attacks of the magicians I was controlling. His computational abilities were quite admirable.


    "Manipulating space means it¡¯s not blockable or avoidable, so how do you keep dodging them? Are you some kind of mollusk?" The Space Specialist freaked out as he saw me avoiding all the weapons.


    "This is a given when you train under my father!" I had the magicians continue to attack the Space Specialist as I avoided the weapons.


    "Stardust of the Falling Star!¡±


    The light of destruction falling from the atmosphere fell straight down toward the Space Specialist. The Space Specialist swung his magic wand and distorted the space just before it reached him, changing its direction.


    "Keuk! What kind of mana!" Yet, bending the magic made from every controlled magician¡¯s mana seemed to even tire a great madosa.


    "Aiming for this gap! Dragon Breath! Thunder that Races Across the Sky! Flame Constellation! Thunder Spear!¡±


    I fired great magic one after another. The Space Specialist urgently chanted as great magic suddenly rained down on him. "Exit gate!"


    "I already told you I¡¯ve figured out your pattern!"


    I had the madosas wait and launch a great magic toward the area where I predicted he¡¯d show up. The Space Specialist skillfully distorted the space and immediately blocked the attack, not hindered by his teleportation just now. However, despite being a great madosa, it seemed the exertion was too much as his nose suddenly began to bleed.


    "Hey! Are you almost done, Curse Specialist!"


    At the Space Specialist¡¯s cry, the Curse Specialist revealed himself from hiding. "I just finished it."


    Finished? Finished what? Before I finished my thought, the Curse Specialist flicked his finger, and the energy of curses raged from all sides.


    "Damn! He got me!"


    The curse was not aimed at me. The Curse Specialist¡¯s curse was not for me, but the terminals- I mean, the magicians I controlled. The magicians hit by the curse fell to the ground as their mana circuit was paralyzed.


    "Gravity reduction!" The Space Specialist cast magic so that the magicians falling on the ground would fall slowly and not get hurt.


    "Ahahaha! How is it?! To get done in!"


    Rather than targeting me directly, the two chose to reduce the number of magicians who were bolstering my strength to weaken me. The Space Specialist¡¯s role was just to divert my attention.


    I didn''t expect them to solve my DDoS attack by breaking my terminals instead of reverse hacking. I was speechless. No, I rather admired the Curse Specialist''s magic that resolved the situation by simply paralyzing the mana circuit.


    "Puhahahaha! I admit! I got done in!¡± I laughed cheerfully and clapped.


    As the magicians began to fall, I tried to have them block the curse as much as possible, but out of 10,000 magicians, no more than 1,000 of them managed to block the Curse Specialist¡¯s curse. I truly got beaten quite well.


    "But it looks like you both are having a hard time, too."


    I wasn''t too tired since I was using the mana and computational power from the magicians under my control. However, the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist were attacked not only by me but also by the hacked magicians. In particular, the Space Specialist was on the verge of having his mana depleted after getting attacked to attract my attention.


    "Yes. I''ll probably fall after one more magic." The Space Specialist nodded, agreeing with me. Then he put the last remaining mana in his magic wand and raised it high. "But that one time is enough! Space and space shine on each other! Mirror Dimension!¡±


    Using the last of his mana, the Space Specialist smiled and fell to the ground. "Beat that crazy guy, Communication Disorder!"


    "Of course I will, Bit*h."


    The Space Specialist''s last magic revealed mana-like glass fragments that surrounded the Curse Specialist and me. I tried to attack the Curse Specialist using the magicians left in my control, but I was blocked by the Space Specialist¡¯s magic.


    "A barrier?¡± I murmured.


    It was a space where only me and the curses existed, but there was no problem using mana and computational power because my mana connection wasn¡¯t cut off.


    The Curse Specialist smirked and denied it. "No, it''s worse than that."


    "Worse?"


    The Curse Specialist made a small curse that looked like a dragon with three heads in his hands and let it fly into the air.


    "Go, Azhi Dahaka."


    I raised the Holy Sword, wary of the Curse Specialist''s incomprehensible behavior. Sure enough, a curse shaped like a giant dragon suddenly appeared behind me and opened its mouth as it flew toward me.


    - Kyaaaaaaa!


    I swung the Holy Sword and split the curse in half, and the dragon disappeared, leaving black smoke as if it were an illusion. As the black smoke scattered, the world turned upside down.


    I drew as much mana as I could from the magicians outside and cast magic at the Curse Specialist. "Thunder that Races Across the Sky, multiple shots!"


    Dozens of Thunder that Races Across the Sky flew toward him, but the Curse Specialist remained still. The Thunder that Races Across the Sky collided with the glass fragment-like mana left by the Space Specialist around the Curse Specialist, and its power dropped to that of a magic bullet.


    "This amplifies the magic of allies and weakens my magic?¡± I inquired.


    "Yes. It''s pretty vicious.¡±


    "In addition, spatial distortion is there as the base. It must not be magic that lasts long.¡±


    If the magician were intact, it would have lasted a little longer, but the Space Specialist had already fallen to the ground from mana depletion, and his domain was starting to collapse.


    At my prediction, the Curse Specialist nodded. "But it''s plenty of time for me to beat you. Because you''re already under my curse."


    At the same time, an unprecedented power within my body began to swell.


    "Keuk!"


    Gradually, black smoke began to surround me.


    "As you said, I''m slowly reaching my limit as well. If you catch the evil dragon, you win. If you fail, you''ll suffer for a few days."


    From what I could see through the gaps in the black smoke, the Space Specialist¡¯s magic was breaking into pieces and disappearing. When the black smoke completely surrounded me, a colossal dragon with three heads appeared in front of me. Amplified by the magic of the Space Specialist, the dragon fired a Dragon Breath, and I flew high to avoid it.


    "Wow, this won''t be easy."


    It''s been a while since I hunted a dragon.


    * * *


    The Curse Specialist exhaled a deep breath after locking up Den. No matter how much support he was getting from the power of the magic-amplifying domain, he was already exhausted. In addition, considering that Den was extracting mana from a thousand magicians, the difficulty of the curse rose sharply.


    "Alpha." The Curse Specialist called his disciple. This particular one was the first he saved from Den¡¯s magic by paralyzing his mana circuit.


    "Yes, Teacher-nim." After lifting the curse that paralyzed his mana circuit, Alpha was able to move around freely, and there was no sign of being controlled again.


    "Take care of it."


    The main point was omitted, but Alpha nodded as if he was used to it and paralyzed the mana circuits of the magicians who were still being controlled. A mana circuit was an essential element in using magic and was equivalent to a magician¡¯s life. So, Alpha carefully paralyzed their mana circuits in a cold sweat.


    "You''re amazing, Teacher-nim. It''s hard to neutralize each mana circuit one by one, but you neutralized 9,000 people at a time."


    To Alpha''s admiration, the Curse Specialist responded as if it were nothing, pointing to the black sphere that trapped Den. "Him controlling the magicians is of higher difficulty. After all, he used their mana circuits as if they were his without anyone being able to resist."


    Alpha swallowed dryly at his teacher''s words. He knew how delicately Den controlled the mana circuit because he had personally experienced it.


    "We''ve already lost the war."


    The sight under the feet of the Curse Specialist was terrible. In the land that used to be a lush mountain, not even a single blade of grass could be found. The piles of dirt, which used to be mountains, were half-extinguished or appeared hollow and were riddled with holes. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Kingdom troops were destroyed in the aftermath of the three great madosas¡¯ clash. The only thing that remained intact on the ground was Shellen Fortress.


    "Interesting. What did you change the core of that fortress to for it to still maintain its shape?¡±


    Alpha smiled as the Curse Specialist looked at the fortress. "Thanks to you, the disciples seem to be safe. Will you go down?"


    Before the Curse Specialist could answer Alpha''s question, he felt unusual mana from the black sphere.


    Crack!


    The black sphere cracked, and a golden flash of light was emitted. "Die, lizard!"


    Boom!


    Sword auras filled with divine power flew everywhere as the black sphere shattered.


    "It''s dangerous, Teacher-nim!" Alpha tried to protect the Curse Specialist by using his own body as a shield, but the Curse Specialist pulled him by the neck and protected his disciple instead.


    * * *


    I cut off the third head that was persistently spewing poison while swinging the Holy Sword with all my might.


    "Die, lizard!"


    As the three-headed dragon was defeated and shattered, at the same time, the black smoke surrounding me was also shattered.


    Boom!


    "Uah! I''ve never had such a hard time since I caught a dragon when I was 12! F**k, he just won''t die easily!"


    I exhaled heavily in exhaustion. I would have been in big trouble if the damn dragon and the Holy Sword did not have opposite attributes.


    "Teacher-nim!"


    "It''s okay. Don''t make a fuss."


    I looked towards the familiar voice and greeted. ¡°Hi, it''s been a while. You''ve been waiting for me? How many days has it been since I was trapped?"


    When I asked the hunched-over Curse Specialist a question, he straightened up and answered, "It''s been three minutes."


    "What? Really? I thought three days would have passed".


    "That''s what the original curse is like." The Curse Specialist indifferently wiped the blood flowing from his forehead.


    "Huh...?"


    Without his mask, the Curse Specialist¡¯s face not only appeared young but even younger than I. When his bare face was revealed, I felt an incredibly intense curse from the Curse Specialist.


    "Curse of aging?"


    But then, it was strange that his face was young. The Curse Specialist shook his head at my murmur. "No. It is a curse of immortality made by twisting the curse of aging in reverse. It''s a myth-class curse."


    The Curse Specialist sighed and said, "It''s your victory since you defeated Azhi Dahaka. It seems I can¡¯t call you kid anymore.¡±


    At the Curse Specialist''s surrender, I looked around.

 CH 298.

    "Wow, I had guessed it, but it¡¯s become a complete plain.¡±


    The battlefield, which was in full swing, was completely empty, and at a glance, the enemy was destroyed.


    Fortunately, thanks to the Turtle Carrying a Mountain¡¯s mana stone, the fortress managed to retain its shape.


    "Caradoc, what''s the situation inside the fortress?" I asked Caradoc who was in the fortress. He replied in a difficult voice.


    - Everyone is safe, Commander-in-Chief, but...


    "Safe, but?"


    - Yes. No matter how much the fortress was a shield, it was a battle that turned the battlefield into a wasteland with the aftermath alone. Most of them fell over from the shockwaves.


    "Everyone is still alive, right? That''s all that matters."


    When I passed over it casually, Caradoc smiled absurdly and asked,


    - What happened to your fight with the great madosas? Did you win?


    "Well, if you asked me if I won, I suppose I did win."


    Although I won using various expedients.


    "Since the battle is over, call up the soldiers and clean up the battlefield."


    - Yes, I understand.


    After giving Caradoc instructions, I stretched.


    "Ootcha! Ahh, my mana circuit is falling asleep."


    Up until I was cursed by the Curse Specialist and fought a dragon with three heads, I was overflowing with mana using mana from the magicians.


    However, after I was trapped in the curse, all connections were cut off, so I overloaded my mana circuits fighting while continuously drinking mana recovery potions.


    "So what¡¯s your side going to do?" I asked.


    The Curse Specialist answered calmly, "First, I¡¯ll go inside and rest."


    I smiled slightly at his attitude of it being natural.


    "Does that mean you''re going to be a prisoner?"


    "If you can take me as a prisoner, try it. And I''m a lot older than you. Speak formally." He pointed.


    I scratched the back of my head. No matter how I looked at it, I felt awkward using honorifics because he looked younger than me.


    "Well, sure. But since we won the war, I¡¯ll take your subordinates as prisoners."


    The Curse Specialist nodded casually. "As you wish."


    In response, the disciple opened his eyes wide and looked at me and his teacher alternately.


    The Curse Specialist took the lead and headed to the fortress, and I curled my finger at the flustered disciple.


    "Okay, let''s go, Mr. Prisoner."


    As I went down towards the fortress, the Curse Specialist¡¯s disciple, who had hesitated, soon followed as if he had given up.


    -o-


    When the Curse Specialist landed on the ground, the knights and magicians in the fortress were all on guard with weapons raised.


    The Curse Specialist yawned as if he were tired. "I will stay here for a few days. Where are my subordinates and disciples?"


    After landing on the ground behind him, I answered, "They¡¯re inside the fortress. Lionel, guide him."


    Lionel appeared out of my pocket space, knelt and prostrated. "Yes, I understand, Master."


    When Lionel went inside with the Curse Specialist and his disciple who came down late, the chief of staff approached me.


    "Is it okay to bring him into the fortress so freely?"


    ¡°It''ll probably be okay. I won, so they''ll likely remain calm while they¡¯re here."


    The chief of staff was shocked by what I said. "You won? Against the great madosas?"


    "Yes. I thought I was going to die fighting so much. If I had made a slight mistake, I would have died."


    Of course, it was the same for the Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist.


    Right then, the gate opened and the soldiers who had been cleaning up the battlefield returned.


    "It seems you brought back the prisoners first."


    The arrangement of the dead took a long time and you could not leave the prisoners unattended, so it was natural.


    "Hey! So you were already inside!"


    Unlike other enemy soldiers who were tied up, the Space Specialist walked in freely, looked at me, and waved.


    "You look fine, unlike someone who fell from mana depletion?"


    "Hahaha! I''m normally quite healthy! But seeing that you¡¯re fine, it seems you¡¯ve ended it with Communication Disorder. His Azhi Dahaka is a curse that is hard to shake off, you know.¡±


    "I also had a very hard time catching it. But seeing that you came all the way here on your own, I guess you want to be a prisoner?¡± I playfully asked.


    The Space Specialist snorted. "Ha! As if! I can''t leave my subordinates behind, so I''m just staying around! Treat me as a VIP!"


    Those were quite some outrageous words. In any case, the Space Specialist was the head of the Magic Kingdom army who helped invade the empire. However, the status of being a great madosa made those outrageous words seem natural. The Curse Specialist was the same, but it seems all great madosas just did whatever they wanted.


    "Well, that''s fine. We will treat you akin to ¡°the most valued guest¡± of the state, Space Specialist. But please keep in mind that your subordinates are our prisoners," I said.


    The Space Specialist pouted his lips discontentedly but soon nodded. "Yeah, I lost the war, so it can''t be helped! Take me to the best room! A better room than the one for Communication Disorder!¡±


    "Hahaha, yes. Okay. Agravain."


    "Did you call me, Master?"


    I entrusted the guidance of the Space Specialist to Agravain, who came out of the pocket space and politely bowed his head.


    "Take him to the room next to the Curse Specialist."


    "Yes, I understand."


    The Space Specialist walked in large strides behind Agravain.


    Watching their departing backs, I told the chief of staff, "Don''t touch him for no reason and treat him as a state guest. And later, get a huge ransom from the Magic Kingdom for him."


    "Haha, state guest, all right. I only suggest the ransom to His Excellency Prime Minister. I''m not confident in receiving ransom for such a scary great madosa."


    Well, receiving a ransom meant treating him as a prisoner, so he was probably afraid of future troubles.


    "Well, that¡¯s fine. Then, it''s fine to say that this war is over, right?¡± I asked.


    The chief of staff nodded. "Yes, it should be considered over. Of the 300,000 enemy soldiers, the number of prisoners alone will be about 50,000 and the casualties will be two or three times higher. Less than 100,000 people likely managed to retreat properly.¡±


    This was the reason Caradoc urged me to fight first. There''s no way they¡¯d be fine when the two great madosas and I were fighting with all our power.


    "If you hold this fortress like this, the enemies will surrender on their own."


    "Then I''ll send a messenger to the main force. Toi send half of the main force coming here back to the Demon Territory."


    According to my aunt before the war, this war was designed to avert the eyes of the empire.


    Then, where are they avoiding the eyes of the empire?


    It''s the Demon Territory.


    The empire regularly patrolled the Demon Territory as they border it. However, with this war, they withdrew the forces from there.


    "Hmm, all right. But I don''t know if General Orphina, the deciding authority, will accept it.¡±


    "Yes. I''ll send someone to persuade her personally."


    If it¡¯s Milpia, she should be able to persuade Orphina on her own since this is for my aunt.


    "Okay."


    "Then, I have to check the core of the fortress first, so I''ll go up to the spire. Please tell my uncle to come over there," I said.


    I wanted to immediately lie in bed and sleep with my legs stretched out, but I needed to check how much mana was left in the great demon¡¯s mana stone. Considering the aftermath of the battle, it had probably almost bottomed out.


    The chief of staff replied with a sigh. "That¡¯s... When you started to fight in the sky, the enemy Hunter Tribe members suddenly jumped into the fortress and after a bloody battle, the injured are being treated now.¡±


    "Uncle? Did he get hurt badly?¡±


    It was hard to believe my uncle was hurt enough to receive treatment.


    "He suffered a penetrating wound in his abdomen, but they told me not to worry saying that it wasn''t a big injury for the Crows.¡±


    I frowned. "No way. Injuries are all the same. How many people came at once that my uncle got such an injury?"


    "25 great warriors of the Hunter Tribe. And there was a magician wearing a strange mask.¡±


    "A magician wearing a mask?"


    If it were a magician, there¡¯s no way I wouldn''t have detected it. In addition, to think that a magician moved freely in my domain. That couldn¡¯t be true unless the magician was at least a great madosa.


    "Yes, it was a woman wearing a red mask."


    "Red mask?"


    When it came to a magician wearing a red mask, only Scorpio came to mind. But she had been definitely cut by Marsen''s heart sword and died. There was no way in this world that there was a monster that could survive being cut by the heart sword. Heart sword was an extreme level that was equivalent to a great madosa in terms of magicians. Probably.


    "Will you go to the Head Commander-nim?"


    "No, there is an urgent matter!"


    Feeling uncomfortable, I refused the chief of staff¡¯s suggestion and flew over the spire.


    Bang!


    When I roughly opened the window of the spire and entered, I couldn''t see the mana stone that constituted the core that was supposed to be in the magic circle.


    "Ahahahaha!"


    In such a ridiculous situation, I couldn''t help but laugh. Then soon, I became angry.


    "Haha, which ****** was it!? This ********, I¡¯ll **** you up!¡±


    I got momentarily excited and poured out curses. ****!


    I can''t believe I''ve been robbed! I was speechless.


    Just wait till you get caught, no matter which **** it is, I¡¯ll **** him up!


    "Phew, first, I¡¯ll just charge the prime minister for the price of the mana stone."


    First, I calmed down and searched for the location of the mana stone. I wanted to fall down and sleep right away, but I couldn''t leave the precious mana stone alone.


    "Everyone gather!"


    At my cry, 12 knights gathered in front of me from the pocket space. Not only the two knights who were guiding the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist, but also Percival, who had remained in the capital, knelt in front of me and bowed their heads.


    "Some ****** stole my mana stone. Capture and torture.¡±


    How dare you desire my belongings? I¡¯ll make you regret it.


    "Master, I dare say that Master needs to rest." Gwalchavad advised.


    I touched his shoulder. "That''s true. If I was exhausted alone, I should do that. But you''re here."


    "Master!"


    Gwalchavad looked up at me with emotion.


    "In that sense, you¡¯ll be the vanguard. I''ll give you 5,000 dragon tooth soldiers. Catch the thief bastard."


    "Do you mean you''re going to use the dragon tooth soldiers? Didn''t you say you wouldn''t use it because you might be mistaken for a black magician?" Caradoc said.


    I smirked.


    Dragon tooth soldiers were a type of top-notch undead made with necromancy as the base. Of course, I made it based on alchemy, not necromancy, but they were essentially skeletons nonetheless. Only a very small portion of great madosas and madosas could see the alchemic content, and in the eyes of others, it was inevitable that it¡¯d appear that I was commanding an undead army.


    "I¡¯ll just be misunderstood".


    The mana stone was more valuable than being misunderstood. If there was anyone pointing their fingers at me, I¡¯ll just kindly break their fingers so they can¡¯t point at me. Forever!


    "And there''s also the mask."¡±


    I took out a white half-mask from my pocket space and wore it.


    "Tristan, I''ll give you 3,000 dragon tooth soldiers. Search."


    "Okay, Master."


    Tristan nodded and I took a map out of my pocket space.


    "I''ll give you an approximate position. The reception magic cast on the mana stone is responding here.¡±


    "Does the reception magic work? The person who broke through the commander-in-chief''s security magic didn''t even cancel that much?¡± Caradoc asked.


    I smiled widely. "Yeah. This is openly provoking me. They know that I''m almost out of mana.¡±


    "Then isn''t it a trap?!¡±


    I frowned and smiled at Caradoc''s dissuasion.


    "I know. That''s why I''m going to break them with all my might. It''s been a while since I''ve been this angry. Uhuhuhu.¡±


    At my laughter, the faces of my knights hardened.


    "Everyone, get ready to each lead 2,000 dragon tooth soldiers."


    I flicked my fingers to open my pocket space, and tens of thousands of dragon tooth soldiers walked out with their strides in sync.

 CH 299.

    When my dragon tooth soldiers came out of pocket space, I summoned a pair of skeleton horses and got on.


    "Wow, looking at it like this, it looks just like the Demon King¡¯s army in the legend. Don''t you think so, Master?¡± Tristan jested.


    I smiled. "I can''t help it. I didn''t have the money to cover the dragon tooth soldiers in human skin, so of course, the horses are skeletons."


    Not only the skull horse''s eyes and four hooves but also its entirety was covered in goblin fire making it look ghostly. It really did look like an army of the Demon King. But in fact, what was visible was just mana, which powered their movements, that I didn¡¯t have enough money to cover up, along with their exteriors.


    "But as long as there''s no difference in performance."


    Decorating the exterior to look decent was just like attaching accessories to avatars in a game. Just because there¡¯s a blue light effect every time a character moves, doesn¡¯t mean that the character is stronger. Honestly, it''s also hard work to put skin on them one by one.


    "Tristan, if Master says there''s no problem, there''s no problem.¡± Gwalchavad pointed out in a gentle voice.


    Tristan flinched and laughed. "Ahahaha. Is that so? No, of course! If Master says so, then it''s like that!"


    For some reason, the knights were afraid of Gwalchavad even though the captain of the knights was Percival. Even the latter would always be busy running away if the former seemed to be angry.


    "Let''s end the small talk here. Tristan, Gwalchavad, take off."


    At my command, the two knights knelt and bowed their heads.


    "As your shield, I will protect Master. I will obey your orders."


    "My arrow will be Master¡¯s arrow. I will obey your orders."


    Then, they immediately got up, summoned their own horses, and mounted. The horses of the knights were made with special care, so they had the appearance of a horse on the outside.


    "Then I''ll bring back Master¡¯s mana stone! Hiya!"


    Gwalchavad fired a sword aura, completely smashed the wall, and jumped off with the horse. The charger did not tumble down from the high spire but kicked vigorously through the air. Five thousand dragon tooth soldiers on skeleton horses galloped in the sky without hesitation, following him.


    "Master, come after taking a break!"


    Subsequently, three thousand dragon tooth soldiers followed as Tristan drove his horse outside. As a total of eight thousand dragon tooth soldiers poured out, a disturbance broke out from below.


    "There might be a rumor that the empire might be on the same side as black magicians."


    It was possible enough. Since just looking at it, as soon as the battle was over, undead people on skeleton horses suddenly poured out. Rumors would spread even if there were only imperial forces down there, but since there were a lot of prisoners, it would be impossible to block the spread.


    "Well, it''s none of my business. The competent prime minister will take care of it."


    For cases like these, I had given ample stomach medicine, so there was no problem.


    "Wow, I feel bad for the prime minister."


    "As expected of Prince Crow, there''s no mercy."


    I gave the twins a whack on the heads.


    "Ow! It hurts!"


    "Are you afraid someone will think you aren¡¯t a Crow?" I snorted at them holding their heads.


    "This fortress belongs to the enemy country anyway, so we can fabricate and spread rumors that the dragon tooth soldiers are secret weapons of the enemy country."


    Rather, these types of conspiracies were the prime minister''s specialty than mine. It was essentially a gift since he would probably attack politically with much more weight than I could imagine.


    "Wow, I feel bad for the enemy! As expected of Prince Crow!¡±


    "He does things that we can''t even imagine! That''s why it''s thrilling! It makes us admire him!" I sighed as I watched the twins making a fuss.


    "Phew, fine, you guys talk about whatever you want."


    At that time, Percival asked with a confused face, "But Master, no matter the fact that a great demon¡¯s mana stone has been lost, is it necessary to mobilize so many dragon tooth soldiers?"


    Caradoc answered instead of me.


    "It''s simple. It just means the power of those who are presumed to be enemies is that great."


    "It¡¯s that great?" Percival asked back. However, besides Caradoc, no one else seemed to understand either.


    "Yes. The enemy is presumed to be a magician of skill equivalent to a great madosa of the party of heroes who subjugated the Demon King in the past."


    Caradoc sighed and shook his head at the face that showed he still didn''t understand.


    "Phew, since you all woke up in modern times, read some history and check some public information. To explain simply, it means that the person is in the same class as a great warlock of the Giant tribe or the Seven Great Witches.¡± Caradoc explained.


    With that, the playful expressions of the knights disappeared to be replaced with seriousness.


    "In addition, the opponent is openly luring the Commander-in-Chief. It''s highly likely that they¡¯ve laid all kinds of traps."


    As expected, it was convenient to have Caradoc since I didn''t have to bother explaining.


    I added a light comment to his explanation. "And the thief who provoked me this time might be Selina, the Witch of Greed."


    As soon as I finished talking, the knights emitted a martial aura.


    "Since she¡¯s a shrew witch, you don''t know what she¡¯ll be up to, so you have to be careful."


    Percival calmed down and let out his fighting spirit.


    "That''s why I only sent Gwalchavad and Tristan to start.¡±


    I couldn''t imagine that the traps created by the Witch of Greed would be small in size or small in power. So, the 3,000 dragon tooth soldiers led by Tristan were to be used as sacrificial pieces to confirm the size of the enemy.


    It was a waste of 3,000 dragon tooth soldiers, but it was not very expensive if I considered it as the cost of recovering the mana stone of a great demon. After the confirmation, I planned to have Gwalchavad check the opponent''s forces with his 5,000 dragon tooth soldiers.


    "As soon as they finish grasping the situation, we will surround them. Get ready."


    The knights answered in one voice.


    "We receive your order!"


    "I''ll take a rest until I get a call from Tristan."


    Saying so, I jumped down the spire. Because I was wearing the recognition interfering mask, no one noticed me coming down. After landing lightly on the ground, I headed to the medical camp where Uncle Bloody was lying down. As I entered the barracks, I took off my mask and asked after him.


    "Uncle, are you okay?"


    Instead of my uncle, Mac, who was lying on the bed next to him, jumped up and sat down.


    "Oh, the Youngest Master is here? Iya! I saw you fighting and it was amazing. I felt like I was looking at the Boss!"


    "Ayy, I¡¯m a long way off compared to my father. How did Uncle end up like that when hyung was here?¡±


    When I pointed to Uncle Bloody, he pretended to be in pain and made a crying face.


    "Aigoo, I''m dying!"


    In fact, having a hole through your stomach was a serious injury to the people of our hometown too. I smiled and took out a recovery potion from my pocket space.


    "Really? I''ll make it okay for you right now."


    Pop!


    When I opened the cap on the potion bottle, Uncle Bloody freaked out.


    "No! I''m fine! So, get rid of that hideous thing!¡±


    "What do you mean it''s hideous?! Uncle, you were also very indebted to it when you were young. How sad would it be if it heard you?"


    I stroked the potion bottle as if it were a living creature and smiled. As I approached with a smile, Uncle Bloody stood up with a seriously injured body and tried to run away.


    "Get out of here!"


    "Uh uh! Good medicine is supposed to be bitter!"


    "That''s not bitter. It hurts a lot! If you spit on this, it¡¯ll be better in a week!"


    No matter how good his self-healing power was, it was too much to heal an abdominal penetration in a week without medicine.


    "Hyung! Catch him!"


    "Yep! Stay still!"


    Uncle Bloody resisted, but it was too much to get out of Mac''s grasp with a seriously injured body.


    "Kuaaaaaa!"


    "I haven¡¯t poured it yet."


    When I put the bottle in front of him, my uncle smiled in embarrassment and tried to say something.


    "Ahahaha, yeaAAAAAHHHHHH!"


    What my uncle was trying to say turned into a scream as I poured on the medicine. Struggling in pain for a long time, Uncle Bloody shed a tear.


    "For a man who doesn¡¯t even scream when his limbs are broken, isn¡¯t it too much to act like this?¡± I said.


    Uncle Bloody cried out as if it was unfair. "You don''t know this pain because you''ve never experienced it! It hurts a hundred times more when the wound is healed with that medicine than when the stomach was pierced through!"


    "It''s Uncle''s fault in the first place for getting hurt and making this scenario necessary."


    At my very natural words, Uncle Bloody nodded in agreement.


    That was the general way of thinking of the people in our hometown. The one who lost the fight was at fault and the one who was injured was at fault.


    "So how did you end up with a hole in your stomach? This isn¡¯t the capital and it''s not like your strength was sealed."


    Although the great warriors of the Hunter Tribe were strong, they were not as strong as Uncle Bloody at full power. My uncle was a monster who used the extremes of martial arts to split the mountain-sized great demon in half in one blow. It made no sense to be seriously injured just because 25 people attacked him.


    "Well, the great warriors were no problem, but I was attacked while dealing with the magic of a woman wearing a red mask. That green wolf guy must have thought this was his last chance and went all out."


    "By that green wolf, you mean that one-armed one?" I asked.


    Uncle Bloody nodded. "Yes. I destroyed his heart in return for him giving me a hole in my stomach, so we won''t be seeing him again."


    It seemed like there was a bitter aftertaste and Uncle Bloody didn''t look so happy.


    "I liked his younger brother and so wanted to save him somehow.¡±


    "It happened on the battlefield, so there''s nothing we can do about it. Rather, can you explain to me regarding the woman with the red mask?"


    "Huh? What about her? She ran away right around when you finished fighting.¡±


    I smiled deeply at my uncle''s question.


    "That ****... No, that red mask stole my mana stone of a great demon that was guarding the fortress."


    Uncle Bloody trembled when he saw my smile. "What a crazy person. Of all the people, why did she steal your stuff?¡±


    "I don''t know about anything else, but the mana stone of a great demon is essential to me, so I have to recover it. So, let me borrow your hand."


    When I asked Uncle Bloody for a favor, he readily nodded.


    "Oh! Good! It''s a revenge match!"


    This is why I liked my uncle.


    "It seems like it''s going to be fun. Is it okay if I join you?¡± Mac hyung asked.


    I readily nodded. Rather, it couldn''t be better with him joining.


    "So when should I lend you my hand?"


    I smiled as I pondered over my uncle''s question. "Now."


    I just felt the dragon tooth mercenaries that Tristan led being smashed in large quantities. The Witch of Greed seemed to have dug a trap quite hard.


    "Now?"


    I nodded lightly and magically opened the tent of the medical office.


    "It''s quite far from here, so I''ll give you a ride. Take it."


    I took out a black bracelet from my pocket space and handed it over.


    "What''s this?" Uncle Bloody asked.


    I took a green deer out of my pocket space, got on it and said, "The chant is the rest of the pitch darkness."


    "The rest of the pitch darkness?¡± Uncle Bloody asked back.


    The bracelet ate up my uncle''s mana and summoned a magic circle in the air. Then a large black horse walked out of the magic circle.


    "It''s an alchemic life form that I made, and it was made using a dragon bone, so it should be quite useful."


    "Ohh! I wanted something like this, too!" Uncle Bloody was excited with sparkling eyes like a child who received a gift.


    "I''ll give it to you if you help me."


    "Really?!"


    My uncle became motivated and took the lead on the horse.


    "Let''s go!"

 CH 300.

    My uncle, who bravely took the lead, was puzzled by the chaotic atmosphere around him.


    "Did something happen while I was lying down?" Uncle asked.


    I took out the mask again from my pocket space and shrugged. "The heat of the battle probably just hasn''t cooled down yet." I feigned ignorance.


    Mac hyung summoned a green deer like me and asked sharply. "Ayy, I don''t think so. Youngest Master, what did you do this time?"


    "Well? I don''t know what you mean. First, take this.¡± I took out masks from my pocket space and tossed them to the two.


    "Why masks?" asked Uncle Bloody.


    I smiled playfully and said, "It''s better to think of it as stomach medicine for the prime minister."


    "Stomach medicine?¡±


    There was nothing good about having my uncle and the dragon tooth soldiers seen together. Especially for the prime minister¡¯s stomach.


    "Let''s go! Rudolph!" I shouted.


    The deer kicked into the sky and began sprinting, Mac hyung also drove the deer as if he were familiar with it.


    "Wow! You can fly in the sky too!?"


    Uncle Bloody also drove the horse after me.


    - The ride is starting. Passengers should wear seat belts for safety.


    "Oh! The horse is talking!"


    The horse I¡¯d given began to fly and started several voice guides. Uncle Bloody followed me, listening to it curiously.


    Mac, who was running side by side next to my uncle, shouted, "Youngest Master! Senior just said the horse can also play a song. Can you let my deer play a song called a carol, too!¡±


    "Hyung¡¯s was made by Teacher-nim, so the software is different and I can''t update it. It''s not compatible."


    "What ware?"


    Since I learned from Elder Mirpa, my deer and Mac hyung¡¯s deer were almost the same in terms of hardware. However, I was confident that the software differed from ENIAC to Windows 10.[1]


    Honestly, Elder Mirpa was the best in terms of hardware technology, but her software technology was outdated. Of course, in the present era, the level of ENIAC was also a surprising technology.


    "There''s something like that." I roughly moved over the subject and sent my thoughts to Tristan. "Tristan, what''s the current situation?"


    - Ah, Master. Current situation? The spirits are attacking us like crazy. We¡¯re struggling!


    Tristan''s voice made it seem like it was quite hectic.


    By the way, spirits, you say. It seems it really was the Witch of Greed who had been cut by Marsen with the heart sword. How did she survive even after being cut by the heart sword? It was impossible with common sense.


    When I was lost in thought, Gwalchavad sent me a thought transmission.


    - Master, I''ll participate too.


    "Okay. Don''t let yourself break down because you¡¯re worried about saving the dragon tooth soldiers.¡±


    I instructed Gwalchavad not to ruin his body while fighting helplessly to protect the dragon tooth soldiers. The amount of money invested in a dragon tooth soldier and that of the knights were on different levels. Money was money, but their bodies were made so complicated that it¡¯d be harder to fix them.


    At my instructions, Gwalchavad was moved and replied.


    - Master thinks of us and is so considerate. I am very grateful!


    It wasn''t an order that had such a touching meaning, but it was good for me if the morale rose on its own.


    - Observing it, the enemy witch''s quasi-disaster-class spirit is threatening. Please be careful on your way here!


    "Got it." I roughly answered and brought up Gwalchavad and Tristan''s vision in front of me as live videos.


    The dragon tooth soldiers led by Tristan deliberately activated all kinds of magic traps and consumed them as if in accord with my purpose. The 3,000 dragon tooth soldiers should be thoroughly sacrificed, not serve as a vanguard while trying to save as many dragon tooth soldiers as possible.


    Tristan was accurately aware of my intentions. Usually, he didn¡¯t seem to be serious about anything and just played around, but he was faster and more accurate than anyone else in understanding one¡¯s intentions.


    In the video, Tristan smiled playfully and provoked the Witch of Greed in a red mask.


    - This isn''t your full power, is it? Don''t disappoint me! Hideous witch!


    The Witch of Greed covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed loudly.


    - Ohohohoho! Most of those expensive dragon tooth soldiers were neutralized, but it seems like your mouth is still fine you mere doll!


    - I''m indeed pretty and lovely like a doll! Oh no! How could I boast of my beauty before an ugly old witch? I¡¯m a sinful man.


    Saying so, Tristan manipulated the dragon tooth soldiers to attack the spirits.


    - Uhuhuhuhu! We''ll see how long you can keep making fun with that snout!


    - Ahahahaha! I understand that I''m so handsome that you want to keep looking at me. But I''m not a man who dares covet an old witch who''s over 100 years old!


    - I''m still very firm! I''m going to capture and use you as experimental material!


    While Tristan and the Witch of Greed were checking each other by firing arrows and magic, the dragon tooth soldiers were working hard to trigger the trap magic.


    As the trap exploded, my dragon tooth soldiers were also broken. Well, I can just use them as I wished since I was going to get the cost of repairing the dragon tooth soldiers from the prime minister and my aunt anyway.


    "Tristan, good job. Gwalchavad will start attacking, so slowly recover the dragon tooth soldiers and step back."


    Tristan replied to my instructions with thought transmission.


    - Oh, all right, Master!


    Tristan abandoned the dragon tooth soldiers that could no longer move, and slowly withdrew while controlling the dragon tooth soldiers that could still move.


    - Tsk tsk, I know you still want to believe that you¡¯re firm, but don''t you think you¡¯re too old for that? Ordinary people at your age could have gone into a coffin twice.


    - Ohohohoho! I will definitely use you as an experimental material! A doll that has nothing but an arrogant mouth!


    Tristan did not forget to keep provoking even as he withdrew. His tongue was truly fantastic.


    Seeing him gradually retreating with his forces, the Witch of Greed looked to the right.


    - Ohohohoho! It seems the main force is finally coming?


    The direction the Witch of Greed looked at was exactly the direction Gwalchavad was running in.


    - I think it''s about 5,000 units of dragon tooth soldiers? Uhuhu, look at this cheeky doll. Your Master must be very rich, right? Since he¡¯s able to set up an army with those expensive dragon tooth soldiers.


    Tristan nodded.


    -  Well, the Master is indeed rich.


    The Witch of Greed raised the stolen mana stone to Gwalchavad¡¯s side, perhaps mistaking me for being where the Gwalchavad was.


    - Come! The huge mana stone is here! Master of the Holy Sword!


    A group of dragon tooth soldiers led by Gwalchavad began to clash with spirits summoned by the Witch of Greed.


    Wait, the master of the Holy Sword?


    Of course, I didn''t really go around with my Holy Sword hidden. However, it was because there were very few people who could recognize the Holy Sword I didn¡¯t feel the need to hide it.


    "Tristan, provoke and ask what she means by the master of the Holy Sword."


    Tristan nodded.


    - Ok.


    Even a high priest wouldn¡¯t notice unless I exerted the full power of the Holy Sword. When I first held the Holy Sword, the priests of the Great Temple only noticed because the divine power of Hillis, a pure saintess, interlocked with the Holy Sword. It must be the case since Hillis said so. But that witch was convinced that I was the master of the Holy Sword.


    - Look here, witch! What do you mean by the master of the Holy Sword? Are you senile? Well, you¡¯re certainly old enough.


    Tristan continued to shoot arrows and provoke her.


    - Ohohoho! Those are trifling provocations, you doll!


    Despite saying so, the Witch of Greed seemed genuinely angry and crazily attacked Tristan using spirits. He avoided attacks from the spirits with his equestrian skills that were close to tricks.


    - If you knew that I¡¯m the Witch of Greed, you would know that my old colleague was the Saintess Oryana, so don¡¯t pretend!


    Well, if it was a witch believed to be a great madosa, it was probably possible to distinguish the aura of the Holy Sword. But why did the Witch of Greed firmly refer to me as the ¡®master of the Holy Sword¡¯? What''s the purpose of luring me? Is it the Demon King summons in my head?


    No, there was a possibility, but if that was the reason she had moved, my aunt would have sent me a warning.


    "Tristan, dig for her intentions in luring me."


    At my order, Tristan continued to provoke the Witch of Greed.


    - Huh? What are you talking about? There is no way that a noble saintess and heroes were comrades with a little thieving witch. I''m sure you got the name, Witch of Greed, from a gambling house somewhere.


    Tristan, who had dealt with witches for a long time in the past, knew well how to insult the witch.


    - Quiet! You¡¯re just a doll with a mouth!


    Even while dealing with Gwalchavad''s dragon tooth soldiers, the Witch of Greed poured magic on Tristan with all her might. He focused only on evading and provoking, and Gwalchavad took care of the spirits step by step.


    "Master of the Holy Sword."


    I muttered and pondered. Why does this keep bothering me?


    While I was contemplating, the dragon tooth soldiers led by Gwalchavad gradually pushed out the spirits and began to gain the upper hand. The Witch of Greed tried to reverse the situation with great magic, and the battle line turned tight again. However, I could see that she was slowly getting tired.


    "Now, shall we slowly get going?"


    "Good!"


    At my words, Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung ran after me smiling as if their hands were itching. Soon I faced the Witch of Greed in a red mask.


    "How are you, Miss Red Mask!?¡±


    "Ohohoho! Have you finally decided to come out? Huh? I''ve seen that mask somewhere.¡±


    "Hahaha, I''m using well the rare magic ingredients you gave me before," I said.


    The Witch of Greed shouted as if she had just realized. "Oh! If you''re that white half-mask guy from that time! Ohoho! I didn''t expect that you were the master of the Holy Sword! I¡¯m sure I heard that the master of the Holy Sword was a woman!"


    Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung looked at me.


    I decided to change the subject before the witch could say more unnecessary noise. "So! Why did you steal my mana stone?"


    The Witch of Greed did not answer my question but gave an ambiguous answer. "Hmm, is this mana stone really yours? Jeez, his senses are really on the level of foresight."


    "Are you saying you don''t want to answer?"


    "Ohohoho! Hmm, what shall I do? Your dragon tooth soldiers are generally weaker than my spirits, and if you were the owner of this mana stone, you would have little mana left after the fight against the great madosas.¡±


    The Witch of Greed looked at me with a playful smile.


    I also asked, imitating that smile. "My dragon tooth soldiers are weak? Do you really think so?¡±


    I flicked my finger and opened my pocket space. Then knights and dragon tooth soldiers that were waiting in my pocket space poured out.


    "I''ll ask you one more time. Do you still think I''m weak?¡±


    With 20,000 dragon tooth soldiers surrounding the spirits and the Witch of Greed, the Witch of Greed in her red mask swallowed dryly.


    "Haha, you¡¯re crazy."


    The Witch of Greed was genuinely flustered by the majesty of the dragon tooth soldiers corps that was prepared for the battle against my father.


    I took out a corn for emergency food from my pocket space and said, "Well, then. If you nicely exchange the mana stone for the corn, there will be no bloodshed."


    Before destroying her head with corn, I decided to offer her a word of mercy.


    1. ENIAC was the first electronic digital computer built in 1946.

 CH 301

    At my last generosity, the Witch of Greed began to giggle before breaking into a laugh. After laughing for a long time, she held up the mana stone with a straight face.


    "You''re an arrogant kid! Are you putting me under your feet because you''re the Master of the Holy Sword?"


    When the Witch of Greed breathed mana into the mana stone that she consumed more than 90 percent of mana from, the mana stone began to emit enormous mana.


    "Yes, we lost the Giant War 500 years ago! But the victorious Holy Kingdom has already disappeared from this world! That means that even if you succeed the Holy Queen, you can''t make me submit to you!"


    Normally, the vast amount of mana contained in the mana stone of a great demon was too much mana to be used in combat. Too much mana is bound to consume the magician in reverse.


    "My essence as a witch is greed! There¡¯s no greater disgrace than to hand over what¡¯s within my grasp to another for free!"


    In this regard, it was fine to say that the mana stone held by the Witch of Greed now contained the right amount of mana for an individual to use.


    "Just try taking it from my hand, Master of the Holy Sword!"


    The Witch of Greed added the power of her spirits by using the magic stone of a great demon. The insignificant spirits increased their presence, and the quasi-disaster-class spirits temporarily gained the power of disaster-class spirits. The power radiating from the seven disaster-class spirits was enough to make my body feel numb.


    "Wow, how thrilling!"


    "It''s going to be fun!"


    The two Crows standing next to me smiled deeply and let out 100% of their martial aura. Likewise, I smiled and said to the two crazy battle maniacs, whose hands were itching to fight.


    "Fight as much as you want."


    As soon as I finished my sentence, the two drove their horse and deer and crazily charged into the midst of the spirits. Mac hyung could take on one disaster class spirit, and Uncle Bloody could likely fight two disaster class spirits at the same time. Of course, for that to happen, there had to be no interference from the Witch of Greed''s support and the spirits around them. So, if I just make it so that there was no interference, it¡¯d be fine.


    I took out the Miracle Crystal from my pocket space and sucked mana into my whole body.


    "My loyal soldiers!"


    At the same time as my cry, the mana of the Miracle Crystal flowed into all the dragon tooth soldiers.


    "My knights who bear divinity!"


    The bluish mana covering the skeletal dragon tooth soldiers that made them look ghastly, turned golden.


    "Punish my enemy!"


    The dragon tooth soldiers, their entire bodies covered in divine power, drew their swords.


    Gwalchavad, standing at the forefront, shouted, raising his sword high. "Everyone! It''s the Great Master¡¯s command! Subdue the villain who dares to be hostile to the master!"


    - Wahhhhhhhh!!


    The dragon tooth soldiers cried out and charged in unison.


    The spirits confronted the strong auras made of divine power with the power of nature. The power of each spirit strengthened by the mana stone of a great demon was clearly greater than the dragon tooth soldiers. However, the constant restoration of the dragon tooth soldiers'' blades due to divine power led to the spirits were being brutally slaughtered.


    "If you empower your forced, all I have to do is empower mine too."


    There was a reason why paladins were called cockroaches.


    "Keuk! I can''t believe it! How can the necromancy-rooted dragon tooth soldiers be strengthened by divine power?!¡±


    The Witch of Greed was astonished and found it ridiculous.


    How can you not notice such a simple thing at a glance? You are completely ignorant of alchemy and necromancy.


    I guess even for a great madosa, it was impossible for them to differentiate magic that they didn¡¯t have knowledge of at a glance. The reason the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist immediately recognized it was they had considerable knowledge of alchemy through exchanges with Elder Mirpa.


    "Percival! Bors! Palamedes! Lionel! Take care of the disaster class spirits first!"


    Under my direction, the four knights left the dragon tooth soldiers they were commanding without hesitation and rushed towards the disaster class spirits.


    "Understood, Master!"


    "On it, Hyung-nim!"


    "Just as Your Majesty wishes!"


    "I''ll follow Master''s order!"


    When the four knights'' command disappeared, the command of the now slow-moving dragon tooth soldiers was handed over to Caradoc.


    "Caradoc! Take command of the dragon tooth soldiers and take care of the little ones first!"


    "Okay, Commander-in-Chief!"


    Caradoc skillfully controlled 10,000 dragon tooth soldiers and reduced the number of spirits.


    "Agravain! Gwalchmai! Bedivere! Go around the back and block their path of retreat!"


    "Master''s order received!"


    "Ahahaha! Sounds good, Boss!"


    "Okay! Mordred!"


    The dragon tooth soldiers led by the three knights surrounded the whole area like a net.


    "Gwalchavad! Protect me by my side!"


    "Master¡¯s safety is the top priority! I will be Master¡¯s strong shield!"


    Gwalchavad came next to me and raised his shield.


    "Yvain, Ovain! Follow me! It''s a witch hunt!"


    "Wow! I''ve been waiting, Crow Prince!¡±


    "It''s time for a merry witch hunt with the Crow Prince!"


    With the three knights, I ran to the Witch of Greed at the center.


    "Tristan, cover us!"


    "Of course, Master!"


    The spirits who blocked me collapsed under Tristan''s shower of arrows. Having succeeded in approaching the Witch of Greed with speed, I swung the Holy Sword with what little mana I had left.


    "Spirit of Fire!"


    The Witch of Greed quickly evaded and shot flames at me. However, Gwalchavad defended me with a shield full of divine power. In the meantime, the Yvain and Ovain brothers, who secretly and quickly took the witch¡¯s rear, threw dozens of daggers wrapped in a strong aura.


    "Spirit of the Sea!"


    The Witch of Greed moved a water spirit to block the daggers. The twins smiled playfully and gestured when they saw the wall of water blocking them. The daggers that were flying straight immediately changed directions following the gestures and stabbed the witch.


    "Tch, Spirit of Tempest!"


    The Witch of Greed covered her whole body with a powerful gust of wind to block the daggers coming towards her from all directions with flying swordsmanship.


    "Damn! It seems that she didn''t succeed the name of the seven sins for no reason?"


    "Really! It''s fun to hunt the seven great witches!"


    The twins recovered the daggers they had thrown with flying swordsmanship. Taking advantage of this slight gap, the Witch of Greed looked at me and launched a powerful magic.


    "A ray of light that shines on the turbulent sea! Elemental Sanctuary!"


    Spirits gathered in the magic wand she held became a ray of light and literally flew at me at the speed of light.


    "No way! Witch!"


    Before the magic was shot, Gwalchavad already stood with his back to me and prepared to block it with a shield. The fired magic was soon blocked by his shield. And right at that moment, Tristan''s arrow flew into the heart of the Witch of Greed.


    "Kuok!"


    From far away, Tristan smiled cheerfully and shouted.


    "I¡¯ll deeply engrave in your heart the lesson to never let your guard down! You old granny!¡±


    Ovain stole the mana stone of a great demon, aiming for the gap when the Witch of Greed was greatly reeling back from the shock of taking an arrow in the heart.


    "I''ll be taking this mana stone! Witch!"


    Subsequently, Yvain aimed for her blindspot and threw dozens of daggers with flying swordsmanship.


    "It¡¯s not enough for compensation, but it''s a gift! Witch!"


    Even if you¡¯re a great madosa, you will die if your heart is pierced. And so, Yvain did his best to confirm the kill.


    The Witch of Greed broke off the arrow in her heart and controlled the spirits to block the daggers. It was truly a phenomenal vitality.


    ¡°Tch! Like a witch, you just won¡¯t die!"


    Yvain clicked his tongue, but due to the impact of being hit by an arrow in the heart, the Witch of Greed couldn''t block all the daggers. She tried to run away with daggers stuck all over her body.


    "Master has not allowed you to escape."


    "Let''s have a match, witch!¡±


    However, Agravain and Gwalchmai had surrounded her and blocked her escape


    "Swirl! Wind! Flames Rise! Red Flames!"


    The Witch of Greed tried to break through by creating a huge flame tempest with spirit magic using the spirit of wind and the spirit of fire.


    "Ahahaha! Hot fire. I like it!" Gwalchmai smiled pleasantly and jumped into the flame tempest. "I''m a knight of the sun! Hot fire is the source of my strength!" He inhaled the flame emitted by the spirit, leaving only a normal tempest. "Since you gave me such a nice gift, it''s only polite to give you something in return! Here it comes! Witch!¡± He turned the swallowed flame into a hot red strong aura on his sword and swung excitedly.


    When strong aura containing high heat flew in, the Witch of Greed was cornered. There was a siege net in front, me right behind, and Tristan, who sought gaps from afar. Now that the magic stone had been taken away, the spirits were no longer strengthened, and the powerful spirits were held down by my knights, Uncle Bloody, and Mac hyung.


    "Ohohohoho! Nobody said this was going to happen! Just try going back! I''m going to nag you like crazy!"


    The Witch of Greed did not lose her laughter even in this desperate situation. I put the magic stone handed over by Ovain back in my pocket space.


    "So, what was the purpose of luring me?"


    She smiled playfully at my question. "Well, what do you think it is?"


    She didn''t seem to have any intention of answering, so I smiled and took a book out of my pocket space.


    "What do you mean what? Of course, this is your purpose."


    The book I brought up was called "The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡±. In the past, when Hillis forced me to sneak into the Great Temple, this was the book I got from the Archbishop''s bookcase.


    As soon as the Witch of Greed saw the book, she abandoned her playful demeanor and stared seriously.


    "Why? How did I know? It''s simple. First, I got this book from the bookcase of the Archbishop who was in league with a demon worshipper called Libra," I said.


    The Witch of Greed nodded subtly as if she understood.


    "Secondly, you are on the same side with that Libra. Thirdly, among the four books that you demanded from me at Marquis Balthain''s mansion, I''m certain you mentioned this as one of the titles."


    At that time, the Witch of Greed requested a total of four books: "The North Continent Cry¡±, "Breath of the Holy Tribe¡±, "The End of the Holy Tribe¡±, and "The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡±. This book was definitely the one she was looking for.


    "Isn¡¯t that so?" I asked.


    She nodded and asked back, "Right. Do you know why I want that book?"


    I shrugged lightly. "Isn¡¯t it to summon the Demon King?"


    It was simple reasoning. In the first place, Aunt Talaria said the Witch of Greed, Scorpio, was a force moving for the return of the Demon King.


    She was surprised by my casual answer.


    "You couldn¡¯t have reached that far of a conclusion with the book alone. How did you know?"


    Her surprise was natural. The content of this book was only a book containing the history of the Holy Kingdom. However, I already had the knowledge of the firewood of the roasted sweet potato in my head.[1] If you have knowledge of that firewood, it was not impossible to interpret the meaning contained in this book.


    "Who knows? I wonder how too?"


    The Witch of Greed smiled at my playful question.


    "Well, it''s none of my business how you found out. Because I''m done with my work."


    What does she mean by ''done''?


    "My job was to check whether the Master of the Holy Sword really had a ''Prophecy of the Holy Tribe'', which is part of the Demon King summons.¡± She sighed. "Originally, I was going to overpower you and make you confess, but I''m glad you''re smart.¡±


    At the same time, she exploded fireworks high in the sky. I got an ominous feeling and severed her neck with the Holy Sword. However, my Holy Sword was blocked by a strong aura shot down from the sky.


    "Hahahaha! Look! My intuition was right!" An old man wearing a white mask descended from the sky and said proudly.


    The Witch of Greed kicked his bottom. "Bullshit! You didn''t say it¡¯d be this hard!¡±


    "Ahahaha! I didn''t say that on purpose."


    "Phew! Hateful!"


    He consistently had a playful attitude the whole time but no one here could belittle that old man. I felt like I was going to die under the massive martial aura that overwhelmed the whole area.


    "Okay, let''s introduce ourselves. I''m Sagittarius. Nice to meet you, Hero, Master of the Holy Sword!"


    I was sure. That person was a monster at a completely different level.


    1. Den used the Demon King summons as firewood to roast sweet potato previously.

 CH 302.

    I made a mistake.


    I was trying to interrogate the Witch of Greed not only about the Prophecy of the Holy Tribe, but also the contents of The North Continent¡¯s Cry and The Breath of the Holy Tribe, but I didn''t expect such a monster to appear.


    What I knew was that each book had some kind of code that was related to the Demon King and there was a separate key to decipher it. Originally, I wasn¡¯t interested in it, but after learning from my aunt that I was targeted, I analyzed it and found out very recently.


    For now, I shrugged and responded to the Sagittarius¡¯s greeting.


    "Well, I wonder if you''ve mistaken me for someone else. I don''t do annoying things like being a hero."


    Sagittarius laughed cheerfully. "Ahahaha! Is that so? It seems I have mistaken."


    "As long as you know."


    "Okay, what can I call you then?" Sagittarius asked.


    I smiled and answered, "Well, I think ¡®Sagittarius¡¯ is more of an alias than a name, so similarly, I¡¯ll introduce myself by my alias. I am Lupin."


    "Lupin? The mysterious thief who ransacked the capital? Suspected of heresy?¡± he asked surprisingly.


    "I''m not sure about the heresy charges, but the ¡®extraordinary thief'' there is right." I corrected him.


    For reference, I knew that the charge of heresy that was placed on me was handled by the prime minister as a political move to satisfy the temple. It was a wise judgment as a prime minister. The temple was deeply rooted in the empire. If there was a discord between me and the temple for no reason, there could be a mishap in which the temple and the Crow Tribe turn hostile towards each other.


    "It''s an honor to meet you! I didn''t know I''d meet that famous friend here!"


    Sagittarius smiled as if he was genuinely happy to meet me.


    "I am pretty famous."


    "Despite this situation, I¡¯m a fan of yours. Ever since you started going around as Lupin for the first time up till now, you¡¯ve robbed numerous evil nobles over the past three years!"


    Until recently, I had worked as a Lupin, but rather than it being out of my own will, I was commissioned by Aunt Talaria to seek corruption ledgers. Of course, some of the treasures and commissions were used well to make the dragon tooth soldiers.


    "It''s an honor."


    "I wanted to meet you every time I saw your story in a newspaper article, and my wish has come true. Could you also give me your autograph?"


    I was flustered by the sudden request. I took out a note I usually use from my pocket space and threw it wrapped in sword aura at Sagittarius.


    He easily grabbed the note with his bare hands and laughed like a child.


    "Ahahaha! Thanks! I''m going to frame it as soon as I get back."


    Rather than his thanks, it was more surprising that he grabbed my sword aura casually with his bare hands; they were not wrapped in strong aura. I was guessing it was with the powerful aura pressure that seemed to weigh on my whole body, but it was extremely rare for someone to have such skills.


    Standing next to me, Gwalchavad became tense and stuck close.


    "There''s no need to be so tense. I don''t really have any intention of causing harm if I achieve my goal."


    His playful relaxed voice sent goosebumps all over my body. No, it may be more accurate to say that I shuddered. From his voice, the overwhelming calmness of a powerful person, and the pressure telling me to not dare rebel made me feel very cautious.


    "I suppose this is your target."


    When I lifted up ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯, Sagittarius smiled playfully and pressured me with his martial aura.


    "Yeah. Well, the Holy Sword was also originally one of the goals, but I recently found something to replace it. In the first place, rather than a Holy Sword that can¡¯t be used except by its master, the only thing I need right now is the book.¡±


    "Oho, you need a Holy Sword?" I asked.


    The Witch of Greed kicked Sagittarius''s butt."Don''t go randomly giving out information! Ouch!"


    Despite being the one throwing the kick, the Witch of Greed grabbed her feet.


    So the Holy Sword was needed, but now there was a substitute.


    The Holy Sword is a treasure of the Holy Kingdom in the past and has the effect of creating divine power. If so, it should be considered that the substitute has the same effect. But what does the Holy Sword have to do with summoning the Demon King?


    "Ahahaha! Who cares?"


    Sagittarius laughed cheerfully and looked at me.


    "I''m not a very smart guy. That''s why I only know how to be honest when I want someone."


    "When you want someone?" I asked back.


    Sagittarius nodded.


    "Yeah. I like you. Do you have intentions of being under me? I¡¯ll treat you well."


    I was flustered by the sudden suggestion. "By being under you, do you mean for me to join the Twelve Zodiacs?"


    "Oh! Do you know about the Twelve Zodiacs? I thought you wouldn''t know because it¡¯s a very minor group." Sagittarius beckoned the Witch of Greed joyfully. "Scorpio, take that thing out.¡±


    She sighed and took out a purple mask from her pocket space.


    "If you know about us, you know how free we are. We are so free that we can stab each other in the back openly." Saying so, he tossed the mask at me.


    I said, grabbing the mask flying straight to me, "Isn''t that a bad thing?"


    Doesn''t it mean that the group has absolutely no solidarity? Sagittarius was flustered by my sudden point.


    "Huh? Is that so?" Sagittarius asked.


    The Witch of Greed shrugged and said, "I don''t know. I like it like that. I don''t have to stand by a guy I don''t like just because we''re on the same side.¡±


    Sagittarius nodded. "That¡¯s right, right? That guy is a weirdo."


    "That guy is the weirdo."


    I felt somewhat unfair about the two¡¯s evaluation. I don''t know who''s calling who a weirdo.


    "Well, even though I say to be under me, it''s just a formality. Later, if you don''t like me, you can always put a knife in my back."


    "But also be ready to get a hole in my stomach?"


    Sagittarius rather liked my absurd question.


    "Right! You understand well! Fighting is always welcomed! Ahahaha!¡±


    "It''s not a very attractive suggestion. Is there any benefit to joining that group?"  I asked.


    Sagittarius seriously pondered. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re a magician. Right! I''ll give you the Demon King''s summons! Of course, it''ll be after the summoning of the Demon King, but the knowledge in it won''t change.¡±


    The knowledge of the Demon King¡¯s summons was already in my head.


    "Do you even have the Demon King''s summons?"


    Sagittarius answered my question brightly.


    "No, I don''t have it yet."


    "If you don¡¯t have it yet, what''s the difference between that and giving me a bad check?" I yelled.[1]


    Sagittarius was flustered. "That''s true, but¡­ That''s weird. Aries came over with just this."


    That''s because the Curse Specialist didn''t know the ways of the world.


    "Since the Demon King¡¯s summons was brought up, I think this book is necessary to summon the Demon King, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be magical?"


    Sagittarius answered my question obediently.


    "Oh, that¡¯s because that¡¯s a book not for magic to summon the Demon King, but a book with a method of constructing the altar for summoning the Demon King."


    As expected, it was in code.


    "Is it okay to reveal such things so easily?"


    "Ahh, it''s okay. I told you. It''s a free organization. It doesn''t matter anyway because we can''t read it without a codebook called The North Continent¡¯s Cry."


    Aha! No wonder.


    In the Demon King summons that I used as firewood for roasted sweet potatoes, necromancy and black magic were written in detail, but there was only some magic about how to summon the Demon King, so that must have been the reason.


    It seems the person who made the Demon King summons had also lost his mind. So if you place the password in the complicated magic book and unlock it, the Demon King summon magic will be revealed. No wonder I thought the magic book was so complicated. I should try making one like that later.


    ¡°So are there any other benefits?¡± I queried.


    Sagittarius pondered then shook his head. "There isn¡¯t. Is there something you want?¡±


    All I want is to live peacefully without being swept into these kinds of things.


    I put strength into the hand holding the mask and crushed it. "Unfortunately, there''s nothing. I''ll reject the offer."


    Sagittarius licked his lips, disappointed. "That''s too bad. I liked you a lot.¡±


    Then martial aura poured out from him as if it had been a teaser so far.


    "Keuk!"


    "Then we must forcibly take away The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe.¡±


    I boosted my mana so as not to be swept away by his martial aura. It felt like standing still under a discharging dam.


    How long had it been since I''d faced such an overwhelming martial aura?


    Before my twelfth birthday, my father once showed his full power to me, saying that he was stronger than a dragon and that I should be obediently just thrown to the dragon. Compared to then, it was a martial aura that did not pale in comparison.


    "Oh, seems like it¡¯d be a fun fight.¡±


    Of course, Uncle Bloody, Mac hyung, and my knights fought back against the martial aura with all their might.


    "Wow, what a monster."


    "Even the King of the Giants wasn''t this strong either."


    "I''m sorry, Master. I''ll be ready to be destroyed at full power."


    Swept by martial aura, the dragon tooth soldiers'' joints creaked, but they were still pushing forward with swords raised toward Sagittarius.


    Sagittarius looked at the dragon tooth soldiers surrounding him and said arrogantly, "Bring it on. A moment of entertainment."


    As soon as he spoke, the dragon tooth soldiers rushed towards him in unison. It was spectacular to see more than 20,000 dragon tooth soldiers running across the sky and attacking.


    However, one thousand dragon tooth soldiers were completely extinguished in the area where Sagittarius unleashed his might. They were completely ground to dust without anything left.


    It was Gwalchmai who first reached Sagittarius using countless dragon tooth soldiers as shields. With flames wrapped around his whole body, he swung his sword. However, before his sword made contact, both his arms were cut, followed by his neck.


    The moment Sagittarius faced Gwalchmai, Yvain and Ovain caught Sagittarius from the back and threw daggers wrapped in strong aura faster than the speed of sound. However, the only thing that could be confirmed with my eyes was the result of the twins being cut in half at the waist.


    Yvain and Ovain laughed cheerfully. If they were humans, they would have been dead, but they were dragon tooth soldiers who did not stop fighting unless their heads were cut off. As the twins fell to the ground, they attacked Sagittarius with hundreds of daggers that they controlled with flying swordsmanship.


    "Hahahaha!"


    Sagittarius smiled and hit away the flying daggers with superior aura.[2]


    While Sagittarius was distracted by the daggers, Palamedes, Bedivere, Bores, and Percival charged in.


    Percival stabbed his spear at Sagittarius'' forehead, and Bors swung his mace at the enemy''s right arm. Bedivere aimed for the left and Palamedes at the heart. Each and every attack was a combination of strong knights who flourished in turbulent times. Nevertheless, without leaving a single scratch, the mana source in the center of the chest of the four knights was destroyed and their necks were cut off.


    However, their attacks were not meaningless. The combination attack of the four knights was powerful and succeeded in creating a small gap.


    Aiming at this small gap, Tristan and Mac hyung fired arrows for his neck. As a result, two arrows were deeply embedded in Sagittarius''s left arm.


    "Great! It''s been almost three years since I''ve had a wound on my body.¡± Sagittarius smiled happily.


    Sagittarius¡¯s power was to the point my whole body wanted to tremble, but I poured mana into the Holy Sword with all my power and charged in.


    1. A bank check that doesn¡¯t go through because the giver of the check doesn¡¯t have money.


    2. This is the newest addition to the auras. In terms of strength, it seems like it is: sword aura, strong aura, and now, superior aura.

 CH 303.

    I jumped up from the green deer I was riding and rushed to Sagittarius. He launched a punch, and I summoned Gwalchavad in front of me.


    Boom-!


    As Gwalchavad''s shield and Sagittarius¡¯s punch collided, a roar rang out. Gwalchavad had blocked Sagittarius''s punch, which made 1,000 dragon tooth soldiers turn into dust.


    "Kuaaaaaaah!"


    However, in return, the arms made of dragon bones supporting Gwalchavad¡¯s shield were shattered.


    "It''s no ordinary shield!"


    Sagittarius was surprised to see the shield without a scratch.


    - Success! Master!


    After screaming in pain from his arms breaking, Gwalchavad suppressed the pain and sent a thought transmission.


    With no time to answer the thought transmission, I stepped on Gwalchavad''s back, jumped over Sagittarius, and cut the neck of the Witch of Greed who had her guard down. The seven knights that were sacrificed earlier were purely discarded to lower the witch''s guard. They also knew that and were willing to be sacrificed for me.


    "Selina!"


    Sagittarius called the Witch of Greed, but the witch, with her neck and body separated, fell helplessly to the ground.


    The person causing the most interference in the battle against Sagittarius was the Witch of Greed, a great madosa. It was common sense to remove obstacles preceding the battle.


    "How dare you!"


    "Emergency escape!"


    Sagittarius threw his fist at my clearly revealed back, and I quickly teleported to his flank. Then, I cut his shoulder with the Holy Sword.


    Slash!


    I definitely sliced the arm with the intention of severing it off completely, but it only made a shallow cut and was bleeding lightly. After being hit by the arrows, Sagittarius had been wearing a protective strong aura all over his body.


    "Emergency escape!"


    Sagittarius turned and punched towards where I was. I had already teleported behind him and cut with all my power.


    "Emergency escape!"


    After cutting, I immediately teleported to a position that I "predicted" was his blind spot.


    Done in by my teleportation twice, Sagittarius looked from the angle when he was cut and punched in the direction that seemed to be his blind spot. However, his fist split nothing but the air.


    "Emergency escape!"


    I predicted his prediction and cut him from the new blind spot then teleported. Rather, if I were moving so fast that to be visible to the eye, he would have seen the muscle movement just before moving and figured out where I would move to.


    However, teleportation was a movement that omitted such an intermediate process. Sagittarius predicted my position and swung his fist again, but I predicted his prediction and cut him. Since then, rather than a physical fight, the battle between us turned into a cerebral fight of reading the opponent''s movements in advance.


    If the Witch of Greed¡¯s head hadn¡¯t been cut off, and she managed to interfere with my teleportation once, I would have been hit dead or at least at death¡¯s door. Therefore, using Gwalchavad¡¯s shield that could block unconditionally just once, I had dealt with her.


    The battle that took place under the calculation that I must never allow a single blow did not deviate from my expectations. This battle was truly a race in which the victory or defeat would be determined by whether Sagittarius''s body collapsed first or I allowed a single one-hit-kill attack. There was no time for others to intervene, and Sagittarius and my fight of predictions continued with dozens and hundreds of attacks and dodges per second.


    "Ahahaha! My senses tell me it¡¯s definitely right here!"


    Sagittarius shouted and punched in the air; He missed while I cut his side. Still, the steel-like body only received shallow cuts.


    "It''s within my expectations!"


    For your information, I have never lost to anyone except Hestia noona in a battle of wits. The tactics I designed to deal with my father worked on Mac hyung. However, this battle could not continue indefinitely. My mana circuit, which had already failed to recover properly due to excessive work earlier, was informing me of when I¡¯d reach my limit.


    But it was the same with Sagittarius.


    No matter how thick and strong the protective strong aura was, the blood flowing from tens of thousands of wounds cut by the Holy Sword was like a turned hourglass that was draining until Sagittarius reach his limit.


    It was Sagittarius who brought an end to the long but short battle.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Sagittarius shouted and emitted mana from his whole body. Dragon tooth soldiers surrounding him were caught up in a sudden mana wave and thrown to the ground. It was the same for me as well. Rather, because I was the closest to him, I directly received the shock from the release of mana. Just before I was about to get stuck in the ground, I managed to regain my balance and landed on the ground.


    The bloody Sagittarius stretched and smiled pleasantly. "Ah, it was fun for the first time in a while! It''s my first time fighting against a magic swordsman who can use both magic and a sword properly, but it''s terrifying. Hahaha!"


    "Is that so? But to correct one thing, I''m not a magic swordsman, I''m a magician."


    "What? Even though you''re so good with a sword."


    "To be a magic swordsman, one needs to be able to use magic and the sword at similar levels, but compared to my magic, my swordsmanship is lacking quite a lot. I can''t even use the heart sword.¡±


    Sagittarius laughed pleasantly at my correction.


    "Ahahaha! You speak of heart sword too easily. Of course, I can''t use heart sword either,¡± he said.


    I was surprised on one hand but also convinced. According to Elder Weger, my swordsmanship teacher, the heart sword is a longing to cut something. I don''t know exactly what it means, but if longing was important, it wasn''t likely that a person with overwhelming power to destroy anything would long for it.


    "And unfortunately, I didn''t give my all just now because I¡¯m lacking mana," I said.


    Sagittarius looked at me interestedly. "Oh! Really? That''s too bad. I guess it''s natural since we were fighting with the two great madosas a few hours ago?¡± But soon he smacked his lips. "It''s too bad. I want to fight more, but I think I have to leave right away."


    Sagittarius raised his martial aura again, and I tried to teleport again. However, the moment he took out a bead with a small chain from his breast pocket and poured mana into it, I felt a violent dizziness. I couldn''t use magic because of it.


    "This is the end of the fight.¡±


    As soon as Sagittarius finished speaking, I knelt down and vomited out my empty stomach multiple times.


    "Uwaaaaaccck!"


    Even though I couldn''t eat anything all day because I was fighting, I felt nauseous and vomited something.


    ¡°**! ******!¡±


    Gwalchavad rushed to me in a trice and shouted something, but I couldn''t hear it.


    - I curse you! I curse you! I curse you! I curse you! I curse you!


    Instead, I heard countless voices cursing with desperation in my head. The voices were male, female, children, and the elderly. The voices full of hatred denied and cursed my life and resented me.


    - Please spare the child!


    - Please don''t kill me!


    - Why! Why!


    - Just end it with me!


    It wasn''t just sound that came out. Countless intangible touches wrapped around my whole body and grabbed my arms and legs and grabbed my neck as if resentful.


    "Kuck!"


    Suddenly, my chest became so tight that I couldn''t breathe. The numerous voices that contained all kinds of curses whispered in my ears in one voice.


    - I curse you, Crow Tribe. Enemy of the Giants.


    I unleashed martial arts all over my body at full power.


    - You will be destroyed, too.


    "Shut up, you ******! Fusion Enlightenment, Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation!"


    A brilliant, golden martial art surrounded my whole body and got rid of the grudges that were clinging and cursing me. However, I wasn¡¯t able to shake them off completely and my condition was at its worst. I was at my limit, more so than ever before in this life.


    Ahh, is the limit such a high and large wall?


    Nevertheless, I didn''t care. Naturally, I got up with the Holy Sword. My pride did not allow me to surrender to just my limit.


    "Master! Are you all right?!"


    With no time to respond to Gwalchavad¡¯s concerns, I stared at Sagittarius, short of breath.


    Sagittarius was rather flustered. "What? Why is the curse working so well? Are you guys Crows?¡±


    I looked at Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung.


    Uncle Bloody stood up with shaky legs, propping himself up with his sword, and Mac hyung was kneeling exhausted.


    Sagittarius flicked his finger and shot strong aura at my, Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung''s forehead. I wielded the Holy Sword to deflect the strong aura, but the two were hit as they were and their masks were smashed.


    "Bloody? And aren¡¯t you Gawain''s friend?"


    Sagittarius knew the two well.


    "Then, who are you? Mirpa, although old, is a woman, so you¡¯re not her. A man who¡¯s good with a sword and magic. Demeter? Palson? Trailon? Chakram? Kaldra?¡±


    Sagittarius looked at me and listed the names of my seniors who reached the level of a madosa.


    "I¡¯m not any of them. Who are you?" I asked.


    Sagittarius took off his mask and said, "I''m Galak Blade. Who are you?"


    I momentarily laughed in vain. That''s why Aunt Talaria hid Sagittarius''s identity.


    That damn ahjumma!


    "It''s been a while, Great-Grandfather. Has it been nine years?¡±


    When I said hello while taking off my mask, my great-grandfather laughed pleasantly.


    "Ahahaha! Denburg! So it was you! I can''t believe that 10-year-old kid has become so strong. What a blessing to the village!¡±


    "By the way, please undo this freaking annoying curse. What is this? This damn curse?¡±


    The curse my great-grandfather placed on me constantly cursed me and whispered, telling me to die.


    "Oh, this? It is the sad treasure of the Crows and the product of sin that has been handed down to the chief from generation to generation. You''ve heard of the Curse of the Giants, right?¡±


    Unless our tribe¡¯s innate dexterity was due to the Curse of the Giants, it was clear that that was one of the top five magic tools, the Curse of the Giants.


    "If it is passed down to the chief, why does Great-Grandfather have it, not my father?"


    My great-grandfather smiled lightly at my question.


    "That¡¯s because I didn''t hand it over to Zendia."


    "Why?"


    "Aquarius, your grandfather will try to kill me with this."


    My great-grandfather knew that my grandfather belonged to the Twelve Zodiacs.


    "I still have work to do."


    "Do you mean summoning the Demon King? Why are you trying to summon the Demon King again after killing him?¡± I asked.


    My great-grandfather smiled bitterly. "Who said I killed the Demon King? I didn''t kill the Demon King. No, I couldn''t."


    "What do you...?¡±


    I didn''t understand. You couldn''t kill the Demon King?


    Even before I could organize my thoughts, my great-grandfather stepped into the air and approached me.


    "Honestly, it''s hard to move right now, right? Because of the curse.¡±


    "If you know, undo it right now.¡±


    My great-grandfather smiled playfully.


    "I don¡¯t want to. Just stay still for a second. As you get older, you can do things like this.¡±


    My great-grandfather brought up martial arts to the max and punched right next to me.


    Boom-!


    The fist that cut through the air roared and tore up the space creating a hole.


    "Oh, it''s big. A large village would fit in there easily."


    What I saw through the hole was an all too familiar sight, my pocket space.


    "Are you crazy?!"


    He broke through the dimensional wall with his bare fist? It was truly beyond common sense.


    The torn dimension was quickly restored, and my great-grandfather brought out the Prophecy of the Holy Tribe and healing potions from my pocket space with aura control.[1] Then, he immediately poured the healing potion all over his body.


    "Wow! It still hurts like crazy!"


    The countless wounds he received from me healed quickly.


    "Should I run away quickly now that I got what I wanted?"


    "What? Run away? What need is there for a monster like Grandfather to run away?"


    Before my question ended, a huge strong aura fell down from the sky.


    "Ahahaha! It''s earlier than I thought.¡±


    My great-grandfather quickly moved away and a giant fell right in front of me.


    "You won''t be able to run away anymore, Grandfather!"


    It was Doomstone Blade, my father, who appeared in front of me.


    "Father?!"


    "Ahahaha! I''m leaving!"


    My great-grandfather began to run away, and my father glanced at me and said, "Youngest, see you in a little while. Be prepared to get hit on the butt if you run away again!¡±


    Father jumped high into the air and chased after my great-grandfather.


    One thing was for sure.


    I was ****** now.


    1. Aura control is moving objects remotely with your aura.

 CH 304.

    I retrieved the remains of the dragon tooth soldiers and those that were still intact, putting them into my pocket space before undoing the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation. Of the 28,000 soldiers in total, about 10,300 were intact. More than 5,500 needed simple repairs, and 6,000 were ruined to the point they had to be half-remade. I had no choice but to dispose of the rest completely.


    However, the ones done in by my great-grandfather had turned completely into powder, so I didn¡¯t have to dispose of them, which saved me some trouble.


    "Then, shall we run?¡± I said to myself, while stretching and checking my body¡¯s condition after the Curse of the Giants disappeared.


    Just then, someone arrived behind me on a deer and said, "You''d better not do that.¡±


    I turned my head to look at the person; it was Hestia noona. I asked, "Third Sister? Why are you here?¡±


    Third Sister smiled gently and greeted me. "Long time no see, Youngest. You''ve gotten much taller since I last saw you.¡±


    "Well, I was in my growing phase. What brings you here?¡± I asked.


    Hestia noona got off the deer and said, "It''s nothing. Aunt Talaria, our secret agent working on the outside, has requested assistance from the village. So I came out for experience as the chief¡¯s advisor, and as a military advisor for Father."


    "Aunt? Wait. Military advisor? That means...!¡± I exclaimed, surprised.


    Hestia noona nodded. "Right. The full force of our village is outside of Olympus Forest."


    I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. "If it''s the full force, then the council of elders has also come out?!¡±


    The council of elders was the strongest organization among the five major organizations in the village. If the warrior force and the guard division were for growing youth, then the council of elders was for older, stronger individuals who had mastered their martial arts. It contained only monsters that were on par with or stronger than dragons.


    "Yeah. Of course, they didn''t come this far."


    "They did well moving their heavy butts. They were the same old people who stayed put when I ran away without getting permission after being chosen as the successor,¡± I said admiringly.


    In fact, when I ran away, I had taken into account that the council of elders likely wouldn¡¯t make a move. If they had taken action, I would have been caught in less than a day.


    Hestia noona smiled bitterly. "From their point of view, your running away was just a trivial accident made by a little troublemaker. There was also Father''s precedent as well.¡±


    "I suppose compared to what Father did, my actions must have seemed cute."


    They had probably laughed at me, saying I had been too quiet so far and that now I was really my father''s son. Back home, I had caused less trouble than my brothers, of course, but the same had even been true for my sisters.


    "And even if you run away in your current state, Father will catch you soon, so give up,¡± Hestia added.


    I frowned and pressed down on my forehead, troubled by Hestia¡¯s point. "Kkeung~[1] That¡¯ll likely happen, right?¡±


    If I were in normal condition and the dragon tooth soldiers were fine, it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible to run away. But my condition now was at its worst and my power had been cut in half. In addition, my use of mana was restricted for the time being because I had even used Firefly''s Bright Annihilation.


    For now, waiting for my father calmly was the only way to increase my probability of escape.


    "Why did Aunt ask for help from the village? If it¡¯s our village¡¯s force, it must be a pretty big deal,¡± I asked.


    Hestia noona sighed. "Let''s go back to the main force of the imperial army first and talk about it then. You''re tired, and they should have almost arrived at Shellen Fortress by now."


    They were much faster than I¡¯d expected. I¡¯d thought they would arrive tomorrow at the earliest. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have had to deal with the Space Specialist and Curse Specialist.


    "Uncle, Mac hyung. Wake up. How long are you going to remain sprawled out and asleep?¡± I woke up the two people who had fainted after being hit in the forehead by my great-grandfather''s strong aura.


    "Kkeung, I''m dizzy.¡±


    "Uwack, I''m getting nauseous. This is second place among the experiences I don''t want to have again.¡±


    The two were struggling with the aftereffects of having been hit with the Curse of the Giants. But anyway, how painful had that terrible experience been for the curse to only come in second place?


    "Ehew, tsk tsk. I couldn¡¯t even overcome that. Tristan?" I clicked my tongue and called Tristan.


    "Yeap. Did you call me, Master?" Tristan emerged in front of me from my pocket space. He was holding Yvain and Ovain, who had both been cut in half at the waist, in both hands.


    "My lower body feels empty, Prince Crow!¡±


    "What is this? Is this what it feels like to wear a skirt, Prince Crow?"


    The twins smiled playfully and joked.


    "Oh my. And these people are?" Hestia noona asked, looking curiously at the twins who were alive even after their lower bodies had been severed.


    I answered the question as if it were nothing. "They''re my servants. Tristan, please take care of those two," I instructed, pointing to Uncle Bloody and Mac.


    "Yeap, the servant has to listen to his master." Tristan roughly threw the twins away and picked up Uncle Bloody and Mac.


    "Argh! So mean! I can''t believe you¡¯d abandon your comrades who were cut in half!¡±


    "Are you becoming like Prince Crow?"


    "No! I''m sure he¡¯s becoming like Mordred, not Prince Crow."


    "No way! Mordred grew up naive, living only in a forest, and abandoned Tristan plenty of times!"


    Yvain and Ovain spoke in turn as they complained to Tristan. Tristan simply kicked the twins in the back of the head, summoned a black horse, and put them on its back.


    "Aigoo! Save me!¡±


    "The wicked hunter is trying to kill us!¡±


    In response to the twins¡¯ dramatic behavior, Tristan smiled cheerfully and lifted them both, saying, "Ahahaha! No, you¡¯re a dragon tooth soldier now, so you have to say ¡®Save me, a dragon tooth soldier¡¯." [2]


    "Argh! You Farhan-like bastard!"


    "Right! Farhan!"


    The twins shouted Tristan''s real name, and Tristan threw the twins back into my pocket space without hesitation. He then suggested, "Well then, now that we''ve collected all the broken ones, and all the normal ones have entered the pocket space, let''s go now, Master."


    I nodded and whistled to call my deer, which was still flying in the sky. I could barely use mana at all, so it was impossible to even unsummon the deer.


    "Tristan, I''m hungry. Get me something to eat from the pocket space,¡± I said. I felt empty because I had vomited on an already empty stomach. But I couldn''t do anything about it myself, because I couldn''t even open my pocket space.


    At my request, Tristan smiled and opened my pocket space, throwing bread at me before remarking, "What? Have I become Master''s nanny now?¡±


    "Well, it''s kind of like that. You rose in status from a servant to a nanny in just three minutes,¡± I joked with Tristan as I bit down on the soft bread.


    "I''m so thankful it makes me cry. Then, should I raise my status with the goal of becoming Master''s knight?¡± he responded.


    "Then let''s go back, Noona,¡± I said, expecting no further inconveniences to happen.


    I mounted the green deer with my white half-mask in my inner pocket. Then, I rode the deer through the sky and headed for the fortress, thinking, I''m glad I''m not the one injecting mana.


    * * *


    When we returned to Shellen Fortress, at a glance, hundreds of thousands of troops could be seen crowding around.


    As we approached the fortress, Orphina''s Red Dragon Knights took off and flew up to us.


    "Your Highness General Bloody?!"


    Fortunately, the vigilant Red Dragon Knights who met us recognized Uncle Bloody.


    "The vanguard¡¯s Commander Bloody-nim! Commander-in-Chief Orphina-nim asked where you went and was searching for you!"


    I smiled bitterly and spoke in Uncle Bloody¡¯s place. "The vanguard commander is exhausted, so please tell her he¡¯ll take a rest and visit later."


    The Red Dragon Knight frowned and asked, "Who might you be?"


    When I heard the knight¡¯s question, I inspected my current appearance. My military uniform was a mess from dealing with the two great madosas, and my rank badge and unit mark had been torn to shreds.


    "Oh, I''m Colonel Den from the staff office of the 3rd Command Headquarters,¡± I said.


    The Red Dragon Knights suddenly saluted me. "Loyalty! We did not recognize the war hero. Forgive us, Colonel Den-nim."


    "War hero?" I murmured, wondering about the cringy sound I had just heard for the first time.


    Then Hestia noona, who was next to me, smiled playfully and said, "That¡¯s right. It seems you¡¯ve become famous? It made headlines in the newspaper. ¡®Genius strategist! Eliminated the enemy''s vanguard in a single day of war!¡¯ and ¡®Colonel Den, who is he?! A hero who destroyed the invading country¡¯s army in a week!¡¯"


    I frowned at Hestia noona''s playful explanation. "Did my father come to find me because my picture was in the newspaper?!¡±


    "No, that''s not it. If your face had been in the newspaper, there¡¯s no way those people wouldn''t recognize you.¡±


    There was no way the prime minister would provoke me for nothing, doing something he knew I wouldn¡¯t like. After all, to him, I was like an uncontrollable bomb that could explode at any moment. And yet, my name was in the newspaper. Was he not controlling the media?


    "Then how?¡± I asked.


    Hestia noona smiled lightly. "It''s just a coincidence. The original goal was Great-grandfather, but you happened to be here. The details are quite long, so let''s go to the quarters and talk."


    I nodded and went down to Shellen Fortress.At the entrance of the castle in the center of the fortress, a familiar dragon stood out.


    "Wow! Joy! It''s been a while!" I cried. But when I tried to approach the dragon, a whip came flying down and blocked me.


    "This is Hargan, not Joy, Bloody¡¯s nephew!" Orphina was wary of me, putting the dragon behind her. It seemed she was trying to protect the dragon from me.


    I smacked my lips and said hello. "It''s been a while. Thank you for taking care of my uncle all this time."


    Orphina faltered at my polite greeting. She didn''t seem to know how to respond to my unexpected approach. "Y-yes. Reportedly, you had the greatest achievement of this war."


    "I want to say no, but I did go through quite a hard time,¡± I said.


    Seeing my appearance, Orphina nodded. "Thanks to this, we were able to push for the cessation of hostilities very quickly, with few losses to the Empire."


    "Well, that was the contract with His Highness Prime Minister,¡± I replied. Converting my distinguished war services into a reward would allow me to pick at least one pillar of the Empire.


    "But I must still express my gratitude as the commander-in-chief. Although my family is the soldiers, I think war is a very inefficient and annoying thing. An army is a necessary evil that must be maintained,¡± Orphina remarked.


    "Hahaha, I agree."


    Orphina nodded and looked at Uncle Bloody. "Look at that idiot; he''s not in a state to listen. I don''t know what happened, but tell him to come to me as soon as he wakes up.¡±


    Uncle Bloody was still drooped over, seemingly still suffering from the aftereffects of the Curse of the Giants.


    "Yes. I''ll relay the message."


    Upon hearing my answer, Orphina warned not to touch her dragon and entered the castle. I began heading to my barracks with Hestia noona. Suddenly, I felt a vast amount of magic above the castle, forming an explosion.


    Boom-!


    The Curse Specialist and Old Man Arpen fell from the sky.


    "Stop fighting, you punks!" Elder Mirpa filled both hands with her martial aura and jumped out of the hole in the smashed castle.


    "It''s been a while, my disciple!"


    "Haha, it¡¯s been a while."


    It seemed my teacher-nim was getting along harmoniously with her friends, who had gathered for the first time in a long time.


    If only a wall had been smashed, that could be considered ¡®harmonious¡¯ for Elder Mirpa, of course.


    1. A whining sound.


    2. It doesn¡¯t make sense in English, but in Korean, the phrase ¡°Save me¡± literally translates to ¡°Save (this) person/human¡±. That¡¯s why Tristan is saying he should say ¡°Save (this) dragon tooth soldier¡± not ¡°Save (this) person¡±.

 CH 305.

    Elder Mirpa smiled pleasantly when she confirmed that I was with Hestia noona. "From the looks of it, you must have met that guy."


    Elder Mirpa didn¡¯t say my father''s name recklessly, but instead referred to him as ¡®that guy¡¯. That meant the fact that my father left Olympus Forest was a secret.


    That made sense, since there were many people who would tremble in fear merely from the knowledge of my father¡¯s presence. If my father¡¯s trip was carelessly made public, there was a risk of a great panic in the political, economic, and military spheres.


    "Ehew, yes. I never thought we''d meet there." I sighed sincerely.


    "Do you know why he was there?"


    "Well, I have a rough idea, but I''m going to hear the details once I get back to the barracks."


    Elder Mirpa nodded at my answer and asked with interest, "I see. But I¡¯m guessing you used the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation? I can hardly feel your usually vast mana."


    As expected, she recognized my condition at a glance, perhaps because she was a great madosa. Elder Mirpa had also studied the results of my research, and she periodically came to exchange her results; as such, she was well aware of the aftereffects of the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation.


    "Yes, I ended up using it."


    "Hmm, I wanted to use the Firefly''s Bright Annihilation too, but it didn''t work out well. I wonder why?"


    At Elder Mirpa¡¯s question, I thought hard and answered, "There are a few things that come to mind, but I think the biggest problem is that Teacher-nim''s martial arts level is too low."


    Since the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation had been developed based on the Dance of the Fireflies, the user themselves needed to be skilled enough to be able to use Dance of the Fireflies first.


    As Dance of the Fireflies was a technique that opened up all of one¡¯s potential, it was a technique that could only be used by those of the village who were at elder level. Elder Mirpa was one of the top five within the council of elders in terms of pure strength, but it was an achievement she had made mostly through magic.


    "I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s within your expectations?" I asked, and Elder Mirpa nodded with a serious expression. I continued, "Teacher-nim is already good at handling mana, so if Teacher-nim develops enough skill to make strong aura, I think it might be possible."


    Her expression grew even more serious as she said, "It''s pretty hard to even make sword aura."


    "That can''t be helped. In the first place, magic and martial arts are like opposites. It will be especially difficult because Teacher-nim is at a high level of magic,¡± I said.


    If magic was the act of releasing mana from within one¡¯s body in order to control the surrounding mana, martial arts was like trapping mana within the body and circulating it. It wasn¡¯t difficult to make them coexist at a basic level, but at higher levels, the difficulty would increase exponentially.


    "Then what¡¯s the method for doing that?" Elder Mirpa asked.


    Of course, I laughed vainly at her assumption that I would know the answer. "How would I know? I did both at the same time from the start.¡±


    "Aren''t you the creator of this magic? How can you spread your magic if you say things like that when it¡¯s something only you know?!" Elder Mirpa roared.


    I clutched my temples. "Kkeung, is that how it works?¡±


    I hadn''t intended to teach anyone, so I¡¯d never thought about it. At most, I had considered the subject to the extent of figuring out how to teach martial arts to my only disciple.


    Martial arts was a skill built on the strong bodies and vitality of the Crows. It was clear that the physically weak Arwen would be severely overloaded trying to use it.


    "Think of an expedient like you usually do. In the first place, the convergence of magic and martial arts also came from your own expedient,¡± Elder Mirpa said. As expected of my teacher, she knew me well. Think about an expedient, indeed.


    I spoke with a playful smile. "Then you can give up on the martial arts."


    "What? Give up on the martial arts?¡± Elder Mirpa frowned as if she didn''t understand at first, but soon smiled pleasantly. "Ahahaha! Of course! It makes sense. You''re my disciple, but what a ridiculous solution you¡¯ve come up with!"


    It was nice that she understood quickly. The point of the problem was that Elder Mirpa had a low level of martial arts. So, what could she do to increase her level quickly? Usually, a solution could be found by knowing the cause of the problem. Elder Mirpa¡¯s magic level was so high that it would interfere with her development of martial arts techniques.


    But what were martial arts, really? Crow martial arts were just another kind of martial arts, in truth. [1]


    That meant one could train in regular martial arts, which didn¡¯t conflict with magic, unlike Crow martial arts. Then, that knowledge could be combined with the Crows¡¯ martial arts to raise one¡¯s proficiency in it.


    "Usually, people in our village start learning Crow martial arts from the time they walk, so it''s easy to overlook, but Crow martial arts are just one type of martial arts,¡± I said.


    To be exact, Elder Mirpa hadn¡¯t thought of it because we usually didn¡¯t distinguish between Crow martial arts and martial arts.


    "I see. Then do I need to find some martial artist outside the village who will teach me martial arts?" she asked.


    "Do you want me to recommend a few?"


    Elder Mirpa welcomed my suggestion. "Do you know anyone?"


    "Yes. The person I recommend the most is Guild Director Glont, who leads the Adventurer¡¯s Guild."


    "That''s a name I¡¯ve heard of before. I heard he''s a hero of the Empire.¡±


    I nodded. I knew he was famous, but I hadn''t expected that even Elder Mirpa would know. It was a little surprising. I added, "Among the people of the Empire I know, he''s the strongest and best teacher among them. Although, he is a little bit of a pervert."


    "Hmm, I see. Is there anyone else?¡± Elder Mirpa asked.


    I continued. "There are two more. One is an adventurer called the Magic Swordsman of Thunder; although his swordsmanship is barely enough to produce strong aura, in terms of magic, he rose to the level of madosa about two years ago."


    "Sounds all right. Even if it''s not enough to master swordsmanship, it''d be good to learn the technique of using swords and magic at the same time."


    At present, the only martial arts I had learned were Crow martial arts, which wasn¡¯t very helpful to Elder Mirpa. I continued, "The other is the Mercenary King, the subordinate of the Curse Specialist."


    "Subordinate of the Curse Specialist?" Elder Mirpa frowned, dissatisfied.


    "Yes. The Mercenary King is strong enough to be comparable to Guild Director Glont and has a completely different style. It''s unusual; he can use any weapon."


    "Is it similar to the Crow tribe¡¯s fighting style?" Elder Mirpa asked. I merely nodded in response. She said, "Okay. I''ll keep the advice in mind. It''s going to be quite fun in my later years.¡± Having learned about a familiar but unfamiliar field of martial arts, Elder Mirpa hummed.


    "Then I''ll go back. Den, be nice to Hestia, because she¡¯s been suffering in your stead since you ran away from home." Elder Mirpa grabbed the collars of the Curse Specialist and Elemental Specialist, who were lying passed out on the ground, and dragged them back into the castle.


    "That''s right. What she says is right. You have to be nice to me.¡± Hestia noona nodded happily.


    "Yes, yes,¡± I answered half-heartedly. The Curse Specialist had been tired from fighting with me, but how had Elder Mirpa overpowered Old Man Arpen? As expected, she was scary.


    Sticking my tongue out, I headed to my private barracks, where we would be staying. As I entered, I took off my military shoes and jumped onto the soft bed. "Uah, I''m tired."


    Looking around the inside of my barracks, Hestia noona burst into laughter. "Why is the inside of the tent better than our house?"


    "I make a lot of money,¡± I answered.


    Inside the barracks, there was a fluffy bed, colorful table, chairs, and other furniture; as well as utensils like kettles, teacups, and plates. All of them were from my pocket space.


    "I''m sure it¡¯s stolen... Sir Lupin."


    "Well, I made some money that way too."


    Actually, after the currency reform, it seemed keeping a lot of illegal slush funds in the house was difficult to maintain in large volumes, so I couldn''t get much cash through robbery. Still, the money I had gotten from selling corruption books, slush fund jewelry, and paintings to my aunt was worth quite a bit.


    It was a drop in the bucket compared to the amount I had gotten from selling the aphrodisiac, though.


    Hestia noona sat down, using a magic-engraved kettle to brew black tea. She began, "You were asking why Aunt Talaria asked for reinforcements, and why even the council of elders came out this time?¡±


    I rolled over and looked at Third Sister. "That''s right. I can guess why she asked for reinforcements, but I don''t know why even the council of elders would come out.¡±


    The request for reinforcements was likely related to the war diverting the attention of the Empire and forcing troops out of the Demon¡¯s Territory. If my predictions were correct, the Twelve Zodiacs¡¯ - no, to be exact, my great-grandfather''s - plan to summon the Demon King would have begun in earnest by now.


    Upon hearing my answer, Hestia noona nodded. "The reason why the council of elders moved is simple. In the Demon¡¯s Territory, the flood of demons has begun again, and two great demons are included among them. It happened while the Empire¡¯s forces were absent."


    Even when the Empire¡¯s forces were gathered, it had been difficult to deal with the Turtle Carrying a Mountain, but hearing that two great demons were heading south was certainly hopeless news.


    "So, they¡¯re here to have fun,¡±  I remarked.


    "I suppose so,¡± Hestia noona responded.


    It was a desperate situation for the Empire, but it was obvious that it would be a big event to soothe the elders¡¯ long-held boredom.


    "Which of the three remaining great demons are they?" I asked.


    "A Tiger Running in the Wind and a Bird Shrouded in the Fire of Beginning."


    "Should we be relieved that the Dragon that Lived Ten Thousand Years isn¡¯t coming?" I asked, putting on a self-deprecating smile.


    Hestia noona sighed deeply, touching her forehead. "No, that''s... You know, the Dragon that Lived Ten Thousand Years? Father turned it into a pet last year."


    "What?"


    "I don''t know the details, but it''s easy to ride and go places with...¡±


    "Oh my..." I couldn''t believe he had made the strongest of the four great demons succumb. He was truly inhuman. I thought of something and asked, "Wait, if it''s a pet, is the dragon here too?¡±


    "No. It went back."


    It wasn''t Hestia noona who answered my question. I leapt out of my seat with surprise before sitting back down, responding, "Ahaha, you''re here, Father?"


    "Oh. It''s been a while since I heard a greeting from Youngest." My father smiled and stroked my head in response to my polite attitude.


    Hestia noona added, ¡°The dragon delivered me and Father all the way here and flew back to the border of the Demon¡¯s Territory to block the flood of demons. Its presence there alone can prevent a lot of demons from approaching."


    Father sat on the chair opposite Hestia noona. "Hmm, it''s nice that the chair is big and sturdy. It''s soft, too."


    I said without hesitation, "I''ll give it to you."


    "Is that all right? It looks quite expensive.¡±


    "It¡¯s times like this that I should be a good son.¡±


    In fact, it wasn''t that expensive.


    In response, my father smiled and slapped his knee, seemingly in a good mood. "Hahahaha! Youngest has grown up. But I''m still going to take you back to the village."


    As expected, he had good instincts. I made a subtle inquiry. "Of course, it¡¯ll be after your work outside the village is over, right?¡± Whatever work my father had, it would be very helpful to me.


    My father nodded as if it were natural, saying, "You''re planning on running away when your mana recovers."


    "Yes, that''s right," I said proudly. "But I''ll still help Father with your work."


    "In return, are you asking for the right to be given a fair chance to run away?" he asked.


    He had been able to figure out my intentions, not with logic, but with pure instinct. I got goosebumps.


    1. Translator¡¯s note: The original Korean uses two different words for martial arts. To reduce confusion, I¡¯m referring to one kind as the Crow tribe¡¯s martial arts.

 CH 306.

    I responded in the affirmative. "Yes. But, Father, you lost Grandfather Galak too. Perhaps simply in terms of instincts, Great-grandfather is likely on par with Father, so it''s probably going to be hard to catch him."


    Having fought them both once, I would say my father''s strength was definitely superior. It was just a guess, but I thought my father would come out ahead even if my great-grandfather used the Curse of the Giants.


    "So?"


    "If you can''t do it based on instincts, you can just predict his behavior in real time. Hestia noona and I are the only ones who can do that, but Hestia noona is too weak to join the battle."


    In addition, if my great-grandfather used the Curse of the Giants, there was a risk of immediate death on the spot. The Curse of the Giants was as heinous as it was terrible.


    "Right. Grandfather has the Curse of the Giants." My father nodded, convinced.


    I was surprised. "Oh? Did you know that Grandfather Galak has the Curse of the Giants?¡±


    Due to my great-grandfather¡¯s selfish nature, he wasn¡¯t the type to let others know of such precious things. It was likely that he hadn¡¯t even told his son, Grandfather Zendia. Did that mean my father had also suffered once from the Curse of the Giants, like me?


    "Yes. He explained it to me, as if to make fun of me after I got hit with it,¡± my father explained.


    I smiled bitterly, saying, "That''s like Grandfather Galak."


    I didn''t know how the serious and thoughtful Grandfather Zendia had been born to my playful and selfish great-grandfather. Come to think of it, though, did all of my grandfather''s children, my father, Uncle Bloody, and Aunt Talaria have a screw loose?


    "For some reason, it feels like you¡¯re having a very insolent thought, Youngest." My father looked at me suspiciously. His instincts were at the level of mind reading.


    I smiled lightly and shrugged. "No way. I think Father''s instincts are a little rusty."


    "Hmm... Really?" Seeing my unchanged expression, my father nodded with a dissatisfied look.


    No matter how good his instincts were, it wasn¡¯t truly mind reading. Also, no matter how much it seemed as if he could read the future, he didn¡¯t have foresight. That being the case, it wasn¡¯t impossible to deceive him.


    "So, how did Father come to be chasing after Grandfather Galak? Is it because of Aunt''s request?¡± I asked.


    Personally, I¡¯d thought that no matter how much my aunt asked, or even if my great-grandfather summoned the Demon King, he wouldn¡¯t really care. No, rather, I¡¯d expected that he¡¯d be happy, saying that someone worth fighting like the Demon King had been summoned.


    The answer to my question was beyond my imagination, however.


    "Your great-grandfather robbed our tribe''s sacred place,¡± my father said.


    "What?"


    He¡¯d robbed the sacred place?


    Even though it was called the sacred place of our tribe, it was so small that it contained only a small shrine in an empty space. However, it was such an important place in the tribe that it had its own keeper, called the "Caron."


    In the past, it had been such an important place that the Caron was chosen from the tribe chief¡¯s lineage, and had to guard the sacred place for the rest of their life.


    "Why did he rob the sacred place?¡± I asked.


    During the reign of Grandfather Zendia, a department that took turns managing the sacred place had been created for the sake of the person appointed as Caron. Of course, the elders had protested to keep the tradition, but I¡¯d heard that my grandfather had made them shut up with his fist.


    "And what did he steal?¡± I added.


    At the sacred place¡¯s shrine, symbols and objects belonging to past chiefs had been placed, so there were quite a few good items. Amusingly, about half of them had said they had mastered the heart sword in their later years and left branches, saying they were their swords.


    For reference, the symbol of my father was a wreath made of wind flowers, infused with mana so as not to wither.[1]


    "Apparently, he stole the horn of the Demon King that was kept in the sacred place," my father said.


    The Demon King¡¯s horn was probably an object necessary to summon the Demon King. But when I was still in my hometown, my father hadn¡¯t really seemed to pay much attention to my great-grandfather.


    "When did Grandpa Galak rob the sacred place?" I asked.


    My father sighed at my question. "Three years ago. It was when you ran away from home."


    "What?" I was shocked.


    "Your great-grandfather hid and stole it when the village''s security was empty because you were running away from home," my father explained, driving the point home.


    * * *


    Three years ago...


    Den came to Doomstone ahead of the coming-of-age ceremony, saying, "Father, I have a favor to ask of you."


    Doomstone warmed up lightly, thinking it was surprising that his youngest son was asking for a favor. The only times he asked for favors were during training, when he asked Doomstone to be gentle on him.


    "All right. Tell me,¡± he replied. As expected, he thought it would be a request for a match, like Den¡¯s brothers. Still, Doomstone was proud that Den wasn¡¯t afraid of confronting him fairly instead of launching a surprise attack.


    "I want to go to the capital,¡± Den said.


    "Okay. Let''s fight once... What?¡± This time, even Doomstone, who had good instincts, didn''t expect what he had just heard. "Huh-huh-huh, I think my ears are going bad from age. I heard a strange sound like ¡®going to the capital¡¯."


    "You heard it right. I want to go to the capital,¡± Den repeated.


    Doomstone looked puzzled by Den''s sincere words. When Den followed by saying he wanted to settle down and live in the capital, he couldn''t control his emotions and ¡®weakly¡¯ called forth his mana.


    But when Den wrapped his arms around his face to resist Doomstone¡¯s aura, Doomstone realized his mistake and retracted his mana.


    "Okay. Let''s hear the reason,¡± Doomstone said.


    Doomstone recommended the Guard Division and Warrior Force, and even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Hestia had said he should never send Den to.


    However, the youngest son only refused as if he were in a rebellious phase of puberty. In addition, his excuse for refusing was ridiculous.


    What do you mean, because you don''t want to fight with the brothers? There was no way the Youngest, who had been throwing dirt in his brothers'' eyes and sneak attacking them in the name of making up for the difference in power, would say that.


    Even though Doomstone thought so, on the other hand, he was also proud that Den was thinking of his brothers.


    "Then, why don''t you succeed me as the head of the village?" he suggested.


    "...What?" Den replied blankly.


    Doomstone held back his smile and spoke as casually as possible. "Why are you making such a blank expression? I said you should be the head of the village."


    "What nonsense are you talking about, Father?"


    "It''s not nonsense."


    Although it seemed difficult for Den to accept it, at the end of the conversation with Doomstone, he returned, saying he would accept.


    Hmm, is this why I''ve been having a bad feeling for a few days? Doomstone thought, even as Den went back obediently.


    While Doomstone was lost in thought, Hestia came into the chief¡¯s office with a bunch of documents, asking, "The Youngest stopped by?"


    Doomstone escaped from his thoughts and answered, "Huh? Yeah. He came in briefly."


    "I guess he came here because it¡¯s the coming of age ceremony tomorrow? Don''t worry too much. If it''s Den, he¡¯ll hunt and bring back a large demon in less than thirty minutes,¡± Hestia said as she put a bunch of documents on the desk. "So please focus on documents related to the Republic for now."


    Doomstone sighed as he saw the ever-increasing documents. "As I thought, I should¡¯ve handed it all over to Talaria."


    "Oh my, Aunt is quite busy, too. The amount of documents she has to deal with while leading the Big Mama Information Agency is likely on a whole different level from this. So Father, please work hard too."


    Seeing Hestia''s smile as the documents were being pushed toward him, Doomstone shuddered.


    * * *


    On the day of Den''s coming-of-age ceremony, Doomstone called in the elders to announce that Den had been named his successor. Even though some expressed doubts and concerns, no one opposed the decision, because it was Doomstone¡¯s authority to determine a successor.


    However, the problem was that the main character of the coming-of-age ceremony ran away from home on the same day.


    Reading the letter Hestia had brought, Doomstone felt his blood pressure start to rise. Hahaha, I didn''t expect my cute youngest son to prepare such a cute event. He wondered if this was the source of the anxiety he felt.


    The moment he decided to catch Den himself, he instinctively called on his eldest son. "Guard Division Captain."


    "Yes!"


    "Send everyone to catch Denburg Blade, except for the minimum needed to maintain village security!"


    His instincts shouted furiously. They said he shouldn''t leave the village now, because that anxiety he felt wasn¡¯t about the Youngest running away.


    At Doomstone''s order, the eldest son hesitated, but he yelled and began to chase Den.


    And just like that, 1,500 pursuers set out to catch Den.


    Considering there were two hundred warriors working on cutting up the demons that had been left by Den, most of the young people in the tribe were leaving.


    Common sense said that it was an excessive number to send just to one runaway person. Even though he thought so as well, Doomstone forced the young people out of the village.


    "Father, are you okay?" Hestia asked.


    Doomstone stroked her head, saying, "No. It''s not okay."


    He couldn¡¯t tell whether this feeling truly was due to the Youngest running away, or if there was another reason.


    Hestia nodded seriously. "But you decided on the chase very quickly. After I found out that Youngest ran away from home, I was thinking about how to persuade Father to increase the number of pursuers." She smiled lightly, saying it had saved her the effort.


    Seeing that smile, Doomstone pointed to the outskirts of the village. "You take command of the chase. You can set up a command post there."


    "Yes. It would be easier to receive and send messenger eagles from the outside than inside." Hestia accepted and prepared to set up a command post.


    When he saw that, Doomstone calmed down. He said, "I''ll go inside and look through the documents. Come back in if it gets windy."


    "Yes, I understand... What?! Did you just say you''re going to look at the documents?¡± Hestia stared at him, surprised.


    Doomstone nodded with an odd expression. "So?¡±


    "Oh my god! I can''t believe Father voluntarily wants to do paperwork!¡± Hestia pretended to wipe away tears as if she were moved.


    "No, I may hate work, but I didn''t think it was to the point where you need to pretend to cry," Doomstone muttered, flustered, but Hestia tried to send him back to the office as soon as possible before he changed his mind.


    Doomstone was pushed by his daughter and entered the office. "I really don''t hate it that much..." he muttered.


    * * *


    About nine hours after learning Den had run away....


    As it became dark outside, Hestia moved the command post into the village hall and looked at the map to track Den''s actions. Doomstone chatted idly with her as he dealt with boring documents.


    "Chief-nim! Leader-nim! I got a call saying they found a trace of the Youngest Master-nim!" came a report all of a sudden.


    "What!" Doomstone stood up excitedly.


    "Father, calm down. We haven¡¯t caught him yet,¡± Hestia said.


    "Hmm, hmm. I see." Doomstone calmed down and sat down again.


    In response to the diplomat¡¯s report, Hestia gave instructions on when and how to move the troops. As he watched, Doomstone realized again that his eldest daughter was very smart.


    As Hestia continued to wrestle with the map, Doomstone stood up, having gotten a bad feeling suddenly.


    "Where are you going?" Hestia asked.


    "I have some materials to look for, so I''m going to the study,¡± Doomstone replied.


    "Oh, then I''ll go."


    Doomstone forced Hestia to sit down again as she tried to get up from her seat, saying, "You don''t know when news of the Youngest will come in. You have to be here to give instructions right away."


    Hestia was convinced and nodded. "I guess that''s true."


    "I''ll be right back. Don''t move from here,¡± Doomstone said as he quickly ran to the study.


    Bang!


    When Doomstone opened the door of the study, which should have been empty, he saw a man wearing a white mask, standing with a book in hand.


    "Who are you?!" Doomstone asked. When he saw it was an old man in a white mask, he felt a very familiar sensation. "It couldn¡¯t be... Grandfather?"


    "Call me Libra now, my cute grandson." Galak gave off killing intent as he closed the book he was holding.


    1. Wind flowers are also known as anemones.

 CH 307.

    Doomstone responded to Galak''s killing intent by lightly emitting martial aura. The auras of the two strong men clashed and caused a windstorm, and the materials on the desk of the study were scattered.


    "It was beyond my expectations that my identity would be exposed. But I also didn''t know that you would be strong enough to penetrate the recognition interference magic engraved by a great madosa so easily." Galak laughed as if he were at a loss.


    "Personally, Elder Mirpa¡¯s magic was harder to read,¡± Doomstone replied.


    "Is that so? Well, after the Witch of Pride died, he became lazy. Anyway, I''m ¡®Libra¡¯."


    "You said ¡®Libra¡¯?¡± Doomstone asked.


    Galak nodded. "Yeah. I''m ¡®Libra¡¯ now. That''s all you need to know, ¡®Chief of the Crow tribe¡¯."


    Doomstone nodded in response to being called by the title of ¡®chief¡¯, not ¡®grandson¡¯. "I see. Then, do you know where you¡¯ve just intruded, ¡®Libra¡¯?¡±


    "Of course I know. Isn''t this the study that contains the Demon King¡¯s summons, stolen by a ¡®despicable hero?¡±


    Doomstone withdrew his martial aura and emitted killing intent. "Yes. You¡¯re a delinquent who dares to ''intrude'' into the Crow tribe¡¯s territory, ¡®Libra¡¯. By the way, for the last few years, we¡¯ve been using the title ¡®head of the village¡¯, not ¡®chief¡¯; I hope you can call me ¡®Village Head¡¯ instead.¡±


    Galak was shocked by Doomstone''s addition. ¡°Village head?! What?! What''s up with that name that seems to lack dignity?!¡±


    "It was chosen to deliberately get rid of dignity and seem more friendly instead," Doomstone explained.


    Galak frowned. "I can¡¯t understand kids these days."


    "Well, I agree.¡±


    Personally, Doomstone was more attracted to the title ¡®Fire Shadow,¡¯ which his youngest son had recommended. However, since Hestia managed most of the village''s administration, her opinion couldn¡¯t be ignored.


    "So, can ''Libra'', an unauthorized intruder, be considered as someone who ¡®harmed¡¯ the innocent villagers to ¡®intrude¡¯?¡± Doomstone asked.


    Galak nodded. "Well, I had to do that. Although the security was worse than expected.¡±


    Galak had been determined to kill the guards and break through, so of course, the security of the village had been too poor to stop him. This was because Doomstone had intentionally withdrawn troops from the village to chase Den.


    "They happened to have something to do,¡± Doomstone said. He was obligated to protect the villagers as the village¡¯s leader. If Galak had really killed the guards, he was planning on killing Galak without hesitation.


    "It was good for me. Well, there''s no one outside who has the guts to come all the way here, so just giving them a lesson was enough." Galak scratched the back of his head, putting the book he was holding back into the bookshelf while asking, "But what I left behind... No. Where''s the Demon King summons that the ¡®despicable hero¡¯ left? I''m sure they were hidden here so no one could find them.¡±


    Doomstone let out a strained laugh. "Oh, that. I used it as firewood to make roasted sweet potatoes.¡± He didn¡¯t bring up Den, judging that there was no need to prod and make it worse.


    Galak thought he had misunderstood Doomstone¡¯s answer. "...What?"


    "I used it to roast sweet potatoes,¡± Doomstone answered firmly.


    Galak shouted, "Hey, you crazy punk! Do you even know what that was?! Do you know how precious the historical value and magic knowledge contained in that are?!¡±


    "So grandpa¡ªhmm!¡ª¡®Libra¡¯ seems to know it well? But I''m ignorant,¡± Doomstone remarked.


    "Hmm, if you were me, you''d know that very well. I''m sure you¡¯d know it so well that you''d foam at the mouth and faint.¡± Galak sighed after saying a little too much. "This is difficult. Should I hope that there¡¯s still a copy of ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯ somewhere in the world?" he complained.


    Doomstone asked, "Why are you looking for the Demon King summons? Are you trying to summon the Demon King?¡±


    Galak smiled bitterly at the question. "Right. Because I''m ¡®Libra¡¯."


    At Galak''s answer, Doomstone sincerely asked, "Then why does Grandfather, not ¡®Libra¡¯, want to summon the Demon King again? When I was young, didn''t Grandfather always say that the Demon King was terrible?"


    "Yeah. The Demon King was terrible. It would be no exaggeration to call him the embodiment of despair itself."


    "Then why?" Doomstone couldn¡¯t understand. Why would Galak, a hero who had won the battle with the Demon King, want that? He has no reason to call the Demon King back into the world.


    Galak smiled at his grandson''s question and said, "There''s only one thing I can say as an answer: There''s no need for you to know, my grandson." He then sharpened his aura again and flew out of the window. "If you don''t have the Demon King summons, there''s no reason to be here! I, ¡®Libra¡¯, am leaving now!¡±


    Doomstone approached the window and searched for Galak, who had jumped off the second floor. However, Galak had already concealed himself. "''Libra'', huh. Is it related to what Father and Talaria are doing?" he mused.


    Doomstone lifted an empty sheet of paper and a pen that had been scattered on the ground, thinking that many things seemed to have happened without his knowledge. "It''s been a while since I wrote a letter."


    * * *


    I was surprised by my father''s story. "Then the reason why there were so many pursuers chasing me wasn¡¯t because my sister persuaded you, but because of Father''s instincts?¡± I asked.


    "Right. If a tribesman had been harmed there, we would have had a fight in the middle of the village, but think about it. If my grandfather and I had fought..." my father said.


    In response, I stuck my tongue out.


    "...The village would have been completely destroyed,¡± my father finished.


    No, it might have been on the level of having ¡®completely disappeared¡¯, not just having been ¡®completely destroyed¡¯. The buildings could be rebuilt quickly, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy to remake the mana stabilizing magic circle and the protective magic circle surrounding the village.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t impossible; there was Elder Mirpa, a great madosa, along with some of my seniors who were madosas. However, Olympus Forest wasn¡¯t called a hell for magicians for nothing.


    "I did what my instincts told me to do to minimize the damage to the village,¡± my father said confidently.


    I smiled bitterly. "I don''t know if I should be thankful that I was able to run away safely, or sad because I had a hard time."


    Even though my father hadn''t come to catch me, it had been quite dangerous. It had been a terrible situation, in which 1,500 elites of our tribe had rushed at me.


    "Well, I never thought they¡¯d lose you when I mobilized 1,500 people. As expected, I have a good eye for people."


    Despite saying he hadn¡¯t thought I could really escape, my father was still boasting about his good judgement in naming me as his successor.


    "That''s because even though I learned the Crow tribe¡¯s martial arts, I''m still a magician and I can''t do my best in Olympus Forest,¡± I said.


    In Olympus Forest, I could barely catch a dragon by using all kinds of expedients. It was natural to think that a group of professional hunters who had caught dozens of dragons would catch me in pursuit.


    Hestia noona smiled self-deprecatingly. "To be honest, it''s my fault that we lost you. I should have predicted your movements better." Even though she said it that way, she seemed a little upset.


    If one really observed her carefully, Hestia noona was a very proud person. When we were young, she was so competitive she shed tears when I beat her at northern-style chess.


    "What''s the point of talking about the past? Don''t pay it any mind,¡± our father said. Hestia nodded, dissatisfied.


    "So when did Grandfather Galak steal from the sacred place?¡± I asked.


    My father stroked his chin and recalled the past. "So..."


    * * *


    Three years ago...


    In the end, Doomstone, who had heard that Den succeeded in running away from home, ended the matter by spanking his two sons who had been leading the chase. He then decided to send his youngest daughter Leisha, Den¡¯s friend, and a diplomat after Den; he also assigned the vice captain of the warrior force to escort them.


    "Heheheh, that''s good!" Mirpa laughed joyfully when she heard the news that Den had successfully ran away from home.


    "What do you mean?" Doomstone couldn¡¯t understand Mirpa''s words. The successor of the tribe¡¯s leadership had just left on a whim. He had run away from home too, but at the time, he had still been an ordinary tribe member. That was entirely different from Den running away, at least in terms of importance.


    "Den is inexperienced. Besides, I haven''t seen his limits yet. As a teacher, broadening the disciple''s knowledge is welcome, so it''s good."


    "Really?" Doomstone was still unhappy that Den had run away.


    "Yeah. I hope by the next time we meet, he¡¯ll have enough experience to be acknowledged as a great madosa by anyone.¡± Mirpa smiled happily. "So, what do you need to consult me about?"


    Doomstone took out a letter. "It''s a letter from Talaria, who¡¯s taking care of Father outside. If you look inside, it talks about a group called the Twelve Zodiacs and a person named Libra."


    Mirpa looked at the letter. "That rogue, your grandfather, Galak, is the head of the organization under the name of Sagittarius."


    Doomstone talked about what had happened a few days ago. Mirpa got angry when she heard the whole story. "Rascal! You looked at a precious magic document like the Demon King summons by yourself, then made roasted sweet potatoes with it?!"


    "The roasted sweet potato lady also enjoyed it."


    "That''s what I''m saying! Ugh! Imagine what vast amounts of black magic and necromancy must have been written there!¡±


    Looking at the disappointed Mirpa, Doomstone waved his hand. "That''s not the thing I wanted to consult about."


    "I know. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s about why Galak, that rogue, introduced himself as ''Libra''. It''s simple. He¡¯s asking you to destroy the demon king worshippers instead of him, under the pretext of retaliation for him daring to invade your territory."


    Doomstone couldn¡¯t understand Mirpa''s words. "He¡¯s asking me to destroy the demon king worshippers? Even though they¡¯re on the same side?¡±


    "It¡¯s because they¡¯re on the same side that he can¡¯t do it himself, which is why he¡¯s trying to provoke you into doing it."


    Doomstone still couldn''t understand. "How come?"


    "That I don''t know either," Mirpa answered roughly, still feeling regretful about the Demon King summons that had been burned away. Doomstone sighed and got up.


    "Where are you going?" Mirpa asked.


    "I''m going to visit the holy place for a moment. I still have the bad feeling I¡¯ve had for the last few days.¡± As he said that, Doomstone called his two sons over. The road to the holy place was rough and it was some distance away, so he had to move briskly.


    "What kind of instinct does the Blade family have, to the point that it borders on foresight?" Mirpa muttered, looking at the door as Doomstone stormed out and saying to herself that it was a good subject for research.


    The day after, Doomstone led Gallahad and Gawain to the holy place. Leisha, Mac, and Lancelot left the village to chase after Den.

 CH 308.

    Doomstone jumped high, stepping on a tree as he quickly headed to the holy place.


    "Father! You¡¯re too fast!" Gallahad did his best to follow Doomstone, but he began to lag behind because he was less agile than the other villagers.


    "We¡¯re already late!" Doomstone shouted that Gallahad would have to be left behind if he fell too far behind.


    "So mean!" Gallahad exclaimed with a tearful expression.


    Gawain sighed, asking, "Hyung, how much do you weigh?"


    "Me? About 130 kilograms...?" Gallahad replied. His weight was almost pure muscle.


    "You weigh almost twice as much as me. But it¡¯s not to the point where you can''t maintain your speed, right? Get on my back." Gawain moved the extra sword he had from his back to his hip and bowed a little.


    "Thank you!" Gallahad hopped on his younger brother''s back without hesitation. Gawain readjusted his center of gravity again after the sudden weight and jumped onto a branch. Gallahad exclaimed, "Ohh! So fast! Hey, do you have any tips so I can run this fast?"


    "Lose some muscle. Or build up your lower body muscles to Father''s level,¡±


    "No, even if I trained my lower body up to Father¡¯s level, if it were just the lower body, then wouldn''t my body be unbalanced?"


    "If you don''t want to, then don''t. I''m going to speed up. If you don''t want to bite your tongue, close your mouth!¡± Gawain sped up and closely followed Doomstone.


    The three arrived at the entrance to the holy place after running for a long time, stopping at the guard post guarding the entrance. Although it was a guard post, it resembled a sturdy mansion where dozens of people could stay easily.


    "Who¡¯s this? Isn''t it Chief-nim?!" The one who came out to the window terrace after feeling the presence of the three was an old man with gray hair.


    "It''s been a while, Grand-uncle."[1]


    The old man was Doomstone''s grand-uncle, and he was the last keeper of the holy place. He jumped off the terrace and greeted Doomstone with courtesy. "Caron, the 99th holy land keeper, greets the Chief-nim."


    "Raise your head, Grand-uncle," Doomstone said, feeling burdened by the determined greeting.


    Caron burst into laughter. "Uh-huh-huh-huh. Call me Caron until this old body dies. Even though the former chief abolished the position of holy place keeper, I want to fulfill my mission." Since then, there had been no new holy place keepers.


    Doomstone only returned a simple greeting with his eyes in consideration of the will of his grand-uncle. He said, "Yes, all right. Have you been uncomfortable?¡±


    "What''s there to be uncomfortable about? Didn¡¯t you build me this large mansion and constantly send people to help? I always live with gratitude to Chief-nim and Former Chief-nim.¡±


    "I''m glad. My father will be happy to hear it,¡± Doomstone said.


    Caron smiled and nodded. Then he said seriously, "It seems something is about to happen to the holy place. My knees have been hurting for a few days."


    "Yes. I think it''s likely. I''m sorry, Grand-uncle, but can you protect the shrine as the holy place keeper?" Doomstone asked.


    Caron shook his head. "Uh-huh-huh, asking is pointless. Protecting the holy place is my mission. My body has aged and weakened, but I still have the power to fulfill my mission.¡± Explosive aura erupted from Caron¡¯s body as he smiled. Gallahad and Gawain swallowed dryly as they felt its strength.


    "How is that rascal disciple of mine? Is Weger doing well?" Caron asked.


    Doomstone laughed lightly. "Ahahaha, he¡¯s the head of the council of elders now."


    "Uh-huh-huh. Is that so? I was worried since he was only proficient in physical skill, but to think he¡¯s the head of the council of elders now,¡± Caron mused, briefly immersed in memories.


    He then asked, "So, are the two children behind you the sons of Chief-nim? They''ve gotten stronger since I¡¯ve last seen them.¡± Suddenly, his gentle smile gave way to a frown. "My knees are feeling quite sore.¡±


    "I don''t have a good feeling about this. We might be a step late,¡± Doomstone said.


    "Do you have any idea who it is?" Caron asked.


    Doomstone replied with a bitter smile, "He calls himself ¡®Libra¡¯.¡±


    Caron was able to read and understand the implications of Doomstone¡¯s words. "Uh-huh-huh-huh. Is that so? Well, it doesn''t matter. Anyone who steps into the holy place without my permission will be killed. That¡¯s the rule, isn¡¯t it? Let''s go." He quickly headed toward the holy place.


    Doomstone looked at Caron before telling his two sons, "You two should protect the shrine as Grand-uncle¡¯s assistants."


    Caron was so strong that he had been qualified to become a holy place keeper in the past, but it was Galak who had become the chief.


    It had been well over a hundred years since the tradition of appointing the strongest as the chief had been set. In that period, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that the power gap had widened with each generation.


    "Yes,¡± Gallahad and Gawain answered, sounding tense. It wasn¡¯t difficult to understand that Doomstone''s instructions were a warning not to get caught up in the fight between him and Galak.


    Doomstone and his two sons followed Caron into the holy place and witnessed a person wearing a white mask coming out of the shrine.


    "We meet again." Galak smiled cheerfully and waved.


    Karon frowned. "How did you get into the holy place? If you don''t have the identification card of a holy place keeper, you shouldn¡¯t be able to enter".


    The holy place of the Crow tribe was an area surrounded by a special force, so it wasn¡¯t a place anyone could access. As it was the center of Olympus Forest, which exuded strange mana, it was close to impossible to enter with brute force.


    Galak took off his mask and replied, "How did I get in, you ask? There isn¡¯t just one token to enter the holy place, Younger Brother."


    As soon as Galak finished speaking, the Curse of the Giants activated. Gallahad and Gawain, bombarded with the power of terrible hatred and grudges, sank into a squat without being able to resist. Caron also tried to hold out by drawing forth his martial aura, but he struggled.


    Just then, Doomstone shouted, emitting his martial aura to its fullest. "Ha!"


    At the same time, Gallahad and Gawain, who hadn¡¯t even been able to breathe properly, let out a strained breath of air. Karon''s complexion, which had been deteriorating rapidly, also improved.


    Galak was amazed at the sight, remarking, "That''s amazing. Dispelling the curse, not only from yourself, but also from others...¡±


    Of course, even though Doomstone had dispelled the curse partially, Galak continued to worsen their physical condition.


    Doomstone unhappily looked at the marble in Galak''s hand, asking, "What''s that?"


    Galak smiled playfully, saying, "This? This is the Curse of the Giants, a sad treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation, and a symbol of our tribe''s sins."


    Doomstone cared more about the phrase ¡®symbol of sins¡¯ than the phrase ¡®sad treasure¡¯. "What do you mean by ¡®symbol of sins¡¯?"


    "Isn¡¯t the Curse of the Giants a curse that makes our dexterity worse?¡± Gallahad, who had caught his breath thanks to Doomstone, asked Gawain.


    Gawain looked at his younger brother pityingly. "That''s just a figure of speech. If it were a real curse, we would have no one who could become swordsmen or carpenters.¡±


    "Oh, is that so?" Gallahad asked.


    Galak laughed joyfully at the conversation between the two. "That''s right. That¡¯s just a figure of speech. Our tribe had no dexterity even before the creation of the Curse of the Giants."


    Before the creation of the Curse of the Giants, the devastatingly bad dexterity of the Crow tribe had gone by a different name.


    Galak began stroking the Curse of the Giants as he explained, "This is a bead containing the grudges of the Giant tribe, who were destroyed by our tribe during the Giant-Holy War 500 years ago. The beads contain pure hatred and desire for the fall of the Crow tribe."


    Gawain, the only one there who had studied history, tilted his head. "As far as I know, our tribe hardly participated in the Giant-Holy War 500 years ago.¡±


    "That was the case for the tribe as a whole. However, there was an idiot who ignored the orders of the chief and jumped into the Holy Kingdom, fighting until the end." Galak smiled bitterly and added more mana to the Curse of the Giants.


    "Caron Blade, who was designated as the holy place keeper at the time... An old ancestor, known as the Traitorous Knight to the outside world, murdered all the Giants by himself. All the Giants, including babies and the elderly. Therefore, this bead is the product of our tribe''s sin."


    "Ugh!"


    Gallahad and Gawain¡¯s conditions had worsened from the Curse that clung to them again. Doomstone fought against the curse using his martial aura.


    "I don''t care if other tribes were destroyed by my ancestors in the past. What''s important now is that you invaded the holy place without permission,¡± Doomstone said as he gathered his full strength to confront the Curse of the Giants head-on.


    Galak laughed, seemingly pleased by Doomstone''s words. "Ahahaha! That¡¯s right! That''s what''s important now!"


    Doomstone and Galak rushed at each other, raising their martial auras to the fullest. Their punches struck with enough force to dig deep furrows into the land and collapse mountain peaks.


    "Why did you break into the holy place!?" Doomstone reproached Galak.


    Galak shouted as if he had been wrongly accused, "If Zendia hadn''t moved the horns of the Demon King here from the drawer in the study, I wouldn''t have bothered to come here!"


    "How could you retire without leaving behind a symbolic item!? Grandfather''s symbol is the subjugation of the Demon King!"


    "Someone already took the Demon King''s horn before me!"


    "Don''t lie! Who would break in besides Grandfather?!"


    "This isn¡¯t fair!"


    The battle between Doomstone and Galak lasted for more than three days and moved outside the holy place, destroying parts of Olympus Forest. At last, it ended with Galak running away using an opening created by the Curse of the Giants.


    * * *


    "I missed Grandfather because I couldn''t completely shake off the Curse of the Giants, and so in my rage, I trained in the Dance of the Fireflies. As a bonus, I took care of the worshippers of the Demon King during my spare time in the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    I was speechless hearing my father''s story. "Hey, Father. Are you even human? How can you fight for three days under the Curse of the Giants?¡±


    And was Dance of the Fireflies a skill that could be trained? It was far beyond common sense to train a skill that brought you close to death once used.


    "If you have the will to fight, and the stamina to support that will, there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t fight,¡± my father said resolutely.


    "That''s amazing,¡± I said admiringly.


    My father shrugged and smiled. "Ahahaha! Don''t worry. You''ll be able to do all that when you¡¯re my age."


    Honestly, I don''t particularly have any desire to, I thought, but I swallowed the words.


    My father, who was smiling happily, got up from his seat when he saw the clock hanging on one side of the barracks. "Oh, it''s already time. I heard you fought with two great madosas, so you must be tired. I¡¯ll be leaving now. You know what¡¯ll happen if you try to run away, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll hit my butt until it splits?¡± I answered.


    My father laughed cheerfully. "Ahahaha! You know it well. Then get some rest."


    "Yes. Be careful not to get caught by the people of the Empire,¡± I requested.


    My father smiled, stroked my head, and left with Hestia noona.


    Hearing their footsteps moving away, I stretched out on the bed and called, "Tristan."


    "Yeap, did you call me?¡± Tristan appeared from my pocket space and smiled playfully.


    "Open up the pocket space."


    When Tristan opened the pocket space, I took out a black horn, saying, "So this was the horn of the Demon King. I was wondering why it was full of black mana."


    In the past, when I had gone to the holy place with my father, there was an object that looked good for studying the Demon King summons, so I had taken it. It seemed that the object was the horn of the Demon King.


    1. This Korean word for grand-uncle also specifies that the grand-uncle is married.

 CH 309.

    Tristan had a ridiculous smile when he saw the horn of the Demon King. "No way. I''ve been in and out of the pocket space, but I didn''t even know you had the horn of the Demon King."


    "It''s understandable, since I sealed it beneath dozens of layers,¡± I said.


    If the black mana of the Demon King¡¯s horn hadn¡¯t been sealed, I would have already been caught by my father or my grandfather when I brought it out from the holy place.


    "But when that monster opened the pocket space, you didn''t get caught. Even though the Blade family''s instincts are almost like foresight,¡± Tristan said, thinking it was unexpected.


    I smiled lightly and said, "Our family''s unique instincts are still just instincts, not foresight or mind reading."


    "Considering that, I often get goosebumps when Master speaks from his instincts."


    ¡°What do you mean goosebumps?¡± I said, fiddling with the horn of the Demon King. "As a person who inherited those instincts from my father, I¡¯ve studied how they¡¯re triggered. Unexpectedly, our family''s instincts seem to be the result of a kind of high level thought."


    "High level thought? That doesn''t seem to match the Crows,¡± Tristan said.


    I shrugged. "Well, I''ll admit that. In reality, it¡¯s not something you can know by thinking consciously."


    "Then?"


    "For example, if someone threw a stone into a lake, anyone would expect the water to splash, right?¡±


    Tristan nodded at my brief example. "Right."


    "But when you reach the conclusion that water will splash, no one takes into account the force applied to the stone, the distance from the lake surface, the surrounding wind speed, or the air resistance."


    "Of course. Who takes that into account? Of course, when a stone falls into the water, the water splashes." Tristan looked at me as if what I¡¯d said had nothing to do with our family''s instincts.


    "My instincts and my father¡¯s are the same. However, unlike others, we look at extremely microscopic events, omit the process, and predict results."


    "What? How is that different from fortune telling?"


    "Well, I think it''s different. Fortune telling is just more of a scam using the Barnum effect.¡±


    Tristan didn''t understand me and asked again. "What effect?"


    "Barnum effect. It''s a type of fraud that misleads you with ambiguous words."


    Of course, among the types of magic practiced by the ancients, there was magic related to prophecy and foresight. However, there was a reason why it was so rare.


    Seeing the future came at a huge price. The stronger the magic, the greater the rebound. Merlin, who had predicted the future at the end of the Holy Kingdom period, had likely died due to rebound from the foresight rather than from reaching the end of his lifespan.


    "Unlike Mordred, Master uses too many difficult words, perhaps because you''re a magician.¡±


    "Anyway, I named the omission ''a leap of logic by unconscious thinking''. I wrote a paper while I researched it. Do you want to read it?" I asked.


    Tristan shook his head, looking as if he had been bitten by a bug. "I''m not a weirdo like Master, so I refuse.¡±


    "Being called a weirdo is quite harsh."


    In the end, father and great-grandfather had to have the right conditions to activate their instincts. Surprisingly, those conditions were so tricky I hadn¡¯t quite identified them yet.


    "But Master, the Holy Sword has been trembling since earlier,¡± Tristan said.


    I looked at the Holy Sword hanging from the coat I had thrown. It was trembling noticeably. I remarked, "Because I can¡¯t use my mana well right now, my sense of perception seems to have deteriorated."


    On a normal day, I would have noticed it from the time it started to tremble, but I was tired and my mana was at its lowest, so I hadn¡¯t noticed it. As I rolled over on the bed and approached the Holy Sword, the trembling became stronger.


    "Hmm, is it reacting to the horn of the Demon King?¡± I thought.


    I put the horn of the Demon King back in the pocket space, and the sword became calm as if it had never trembled in the first place. It was a pretty interesting phenomenon.


    I took out the horn of the Demon King again. The Holy Sword began to tremble again, and this time, I tried to put the Holy Sword in the pocket space. Then, the Holy Sword, which had previously never entered the pocket space, entered easily.


    "What, you didn''t go in all this time because of the horn of the Demon King?"


    I tried to remove the Holy Sword from the pocket space again. But no matter how much I pulled on the Holy Sword, it wouldn¡¯t come out.


    ¡°Aigoo, muscle pain." When I tried to force myself to pull out the Holy Sword, the part I had injured from dealing with Azhi Dahaka became painful.


    I tried pulling on the Holy Sword while simultaneously putting the horn of the Demon King in the pocket space. Suddenly, the Holy Sword popped out, and I spun backward once due to the recoil.


    "Oh, my head.¡± I rubbed my head where it had hit the bedside.


    "Master, are you doing a skit?" Tristan smiled at me openly.


    "I¡¯m not!" I grumbled as I took out ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯ and ¡®The Breath of the Holy Tribe,¡¯ which I had previously copied and stored in my pocket space. "Anyways, I can roughly understand why my great-grandfather said he needed the Holy Sword."


    The content of ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯ was just about the culture of the North continent.


    However, as long as I knew that it contained a decryption key, I could decrypt other books by finding the key in it.


    "Why do you need it?" Tristan asked.


    "Why do I need it? Of course, because it¡¯s necessary for summoning the Demon King. Although it''s still a hypothesis, so wait,¡± I answered. I picked out the unnatural parts from ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯ and wrote them down on empty paper, muttering, "Hmm, does the page number matter?"


    I arranged the unnatural parts according to the page, and found a pattern in them. Then, I applied that pattern to ¡®The Breath of the Holy Tribe¡¯. Using that pattern, the instructions for a ritual began to appear in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s ceremonial song.


    "As expected, so that''s why you needed the Holy Sword,¡± I said as I put the two books back in the pocket space. "You can close the pocket space now.¡±


    Tristan closed the pocket space and asked, "So why do you need it?"


    "To summon the Demon King, you need enormous divine power. If you put mana into the Holy Sword, not only does it convert the mana to divine power, but it also amplifies the mana several times, which is why it¡¯s needed."


    Tristan was puzzled by my answer. "You need divine power to summon the Demon King? Why?¡±


    "I think the reason is written in ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯, but since that was taken away, I don''t know right now. Of course, it''s not as if I can''t guess why, but if I want to explain it, it''ll be at least ten hours long. Do you want to listen?"


    Tristan shook both arms and shook his head exaggeratedly. "I won¡¯t understand even if I listen, so I¡¯ll refuse."


    I pulled the blanket and pillow over, saying, "That''s a relief. I''m slowly reaching my limit. Is there another tool that can amplify divine power like the Holy Sword?¡±


    Tristan nodded. "There are a few more. The Holy Sword held by Master, the Holy Shield held by Gwalchavad, the Holy Bow I used to use, the Holy Spear used by the captain, and the Holy Grail that only the blood of the royal family can use. I know of these five.¡±


    "Is that so? When we go back to the capital, I¡¯ll have to meet Hillis first.¡±


    I planned on asking Hillis about the whereabouts of the tools that amplified divine power, but besides that, she also had a copy of ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯.


    I fell asleep as my consciousness blurred. Today had been too long.


    * * *


    Galak, who had managed to shake off Doomstone''s pursuit using the Curse of the Giants, sat on a stump and breathed heavily as he rested.


    "Kuhahaha, you must be getting old too, seeing as you¡¯re breathing so hard trying to lose a little boy."


    Galak glanced at Libra, who had appeared from behind him. He replied without even looking back, as if he¡¯d known Libra would appear, ¡°He''s not a little kid. He¡¯s the chief of the Crow tribe. Rather, I should say it was luck that I was able to get rid of him safely.¡±


    Libra snorted. "Hmph! You''re exaggerating. Are you praising him because he¡¯s the leader of your tribe? Where''s Galak Blade, the arrogant warrior?"


    Galak shook his head at Libra''s sarcastic remarks. "No. It''s not an exaggeration. It''s the truth.¡± Then, he hit his knee and laughed happily. "Puhahahaha! He''s my grandson, but he''s a real monster. Even if I die at the hands of the Demon King, there¡¯s no need to worry about the world! No, rather, I may end up dying to my grandson''s hand before reaching the Demon King. Ahahaha!¡±


    Libra frowned, but it wasn¡¯t visible under the mask.


    "Ha! You, someone who¡¯s revered as a warrior, couldn''t help but end up sealing the Demon King!" Libra shouted. "Even if he came back into the world, do you think he would even blink at a little muscle monster like him?!"


    Galak had a leisurely smile as he said, "Don''t keep calling him a little boy. Didn¡¯t more than two-thirds of the religious members die and more than ninety percent of the religious organization¡¯s territory get destroyed by that little boy?"


    "Keuk!"


    "By looking down on my grandson, you¡¯re asking to get some spit in the face. Uhuhuhuhu!" Galak teased.


    Libra clenched his fist to the point where blood dripped from his hand. "Who do you think is responsible for that?! Isn''t it all because you pretended to be me using my name and unnecessarily attacked the holy place of the Crow tribe?!"


    Galak said, looking resentful, "Ayy, why are you being like that? What do you mean unnecessarily?! I was just caught trying to retrieve the horn of the Demon King, the most important part in summoning the Demon King. Kukuku."


    Libra held in his rage, grinding his teeth, but Galak continued, "In addition, shouldn''t you be grateful that you¡¯ve gotten more support in the religious organization because I used your name for a ¡®noble¡¯ goal?"


    "Your grandson killed all those supporters! Not a single one was left alive in the places he attacked!¡± Libra shouted angrily, as if he were about to vomit blood.


    Any members who had survived by chance after the religious organization¡¯s territories had been attacked were definitely not his supporters.


    Libra''s supporters who had been hiding deep underground were buried and killed. The supporters who had fled into the sky were split in half along with the clouds and died. The supporters who had hidden in a mountain were caught in the mountain¡¯s collapse and died.


    Doomstone''s instincts, which had left not a single survivor, were to be feared.


    "In addition, you couldn¡¯t even collect the host for the Demon King-nim!" Libra exclaimed.


    "Ayy, what¡¯s the problem? In the end, I found the other horn of the Demon King that Oryana hid,¡± Galak said slyly.


    Libra bit down on his lip and blood flowed from his lips. "Yeah, deep in the palace treasury protected by that horrific magic circle!"


    "Puhahaha! That''s right. I never thought that the saintess belonging to the temple would have hidden it there. It''s the opposite of what anyone would expect!¡±


    "How can you even laugh?! It¡¯s something we got after using the lives of thousands of religious organization members to attract a great demon!" Libra cried.


    Galak nodded indifferently. "What does it matter? I heard your doctrine was to give up your life for the Demon King, right? They were martyred. That''s good. That''s good.¡±


    Libra emitted killing intent at Galak, who merely clapped. But just then, a shadow approached from afar. When Libra saw the shadow, he raised his guard, but Galak smiled lightly.

 CH 310.

    After confirming the identity of the approaching shadow, Libra laughed derisively. "Ha! Just how many lives do you have, Scorpio?"


    Selina, the Witch of Greed, had a pale complexion as she responded, "There¡¯s¡­ no need¡­ for me to tell you. I don''t think so. Don''t worry about useless things, you cultist." She glared sharply and sat next to Galak.


    "You look even worse than when you were done in by Marsen¡¯s heart sword,¡± Galak remarked.


    "That''s... The Holy Sword is anathema to witches. That and the soul that got done in by the heart sword hasn¡¯t healed yet." Despite her condition, Selina smiled playfully. "I really thought I was going to die this time. Uhuhuhuhu."


    Galak grinned and brought out ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯ from his pocket. He asked, "Is this the last of the preparations we need to summon the Demon King, aside from ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯? Did you learn the whereabouts of the magician who used the magic of the Demon King summons that you felt two years ago?"


    Libra shook his head. "No, not yet, because of interference from the Big Mama Information Agency. But I picked up a clue. You''ll find out soon.¡±


    Galak spoke leisurely. "But it¡¯s a relief that there might be a copy left, right?¡±


    "If you had taken good care of the Demon King''s summons in the first place, we could have started the ritual before ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯ was seized by the master of the Holy Sword!"


    "What can I do? I heard he used it to make roasted sweet potatoes. If it''s roasted sweet potatoes, it can''t be helped,¡± Galak responded, saying that roasted sweet potatoes were important.


    Libra frowned and exclaimed angrily, "My god! Making and eating roasted sweet potatoes with the great holy scriptures! There¡¯s something wrong with the heads of those in your tribe!"


    Galak stood up and hummed. "What¡¯s the problem? It''ll be over soon. The preparations to start the ceremony are going well, right?"


    "There''s a little problem, but it''s not as problematic as ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯."


    Galak smiled playfully and patted Libra¡¯s shoulders. "Really? Good luck. I''ll go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory first,¡± he said before disappearing with Selina.


    Libra clenched his teeth as he was left alone, muttering, "It¡¯ll be over for you on the day the Demon King is summoned, Galak Blade."


    * * *


    "Wake up, son!"


    "Huk!" I jumped up in surprise at the sudden loud call. What? Did something happen?


    "Ahahaha! It''s been a while since I saw Youngest with some screws loose." My father stood at the entrance to my private barracks wearing a luxurious suit and glasses.


    "Father?" My half-asleep consciousness was jolted awake by surprise as soon as I saw my father.


    If it became known that my father had left our hometown, there would be a political, economic, and military panic, so I was surprised that he had proudly entered my barracks without paying attention to his surroundings.


    "Oh, you''re using recognition interfering magic." I let out a sigh of relief. Looking closely, not only my father''s suit, but also his glasses, contained spells to conceal his identity.


    "Oh! As expected! You recognize it because you¡¯re a magician!"


    "Considering it¡¯s very powerful magic, I¡¯m guessing Elder Mirpa-nim gave it to you."


    My father smiled happily and moved his whole body. "That''s right. It''s good because it''s made of dragon wings and has excellent elasticity."


    The suit swelled and seemed as if it might burst from my father¡¯s muscles, but it didn''t tear. It also seemed to have been stitched with the hair from a dragon¡¯s mane.


    "That''s good,¡± I said, yawning. Gwalchavad came out of my pocket space and poured some black tea. The arm that had been broken by my great-grandfather had been reattached with restoration magic, but it appeared more delicate repairs were needed.


    "Today''s morning tea is earl grey. For breakfast, I have prepared beef with matsutake mushrooms and apple pie. Do you need anything else, Master?¡± Gwalchavad asked.


    I nodded while drinking tea in a leisurely manner. "That''s enough."


    "Okay." Gwalchavad bowed lightly to my father and took out food from my pocket space, setting it on the table.


    "Son, what''s up with this guy? He''s quite strong.¡± My father looked at Gwalchavad with interest.


    "Nice to meet you. My name is Gwalchavad, a knight who serves Master. It''s an honor to meet the chief of the Crow tribe and the father of Master." Gwalchavad greeted my father politely.


    "I see. Take good care of my son."


    Gwalchavad smiled gently and nodded. "Of course."


    "I think it''ll be fun to have a match together sometime, but I think fixing your arm first will be the first thing to do.¡± My father saw through the condition of his arm instantly.


    Gwalchavad grinned brightly. "It''s an honor. It''s the virtue of a knight to fight the strong and hone oneself."


    I asked my father while stabbing beef and mushrooms with a fork, "Father, would you like to eat together?"


    ¡°Sounds good. Mr. Knight, will you give me a plate too?¡± my father asked as he sat in front of me.


    Gwalchavad took out food for my father. "Enjoy your meal,¡± he said before returning to the pocket space.


    My father ate some beef while looking around with great interest, exclaiming, "Oh! It''s delicious! Did that knight just now make it?¡±


    "Yes. Gwalchavad is good at cooking."


    My father and I talked about this and that while eating.


    ¡°So why does Leisha look like that? She said you pushed her into the battlefield,¡± he asked.


    "Yes. I sent her to the battlefield to find a clue to breaking into the next level. It''s a little barbaric, but having a life-and-death encounter with someone at a higher level than you is a perfect way to break through the wall,¡± I answered.


    My father nodded as if my answer were natural. "Good job. I think it''s because it''s been a while since I last saw her, but she did seem to have gotten stronger. Well, you know much better about magic than I do."


    My father passed over the subject casually. Leisha noona wasn¡¯t talented in martial arts, including Crow martial arts, but she was talented in magic. After all, one who could become a madosa at the age of 20 would be considered one of the best talents in the world.


    "I think she¡¯ll rise to the great madosa level roughly around the age of 50,¡± I said.


    At my assessment, my father smiled brightly and was pleased. "Really? If it¡¯s the great madosa level or whatever, isn''t that the same level as Elder Mirpa?"


    "There may be differences in skill, but the level itself is the same,¡± I said.


    Even if it was a great madosa, one would have to wait another hundred years to catch up with the results of Elder Mirpa¡¯s research.


    Originally, the level of great madosa meant that one was blocked by the wall of the Magic Way, not that one had crossed it. By that standard, I could say I had risen to the level of great madosa yesterday.


    "I was secretly nervous about leaving it to Elder Mirpa, but I''m glad." My father actually seemed relieved.


    Well, from my father''s point of view, magic was like gambling. As such, it had seemed like a big risk to let his precious daughter learn something unpredictable rather than martial arts.


    I swallowed the last piece of apple pie and asked, "So Father, what are you going to do? Are you going to chase Great-grandfather?¡±


    "Well, I need to do that too, but I think I''ll exterminate the Demon King worshippers first. Up to now, I''ve killed them every time I was bored, but they¡¯re a real bunch of bastards."


    "Really?"


    Black magicians were enemies of the whole world. However, from a magician''s point of view, the black magicians who didn¡¯t bother others and studied alone were just ordinary magicians using black magic. On the other hand, heretical groups such as the Demon King worshippers were objects to be eradicated.


    "Besides, I don''t have a good feeling about this,¡± my father added. In truth, I¡¯d also been feeling uncomfortable after seeing my great-grandfather yesterday.


    "I''m going to go back to the capital. What are you going to do?¡± I asked.


    My father seriously deliberated over the answer. It seemed he was worried that I would run away if he were to go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory.


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t have any desire to run away.


    "Hmm, should I go to the capital first too? As your father, I should at least see the environment you live in,¡± my father finally said.


    "Then please feel free,¡± I replied.


    The prime minister would no doubt still have a lot of stomach medicine left. And my father wasn¡¯t the type of person who¡¯d make things difficult for Mrs. Arscilla, so it didn''t matter in that space.


    "Caradoc, put all the luggage in the pocket space,¡± I instructed.


    "Yes, I understand, Commander-in-chief." Caradoc came out of my pocket space and bowed in greeting.


    As I left the barracks with my father, he asked, "Is he also your knight?"


    "Yes. He provides resourceful advice, as opposed to power. He provides a lot of help since he has a lot of experience."


    "Oh, even you¡¯re receiving help? That''s quite a useful knight.¡± My father looked back on the barracks as if he wanted to take Caradoc for himself.


    "I won''t give him to you,¡± I said.


    "I don''t need it. You can just give advice anyway,¡± my father replied.


    "Ahaha, feel free to ask whenever you''re around." I smiled lightly and headed to where my uncle was.


    I had put my barracks outside the fortress because I had to work in many different places these days, but my uncle was the commander and didn''t have to, so he was using the best place in the fortress.


    We greeted the Black Water Buffalo knight guarding Uncle Bloody¡¯s room and went inside. "Uncle, how¡¯s your condition?" I asked.


    Four great madosas were inside, curiously observing Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung¡¯s conditions.


    "I didn''t know the Curse of the Giants really existed."


    "It must be quite beyond ordinary if General Bloody, who¡¯s famous for his strength, is this weak. What do you think about this Communication Disorder?"


    "It''s at least a myth-class curse, B*tch."


    "As expected. I want to touch it myself."


    The four eagerly took notes on Uncle Bloody and Mac hyung''s condition.


    My uncle, who was in the middle of the group, saw me enter and reached out to me. "Save me! Crazy old people are trying to dissect me!" he screamed.


    Elder Mirpa vigorously hit Uncle Bloody in the back of his head. "Tch! I won''t dissect you. Stay still!"


    Uncle Bloody seemed to have recovered a lot, but Mac hyung, who was lying next to him, had a pale, corpse-like complexion.


    I spoke carefully because for some reason, I thought I might also get caught and be observed if I tried to intervene. "Uh... I''m going to go back now that the war is over. Ms. Orphina told me to tell you to go find her when you wake up." I then thought I should talk to the chief of staff about how the military should move going forward before I left.


    "Where are you going?" Elder Mirpa grabbed me as I tried to go out of the room again. Then she asked my father, "I have something to talk to Den about, so will you wait a moment, Chief?"


    "Yes. Take your time talking." My father nodded gladly.


    "What? Chief? That large man is the chief-nim of the Crow tribe? So it¡¯s true that the Crow of Death is here?!"


    "Mmm..."


    The Space Specialist was shocked, and the Curse Specialist groaned.


    "Wake up.¡± My father didn''t care about the others¡¯ gazes and approached Mac hyung casually, pouring martial aura into him. Immediately, the energy of the curse, which had been ravaging Mac hyung''s body, disappeared.


    "Oh!" The three great madosas¡¯ eyes brightened in amazement as they began to bombard my father with questions.


    Elder Mirpa looked at them, smiled bitterly, and spoke to me. "I heard you wrecked Communication Disorder and B*tch."


    "No, rather than ¡®wrecked¡¯, I¡¯d say I won by a fluke,¡± I said.


    Elder Mirpa snorted at my modesty. "That''s wrecking. So I talked to those idiots. You''re also a great madosa now, so you should be called something based on your magic."


    I was dumbfounded by Elder Mirpa¡¯s words. "Uh... Then am I also going to be called the Alchemy Specialist?" I asked. Immediately, she whacked me on the head. "Ouch!" I exclaimed.


    "Tch! How dare you covet the name Alchemy Specialist when your alchemy is worse than mine? Alchemy isn¡¯t your main focus in the first place,¡± Elder Mirpa said.


    "Well, that''s true," I affirmed while touching my forehead.


    "So I talked to those idiots about your magical nature as a teacher."


    "And so?"


    Elder Mirpa smiled lightly and said,"Your magic isn¡¯t just one branch, but rather an approach that greedily covets all branches. And it has a domain that invades and neutralizes the magic of others."


    "Right." I nodded gently.


    "It¡¯s a domain that reflects the nature of magicians, like a mirror. So we decided to call you the ¡®Anti-magic Specialist¡¯."


    "Do you mean it¡¯s a counter for all magic?" I asked, and Elder Mirpa nodded. "I like it,¡± I said.


    Anti-magic Specialist. If I had named myself that, it would have been a very arrogant title. As such, I liked it even more.

 CH 311.

    Elder Mirpa smiled lightly and said, "In addition, isn''t it a name that suits you, who broke away from the conventional framework of magic by combining martial arts and magic?"


    "Haha, if you think about it like that, I suppose so,¡± I affirmed, smiling.


    Elder Mirpa gave some serious advice. "But don''t get conceited. Although your magic is wide, its depth is shallow compared to mine and that of others."


    "I know. It''s only been sixteen years since I learned magic, so it''s not enough to match the level others have built up over a hundred years."


    In response to my answer, Elder Mirpa shook her head. "Well, even if you are conceited, you aren¡¯t the type to show off. Rather, you¡¯re more likely to hide and hit someone in the back of the head."


    "That''s too much. It''s just that it¡¯s just easier to take advantage of the situation when someone has their guard down. And since you''re complimenting me, please compliment me properly," I said.


    Elder Mirpa snorted at my grumbling. "It''s a compliment. Pride is poison to a magician. In that sense, your bad personality is perfect for a magician."


    Still, there was no pure praise. If she were a person who gave a lot of compliments, I might have been satisfied and stopped learning earlier. After all, I had only started learning magic in order to learn to make bidets.


    "Then it seems you¡¯ve said what you wanted, so I''ll head out,¡± I said.


    "Okay. Oh, take this." Elder Mirpa threw me a plate and I caught it.


    "Is this...? Coordinates?"


    "Yeah. We''ve been exchanging papers through the Asteria Market because you didn''t want to reveal your location, but if you send the goods to those coordinates in the future, they''ll be sent directly to me."


    When Elder Mirpa gave me the coordinates, the three great madosas, who had been surrounding my father and asking questions with near-mad fervor, also came to their senses and each handed me a plate.


    "It''s nothing special, but these are for exchanging letters or goods if we need some items or advice in our specialized fields,¡± Old Man Arpen explained.


    The Space Specialist coughed dryly and said, "Ahem! I don¡¯t give these to just anyone, so it''s an honor!"


    It was a bit arrogant, but they really weren¡¯t coordinates just anyone could get. Having a direct line to the great madosas was something even the Emperor couldn¡¯t do.


    "I''ll receive them gratefully,¡± I said.


    "When you make your own coordinates later, share them with me,¡± Old Man Arpen said.


    I nodded. "Yes. If I make them, I''ll send a copy to you with this."


    Wherever I was, I had to find a safe place to use the plate, because I had to cast space magic that would make it come right to me and maintain itself. My workshop immediately came to mind.


    While I was thinking about where to install it, Elder Mirpa smiled casually and said, "I installed mine in the Warrant branch of the Asteria Market. When I''m in Olympus Forest, teleportation doesn¡¯t work anyway, and there¡¯s always people there to manage it properly."


    Since Elder Mirpa didn''t go out of Olympus Forest often, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could bring the goods when it arrived at the coordinates. In terms of security, the only ones who could break in were other great madosas.


    But since she was saying that to me, was she telling me to come back to our hometown?


    I replied with a smile. "I''ll keep that in mind. Then let''s go, Father."


    "All right," my father said, carrying Mac hyung on his shoulder. The great madosas looked at Mac hyung with dim eyes, as if one of their samples was disappearing, but no one could say anything to my father.


    "Ugh..." Mac hyung seemed to still feel unwell even after the curse had been lifted. "I don''t want to show you this weak side of me. Just kill me instead, Boss-nim,¡± he said dramatically.


    My father shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, you idiot. How can you be useful when you¡¯re this weak?"


    "Is there anyone in Father¡¯s eyes who isn¡¯t weak?" I asked.


    My father thought carefully and smiled as he answered, "Hmm, is there not?"


    "Let¡¯s go, Third Sister must be waiting," I said.


    Mac hyung struggled. "Kill me! Youngest Master! Ooohk!¡± In his struggles, he felt dizzy and nauseated, gagging.


    "Hey! Don''t throw up on my shoulder!" my father yelled as he quickly threw Mac hyung out of the window.


    "What! How can you throw a weak person from this high?!" I reprimanded him. We were almost eight stories up.


    My father said proudly, "It''s okay. He won''t die." That was admittedly true.


    Ehew.


    I sighed inadvertently.


    * * *


    I clicked my tongue as I observed Fourth Sister¡¯s pale complexion as she sat against the carriage window; Mac hyung and Uncle Bloody were lying down on a bed installed in the center of the carriage and groaning. "It''s full of patients,¡± I remarked.


    Before leaving, I had been discussing the direction in which the army should move in the future; General Orphina had told me to take my uncle, so my uncle left with us. The reason was the power of our village located in the Demon¡¯s Territory, which served as a bridgehead and command post for the imperial army.


    "Heuk heuk, I''m embarrassed. Kill me, Youngest Master,¡± Mac hyung whispered, quietly enough that only I could barely hear him.


    I let out a sigh and said, "If you keep whining, I''ll hang you at the end of the carriage and drag you all the way back, so shut up, Hyung."


    "That''s right! Don''t make it difficult for Den!" Lancelot also scolded Mac in agreement with me, even though he probably couldn''t hear Mac hyung''s words.


    When the gazes in the carriage focused on Mac hyung, he fell silent. If he thought I¡¯d take it easy on him because he was a patient, he was mistaken.


    I leaned on the backrest and spoke to Lisbon, who was sitting next to Uncle Bloody. "It''s not particularly dangerous. Why don''t you take off your armor?"


    "No, I¡¯m still here as Commander Bloody''s escort, so I shouldn¡¯t take off my armor.¡±


    Lisbon had been participating in the war from the beginning until as a member of the Black Water Buffalo Knights. He was a bit stiff because it was his first war, but based on my observations, he didn''t seem to have done badly.


    "Being an escort is a pretext. I¡¯m sure he just made you do annoying work from time to time. He told you to go back to the capital first and do paperwork that piled up during the war, right?¡± I asked.


    Lisbon flinched. "That''s true, but..."


    In fact, the order had been more of an excuse to send the youngest one, who had been commissioned for less than a month, out of the battlefield rather than an excuse to make him do the annoying work.


    The battlefield would be littered with corpses in the aftermath, so it wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. If the scale of the battle had been small, Uncle Bloody would have let him stay as a process he should go through, but since it had been too large, it was obvious that he was being considerate of Lisbon.


    It was an answer that took a little thought to arrive at, but ten days was really too short to get used to one¡¯s first war.


    "Since you''re free, do it comfortably. My father, who¡¯s called the disaster that fell from the sky, is on the carriage, so how could there be any danger?¡±


    Even if I told him the truth, he would feel depressed and feel that he was a burden, so it was better to let him realize it slowly later.


    Lisbon accepted what I said, took off the helmet, and undid his armor. When Lisbon''s bare face was revealed, Hestia noona and Leisha noona whispered to me with a smile.


    "Wow, he¡¯s handsome."


    "Your name is Lisbon?"


    Unlike their usual candid and rough selves, the two smiled modestly as they talked to Lisbon.


    "I heard Den is frequently indebted to you.¡±


    "I don''t know if Youngest has been a bother to you."


    Looking at this scene from the perspective of their sibling, I got a strange feeling, as if an Outer God was pretending to be a human. In short, I felt like throwing up. "Keuk!"


    Mac hyung looked at the sight, feeling as if he wanted to vomit blood.


    "I told you to cut your beard,¡± I said.


    "But Youngest Master...!¡± he protested.


    If he would just cut that weird beard, he¡¯d be more handsome than anyone else, so I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him.


    I clicked my tongue and opened up a book to pass time. The carriage was being pulled by an alchemic lifeform I had made, and Tristan was driving it, so we would reach the border in half a day. I was planning to take a train from there and go up to the capital.


    * * *


    In the boarding house garden, Hillis looked at Arwen, who was using divine power and performing divine magic, and said, "Divine power is the amplified form of mana. Therefore, it has to be subdivided and handled more delicately than ordinary mana.¡±


    Upon Hillis¡¯ instruction, Arwen nodded with a sense of familiarity and circulated her divine power. Originally, her teacher, Den, was supposed to supervise her, but Hillis was teaching Arwen divine magic in his absence.


    Before Den learned divine magic with the power of the Holy Sword, Hillis had already been teaching Arwen divine magic. Therefore, the two were used to teaching and being taught.


    "By the way, it''s fascinating. You don''t seem to be religious, but you can use divine power.¡± Hillis looked at Arwen curiously and smiled. "But then again, Den doesn¡¯t have a speck of religiosity, and yet he¡¯s the master of the Holy Sword. Does he look like a priest?"


    Den was even able to use Holy tribe magic when he wasn¡¯t of the Holy tribe. Compared to Arwen, Den was much further from the norm.


    While Hillis was teaching Arwen, Yuria and Alice came out to the garden.


    "Wow! Is this divine magic?¡±


    "It''s definitely different from regular mana."


    The two sat on both sides of Hillis, fascinated by the sight.


    "Are you two interested in divine magic too?¡± Hillis asked, smiling.


    Yuria¡¯s eyes glinted. "Yeah! I was curious as to how divine power is made!"


    "No, I''m overwhelmed with just my magic right now,¡± Alice said.


    Yuria caught Alice¡¯s hesitation and said with an annoyed look, "Let''s explore it together!"


    Alice sighed in response to Yuria, who became overenthusiastic when it came to magic. "Ehew, okay.¡±


    Hillis laughed lightly at the sight. "Huhu, don''t worry too much. In fact, nothing has been clearly revealed about divine power yet."


    Alice was dumbfounded by Hillis'' statement and asked, "Is it okay for a priestess to say that?"


    "It''s okay. I don¡¯t know what it was like 120 years ago when divine power originated, but now it''s discussed quite actively in theology. Although I can''t tell you the details, because I have to be careful.¡±


    Yuria was disappointed by Hillis'' explanation. "I think today''s newspaper will be more fun than that."


    Hillis handed Alice the newspaper on the table as she corrected Arwen''s magic.


    "Oh? It says Oppa and Den are coming up to the capital,¡± Alice said.


    The newspaper article said that General Bloody was stopping by the capital before going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory, and that Colonel Den and Lieutenant Lisbon were with him.


    Arwen looked at Alice when she mentioned Den.


    "You have to focus on magic,¡± Hillis scolded her.


    -But...


    In spite of that, Arwen¡¯s gaze went toward the newspaper.


    Hillis couldn¡¯t help it and stroked her head. "Then let''s stop here for today."


    -Yes!


    Arwen scrawled her answer into the air and ran up to Alice, who was holding the newspaper.


    While Hillis was smiling and looking at Arwen, Mrs. Arscilla came out of the mansion and asked, "Miss Hillis. Do you have a moment?"


    "Yes, I do, Mrs. Arscilla. Is there something wrong?" Hillis asked.


    Mrs. Arscilla held up an envelope. "I got a letter from someone named Vibrio. Looking at the wax seal pattern, it seems it¡¯s from a paladin?"


    Hillis quickly took the letter when she heard it was from her sister. Without even looking for a knife to open the wax seal, she took it off with her fingernails.


    "Is it an urgent letter?" Mrs. Arscilla asked.


    Hillis nodded with a gloomy expression. "Yes. It¡¯s from my older sister, and she said she was going on a trip to practice asceticism in order to forget sad things." She shed tears as she quickly read the letter. "She says she''s coming back to the capital."


    The letter announced the return of her sister, whom she loved more than anyone else.

 CH 312.

    Upon reaching the border, I immediately made an official document with Uncle Bloody''s seal and changed our train ticket to first-class to accommodate our party size. It was made on the spot, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a forgery since the real third commander¡¯s seal had been embedded in it.


    "Is it okay to make official documents on your own like this?¡± Leisha noona asked anxiously.


    I smiled, saying that she was worried for nothing. "It doesn''t matter if the commander himself is here." But in truth, even without Uncle Bloody, there would be no problem because I had a copy of his seal.


    "Okay, let''s get on the train." Under my guidance, the party boarded the train.


    "Oh! The train has improved a lot. In the past, it was much more like scrap metal and slower than I was,¡± my father said admiringly.


    I added in response, "It¡¯s still slower than Father."


    "Hmm, is that so?" My father seemed a little disappointed.


    That being said, although it depended on the environment, if the people in my hometown ran at full power, few people would be slower than trains. However, there were only a few people who could maintain that speed.


    "But more than anything, you can travel comfortably on the train, right?"


    It was much better to travel while enjoying soft first-class chairs and savoring constantly provided snacks than to travel by running hard.


    However, it was regrettable that there was no entertainment for the train coming from the border we were on now. There were no civilian crew members, since the declaration of war hadn¡¯t been formally withdrawn yet.


    I asked Uncle Bloody and Brother Mac, who were sitting comfortably as if they were lying down, "How are you two doing?"


    "I''m fine now.¡±


    "Me too."


    My uncle really did look better, but Mac hyung seemed to still be dizzy. He was doing okay because my father had gotten rid of the aftermath of the curse, but Mac hyung had really suffered for a few days.


    "Den, when will we arrive at the capital?¡± Leisha noona asked.


    I took out the train route map and said, "I think we''ll arrive tomorrow morning? Oh, don''t lose the train tickets I gave out, because you can use them for rooms with beds and various other things."


    "Really? Let''s go and see!" Leisha noona took the party and went to see the inside of the train together. Fourth Sister also invited me, but I refused.


    The rowdiness made it feel like a family trip. Wait, was this actually a family trip?


    Someone sat next to me while I was thinking about these small things and said, "It''s been a while. War hero-nim, who has been named a genius tactician."


    "I didn''t even call you. What''s going on?" I asked. The person who pretended to know me wasn¡¯t a very welcome face, but she was also my cousin.


    "Oh, my. Am I someone who has to come and go when you call me? That''s quite insulting. Huhu." Milpia still had her usual sly smile.


    At that time, my father, who had been looking around the train, saw Milpia sitting next to me and talking. He looked at me with interest and asked, "Oh, who''s the friend sitting next to you? Girlfriend?¡± Milpia¡¯s and my expressions distorted in response to my father''s insidious smile.


    "Why, you can just say it out loud. There''s no need to make such expressions.¡± My father looked slightly down as if he were hurt.


    I smiled lightly and said as if it were natural, "You''re not supposed to do that with your family. Let me introduce you. This is Milpia Blade, adopted by Aunt, Father."


    "Father?!" Milpia stood up, surprised by the introduction. "Th, then! He¡¯s the chief-nim of the Crow tribe?"


    I looked pitifully at her excessive nervousness, but then realized that my father was wearing recognition interfering magic all over his body.


    ¡°She adopted a daughter? That Hysteria?¡± My father seemed to have a hard time believing it himself. I could see in his eyes that he was full of distrust as to whether Aunt Talaria could properly take care of a child.


    Speaking of my experiences as my father''s son, I thought my father was also quite bad at taking care of a child, but I decided to move on.


    "Nice to meet you. I am Milpia, the director of Big Mama Information Agency headquarters. It''s an honor to meet you,¡± Milpia greeted.


    My father nodded, seemingly dumbfounded. "Yeah. Nice to meet you. If you¡¯re the head of the Big Mama Information Agency headquarters, you must be the head of the village information department."


    "Yes. All the information from Big Mama Information Agency goes to the Crow tribe."


    I hadn''t known that, but it wasn''t strange, since it had looked like a family-run operation when I looked at the top management of Big Mama Information Agency.


    "So why did you come all the way here? We¡¯re on the way to the capital anyway,¡± I asked.


    Milpia shrugged and handed over an envelope. "This is the information related to the last of the three requests.¡±


    Finally, the last of the three requests I had decided to grant in return for hiding my location and information had arrived. But I had already been caught by my father. So, did I have to listen to it?


    Milpia smirked as if she had guessed what I was thinking. "Read it first and decide. The third request is in there." I was very reluctant upon seeing her confidence.


    After handing over the envelope, Milpia politely said goodbye to my father. "Then I will withdraw. If you need anything, please tell your son and he will arrange it with us.¡±


    She then opened the window of the running train and jumped out. Before hitting the ground, she magically flew up and disappeared into the distance.


    "She¡¯s a more cheerful kid than I would have thought,¡± my father said. Milpia¡¯s actions just now seemed to have made him view her more favorably.


    But where was the director of the headquarters located in the capital going by jumping off the train heading to the capital?


    Well, it was none of my business.


    * * *


    -This train will soon enter the East Capital Station, the final station. As you get off, please check again to see if you¡¯ve forgotten anything before getting off. Once again...


    When the train arrived at the capital, I stretched and got off.


    "Ootcha! It''s been a while." Likewise, my father got off the train, seemingly reminiscing while looking at the view of the capital from the train station. "The capital hasn''t changed much after twenty-eight years.¡±


    I was surprised and asked, "Father, have you ever been to the capital?"


    My father nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I stayed here for quite a while in the past. It would be quite fun to visit the people I owe from that time.¡±


    If my father had ever caused trouble in the capital, there was no way it wouldn¡¯t be in the history books, but as far as I knew, there was no such record. That meant my father hadn¡¯t caused any trouble in the capital! That was surprising.


    "Do you want me to guide you? Despite how I look, I''m a high ranking civil servant, so I can contact the district office and read the details of resident registration records,¡± I said.


    Thanks to the special promotion before the war broke out, I was now a rank 4 civil servant. I¡¯d thought I would probably be promoted again for my service in this war, but I had been caught by my father, and so it was about time to quit my job as a civil servant.


    If I became strong enough to overcome my father and carry out my will, that¡¯d be a different story, but it would be too difficult until I crossed the wall and exceeded my limits.


    "If they still live in the capital, I can at least find their location,¡± I added. It would be better to take advantage of whatever I could before finishing up my civil servant life. If I still couldn¡¯t find them, then although it¡¯d take time, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find them using the Big Mama Information Agency.


    My father messed up my hair. "That''s a very attractive suggestion. I''ll ask you later. I''m thinking of going to the boarding house you said you¡¯re staying in now."


    "Then I''ll guide you. What are you going to do, Uncle?" I asked.


    Uncle Bloody scratched the back of his head. "Me? I''ll have to go to the imperial palace first and meet the emperor. In fact, you¡¯re supposed to go with me, but Arcanta and I will take care of that."


    "To be exact, I¡¯m sure the prime minister will be doing it alone,¡± I said.


    As always, it was clear that the moment the prime minister knew that I was assisting my father, he would prevent the nobles from attempting any political attacks on me at all. Because I had piled up so many merits, it was obvious that the nobles would attack me and try to disperse some of the rewards.


    Uncle Bloody laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha! That''s true. But I wonder when we¡¯ll be going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory.¡±


    I calculated a little in my head. "It might take about a week to go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory, because there will be the award ceremony and other things. After all, the Black Water Buffalo Knights also need to go up."


    "Is that so? Then I''ll go first. Hyung-nim, if you don''t have a place to sleep, come to my mansion!" Uncle Bloody said.


    "All right,¡± my father replied with a nod.


    Uncle Bloody jumped down the railing and headed straight to the imperial palace.


    "Uh...? What should I do?" Lisbon, nominally Uncle Bloody''s escort, was flustered when my uncle went at a speed he couldn¡¯t follow.


    I patted Lisbon on the shoulder and said, "It''s not possible to enter the palace without Uncle anyway, so let''s just go home."


    Even if Lisbon went to the third command headquarters he was associated with, the people who could receive a return report were still at Shellen Fortress.


    "Then, shall we?" I said, gesturing to the stairs before my father jumped down like Uncle Bloody.


    "Then let''s go."


    It had been a long time since I¡¯d been to the boarding house.


    * * *


    "Welcome back, Paladin Vibrio,¡± greeted Paladin Malive of the Great Temple.


    Vibrio saluted with a calm expression. "Thank you for welcoming me, Paladin Malive. I''m sorry that I left on my own for an ascetic trip."


    Malive smiled and shook his head. "No. Cardo and I also thought you needed time to rest. How was your ascetic trip? Looking at your expression, you must have found the Goddess''s guidance.¡±


    Just as Malive said, Vibrio looked nothing like her struggling past self.


    "Yes. Everything is as the will of the Great One." Vibrio smiled while drawing the sign of the cross.


    Malive felt something different about her smile, but he thought it was the smile of a person who had overcome an ordeal and moved on.


    "I heard Cardo Fernando was freed from the curse. How is he doing?" Vibrio asked.


    Malive smiled brightly. "He had a hard time right after the curse was lifted, but fortunately, he has fully recovered now.¡±


    "I see. That''s a relief. And I''m sorry. I should have stood by him while he was going through a difficult time,¡± Vibrio said.


    Malive laughed cheerfully and patted her shoulders. "Ahahaha! No! Didn''t you have a hard time, too? You don''t have to worry, and Cardo also agreed."


    Mario was a close friend to Malive, but he was Vibrio¡¯s lover. He thought Vibrio''s sense of loss was inevitable.


    "I see. I''m just thankful." Vibrio smiled.


    Malive nodded and said, "Now that you''re back, let''s go say hello to Cardo Fernando first."


    As Malive took the lead, Vibrio¡¯s smile disappeared as she followed behind him.

 CH 313.

    I pondered in front of the boarding house, worrying about whether it would be a nuisance to suddenly visit with too many people. Since I¡¯m a very logical person, I could say that I was naturally concerned about these things.


    "What are you thinking so much about? All you need to do is ring the doorbell." My father rang the doorbell while I was hesitating.


    Crack! Ding-dong-!


    The doorbell was smashed and died heroically after completing its last duty.


    "This, this is too weak!" My father protested in embarrassment, but considering the number of miscellaneous items he had destroyed on the way here, it was definitely my father¡¯s fault. As usual, he had destroyed the armrests of the chair in the train and turned an expensive glass cup into powder.


    "This is private property, so you can''t pay for it using civil service accounts."


    The things that had been damaged on the way here were property owned by the empire anyways, so the ¡°unfortunate¡± damage caused during the execution of official duties had been paid off in the name of the third commander of the imperial army.


    Uncle Bloody''s seal was in my hands, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to create an official document.


    "Khmm, all right. I''ll compensate them. I''m pretty rich too, you know?¡± My father glanced at Hestia noona, who managed the village''s money. Third Sister sighed and nodded.


    "Okay. I have enough money for us to maintain our dignity anyway, so I''ll compensate them all at once later.¡± Hestia noona thought it was a matter of course that Father would smash more things. She seemed to have given up somewhat.


    "Who is it?" Originally, there had been an intercom with the doorbell, but due to its death along with the doorbell, an employee of the boarding house came out.


    I put my face close to the bars on the main gate so the employee could see my face well.[1] "It''s me,¡± I said.


    The employee recognized my face and opened the door. I briefly explained the situation, saying that my family wanted to see where I lived, and she said, "I will notify the Miss. Please wait a moment."


    "Yes, thank you, Ms. Plina,¡± I replied.


    "I¡¯m just doing my job." She smiled and went inside. Shortly after, we received permission to come inside.


    I sighed, then entered the boarding house. As I went in, Alphonso rushed at me as usual. "Den! Lisbon! I was lonely!"


    For a moment, I habitually tried to grab Alphonso''s head, but this time I let him hug me.


    Alphonso threw his arms around Lisbon¡¯s and my necks. Lisbon stroked Alphonso''s head, smiling and happy to see him. He said, "Haha, have you been well?"


    "It''s hot. Get off." I shook off Alphonso and greeted Mrs. Arscilla as she came out slowly. "I''m back. This is my family."


    Mac and Lancelot weren¡¯t really family members, but I was too lazy to introduce them separately.


    Mrs. Arscilla looked surprised upon seeing my father. It was a natural reaction. "Oh, my. Doomstone?"


    It was the worst... What?


    "Huh? Hahahaha! It''s been a while since we last met. I didn''t expect to see you here."


    "Hohohoho, I¡¯m surprised too. Doomstone, were you from the Crow tribe? I thought you were someone with the same name all this time."


    "Hahaha, that¡¯s because it was after I was chased by my father and told to stop causing trouble. I''m sorry I left without saying anything at the time."


    I was confused. What was going on?


    "Do you know each...?¡± I asked.


    My father nodded. "She¡¯s one of the people I was indebted to when I stayed in the capital. She''s your mother''s acquaintance."


    "Oh my, I''m sad. Doomstone, you¡¯re also my acquaintance,¡± Mrs. Arscilla said.


    My father laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha, that''s true."


    I just stopped thinking in this incomprehensible situation.


    "Come to think of it, I haven''t told you what your mother was like yet. Your mother was the heir of a noble family in the outside. That¡¯s also why the imperial ID card I gave you a few days before you became an adult was also for nobility."


    My father''s sudden confession brought me to my senses. By an ID card, did he mean the ID card of a high-ranking noble?


    "Does that mean Mother belonged to a high-ranking noble family?" I asked.


    "Right."


    My father''s affirmation caused me to sweat. Many of the nobles I had burgled as Lupin were high-ranking nobles. As a result of my burglary, there were quite a few families whose corruption had been revealed, and who had fallen to ruin as a result. That being said, there was a real possibility that I had destroyed my mother''s household without even realizing it.


    "Huhuhuhu, back then, my heart fluttered because their relationship resembled a romance from a story,¡± Mrs. Arscilla said.


    In response, my father, who rarely blushed, turned red and awkwardly said, "Hahaha, it''s an embarrassing story."


    "Come inside. Do you have a place to stay? There are many empty rooms. Although it''s much smaller than the house I used to live in.¡±


    "No, it''s a big enough house."


    Just as my father said, the boarding house now was a fairly large mansion, so how big of a mansion had she lived in before? Well, it must have been big because it was a house where the duchess lived.


    Mrs. Arscilla smiled at my father''s words and guided us to the living room. When I entered the room, I saw Yuria and Alice studying and reading a magic book.


    "You''re here, war hero? And Oppa.¡±


    ¡°Good job!"


    After seeing me and Lisbon, Yuria and Alice closed the magic book and greeted us.


    Then, Yuria''s eyes grew bigger. She greeted Hestia noona and hugged her, saying, "Hestia unni! Long time no see!"[2]


    Third Sister hugged Yuria and smiled. "Long time no see. Has it been two years?"


    "How did you come here? Oh! Den said he was from the Crow tribe! Then, are you here to meet Den?¡±


    "Well, that''s right."


    Without my knowledge, Hestia noona and Yuria had become close. Still, it wasn¡¯t as surprising as my father knowing Mrs. Arscilla.


    "But where¡¯s Hillis and Arwen?¡± I looked around searching for the two of them.


    Alice answered my question. "Yeah, Hillis went to see her sister because she came to the capital. Hillis took Arwen over to show her something about divine power at the Great Temple."


    "Really? I had some business with her, but it seems we just missed each other."


    "I heard in the newspaper that you were coming back, but I didn''t know you would come back this fast. If Hillis had known, she would have left after meeting you."


    I had come as soon as possible because I wanted to see a copy of Hillis''s ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯... It seemed I would have to wait to see it.


    But why did I feel so uncomfortable that Hillis had taken Arwen? For some reason, I had a bad feeling.


    Hameln came down from the upper floor while I was smacking my lips. He said, "Senior-nim! You¡¯re back!"


    "You haven¡¯t gone to work yet?¡±


    Hameln smiled and nodded at my question. "Actually, His Highness Duke Asteria is coming down to the capital, and while Senior-nim wasn¡¯t here, I was assigned to assist him."


    Indeed. There was a reason why he still hadn¡¯t gone to work. However, my father suddenly flinched at Hameln''s words. Did he have a connection with Duke Asteria?


    Indeed, since he knew Mrs. Arscilla, a duchess, there was no reason why he wouldn¡¯t also be acquainted with Duke Asteria. Our village''s main customer was also the Asteria Market.


    "His Highness is coming down?" I asked.


    "Yes. But now that Senior-nim is here, it seems I¡¯ll have to get ready for work again,¡± Hameln replied.


    His words got me flustered. "What? I''m still a member of the Third Command Headquarters staff office."


    Since I hadn¡¯t been re-appointed yet, they needed the approval of the chief of staff to take advantage of me. The chief of staff was still outside the empire¡¯s territory and wouldn¡¯t approve it unless I wanted it.


    "But the person coming down is His Highness the Duke,¡± Hameln said, smiling gently.


    In short, they were saying they were in a position to take advantage of me regardless of my affiliation. Should I submit my retirement letter?


    That being said, even if I submitted my retirement letter, there would be no one in upper management to receive it. Of course, I could handle it on my own with Uncle Bloody''s seal, but there was no one to take care of the administrative procedures even if I did.


    "I guess I can¡¯t help it,¡± I said.


    Although I had been wondering why I shouldn¡¯t just quit, it seemed I had adapted excessively to bureaucratic society over the past three years. In addition, I was personally indebted to Duke Asteria and had received many gifts, so I didn¡¯t feel very burdened.


    "What time will he arrive?" I asked.


    Hameln nodded, smiling as if satisfied. "It seems he¡¯ll arrive just before lunch time."


    "All right, I¡¯ll go to meet him. If you have any documents related to the schedule, please give them to me,¡± I said before looking at the spot where my father had been. My father, who had been conversing with Mrs. Arscilla, had disappeared at some point.


    "Where did Father go?¡± I asked.


    Hestia noona answered with a playful smile, "Who knows? Perhaps he has an urgent matter."


    Leisha noona snorted. "What do you mean urgent? He probably just ran away."


    I couldn''t understand what they were talking about.


    * * *


    After her audience with Fernando, Vibrio opened her room¡¯s door after a long time. As the door opened, light came into the dark room, where not even a single ray of light had entered. However, as Vibrio closed the door, the room became dark again.


    "Are you there?"


    When Vibrio saw a person suddenly appear in the darkness of the room, she was surprised and became vigilant. However, she knelt down on one knee upon seeing the half white and black mask that was faintly visible in the dark.


    "As you ordered, I have come to the Great Temple." Vibrio''s eyes looked murky and lifeless as she answered.


    Libra looked into those eyes and smiled joyfully. "How do you feel about meeting your master after a long time?¡±


    Vibrio replied in an emotionless voice, "You are the only master I have."


    Libra said, touching the goddess statue on her desk, "This place is filled with the holy spirit of God."


    Vibrio answered indifferently as if she were reciting a preset message, "Yes. It''s a very stuffy and fearful place."


    "Good. I like it." Libra approached Vibrio again and whispered in her ear. "Remember the one who killed your lover."


    "I will punish the wicked one with my own hands." Vibrio¡¯s empty voice turned into one full of anger.


    "Your sister released the one who killed your lover. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°...!¡± Vibrio''s expressionless face was stirred up.


    "The saintess is your enemy too. Then wouldn''t it be right to punish her?¡± Libra whispered.


    Vibrio''s agitation turned into distress. "Ugh! Sa... Saintess, Hillis...!¡± She shed tears as if she were in pain. "No, Hillis! My loving sister¡­! Please, not my sister...!¡±


    Libra clicked his tongue. "Tch! Is it still lacking? Shaman. Forget it."


    As Libra¡¯s last words echoed in Vibrio''s ear, her pained face returned to expressionlessness again.


    "Incompetent thing,¡± Libra said in reproach.


    Vibrio bowed her head unemotionally. "I''m sorry."


    Libra looked at the door and said, "Hurry up and become perfect. Only then can we hold the ceremony. Shaman, a distant descendant of the Holy tribe." He then disappeared from the room.


    "Unni! I''m here!" The door opened abruptly, and a ray of light came into the dark room and wrapped around Vibrio.


    Vibrio stood up and smiled comfortably as she saw her younger sister¡¯s bright smile. "Yeah. Welcome. My tomboy sister."


    That smile was a ray of light shining in the dark room.


    1. They seem to be at a gate leading up to the house, and the employee has come out of the house itself to check who they are.


    2. Unni is the Korean word for older sister that females use for each other.

 CH 314.

    After changing into a luxurious suit, I left the boarding house with the luggage Hameln had packed. "Noona, I have to go, so please take care of others so they don''t cause trouble,¡± I requested.


    Hestia noona ate a spoonful of parfait and readily nodded, gesturing at me to go ahead. "Okay, okay. Have a safe trip. If you''re planning to run away as is, Father will flip over the whole capital, so be careful."


    Third Sister''s warning made me break out in a cold sweat. It was terrible just imagining it. I said, "Okay. More than that, we should find where Father went before he causes an accident.¡±


    "That''s true. I''ll take care of that, so hurry up and go about your business." Hestia noona was already distracted by the sweet dessert given by Mrs. Arscilla, so she didn''t seem to care about me at all.


    Well, for dessert in my hometown, all we had was just fruits from the forest, but there was no way fruits could beat the sweetness made of refined sugar.


    I sighed and left for the train station, calling, "Gwalchavad, Lionel."


    The two knights appeared in front of me from my pocket space.


    "Did you call me, Master?"


    "Please give your order, Master."


    The two knights still called me that/ cheesy name.


    "Go to Arietta, Gwalchavad."


    "I''ll follow your orders." Gwalchavad bowed his head and immediately headed in the direction of my workshop.


    In fact, I was more worried about the safety of my workshop than about Arietta''s safety in it. I couldn''t imagine how messy the old palace lady would have been, because I usually called on Percival, who would usually take care of the mess right away.


    Please clean up with that excellent housework ability, Gwalchavad!


    "And Lionel, go to Arwen in secret.¡±


    "Is it a secret escort?" Lionel asked.


    I shrugged. "It doesn''t really have to be a secret, but do as you please. The safety of Arwen and Hillis comes first."


    "I will receive Master''s orders." Lionel prostrated himself once and disappeared as if melting into the shadows.


    Honestly, few people were strong enough to harm Hillis. As such, it could be said that Arwen was safe if she went with Hillis. Still, Hillis wasn¡¯t cold-hearted enough to prevent mishaps.


    "Then the ones left are Tristan, Agravain, and Caradock?"


    The rest were damaged to the point where they couldn''t move and had to be fixed, but my mana hadn''t fully returned yet.


    "Caradock,¡± I called.


    "Did you call me, Commander-in-Chief?"


    "Secretly release the dragon tooth soldiers into the capital and look for my father. And let Third Sister know as soon as he¡¯s found."


    Not knowing my father¡¯s location was no different from having a nuclear bomb that might explode anytime. The moment someone picked a fight with my father, the capital would become a mess.


    "Yes, I understand." Caradock bowed his head at my instructions and walked slowly down a dark street.


    "Tristan, Agravain."


    Tristan smiled pleasantly at my call, and Agravain bowed his head seriously.


    "Yeah! Did you call me, Master?"


    "Please give the order, Master."


    "The two of you, escort me without being discovered by others,¡± I ordered.


    The two looked at me in surprise.


    "Iya, I think it''s the first time Master has personally ordered an escort.¡±


    "That''s right. Normally, you only reluctantly allow someone to be by your side because of Gwalchavad''s recommendation."


    "Well, that happens sometimes." I smiled and glossed over it. Rationally, even if I had little mana, it wasn¡¯t as if my physical strength had disappeared, so there was no need for an escort.


    "More than anything, I have a bad feeling,¡± I muttered. Since my instincts were telling me to seek safety, I thought it would be better to have escorts.


    The two knights hardened their expressions.


    "We¡¯d better do our best for this. Don''t you think so, you stiff?¡±


    "Don''t call me a stiff, Tristan. But I still agree.¡±


    The two quarreled as they concealed themselves.


    I headed to the train station, smiling lightly.


    * * *


    Hillis smiled brightly as she hugged her sister. "Oh! It''s nice to see you after such a long time!"


    "Huhu, you''ve only become more childish since I last saw you. You have to think about your age. You¡¯re already twenty years old." Vibrio stroked her head and nagged her.


    Hillis pretended to be sulky and grumbled, "But I still do well and act with dignity in front of others."


    "Really? Then can I ask Sir Albatoss?" Vibrio asked playfully.


    Hillis avoided her gaze with a slightly hesitant expression. "Uh... Maybe?"


    "You! Hahaha!" Vibrio laughed sincerely and disheveled Hillis''s hair.


    Hillis laughed along with her sister. "Hehehehe."


    "Who''s the kid who came with you?" Vibrio asked.


    Hillis introduced Arwen, having momentarily forgotten. "Oh, she¡¯s a disciple of my friend, and she also has talent in divine power, so I¡¯m also teaching her. Arwen, say hi. It''s my older sister."


    Arwen faltered and bowed her head slightly.


    -My name is Arwen.


    When Arwen magically wrote a greeting in the air, Hillis whispered to Vibrio that she couldn¡¯t speak.


    "I see. I¡¯m Vibrio. Thanks for taking care of my sister,¡± Vibrio said.


    "Unni!" Hillis pretended to be sulky and pouted. "Woooh!¡±


    Vibrio jokingly wagged her finger at Hillis. "This girl gets lonely a lot, so please take good care of her in the future."


    Vibrio approached Arwen with a comforting smile. But when she suddenly drew near, Arwen was startled and retreated half a step before stopping in place.


    "Hmm, is it because I''ve been a knight for a long time? Kids tend to be scared of me." Vibrio responded as if she were slightly hurt.


    Hillis replied with a playful smile, "Isn''t it because you look scary, Unni?"


    "Hey!" Vibrio again playfully messed up Hillis¡¯s hair. "If you''re scared, I won''t approach you,¡± she said to Arwen with a gentle smile.


    Arwen hesitated and shook her head. Then, she approached first and reached out her hand.


    When Vibrio saw Arwen sticking her hand out, she carefully grabbed it and shook hands. "Nice to meet you." Arwen nodded in response.


    "I''m sorry, since we¡¯ve only just met after a long time, but I have to go because something came up,¡± Vibrio suddenly remarked.


    Hillis puffed out her cheeks and whined, "What happened as soon as you came back? Don¡¯t do that; let¡¯s hang out together instead.¡±


    Vibrio smiled bitterly and patted her shoulder. "I can''t do that. It might be an opportunity to recover the golden goddess statue, which was stolen from the Great Temple."


    Hillis gulped. "That means..." She looked up at her sister with worried eyes. Contrary to her worries, however, Vibrio''s eyes showed no sadness or hatred. They just contained an anger that could be called a sense of justice and a desire to recover the statue.


    "It''s okay,¡± Vibrio answered.


    Hillis nodded and said, "That''s good." For her, there was nothing more to wish for as long as Vibrio didn¡¯t look at the world with hatred.


    "Then I''ll head out." Vibrio smiled and passed Arwen before heading out of the room.


    "Hey¡­!" At that moment, Hillis felt an unknown anxiety when she saw Vibrio''s back. As if she had heard a goodbye, she grabbed her sister, her mood suddenly low.


    When Vibrio looked back, Hillis shook her head and smiled. "...Have a safe trip."


    Vibrio smiled, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry." With that, left Hillis behind.


    When Vibrio''s figure completely disappeared, Arwen wrote in the air with a cautious expression.


    -Is she really with the temple?


    Hillis couldn¡¯t understand why she was asking that question. "Of course. She''s almost the youngest to have passed the paladin exam."


    -Is that so?


    Arwen looked at where Vibrio had just walked by with an uneasy look.


    -Then, did you not feel anything strange?


    "Strange feeling? Hmm? No, nothing.¡± Hillis took the lead with a calm smile. "Come, the Great Temple keeps some interesting holy relics in storage. It''ll help you even with your level of divine power, so let''s go see."


    Looking at Hillis leading the way, Arwen couldn''t tell if she was pretending not to know or really didn¡¯t know¡­ that a strange musk-like magic that stung the tip of her nose was surrounding Vibrio.


    For Arwen, the scent was so smoky that it reminded her of a terrible, ominous memory.


    * * *


    -The train is coming into the East Capital Station now. Guests, please take a step back for your safety.


    The trains were entering the capital from Asterium.


    According to the documents Hameln had given me, the reason why Duke Asteria was coming to the capital was simple. It was related to the war and the large-scale troop movements leaving the Demon¡¯s Territory. As the owner of territory at the forefront of the battlefield, it was natural that he couldn''t stay still when the frontline had holes in it, and even great demons were attacking.


    "What! Who might this be?! Isn''t it our war hero whose name resonates even in the far north?" As soon as the train stopped and the door opened, Duke Asteria welcomed me with open arms.


    "Haha, I think the situation has become reversed for some reason. Shouldn''t I be welcoming Your Highness the Duke?" I asked.


    Duke Asteria hugged me and laughed. "Huh-huh-huh, okay. Thank you for saying you¡¯d welcome me. But I told you to call me grandfather when it¡¯s just the two of us."


    "I know. But I have to maintain courtesy in public places."


    Duke Asteria looked around and snorted. "Hmph, it''s basically just the two of us. Those guys coming from behind don¡¯t have loose lips, so it''s okay."


    Getting off behind the duke was the platinum plate adventurer, Debt-ridden Knight; and the captain of the White Tiger Knights, whose armor bore a white tiger pattern.


    "I don''t know. Is it my mistake to think that, although the Knight Captain''s mouth is heavy, his sword is light?¡± I asked.


    When I had been dispatched to the Asteria territory two years ago, I had run into him quite often while coming and going from the duke¡¯s castle, but he had openly looked at me with displeasure. It was simply because I had addressed Duke Asteria without formalities.


    "Hahaha, he''s a little hot-tempered. Originally, I was going to leave him to protect the territory, but this time, he wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± Duke Asteria said.


    "Well, it is that important this time,¡± I remarked.


    The Asteria territory was in quite an urgent situation right now. Although it was said that the Crow tribe and the Butterfly tribe were currently engaged in a joint line and guarding the boundaries of the Demon¡¯s Territory, the biggest problem was supplies. Most of the war supplies had been kept in the south in preparation for a predicted prolonged war, so they became the source of the trouble.


    "Hahaha, since you already know, it¡¯ll be easier moving around. The visit to the capital this time will be short and busy,¡± Duke Asteria said.


    "Yes. Guild Director Glont also said he would provide as much support as possible." I hadn¡¯t heard that personally, but it had been written in the documents.


    Duke Asteria smiled and whispered in my ear. "I hope I¡¯ll have your support, too. The fifth great madosa, the Anti-Magic Specialist, Den."


    I looked at the duke in surprise. Duke Asteria took the lead while humming, pretending to be oblivious, and I followed behind him.


    Just how far had the rumor spread?

 CH 315.

    Duke Asteria and I headed to the Adventurers'' Guild Headquarters in our carriage first.


    "Oh my!"


    Fiona sat at the counter, surprised to see me as I entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    I smiled and asked after seeing Fiona, "How have you been?¡±


    "We''ve been well, of course. Den, did you get hurt anywhere?¡± Fiona tried to answer me with a smile.


    "Why would I get hurt? I was just telling them to do this and that from behind,¡± I replied.


    Fiona saw Duke Asteria coming in from behind and bowed with a serious expression, "It''s an honor to have you visit the Adventurers'' Guild." She didn¡¯t say his name in consideration of the adventurers around her.


    Duke Asteria smiled at such consideration and waved in greeting. "Is Glont up there?"


    "Yes, that''s correct. I¡¯ll guide you,¡± Fiona said as she tried to get up from the counter.


    Duke Asteria waved his hand and pointed at me. "Huh-huh, it''s fine. What''s the point of taking away time from a busy person? This friend is enough for guidance.¡±


    I smiled playfully and joked to Fiona, "It was passed on to me by Hameln."


    Fiona covered her mouth and laughed at my joke. "Hohoho, I heard about that from Hameln when he came to work earlier. I heard you arrived at the capital this morning?¡±


    "Yes. Thanks to that, I can''t rest and have to work,¡± I said.


    Duke Asteria grumbled like a grumpy man, "Do you mean being with me is tiring?"


    "Ahahaha, that can''t be. I¡¯m just saying I don''t have enough time to take a nap."


    "You''re such a smooth talker,¡± Duke Asteria said, although he had a gentle expression.


    "Let''s stop joking and go up,¡± I said, heading upstairs with Duke Asteria.


    Upon arriving in front of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Director''s office, the duke spoke to the Debt-ridden Knight and the knight captain. "You two wait outside.¡± He then added, trying to bring only me into the Director¡¯s office, ¡°You come in with me."


    "If you''re going to talk about something secretive, I''ll wait outside, too,¡± I said.


    "It''s fine. With your ears, wouldn''t it be the same whether you¡¯re inside or outside?" Duke Asteria said. He seemed to know that I was a Crow.


    Surely, before the war had begun, those in a position to know had already found out, since I had also openly toyed with the Black Water Buffalo Knights in the middle of the command center.


    "If you go as far as to say that, then I''ll go inside,¡± I said, nodding. Duke Asteria smiled, seemingly content, and opened the door without knocking.


    "Your Highness, you¡¯ve arrived? Please take a seat. I just baked some tasty cookies. Den, you sit down, too,¡± Glont said promptly.


    Duke Asteria sat on a guest sofa and grumbled, "If I open the door suddenly, at least pretend to be surprised. What''s with this boring reaction?"


    "Hahaha, did I do something wrong? It''s usually polite to knock."


    The two exchanged jokes without any formalities, as they had known each other for a long time. Guild Director Glont brought out cookies and tea, and I also sat on the guest sofa.


    "By the way, I saw a newspaper article saying that Den was coming back to the capital in a hurry, but I didn''t know you would come so early,¡± Guild Director Glont commented.


    I replied as I bit into a cookie, "I rode a strong horse from Shellen Fortress to the border. Thanks to that, it took less than half the time.¡± I washed the cookies down with tea and added, "But I''m very disappointed that there was a newspaper article. I thought His Highness Prime Minister would at least control the media."


    Guild Director Glont took the newspapers from under the reception table and handed them over to me, asking, "You haven''t read the newspaper yet, have you? Ohohohoho, of course they hid as much as they could about you."


    I quickly looked over the newspaper I received from the Guild Director. The only content of the first newspaper was that "Den von Mark" had pushed the Dresden front back with a genius strategy. I couldn''t find any content mentioning that I was a Crow anywhere. The same was true of the second and third newspapers. Of course, everyone in a position to know likely already knew, but since no pictures were included, few people would know my face.


    Glont added, "Thanks to the newspaper, it was also a hot topic among my children¡ªthat after the war, no matter what, a third-grade rank of prestige or higher will be awarded. Hohoho.¡±


    Well, the reality was that I was already thinking about whether to retire or not. I replied, "Personally, I would rather receive money than a promotion." Of course, a different compensation based on performance had been promised.


    Duke Asteria and Guild Director Glont laughed cheerfully.


    "Ahahaha! Don''t people usually choose career success? Is it because you¡¯re a Crow?¡±


    "Ohohohoho! That''s what I wanted to say too."


    I grinned as I folded the newspaper. "If I wanted a successful career, I would have become a court magician. But anyway, there¡¯s only content about having defeated the enemy¡¯s main army, but there¡¯s nothing about how it happened?¡± I asked.


    Glont replied with a bitter smile, "After a meeting between the upper ranks of the imperial army and the ministers, we decided to keep it a military secret."


    Duke Asteria added to Guild Director Glont''s explanation, "Since there were many shocking events, it might stimulate the trauma of older nobles."


    In short, they were saying that I could be treated as the second coming of my father. In reality, my father was already in the system, but I decided to hide that fact. Even if I decided to tell, I should hide it at least until Caradoc found my father.


    "Now, let¡¯s check what I have to do in the capital this time,¡± Duke Asteria said. Guild Director Glont listened seriously. The Duke continued, "First, obtaining conscription permission from the emperor. This must have become a topic of the meetings by now.¡±


    The conscription mentioned here referred to an order to pull in soldiers from the territories, not the general populace. The number of soldiers that could be held in each territory was limited, and troops couldn¡¯t be moved to other territories without the permission of the emperor. This wasn¡¯t only meant to control private internal strife, but also to prevent the lords from rallying together from rebelling.


    "This won''t be too difficult. Your Highness the Duke has many in the Imperial Faction that are indebted to you,¡± I said.


    I was the one who had assisted Duke Asteria in the last three congress meetings. Few people knew better than I did about the friction between the strong Noble Faction and the nobles the duke kept on a tight leash.


    In addition, I had personally had a lot of exchanges with the duke. In recent years, monetary reform was the biggest debt the imperial family owed to Duke Asteria.


    Duke Asteria nodded. "But just in case, depending on the situation, you can attend the meeting later and persuade him.¡±


    "Yes, I understand."


    "And I¡¯ll also need the support of the forces from the Adventurers'' Guild and the Mercenary Alliance,¡± Duke Asteria added.


    "Of course, since it''s related to the overall safety of the empire, I¡¯ll tell Eranto, the head of the alliance,¡± Guild Director Glont said.


    Next, Duke Asteria pulled out a bunch of documents with a serious expression on his face. "Next is securing supplies. In particular, there¡¯s a major shortage of war supplies. I have to scrounge for arrows, spears, and swords as much as I can.¡±


    "This is¡­!" After confirming the bundle of documents, Guild Director Glont, broke out in  cold sweat.


    "It''s time to harvest the seeds I''ve been sowing." Duke Asteria smiled mercilessly.


    I checked the documents Guild Director Glont had put down and said, "Wow, my goodness."


    I was amazed by the contents of the documents. They contained details of the nobles who owed the duke, and the nobles who had committed all kinds of corruption.


    Hang on. These corruption documents look familiar, I thought.


    While my gaze fixated on the corruption documents, Duke Asteria put his arm around my shoulder and said, "I¡¯ll use it gratefully, Lupin." He winked playfully at me.


    As expected, these corruption documents were the ones I had worked hard to steal and sold to my aunt.


    "Hahaha, I''m glad it helped you,¡± I replied, thinking, Just how much does this grandpa know?


    "I''ve sent some friends who¡¯ll coax the nobles with these. You¡¯ll just need to move the military somewhat with ¡®just a little bit of personal connections¡¯,¡± Duke Asteria said.


    Guild Director Glont sighed, and I was left in awe.


    Those in debt would spit it out on their own, but some of those whose weaknesses, or in other words corruption, had been exposed were likely to try to rebel.


    What if the imperial army were to charge in to set an example in that situation? It would turn into a proper threat even to other nobles whose weaknesses hadn¡¯t been exposed.


    "¡¯If you don''t listen to me, I''ll show you hell,¡¯ is the message. I''ll tell you the names of the nobles to attack." Duke Asteria seemed to have already decided on the nobles to use to set an example.


    "Can''t you just move your troops and put pressure on them?" Glont said, seemingly cautious about attacking the nobles hastily.


    "That would usually be enough, but now, it¡¯s wartime and we don''t have enough time on the frontlines. Cleanly and quickly severing their necks is better."


    The key was that the ¡®neck¡¯ in that phrase wasn¡¯t used as a metaphor or symbol, but was instead meant literally. This method could be seen as dealing with nobles who usually showed signs of rebellion against Duke Asteria.


    "If grudges become built up over this, isn¡¯t there a chance that an arrow may be pointed towards your future descendants?" Glont said, worried about the person who would succeed Duke Asteria.


    Certainly, even if they bowed their heads because they were afraid of Duke Asteria right now, there was no rule saying it¡¯d be the same for the next duke. As far as I knew, though, the duke hadn¡¯t publicly announced any successors.


    "Don''t worry. None of the people I¡¯m considering as my successor wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this. Rather, they''re the ones who''d fully take advantage of the nobles instead.¡±


    As expected, Duke Asteria seemed to have at least decided on a candidate for his successor. Although considering his age, he¡¯d done so very late. Usually, no matter how bad the circumstances, one would usually decide on a successor in middle age, and have them make their debut in society to build connections and create factions.


    Well, if it was someone who had caught the duke''s eye, they¡¯d do well even without such a cumbersome procedure. That was how accurate Duke Asteria''s judgment was.


    However, when he heard the duke''s answer, Guild Director Glont glanced at me. I asked, "Why are you looking at me?"


    "Huh? No way! Hohohoho, I understand. Then I¡¯ll follow the will of Your Highness the Duke." For some reason, Glont was visibly embarrassed.


    Seeing that, Duke Asteria rose from his seat. "Then the second task seems to have been handled, so I think only the last one is left."


    "Is there another item?" Guild Director Glont looked at Duke Asteria tiredly.


    The duke grinned and said, "Don''t worry. It''s not something I¡¯ll ask of you." He then turned and spoke to me. "All right, let¡¯s head to the temple. Let¡¯s go and beg the priests."

 CH 316.

    "But have things reached a point where you need priests? I heard the Crow Tribe and Butterfly Tribe are guarding the Demon¡¯s Territory," I asked while looking at the documents, as we headed to the Great Temple in the carriage.


    Duke Asteria replied, rubbing his eyes as if it were tiring just thinking about it, "Despite the fact that the two tribes have stepped up, the Demon¡¯s Territory is wide. Moreover, the core forces of the two tribes aren¡¯t enough to cover the frontlines, since they¡¯re out chasing fast-moving great demons."


    The imperial army had only been able to properly prevent the flood of demons that had occurred when the Turtle Carrying A Mountain moved south in the past because the demons had been led in the direction of Warrant.


    In other words, it was necessary to narrow the frontlines. However, this time, because the troops had been withdrawn for the war, they couldn¡¯t be moved in that way. As a result, we had no choice but to carry out multiple guerrilla attacks, and our side had sustained great damage.


    "It seems we¡¯ll need a lot of priests,¡± I said in agreement.


    Duke Asteria nodded. "That''s why we''re going to the Great Temple."


    If one asked which location in the empire had the largest number of paladins, most people would name St. Percival. However, if one asked which location had the largest number of priests, eight out of ten would point to the Great Temple of the capital.


    This was somewhat related to the history of the empire. To put it simply, the previous emperor, the Blood Emperor, had restricted the movements of the temple¡¯s forces and kept his political enemy, Cardinal Fernando, close by his side to control him.


    "As far as I know, Grandfather isn¡¯t on the temple''s side, or to be exact, not on good terms with Cardinal Fernando." I called Duke Asteria ¡®Grandfather¡¯ because I was now alone with him.


    Duke Asteria also shrugged with a satisfied look, seemingly liking the name I called him. "We¡¯re not exactly on bad terms. If I had to describe it, I¡¯d call it an estranged relationship."


    "Estranged? Hasn''t Grandfather been pro-emperor since the current emperor''s reign began?¡±


    Cardinal Fernando represented the hard-liners in the temple, who were hostile to the emperor as well as the imperial family itself. As such, it was natural that he would have a relationship with Duke Asteria.


    "I have participated in pro-imperial activities, but I have also pushed in the opposite direction a lot. And most of all, in the Empire, it''s a headache to not at least keep up pretenses with the temple,¡± the duke said.


    Indeed, I understood what he meant. It was said that Duke Asteria maintained a good relationship with the temple, going back and forth between the emperor¡¯s and the nobles¡¯ factions as necessary.


    "Indeed, despite the fact that the temple¡¯s prime has passed with the advent of the Demon King, the temple has been firmly established as a state religion since the Holy Kingdom, the predecessor of the empire,¡± I said.


    As the Holy Kingdom had been divided into the Empire, the Imperial State, and the Republic, the country that had received most of the forces of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s temple was the Empire.


    For reference, the Imperial State had been founded on the legitimacy of the Holy royal family rather than the temple forces, and the Republic had put forward the ideology of the knights who supported the success of the Holy Kingdom.


    Therefore, the early Empire had still been named the Holy Empire, but now it was just called the Empire after the decline of the temple.


    Duke Asteria nodded. "Because of that, the hard-line members of the temple have very strong pride."


    "But the problem is that they also have a strong influence,¡± I replied.


    Religion wasn¡¯t something that disappeared just because it was suppressed. Despite the ruthless oppression of the Blood Emperor, it still had great potential to influence the Empire¡¯s politics. However, that was only potential, and it couldn¡¯t be wielded directly in reality.


    "So we need to placate that old-fashioned Cardinal Fernando, who can''t forget the glory of the past,¡± Duke Asteria grumbled. That was because he was on his way to say some apologetic words to that old-fashioned man.


    "By the way, how are you planning to receive the support of the priests from Cardinal Fernando?" I asked. I wondered if he would threaten Cardinal Fernando with the fact that we knew he was a member of the Twelve Zodiacs.


    But the duke''s answer was the opposite. "First, since I have the Pagan Priest of the moderate faction on my side, I should take conciliatory measures using him as a mediator."


    ¡®Pagan Priest¡¯ probably referred to Ruin, a priest who was also a platinum plate adventurer in addition to being a bishop.


    "Instead of grabbing his weaknesses?¡± I asked, not having expected that approach.


    Duke Asteria grinned. "Didn¡¯t you tell me this yourself? The problem is that he has a strong influence. Certainly, it would be okay to threaten the cardinal using his past activities, which you told me about. But then I would have no choice but to kill the cardinal."


    "Oh, I see. I didn''t think far enough ahead,¡± I said.


    Cardinal Fernando was still a strong figure with enormous influence. On top of that, because he had the religion at his back, it was difficult to approach him recklessly. Even if we threatened him in the current state of affairs, he might give in right away, but it was unwise in the long term.


    No matter how much injustice was committed, religion wasn¡¯t the domain of reason, but rather of faith. Many people would follow the cardinal simply because he claimed that it was for God and for the temple. In that case, it would be natural for Duke Asteria to be put in a difficult spot, since the opponents would risk their lives against him.


    "This makes Cardinal Fernando our worst enemy among the Twelve Zodiacs,¡± I remarked.


    My great-grandfather, Sagittarius, might be the strongest of the Twelve Zodiacs, but he wasn¡¯t the most difficult enemy to deal with. To catch Galak Blade, Zendia Blade and Doomstone Blade had stepped up. No matter how strong my great-grandfather was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with both my grandfather and father at the same time.


    However, Cardinal Fernando used the public as a weapon, wielding their absolute faith.


    "It means no one can attack the cardinal ''openly''."


    It would be the same even if my father arrived. Unlike in the past, when he had been an ordinary tribe member, he was now the chief. As such, he had no choice but to be bound by the need for justification.


    But had the duke said ¡®you¡¯ just now? That meant he knew I was the one who had escorted him  while wearing a mask when he announced the currency reform. There''s really nothing he doesn¡¯t know, I thought, dumbfounded.


    Duke Asteria frowned and put his chin on his hand as if he really had a headache. "Sometimes faith is even worse in that it shows madness beyond justification. It would be foolish to make religion an enemy.¡±


    "I agree. Then, what''s the card you prepared as a conciliatory measure?" I asked.


    "Well, I''ve prepared donations to start, but it''s hard to say anything for certain because it¡¯ll need to change depending on the situation."


    "Is that so?"


    "If you didn''t dispose of the golden goddess statue you stole when you were working as Lupin, do you have any intention of giving it to me? I can give you a price five times its appraised value."


    Five times the appraised value of the golden goddess statue was enough to buy a fairly decent small plot of land. Considering the historical value and religious meaning of the golden goddess statue, it could be worth even more.


    I was surprised by Duke Asteria¡¯s offer, but at the same time, I was in a difficult spot. I said, "That¡¯s... The golden goddess statue no longer exists. It was completely destroyed during an experiment."


    Although the golden goddess statue had turned into the Holy Sword, I couldn''t return it to its original form because I had already been recognized as its master.


    "Oh, is that so? Then that¡¯s too bad." The duke smacked his lips as if he were disappointed, but gave up quietly at my answer.


    "It may not be a substitute, but I have the original holy scriptures that were lost in the era of the Holy Kingdom. But they won''t be of much use, right?¡± I asked. They had been found in a half-destroyed castle while fighting Arietta, who had been in the process of being taken over by the existence of the reverse world.


    Duke Asteria¡¯s eyes widened. "What? You have such a thing? Where did you get it?"


    "Someone I know gave it to me, saying they didn¡¯t need it,¡± I said. Personally, since I wasn¡¯t religious at all, it was just a book that put me to sleep.


    Even if I wanted to sell it, one had to be fluent in the ancient language and theology to understand its value, but there were very few people who were knowledgeable in theology while also being proficient in the ancient language.


    "Huh, even the people you know are unique. To think you have the holy scriptures that were believed to have been lost at least 400 years ago¡­ and not only that, but to have the original, no less.¡± Duke Asteria looked dumbfounded. He asked, "Can you perhaps give them to me now?"


    I shook my head. "It''s not possible right now."


    My mana hadn¡¯t recovered yet, so it was impossible to open my pocket space. Calling Tristan or Agravain could allow me to do so, but I was reluctant to call them while they were secretly escorting people.


    "Is that so?"


    "Ah, but since I''ve memorized all the contents, should I write down the first ten pages? If it¡¯s the cardinal, he''ll realize the value,¡± I suggested.


    Duke Asteria was surprised and said admiringly, "How many pages are there of the holy scriptures for you to have memorized them all?"


    I shrugged, scrawling ancient words on some of the blank paper available in the carriage. "It''s roughly 1,789 pages long. But the holy scriptures were written in big letters, so it wasn''t that much."


    Since I was writing down the contents anyway, I thought I would also draw the patterns on the borders of each page, but it ended up looking like some strange graffiti.


    "That''s amazing. But what''s that worm? Is it part of an ancient word?¡± the duke asked.


    "Khmm! I drew the border patterns of the holy scriptures." I coughed dryly and glanced at Duke Asteria.


    The duke laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha! I guess you don''t have too much drawing skill."


    "But I''m one of the best at drawing in my hometown! Here it is. This should be enough as negotiating material,¡± I said.


    "Hahaha! Are you upset? I should buy you something delicious after our work is done!¡± Duke Asteria found it so funny that he was clutching his stomach while laughing. I looked at the duke sourly.


    Just then, the carriage stopped, and the huge Great Temple could be seen outside the window.


    "Ahaha, it''s been a while since I last laughed like this. If there''s a price you want for the original, including this copy, tell me anytime and I''ll give you anything,¡± Duke Asteria said as he got off the wagon with a smile. I followed behind him.


    A guide from the Great Temple who appeared to be a high priest welcomed Duke Asteria. "I''ve been waiting for you. Cardo is in the reception room. I will guide you."


    The duke and I entered the Great Temple, following the pious-looking High Priest.


    Anyway, the way he said he¡¯d give me anything, it sounded as if he would even give me the position of duke. But of course, that was nonsense.


    * * *


    Vibrio took off her black mask as she arrived at a shabby house, located in a deserted back alley in the slums. "It''s been a while, everyone,¡± she said in greeting.


    Ten people in black masks were gathered in the area.


    "It''s a relief that you seem to have recovered from your troubles, Paladin Vibrio."


    "Thank you, Fox No. 4. I''m ashamed to have shown such a shameful side as your leader."


    "No, everyone understands Paladin Vibrio''s feelings. We¡¯re thankful for the fact that you¡¯ve come back like this."


    Vibrio smiled at the masked person¡¯s answer. At that time, a masked person asked in a slightly blunt tone, "But is it true that the evil known as Lupin might be related to Duke Asteria?"


    Vibrio nodded. "It''s still an assumption. But we can be half-certain."


    "But wouldn''t it still be very dangerous to touch Duke Asteria? The opponent is a monster whom even the Blood Emperor couldn¡¯t do anything about,¡± the masked person said, voicing their concerns.


    Vibrio nodded, saying, "I understand. It¡¯s natural to be worried. So I prepared something.¡± She took out a small bag, then scattered the powder inside it onto the ground.


    "Paladin Vibrio?"


    "Ugh! What''s this?!"


    The powder Vibrio had scattered gave off a musk-like scent and wrapped around the masked people. She smiled with eyes that didn¡¯t contain a hint of life and intoned, "You must all obey that great person''s will. This is his will.¡±


    The life left the eyes of the masked people one after another as they failed to resist the musk-like magic. Soon, they stopped resisting and prostrated themselves toward Vibrio''s back.


    There, Libra stood smiling beneath a half white and half black mask.

 CH 317.

    Libra looked down at the masked people laying prostrate in front of him. "Huhuhuhu. It''s not bad to see these heathens who believe in the Goddess prostrate themselves in front of me.¡±


    The masked people shouted together in emotionless voices, "Everything is as he wishes." However, their shouts weren¡¯t in perfect unison.


    "Hmm, as expected, it''s not perfect, since they¡¯re pieces to be thrown away after one use. They¡¯re different from you, Shaman,¡± Libra called out to Vibrio.


    Vibrio slightly bowed her head. "It''s an honor."


    Libra sighed, letting her dull voice pass through one ear and out the other, thinking, Was it too much to compare a shaman who has worked hard for more than two years with those meant to be abandoned?


    The masked people, who were to be used for a moment then discarded had distinct advantages and disadvantages compared to Vibrio, who had been brainwashed for a long time.


    The masked people were passive and moved unnaturally, and after they were done being used, their minds would be broken. However, it had been easy and fast to brainwash them, and surprisingly, that control didn¡¯t seem easy to break.


    On the other hand, Vibrio had been brainwashed slowly and had the advantage of being able to move naturally enough that even her family wouldn¡¯t notice. But due to the complexity of that brainwashing, it was difficult to complete, leaving plenty of room for it to be undone.


    It wasn¡¯t that the ceremony of summoning the Demon King couldn¡¯t be started like this, but in order to achieve perfection, Vibrio¡¯s brainwashing had to be completed.


    Therefore, Libra looked at Vibrio unhappily, thinking, Is the existence of the saintess preventing her brainwashing from being completed? However, he couldn¡¯t recklessly kill the saintess, as it could undo the brainwashing instead.


    While Libra was contemplating, Vibrio asked him, "It may be presumptuous to ask this question, but is it certain that Lupin has the Demon King summons and ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯?"


    Librio inwardly clicked his tongue. Since Vibrio was able to move naturally to the point where even her family couldn¡¯t recognize it, that meant she could naturally ask questions and act on her own like this.


    In addition, when Vibrio mentioned Lupin, anger and hatred leaked through the brainwashing. Libra had brainwashed her by digging into her hatred of Lupin and her sadness at losing her lover, but her strong emotions were actually destabilizing her conditioning.


    "That''s right. The familiar that was watching the battle between Sagittarius and Lupin died from the aftermath, so Lupin¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t discovered, but it is clear that the army Lupin led was made using necromancy written in ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯."


    Unlike doppelganger magic, the use of necromancy was extremely subtle, making it hard to identify. However, it wasn¡¯t at a point where Libra, the leader of the Demon King¡¯s worshippers, couldn¡¯t recognize it.


    While answering, Librio infused more mana into Vibrio to prevent her excessive anger from undoing the brainwashing.


    Once again turning emotionless, Vibrio asked flatly, "But if I really attack the duke, will I meet the magician who supposedly has the Demon King summons?"


    Under Libra¡¯s brainwashing, Vibrio didn¡¯t even say a word about Lupin. Libra was satisfied that his magic had worked well and carefully chose his words as he answered, "Yes. I didn''t realize it until recently, but the magic I felt in the past was definitely used when Aquarius attacked Duke Asteria. If you attack or capture Duke Asteria, you''ll find a clue regarding that magician."


    Libra left the old building, thinking that he had to complete the brainwashing quickly.


    Looking at Libra¡¯s back, the kneeling masked people shouted at once, "Everything is as he wills!"


    * * *


    Duke Asteria left me and the escorts behind and entered the reception room with Cardinal Fernando. At first glance, considering the cardinal''s appearance, he seemed to have dealt with my curse, but it seemed he had been weakened a lot due to its aftereffects.


    "Are you two going to be standing guard in front of the reception room?" I asked.


    As he went into the reception room, Duke Asteria had told us that we could move around freely.


    Even if he was alone with Cardinal Fernando, I was convinced that there was no possibility of the cardinal harming the duke. After all, if Duke Asteria were endangered in the Great Temple, the Great Temple would have to take responsibility. The temple would even be more likely to protect the Duke than to threaten him.


    The White Tiger Knights¡¯ captain answered seriously, "Of course."


    In contrast to the White Tiger Knights¡¯ captain¡¯s disciplined appearance, the Debt-Ridden Knight crossed his legs and yawned. "Haaam~. But since we''re escorts, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, right? Huuu~ Don''t end up in debt."


    I smiled in response to the Debt-Ridden Knight¡¯s sudden lamentations. "And yet, you''ve had several opportunities to pay off your debts."


    This was a man who, even after working hard to pay it off, would accrue debt again the next day. "I can''t help it. Things keep happening that require money.¡± He uttered a dubious statement worthy of his nickname as the Debt-Ridden Knight.


    I found it absurd and smiled, but just then, I heard nagging from behind me.


    "Brother-nim, are you still suffering from debt? How pathetic."[1] There stood Ruin, the platinum plate adventurer known as the Pagan Priest.


    "Ugh, I¡¯ll pass on the preaching, Pagan Priest."


    "Pagan? I''m a faithful servant of the Goddess. If you call this priest such a rude title, my righteous iron fist will destroy Brother-nim¡¯s skull."


    The priest gave a brutal warning to the Debt-Ridden Knight before turning to me and smiling brightly. "Ahahaha! Long time no see! How have you been well, Brother-nim Den?"


    The Pagan Priest¡¯s muscles were still swollen to the point of almost bursting out of his priest''s robes, and his bald head shone like his great divine power.


    "It''s been a while. How was your trip?" I asked.


    The Pagan Priest sometimes stayed in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild whenever he visited the capital. Every time, he joked with me quite unlike a priest, and he was a pretty fun person.


    "The trip this time wasn¡¯t much different. It''s just that I led a hydra, the ruler of the Sehil Forest, to the Great Mother,¡± the Pagan Priest said.


    He was a weirdo who fought with bare hands exclusively, without armor and weapons. In other words, he had hunted the hydra and overcome its poison with his bare hands. It was particularly admirable, considering that a hydra was one of the most difficult demons to fight due to its excellent regeneration.


    "Compared to this priest, Brother-nim is greater. Aren¡¯t you called a hero who ended the war early with tactics handed down by God?" he added.


    "Hahaha, it was just a fluke. It''s a result obtained through expedient methods, so it¡¯s not that impressive. You¡¯re making me embarrassed,¡± I replied.


    The Pagan Priest shook his head. "It doesn''t matter whether it''s due to an expedient or a fluke. It¡¯s only important that you saved many lives as a result of ending the war early.¡±


    Then, he began to preach with a benevolent expression. After listening to a sermon mixed with jokes for dozens of minutes, I pointed to the reception room. "But didn''t you come here because you had something to do?¡±


    The Pagan Priest was here as an intermediary between Duke Asteria and Cardinal Fernando. Usually, the conversation would begin when the mediator arrived, but the two had called in the Pagan Priest later than the appointed time, as if they were planning to have a conversation secretly. That was why I was holding onto him while talking like this.


    "Oh! That''s right. I almost forgot about my work because I was happy to see Brother Den after a long time. Thank you. Let''s postpone the details for later." The Pagan Priest knocked, slowly opening the door and entering the reception room.


    "Then I''ll just go and look around the Great Temple,¡± I said. I waved to the Debt-Ridden Knight and the White Tiger Knights¡¯ captain, telling them to work hard, and then began to go around the Great Temple to find Hillis and Arwen.


    On a normal day, I would have sensed their mana and gone over right away, but that was too much right now because of the lack of mana.


    Well, it''ll take a long time anyway, so should I slowly look for them? I thought. There was quite a lot of time.


    * * *


    Hillis took Arwen to see the holy relics stored in places that were inaccessible except to officials.


    "What do you think? Can you feel the divine power from this?" Hillis pointed to a colorful statue of a left arm with rubies, opals, sapphires, ambers, jades, and diamonds embedded in it.


    Arwen looked closely at the statue and was surprised.


    -It¡¯s still alive?!


    "That''s right. You recognized it at a glance. This statue was overlaid with brass to preserve the left arm of Teresa Aumada, a saint who lived about 400 years ago. As you can see, the left arm hasn¡¯t rotten at all and is emitting divine power."


    -How come it doesn''t rot?


    Hillis shrugged. "I don''t know. Maybe it''s because she used a ¡®miracle¡¯?¡± Even she didn¡¯t know what had happened 400 years ago. In truth, she didn¡¯t really want to know. She added,"Now, let''s go see the next strange object, no, the holy relic." Hillis and Arwen eagerly went around looking at the bizarre holy relics.


    After a while of looking around, Hillis checked her watch and said, "Oh, my. Time flies so fast." Her watch indicated it was around evening.


    "Maybe Den has already returned to the boarding house,¡± Hillis said.


    In response, Arwen pulled on Hillis'' sleeve.


    -Let¡¯s hurry up and go back!


    Hillis stroked Arwen''s head, saying, "Hahaha, I was just saying that. But wouldn''t it be impossible for him to have arrived today?¡± Arwen seemed disappointed, so Hillis added, "Well, if he were coming alone, he could fly and get here faster. But since he''d be riding a carriage with some people, he¡¯s probably slowly catching a train at the border. Then he¡¯ll probably arrive tomorrow evening¡­?¡±


    Arwen accepted her calm explanation and headed toward the entrance instead.


    "But it was helpful to observe the holy relics, right?¡± Hillis asked. Arwen nodded in the affirmative. The ways divine power was contained in numerous holy relics could be said to be very good training material.


    "Since it¡¯s already late, shall we have dinner together first then go?¡± Hillis suggested. Arwen pondered and shook her head.


    -It¡¯s better to eat all together.


    "I guess that''s true. Then we should hurry up and go back.¡±


    Arwen nodded and opened the door, trying to exit to the center of the first floor, but the sound of an explosion suddenly rang out.


    "What? What''s going on?" Hillis wrapped her arms around Arwen after the sudden explosion. Then, she took out the magic wand and ceremonial robe from her pocket space, infused mana into them, and put up her guard.


    Bang!


    At that time, the door that Arwen had been trying to open was completely smashed. A man in a white half-mask forced himself through the doorway.


    Getting up from the debris of the smashed door, the half-masked man shook off the dirt on his clothes. "Kknng! Aigo, my body. I didn''t know it''d be this hard without mana,¡± he lamented as he smiled at Hillis and Arwen.


    1. ¡®Brother¡¯ here isn¡¯t the same friendly title people call each other (hyung), but rather the term religious people use when they call each other Brother or Sister.

 CH 318.

    The Great Temple was full of believers as usual, but as it approached evening time, it gradually became quieter. I was slowly walking around like the ordinary believers and looking for Hillis and Arwen, but I couldn''t see them at all. Suddenly, now that I had time alone, there was nothing much to do.


    "Hmm, have I been relying too much on magic?" I said to myself.


    A magician could perceive mana on the level of any other physical sense. When one mastered mana control, it would be easy to detect the movement of mana even though it wasn¡¯t something that could be seen with the naked eye.


    Of course, I could perceive things with my innate senses, but I couldn''t distinguish if one was strong or weak without mana. Even if a high-ranking knight were in front of me, they would only appear to have a little more aura than the general public at best, so it was unreasonable to search for Hillis and Arwen using their presence.


    Tristan, who had been hiding some distance outside the temple and guarding me, secretly came up to me and said, "You look bored, Master."


    I smiled and nodded. "Well, that''s right. Did something come up?"


    My order had been to escort me in secret. No matter how playful and free-spirited Tristan looked, he wasn¡¯t such a fool he would ignore my orders. That meant he had some business.


    "Yes. Caradoc sent a thought transmission, but the security magic around this temple didn¡¯t allow it to be conveyed to Master,¡± Tristan said.


    "Oh, I see."


    The divine magic circles guarding the Great Temple weren¡¯t enough to compare with the magic circles of my workshop or the imperial palace, but they were quite high-grade. If my mana had been intact, even if the security magic had blocked it, I would have detected the thought transmission and penetrated the spells without anyone knowing, but now it was too much.


    "Tch, it¡¯ll take another two days for my mana to return. What a hassle,¡± I grumbled.


    It was also impossible to locate Hillis and Arwen by sending a thought transmission to Lionel, whom I had sent to them.


    In truth, the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation had also improved considerably compared to what it had been two years ago, so the aftereffects shouldn¡¯t have been so severe. However, my recovery was slow due to the strain on my mana circuit after I had fought the two great madosas and my great-grandfather in quick succession.


    "So, what did Caradoc say? Did he find my father?" I asked.


    Tristan shook his head. "No, he couldn''t find Master¡¯s father.¡±


    Well, if my father was determined to hide himself, it would be close to impossible to find him. Even though I knew that, the reason I had let Caradoc secretly release the dragon tooth soldiers was to respond immediately when my father caused an accident. At least if I did it like this, it''d be easier to handle.


    "Then?" I asked.


    "It''s nothing special, but the dragon tooth soldiers detected strange mana outside the slums and recommended caution,¡± Tristan said.


    I frowned. Outside the slums, strange magic¡­ The moment I heard that, the fragments of information in my head began to connect like a jigsaw puzzle. War. Reason? Two great madosas. Why? Great-grandfather. How come? Demon King worshippers. Then? Summon the Demon King. How?


    "There''s not enough information,¡± I muttered. Although the roughly lined up information was like a jigsaw puzzle with missing puzzle pieces in several places, it was enough to get the outline right.


    The area outside the slums was a good place to make escape routes or do secret work because it was sparsely populated. In fact, a big figure like Count Druval, who had a huge influence on business and politics, had also created a secret channel there.


    Strange magic had been felt in such a place. Did something have to be done in secret? At a time when the empire was in disarray and tensions were on edge? If one got caught, it could be treated as committing national treason. If so, then those involved were confident enough to escape even if they got caught.


    It had to be someone who had nothing to do with the empire. Or someone who didn''t care even if they were implicated. It wasn¡¯t someone who was part of the empire¡¯s power structure, like a noble.


    At present, the most likely suspect was the Demon King worshipper called Libra. But then, why was a Demon King worshipper in the capital? There wasn¡¯t enough information. But looking at it another way, what did a Demon King worshipper want the most?


    Am I their target? I thought. To be exact, were the Demon King summons in my head the target? Whether they performed the ritual or not it was impossible to summon the Demon King without the most important magic from that text.


    That raised a question. Did the Demon King worshippers know that I had, or had memorized, the Demon King summons? If so, how?


    "Tristan,¡± I called out.


    "Huh? Yes?" Tristan looked at me.


    But I wasn''t calling Tristan. I spoke while looking at Tristan''s ¡®dragon tooth soldier¡¯ body. The dragon tooth soldiers had been created after remodeling the necromancy of the Demon King summons, to the point that the magic was unrecognizable.


    "I underestimated the Demon King worshipper. I didn''t think he¡¯d recognize it,¡± I muttered.


    The Demon King worshipper had likely seen the dragon tooth soldier when I tried to catch Scorpio near Shellen Fortress. Considering that I hadn¡¯t sensed any presence, it was highly likely that he had observed through a familiar from a distance.


    Then did he know I was Lupin? No. It wouldn''t be to that extent. If he did, he would have appeared in front of me immediately. Therefore, the familiar had probably died in the aftermath of the battle. If so, the connection between me and Lupin hadn¡¯t been made. However, he would be certain that Lupin had the Demon King summons. Then, did that mean he was here in the capital to find Lupin?


    A certain fact popped up in my mind. I said, "I¡¯m going back to the duke. Tristan, hide yourself and watch out for anyone who looks strange.¡±


    "Oh? Okay." Tristan nodded and hid himself, seemingly vanishing on the spot.


    I walked quickly back toward Duke Asteria.


    The day the doppelganger had been detected, I was with him. If my aunt had conspired with the duke and averted their gaze, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to infer that the Demon King worshipper was nearby. If so, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to have felt the doppelganger magic.


    In other words, the Demon King worshipper was likely in the capital, aiming for the duke in order to find me. That meant Duke Asteria was in danger.


    "Wait a minute.¡± I stopped heading to the reception room and hid in a deserted hallway.


    It was highly likely that the Demon King worshipper didn¡¯t know my face right now. That meant that if I stood guard by the duke¡¯s side, there would be a higher risk of being identified as Lupin. Of course, it didn''t matter if I was caught, but it would be better to be careful for the next two days.


    "Agravain,¡± I called.


    "Did you call me, Master?" Agravain replied.


    "Hide yourself and protect Duke Asteria. If you think it''s dangerous, take the duke to the safety of my workshop,¡± I instructed.


    "I''ll follow Master''s orders." Agravain bowed his head once, hid himself, and headed to the duke.


    Watching him disappear, I took a white half-mask out of my breast pocket and put it on. "Since you want it, I''ll show myself, huhuhu."


    As long as the mask didn''t come off, it¡¯d be fine. If I got caught, I¡¯d just have to stick right next to my father for two days.


    Then, shall I start by robbing the temple''s armory? I thought. Since I didn''t know where Hillis was in the Great Temple, it wouldn¡¯t be good to use the Holy Sword.


    * * *


    Libra smiled as he gazed at the reddening sky. The glow of the setting sun stained the temple¡¯s surrounding white outer walls with the color of hideous blood. He loved its appearance so much.


    It was time for Duke Asteria to leave the side of the well-protected Cardinal Fernando.


    "Okay, then it''s about time. Move, Puppets!" Libra commanded. The masked people, who were brainwashed and had lost half their reason, stood up.


    In addition to capturing the duke to obtain information on the Demon King summons, if Duke Asteria was harmed inside the temple, it would drive a wedge between the temple and the imperial family and nobility. It was a perfect scenario for Libra.


    "When we obtain the summons, the Great One will return to the earth! Hahahaha!¡± Libra exclaimed as he swung his magic wand and attacked the security magic circle surrounding the temple.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Libra¡¯s black magic was anathema to divine power.


    "Cause havoc as much as you want! Foolish puppets who believe in heresy! Hahaha!¡± Libra ordered with a mad burst of laughter, and the masked people rushed toward the Great Temple.


    * * *


    The sound of an explosion rang out, and the magic circle that was protecting the Great Temple began to collapse.


    "Wow, I thought they would launch a surprise attack after we left the Great Temple, but how bold." I whistled while picking up a decent sword in the Great Temple''s armory.


    Since the protective security magic circles had collapsed, it was clear that the paladins under the command of the cardinal would be on the move.


    "Tristan. What''s the situation?¡± I asked. Tristan¡¯s thought transmission arrived from quite a distance away.


    -Guys wearing black masks charged in. Eleven paladins moved immediately. Six of them went to guard the cardinal, and the other five are running toward the masked people.


    "Only eleven moved? That''s weird. I thought at least twenty would move."


    As far as I knew, the main force of the Great Temple was made up of thirty-three paladins. Of course, I had heard that according to the will of the former heresy interrogator Cardinal Fernando, some had gone to hunt heretics such as black magicians and Demon King worshippers. However, it was strange that two-thirds of them were missing at this time.


    "Let''s watch the situation first. What about the duke?¡± I asked as I ran toward the center of the Great Temple.


    -In this sudden situation, I think he''s looking for Master, the only one who¡¯s separated from them.


    Duke Asteria knew that I was a Crow, so he wouldn''t worry much about me. If he was searching for me, it would be to seek protection from me, a great madosa. Of course, there should be no problem on his side because I had sent Agravain there.


    -Ah! Master! The five paladins were done in! The enemy is heading toward the duke!


    "What¡¯s the damage to the enemy?"


    -There¡¯s none. What should we do? Shall we respond?¡±


    I pulled out a sword and replied, "No. You get ready and find the enemy¡¯s madosa. I''ll deal with them."


    -Okay. Well, I think it''ll be okay since Master is strong even without mana, but be careful. They¡¯re giving off strange mana.


    I grinned despite Tristan¡¯s concern. "If it gets dangerous, I''ll ask for your support.¡±


    Afterward, I jumped down from the second floor of the Great Temple to the central lobby and ambushed the masked people.


    "Crrr!"


    "Kuaaa!"


    Two masked people¡¯s right and left arms respectively fell off as a result of my ambush. It felt as if I were cutting through rock, making my arm feel numb.


    "Hi, nice to meet you,¡± I greeted them with a smile, but the masked people didn''t seem to receive it well.


    The two masked people whose arms had been cut off by me rushed at me as if they didn''t feel pain. Even at a glance, I could see they were reinforced with black magic, and were one-time-use disposable pawns.


    "You must have eaten something wrong. Didn''t you learn at school not to eat what¡¯s on the ground when you were young?!" I cried as I swung my sword at the neck of a masked person, while avoiding the others charging at me.


    Kang!


    The masked people blocked my sword by imbuing divine power into their swords.


    "Divine power?" I was surprised.


    While I was flustered, the masked people swung their swords imbued with a mix of sword aura and divine power. Because my reaction was a little delayed, although I blocked the sword, I got launched away.


    Kwang!


    I collided with a door, and it broke apart. I pulled myself up from the debris of the smashed door, exclaiming, "Kknng! Aigo, my body. I didn''t know it''d be this hard without mana."


    I didn''t have the mana to make sword aura, so I had been planning to deflect the attack. But suddenly, the people who were full of black mana used divine power and made me miss the timing.


    I shook off the dirt on my clothes and turned to look at the gazes I felt next to me. I couldn''t find them anywhere when I was searching, but now we were meeting here.


    I smiled at Hillis and Arwen.

 CH 319.

    Hillis looked at me coldly and said, "What did you come here to steal?" She had a chilling tone, as if she would aim her wand imbued with divine power at me right away. Her sharp look was new, in contrast to her usual playful expression.


    "Well, I''m not here to steal this time." I shrugged and checked the sword. Perhaps because it had been a long time since I¡¯d dealt with a sword aura-infused weapon using only an ordinary sword, the blade of my sword was damaged. Still, having just blocked that strike brought back feelings I¡¯d had in my childhood to some extent.


    "Then why¡ª" Even before Hillis finished speaking, black masked people rushed at me.


    Kang!


    I deflected the strange swordsmanship that contained a mixture of black mana and divine power. Then, I kicked the stomach of a masked person who was striking at me with a sword, knocking him into the one behind him.


    "All right. It¡¯s fine this time,¡± I said to myself. Even though I had deflected a fairly powerful sword, the blade wasn¡¯t damaged.


    When I had learned swordsmanship under Elder Weger, I had faced an even stronger aura with an ordinary sword to learn technique. Compared to back then, it wasn¡¯t difficult to hit away such a sloppy sword aura.


    "What is this?!¡± Hillis exclaimed. She was also shocked to see the masked people using both black mana and divine power. It was natural to be surprised, because it wasn¡¯t that common.


    "When it comes to black mana, it''s possible to use what others inject into you, but it''s impossible for divine power,¡± I said.


    "Then!?"


    "Those priests are probably being manipulated by a black magician,¡± I continued.


    Those masked people were probably paladins of the Great Temple. I had been wondering why only eleven people seemed to be moving when the enemy was invading, but it seems the others had fallen into the hands of the Demon King worshipper. Come to think of it, their outfits were the same as the ones I had seen at the princess'' ball in the past.


    Hillis was frowning and seemed genuinely angry, which was rare. She asked, "This isn¡¯t related to you, is it?"


    I smiled lightly in response to Hillis''s suspicion. "It¡¯s normal to be suspicious, but that¡¯s not the case. Rather, I¡¯m the enemy of the black magician controlling them."


    Actually, if one got into the technicalities, I couldn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t related, since I was their target. That was proven by the fact that the masked people, who had been headed toward Duke Asteria, immediately stopped and surrounded me on sight.


    "Look, those masked people are releasing killing intent toward me, right?¡± I smiled playfully and raised my sword, and the masked people rushed at me all at once.


    As they tried to enter the narrow passage through the smashed doorway, only three could move forward at a time.


    I deflected a sword strike from the masked person who was running straight at me, and blocked another from the one on the right. Then, I ducked to avoid another strike by the one coming from the left and slashed the leg of the masked person in the middle.


    Kang-!


    When I struck the leg, the sound of metal rang out as if I had hit a rock. Normally, it should have been completely cut off and the person should have lost balance, but it was only cut through halfway. In addition, it seemed their consciousness was truly gone and they didn''t even feel pain.


    "Crrrr!"


    "Tch!"


    I clicked my tongue, reaching forward and charging toward the chest of the masked person whose leg I had just cut, and stabbed the sword into their heart. Then, I twisted the masked person¡¯s arm and stole his sword.


    "What are you doing?! You said they were only being manipulated!" Hillis shouted, putting Arwen behind her.


    I grabbed the breathless masked person by the collar and used them as a shield to block an attack from the left before explaining, "Unfortunately, they¡¯re completely gone. This can''t be fixed even if a great madosa arrives!"


    I was sure of that for a simple reason: Even if my mana had been intact, I couldn''t fix these masked people. Their brains were completely fried, so they couldn¡¯t be restored. Even for me, just as one couldn¡¯t bring back the dead, one couldn¡¯t restore a completely shattered mind.


    "How do you know?! One of my friends is an amazing madosa! I''m sure he''ll be able to fix it!" Hillis shouted and swung her wand, binding the masked people with a chain of divine power.


    I didn''t know if the amazing madosa she was talking about was me or someone else, but it might be more merciful to let the masked people go without pain. At this rate, it would be difficult to avoid leaving them in a vegetative state.


    I sighed and scratched the back of my head. "Do whatever you want. However, know that even great madosas don¡¯t easily mess with magic that touches a person¡¯s mind."


    Hillis bit her lips. She probably also knew that well. Although she had mainly learned divine magic, she was a madosa of the highest level. She was at a level where she would certainly understand the situation. Nevertheless, she still hoped I might be able to treat it. She was so soft-hearted.


    What were Albatoss and the consecrated paladins doing, for them to not be here with Hillis? No matter how far away they were from the Great Temple due to the internal politics of the temple, shouldn''t they have come immediately if there was a problem?


    Just then, a warning came from Tristan.


    -A pretty strong person is headed over there, Master.


    As soon as Tristan''s warning came, a strong aura came from upstairs, breaking Hillis''s chain of divine power.


    "Oh, it''s strong,¡± I remarked.


    In terms of the aura¡¯s power alone, that person was on a similar level to the Mercenary King. Judging from the fact that they seemed to be strengthened by black mana, her original skills were probably far below that, but I thought they would be a pretty fun opponent in my current state.


    "Crrrr!"


    When the chain was cut, the previously restrained masked people rushed back toward me. I ran through the door while avoiding them, kicked the wall in, and climbed upstairs.


    "God!" Hillis tried to bind the masked people with another chain of divine power, but they quickly avoided the chain.


    I didn¡¯t know about Arwen, but Hillis should have no problem dealing with those masked people. Still, in the event of a mishap, I had left Lionel in Arwen¡¯s shadow, so I didn''t have to worry.


    "Are you going to play with me until that Demon King worshipper called Libra comes out?" I asked the woman wearing a black mask standing across from me in the central hallway.


    She began to vent killing intent and shouted in an emotionless voice, "How dare you! He is not someone for you to speak of in vain!"


    "Oh, this one retains its will,¡± I muttered.


    Considering the divine power flowing through her sword, she seemed to be of the same kind as the masked people underneath. Nevertheless, she maintained her mind.


    The human mind seemed weak, but it was also solid, so it wasn¡¯t easy to brainwash someone while preserving their will. It was hard to make any headway in that regard; if it had succeeded, it must have taken place over several years.


    "But aren''t you being too spineless? You followed Leo and even risked your life to protect him.¡± I deliberately provoked her to destabilize the brainwashing. If she could show expressions to that extent, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to fully complete the brainwashing. In that case, I could undo the brainwashing by inducing extreme emotional changes.


    "When you tried to kidnap the princess, where did the ones who sacrificed their lives instead of Leo go?" I called out.


    "Uuk!"


    In response to my sarcastic remarks, the masked woman held her head and almost vomited. The effect was much better than I had thought.


    "What was the name of that guy? Was it Mario? If his comrade turned traitor so easily, I guess Leo was nothing much.¡±


    "No... No¡­ No¡­!"


    She was reacting to Mario, not Leo, so I changed the direction of my provocation. I laughed openly at her cries. "What, dying for a guy who¡¯s worth nothing? Such a death is called a dog¡¯s death by other people. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?"


    "I''m going to kill you! In the name of God! I¡¯ll at least kill you, without fail!¡± Her emotions exploded forth along with her killing intent.


    From the look in her eyes, the brainwashing wasn¡¯t completely broken yet, but if this continued, I could probably bring it to the edge of breaking. I taunted, "Why don¡¯t you try killing me?! Hahahaha!¡±


    The masked woman infused her sword with a powerful aura, stepped onto the railing, and jumped toward me. But just before she jumped, I ran away toward the stairs leading up to the third floor.


    "Stop! You villain!" she cried.


    "Ahahaha! Who stops when you tell them to stop? My sword is too weak to deal with that brutishly strong aura,¡± I replied. I climbed up the stairs, lifting my body with one arm as if I were pole vaulting.


    "Die!" The masked person shot a strong aura at me, and I threw my body in another direction to avoid it.


    Kwagwang-!


    The strong aura completely destroyed the stairwell I had been standing in. I grabbed the fall safety net installed in the air, bounced off it, and landed in the central hallway on the third floor.


    "Peek-a-boo! I''m here. Where are you shooting that strong aura? Do you only care about your comrades this much?¡± I taunted her.


    "You punk!" she yelled.


    Good. Get even angrier.


    There must have been a reason why she was the only one to have been brainwashed so carefully using so much effort. The more I chipped away at it, the more the Demon King worshipper wouldn¡¯t stay still.


    The masked woman tried to jump up the stairs to the third floor like me instead of running up, as if she considered time too valuable to waste.


    I flew into the air, grabbed the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and used my momentum to launch a hectopascal kick.


    "Keuk!"


    The masked person was thoroughly caught off guard as she went up, trying to swing the sword while hanging from the railing. But I grabbed the arm holding the sword, bent it back, and pulled her into a rear choke from behind.


    "Ugh!"


    As her arm was bent and she was being strangled while hanging with one arm, she couldn''t fight back properly and just struggled.


    "Kuk! Kuk!"


    No matter how strong one was, one couldn''t exert their full strength if they got careless and their breathing was cut off. The presence or absence of mana could be sufficiently countered by high level martial arts.


    That was what I had felt while watching Lisbon and Alphonso. Knights of the empire relied too much on the power of mana. They didn¡¯t realize that like magic, mana wasn¡¯t indispensable, but rather an extrinsic factor. That was why you could easily win without mana like this.


    "I won''t kill you, because it looks like the brainwashing can be undone,¡± I remarked.


    The masked person turned blue because she couldn''t breathe, dropping to the ground as her arm relaxed. I grabbed the masked person''s waist and landed safely on the first floor.


    "Kuhuk! Hu-uk! Hu-uk!"


    The masked person seemed to be in more of a hurry to breathe, rather than to worry about the shock caused by landing on the ground. To be exact, she was probably taking the breaths because her brain needed to replenish the oxygen she had been deprived of while choking.


    Just in time, Hillis also finished overpowering the masked people.


    "Okay, shall we finish undoing the brainwashing?¡± I asked as I kicked the sword in her hand far away and took off her mask. The psychological pressure of having one¡¯s secret revealed was very helpful in undoing brainwashing.


    Hillis was shocked when the masked person¡¯s bare face was revealed. "Unni!?"


    What? Unni?! I looked back at Hillis in surprise.


    In that short moment when my eyes were averted, the woman imbued her bare fist with a strong aura and punched me in the face. I turned my head to narrowly avoid it, grabbed her punching arm, and hit her in the solar plexus.


    "Den¡­?" Hillis began.


    No matter how much I had tried to avoid it, the strong aura that had glanced off the mask completely smashed it, and it fell off my face.


    Oh, this just got annoying.

 CH 320.

    Hillis looked confused as she saw my face, alternating between looking at her unconscious sister and me. Then she blinked for a moment.


    "There''s a lot to ask, but yeah. There must be special circumstances. It''s not important right now, so I''ll move on,¡± she said. Then, she took a deep breath and asked seriously, "Is my sister¡¯s mind being controlled like those people?"¡±


    Hillis was calm, even though she was likely confused and emotional at the moment. This calm was something that came from wisdom.


    "Yeah,¡± I answered.


    In response, Hillis'' expression seemed to collapse into despair. "Then¡­!"


    "But it''s different. The paladins you overpowered now are one-time-use and disposable, but your sister was brainwashed carefully over a long period of time,¡± I explained subsequently.


    With that, Hillis regained her lost calm. "Then, will my sis-sister be okay again?¡±


    "Yeah. It''ll take a long time, but if it were me... No, I''ll introduce you to one of the great madosas, the Curse Specialist, instead. He''ll be better at it than me."


    I was an enemy who had killed this person¡¯s comrade. Just looking at the level of emotional agitation, it was highly likely that her comrade was a lover or equivalent benefactor. My presence could be used as a material for the treatment, but the treatment I could provide myself would be the worst in terms of mental care.


    It was fortunate that I knew the contact information of the great madosas. The question was more about what price they would ask for undoing the brainwashing.


    "That''s a relief..." Hillis¡¯s legs lost strength and she faltered, seemingly from the great mental shock.


    I tried to support Hillis, who was wavering, but she put up her hand and refused.


    Hillis supported her body using her wand as a cane, looking at her unconscious sister sadly, saying, "I need a moment to think. I trust my sister as much as I trust you. I''m sorry that I''m a greedy person who doesn''t want to lose anyone."


    I nodded, answering, "You don''t have to apologize. It¡¯s a matter of course. Think as much as you need. Whether it¡¯s an explanation or an excuse, you can listen to it when you want after you calm your emotions."


    I fully understood that if her sister''s precious person had died by my hand, she might not want to listen to me for the rest of her life.


    Hillis smiled sadly and said, "I won''t say thank you." She slowly approached her unconscious sister to support her.


    This was before I had known Hillis, and it was Leo that I had really been trying to kill, so if one were to ask me if I regretted it, then that wasn''t particularly the case.


    Anyway, the one who had died by my hands was an accomplice and servant of Leo. If you were trying to kill others, shouldn''t you be prepared to die yourself?


    When Hillis bent down and tried to grab her sister, she suddenly felt a strange mana.


    "Lionel!" I called as I grabbed Hillis'' arm and quickly swung my sword behind my back.


    Kaaaaaang-!


    Countless thorns of black mana emanated from Hillis''s sister.


    "Ugh!"


    Most of the thorns were struck away by my sword, but because I was too close to where the magic had been triggered, the thorns that couldn¡¯t be struck away penetrated my side.


    "Den! You¡¯re bleeding!" Hillis cried.


    "It''s okay,¡± I replied. After my experience training under Elder Weger and my father, this couldn¡¯t even be considered a real injury.


    "Did you get hurt?" I asked.


    Hillis shook her head and called on her divine power. "I¡¯m unhurt. Wait a minute. I''ll heal you soon!"


    Unlike the effects of my potion, I couldn''t feel any pain even when the wound healed.


    I glanced at Arwen. Fortunately, Lionel, who had been trying to protect me, heard my cry and defended Arwen, so I couldn''t see any wounds on her.


    I was surprised and moved away from Hillis, who was trying to help me, and looked at the source of the magic. Hillis''s older sister had already disappeared from where she was supposed to be lying unconscious. Obviously, this had been a trap aimed at Hillis.


    I looked into the air, where I could feel a chill even before Tristan told me. In the central hallway on the third floor of the temple, Libra stood, carrying Hillis''s older sister.


    Libra was chuckling and laughing openly as he said, "What a shame. I could''ve killed the saintess."


    Hillis shouted, aiming the wand full of divine power. "Let go of Unni right now! Possessor of hideous mana!¡±


    A vicious aura came from Hillis''s whole body. She was unable to use magic recklessly because of the hostage, but it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for her to kill Libra right away.


    "Ahahaha! How can I let go of the shaman that was so difficult to find?! How foolish!¡± Libra ridiculed. Hillis gritted her teeth.


    I glanced at the hidden Tristan as I provoked Libra. "A ¡®shaman¡¯ that was difficult to find? Then, did you use that shaman as bait? Didn''t you think I could''ve killed her? I guess you don''t have a brain.¡± I tapped my head and openly sneered.


    Libra clenched his teeth angrily. "Shut up! How dare you ask if I have a brain, with that face that looks like that warrior ruffian?"


    With that, I could see that Libra had a very bad relationship with my great-grandfather. Were they both using each other?


    "Ayy, then you shouldn''t do such a stupid thing. Right? There''s no way you''d take a risk without an extra shaman,¡± I said.


    In fact, despite the fact that I was provoking him, I didn''t know what the ¡®shaman¡¯ that Libra referred to was.


    Since Libra was a Demon King worshipper trying to summon the Demon King, it was only assumed that the shaman was an existence needed for the Demon King summoning ceremony. Perhaps if I read ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯ again, I would find out more about a shaman.


    Drunk with excitement, Libra continued to speak without even being prompted. "Ahahaha! Are you really asking without knowing the answer? I guess you weren''t that close to the kid next to you, since she didn''t say anything?¡±


    I glanced at where Libra was looking. Arwen was shivering there, avoiding Libra''s gaze.


    "Ududuk! If it weren''t for that damn former chief of the Crow tribe, I wouldn''t have had to have a hard time finding a shaman with such thin Holy tribe blood. Now, this obedient child is more useful than that one who doesn¡¯t listen." Libra ground his teeth with a moment of anger, but soon smiled lightly again.


    In Libra''s gestures and tone, one could see some schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder, which could be commonly seen in black magicians. Since the fundamentals of black magic were based on self-sacrifice, it was also affecting his mind. That was why I hadn¡¯t learned black magic.


    "I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the only purpose,¡± I said provocatively.


    Libra laughed nastily. "Kuhuhuhuhu! That''s right! Of course!" Black mana emanated from his magic wand, and shadow dolls containing horrible death aura emerged. He cried, "Hand over the holy book, ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯!"


    I picked at my ears with my little fingers and said sourly, "Oh, that? I used it as firewood to make roasted sweet potatoes."


    Libra looked at me, dumbfounded. "You dog! I thought you seemed like a Crow¡­ So that was you!¡±


    "Oh! Did my great-grandfather tell you already? Roasted sweet potatoes made with the Demon King summons taste amazing,¡± I said, laughing.


    Libra grabbed the back of his neck and got angry to the point he looked as if he might faint immediately. "How dare you do that to the holy book! I won''t forgive you!"


    "So what if you don''t forgive me? You''re going to come at me? Arthur, where do you get off trying to go against me with your insignificant skills?" I laughed openly.


    Libra fired off black magic toward me, but at the same time, Tristan shot Libra''s shoulder.


    "Arrrrgh!"


    The arrow, surrounded by a powerful aura, completely blew off Libra''s shoulder. Because his shoulder turned into dust, the arm holding the magic wand fell through the air, and the black magic he was shooting at me also changed direction.


    "Tristan! Securing the hostage''s safety is the top priority!" I called.


    "Yeah! Got it, Master!" Tristan replied.


    Blood poured out from Libra as he grabbed Hillis''s sister by the neck, having broken out into a cold sweat. He threatened, "Don''t move if you don''t want to see her die!¡± He had really taken Hillis''s sister hostage to save himself.


    "He can''t kill her anyway!" I cried.


    "No!" Hillis screamed.


    -Master, the angle doesn''t work here. Even shooting with a curved angle, his reaction will be faster than the shot.


    Is that why you aimed at the shoulder, not head? I thought as I clicked my tongue and shook my head.


    Tristan relaxed his arm and lowered the bow that had been nocked tightly.


    "Keuk! We¡¯ll see about this! Damn Crow tribe!¡± Libra broke the Great Temple window with black magic and flew away into the sky.


    "Tch, if I had Fail-Not, I would have hit his head in one attack." Tristan clicked his tongue regretfully.


    Certainly, if it were Fail-Not, one of the five holy relics, it would have been possible to hit Libra before he reacted, since it was a bow that transcended the concept of time and space.


    It was exceptionally difficult to handle, but Tristan could handle that bow just fine. I should get it for him later.


    "Tristan, don''t get caught and chase him secretly. If necessary, tell Caradoc and mobilize the dragon tooth soldiers,¡± I instructed.


    "I receive your orders." Tristan concealed himself and chased after Libra. However, even if he pursued, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to steal the hostage.


    "Unni¡­!" Hillis sank to the ground with a devastated expression. Tears formed around Hillis'' eyes, even though she usually never showed her weak side.


    "It won''t be too much comfort to just tell you this, but she''ll be safe for now,¡± I said. ¡°The Demon King worshipper brainwashed your sister so painstakingly because he needs your sister.¡±


    Hillis lowered her head and shed tears. "What if the brainwashing is completed?"


    "Don''t worry about that. The condition for that is likely your death,¡± I explained. Hillis looked up at me with red eyes and I continued, "The Demon King worshipper tried to set a trap for you, to the point where he put your sister in danger. That means your existence is interrupting the completion of the brainwashing."


    "Really¡­?"


    "Yeah. So, don''t cry."


    Hillis closed her lips tightly and wiped away tears with her hands. Then she got up and calmly withdrew her divine power, saying, "Tell me everything you know. Why that black magician brainwashed and kidnapped Unni, and how you became an enemy of the black magician and killed Paladin Mario, my brother-in-law to be." As if she had hardened her heart, Hillis''s eyes were shining vigorously.


    "Okay. I''ll explain until you¡¯re satisfied. I think tonight will be long,¡± I said, and looked at Arwen.


    Arwen flinched and hesitated. There seemed to be something I needed to hear from her.


    On another note, it would be best to cling to my father like a koala for the next two to three days until my mana recovered. The enemy likely already knew I had the knowledge of Demon King summons in my head.


    The problem was that if my father ran wild with all his power, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to follow him around with my body lacking mana. Well, whatever. I¡¯m sure it''ll work out.


    Sometimes, having no plan could be the best plan.

 CH 321.

    I took Hillis and Arwen to my workshop. Agravain, whom I had sent to Duke Asteria to protect him, had sent a thought transmission informing me that he was protecting the duke in my workshop. There was no safer place than that right now.


    "I''ve noticed this for a while, but I can''t feel any mana from you,¡± Hillis said as she followed me, looking at me strangely.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I used the skill I used while fighting Arietta two years ago at Shellen Fortress,¡± I replied.


    Hillis had also been there when the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation had been used, so she was well aware of the power and aftereffects of the skill.


    "You struggled enough to use that skill? Did you get hurt anywhere?¡± Hillis glanced at my body with a worried look.


    "I didn''t get particularly hurt. If I had to say, it would just be that I overloaded my mana circuit, so it¡¯s not easy to recover my mana,¡± I explained. I smiled and entered the mansion I used as a workshop. These two had only entered this place a few times.


    Because of the dangerous experiments that went on inside, I tried not to let others in for safety¡¯s sake. But for Arietta, who lived here, it didn''t matter. She was a superwoman who¡¯d be fine even if the entire workshop were destroyed.


    "I¡¯m here, Arietta...?¡± I began. I had been about to ask how she had been while I was away, but I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence in my surprise. In the living room on the first floor of the workshop, I saw something I never would have imagined possible. "Father¡­?"


    My father was sitting on the sofa in the living room... No, my father¡¯s presence by itself wasn¡¯t that surprising. The reason I couldn''t help but be surprised was that my father, who was usually always confident, had his head lowered in a cold sweat and was being nagged by Duke Asteria.


    "How did you get here?" I asked.


    "Y-Youngest... You''re here!" My father gave me a look that suggested he needed help urgently.


    Duke Asteria stared at my father with a ¡°Tsssp!¡±[1]


    "What''s the situation?" I asked as I looked at Agravain.


    "I was escorting Duke Asteria secretly when I saw black dolls full of death aura wandering around the temple, so I took care of them all and brought Duke Asteria here as you ordered, just in case,¡± Agravain replied.


    Come to think of it, I remembered that Libra had summoned the shadow dolls. He seemed to have disappeared while running away, but apparently, he had aimed for Duke Asteria from behind. It was a good thing I had sent Agravain to the duke.


    "Good job. So why is my father here?" I asked.


    "When I brought Duke Asteria here, Her Majesty the Holy Queen and Master''s father were chatting."


    My dad had already been in my workshop? Regardless of the fact I lacked mana, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t have known if someone tried to invade my workshop by force. That meant Gwalchavad or Arietta had let him enter.


    "Gwalchavad,¡± I called.


    "Did you call me, Master?" In response, Gwalchavad came out of the kitchen with simple snacks.


    "Why is my father here?" I asked.


    "I went grocery shopping with the Holy Queen during the day and ran into him. I was going to report it to Master with a thought transmission, but there was no response, so I delayed the report because I thought Master was busy,¡± Gwalchavad explained.


    The message had probably been sent right when thought transmissions were blocked due to the temple¡¯s barrier. Well, I could understand why he hadn''t reported the matter urgently, because my father had gone to the workshop before I ordered Caradock to search for him.


    "So why is my father like that?¡± I asked.


    Gwalchavad replied with an awkward smile. "It would probably be better to listen for yourself."


    I was curious about Gwalchavad''s answer, and offered for Hillis and Arwen to sit on the sofa. "Let''s postpone what we need to talk about and sit down for now. Gwalchavad, could you serve some tea?"


    "I¡¯ll serve it quickly." Gwalchavad put the snacks on the table and quickly went back into the kitchen, and the two readily nodded.


    As I sat on the sofa, I put a fruit in my mouth and asked, "But do you two know each other well? I''ve never seen my father in this state."


    Duke Asteria looked down at my father as if it were natural. "If he has a sense of shame, he should."


    "I''m sorry." My father bowed his head as if he were ashamed and avoided Duke Asteria¡¯s gaze. It was very refreshing to see my father appear so weak.


    "Khmm! This old man would lose face if I kept nagging in the presence of guests, so I''ll stop here." The duke coughed dryly, suggesting he would let things slide.


    My father smiled. "Ahahaha, of course. Guests have arrived, but we didn¡¯t even say hello. Youngest, will you do the introductions?¡±


    Amused by my father''s new appearance, I looked back and forth between him and Duke Asteria while introducing Hillis and Arwen. "This is my friend, and this is my disciple."


    "I am Den''s friend¡­ Hillis." Hillis introduced herself with an ambiguous smile, perhaps because of her sister.


    -I am Arwen.


    Arwen bowed her head to greet them.


    "Ahahaha! Youngest is surprisingly popular with women. Arietta says she¡¯s also your friend.¡± My father looked at me with a wicked smile.


    I waved my hand while smiling. "Popular with women? It''s not really like that."


    Arietta was a friend, but if I thought about it, it would be more accurate to see her as my grandmother from nine generations ago than as a friend. Of course, she hadn¡¯t married my ancestor, Caron Blade, but Tristan had said they liked each other. In addition, I had looked at her family tree in the past, and it seemed she hadn¡¯t gotten married.


    "Hmm, is that so?" my father muttered, wondering if he had thought wrong.


    "But what is the relationship between you two?" I asked.


    Duke Asteria stared at my father grumpily, and my father broke out in a cold sweat. "That, that¡¯s..." he stammered, glancing at the duke.


    Duke Asteria snorted and grumbled. "Tell him. Apparently, only Den doesn''t know."


    I looked at my father curiously. My father let out a long dry cough and said seriously, "Khmmm! Actually, Duke Asteria is your maternal grandfather."


    "...What?" I asked. What is he talking about?


    "So Duke Asteria is your mother''s father. My father-in-law,¡± my father continued.


    ¡­Crazy?


    "I''m not crazy. So if you don''t want to get hit, don''t look at me like that.¡± My father read my thoughts through my gaze alone.


    Duke Asteria roared in response to my father''s threat, "Uh-huh! Can''t you speak nicely!?"


    When the duke scolded him, my father flinched and pouted unhappily. "This, this is an expression of affection."


    Duke Asteria, no, my maternal grandfather, clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, it''s praiseworthy that he grew up right under you."


    "No, Youngest isn¡¯t particularly...¡± My father shrank back as my maternal grandfather glared at him.


    "Then are you admitting that you¡¯ve educated him incorrectly?¡±


    "Ah, no. That''s..."


    "It¡¯s fine. You stay quiet."


    "Yes...¡±


    Wow, I''ve never seen anyone drive my father into a corner like this. Even when my grandfather, the former chief, nagged him, he was never this intimidated, so this was amazing.


    "Since you said I was the only one who didn¡¯t know, do the other siblings know?¡± I asked.


    "Yes. I found out after I went out and saw Hestia working as the deputy chief,¡± my father said.


    How mean to not even send me a letter even though you knew, I thought, dumbfounded.


    My maternal grandfather sighed and apologized to me. "For some reason, I feel as if I''ve been hiding it, so I''m sorry. I didn¡¯t tell you because I thought you''d run away if I did.¡± He truly knew me well.


    "Ahaha, no way. How would I leave my grandfather and run away? I would just go on a trip without saying anything,¡± I said.


    "Huh-huh-huh, look at that. It was obvious that he''d run away.¡± My maternal grandfather laughed, seemingly having expected my response.


    "Oh, and I nominate Second Brother as the successor,¡± I added. Naturally, I handed over the troublesome stuff to Second Brother.


    I had considered nominating Eldest Brother according to the principle of having the eldest son succeed the position, but Eldest Brother was too much of a stonehead to deal with the kingdom¡¯s old political raccoons.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t to say that Second Brother was smart. Still, I nominated him because he was surprisingly good at psychological warfare and would follow Third Sister¡¯s and my advice well.


    "Not you?" my maternal grandfather asked.


    I smiled lightly and shook my head. "Unfortunately, I don''t want to do anything bothersome. I refused to become Father''s successor, so I must refuse the title of Duke even more."


    For the record, I hadn¡¯t nominated Fourth Sister as the successor because if Leisha noona became a duke, she would 100 percent ruin the territory. Gallahad hyung would be better than Leisha noona, because if she took control of the territory, it was clear that she would overestimate her own intelligence and ignore Hestia noona¡¯s and my advice. In the first place, Fourth Sister was suited to doing research, not leading or coming up with schemes.


    Of course, Third Sister had to become the next chief and run the village, so that was out of the question anyway.


    "Ahahaha! As expected, his personality is an exact copy of his mother. He¡¯s selfish, does whatever he wants, calculates his interests, retaliates thoroughly, and has no greed for things other than freedom,¡± my maternal grandfather remarked.


    "Hahaha, is that so?" I replied. It was a fairly severe, yet accurate evaluation. It was hard to think of it as an evaluation of one¡¯s lovely grandson.


    "That''s why I want you the most. Do you think that being able to both show mercy and trample others mercilessly when necessary, without taking a loss, is common?" My maternal grandfather sighed sincerely and shook his head. "Well, it¡¯s slightly concerning that you don¡¯t have ambition, but that¡¯s useless as a duke. You only need that if your rank is lower."


    A duke of the empire had more power and authority than a king of a small or medium-sized country. If one wanted to declare independence and become a king, one¡¯s power would only weaken. If something were to go wrong, it might result in geographic isolation, as with the Republic.


    One could become an emperor by attempting to rebel, but not without sufficient justification. In addition, even if one became an emperor, and one¡¯s authority grew stronger, there would be severe restrictions on wielding it.


    In other words, the position of Duke of Asteria could be described as a monster that could freely wield authority while already possessing the strongest power in the world.


    "I wasn¡¯t even thinking about it anyway. I didn¡¯t expect Duke Asteria to be my maternal grandfather,¡± I said bitterly as I got up from my seat.


    "Where are you going?" My father¡¯s eyes trembled, seemingly with anxiety, when I got up from my seat.


    "It seems to have been a while since you two last met, so please take your time and talk. I¡¯ll get out of your way,¡± I said.


    In response, my father shouted urgently, "Hey!"


    "What''s wrong? Are you uncomfortable being alone with me?" my maternal grandfather asked.


    My father dripped with cold sweat as he replied, "Of-of course not, Father-in-law." As he spoke, he looked desperately at me.


    I smiled in response to his gaze and said, "It''s still dangerous outside, so stay here tonight, Grandpa. There are many empty rooms, so don''t worry about a room."


    "Thank you,¡± my maternal grandfather said.


    "And Father, please stay by Grandpa and protect him,¡± I added. After saying that, I went up to the room where I usually stayed with Hillis and Arwen.


    My father seemed to be shouting with his eyes for me to not abandon him, but unfortunately, there was no way to beat my maternal grandfather. "Hey, Youngest!" he cried.


    "Have a good night,¡± I added as I left my father''s cry behind and closed the door. I sat on the bed and invited Hillis and Arwen to sit down in chairs.


    I began, "Now, where should we start? First, I should tell you how I started stealing under the name of Lupin, right?¡± Then, I told many long and detailed stories I knew Hillis would be curious about.


    1. The sound of sharply inhaling air angrily.

 CH 322.

    Hillis kept looking at me seriously after hearing my story. She asked, "Everything started because of muddy water?¡±


    I nodded. Hillis was somewhat dumbfounded, but eventually regained her composure with a laugh and a smirk.


    "I can''t deny it. Since I''m a magician, it took a long time to adapt to the environment outside the Olympus Forest,¡± I explained.


    As I had been born and raised in the crazy mana storm of Olympus Forest, it hadn¡¯t been easy for me to adapt to the peaceful mana outside the forest. The environment outside the forest was so calm and stable that it hadn¡¯t been strange for me to accidentally release sword aura or fire off magic while sleeping.


    That was why my aunt had given me a bracelet made by the Witch of Pride. The bracelet I always wore on my wrist regulated and directed magical power, helping me avoid making mistakes.


    Hillis sighed deeply and frowned, as if she found something unsatisfactory. She asked, "By the way, kidnapping the princess¡­ What were you trying to do?" She swept her hair back and closed her eyes due to the complicated thoughts running through her head.


    It was natural for her feelings to be complicated. Nothing could be more disturbing than finding out that the family member who supported and trusted her the most was a member of a radical terrorist organization.


    "I have a question. What magic was that white light back then?¡± I asked, referring to the divine magic that had saved Cardinal Fernando. In fact, I had always been curious, but I had just let it slide because it would have been weird to ask at the time.


    Hillis grinned again, remarking, "It''s just like you to ask about magic even at times like this.¡± In a lighter tone, she pointed to my Holy Sword and said, "You can feel a peculiar divine power from the jewel in the holy sword, right? The power contained in the jewel is the great divine magic called ¡®Miracle¡¯. It''s a spell that can grant the wishes of the person who invokes it."


    Hillis explained in detail, including how to use the magic called ¡®Miracle¡¯. "At the moment, it''s a spell that only the saintess can use, so it''s very valuable,¡± she said.


    When I heard the explanation, I realized that if it was a spell ¡®only¡¯ the saintess could use, its magical structure had to somehow be very similar to the magic of the Holy Tribe. I said, "Hmm, I think I know why the Demon King worshipper carefully brainwashed your sister and took her."


    Hillis looked at me and asked for a detailed explanation. I continued, "Calm down first. It''s still a hypothesis. Speaking of which, you have the copy of ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯, right?¡±


    "Yea, I have it. But what about it?¡± Hillis asked as she took out ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯ from her pocket space and handed it to me.


    I had just skimmed through it, so although I remembered the contents, I couldn''t remember the page numbers of the arrangements of the letters accurately, and I couldn¡¯t solve the code.


    "This book was held by the archbishop. The archbishop was in secret communication with the Demon King worshipper,¡± I said.


    Hillis realized what I was trying to say and her expression stiffened. "Are you saying that the book isn¡¯t just a history of the Holy tribe?¡± she asked.


    I nodded. As soon as I met Hillis, I had taken out ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯ from my pocket space and spread it open in advance in order to decipher ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯. I said, "This book is a kind of code book. That time, you brought the documents with the holy book code, too.¡±


    "Right. Having deciphered it, a person called Libra... Ah! No way! That Libra!¡± Only then did Hillis recall the results of the interpretation and connect it with the Demon King worshipper.


    "Yes. It¡¯s exactly that Half-half Mask,¡± I affirmed.


    Hillis clenched her fist so hard it made a cracking sound as she said, "But that book doesn''t seem to have anything to do with the holy book no matter how I look at it."


    "That¡¯s because the code isn¡¯t related to the holy book. It has to be solved with this book,¡± I explained as I searched through a copy of ¡®The North Continent¡¯s Cry¡¯, using it to reassemble and interpret the contents of The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe. When I saw the message, I muttered, "I see, so that¡¯s why..."


    "What is it? Why did they kidnap Unni?" Hillis urged me to explain.


    I replied slowly as I organized the interpretations, "The Demon King worshipper definitely called your sister a ''shaman''."


    Hillis nodded and responded,  "That''s right. He did say ¡®shaman¡¯¡­ Huk! Is she a sacrifice needed to bring back the Demon King?!¡±


    "No, that''s not it. According to the ceremony for summoning the Demon King written here, that refers to a summoner rather than a sacrifice,¡± I explained. Hillis was noticeably relieved. I continued, "The summoner who performs the ceremony must have a special type of mana, and I think that mana is the mana of the Holy tribe. In other words, your older sister is a descendant of the Holy tribe."


    Hillis looked at me in surprise and began, "That means..."


    "It also means that you, her sister, are a descendant of the Holy tribe. I think the saintess is a person who has a latent expression of the Holy tribe¡¯s genes. The ¡®Miracle¡¯ spell you talked about is part of that too,¡± I explained.


    That meant Hillis was a distant descendant of Arietta, but by now, the Holy tribe¡¯s blood had become so thin that it would be embarrassing to say that it was of the Holy tribe. Perhaps there were also still distant descendants of the Giant tribe, which had gone extinct around the same time as the Holy tribe, though.


    "But Unni was normal¡­?¡± Hillis asked, confused.


    "The Demon King worshipper must have not only brainwashed your sister, but likely forced those genes to be expressed,¡± I explained.


    "Then, what if something goes wrong with Unni¡¯s health?" Hillis asked anxiously.


    I smiled and reassured her that she didn''t have to worry. "The body may be burdened by expressing genes that way, but considering that she can produce strong martial aura, it doesn''t seem to be a big problem."


    "Really¡­?" Hillis asked.


    "You can use your Holy tribe power because your latent Holy tribe gene was expressed, but there''s nothing wrong with you, right?¡± I asked.


    "I see. That''s a relief,¡± Hillis said.


    I shrugged. "It''s not a big problem. It just means there¡¯s now one more saintess besides you."


    "...What?" Hillis was flustered as she hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    I grinned. "I told you. A saintess is a person who can use the power of the Holy tribe because their latent Holy tribe genes have been expressed. That''s great, because you didn¡¯t like that you were the only one who was special anyway."


    "That''s true, but...¡± Hillis trailed off, bearing a complicated expression.


    Considering how she usually was, she probably thought it was a pity that her sister would also have to bear her duty, rather than being happy that she would no longer be special.


    Organizing her complicated thoughts, Hillis looked at me and said, "Den, I understand why and how you killed Paladin Mario, who was to be my brother-in-law. That isn¡¯t a matter for me to intervene in."


    Her eyes showed sorrow and compassion for her sister. "Vibrio unni must be just another enemy to you, and I know you¡¯re merciless toward those who are hostile to you. But!" She sincerely asked with a trembling voice, "Even if my sister did something wrong, she''s my one and only precious sister. I know it''s a shameless request, but could you save her? I''m..."


    I got up from my seat and grabbed Hillis''s trembling shoulder. "It''s okay. I don''t know if it¡¯s right to say this, but I''ll save your sister." It felt strange to be in a position of having to save someone who hated me and regarded me as an enemy, but I still continued, "Of course I have to save my friend''s family, regardless of whether I can resolve my old grudges with them.¡±


    In response, Hillis lowered her head and thanked me quietly. I patted her shoulder to comfort her.


    "Arwen,¡± I began, smiling. When she saw my smile, Arwen seemed hesitant. I continued, "Well, if you don''t want to say it, you don''t have to say it. I can roughly guess."


    I didn''t particularly want to force her to talk. If necessary, it would be enough to hear what I needed from my aunt. Considering that Arwen hadn¡¯t told me a word about her past so far, it likely wasn¡¯t a good memory.


    In response, Arwen magically wrote letters in the air and began to explain.


    -No, I''ll tell you. I think it will help save Hillis unni¡¯s family.


    * * *


    10 years ago...


    The girl had no memories of her childhood. Her oldest memory was a scene of holding hands with some elderly person, then going up to an altar and receiving bows in front of countless people.


    Because of that, the girl didn''t even know why she couldn''t talk, not even whether it was an innate or acquired trait. She just learned strange magic and developed strange mana, just as the old man who had held her hand told her to.


    The girl''s daily routine was to read a strange scripture in a narrow room without even bars in it, and when the time came, to stand on a strange altar and hear insane prayers.


    She had no name and was just called the ¡®shaman¡¯. She lived from day to day like a doll without knowing what was wrong.


    But one day, a tiny opportunity turned her ordinary days of sitting on the altar and listening to crazy prayers into something stranger.


    One of those who had been praying madly to himself killed his young son. The believer smiled happily with wild eyes and shouted that he had received a blessing.


    It was definitely the same as always, but why did an unknown disgust arise in the girl, and her head hurt as if it were breaking? Was it because the son who died had been the same age she was?


    The girl said she wanted to go back to the old man with a pale complexion. But then the old man, who had always smiled benevolently, put on a serious and terrifying face and got angry at her.


    From then on, the girl realized that everything around her was wrong. Her ordinary daily life became full of fear.


    The girl prayed, wanting to get out of there. But was the target of the prayer the god these people believed in? Her daily life didn¡¯t change, but she was helpless to do anything about it. After all, the only one she knew to pray to in order to make a wish was their god.


    One day, the girl decided to give up because she was tired of her unchanging daily life. But just then, she faced a massive change. In a loud explosion, everything surrounding her was destroyed, and an older man and a boy reached out to her.


    "How dare you! How dare you!" The old man, who had always been beside the girl and watched her, shouted at the older man who had a benevolent expression.


    The older man turned his palm upside down with an expression of annoyance, and everything collapsed. The altar, the pillar, and the girl¡¯s room that had no bars fell away.


    The girl saw the ceiling that had trapped her collapse, and she shed tears when she first glimpsed the sky.


    Why did her tears flow? The girl didn¡¯t know, but she continued to cry as she looked at the open sky.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m called Zendia Blade. This guy here is Kai¡­¡± the older man began.


    "Flam! Didn''t I say my name was Flam?!" the boy shouted.


    The older man laughed pleasantly at the boy''s blunt young voice. "Ahahaha! Brat, are you going through puberty? Anyway, child, what''s your name?¡±


    The girl shook her head at the older man''s question. She had no name.


    "I see. Do you mind if I give you a name?" the man asked. The girl hesitated at the older man''s words and nodded slowly. The man continued, "Hmm, all right. Let''s say your name is Arwen. Your last name will be Blade, like mine. From now on, you are Arwen Blade."


    That one day...


    It was the day the girl got her name, and the day she learned the sky was blue.

 CH 323.

    After slowly sharing her story, Arwen trembled a little due to the bad memories that came up.


    Feeling sorry for Arwen, Hillis hugged her tightly with sad eyes. Her divine power gently spread out and stabilized Arwen''s mind and body.


    "You¡¯ve really suffered,¡± I said, stroking Arwen¡¯s head and smiling. She nodded slightly.


    I wondered where Flam had run off to, leaving his younger sister behind. Suppressing a sigh, I asked Arwen, "Did the Demon King worshipping organization that locked you up get destroyed by Grandfather''s hand?"


    -Yes.


    Perhaps the old man in Arwen''s story had been the previous leader. If so, then the current Libra was the second Libra. That was why my aunt had known that even if Libra died, a second and third Libra would appear.


    "Then it means those roaches have changed their habitats,¡± I remarked. In response, Hillis¡¯s expression turned dark, and Arwen apologized.


    -I feel like it wasn¡¯t much help. I''m sorry.


    I simply grinned and said, "No. It helped quite a lot. It should help a lot in finding their home base, because you remembered the religious organization''s form, environment, fanatical gatherings, and ceremonies in such great detail.¡±


    Hillis and Arwen looked at me with surprise as I continued, "Usually, ceremonies depend a lot on the location. Especially if you need special mana."


    "Then can you figure out where Unni is?!¡± Hillis asked, her expression lighting up with delight.


    "Well, I¡¯m not sure yet, but I think I¡¯m halfway to figuring it out," I said.


    Even if the location could be found, there were too many candidate sites. First, it was necessary to hear accurate details about the locations of the Demon King worshipping organizations my father had destroyed in order to narrow the scope. To be sure, I¡¯d need to catch a pushover.


    Hillis joked as if she had regained some composure, "But didn''t Arwen become your grandfather''s adopted daughter? Then doesn¡¯t that mean Arwen is your aunt?


    I smiled at the joke. "Of course not. I explained this when Arwen came to the boarding house and I introduced her. She¡¯s more like a relative''s younger sister."


    Hillis scratched her head as if she had only just remembered that and said, "Ah, you did."


    "And she¡¯s more like a disciple or a granddaughter than an adopted daughter. Also, in reality, it was Flam who actually took care of Arwen,¡± I added. My grandfather had been tired of the accidents caused by my father and his three siblings, so it was clear that he would take off if told to take care of any more children.


    Come to think of it, it had been a while since I last got in touch with my uncle in the Republic. That said, there was no guarantee that he would be in the Republic anyway, because his wife had wanderlust.


    "By the way, we don''t have enough time to repair the destroyed knights,¡± I remarked. There was still quite some time before dawn from the looks of it, but as long as I couldn''t use magic, I had to repair the knights using the reserve magic of the workshop. "My father will try to go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory by lunchtime, so I''ll have to finish preparations before then."


    In the first place, my father had intended to go straight to the Demon¡¯s Territory. The only reason he had come all the way to the capital was to monitor whether I would run away. Rather than ignoring and suppressing my will, he was respecting it.


    Of course, the bigger reason was likely that, if he forcibly overpowered me and I decided to rebel in the future, he couldn''t handle the aftermath of the accidents that would occur. My father wanted to ¡®convince¡¯ me, whether it was through words or strength. I couldn¡¯t just ignore that, considering that I was still his son.


    After seeing that the two were resting comfortably, I left the room and headed to the underground laboratory. If I used the tiny amount of recovered mana I had for repairs, it would take two days longer to finish recovering fully, but I couldn''t help it. Now that I knew that Duke Asteria was my grandfather, I couldn''t help but assign more escorts to him. It was even more important considering the Demon King worshippers might be aiming for him.


    "Gwalchavad, get the broken ones out of the pocket space,¡± I commanded.


    "Yes, I understand." Gwalchavad opened the pocket space and took out the remains of the knights.


    Well, if my mana recovery slowed down, then I would just have to stick to my father like gum even longer. What else could I do?


    "Then let''s fix both of your arms first,¡± I said.


    "Thank you, Master,¡± Gwalchavad replied as he held out both arms to me. I took control of my workshop, using what little mana I had to manipulate the repair equipment.


    * * *


    Sunlight shone into my eyes through the ventilation window and disturbed my sleep. Considering I could hear the sound of morning birds chirping in my ears, it seemed to already be dawn.


    "Are you awake, Master?" Gwalchavad asked.


    Lifting the blanket that Gwalchavad seemed to have placed on me, I asked. "Ha-am! How long did I sleep?¡±


    Gwalchavad, who had watched over me and taken care of me in my sleep, replied with a smile, "You slept for about an hour and a half."


    I had fallen asleep around 5:30 a.m., so it had to be 7 a.m. now. The problem was caused by the sense of lethargy caused by mana depletion, rather than a lack of sleep. If it were just that, I could just sleep on the train heading to the Demon¡¯s Territory.


    I got up, stretched, and stood in front of all the repaired knights. "Everyone, wake up,¡± I commanded. The knights opened their eyes at once.


    "Where are we?"


    "Oh, my head."


    "Uuk! I''m dizzy!"¡±


    The knights staggered from the shock of their souls settling in again.


    "Ohh, seeing that Boss is safe, it looks like we won." Gwalchmai, who had been the first to be cut in half, chuckled.


    "Master seems exhausted, so it must not have been easy fighting against that strong guy.¡± Percival worried about me even as he held his head due to dizziness.


    "But I don''t feel any mana at all from you as if it¡¯s completely gone, Mordred." The first one to realize my condition was Bedivere.


    "It''s nothing much; I just used the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation,¡± I said.


    The knights nodded seriously and continued to chat with each other.


    "The masked man who introduced himself as Sagittarius was definitely strong on a different level. It reminded me of the King of the Giants in the past."


    "It might have been even stronger than that."


    "Perhaps? I''ve never faced the King of the Giants, so I don¡¯t know."


    I clapped my hands to draw their attention and said, "All right, let¡¯s go up. Unlike you guys, I have to eat breakfast."


    In response, Gwalchavad smiled gently and said, "This morning, I prepared steamed oxtail stewed in wine with beef bone broth to cheer you up."


    "I''m looking forward to that. But my father is a big eater, so you probably should have prepared a lot,¡± I remarked.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve prepared enough for there to be leftovers even after you finish eating,¡± Gwalchavad said confidently, and I went up to the first floor with a smile.


    "Did you sleep well?¡± I asked as my maternal grandfather, who was sitting on the sofa and was reading the newspaper with a cup of tea, welcomed me.


    "Yes, I slept well. The knight next to you¡ªGwalchavad, was it?¡ªsaid you stayed up all night,¡± my maternal grandfather said, looking at Gwalchavad as he stood next to me.


    I sat opposite my maternal grandfather and answered while pouring tea into an extra cup, "No, I did sleep a little. What¡¯s your schedule for today?¡±


    "First, I''ll get a conscription agreement from the emperor, get some priests from Fernando, then go up right away,¡± he replied.


    It was clear that it would be easier to receive support from priests under the pretext of having been attacked yesterday. Although they had been brainwashed by a black magician, it was still true that my maternal grandfather had been attacked by paladins in the Great Temple.


    In addition, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that Cardinal Fernando¡¯s position and standing within the temple was in crisis. Since the emperor and the prime minister wouldn¡¯t side with him or go easy on him, Cardinal Fernando, who was in the anti-emperor faction, had no choice but to borrow the power of Duke Asteria.


    "Cardinal Fernando may even suspect Grandpa of scheming this yourself,¡± I remarked.


    "Hmph, but what is he going to do even if he says so? If I could, I''d like to let him fall into the abyss as it is, but now I¡¯m not in a great situation either, so it can''t be helped." My maternal grandfather snorted and smiled playfully.


    "But just in case, I''ll add more escorts. Yvain, Ovain,¡± I called. Agravain had already been assigned to escort my maternal grandfather, but I decided to add two more.


    The twins answered vigorously as they came up.


    "Yahoo! Did you call me, Crow Prince?¡±


    "Really, I was bored in the pocket space because you didn''t call me after I was cut in half."


    What would be the point of calling on someone who couldn¡¯t even move because their body had been broken in two? Besides, it hadn¡¯t been long since they recovered. They had lost consciousness due to a mana discharge, so what was there to be bored about?


    "You two hide yourselves and protect my grandfather,¡± I commanded.


    The twins laughed cheerfully.


    "Oh! It''s an escort! I always thought it''d be an assassination.¡±


    "That''s right! I thought I''d be killing witches all my life.¡±


    My maternal grandfather looked at the twins with interest and remarked, "They''re rather cheerful friends. But at the same time, they certainly seem skilled."


    "Ahaha! Of course!¡±


    "Ahaha! That''s obvious!"


    The twins hid themselves while laughing and boasting. Afterward, not even a single breath could be heard from them.


    "Oho, that''s impressive. I''ve never seen a hiding skill that can make one disappear like teleportation even while being watched openly. You have good subordinates,¡± my maternal grandfather said.


    Yvain and Ovain usually acted wild, but they were serious when working.


    "Okay, let''s go eat breakfast,¡± I said while grinning, leading the way to the dining area.


    * * *


    Tristan and Caradoc had chased the Demon King worshipper all night, but they reported that they had lost him sometime this morning. I had already expected that, so I ordered them to return without being disappointed and moved busily alongside my maternal grandfather throughout the morning.


    At the same time, I was preparing to go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory. Of course, all that meant was telling my family members, who were staying at the boarding house, to get ready to leave. If I had to think of anything else, it was probably that I needed to mobilize the Big Mama Information Agency to gather food and war supplies.


    After finishing my work in the capital, I came to the train station with my maternal grandfather. I was surprised to see Uncle Bloody there, so I asked, "Uncle, are you going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory?"


    In addition, my uncle wasn¡¯t alone; he was leading the Capital Defense Force and the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard was an unexpected sight, as it was the most elite force in the capital and ordinarily never left the emperor''s side.


    My uncle shrugged and said, "I came here quickly for the sake of going to the Demon¡¯s Territory to begin with."


    Still, I had thought he would join the Black Water Buffalo Knights after the award ceremony before heading up there, but the situation in the Demon¡¯s Territory must be worse than I had thought.


    My maternal grandfather should also have participated in the award ceremony as a noble, but he had returned after finishing his work in only a day.


    "It¡¯s being said that half of the imperial army''s main forces, including the Black Water Buffalo Knights, are on their way to the Demon¡¯s Territory,¡± Uncle Bloody said.


    "Then I¡¯m guessing the award ceremony will be at the Demon¡¯s Territory?¡± I asked.


    Uncle Bloody nodded and replied, "I expect that¡¯ll be the case.¡±


    "Then I¡¯ll see you up at the Demon¡¯s Territory," I said. Uncle Bloody had to lead the army, so he couldn¡¯t travel with me or my father.


    My uncle whispered, "Okay. Keep an eye on Hyung-nim so that he doesn''t make any trouble."


    "I think it''s better to tell Hestia noona that, rather than me,¡± I replied. Even if I kept an eye on him, I couldn''t stop my father from moving around as he pleased.


    "Haha, is that so?" my uncle remarked.


    "Then I''ll go first." I waved to Uncle Bloody and got on the train heading to the Demon¡¯s Territory.


    I hoped there wouldn¡¯t be anything annoying, but I suppose that¡¯d be asking for too much.

 CH 324.

    Galak stood on a field located deep in the Demon¡¯s Territory and smiled sadly, looking at the horizon that had become thick with bushes.


    Zendia stood next to Galak, wearing a blue mask. In his hand was the Spirit Sword, one of the four god swords.


    "To whom did you sell the magic sword you got from destroying the headquarters of the Demon King worshipping organization?" Galak asked.


    Zendia gave him a killer smile in response, saying, "I broke it while playing with my youngest grandson."


    Galak nodded, a powerful aura surrounding both of his hands. "I see. He¡¯s definitely grown a lot. If that child had been in normal condition, I would have had a hard time, too.¡±


    "Did you meet Denburg?" Zendia asked.


    "Yes. Because that child had ¡®The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe¡¯,¡± Galak answered calmly.


    Zendia frowned and asked, "You didn''t harm Den, did you?"


    "Ahahaha, it¡¯s more like I was the one harmed, so don¡¯t worry. Besides, in the end, Doomstone interrupted and put my life in danger."


    Zendia was relieved to see Galak speaking playfully and said, "Then that''s fine."


    "Ayy, Father is sad because his only son doesn''t worry about him,¡± Galak said exaggeratedly. Zendia smiled in response. Just then, Galak spoke seriously as if their playtime had ended. "Son, did you know? This actually wasn¡¯t a field, but a narrow basin surrounded by rugged mountains."


    "Really?" Zendia asked. He knew very well what this place had been like, but he pretended not to know.


    Galak nodded and answered with an air of nostalgia, "Yeah. I fought with the Demon King here with my life on the line. Fraham and Del Tri died here.¡±


    Galak recalled the Captain of the Imperial Guard Division, whom he had called a grumpy old man; and his closest friend, the great warrior from the Hunter tribe. Then he looked at the reed forest and continued, "There, Arpen got a hole in his stomach and almost died. Without the medicine of that alchemist kid who lived next door, he would have really died.¡±


    Galak was calmly referring to Mirpa Ainsmall as an ¡®alchemist kid¡¯. In fact, he laughed, saying that if she had been a little older, she would have gone with him when he went to defeat the Demon King. He continued, "And there, old man Drachen lost his right arm. According to Arpen, it got sent to the reverse world?¡±


    The battle came to Galak¡¯s mind vividly as if it had happened yesterday. "And there, Marsen cut the Demon King and destroyed the castle behind him. It was such a ridiculous blow."


    This was the place where Galak Blade, who was praised as a hero, had fought desperately against the Demon King alongside his comrades.


    "There, Marco and... Wayne died." Galak pointed to a huge pit that might have been tens of kilometers in diameter. "Marco was so good at surviving that he was called a cockroach, but he died while holding down the Demon King. He was more suited to be called a hero than me."


    Galak slowly took a white mask out of his breast pocket and put it on, saying in a trembling voice, "Wayne..."


    Zendia took off his blue mask and continued the sentence Galak was unable to finish. "At that time, while the Mercenary King held down the Demon King, she sacrificed herself to seal him again.¡±


    "That¡¯s right." Galak smiled sadly and nodded. "A lot of people died. They were unfortunate people to have died like that.¡±


    "Even though you know that, is there no change in your resolve to unlock the Demon King''s seal?" Zendia asked calmly.


    Galak smiled and replied, ¡°Yeah."


    ¡°I won''t ask you why. You won''t tell me anyway,¡± Zendia remarked.


    Galak replied, "You know me well."


    Zendia said with a subtle anger in his voice. "Father is an egoist who only cares about himself."


    "I know,¡± Galak said.


    Zendia clenched his hand powerfully and smashed the blue mask he held. As if to declare that the conversation was over, he gave off killing intent. "I''m done persuading you. From now on, I''ll try to kill you with all my might, Father."


    Galak sincerely smiled brightly as he faced the intense killing intent that had even stopped the flying bugs in the field from flapping their wings. He said, "How reliable. All right, try to kill me, son." Martial aura exploded outward from him, responding to Zendia''s killing intent.


    The two stared at each other silently, fighting for control over the space with intangible mana. Suddenly, they rushed toward each other without a word.


    Boom!


    As the power of the two combatants collided, the area nature had reclaimed over the past 120 years was overturned. It was as if the battle to subjugate the Demon King that had taken place on this land was being recreated.


    One fist dug up the ground and made a pile of soil into a mountain. One cut turned a flat field into a canyon. The topography of the ground changed multiple times, and the clouds in the sky were occasionally cut as the battle continued.


    The battle overturned the heavens and earth and shook the world, as they fought against each other with no end in sight.


    "Huhuhu, still monstrous.¡± The Witch of Greed, Selina, flew at leisure through the sky as she watched the battle, avoiding the growing battlefield as she observed it. As she watched, an owl flew toward her.


    It was impossible for an ordinary owl to be flying with lively wings in broad daylight, over such a battlefield where brutal killing intent and martial aura came and went. At once, Selina grabbed the owl''s neck and asked, looking into its eyes, "What''s going on, Libra?¡±


    -Cough! Cough!


    Seeing that Libra couldn''t even speak properly after having the owl¡¯s neck seized, Selina helplessly let go of the owl and said sarcastically, "It''s pathetic that you can''t even talk when your familiar¡¯s being strangled."


    -Cough! Huk! Huk! Quiet! How dare you treat me like this even though you knew it was my familiar?! I won''t let you off!


    Selina burst into laughter after seeing Libra¡¯s anger. "Puhahaha! That was the funniest joke I''ve heard in the last hundred years.¡±


    The owl¡¯s face crumpled in response to Selina''s laughter.


    -Do you think I''m kidding?!


    "Huh? Wasn''t it a joke? Perhaps if you were the past-past-past leader of the religious organization, who summoned Demon King Ma 120 years ago¡­ But there¡¯s no way you can put up a fight against me.¡±


    As Selina had said before, she was a great madosa who had seen the limits of the Magic Way, but Libra was only a madosa. If he used one of the special magic tools containing black mana, he could put up a fight briefly.


    However, most of those tools had been smashed by Galak 120 years ago, and even the last remaining tool, the Demon Sword, had been stolen by Zendia when he attacked the organization¡¯s main base.


    -As long as our God comes back to this land!


    "Okay, okay. How about you tell me when you get back?¡± Selina responded derisively with a smirk, and Libra¡¯s familiar clenched its beak to the point it might break. She asked, "So what''s going on?"


    Selina seemed to be asking Libra to repent for the crime of interfering with her entertaining sightseeing. Upon hearing her, Libra¡¯s familiar opened its beak nervously.


    -I found the person who has the last letter.


    Libra''s words were enough to stimulate Selina''s interest, as she responded, "Oho, and so?"


    -For me, it''s hard to touch that person recklessly. To be exact, it¡¯s the monster who stands by the one who has ¡®The End of the Holy Tribe¡¯.


    "Who is it?" Selina asked with interest.


    Libra¡¯s familiar slowly spoke.


    -The letter is in the head of Denburg Blade, the great-grandchild of the hero. And the Crow of Death is guarding him.


    Selina swallowed dryly. "That heavenly disaster is guarding him, you say? Then it¡¯s impossible. It would probably be easier and safer to pierce through the imperial palace¡¯s magic circle with your bare body. It''s suicide."


    -You can¡¯t die anyway. Just give up your life a few more times.


    "Oh, my. That''s a ridiculous request. I like it." Selina smiled pleasantly and took a broom out of her pocket space. "Okay. I''ll do that for you. The kid owes me for having killed me once. But I¡¯m the Witch of Greed, and I¡¯ll ask for a price worthy of that name.¡±


    -...What is it? I''ll accept anything.


    "Ohohoho! You¡¯re so willing to listen to my offer. How refreshing and nice,¡± Selina said, giving Libra an unexpected look.


    Libra urged her to tell him quickly what price she wanted, and in response, Selina smiled greedily. "What I want is the magic stone that has gathered mana from the fanatics¡¯ nightly prayers, as well as their lives. I''m sure the mana accumulated over the past 120 years will be amazing, right?"


    -That...! That¡¯s¡ª!


    "Why? I''m sure you''ve already poured all the mana needed to summon the Demon King into the altar.¡±


    In response to Selina''s ridiculous request, Libra¡¯s familiar closed its beak. After feeling conflicted for a short time that felt like much longer, Libra agreed to Selina''s request.


    -¡­All right.


    If the Demon King could just be summoned again, it didn¡¯t matter what happened to that amount of mana.


    "Wow, how intense. For your information, payment is in advance, Customer,¡± Selina answered.


    Libra¡¯s familiar ground its beak. However, Libra couldn¡¯t say no. He didn''t know when that fickle witch would change her mind.


    * * *


    For some reason, I felt as if I were getting caught up in something annoying in real time. Clearly, it was because of the envelope in my hand. Hmm, is it not that?


    I wondered if there could be anything more annoying than opening an envelope containing Aunt Talaria''s request. I didn''t know, because my rational mind meant my instincts weren¡¯t as sharp as my father¡¯s.


    Then again, my father''s instincts were almost like spontaneous realizations from the wilderness, so it would be difficult to just copy him.


    "Ehew,¡± I sighed.


    "Why are you sighing?" Hestia noona asked as she sat next to me wearing a straw hat, an aloha shirt, and sunglasses that didn¡¯t fit the season. Now that we were entering fall, they looked like products she had bought on sale from somewhere.


    "You seem to be enjoying that,¡± I remarked.


    "Oh my, I don¡¯t have the body to run away from home, unlike you. When I come out like this, don''t you think I should enjoy the capital¡¯s culture?¡± Hestia noona hummed and bit into a macaron. She exclaimed, "Mmm! It''s too sweet! They¡¯re almost impossible to eat." Despite saying that, she looked happy.


    "That''s a lot of calories, so it''s good to eat moderately,¡± I said.


    "Calories? Hmm... Ah! The calories you mentioned when you were four? Did you say that food with a lot of those isn¡¯t good for your health?¡± Hestia noona asked.


    "No, it''s okay if you do a lot of exercise, but this is the fiftieth one you¡¯ve taken out. And you''ll get hyperglycemia,¡± I warned her.


    Hestia noona shrugged. "How many calories could such a small snack have?"


    It was really high. She had probably eaten nearly eight thousand calories by now. In addition, she hadn¡¯t just been eating macarons. She had called them too sweet, so she was eating other things alongside them.


    Well, it was her choice to gain weight anyway, so I decided to move on. I saw that my father was watching from the side and not stopping her; he didn¡¯t seem to have detected any problems with his sixth sense.


    "So what¡¯s with the sigh?" Hestia noona asked again.


    "Eh, Aunt¡¯s request is in here, but I don''t want to open it,¡± I answered.


    In response, Hestia noona looked at me strangely. "When did you get this request?"


    It had been three days, because I had received these documents on the train coming up to the capital. I held up three fingers.


    Third Sister looked at me incredulously and asked, "What are you going to do if Aunt gets angry? If Aunt gets angry and tries to stab you in the back, it won''t be easy for you either.¡±


    "That''s true." I sighed and opened the envelope.

 CH 325.

    There were several documents in the envelope, and my aunt¡¯s last request was written on the first document.


    "Huh?" I had been worried about what annoying request she would make, but Aunt Talaria''s request was completely different from what I¡¯d expected.


    Hestia noona looked at my expression and asked me curiously, "What did Aunt ask you to do?¡±


    I replied, "In summary, she told me not to stand out and to stay in a safe place.¡±


    To be precise, she had asked me to stay in the safest place I knew, so the Demon King summons in my head wouldn''t be taken away. In other words, she was telling me to go abroad or return to the Olympus Forest.


    It was a very natural request, since I was the key to summoning the Demon King. However, I had expected my aunt to ask me to help stop my great-grandfather, or to kill Libra, the Demon King worshipper.


    Under normal circumstances, I would have listened to her, since I didn¡¯t want to be involved in troublesome things such as summoning the Demon King.


    "Well then, aren''t you adhering to her request well?¡± Hestia noona asked, throwing the last macaron into her mouth.


    "Well, it is safer to be next to Father than to be stuck somewhere else,¡± I remarked.


    He wasn¡¯t called the ¡®Disaster from Heaven¡¯ for nothing. Unless something significant changed, there was no place safer than my father¡¯s side. In addition, wasn''t my father''s pet dragon called the strongest of the four great demons, and wasn¡¯t it also currently going up to the Demon¡¯s Territory?


    Convinced, I put the documents back in the envelope. Arietta, who had been observing the inside of the train, approached me with a smile and asked, "What are you having so much fun talking about?"


    After hearing about the summoning of the Demon King, Arietta had said she couldn¡¯t sit still and followed us. I didn''t know the exact circumstances, but the Demon King was said to be the natural enemy of the Holy tribe. I¡¯d heard that the first body eaten by the Demon King was a great and special figure to the Holy tribe, which had only deepened their enmity.


    "It''s nothing much; we were just talking about my safety,¡± I answered.


    "Hmm! You''re definitely in a weakened state from mana depletion, so it''s worth worrying about,¡± Arietta said.


    No, I wasn¡¯t that weak. Even without mana, I could hunt an average demon.


    ¡°But don''t worry. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Arietta said.¡±


    "That''s very reliable of you,¡± I answered with a smile.


    Arietta was embarrassed and responded, "I¡¯m serious! I¡¯m not so weak that I can¡¯t protect my savior."


    Certainly, Arietta was strong. Few people were on her level, considering she had the essence of the Holy Queen¡¯s mana that was passed down through generations.


    However, the problem was that she lacked practical experience, and couldn¡¯t use her full power due to the wounds she had suffered before being sealed.


    Of course, aside from that, it was clear that she was one of the world''s strongest people, especially considering even my father had shown interest.


    "I know,¡± I said.


    In response, Arietta thumped her chest and said confidently, "Ahem! Don''t worry! As long as I¡¯m here, you won''t be in danger.¡±


    "Then I¡¯ll be in your debt,¡± I answered.


    Arietta nodded, satisfied, and went to the back compartment to go see Hillis.


    Hillis was unable to move freely due to the Consecrated Paladins escorting her. In the first place, as a saintess, she couldn¡¯t just go to the Demon¡¯s Territory.


    However, thanks to my maternal grandfather¡¯s request, I had easily been able to get permission under the pretext of having her lead the priests. Albatoss didn¡¯t know the situation, so he seemed to be unhappy, but he followed Hillis'' orders nonetheless.


    "But didn¡¯t the council of elders say they were still chasing a great demon?" I asked Hestia noona after Arietta left.


    She breathed out a sigh and nodded. "It seems it''s not easy to chase the great demons because they move too fast."


    "Well, the great demons have to run for their lives if they want to live. The day they fight with those old battle-hungry people will be the day they die,¡± I said.


    Never mind the fact that someone was an elder, it would be difficult to deal with a great demon one-on-one. However, if dozens of elders got together and raided the great demon, catching it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult.


    Come to think of it, I felt sorry for the great demons. They had been living well in their territories, but they were provoked into moving south due to the summoning of the Demon King. In the end, all that waited for them were battle-crazy maniac elders. I felt terrible just thinking about it.


    "Uhuhuhu. I know. I feel bad for them. Once we go up to the Demon¡¯s Territory, we''ll get everyone to gather, since the top priority isn¡¯t to hunt the great demons,¡± Hestia noona said.


    I nodded and added, "It''s definitely more important to get rid of the root cause of the great demons running wild." Personally, I wanted the mana stones and byproducts from the great demons, but I couldn''t help it.


    Next, I asked, "To that end, we should tear down the Demon King worshipping organizations right away, but do you know anything about their branches?¡±


    Third Sister got up from her seat, took a map of the Demon¡¯s Territory from her bag, and put it on the wall. The map was very detailed, like the maps made by the Big Mama Information Agency.


    "First of all, this place, this place, and this place have been confirmed, and the suspicious areas are this place, this place, and this place..." Hestia noona marked the map with locations that had been confirmed, locations that were suspected, and locations that had been destroyed. "This is roughly all the info that¡¯s been verified."


    After Third Sister finished marking the map, I got up from my seat and added some extra marks. "There are more. Geographically, here, here, and here¡­ These places are suspicious. The Demon King worshippers¡¯ goal is to summon the Demon King, so I''ll look at this in terms of magic."


    "Then this is how the troops would need to move." Hestia noona plotted troop movements by connecting the places marked on the map with lines.


    "By the way, how much of this information was shared with the Butterfly tribe?¡± I asked.


    "For now, I only told them about the confirmed locations. The current leader of the Butterfly tribe seems quite cautious,¡± Hestia noona said.


    I smiled and said, "Even if he is cautious, there are many ways to use him.¡±


    Hestia noona also smiled and nodded. "I agree. Shall we devise an approach to best use the magicians¡¯ power?"


    Third Sister and I began to devise a strategy, thinking about how to make the most of everything.


    * * *


    Talaria sighed as she looked into the distance, where she could feel a goosebump-inducingly horrifying clash of mana. "In the end, it seems he failed to persuade Grandfather.¡± Without hesitation, she smashed her pink mask.


    Beside Talaria, Flam also took a brown mask out of his pocket and broke it.


    "You don''t need to break it just because I broke mine, right¡­?¡± Talaria remarked.


    Flam frowned and said angrily, "Then you want me to be in the same organization as those who want to summon the Demon King? Above all, you didn''t tell me that the Twelve Zodiacs were that kind of organization!¡±


    Talaria grinned and asked teasingly, "Where''s the kid who said he would even sell his soul to the devil if he could take revenge on the empire?"


    Flam blushed and coughed dryly. "Ahem! That''s something I said when I was immature. Besides, if I had known there was a religious leader among the worshippers of the Demon King, I wouldn''t have taken Aquarius there."


    "No, it was best to take him. It¡¯s darkest under the lamp. More importantly, you were able to receive Sagittarius¡¯s protection. That''s why your teacher brought Arwen,¡± Talaria said. Flam fell silent when Arwen¡¯s name came up. Talaria sighed at Flam and asked, "But are you really not going back to the capital?¡±


    "How could I be shameless enough to go back?¡± Flam replied.


    "Aren''t you chickening out too much just because Den found out you were Taurus?" Talaria asked, dumbfounded.


    Flam said sadly,  "Den was my first friend. I deceived such a friend, so it''s natural to feel guilty."


    "Hey, do you think my damn nephew hasn¡¯t deceived you? He would''ve deceived you several times more. I don''t know why you need to feel so guilty about this guy who even stabs his family in the back,¡± Talaria said, but Flam still seemed hesitant.


    Talaria added, "Arwen won''t abandon you because you ran away." Flam only flinched and remained silent.


    Talaria sighed and took a sword out of her pocket space. "Okay, do as you please. What else can I teach a grown-up adult? Tsk tsk."


    "I''m ashamed,¡± Flam said apologetically.


    Talaria sighed and shook her head. "If you''re not going back, just help me with my work. Let''s just go subdue some Demon King worshipping organizations."


    "Okay."


    The two wrapped their swords in powerful aura and began to ambush the Demon King worshipping organization hidden in the mountains.


    * * *


    Selina stood in front of a huge altar and looked at it with great interest, her eyes glistening with greed. "Hmm, is that the famous Holy Grail? I heard the temple of the Empire is looking furiously for it. You did a good job getting it.¡±


    Libra shouted, "That Holy Grail is a must for the ceremony! Don''t you dare look at it with such greedy eyes!"


    Selina said softly, locking her hands behind her head and appearing disappointed, "Tch, I know that. Of course I know." Still, she had a joking smile.


    Libra was uneasy as he watched Selina. However, despite the fact that she was the Witch of Greed, she didn¡¯t truly show that greed; she knew that if she interfered with the ceremony, she would really die at Galak''s hands. Even though she seemed to have infinite lives, the fact that she would die if her main body were killed remained unchanged.


    "Wait a moment,¡± Libra said. He went up to the altar with Selina, kneeled reverently, and injected mana into the altar. The center of the altar opened, and a large magic stone slowly floated into the air.


    When Selina reached out to the magic stone filled with black mana and death aura, it flew smoothly into her hand. "Heup!" she exclaimed as the powerful mana traveled through her hand, leaving it numb.


    Selina laughed crazily, excited by the shockingly powerful mana. "Ahahahahaha!"


    The many vindictive souls in the magic stone surrounded Selina and tried to consume her. However, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her, someone who could control disaster class spirits, to dominate such low-quality spirits.


    "Awesome! How can this be so great?! It feels like I''m wearing something that actually fits my body now!" Selina exclaimed as the vindictive souls surrounded her.


    Libra sighed, seemingly despairing. "Who would see that and think you were a spirit magician who¡¯s loved by nature? You''re a perfect necromancer."


    "Ohohohoho! Necromancer! I like it. Eat away the madness, my spirits, my vindictive souls!" Charged with explosive mana, Selina was drunk on her newfound feeling of omnipotence.


    In this state, she felt as if she could even win against the Crow of Death. Not only that, she thought that even if the Demon King from 120 years ago were standing in front of her, she could defeat it.


    "Come to think of it, there''s necromancy in the Demon King summons, right? Uhuhuhut! Shall we go collect the Demon King summons?¡± Selina hummed and took out a magic wand from her pocket space.


    * * *


    The train arrived at Asteria Station. The air in Asteria, which I hadn¡¯t felt for a long time, was still chilly. But since it was in the north, it couldn''t be helped.


    "It''s been a while since I was last here." As my father got off the train, looked down at the entirety of Asteria from the station, his eyes filled with memories and emotion.


    "Now, since we don¡¯t have much time, let''s save the appreciation for next time and head straight to the Demon¡¯s Territory,¡± I said suddenly, breaking the immersion. My father pouted and grumbled.


    On the way, Hestia noona had put our heads together to discuss ways to annihilate the Demon King worshippers in the shortest period of time. My heart was fluttering at the thought of showing the Demon King worshippers the worst hell conceivable.

 CH 326.

    My family and I headed directly to the forward base located in the Demon¡¯s Territory, without going through Warrant from Asterium. My maternal grandfather, who had come up to the Asteria domain together with us, remained in Asterium to get the territory in order. Hillis headed to Warrant with the priests to treat the injured, but said she would deal with it quickly and come to the Demon''s Territory.


    "We''re almost there,¡± Hestia noona said.


    I looked outside the carriage, and saw a large military camp surrounded by huge walls. The carriage we rode entered the camp directly after being inspected by a guard.


    As the carriage came to a halt, I got off and admired the appearance of the camp, remarking, "Is this the frontline base known as the second Warrant?¡±


    Rather than simple tent barracks, there were quite a few proper barracks built with bricks. Even though the walls were clumsily made, they had still been fully built up. Although it couldn¡¯t be called a city, this camp could easily be called a village.


    In fact, thinking about it, Warrant was also a frontline city that had begun as a military camp like this. In the future, it might not be Warrant, but rather a city built out of this military camp, that would come to be known as the city of warriors who defend the empire from the Demon''s Territory.


    "That''s right. This is the outpost of the frontline¡¯s vanguard, Valhalla.¡± A white-haired, red-eyed man carrying a white parasol answered my question as he approached from afar. "It''s been a while, Den. I heard the news. I heard you took down the Space Specialist and the Curse Specialist.¡° William''s eyes sparkled, reminding me of Yuria and Alphonso.


    "Ahahaha, it was a fluke. If we fought again, I¡¯d probably lose,¡± I said. I was lucky that there had been many magicians around, but if I had no resources to draw mana and computational power from, I would honestly have no chance of winning.


    "Ayy, what fluke... You''re the first one to be praised by my father for being a crazy guy, besides the other great madosas,¡± William remarked.


    Is that a compliment? I thought.


    "Oh, are you a great madosa now? Anti-Magic Specialist Denburg Blade-nim?¡± William asked.


    "No honorifics, please. Isn''t it kind of weird to hear honorifics from a friend¡¯s uncle?" I replied.


    William laughed cheerfully and continued, "Ahahaha! Is that so? Yuria and Alphonso are doing well, right? I''ve been here as a substitute for Orphina since the war broke out.¡±


    I smiled lightly and nodded. "Yes. They¡¯re healthy and doing well."


    Alphonso was busy preparing to attend the middle-rank knight school, and Yuria was seriously considering becoming a court magician with Alice after her graduation.


    After finishing his conversation with me, William bowed his head politely when he saw my father getting off the carriage. He said in greeting, "Once again, I would like to express my infinite gratitude on behalf of the empire for your visit."


    My father shook his hand with a big laugh. "Ahahahaha! No need for an excessive greeting. If you''re my younger brother''s friend, then you¡¯re a brother to me. Speak comfortably.¡±


    William nodded with his unique, friendly smile. "It¡¯s nice to feel as if I have a reliable older brother. Please come inside. The Butterfly tribe representative is waiting for the news of Hyung-nim''s return."


    The same was true of Alphonso and Yuria, but I didn''t know what was going on with the sociability of that household.


    "Ahahaha, is that so? Then I should go. The military manages the villagers, and Little Chief should follow me," my father said, ordering me to follow him, but not Hestia noona.


    To be honest, I didn''t like being called Little Chief. However, as I was now in a public space, not a private space, my father''s order was absolute unless I was going to break off ties with my hometown.


    "Yes, Chief-nim."


    "Yes, Chief-nim."


    In addition, my father had asked me to follow him mostly because I was a magician. As the little chief of the Crow tribe, I couldn¡¯t put on a poor showing in front of the Butterfly tribe. Helplessly, I followed my father''s footsteps, infusing mana weakly into the Bracelet of Pride.


    "Hmm? Your aura has changed?¡± my father remarked.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by my father''s keen senses. I explained, "I have a good magic tool. If it¡¯s just for a short period of time, I can amplify my mana by tens of times."


    The bracelet made by the Witch of Pride wasn¡¯t considered one of the top five magic tools for no reason. It was even thought to be on the same level as the Curse of the Giants. Even though I didn¡¯t even have enough mana to produce one magic bullet, it could amplify what little I had to a level on par with a madosa.


    Of course, it was amplification, not recovery, so I couldn¡¯t use magic more than a few times with the tiny bit of mana I had left. Still, it was enough for emergency situations.


    My father nodded and stepped into the command room in the center of the military camp, saying, "Ahahaha! I''m sorry I''ve been away for personal matters."


    The elders and guards of the Crow tribe who were gathered in the command room stood up in response.


    "Father, you¡¯ve arrived? You¡¯ve captured Den, too?" Gallahad hyung greeted him with a bright smile. In response, my father smiled pleasantly and lightly put my eldest brother in a headlock. Gallahad exclaimed, "Uwack!"


    "Hahaha! Son! Didn''t I tell you to call me Chief-nim in public?" my father replied.


    Gallahad hyung urgently tapped my father''s arm and said desperately, "It hurts! It hurts!"


    "Huh-huh-huh! What do you mean ¡®dad¡¯? It''s been a while since I last heard that. But I said, call me Chief-nim!¡±[1] my father joked, strengthening his grip around my eldest brother''s head.


    By the way, I think he said ¡®it hurts¡¯, not ¡®dad¡¯... Well, it doesn''t matter to me, I thought.


    "Hahaha, you look very close to your son. It''s nice to meet you. I''m Bendis Fendria, the current representative of the Butterfly tribe. That¡¯s our replacement for the title of ¡®great elder¡¯,¡± the Butterfly Tribe representative said in greeting. He was Yuria and Alfonso¡¯s father; I¡¯d seen him before.


    In response, my father let go of my eldest brother and shook hands with Bendis. "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Doomstone Blade, the chief of the Crow tribe. Ah, we also discarded the old title of ¡®head of the village¡¯ last year."


    "I see." Bendis smiled gently, nodded, and greeted me. "It''s been a while since I saw you, Anti-Magic Specialist-nim."


    Unlike the time I had seen him at the imperial palace two years ago, I was flustered when he treated me with extreme honorifics. I replied, "No, you don''t have to be so polite."


    "No, it''s natural as a magician to pay tribute to a great madosa,¡± Bendis said gently but firmly. As he spoke, the Butterfly tribespeople¡¯s gazes toward me grew stronger.


    "But it''s still burdensome to hear honorifics from my friend''s father. It''s not as if I''m older than you,¡± I said.


    "Hahaha, I''m grateful as a father that you¡¯re close to my son and daughter. But this is an official place, and a magician''s superiority or inferiority is determined by skill, not age." Unlike his brother William, Bendis was firm on this point.


    The gazes of the Butterfly tribespeople, who were much older than me, were also burdensome. I¡¯d heard about the Butterfly tribespeople''s madness for magic, but I hadn¡¯t realized it would be to this extent.


    Somehow, I felt I would dislike the Butterfly tribe people. Still, I was glad that it seemed as though it would be easy to use them without even having to verbally manipulate them. But Yuria and Alphonso wouldn¡¯t look at me like that later on, right?


    "This time, I came as a member of the Crow tribe, so excessive courtesy is burdensome,¡± I insisted, suggesting that I was here as a subordinate of my father.


    "Yes, I understand,¡± Bendis said, but somehow it felt as if he hadn¡¯t listened at all.


    William, who had entered the command room with my father, smiled broadly and said, "We¡¯ve prepared a place for Chief-nim and Little Chief. Let''s start the meeting." He asked us to sit down, speaking formally.


    When my father and I sat down, the villagers standing around us followed suit. As expected, such formal settings were annoying.


    The meeting began, and I presented the troop movements I had discussed with Hestia noona in advance. But when I came to my senses, I realized that I was leading the meeting.


    "Good. Then let¡¯s move that way. What does Chief-nim think?¡±


    "Uh-huh-huh-huh, I like it too."


    Despite my efforts to prepare a persuasive argument for them on the train, they accepted too easily. The plan I had just suggested was one that would give the Butterfly tribe a hard time, but nevertheless, the elders of the Butterfly tribe nodded with respect.


    I was starting to hate the Butterfly tribe people more and more.


    "Then, why don''t we wrap up the meeting now?" It hadn¡¯t been long, but my father signaled for us to end the meeting and everyone seemed to be in agreement.


    "Then let''s end the meeting by doing what Anti-Magic Specialist-nim suggested,¡± Bendis said.


    As soon as Bendis finished speaking, the Butterfly tribe people rushed at me and fired off questions.


    "How old are you? How did you reach that level at such a young age?"


    "How did you decide on the name ¡®Anti-Magic Specialist¡¯? Are you going to create a new school called anti-magic?¡±


    "This is a paper on the reaction of magic circles with pure magic stones. Will you give it a read?"


    "Atomic theory has emerged recently in elemental magic. Have you heard of it?"


    "The school of celestial body magic is being divided, as geocentric theory is giving way to heliocentric theory. I want to hear your opinion on this!"


    The eyes of the madosas surrounding me were filled with madness.


    What is this? I''m scared! Save me! I desperately looked at William and Bendis, but the two were also organizing the questions they wanted to ask.


    "Father¡­!" I called for help.


    But my father and other elders looked at me with pleasure and said, "Huh-huh-huh, Little Chief sure is popular. So, what''s today''s lunch menu?"


    "I heard it¡¯s grilled wild boar that was caught yesterday, cooked with red pepper seasoning."


    "Ohh, that sounds good. That seasoning is good."


    My father and other people from my hometown were more interested in lunch today than me. So mean!


    What was really difficult was that the elderly people surrounding me were the heads of the Butterfly tribe, so I couldn''t get through them with force.


    "Slowly, stand in line..." I said helplessly.


    Ding ding ding ding ding ding!


    Ironically, what saved me in this unexpected and difficult situation was the loud emergency bell.


    "Great demon attack!¡±


    "There are two! Everyone, get ready for battle!¡±


    The friendly atmosphere in the command room quickly froze, filling up with martial aura in response to the noise from outside.


    "It''s a battle! Hahahaha!"


    "Ahahaha! It''s a battle! Chief, stay still! Don''t take away the joy from us old people!¡±


    "No! Yahoo! Sounds fun!"


    "I''m going to get that cat''s head this time!"


    In particular, the elders of my tribe backed up, drew their swords, and leaped through the window.


    "Heup! A mana stone, a great demon¡¯s mana stone!"


    "The Phoenix''s feathers are mine!"


    "Great demon byproducts!"


    The elders of the Butterfly tribe displayed the same madness. They drooled and flew through the hole the people of my hometown had made in the window.


    "Huh-huh-huh, unfortunately, I think we should talk later, Anti-Magic Specialist-nim." Bendis, despite having maintained his composure, was also restless. After saying goodbye, he flew to the place the great demon was attacking, yelling, "Wait for me! The phoenix''s crest is mine!"


    I burst into laughter as I looked at the command room, which had quickly become completely empty. I remarked, "Hahaha, no one among the battle races is in their right mind."


    But the thought of great demon byproducts tempted even me. Should I try joining in, too? I thought. Even without mana, I thought it would be safe enough with that much force on our side.


    "Let me join!" I exclaimed as I also leaped through the window.


    1. The Korean word for ¡®It hurts¡¯ or ¡®ouch¡¯ sounds similar to the word for ¡®dad¡¯

 CH 327.

    The two great demons were a tiger and a phoenix, each huge enough to rival a dragon. However, they were still fairly small compared to the Turtle Carrying a Mountain that I had faced before. In the case of the Turtle, it had been about the size of Jirisan Mountain, so it was a little awkward to compare them.


    "Everyone, gather up!" I called. Excluding my maternal grandfather¡¯s escorts, nine knights came out of my pocket space.


    As soon as Tristan came out of the pocket space, he clapped his hands and remarked admiringly, "Wow! Is that one of the great demons I''ve heard so much about?"


    The battle buffs like Gwalchmai and Bors also smiled broadly at the great demon.


    "It looks fun to fight.¡±


    "Kuuu! This is thrilling!"


    The knights raised their weapons and expressed their fighting spirit.


    "All right, I know everyone''s thinking about fighting. Go and fight with all your might!" I commanded.


    The knights summoned their horses in unison, mounting them as they shouted, "Order received!" Their horses kicked through the air as they charged toward the tiger.


    I also opened my pocket space using the magic amplified by the bracelet, taking my green deer out and mounting it.


    The tiger moved quickly on the ground, but it was already desperately fighting my father and the village elders, so I turned my deer toward the phoenix.


    "Where are you going in a situation this dangerous?!" As I rode through the sky on the deer, Arietta, who had followed Hestia noona to the quarters, flew over to stop me.


    "It''s okay. If I were alone, I would have run away immediately, but there are madosas and sword masters all over the place. What¡¯s so dangerous about that?¡± I replied, shrugging and smiling lightly.


    Arietta sighed and frowned as if she had a headache, saying, "You really resemble your ancestor. Sir Mordred was also so reckless."


    "No, this isn''t really reckless compared to the people of my hometown,¡± I said.


    It was an unfair assessment. The people of my hometown would laugh and fight even with holes in their stomachs or broken bones, but I wasn¡¯t like that. I was the one who calculated the odds thoroughly and ran relentlessly if it was dangerous.


    "On top of that, the great demons are acting strangely, too. I''ll have to take a look,¡± I added.


    It was strange that the great demons, who had previously been running away with all their might, had suddenly attacked. If it had been an empty house, I would understand, but there were many elders of our village and the Butterfly tribe in the military camp.


    Above all, those sensitive great demons had attacked a place where my father, who hadn¡¯t settled for capturing a great demon and had insisted on taming one, was staying. That was unbelievable.


    "Then I¡¯ll fight too." Arietta took a greatsword as big as her body out of her pocket space, encasing herself in armor made of divine power. "Didn''t I say I''d protect you? I¡¯m not someone who goes back on her word,¡± she said, flying over to the phoenix.


    "Ah! Don''t damage the skin too much!" I cried.


    Despite that, Arietta launched a strong aura blast containing vast divine power toward the phoenix.


    "No! My by-products!"


    "Hey, lady! Be gentle!"


    The elders of the Butterfly tribe, who had been trying to trap it instead of hurting it, freaked out.


    Fortunately, the agile phoenix twisted its body and avoided Arietta''s strong aura.


    "Let''s go, Rudolph!" I drove the green deer onward and rushed toward the phoenix. "Rudolph, overclock!"


    -Command code: Overclock. Excessive overclocking will result in shorter product life. Will you proceed?


    "Yes! Maximum output!" I commanded.


    -Order given by¡­ the producer. Approval completed.


    Mana exploded from my green deer and it accelerated swiftly. As if I had become Speed Racer, the surroundings seemed to be compressed together.


    I swooped under the phoenix and aimed for its neck with the Holy Sword. However, the phoenix narrowly avoided my strike and rapidly flew high into the sky.


    "Tch! Accelerate!" I commanded.


    -Increased g-forces will be applied. If the occupant''s consciousness disappears, the overclock will be automatically released.


    I ignored the warning I had programmed into the green deer and accelerated to follow the phoenix. I grabbed the reins as the g-forces suddenly increased all over my body, exclaiming, "Wow, it''s crazy fast!"


    There was a reason why the elders had lost the phoenix even though they were being so clingy. It really was insanely fast. It was going a few hundred kilometers per hour, so the most I could do was to try not to lag behind. I could even feel the deer breaking apart in real time.


    "I''ll help you, Anti-Magic Specialist-nim!¡±


    The elders of the Butterfly tribe spread out in all directions and magically blocked the path of the phoenix. It slowed down a little to change direction, and I took advantage of the gap to slice its neck open.


    Tch!


    It was a shallow wound. But fortunately, unlike the mountain turtle, the phoenix had weak defenses despite its agility.


    The phoenix¡¯s blood fell from the wound I had cut open, and the elders of the Butterfly tribe quickly collected it. However, it healed quickly as if it had never been cut in the first place.


    The phoenix changed its trajectory, firing a huge flame at me.


    "Glacial wall!"


    "Glacial wall!"


    Huge chunks of ice appeared in front of me, blocking the phoenix¡¯s flames. Judging from the flow of mana, Bendis and William were protecting me simultaneously.


    "Don''t worry about it and charge ahead, my nephew''s friend!"


    "William, he¡¯s a great madosa-nim. Speak more formally."


    I smiled when I heard Bendis scolding William. Meanwhile, I quickly steered the deer toward the phoenix¡¯s back.


    "Die!" I exclaimed. By amplifying my basically-depleted mana with the bracelet, I increased the length of the Holy Sword.


    The phoenix quickly lowered its head, but its crest was cut off by the Holy Sword.[1]


    I swooped in to retrieve the phoenix''s crest, thinking, Good, I¡¯ll strengthen my magic wand with this.


    -Ppeeeeaaaaak!


    The phoenix, which had become bald after its crest was severed, angrily cried out using mana.


    "Ugh!"


    The sound of the phoenix¡¯s cry alone had tremendous destructive power, but apart from that, its entire body burned up as it shot flames in all directions.


    "Everyone dodge!" I cried, moving away quickly to avoid the flames. The elders of the Butterfly tribe, who were there to restrict the phoenix¡¯s movement, also created ice barriers to avoid its attacks.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re shooting flames?!" While everyone else dodged, only Arietta broke through the flames emitted by the phoenix and fired off another divine power-imbued aura blast.


    -Ppeeeeaaaak!


    Arietta''s strong aura blast cut through the phoenix¡¯s wing and spewed flaming blood everywhere. As expected, she was so strong she could disregard practical experience. In order for me to fire an aura blast of that level, I would have to use the Firefly¡¯s Bright Annihilation, but Arietta had unleashed one casually.


    "Magic materials are falling from the sky!"


    "Don''t miss a drop!"


    "Oh, it''s hot! Ah, it''s hot!"


    The elders of the Butterfly tribe eagerly collected the phoenix''s blood before it fell to the ground.


    As it struggled in pain and emitted flames, the phoenix turned the surrounding area into a sea of fire.


    On the ground, the barracks built by the hard work of the imperial army had been set on fire. The soldiers were frantically moving to extinguish them, but the fire of a great demon wouldn¡¯t go out easily.


    As the area beneath his feet went wild, William shouted as he extinguished the fires with ice magic, "Give up on the military camp! It''ll just be a hindrance, so bring all the essential items and retreat! Hyung-nim! I have to lead the military!¡±


    "Okay! Go ahead!" came the response, and William flew down.


    "Rudolph, megaphone mode,¡± I commanded. Light shone from the deer¡¯s antlers and amplified the sound of my voice.


    "Ah-ah, mic test,¡± I said. It was my first time using this function, but it worked well. "We¡¯ll deal with the phoenix from now on. Elders of the Butterfly tribe, please follow my instructions from now on. If you have any complaints, those at the great madosa level should speak up."


    None of the elders of the Butterfly tribe spoke out against my confident declaration. I continued, "All right. I take it that you agree. From now on, I¡¯ll call out numbers by order of rank. If I call out a number and you think it''s your rank, please move!¡±


    I gave instructions as I saw the phoenix healing from the wound. ¡°Number 1, get up in the sky! Number 2 and 3, move symmetrically to either side with the phoenix at the center!¡±


    In response, Bendis flew high into the sky with a puzzled expression. Only then did the elders whose names I didn¡¯t know start to move quickly according to my instructions.


    I began to deploy the elders of the Butterfly tribe as if I were coordinating my chirps. "Number 32! Shoot a beam at number 43 with 320 mana power! Number 43, reflect it at 30 degrees! Number 12, reflect it at 40 degrees!¡±


    The phoenix began to run away, as if it felt anxious watching the elders of the Butterfly tribe moving in all directions.


    "Everyone move together! Arietta, attack!" I commanded, and Arietta fired off another strong aura blast.


    -Ppeeeaaak!


    Following the rapidly fleeing phoenix, I continued to give instructions. Eventually, a magic circle formed around the phoenix. I yelled, "Everyone, pour mana into the magic circle at max output!"


    I activated the magic by amplifying my mana to the maximum using the bracelet and Holy Sword. "Chain of Seven Stars! Wind around my enemy!" I poured out the mana I had barely recovered, and completely bound the phoenix.


    The phoenix struggled, but it was impossible to break the chain that dozens of madosas had poured mana into at max output. This much mana was even strong enough to tie up my father for twenty minutes.


    "Arietta!" I cried.


    Arietta climbed up onto the phoenix''s back. The phoenix desperately resisted by exhaling flames, but Arietta''s aura-infused sword pierced the phoenix''s spine and it died on the spot.


    -Ppeeeeaaak!


    Everyone cheered when the phoenix''s head drooped as it gave out its last cry.


    "Waah-!"


    "Wow, there''s such powerful magic!?"


    "Magic comes later! First secure the byproducts! Don''t spill a drop of blood!"


    The elders of the Butterfly tribe were delighted that they had finally caught the phoenix, and ran to its corpse to dismantle it before the byproducts became ruined.


    Arietta jumped down from the corpse of the phoenix, approached me, and asked tiredly, "But it''s a phoenix. Didn''t it die too easily?¡±


    I grinned and replied, "To be exact, it¡¯s not completely dead."


    "What do you mean?" Arietta asked.


    "If it could be killed like this, it wouldn''t be called a phoenix,¡± I continued.


    Arietta seemed embarrassed as she asked, "It''s not dead?"


    "The phoenix lays about ten eggs. When a phoenix dies or expires due to external factors, it transfers its soul to one of its eggs,¡± I explained.


    To really kill a phoenix, one had to break all the eggs it had left in the world in addition to catching it. As soon as an egg was broken, it would lay more eggs, so one had to break all the eggs and kill the phoenix simultaneously.


    "Doesn¡¯t that mean you can never really kill one?" Arietta asked.


    "That''s right. That''s why it''s said that the fire of the phoenix never goes out. But once caught, it takes 50 years to become an adult, so there won¡¯t be any trouble from the phoenix for the time being."


    Arietta was astonished by my explanation and said, "I don''t know how people could have figured out something like that.¡±


    "We know it because someone managed to defeat a phoenix. My grandfather did it once when he was young,¡± I said.


    From what I¡¯d heard, it was an open secret of the village that he had caught it as a gift to court his first love, but he had gotten rejected right after she received it. As I recalled, he had been dumped because he was too young.


    Come to think of it, the fact that Elder Mirpa could have become my grandmother was terrible. It was fortunate that my grandfather had been dumped.


    On the other hand, I¡¯d gotten too far away from my father. It was good that I had defeated the phoenix in my excitement, but I¡¯d gotten tired too easily because I had no mana. Still, considering my condition, it seemed I would be able to recover my mana by tomorrow morning.


    "Everyone, let''s go back. I don''t have a good feeling...¡± I began, but as soon as I finished speaking, black mana exploded from the phoenix''s body.


    "Gasp!"


    "Ugh!"


    The black mana, which resembled some kind of ghost or spirit, passed through the bodies of the Butterfly tribe elders and knocked them down.


    "This is dangerous!" Arietta exclaimed, raising the sword and putting up her guard toward the corpse of the phoenix.


    The phoenix''s belly split open and a woman wearing a red mask walked out.


    "Huhut! It was so stuffy I almost died. Hello? Long time no see. I heard you were Lupin?¡± Selina, the Witch of Greed, greeted me playfully. The mana that coursed through her body was unusual.


    "Who are you?!" Arietta shouted, infusing a strong aura into her greatsword.


    At that moment, the Witch of Greed disappeared and appeared next to Arietta. Arietta reacted quickly, but the Witch of Greed threw a fist charged with mana at Arietta''s side.


    "Cough! Uwack!" As she got hit, Arietta collapsed, vomiting blood.


    "Arietta!" I exclaimed.


    "Oh my. It was obvious that you had a wound inflicted by a witch, so I just wanted to open it again,¡± the Witch of Greed remarked.


    The wound that Arietta had suffered before being sealed had broken open. If she wasn¡¯t treated right away, her life would be in danger.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" the Witch of Greed asked as she grabbed my arm.


    I tried to cut her arm with the Holy Sword, but the world froze as if time had stopped.


    "Oh my. You have Unni¡¯s bracelet, too. You shouldn''t carry a witch''s things so recklessly in front of another witch. That''s why you got done in so easily.¡± The Witch of Greed¡¯s voice came through muffled, as if I were hearing it through water. "Sleep well... forever."


    Slowly, the darkness¡­


    ...encroached ¡­


    ...around me¡­


    Then, eventually, I found myself standing blankly on an asphalt road surrounded by smoggy air.


    1. The crest is the prominent tuft of feathers on top of a bird¡¯s head.

 CH 328.

    Where is this?


    I looked around. A common, tireless memorial car wandered along the road, and across the asphalt was the funeral hall of a university hospital.


    Why am I here?


    As if to answer my question, my body walked into the funeral hall, disregarding my will. Then, I realized when I saw the portrait hanging in the funeral hall...


    Oh, this is a dream.


    And it was also a dream I¡¯d actually had in my past life. Suddenly, I was no longer Denburg Blade.


    .


    .


    .


    My mother had passed away.


    The mortuary was filled with adults I didn''t know, and the chief mourner, that hateful human being, was busy greeting people here and there.


    "It''s okay..."


    I could hear people asking my father questions in the distance.


    "Ah, it¡¯s all right...¡±


    His voice, emerging from a grief-stricken face as he smiled and answered questions, sounded cracked and stuffy. He appeared to not be okay, and yet still seemingly forcing a smile.


    It was despicable.


    Did those people know that trash hadn''t shed a single tear after my mother died? They probably didn''t know... that that human being had never visited my mother when she was admitted to the hospital. There was no way for them to know how my mother and I had been treated at home. No, he wouldn¡¯t let them know.


    It had already been a while since my mother''s mortuary had become their social center, and an unprecedented stage of ¡®haha¡¯s and ¡®hoho¡¯s. Just being there made me dizzy, and made me want to leave my seat to vomit right away.


    It was purely because of my mother that I was standing here looking at those masked monsters. If I weren¡¯t here, this mortuary likely would have resembled a flamboyant masquerade for medieval nobles. It was at the point of being an insult to the deceased.


    Ah, poor mother, who lived her whole life essentially as a maid. This had been the result of enduring all kinds of insults from my father.


    Did you want to show this kind of scene to your son? If it was for your son, you shouldn''t have died in the first place. You should¡¯ve lived longer than that trashy human being, and lived a long time with his inheritance¡­ You should have lived a really long, happy life.


    "Now, I''ll start the cremation along with the relics of the deceased,¡± the funeral director said.


    The chief mourner and the other people began to move. Soon, people picked up my mother''s coffin and headed to the crematorium.


    An expensive coffin entered a cramped space, a fire broke out for a moment, and then a voice said the cremation was finished.


    Saddened at the thought that it was already over, I looked at the clock and saw that considerable time had already passed.


    I felt empty.


    The expensive coffin and clothes were luxuries she had never enjoyed in her lifetime. The ancestral rite table was so extravagant that it bore no resemblance to her daily life of eating only one bowl of seaweed soup with a few vegetable side dishes and red pepper paste.


    It had all turned into a handful of ashes contained in a small urn. To think that urn was my mother... It was so ridiculous, it made me laugh.


    "Thank you for coming."


    In the distance, my so-called father kept meeting and greeting people to the end, leaving my mother on the backburner¡­ No, the expression "backburner" was still too much. She was nonexistent to him. She was just being treated like air.


    I lightly touched the window of the compartment that contained my mother''s urn, resting on the shelf of the charnel house, and turned around.


    It wasn''t my mother that I had touched. It was my reflection in the window, with not a single tear on my face, just like my father. If I kept looking at my face any more, I felt I might punch the window out of anger.


    Turning around, I walked past the trash and left the charnel house. When I passed by, the guy called ¡®Father¡¯ glanced at me in passing, and didn''t even try to stop or talk to me.


    Sitting in the backyard in a black suit after escaping, I bit down on a cigarette and lit it. The smoke I exhaled scattered into the sky. I took out my mother''s cheap diary, which I had secretly taken, while biting the cigarette.


    .


    xx Year xx Month xx Day is sunny.


    Today, I heard the news that ¡®...¡¯ had a fight at school and rushed over.


    At school, I saw a child with black eyes; my son sitting on the sofa peacefully with a healthy face; a woman, the mother of the child who had been hit; and a teacher.


    As soon as the mother of the child who had been beaten by my son saw me, she screamed, and the teacher constantly tried to calm her down.


    I had to apologize. Anyone could see that my son was fine, and the other child had worsening bruises, so I had no choice but to apologize.


    The mother of the child had been shouting for a long time. She stopped because of the principal, who came over after receiving a phone call from my husband, and an unknown call she received.


    First, after taking my son home early, I asked him why he hit the other child. He said I should have asked as soon as I came, and asked bluntly, ¡°What use is asking now?¡±


    When I heard those words, I realized my mistake, but it was too late. My son must have had his own reasons. But I scolded him regardless, saying that hitting the other child was wrong.


    Then my son smiled cynically, locked himself in his room, and didn¡¯t come out.


    My husband, after arriving home late at night, knocked hard on our son''s room angrily. My husband cursed and shouted for him to come out, but our son didn¡¯t answer.


    Then, my angry husband picked up a golf club and began to hit the doorknob. I was surprised and tried to stop him, but he pushed me, finally broke opened the door, and began to hit our son with the golf club.


    Feeling cold, I thought I needed to stop him. I grabbed my husband, but he pushed me while cursing, and after receiving a shock to my head, I fainted.


    By the time I woke up, I was in my room. As I left the room, I could see my son¡¯s broken door, and my son making coffee with a bruised face.


    I asked my son if he was okay, and he gave me coffee with a bitter smile that resembled my husband, asking, "Why did you step in and get hurt like a fool?"


    .


    Below that, due to an old tear mark, the ink was smudged and couldn¡¯t be read.


    It was really foolish. Really...


    Cigarette smoke entered my eyes and blurred my vision, but no tears flowed.


    It was really foolish.


    I chewed on the cigarette filter. Emotional things weren¡¯t my cup of tea.


    * * *


    After my mother''s funeral, I went back to my own rented room near my high school and turned on the computer. The room was a place where my mother had begun to live independently after being hospitalized.


    When I turned on the computer, my message box was full. Ever since my mother was hospitalized, I had never turned on the computer properly, so it was natural that things had piled up.


    One of the reasons was that there had been no way to check the messenger I used because it was made with a self-made tool, so it couldn¡¯t be linked to a mobile phone or another computer.


    -Lactose Intolerance: Huh, younger brother?!


    As soon as I logged into the messenger, ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯ responded.


    -Crow: Who''s younger than you? We don''t even know each other''s faces.


    When I sent a message saying ¡®don''t make me laugh¡¯, ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯ replied, bold-faced.


    -Lactose Intolerance: Since I joined the messenger first


    -Lactose Intolerance: I''m older than you


    -Lactose Intolerance: You joined later, so you''re younger than me. What¡¯s the problem?


    I snorted and sent a message.


    -Crow: Show your ID.


    -Lactose Intolerance: Ayy, what ID. Aren¡¯t we both Korean?


    -Crow: Who says I''m Korean?


    -Lactose Intolerance: Isn''t your ID card Korean?


    I wrote ¡®Don''t make me laugh¡¯ in Filipino, and ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯ said he was actually Brazilian in Cantonese. In response, I asked why a Brazilian was speaking Cantonese in Portuguese.


    In fact, these were all meaningless conversations. It was clear that dozens of proxies were used to log into the messenger. Even if he spoke fluent Korean, there was no guarantee that he was Korean.


    -Carbonara: Oh, what''s going on? Crow is here?


    -Carbonara: Didn''t you quit being a hacker?


    Suddenly, ¡®Carbonara¡¯ greeted me happily using my nickname ¡®Crow¡¯.


    -Crow: Ahh, it''s been a while since I last had someone I wanted to kill.


    -Crow: I''m going to become active again.


    My messenger was full of smiling onomatopoeia.


    -Lactose Intolerance: ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É


    -Carbonara: lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol


    -Carbonara: ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯, why don¡¯t you laugh the usual way using ????? It doesn''t look normal.


    -Lactose Intolerance: I accidentally pressed the Korean/English switch in the past, and now he¡¯s asking where I¡¯m from :D


    -Carbonara: Anyway, who else are you going to bury?


    ¡®Carbonara¡¯ asked me a question.


    So far, I''d never really tried to bury anyone. It had just been practice to bury my damn father.


    For practice, I had just caused a mafia uprising in Italy. I had tried to drive a wedge between the Yakuza and the Triads, and had also broken into the CIA''s servers and sold information to an anonymous person at a high price.


    For reference, the mafias still hadn¡¯t noticed that someone had intentionally triggered the uprising. On the side of the Triads, they thought it was American gangs who had done it, and the CIA suspected an internal spy.


    The fact that I had done such things was also something that even among these messenger groups, ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯, ¡®Carbonara¡¯, and ¡®I''m My TOP¡¯ didn¡¯t know.


    What was funny was that ¡®Carbonara¡¯ thought I was Indian, ¡®I''m My TOP¡¯ thought I was CIA, and I didn''t know what ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯ thought.


    -Crow: Does anyone have a zombie computer at Moronz headquarters?


    Moronz was a famous office program company, and zombie computers were computers that had fallen under hacker control.


    -Carbonara: Wait, Moronz headquarters? Who would have such a dangerous thing in a place full of monster hackers?


    ¡®Lactose Intolerance¡¯ responded to ¡®Carbonara¡¯.


    -Lactose Intolerance: Me! Me! I have one! I have one!


    -Carbonara: Are you crazy?!


    He was seriously crazy. To think he had planted a virus at Moronz headquarters, which was impossible for most hackers due to their impenetrable firewall. If you were tracked back and caught, you would get a sentence of a few hundred years.


    I told ''Lactose Intolerance¡¯...


    -Crow: All right, that''s good. Keep it well and pass it on to your descendants as an heirloom.


    -Carbonara : lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol


    -Lactose Intolerance: ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É ¿É So mean ??


    I looked in the mirror and distorted my lips to try to laugh at the boring joke. But in the mirror, I had an expression of disgust.


    I managed to endure my desire to throw the mirror away, and covered it so it couldn¡¯t be seen. In the future, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for me to look in the mirror except for shaving.


    -Carbonara: So what do you need? I''ll give it to you cheap.


    I told ¡®Carbonara¡¯ that it was fine and sent a smiling emoticon.


    Would I be able to laugh when I destroyed him?


    * * *


    Reporter Lee sighed as he chewed on some eundan, looking at the reflection of his face in the LCD computer screen after not having been able to go home for three days.[1]


    It was good that he had gotten to be a reporter for the city division the way he wanted, but the articles he wrote kept having to be made according to his superior¡¯s taste, so he didn''t feel like living these days.


    It would have been nice if a scoop had dropped out of nowhere, but there couldn''t be such a convenient thing in the world.


    Thinking that way, he spit out the eundan he had been chewing, gargled lukewarm water from a plastic bottle, and swallowed it. He was a crazy guy who couldn''t even brush his teeth, because he cleaned his shoes with his own toothbrush that lay on his desk.


    Thinking he should start working again, he woke his computer from sleep and opened his email first. If his boss sent him an email but he missed it, he would receive some discipline.


    As soon as the reporter opened his email program, he received a message.


    -A tip-off


    A tip-off? Reporter Lee clicked the email, thinking it was a trivial thing with someone sending some nonsense as a tip-off. He checked the photo attached to the email while drinking his lukewarm water.


    "Pppfff-!" At that moment, he was so surprised that all the water he had been drinking sprayed from his nose and mouth.


    "Ah, senior, that¡¯s gross!" Reporter Lee''s junior reproached him with a frown.


    But Reporter Lee was too focused on the picture. Suddenly, he shouted, "I-it''s a scoop!"


    He quickly printed the photos that had been attached to the email and ran to the office of the city division¡¯s deputy head. But even in his hurry, he didn''t forget to close the email.


    * * *


    I stopped fiddling with the computer and turned on the TV because the news was about to start. The black screen lit up, showing the familiar announcer''s face reflected on the screen.


    -Today, the chairman of the international organization of superpowered people, the World Hero Union (WHU)¡ªalso known as the strongest hero, Sir Blip de Menter¡ªannounced his retirement and selected Na Yerin, known as the Hero of Light, as his successor. Before she gave up all her nationalities as a hero, she was Korean-British when she was young...


    After some irrelevant and unimportant stories passed by, the announcer continued the report, looking serious around the time when a scoop would usually be announced.


    -Our news team received a tip-off. Let''s take a look at the picture.


    The picture on the screen depicted an upper executive police officer and the mayor of the city having a drink.


    If it had been them simply having a drink, it wouldn¡¯t have been on the news like this. However, if it were a drinking party surrounded by naked women, such that half the picture had to be censored, it would be a hot topic.


    Honestly, although I had reported it, I hadn¡¯t been sure whether it would get on the news. It wasn¡¯t because of the information itself, but I had thought it might get blocked because the editors-in-chief of the news outlets, including the one I had reported it to, were friendly with those people.


    Of course, if it hadn¡¯t been reported, I would have hacked into the news outlet I had reported it to and made it seem as if it had been discovered by accident. If that had happened, the press wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid accusations of covering up the facts on purpose, but fortunately, they had reported it.


    Now it was time to add more firewood to the scandal and move onto the second step.


    1. Eundan is a candy that looks like silver balls and carries a refreshing sensation, similar to Tic Tacs.

 CH 329.

    Chief Editor Kim had been suffering from anxiety after watching the news report the day before. He worried that the two summoned by the prosecution would call out his name.


    "No, it''ll be okay...¡± he mumbled as he fiddled with his cellphone. His connection to those two wasn¡¯t very deep. In addition, it was fortunately relatively easy to cut the tail[1] when it came to them.


    Even if that person was a mayor, he could be described as a freshman politician, and he was just a second-term congressman. He had only become a mayor due to bribes and his political party, rather than his own ability. If those two wanted to keep living on Korean soil, they wouldn¡¯t open their mouths recklessly.


    For now, it was best to stick to the congressmen and entrepreneurs involved in order to avoid the rain. Well, if he used the information sleeping in his computer, it would be easy to create some shelter to avoid this sudden shower. Not only that, but he could be safer than anyone else. The power of information was truly that great.


    While Chief Editor Kim was comforting himself, someone suddenly barged through his office door. "Who is it?!" he exclaimed angrily. But he couldn¡¯t do anything as men in black suits filled the room, and one man pushed something toward him.


    "I''m Prosecutor Joo," said the man after displaying his civil servant ID, before putting it back in his inner pocket and taking out a document. "And this is a warrant. Let''s get to work."


    As soon as Prosecutor Joo finished speaking, the men in sturdy black suits, who had been standing like folding screens behind him, began sweeping everything on Chief Editor Kim''s desk into a blue box.


    When an investigator touched Chief Editor Kim''s computer, he shouted in surprise, "Wa, wait! Why!? Tell me why you''re doing this first!¡±


    Prosecutor Joo looked at Chief Editor Kim with a rather strange gaze. "Would a person like Joo Pil have such a slow news network?" he retorted as he showed Chief Editor Kim a holographic picture, projected into the air by his latest-model cellphone.


    Chief Editor Kim couldn¡¯t help but freeze when he saw the picture. This was because the picture showed him naked, with naked women in both arms. When?!


    "Oh, and you¡¯ll have to go with us. Give me your hand,¡± Prosecutor Joo said.


    The sight of Prosecutor Joo grabbing his hand and handcuffing him blurred in Chief Editor Kim¡¯s eyes. The three rules Prosecutor Joo recited didn¡¯t enter his ears properly.


    The disgusted gazes of his subordinates, who were watching from outside the room, seemed to foretell his fate.


    * * *


    Now, the way out was blocked. That Joo Pil¡¯s computer contained a large amount of information that could remove the trash¡¯s backing. That information would be the guillotine used to kill that trash.


    Now it was time to move on to the next step. Should I help the police, who were already suffering from the scandal?


    * * *


    Lieutenant Chun had felt like dying for a few days. The atmosphere was tense because a high-ranking police officer had made a mistake while having fun, but the upper management had only asked him to produce results that could change the atmosphere.


    Lieutenant Chun''s misfortune was that he was working in a place run by a crazy bastard who thought with neither his head nor his heart, but rather the thing between his crotch.


    To be exact, it was the misfortune of the entire police force. In the past, those who were on the streets had been gangster villains with weak superpowers, so one could just raid them at night and put them behind bars, but that wasn¡¯t the case these days.


    Thanks to that, their current target was an underground gambling house, ¡®Greenhouse¡¯, that was usually just referred to as the House.


    However, he couldn¡¯t catch the moles in hiding at an insane rate just because he had suddenly been told to catch them. So he was in a situation where he couldn''t even go home, and was just going around in circles.


    "Ah, this sucks,¡± he complained.


    "That''s right,¡± said the man next to him while stuffing red bean bread into his mouth. There were many more bags of red bean bread under his legs.


    "Hey, don''t you get tired of stuffing your face with sweet red bean bread?" Lieutenant Chun asked.


    "I''m tired of it,¡± the other man said.


    "Then why are you stuffing your face with it?" Lieutenant Chun asked.


    "This is a kind of magic spell. When I can''t go home and have to do undercover work like this, if I eat only red bean bread, things seem to go well,¡± the man explained.


    Lieutenant Chun looked at his subordinate and thought he definitely had a screw loose. No matter how effective the ¡®spell¡¯ supposedly was, it was clear that he had to have severe mental issues to be eating only red bean bread like that.


    Once, when Lieutenant Chun had looked at his subordinate¡¯s notebook one time, he had seen a page filled with the words ¡®sweet red bean bread¡¯. Worried about his subordinate, Lieutenant Chun smacked him in the back of the head and snatched a piece of red bean bread, putting it in his mouth. Suddenly, a text message came in.


    -Text received! Text received!


    "What''s that cute notification?" his subordinate asked.


    "Shut up. My daughter set it up,¡± Lieutenant Chun said as he checked the text he had received. Suddenly, his expression stiffened. He thought for a moment then told his subordinate, "Eat only red bean bread from now on."


    "What?" his subordinate asked, confused.


    Lieutenant Chun showed his cellphone¡¯s screen to his subordinate. It contained several pictures of the House''s location, its operating hours, its operators, its main clients, and other corroborating evidence in detail.


    "Who sent it to you?" his subordinate asked.


    "I don''t know, but it''s worth checking out,¡± Lieutenant Chun said.


    If the text was real, a special promotion might not be a dream.


    * * *


    -This is breaking news. At around 3 a.m. today, the police from ¡­ police station succeeded in arresting a large-scale illegal gambling house.


    -This is the ... station located in ¡­; it is estimated that the amount of cash seized as related evidence alone will exceed two  billion won, and the estimated amount used for gambling exceeds billion won. The police decided to file a case with the prosecution for eleven people, including the owner of the gambling house, who was arrested at the scene.


    -The computer found at the gambling house revealed evidence related to gambling, and the police said they would expand the investigation.


    -The owner of the gambling house denies all the evidence contained in the computer and has repeated only the statement that this is unfair.


    I turned off the TV and turned on the computer again. It was true that this was unfair for the owner of the gambling house, but it was none of my business. It wasn¡¯t as if an innocent person had been the one to receive the sentence, and it was just that the sentence was a little longer than the one he would usually receive.


    Now, it was time to be patient and move on to the last step.


    * * *


    Chairman Jang headed to a Japanese restaurant with Judge Jeong as promised. He was on trial due to the overseas gambling he had been engaging in, and the judge of the trial was Judge Jeong. Unluckily, the police had caught the house, which had a connection with the casino he had been to; the prosecution found out about the overseas gambling house and caught him.


    Normally, it wouldn¡¯t matter that he had gotten caught. However, due to the massive sex scandal that had shaken up political and business circles, it was highly likely that this gambling case would be given a prison sentence proportional to the sum of gambling money used to silence the previous case.


    That was why he had come to meet the judge in charge. Chairman Jang had found out that the people who had been caught with him this time were sweating, going around to meet the judges and prosecutors who were in charge of their cases.


    Upon arriving at the Japanese restaurant, Chairman Jang headed straight to the plum room, the meeting place he had agreed on with Judge Jeong. In the plum room, a table full of fresh sashimi and delicious side dishes welcomed him. He looked at the clock, seeing that there was still time before Judge Jeong would arrive. As he was going to make a request, he had to avoid arriving later than the person who would do the favor.


    Chairman Jang waited anxiously for Judge Jeong. There was a possibility that Judge Jeong wouldn¡¯t arrive, because meeting with a defendant who was currently on trial would undermine his integrity as a judge. However, the fact that he hadn¡¯t received a call rejecting him yet meant Judge Jeong was still going to be there.


    Right when Chairman Jang was growing nervous, Judge Jeong entered the plum room a little past the promised time. When he saw Judge Jeong¡¯s face, he felt better. But at the same time, he felt disgusted by Judge Jeong, who had been late for the meeting. He could clearly see Judge Jeong¡¯s intent to shake him down.


    "Oh, Judge Jeong! How have you been?¡± Despite his inner thoughts, Chairman Jang got up and smiled brightly. No matter how disgusted he felt, it would be foolish to express it.


    "Yes, Chairman Jang. Have you been well?" Judge Jeong also smiled and received a handshake from Chairman Jang. His smile could spark great anger deep down, but he laughed like a good-natured person.


    "Haha. Thanks to you, I''ve been well. Okay, let''s sit down,¡± said Chairman Jang. The two sat down, talked, and ate.


    When they were decently full, Chairman Jang smiled and began to bring up the subject at hand. "Here¡¯s the thing about business. You bet money, right? But when you handle money, the stress that comes from it is no joke."


    "Huh-huh, is that so?" Judge Jeong responded by glancing at the attache case next to Chairman Jang.


    Chairman Jang saw Judge Jeong¡¯s eyes move and inwardly sneered as he continued talking. "Yes, that''s right. So while I was taking a breather...¡± He trailed off. Judge Jeong would understand with just this much.


    "Huh-huh, that''s possible,¡± Judge Jeong said.


    Chairman Jang smiled and clapped his hands as if he had forgotten about something, saying, "Aigoo, I forgot about the gift for Judge Jeong. As I get older, I often forget."


    In fact, if Judge Jeong hadn¡¯t answered in the affirmative, the gift would have naturally been forgotten. Chairman Jang opened the attache case he had next to him and placed it on the empty space on the table. It was full of 50,000 won bills. He said, "It''s an advance payment."


    Judge Jeong coughed dryly, seemingly flustered, but his greed-filled eyes couldn¡¯t lie. Upon seeing his reaction, Chairman Jang closed the attache case and pulled it toward himself sneakily to feel out Judge Jeong¡¯s thoughts. Then, Judge Jeong put on a wily smile as he grabbed the attache case to stop Chairman Jang.


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Huhuhuhuhu."


    The pair¡¯s eyes met and they laughed.


    * * *


    A man wearing a black hat that was pushed down over his head took a picture of Judge Jeong and Chairman Jang as they exited the Japanese restaurant.


    The two came out while talking in a friendly manner as they headed to the underground parking lot. Judge Jeong got in his car and left first, and Chairman Jang saw him off. Then, he entered his own car and left the parking lot as well.


    The man in the black hat continued to take pictures. When both of them left, he entered a nearby computer room, connected the camera to the computer, and transferred all the photos to it.


    Suddenly, the computer screen turned black and began to move on its own. The photos were sent somewhere, and after a while, the notepad program opened by itself, with words appearing on it.


    -Voice and video?


    The man wearing a black hat was scared that the computer might have suddenly become haunted, but he mustered courage and typed a reply into the notepad. It was like this when he had received the request as well.


    -I failed. The Japanese restaurant seemed to contain radio waves that interfere with electronic devices.


    As soon as he wrote those words, two letters appeared on screen as a response.


    -OK.


    At that moment, he got a text message on his cellphone. It was from the bank, telling him that 20 million won had been deposited.


    -I deposited the promised reward.


    As soon as the message finished appearing, the computer turned off and started again. Afterward, it no longer moved on its own.


    * * *


    As expected, it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Publicly, Judge Jeong was a fair judge and a very cautious person, so this outcome wasn¡¯t hard to believe..


    The restaurant where Chairman Jang and Judge Jeong had met was surrounded by devices that shielded the inside from the outside, as it was sponsored by people in the political and business circles. As such, this failure was predictable.


    Well, it didn¡¯t matter. If it couldn¡¯t be pierced from the outside, it just had to be pierced from the inside. A dagger in the back would usually be more shocking if a trusted person stuck it in.


    My smile just then was twisted.


    1. This figure of speech refers to the way lizards can detach their tails to escape capture.

 CH 330.

    Chapter 330. The Witch of Greed (10)


    "That didn¡¯t happen!¡± Judge Jeong shouted in frustration as he hung up the phone. He didn¡¯t know how the reporters had sniffed the information out, but they continued to ask whether he and Chairman Jang had ever been to a Japanese restaurant.


    Judge Jeong naturally responded that they had met by chance, but went their separate ways as soon as they encountered each other without having a long conversation.


    However, the reporters kept asking persistently. Many people wanted to tarnish Judge Jeong¡¯s fair image. Judge Yang, his rival in the war of nerves over who would be appointed to the Supreme Court, was one such person.


    Judge Jeong sighed as he tried to think of who the culprit might be, as this had happened at a critical time that could decide who would become a Supreme Court justice. In the end, he recognized that even if he kept thinking about it, it would be impossible to solve the mystery.


    In order to protect his image and secure his promotion as a Supreme Court justice, he had to sentence Chairman Jang for at least a few months. Without the presence of Judge Yang, there would have been no need to do that, but it was starting to become difficult to hide that he was being backed by a great deal of capital.


    However, he couldn''t turn a blind eye, since he had already received the money. It wasn¡¯t for Chairman Jang¡¯s sake, but for his own. Who would give him bribes if they were sentenced to prison even after giving him money?


    Judge Jeong agonized over his dilemma for some time before thinking of a solution. He called Chairman Jang.


    Crackle, buzz, crackle.


    The phone seemed a little staticky, but that could have been because it was old. Judge Jeong began to think, I should buy a new phone tomorrow. He maintained his image, no matter how trivial the detail, so there was no need for him to be carrying around a phone with issues.


    Just then, the call went through.


    -Hello.


    "Ah, Chairman Jang. It''s me, Judge Jeong."


    -Aigoo, Judge Jeong, why did you call?


    The voice seemed a little strange, but Judge Jeong ignored it, assuming his phone really was out of date. "Actually, a problem has arisen."


    -What?! What do you mean?!


    Judge Jeong inwardly clicked his tongue, thinking that the hot-tempered Chairman Jang was getting too heated again. However, he decided to let Chairman Jang¡¯s anger slide, since he was in the position of asking a favor for the sake of his image.


    He replied, "Huh-huh, Chairman Jang, please calm down. Chairman Jang, you know about it too, right? Pictures of us coming out of the Japanese restaurant are going around."


    -¡­Yes, I know.


    Chairman Jang¡¯s tone was rather blunt and seemingly dissatisfied, but Judge Jeong understood. He was a learned man who was able to hide such feelings, but wasn''t Chairman Jang an ignorant man who just had a lot of money?


    "It¡¯s good that you know about it. Actually, that''s why I called you,¡± he continued.


    -So?


    Judge Jeong was displeased with Chairman Jang¡¯s irritable tone, but he endured it and said, "I''m sorry, but in the first trial, the sentence..."


    -What?! Isn''t this different from your promise?!


    Even before Judge Jeong had finished speaking, the one on the other end of the phone call cut him off with a shout.


    Judge Jeong continued to speak, holding back the urge to curse Chairman Jang¡¯s uncouth behavior. "Chairman Jang, there''s nothing we can do about it. I''ll give you the probation I promised you somehow."


    -What do you think you¡¯re doing right now?!


    They continued arguing for a long time, but Judge Jeong kept trying to smooth over the situation. "Chairman Jang. Calm down and listen to me."


    -How can you say ¡®listen¡¯?! Throw up the money I gave you right now!


    Eventually, Judge Jeong revealed his true intentions after Chairman Jang kept being obstinate and angrily throwing out personal attacks. "If you keep going on like that, it¡¯ll be disadvantageous for you, Chairman Jang."


    -Are you threatening me right now?!


    The voice on the other end became more flustered and angry, and Judge Jeong realized that he had gone too far. He quickly said, "It''s not that. I''m asking for your understanding."


    Still, it felt as if Chairman Jang eventually calmed down a little, well aware that he was at a disadvantage.


    -Kkeung¡­! Fine, I¡¯m listening.


    Judge Jeong rejoiced at the fact that the other side had let go of his temper. However, he spoke calmly without revealing his true feelings. "It''s all because I¡¯m lacking, Chairman Jang."


    -If you know that, then do better.


    Judge Jeong''s patience almost lapsed again for a moment, but he barely managed to endure it.


    He tried to convince Chairman Jang that a prison sentence was necessary in the first trial, but that he would personally work to reduce the sentence to probation immediately in the second trial, before it even had to be served.


    At the same time, he suggested that it would be best to have a Supreme Court justice as an acquaintance. Despite that, he also implied through veiled threats that nothing good would happen if Chairman Jang didn''t listen.


    Finally, Chairman Jang spoke in a subdued voice, as if he understood.


    -I see. Then you''re going to get me out right away, right?


    Judge Jeong sighed and said, "Yes, of course. Of course I have to. I want to continue having a good relationship with Chairman Jang."


    -Hahaha. All right.


    Judge Jeong had managed to persuade Chairman Jang, but he was sweating bullets as he ended the call. Then he threw his phone onto the floor, yelling, "If I say to do something, he should shut his mouth and do it! That insect!¡± The phone broke into pieces when it hit the ground.


    Some people approached Judge Jeong, surprised by the sound of the cell phone breaking. One asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing. Please go about your business." Judge Jeong held his head in one hand and shook the other as he told them to leave. I should buy a new phone today, not tomorrow, he thought.


    * * *


    While playing golf, Chairman Jang received a call. He asked for some understanding from the company director he was with, and headed to a corner to answer his phone. "Hello."


    -Ah, Chairman Jang. It''s me, Judge Jeong.


    The voice Chairman Jang heard over the phone was slightly distorted by noise. He wondered why the snake had called, inwardly cursing Judge Jeong as a homeless person for not changing his phone.


    Still, he spoke politely without revealing his true feelings. ¡°Yes, Judge Jeong. Why did you call all of a sudden?¡± he asked.


    In truth, he had some idea of why the judge was calling him. Perhaps it was because of the photo of the two of them coming out of a Japanese restaurant, which was circulating on the internet.


    -Actually, it¡¯s because of the picture on the internet.


    "Picture?¡± Chairman Jang¡¯s mood dropped quickly, as his fears seemed to have been realized. His hot-tempered personality made him want to shout, but he decided to hear Judge Jeong out.


    -Yes. I''m calling you because I thought you might be worried, just in case you suspected me of having ulterior motives because of the picture.


    Chairman Jang calmed down, because for some reason, the way Judge Jeong was talking was different from what he had feared. He asked, "Oh, is that so?"


    -Yes. I''m calling to tell you not to worry, because we¡¯ll work toward probation as planned.


    "Really?" Chairman Jang replied, his tone brightening. He exchanged well-wishes and chatted for a while before ending the call.


    "Chairman Jang, did something good happen?¡± the director of the other company asked.


    Chairman Jang smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Haha, something like that happened."


    He grabbed a golf club and swung at a golf ball. The ball¡¯s smooth flight felt like his future, and he couldn''t stop laughing.


    * * *


    I removed the voice modulator attached to my phone and sent the recorded calls to my computer. They would be very useful.


    * * *


    Judge Jeong thought to himself that the prosecution and the defense were eagerly exchanging blows in a trial that had already been decided. He found the trial boring and only half-heartedly pretended to participate.


    When the trial concluded, he read the sentence. "¡­As such, this judge sentences the defendant to one year in prison."


    Chairman Jang, who had been sitting in the defendant''s seat, turned red.


    Judge Jeong thought it was admirable that Chairman Jang was putting on an act to make it look better for him. After all, he would become a Supreme Court justice, and eventually the Chief Justice, in the future. Chairman Jang could be an actor at this rate, he thought as he laughed.


    "Are you laughing?! Hey! Are you laughing?! Are you laughing after taking two billion won from me?!" Chairman Jang cried angrily.


    Judge Jeong''s expression stiffened. At the same time, the trial room was filled with murmurs. He decided he would have to calm the situation. He shouted back, "If I had been paid, would I have sentenced you to prison?"


    Chairman Jang became suspicious. He shouted as if he had been wrongly accused, "That bastard took my money!"


    However, the doubtful gazes in the room were directed only toward Chairman Jang, not Judge Jeong. After all, Judge Jeong had definitely handed down a prison sentence.


    Just then, Judge Jeong''s voice emerged from a speaker that had been placed in an empty audience seat.


    -Huh-huh, Chairman Jang, please calm down. Chairman Jang, you know about it too, right? Pictures of us coming out of the Japanese restaurant are going around.


    The conversation continued, as a voice that presumably belonged to Chairman Jang followed. It revealed that in order to become a Supreme Court justice, Judge Jeong would hand down a prison sentence initially, but he would work hard to change it to probation in the second trial before Chairman Jang would have to carry it out.


    "No! It''s a lie! Security! What are you doing!? Turn off the speaker!" Judge Jeong cried. However, everyone who heard the conversation looked at him with suspicion.


    * * *


    Good. As expected, a dagger in the back would be more shocking if a trusted person stuck it in, and even more so if one truly believed in that person.


    Now, all my preparations to catch those bastards were ready.


    Through the sex scandal, my father¡¯s personal connections had naturally been cut off. I had also handed over information that could be used to catch my father to the prosecution. In addition, thanks to Judge Jeong, several personal connections related to his corruption would be revealed one after another.


    The combination of Chief Editor Kim''s information and Judge Jeong''s corrupt connections could have an exceptionally strong synergistic effect.


    Of course, I naturally had to hand over even more information to the prosecution so things could go in the direction I wanted, but I could do that readily to catch the bastard.


    * * *


    Prosecutor Joo clutched his head as he pondered the situation he was in.


    Before he caught Chief Editor Kim, he had already been satisfied with the number of cases he had handled for his performance assessment.


    Prosecutor Joo had arrested Chief Editor Kim and collected evidence as usual. Naturally, that evidence included Chief Editor Kim''s computer. He had pressured Chief Editor Kim to reveal the password needed to unlock the computer. However, Chief Editor Kim had stubbornly refused, acting as if the computer contained his life.


    Prosecutor Joo was angered by Chief Editor Kim''s attitude, so he tried to crack the password himself. But perhaps because the encryption was special, he was unable to. After trying for some time, he gave up. There was already enough evidence circulating on the internet to put Chief Editor Kim behind bars.


    However, it was regrettable that he had to give up on the computer, which could contain information on the person who tied together figures such as the city mayor and the police chief. If he had enough time, he could probably open it.


    But when Judge Jeong was arrested, as if an emergency had broken out in the prosecution¡¯s upper office, Prosecutor Joo had been ordered to deal with it quickly. Considering Judge Jeong¡¯s influence in the legal field as a candidate for the position of Supreme Court justice, it wasn¡¯t all that strange.


    Prosecutor Joo slammed his fists on the keyboard in frustration, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, the computer screen turned on, and the phrase "User is logging in" appeared on the screen.


    "What? What''s the password?" he mumbled. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, because he had just hit the keyboard. He was flustered, but he still checked the computer. Since this had happened somehow, he decided to look for evidence anyway.


    Prosecutor Joo skimmed through various files with his mouse. He stared at the monitor without moving, as if he had even forgotten to breathe.


    Chief Editor Kim''s computer contained records on the corruption of an important figure he had never even thought of. If this blew up, it would be on a scale that a single prosecutor like himself couldn¡¯t handle. If this information got out, it would either result in a rapid promotion, or an equally rapid demotion.


    As Prosecutor Joo contemplated his options, the news began playing on the TV.


    -It has come to light that Judge Jeong, who caused a social stir by taking bribes to change a prison sentence to probation, has been continuously receiving funds from someone.


    Prosecutor Joo checked Chief Editor Kim''s computer again in a flash while listening to the news. The files on it seemed to be pointing to the source of the very funds being referred to.


    * * *


    A star prosecutor was being born on TV.


    A sex scandal, an overseas gambling case, and a rare case involving a corrupt judge had combined ¡®coincidentally¡¯ into an arrow directed toward the head of a leading conglomerate.


    As it happened, that large conglomerate served as the landlord in the area where I lived, and the trash that shared blood with me had been living as an ass in lion¡¯s skin by being devoted to that landlord.


    The head of that large conglomerate naturally had to put forward something to block the arrow that had been shot at him. As such, he would put forward a scapegoat in his stead.


    Naturally, the scapegoat would begin to rebel in order to survive. But ¡®coincidentally¡¯, the scapegoat¡¯s corruption would be discovered, unrelated to the conglomerate, leaving no way out.


    There was one last thing left.


    * * *


    Prisoner 6811 screamed angrily in his cell. Because of the fuss he had created in this unbelievable situation, he had been confined to a small solitary room.


    Obviously, he was the one who had given money to Judge Jeong. However, he had only done it as an errand for the chairman.


    The prosecutor who had indicted Prisoner 6811 and the judge who had given the ruling were well aware of that fact. As evidence of that, Prisoner 6811¡¯s application for an appeal had repeatedly been rejected.


    There was still a chance. Prisoner 6811 recalled his secret funds as he reflected on his situation. With the money he had saved up while working as the personal assistant to the head of a large conglomerate, it would be possible to hire a strong lawyer and start a new business after his release. If it didn''t work out, he could also take his only son with him and flee abroad.


    Even in despair, Prisoner 6811 didn¡¯t let go of that faint thread of hope. However, he didn¡¯t know¡­


    ¡­that the hope contained in Pandora''s box would actually turn out to be despair.


    "Prisoner 6811, a letter arrived for you." A dull-voiced prison guard pushed an envelope through the gap in the solitary room and disappeared as if nothing had happened.


    Prisoner 6811 carefully picked up the paper envelope on the floor, slowly reading the documents within. The envelope¡¯s contents were all related to his funds under an assumed name, as well as his secret offshore accounts. As such, he urgently checked through them.


    "Ha, haha, hahahaha¡­¡± He began laughing. In every one of those documents, the ¡®Balance¡¯ field was marked with a zero.


    "Haha, ha, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Prisoner 6811 screamed, clenching the documents.


    * * *


    It had been a long time. I stroked an old notebook.


    Now, following my mother¡¯s last wishes, I should at least become a civil servant the way she had wanted. First, after graduating from high school, I would go to a decently well-known university, take a Class V civil servant exam, and live safely. The money my father had left would be enough to live the rest of my life without having to work as a hacker.


    I stroked my face, feeling slightly fatigued, and realized that my beard had grown shaggy. There had been no one to point that out, because after my mother died, I had stopped going to school. I hadn¡¯t noticed because I had accidentally and impulsively broken all the mirrors in my house.


    I started shaving using only my razor blade, without even a mirror.


    "Ouch,¡± I exclaimed as I cut my chin with the razor. White shaving cream mixed with red blood, dripping from my face. It fell into a puddle, creating a ripple.


    It hurts.


    It wasn''t the cut from the razor blade. My whole body felt sick.


    Rain falling down, white bubbles bursting from a beer can, the blinding headlights of a truck¡­ Red blood, spreading in the rain¡­


    Oh, have I been seeing ¡®memories¡¯ all this time? Looking back on one¡¯s life is such a ****.


    I laughed cynically. The smile reflected in the puddle wasn¡¯t my usual twisted smile, but rather a bright smile. Perhaps due to the rainfall, that twisted smile had itself been distorted into such a bright smile?


    Then let''s be thankful for the rain, I thought as my consciousness grew distant.


    The blood that belonged to that person¡ªme¡ªfelt infinitely cold as it flowed across the ground. No matter how hard I tried, that blood wouldn¡¯t become warm again¡­ not unless I died and was born again.


    That day, I found a bandage and thought about putting it on the cut. I should go to school tomorrow. Because my mother would want it. She would want me to sincerely smile brightly.


    I reached out my hands to the light that shone on me.


    My red-stained hand...


    * * *


    ¡­reached out.


    "Ehew! How!?¡± The Witch of Greed, whose abdomen had been penetrated by my hand, was shocked. "You shouldn''t have been able to escape from the illusion without killing yourself...!¡±


    My whole body was overflowing with energy. It was overflowing with power that couldn¡¯t be compared to before, when my mana had been depleted.


    I shouted, pulling my arm out of the Witch of Greed''s abdomen, "It''s a reincarnation truck, you bastard!¡±


    I wondered, how was I smiling right now? Was it the bright smile that had been reflected in the puddle? Or was it still that twisted smile? I couldn¡¯t know.

 CH 331.

    Chapter 331. The Witch of Greed (11)


    It felt as if I had unlocked a latch that was blocking something. Something that had felt tight, even up until yesterday, had disappeared.


    The magic that the Witch of Greed had cast on me served to imprison me inside my own mind, in an infinite regression to the past. Death was the only way to break the loop, but you would be unaware you returned? It was a vicious spell. Under ordinary circumstances, it would leave one no choice but to become a puppet.


    Anyway, how much time had passed? Because I had just relived my previous life, my sense of time was twisted.


    I looked at the fallen Arietta. Fortunately, Arietta hadn''t died yet, so honestly, I was relieved. Even though she had such a big wound, the fact she hadn¡¯t died meant that not much time had passed.


    I reached out in the direction of the fallen Arietta and said, "Be healed." Mana moved as I spoke and began to heal Arietta.


    In the past, she¡¯d had to be stabilized for months with the help of the workshop, but this time she recovered immediately without cumbersome procedures. To be exact, the wounded area became whole, as if time had reversed and the wound had never existed to begin with.


    "What..." The Witch of Greed was shocked to see Arietta being healed. Normally, it wasn¡¯t difficult to remove a scar, but it would be impossible to restore the area to how it had been before the scar occurred.


    "Wow, this works?¡± I commented.


    Now such a thing was possible. Death had led to the expansion of my cognition and diversification of my thinking; or, to put it simply, death had made me think a lot. In other words, I had experienced a sense of unity akin to becoming one with the world, a sense of fear and relief from forcibly ceasing to exist, and a desire to find myself again at the end.


    That state of mind could be called enlightenment.


    Although in truth, rather than enlightenment, I just knew that life was like X[1] through death. It was a realization that wasn¡¯t so great as to be called fate, but couldn¡¯t be explained in words.


    It felt as if I had released my shackles, but as a result, the impression that life was still like X remained unchanged.


    I seized the Witch of Greed¡¯s body as she tried to escape.


    "Kuuuk!"


    "Where are you going?" I asked. But the moment I twisted the Witch of Greed¡¯s neck, I frowned and muttered, "Oh, I''m doomed."


    It seemed that during the very short time I was being manipulated, the Demon King summons had been pulled from my head. Looking at the mana around me, it seemed that the contents of the Demon King summons had already been sent to the Demon King worshippers.


    What could I say to my aunt now? But there was nothing I could do. Who could have thought the Witch of Greed would have been controlling the phoenix from inside it?


    It would have been different if my mana had been restored, but because of my depleted mana, my senses had been limited.


    "You daaare!" the Witch of Greed exclaimed. Black mana and vindictive souls exploded from her body as she was being choked.


    Feeling a burning hot sensation climbing up my hand, I let go. From the looks of it, that power had come at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lives. I remarked, "Hmm, did you combine spirits and vindictive souls? You¡¯re crazy."


    Purity was power for spirits, but it was poison for vindictive souls. Nevertheless, it was a foolish act to undermine the power of both the spirits and the vindictive souls by combining them like this.


    No, wait, was it wise? The Witch of Greed had a disaster-level spirit, and she had needed to weaken the innumerable, powerful vindictive souls in order to properly handle them. The total amount of power had decreased after they were weakened, but the force she emitted was incomparably stronger than it had been a few days ago.


    "Ahahahaha! Be buried in the vindictive spirits and die!" The Witch of Greed released her vindictive souls with all her might as she escaped my grasp.


    The way she controlled the vindictive souls was simple, as if she didn¡¯t know necromancy well. However, it was as strong and efficient as it was simple. Its simplicity actually left fewer opportunities to penetrate the attack.


    "Disappear,¡± I said simply. Just like that, the vindictive souls that were rushing over like a flock of starving ghosts trying to eat me up were scattered.


    "Huh? What?" The Witch of Greed seemed genuinely perplexed.


    I calmly looked for cigarettes in my inner pocket... Oh, wait. ¡®I¡¯ didn''t smoke.


    I am me. I was me in my previous life, but it was Denburg Blade that was living in the present. Seeing that my ego was coming back again, I concluded that puberty had come.


    Instead of cigarettes, I poured mana into the Holy Sword and said, "It''s nothing much. I just purified them because there were so many gaps. Who told you to control them like that?¡± As I took a step closer, the Witch of Greed stepped back, petrified.


    But it was still weird. No matter how bad she was, she was still a great madosa. Would a great madosa show such weaknesses? If she wasn¡¯t using complex magic and was just brute forcing it¡­ Was she actually not a great madosa?


    "Don¡¯t, don''t come closer!" the Witch of Greed exclaimed.


    "But what if I want to?" I approached with a playful smile, and the Witch of Greed reached out toward the fallen Arietta.


    "You told me not to come, but you''re coming instead?¡± I asked as I used space magic to switch places with Arietta, twisting the Witch of Greed¡¯s arm as she rushed at me.


    "Argh!" After I subdued her, the Witch of Greed shouted viciously, "We''ll see about that!" Then, she cast magic with her free hand, severing her own neck.


    "Where do you keep trying to go?!¡± I cried as I cut the air with the Holy Sword. To be exact, I severed the thread of the Witch of Greed¡¯s soul, which was concealed somewhere and connected to her body. In other words, I cut what was normally intangible and couldn¡¯t be cut.


    "Kaaaaaa!" The Witch of Greed screamed painfully due to her severed neck. "No! Ahhhhh!"


    I didn''t care whether the Witch of Greed screamed or not. Surprised by the sensation of cutting what couldn¡¯t be cut, I looked at the Holy Sword and muttered, "I see. A desire to cut... A sincere desire to cut down what can¡¯t be cut. Is this what¡¯s called the Heart Sword?"


    Indeed, if this was the case, I could see why my great-grandfather and father couldn¡¯t reach the level of Heart Sword. There was nothing they couldn¡¯t destroy with both hands, so there was no reason for them to understand the desire to cut something from deep within.


    In that regard, I could be grateful to the trash of my previous life. He had awakened me to the pure malice of wanting to kill with all my heart¡­


    No, was it that he had awakened me to rolling on the floor and screaming?


    I magically lifted the Witch of Greed''s head. She said, "Spare me, save me! If, if you let me go, I¡¯ll do anything! I won''t be hostile again!" She prayed desperately with tears in her eyes.


    If I left things as they were, the thread of her soul would naturally reconnect. Then it would return to her body, allowing her to come back again with another puppet.


    "I can understand that you don''t want to die,¡± I began. The Witch of Greed seemed hopeful when she heard those words. But I smiled and took a moderately large magic stone off her headless body, continuing, "But if you were going to beg for your life, you shouldn''t have prepared to stab me in the back, right?"


    The Witch of Greed grew pale as I finished speaking. In the magic stone, black mana bubbled as if it were about to explode. She had hidden it with magic, but this was evidence that she had clearly been trying to stab me in the back.


    I gripped the magic stone firmly and squeezed.


    The Witch of Greed exclaimed, "Kyaaaak! No!"


    "Yes!" I shot back.


    Crack!


    The magic stone completely broke, and black mana spread in all directions.


    To be honest, I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t a waste to scatter the black mana into the air, but it had been contaminated by the vindictive souls for too long. This was the kind of mana you couldn''t use unless you were a black magician.


    "Ahh! Ahhhhhhhh!!" When the magic stone was broken, the Witch of Greed, who had only her head left, could no longer survive using its power. She wouldn¡¯t hold out until the string of her soul was reconnected. She cried, "Sa, save me! I don''t want to die! If it''s you, you can save me! If there is anything you want, I can give it to you!"[2]


    When I heard her desperate voice, I yawned and said, "Really? What can someone lower level than me give me?"


    "My¡­! In my pocket space...!¡± the Witch of Greed shouted urgently.


    But right in front of her, her pocket space opened as if it had been torn open. I asked, "What about your pocket space?"


    The Witch of Greed was left speechless. I could understand her surprise. Normally, pocket spaces were something that others couldn¡¯t open. I had also been very surprised when my great-grandfather had first opened my pocket space.


    For some reason, I had thought it might work, so I¡¯d tried to imitate my great-grandfather, but it was easier than I first thought.


    "Oh, there''s a lot of useful stuff,¡± I remarked. As expected of someone that had already been a top madosa 120 years ago, the Witch of Greed had many items in the pocket space that tempted me. Of course, I moved all of them to my pocket space. Then I said, "Now the only things I want from you are disaster-level spirits. But you did something pointless and made them unusable.¡±


    She had done something truly wasteful. How could she throw away precious resources that took hundreds or thousands of years to grow naturally? The Witch of Greed, however, was devastated by my firm statement.


    "Well, it¡¯s not as if I can¡¯t save you, but I''m not that evil,¡± I said.


    The Witch of Greed was horrified, as if she could guess what I meant. She must have been well aware of the fact that there were countless things a magician could do if they abandoned their humanity. Leaving the body and going around as a doll was itself evidence that she had been doing research into such a thing. She begged, "Ple, please¡­!"


    "This is my final mercy. There will be no pain,¡± I said as I flicked my finger and cast a spell.


    "No, no!" The Witch of Greed crumbled into ash like burnt firewood and blew away in the wind.


    If I had wanted to cause the maximum amount of pain, with the Witch of Greed¡¯s head, I could have destroyed her personality and used it as a tool for magic calculation.


    But I didn''t do that, because I hadn¡¯t quite given up on humans to that degree. It wasn''t a waste.


    Of course, I did somewhat feel that I had killed the Witch of Greed too blandly compared to what she had done so far. However, I couldn''t be too harsh on my great-grandfather''s comrade.


    I sighed as I looked at the fainted elders of the Butterfly tribe around me. "Come on, let''s wake up now!" I yelled, clapping my hands. The black mana that surrounded the elders of the Butterfly tribe blew away, and the elders struggled to come to their senses.


    Then, something with great presence flew over from afar.


    "Youngest! Are you okay?!¡± That presence belonged to my father.


    I couldn¡¯t help but swallow dryly when I heard my father¡¯s urgent question. I muttered, "My god... How strong are you, Father?¡±


    Was it because my perspective on the world had changed? Now that I had overcome my limit, when I looked at my father, the level of danger I saw was on a different level from when I had seen him before..


    "Huh? What are you talking about? How strong am I? Of course I¡¯m the strongest!" my father answered as if it were natural, then looked at me and quickly noticed something strange. He asked, "Youngest, no way... Did you by chance overcome it?"


    "Yes, I think so,¡± I replied. My father just looked at me as if I were a monster. I said, "That gaze is unfair."


    It wasn¡¯t just unfair; it was very unfair, considering that my father was stronger than me. I didn¡¯t think I could win.


    My father exclaimed, seemingly dumbfounded, "What do you mean unfair? You deserve this kind of gaze if you surpassed the limit before turning twenty years old. I only managed it when I was over forty. Don''t you think so?¡± Despite those words, he looked sincerely happy.


    "By the way, now you¡¯ll finally be fun to fight, Youngest,¡± he added. It was a pity that I didn''t know whether his joy was due to the growth of his son, or because he finally had a good rival.


    1. The author literally uses ¡®X¡¯ instead of going into detail. ?


    2. She switches over in the middle from casual to honorifics. ?


    Bookmark

 CH 332

    Chapter 332. Caesar of Belief (1)


    I lightly raised both hands while looking at my happy father, saying, "I surrender. It''s inappropriate to fight considering the current situation or place."


    This was the Demon¡¯s Territory, but in terms of distance, it wasn¡¯t very far from the Asteria Duchy.


    If I had fought before I surpassed the limit, it was clear that I would be overpowered before the battlefield grew larger than ten meters. However, with my current self, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for my father to overpower me, so there was a high risk of damage to the empire, or to be exact, to the territory of my maternal grandfather.


    "Hmm, that''s true. That''s too bad." Fortunately, my father was also able to distinguish the situation, so he nodded and moved on.


    "Oh, and the Demon King summons in my head were taken away,¡± I said in a passing tone as if it were nothing.


    My father nodded casually and replied, "Really? That''s a big deal."


    "Yes. It''s a big deal,¡± I affirmed as I magically helped the elders of the Butterfly tribe back onto their feet.


    "So what are you going to do?" my father asked, in a tone that made it sound as if he were asking what I was going to eat for lunch today.


    I shrugged and answered, "Well, even though they took the spell, they can''t summon the Demon King right away, so we still have time. It''s just that I have a time limit.¡±


    In fact, it was quite urgent. I still hadn¡¯t identified where the Demon King summoning would take place, and the Demon¡¯s Territory was very wide. Considering that the previous Demon King had destroyed about five countries in the past, the Demon¡¯s Territory was much larger than the total area of the empire.


    "Then what''s your plan? Do we have to have a meeting again?¡± My father frowned, as if he considered it a drag to listen to boring explanations in the command room.


    "No, there isn¡¯t even time for a meeting. It''s a bit self-righteous, and I don''t like it that much, but I¡¯ll have to give instructions to the Butterfly tribe without a meeting,¡± I said. Fortunately, considering how they had moved when we caught the phoenix, I thought they would cooperate.


    "They did seem to love following what you say." My father shook his head, adding that he couldn''t understand.


    In fact, I was a magician myself, but I couldn''t understand it either. They had looks of respect that were too pure to just be attempts to suck up. If someone didn¡¯t intend to take advantage of you, whether they were higher or lower level than you shouldn¡¯t matter.


    "Yeah, I''ll follow your or Hestia''s opinion anyway, so do as you please,¡± my father said. He passed everything on to me so naturally.


    "Then let''s get back to the military and talk after we eat,¡± I said.


    My father nodded with a smile of satisfaction. "That''s a good idea. Wise."


    I thought so, too. But, I didn''t know if the kitchen soldiers had made lunch before running away as the imperial army retreated.


    * * *


    My father took a big bite of red-seasoned meat and asked, "So what are you going to do?"


    I bit some meat and answered, "First, we have to destroy the Demon King worshipping organizations. The basic course of action remains the same."


    The meat was more delicious than I had thought. For a military meal, it was very fresh meat and expensive seasoning.


    "However, I think we should split up into groups and move separately,¡± I added.


    "Separately?¡± my father asked as he discarded some ribs he had finished all the meat on and lifted the front legs of a large boar.


    "Originally, I was going to have us move together and see the reactions of the enemy, but we don''t have time. So we''re going to make all our military forces engage in guerrilla warfare." I created a simple hologram with light magic, and it floated in the air for everyone to see.


    "Oh! That''s cool."


    "Is this magic?¡±


    The Butterfly tribe people looked at the hologram calmly, but the people of my hometown looked at the hologram in amazement. It was like a reaction one might expect from a Stone Age caveman seeing a bronze tool.


    Indeed, in the Olympus Forest, this kind of complex formation magic was difficult. Although it wasn¡¯t impossible in the village, it was meaningless to make such a thing because the terrain steadily changed due to the demons, except for the roads that had been deliberately paved.


    "Everyone, listen while you eat. I''ll organize the groups as soon as the meal is over and explain everything,¡± I said.


    In the hologram, flags were present across the map of the entire Demon¡¯s Territory. The flags marked the target sites; that is, the locations of the confirmed Demon King worshipper organizations.


    I marked movement paths for the groups I would divide later with triangles.


    "The previous plan of action was intended to defeat them in order, but since we don''t have time, we''ll move all at once and destroy our enemies simultaneously,¡± I explained as I showed my future plans with the hologram.


    At the end of my explanation, William stroked his chin and raised his hand. "Is there a reason... for why you suddenly changed our tactics?¡± William was naturally inclined to speak informally, but he began using honorifics under the eyes of elders of the Butterfly tribe.


    "It''s simple. It turns out that the Demon King worshippers have found out that the Demon King summons have been stolen,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t lying. I hadn¡¯t been aware of it either, but I had found out after coming to my senses.


    The Butterfly tribe people were flustered and made a commotion, and most of the people in my hometown tilted their heads.


    "Uh¡­ Little Chief. Is there a problem with that?¡± someone asked.


    Since there were only a few elders who had been alive during the advent of the Demon King incident 120 years ago, they were unaware of the seriousness of the situation.


    No, unlike then, since my father was around, they might not consider it a problem. My father was clearly so strong that he couldn¡¯t be compared to my great-grandfather in the past.


    I answered with a light shrug, "Well, there¡¯s no problem, except that if you fail to stop the summoning ceremony of the Demon King, the Demon King will be summoned within about three days."


    But I didn¡¯t say that my great-grandfather, the biggest problem, was an enemy. The fact that the warrior who had defeated the Demon King was trying to summon the Demon King again wouldn¡¯t only cause a considerable stir, but would also be bad for our village.


    "Mr. William, please lead the imperial army and take care of the supplies,¡± I said.


    It was unreasonable for the imperial army to go deep into the Demon¡¯s Territory to fight when it was missing a considerable amount of its forces. However, they might be sufficient to deliver the necessary supplies to the Crow and Butterfly tribes.


    William nodded and said, "All right, I''ll take responsibility for that part."


    I clapped after finishing the operation instructions. "Okay! Since we''re tight on time, let''s move right away!" In response, the Crow and Butterfly tribes began to form groups of well-matched people.


    I approached my father and whispered softly, "Father, you and I are going to attack the sites that are predicted to be potential Demon King summoning locations. There are about three sites.¡±


    My father whistled with interest and said, "You and I can go to two places. What are you going to do about the other place?"


    "I¡¯ll have to talk to Grandfather or Aunt. So, please contact Aunt for me,¡± I said. It wasn''t because I was scared to let her know that the Demon King summons had been stolen due to my mistake. Of course. It was just that there would be no way she wouldn¡¯t be hysterical, right?


    * * *


    The Spirit Sword fell to the ground. The mountains and fields that had been lush with greenery disappeared, and turned into plains with red blood spilling across them.


    "Cough!¡± Zendia vomited blood and collapsed, helplessly falling backward. "I lost." He didn''t even have the strength to lift a finger. It was a perfect defeat.


    "You''ve gotten a lot stronger, Son." The bloodied Galak took a deep breath, reabsorbing the grains of golden mana that surrounded his body.


    "Haha, I¡¯ve become stronger? When you didn''t even use your favorite sword, the Phantom Sword, and beat me down with your bare hands?¡± Zendia clenched his teeth, feeling discontent. At this moment, he was angry that he had simply lost the fight, apart from the cause. He felt as if tears might stream down, due to the fact that he was weaker than his opponent. As a fighter, he was shaken by the sense of helplessness that came from feeling he had no more strength left to fight.


    Galak laughed cheerfully at the sight. "Ahahaha! You''re also a Crow! Yes! That''s right! If you lose a fight, you have to grit your teeth and be angry!"


    "Is that what you should be telling your angry son!?" Zendia protested.


    Galak burst into laughter. "Puhahahaha! Then what should I say? Do you want me to sympathize with you or laugh at you? I''m sorry, but I can''t do that!"


    After some time, though, he said seriously, "I''m speaking not as your father, but as a fighter! You fought well! You were the best opponent! Today was definitely the first time I''ve ever really almost died since I faced the Demon King 120 years ago!"


    At Galak''s affirmation, Zendia¡¯s mouth twitched, and Galak guessed what his son would say with his unique instincts. He remarked, "Ahh, the older grandchild? He was strong. But he doesn''t want to kill me sincerely. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that today is the best day in my life. It was my first time having such a refreshing fight!¡±


    Zendia frowned because of Galak¡¯s sincere laughter. He asked, "Are you teasing me because you won?¡±


    "Ahahaha! The loser talks a lot. The loser is supposed to do as the winner says. Stay laying down and take my compliments,¡± Galak replied.


    It was extremely insulting. Zendia grit his teeth, but asked while holding back his  anger, "...Why can''t I beat you, Father?"


    Galak shrugged. "That''s a task you have to figure out on your own. All right. Take it as the last homework this father will give you. Find out why you lost."


    Zendia grit his teeth hard. "If it''s homework¡­! At least have an answer in mind before leaving!"


    "Kuhahaha! If I had prepared something like that, I wouldn''t have heard all my life that I was a selfish person." Galak smiled playfully and contemplated. "Well, then to give you a hint... I have a goal. And I was desperate. So I did my best. That''s all."


    Zendia got angry at Galak''s hint and said, "I have a goal, too! I also did my best! But...!¡±


    "Then the direction was wrong. You should have fought me like this from the beginning, rather than interfering with what I was doing from behind. You should have clashed and been broken, then charged in again." Galak¡¯s cold voice stuck into Zendia''s heart like a dagger. "Yes, because you were born to this fool and were irresponsibly given the position of tribe chief when you were young, your instincts as a fighter have been suppressed. It must have been heavy because the lives of the tribesmen depended on your choices. You would have had no choice but to have been cautious."


    He smiled as he took off his mask and added, "You''ll get stronger. Someday, you''ll overcome the limit like me. I''m proud of that future of yours." He then turned around and said,¡± "See you again."


    With a sincere smile, Galak left. Zendia was left alone, and barely managed to raise his arm to block the sunlight. The Spirit Sword on the ground resonated and was sucked into his hands. He forcibly raised his body that had not even a shred of strength left.


    "See you again? You always say such irresponsible things,¡± he muttered. As always, it was really selfish. So at least this time, he thought he also wanted to be selfish. After having grown old, he decided to properly be rebellious, unlike when he was young.


    Let''s destroy Father¡¯s long-cherished purpose by using every means possible. Let''s break down the limits that are in the way, Zendia thought.


    It was said to be scarier when the model students who were normally calm started to go on a rampage.

 CH 333

    Chapter 333. Caesar of Belief (2)


    Galak groaned at the violent pain he felt as he applied healing potions all over his body. "Keup!"


    Because the Spirit Sword had a special power to cut the soul, it wasn¡¯t easy to heal even if he poured potions on himself as if he were taking a shower. In particular, the stab he¡¯d sustained in the abdomen was at the level of the Heart Sword, so he hadn¡¯t been able to block it properly, leaving a large wound.


    "Ahaha, if I die of excessive bleeding like this, there won¡¯t be a death as funny as this.¡± Galak walked across the empty church to the central altar, enduring the pain of his entire body feeling as if it were on fire. He remarked, "Oho, is this the ceremony to summon the Demon King?"


    The altar on which the Holy Grail had been placed was heavily weighed down, as if it were being pressed down by mana.


    "It''s like Zaharam, which used to be called the Holy Land,¡± Galak said in appreciation.


    Libra, who had been kneeling in front of the altar and reciting an incantation, stood up and looked at Galak. "Hmph, even the Hero of the world can''t hold his own in front of his child? That''s ridiculous."


    "Ahahaha! You''re looking down on our tribe. In my hometown, we don¡¯t go easy even on our children. As long as you''re facing each other with weapons all out, your opponent is a fighter,¡± Galak said proudly, but Libra looked at him with contempt. Galak added, "But don''t you have to continue? Apparently, Scorpio succeeded in stealing the Demon King summons."


    "Tch, you¡¯re still so sharp. I don''t like it. Yes, your great-grandchild was killed and the great holy book was obtained!" Libra exclaimed.


    Galak laughed pleasantly at Libra¡¯s bluff. "Puhahaha! If you''re going to lie, say something realistic. There''s no way Scorpio, Selina, would kill my family. At worst, she¡¯d do something like making them into puppets."


    Libra clicked his tongue at Galak''s accurate judgment. "Tch, you know her well. Yes. That was written at the end of the transmission containing the holy book."


    In response to Libra, Galak hummed, saying,¡±I knew that would happen.¡±  He felt sorry for Den, but it was clear that not only he, but also Den, wouldn¡¯t be Doomstone¡¯s opponent; so he wouldn¡¯t be able to do as he pleased. He asked, "So, is it okay to stop the ceremony like that?"


    "It''s okay. Right now, three major branches are working hard to hold the ceremony. It won¡¯t slow down or speed up just because I¡¯m missing, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Libra said.


    "That''s a relief,¡± Galak said with a yawn. He looked sideways at Vibrio, who was reciting an incantation from behind the Holy Grail, and asked, "Is that child the uncertain factor you mentioned?"


    "Yeah. Your great-grandchild interrupted my attempt to complete the brainwashing, and pushed the brainwashing to the verge of breaking!" Libra exclaimed.


    "Ahahahaha! As expected of Den!" Galak laughed happily, but he also yawned continuously from fatigue. "When the ceremony is over, you should release that child¡¯s brainwashing,¡± he said, before turning around again and heading out of the church.


    "Don''t give me orders! And where are you going?!" Libra cried.


    Galak roughly waved his hand and said, "To get some sleep. Oh, and there''s a strong possibility that my son or great-grandson will charge in during the ceremony, so prepare the defenses well."


    Seeing Galak disappearing with a playful chuckle, Libra gritted his teeth. "I said, don''t give me orders!"


    The bloodline of that hero was the whole problem. But he wasn¡¯t too worried. The families that had fallen asleep with the Demon King would soon open their eyes. Those families were stronger than great demons due to the Demon King¡¯s power.


    * * *


    I was left trembling. The letter I had received from my aunt, whom I had contacted through my father''s network, was full of fresh curses that made me wonder if they were truly curses that could come from a person''s head.


    After overcoming the limit, I had found out that my mana efficiency had improved enough to contact someone as if I were calling them just by knowing their location. But there wasn¡¯t a reason for me to listen to such hysteria in real time.


    Looking at the letter, I thought it was a good thing that I had asked my father to contact my aunt.


    "What did Aunt say?" Hestia looked at me with a smile, as if she knew the answer. It was an expression that made me really want to hit her.


    "The same hysteria as usual.¡± I casually burned the letter with magic.


    What was noteworthy about the letter was the fact that Flam, who had run away without paying back the interest on his debt to me, was with my aunt, and that my grandfather had fought with my great-grandfather.


    When I said that the showdown of the century had taken place, Mac hyung asked interestedly, "Youngest Master, who do you think would have won?¡±


    Gawain hyung also added his speculation, seemingly interested. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be Grandfather? We can''t ignore the advantage that comes from weapons."


    It made sense. When Grandfather''s Spirit Sword was wielded by its master, there was no scarier weapon. Two years ago, when he and I had fought, my neck would have flown off that day if my grandfather had tried his best with the Spirit Sword. Even now, after having surpassed the limit, it was difficult to be certain of victory or defeat if I fought against my grandfather while he wielded the Spirit Sword.


    At that time, Gallahad hyung, who was next to us, voiced his dissent. "No way! Both of them have surpassed the presence or absence of weapons, so even with the Spirit Sword, would it give him a great advantage?¡±


    Certainly, when I thought about it that way, that made sense.


    "Youngest, what do you think?" my father asked.


    Suddenly, all eyes were on me. I shrugged and answered, "I don''t know. But if I were to predict the results, I think Great-grandfather would win."


    My grandfather was one of the strongest in the world, but my great-grandfather had an overwhelming advantage because he had the Curse of the Giants.


    Then my father crossed his arms and said, "Your great-grandfather would win. Even without any other weapons or tools. I know because I''ve fought him before."


    I looked at my father; that was surprising to hear. To say that he would win even without tools meant he would win without using the Curse of the Giants.


    "Grandfather Galak has exceeded the limits of humanity. I think it was the fourth time in our tribe''s history,¡± my father explained.


    If my great-grandfather was the fourth, my father was the fifth, and I was the sixth. Perhaps the first was the founder of the Crow tribe from the legends, so who were the second and third? When I thought of the history of our tribe, there were too many people for me to guess who they were. Rather, I was surprised that there were only six, including me.


    "Okay, let''s go,¡± my father said, flicking his finger. A huge dragon flew over from far away.


    "It¡¯s a pet dragon,¡± I remarked.


    The Dragon that Lived Ten Thousand Years growled at my assessment.


    -What pet dragon?! Don''t mess with me, kid! Although I''m like this now, I''m not a dragon that can be treated like this even by a little kid!


    "Oh! It can talk, too,¡± I added. It was amazing. Could dragons talk if they lived for 10,000 years? It was worth studying. "Dad, can you give it to me?" I asked.


    The dragon cried out as if its pride had been hurt.


    -I''ll eat you in one bite!


    "No, I have to ride it around. There''s nothing as sturdy and fast as this guy,¡± my father said, rejecting me firmly.


    I only wanted it more as a result. I added, "Well, I guess Father does handle things roughly."


    My father added, "Besides, you can fly in the sky on your own.¡±


    -Are you treating me like an object now?!


    "Noisy. Lower your head so I can get on,¡± my father said. In response, the pet dragon grumbled and gently lowered its head.


    Should I find the newly born phoenix and raise it as a pet? I didn''t know if the phoenix would also know how to speak.


    I told Arwen with a thought transmission, "You stay here."


    -But¡­


    When Arwen tried to follow me, I stroked her hair and smiled. "You don''t have to overdo it. The place I''m going to isn¡¯t something you have good memories of.¡±


    Arwen lowered her head, seemingly apologetic


    I bent at the waist to bring my gaze down to her level and said, "All the most important forces here will be leaving. The great demons have been taken care of, but the demons are still in chaos. I want you to protect the weak here."


    Arwen was now a great magician facing the wall of the Magic Way. Although her birthday hadn¡¯t passed and she was only 14 years old, in terms of power, she was better than a court magician.


    I took out a magic wand that was one and a half meters long from my pocket space and said, "I was originally going to give it to you when you became an adult, but since you¡¯re already a great magician, it doesn''t matter.¡±


    It was a magic wand that I had gone all out making. Any magician would covet it, because it was made from a byproduct of the Turtle Carrying A Mountain; I had cut a little of its mana stone to make the core. I had additionally put some of the phoenix''s crest into the magic wand.


    Leisha, who was next to me, looked at the magic wand with a blatantly envious gaze.


    "Just in case, I put magic on it that lets you teleport to me. It¡¯s only a one-time use, and for one person,¡± I added.


    Arwen¡¯s eyes sparkled as she received the magic wand. Receiving a magic wand from your teacher meant being recognized as a magician, so she was even happier.


    I had also received one from Elder Mirpa, but honestly, its performance was so poor that I had made one myself.


    -Thank you!


    "A teacher giving you a magic wand is also kind of like homework. It means you should apply yourself to the point that you can make your own magic wand because you¡¯re dissatisfied with the wand you were given,¡± I said.


    Usually, making a new magic wand also meant that one had surpassed their teacher. With the exception of people like Elder Mirpa, who mass produced wands because she had many disciples, usually a teacher would make one with all their heart and soul.


    But still, Elder Mirpa had given her disciple, who had become a madosa, a magic wand that was suited for a great magician. Of course, it might have been because I had grown beyond Mirpa''s expectations.


    Arwen nodded.


    -I''ll do my best!


    "Okay,¡± I said. She would probably graduate from that magic wand around the time she became a great madosa. "Let''s go now."


    I followed my father onto the pet dragon''s head. The pet dragon grumbled when I mounted it, but it obediently flew up into the sky.


    "I''ll be back. Mac, take care of Hestia. Gallahad and Gawain, take your subordinates and run wild as much as you want,¡± my father said.


    The three saluted to my father.


    "Yep! Don''t worry, Boss!"


    "I would go wild even if you didn''t tell me to, Father!"


    "See you later.¡±


    Father laughed pleasantly and patted his pet dragon on the head. "Hahahaha! Then, let''s go!"


    The pet dragon rose up slowly, then shot through the air.


    * * *


    "Teacher!" Flam ran over and helped Zendia after seeing his wound-covered body.


    "Thank you." Zendia leaned on his disciple¡¯s body and smiled bitterly. "I lost. It was a perfect defeat."


    "Goodness. My teacher lost. Just how strong is he?" Flam asked, astonished.


    Talaria instead nodded, convinced. "He was called the strongest person ever before Oppa."


    "Yeah. I knew that, but he was too strong. That means I can still get stronger." Zendia spoke in a humble way, but Talaria vaguely felt fierce anger hidden beneath.


    "But a problem has arisen,¡± Talaria said.


    "What problem?" Zendia asked.


    Talaria sighed deeply and replied, "Den said the Demon King summons in his head were taken away.¡±


    "What? Den! Is Den okay?!" Zendia asked worriedly.


    Talaria nodded. "He said he''s fine. Rather, he said something about having surpassed the limit after waking up. He said something I couldn''t understand.¡±


    Zendia was surprised by Talaria''s words. "Hahahaha! Really? My gosh. I have no face as a grandfather. Hahahaha!¡±


    Talaria couldn''t understand why her father had suddenly burst into laughter. She just explained,  "So Oppa and Den are coming here, and they''re asking us to attack one of the three places that are believed to be the headquarters of the Demon King worshippers."


    Zendia smiled joyfully and nodded. "Then we have to attack. But I¡¯ll attack alone."

 CH 334

    Chapter 334. Caesar of Belief (3)


    Talaria was surprised by what Zendia said and protested. "What are you talking about? What do you mean you¡¯re going to do it alone!?¡±


    Flam said in agreement, "That¡¯s right. Your body isn¡¯t in good condition right now, either.¡±


    Zendia smirked in response to the two¡¯s protests. "I''ll get better if I rest a little. Even if Doomstone and Denburg are on their way, won''t they take a long time to get here?"


    "But you still can''t do it alone,¡± Talaria insisted, dissatisfied.


    Zendia burst into laughter. "Uh-huh-huh-huh, only the location has changed, but it''s a place I''ve raided before. And my current physical condition is perfect for overcoming the limit. I have to be stronger."


    Flam was shocked and asked, "Are you trying to get stronger there?"


    "I''m still weak, so I have to get stronger. Huhuhuhu!¡± Zendia laughed madly.


    Talaria frowned. "Are you joking? I''m sure the Demon King summoning ceremony has already begun. Before Father recovers, I¡¯m sure the family of the Demon King that fell asleep 120 years ago will wake up first. So how are you just going to attack alone?!"


    Information had been collected in preparation for the worst case scenario, in which the summoning ceremony of the Demon King had already begun. Part of the information focused on the Demon King¡¯s family, who had fallen asleep alongside him when the Demon King was sealed.


    Knowing Libra, it was clear that he would try to protect their headquarters with the powers of the Demon King¡¯s family.


    "Uh-huh-huh-huh. Monsters who are stronger than the great demons will be perfect for testing my limits." Zendia smiled, saying, ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    Talaria frowned. "Ah! Forget it! Do whatever you want, Father! Whether it¡¯s Father, Oppa, or my nephew, you all just do whatever you want! Do you even know how much I suffer?" She seemed genuinely angry.


    Zendia shrank back and avoided her gaze. Talaria just sighed and left the ruined branch of the Demon King worshipping church.


    "Please understand. We¡¯re saying this because we¡¯re worried about Teacher,¡± Flam said.


    Zendia smiled and said, "Yeah. Disciple, I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    "What is it? Do you want me to go to the headquarters of the Demon King worshippers with you?" Flam asked.


    "No." Zendia shook his head.


    Flam tilted his head and asked, "Then what is it?"


    "I don''t know if it''s too harsh of a request for you, but will you go to the border between the Demon¡¯s Territory and the empire to protect the empire?" Zendia requested.


    Flam¡¯s expression hardened. His voice gradually rose as he replied, "You¡¯re telling me... to protect the empire? Teacher, you also know what kind of past I have!"


    Zendia nodded seriously. "Yes, I know. The empire has definitely done things that humans shouldn¡¯t do, and you''re a victim. It¡¯s natural that you regard the empire as your enemy."


    "Then¡­!¡± Flam exclaimed.


    "However, in the end, it¡¯s only the work of the upper part of the empire. It¡¯s not the sin of ordinary citizens, is it?" Zendia asked, and Flam gritted his teeth. Zendia continued, "Why did you become a civil servant of the empire?"


    "That''s..." Flam trailed off.


    "It was because of Guild Director Glont''s recommendation, right? Then, what did you see there?" Zendia asked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Flam said nothing.


    Zendia smiled kindly. "Even until right before you took the civil service exam, you said you¡¯d quit soon. But isn''t there a reason why you''ve been a civil servant for three years since you started training?"


    "I... saw my colleagues laughing and talking peacefully. And I saw ordinary people who wanted help from adventurers,¡± Flam answered.


    Zendia calmly said, "I''m not asking you to protect the hypocrites of the empire. I''m asking you to protect something much bigger than that."


    "The ordinary citizens living peacefully...?¡± Flam asked.


    "Yeah. The powerful will protect themselves on their own. Disciple. You don''t have to worry about those insignificant people,¡± Zendia affirmed.


    Flam nodded gravely, accepting the request."All right. I''ll keep Teacher¡¯s request in my mind."


    "Be careful," Zendia said seriously.


    "Why? Do you have a bad feeling again? Aren¡¯t you sending me to the border of the Demon¡¯s Territory and the empire because you have a bad feeling?" Flam asked.


    Zendia nodded bitterly. "Yeah. You understand. Use the Crows¡¯ martial arts as minimally as possible. If you don''t think you can handle it, then run away. Don''t foolishly lose your life."


    "Ahahaha! As always, you have many worries! I know one can''t handle the Crows¡¯ martial arts with a normal body." Flam lightly swept down over his face.


    Zendia sighed. "I shouldn¡¯t have taught you martial arts."


    "I''m thankful that you did. I forced you to teach me, and it''s my pride to protect my comrades with this power,¡± Flam said, putting a coat over his shoulders as a cloak. "This is something I have to endure, so Teacher doesn''t have to worry about it."


    Then, Flam went outside and infused mana into his bracelet, summoning the alchemical lifeform that belonged to Zendia. "Summon: Green deer."


    He mounted the green deer that materialized in front of him and smiled brightly. "I¡¯ll just follow my own beliefs."


    The green deer ran through the forest quickly with Flam atop it.


    * * *


    Hillis wandered around the military hospitals and medical corps tents in various parts of Warrant, spreading her divine power outward. Color immediately returned to the pale complexions of soldiers who appeared to be on the brink of death. Many knights were able to reattach the severed arms they had been holding.


    Indeed, as a miracle once again appeared in this world, people knelt down and worshipped the veiled saintess.


    "Sa, Saintess-nim! Here!¡± A child approached Hillis with a boiled potato in his small and dirty hands. The child was naturally blocked by Hillis'' escorts, the Consecrated Knights.


    A woman, who appeared to be the child¡¯s mother, wrapped herself around the child and shouted fearfully, "I''m sorry! My kid doesn¡¯t know any better!"


    Hillis smiled at the sight and approached the mother hugging her child.


    "Saintess-nim." Albatoss, the head of the Consecrated Knight Division, was flustered and tried to stop Hillis. He was at a loss due to the unintended situation, but he couldn''t help it. Saintess Hillis was more important than anyone else in the temple.


    But Hillis raised her hand to stop Albatoss. Then she carefully infused divine power into the trembling mother to stabilize her mind and body.


    "Alright, why did you call out to me?" Hillis asked brightly.


    The child stuck out the potato and said, "This, here¡­¡±


    "Oh? Are you giving it to me? Thank you, I''ll enjoy it." Hillis accepted the potato and took a bite on the spot.


    "Saintess-nim!" Albatoss shouted.


    Hillis smiled lightly and responded, "It''s okay. Do you think I can¡¯t even tell if it¡¯s poisoned?"


    "That''s not it." Albatoss looked at the child''s dirty hands.


    Hillis smiled. "This is a battlefield. They have no choice but to prioritize allocating supplies to the combatants, so the food situation isn¡¯t easy. This potato is a precious meal for this child and the best thing he can give. Don''t you think we should be thankful for that?¡±


    Hillis stroked the child''s head and said, "You¡¯re grateful to others and know how to share what you have. Don''t ever forget that heart. I bless your future in the name of your holy mother."


    "Thank you!" the child¡¯s mother exclaimed. Hillis drew a cross in the air toward her, and turned back toward where the patients were.


    Albatoss approached Hillis and whispered softly, "Saintess-nim, what will you do if you get an upset stomach?¡±


    "Then I¡¯ll just have to treat myself." Hillis smiled playfully under the veil. "The best thing about a place like this is performance. My friend said that with three people, you can create a tiger even if one doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    "What does...?¡± Albatoss trailed off.


    "Not only did the temple''s external image improve because I ate the potato, but the negative impression people had of me as a person in a high position has also disappeared, so it¡¯s easier to move now,¡± Hillis said.


    Albatoss asked, flustered, "Did you intend for all that to happen?¡±


    Hillis smiled and bit into the steamed potato. "This is another one of my friend''s proverbs. Getting results from one person¡¯s actions is sewage. They have to be results from at least two people to be considered good."


    Albatoss frowned, sensing a headache forming. "My gosh... I should have stopped that fly from hanging around Saintess-nim that day...!¡± He regretted not sending Den away earlier.


    "Why? It''s not bad. Above all, this trivial act can get rid of the dark atmosphere and give people hope. Hope is the driving force that lets us calm people¡¯s confusion and live for the future,¡± Hillis explained.


    Unlike the situation two years prior, the response to the flood of demons was quite inadequate due to a lack of manpower. That was evident from the fact that there was such a child in Warrant, a place that should have been considered the front line. The surrounding land was full of death aura for black magicians to use, and there was confusion caused by the weakening of the front line and the increasing prevalence of poverty.


    Perhaps the recent battles were part of the Demon King worshippers¡¯ preparations to take down the empire all at once after summoning the Demon King. What Hillis was doing, however, could be described as the perfect obstacle to those plans. She treated soldiers to strengthen the front line, instilled hope to eliminate confusion, and purified death aura with divine power.


    Albatoss said admiringly, "As expected of Saintess-nim. I wasn¡¯t even aware." He was ashamed of himself for thinking Hillis was being hypocritical and acting for the sake of old-fashioned politics.


    Hillis noticed his thoughts and smiled lightly. "If you continue performing hypocritical kindness, you will become good; but if you continue to perform evil, you will become evil. In the end, it''s important to act. Good without actions isn¡¯t good."[1]


    Albatoss couldn¡¯t easily understand Hillis''s words, but Hillis went around and treated the injured regardless of whether he understood or not. She had to take care of the situation here quickly so she could follow Den.


    Hillis¡¯ preaching about the ¡®importance of actions¡¯ would become her basis for persuading Albatoss and the other paladins who would oppose her entering the Demon¡¯s Territory. After all, the saintess always had to be good.


    "Oh, it seems people who are actually high-ranking, unlike someone like me who just speaks that way, have arrived.¡± Hillis whistled, interested in the flag she saw in the distance.


    The insignia drawn on the flag belonged to the highest-ranked family in the empire, the imperial family.


    * * *


    "You look uncomfortable, Youngest,¡± my father said as he withstood the wind from atop the head of his fast-flying pet dragon. I hated it when the wind kept touching my skin, so I stayed behind the horns of the pet dragon to avoid it, but my father looked rather refreshed.


    "Yes. I just don''t have a good feeling about this,¡± I replied.


    My father crossed his legs and looked ahead, asking, "Is it because of the border between the Demon¡¯s Territory and the empire?"


    "Can you feel it too, Father?" I asked.


    "Yeah. It''d be weirder to not know when such strange mana is fluctuating,¡± my father answered.


    Certainly, just as my father said, a disturbing amount of black mana was present throughout the Demon¡¯s Territory. The source was, in all likelihood, where my father and I were headed.


    "That''s why you left your disciple behind. Don''t worry too much,¡± my father reassured me.


    "No, that''s actually making me worry more,¡± I said. Of course, in case of an emergency, I had teleportation magic on the wand so Arwen could at least escape.


    "I also said something to Elder Weger, so don''t worry too much, Youngest,¡± my father said.


    "Oh, really?" I asked.


    Come to think of it, the Demon King worshipping church that had been attacked by Elder Weger was close to the border area. Unless something special happened, Elder Weger would take care of everything.


    Still, the uncomfortable feeling didn¡¯t go away.


    1. She means ¡®hypocritical¡¯ in the sense of not being truly kind-hearted, but acting kind to put on an appearance of being such. ?

 CH 335

    Chapter 335. Caesar of Belief (4)


    When the army entered Warrant with a flag bearing a large imperial family insignia, people all bowed their heads. The only people who could proudly present the imperial family insignia were the emperor and his immediate lineage.


    The ordinary citizens of Warrant bowed down in response to the sudden visit of a high-ranking person, but the noble knights, adventurers, and mercenaries kept their focus on the flag while bowing their heads.


    "It must not be an ordinary high-ranking person." Hillis stood up straight and watched the imperial procession with interest.


    There were no other insignias other than that of the imperial family on the flag flying in the wind. Usually, when it came to the direct lineage of the emperor, a flag symbolizing each prince or empress was attached under the imperial family flag. The absence of such a flag meant that the emperor, or the crown prince, who was confirmed to succeed the emperor, was arriving.


    "Since the emperor wouldn¡¯t be coming here, it must be that stiff, good-looking man.¡± Hillis recalled the crown prince, whom she had been introduced to by Leisha two and a half years ago at the New Year''s Festival. He was handsome but not playful at all, so he didn''t match her at all.


    "Saintess-nim, the opponent is the crown prince. So..." Albatoss nagged Hillis out of concern.


    "I know. I''ll be polite in public." Hillis snorted.


    Just as the carriage bearing the imperial family insignia passed by Hillis, a trumpet sounded and the march stopped. As Bloody rode ahead of the carriage atop a horse, he smiled lightly and bowed his head when he saw Hillis.


    Hillis also bowed her head slightly in greeting, saying, "Best wishes with all endeavors, General Bloody."


    "This soldier is only following His Majesty''s order. Saintess-nim, you must be having a hard time taking care of the sick,¡± Bloody said.


    They had been acquainted with each other without Den and Leisha. Since they were personal acquaintances, the difference in their age wasn¡¯t important. However, the two were well aware that they had to speak formally in public based on each other''s position.


    Then the carriage door opened, and Crown Prince Zantes slowly emerged from it. He said to Hillis, "It''s been a while, Saintess."


    Due to Zantes'' appearance, people around him couldn¡¯t raise their heads, and even the paladins, who never knelt except to the Pope and the saintess, bowed at the waist and showed courtesy.


    Only Hillis stood up straight and just bowed her head, saying, "It''s been a while, Your Highness Crown Prince."


    "It''s nice to meet again like this,¡± Zantes said, receiving Hillis¡¯s greetings. Then he smiled and spoke to the people around him. "Now, everyone, raise your heads. I didn''t come here to receive bows.¡±


    Despite Zantes¡¯ statement, only a few nobles raised their heads. For those lying on the floor and bowing, the crown prince was a person with status as high as the sky, who would be difficult to meet even once in a lifetime. Raising one¡¯s head in front of such a person was no different from asking to have it cut off.


    Zantes smiled bitterly at the sight, remarking, "Huh-huh, it''s hard. It''s so hard to approach people. If I stay here, many people will be uncomfortable, so excuse me first.¡± He then said to Hillis, ¡±I would like to meet you later. Do you have time?"


    Hillis nodded. "Of course."


    "Then I''ll send someone later. I''ll say my greetings then,¡± Zantes said.


    "All right,¡± Hillis replied.


    Zantes got back into the carriage, and the stopped procession resumed heading toward Warrant¡¯s castle.


    Hillis lightly clicked her tongue as she watched the moving wagon, muttering, "Tsk tsk, I feel bad for you."


    Even if the crown prince met someone he knew while passing by, he couldn¡¯t stop and talk comfortably, but had to keep moving. Being in his position wasn¡¯t a job fit for humans. That was especially true for those who didn¡¯t enjoy power and were uncomfortable being bowed to.


    "I suppose my situation isn¡¯t so different,¡± Hillis remarked bitterly with a self-deprecating smile.


    Albatoss, Hillis¡¯s escort, shared that bitter look. He too knew that the saintess had few freedoms. The reason why he couldn¡¯t forcibly remove the fly that buzzed around Hillis, despite not liking the fly, was because Den played a role in relieving her stress.


    "Let''s move too. There are many patients who haven¡¯t yet been treated,¡± Hillis said as she busily walked away.


    * * *


    Galak sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. As if awakening all the cells in his body, he called forth his mana and boosted his healing power. Using Mirpa''s healing potion and the self-healing power he had raised to the maximum, he treated the wounds he¡¯d suffered from the Spirit Sword. Although the black mana that spread in all directions as a result was unpleasant, he recovered at a rapid pace.


    "Tch, you''re still a monster beyond human limits." Libra clicked his tongue and complained as he watched Galak¡¯s recovery.


    Galak laughed happily. "It''s hard to hear someone calling me a monster. Aren''t you also a fanatic who gave up on being a human being?"


    "Hmph! To overturn this false world, I would give up being a human a hundred times, or even a thousand times,¡± Libra replied.


    The false world that Libra spoke of referred to one of the core doctrines of the Demon King worshipping church. They held that the present world was a false world, while the true world was its opposite, that lay sleeping behind it. As with any religion, they preached that the true world they desired was a utopia full of happiness.


    "You make it sound as if you can give up on being human again and again. An animal that¡¯s given up on being human once will always be an animal. Being a human isn¡¯t something that you can just pick up at any time,¡± Galak remarked.


    "You''re a smooth talker. But aren''t you in the position of cooperating with me to bring back our God?" Libra sneered.


    Galak calmly said with a transcendent look, "Well, I don''t care whether this world is false or true, or whether I''m called an animal with a human face. It¡¯ll be enough to see each other again."


    Libra looked at him, annoyed. "That''s why I hate you. How dare you pretend to be transcendent while being such a selfish person!?" His tone gradually shifted from irritation to hatred.


    Galak laughed pleasantly and replied, seemingly warmly, "Ahahaha! Then what should I do? Should I rush in with my eyes wide open because of my greed? I was already done with things like that more than a century ago. I don''t care if I show you the appearance you want as long as my resentment is realized."


    Libra choked up, but he clenched his teeth and endured Galak¡¯s words. What Galak needed hadn¡¯t changed yet, after all. At a time when Doomstone, who was called a disaster from heaven, might invade, Galak''s power was very valuable regardless of whether Libra liked him or not.


    "The ones who will invade are the Crow tribe''s current and former chief. There¡¯s also Arpen and Mirpa, out of the four great madosas. Other than that, there¡¯s also a possibility that the Dragon King of the Dragon tribe, the Guardian Knight of the Fairy tribe, and the Space Specialist of the Magic Kingdom will invade,¡± Libra said.


    Galak shook his head. "You don''t have to worry about the great madosas because Aries will block them, and Marsen is too far away to get here in time. All you have to worry about right now is Zendia, Doomstone, and the Dragon King." Afterward, he smiled and added proudly, "Besides, you¡¯re late to the news. Now it¡¯s not the four great madosas, but the five great madosas. My great-grandchild was recognized as a great madosa."


    Libra sneered, "Ha! The one who got done in by Scorpio and had the holy book taken away?¡±


    "Ayy, that''s because it was after he was weak after fighting with the great madosas, and then me. Under normal circumstances, I think Selina would have been the one to be done in,¡± Galak protested.


    Libra pouted and said cheekily, "Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m sure."


    Galak inadvertently slammed his fist into Libra¡¯s face for the rude remark.


    Crack!


    "Oh! I''m sorry. It¡¯s because you were so rude." Galak quickly applied Mirpa''s healing potion to Libra¡¯s shattered chin.


    "Arghhhhh!" Libra struggled with the pain as the injury healed.


    Galak looked at a distant mountain, remarking, "By the way, it''s strange that Selina hasn''t contacted me.¡±


    "I, I''m going to kill you!" Libra yelled, charging at Galak with bloodshot eyes.


    Galak easily overpowered Libra and sat on top of him, continuing, "I don''t have a good feeling about it. What do you think?"


    "You bastard! Get off me!" Libra cried.


    Galak yawned and said, "Ha-am~ Calm down first. You''re the one who did something to deserve being hit."


    "Ugh! Just wait until the ceremony ends! Our God will kill you!" Libra exclaimed.


    "Yes, yes. That¡¯s what I want. So I¡¯m asking, what do you think?" Galak continued.


    While Galak and Libra were quarreling, the black mana of the altar began to fluctuate.


    "Oh! Has the Demon King finally been summoned?" Galak asked while emitting his martial aura.


    Libra, who lay squashed on the ground, said, "No. The other family members are waking up from a deep sleep."


    As if driven by the black mana, space distorted and several giant demons slowly appeared, growling as they emerged. They were the first demons created by the Demon King 120 years before, and the parents of all demons.


    "Wow, it''s been a while since I saw these guys,¡± Galak commented. "I really remember how we struggled because they didn''t die even when we killed them, just like the Demon King. I think Oryana sealed them with the Holy Grail?" he reminisced nostalgically.


    Libra laughed cheerfully. "Ahahaha! That''s right! The first demons are of one mind and one body with our God! The only answer is to seal them with the Holy Grail! But the Holy Grail is here!" He laughed even harder, as if he had forgotten that he was lying under Galak''s butt.


    * * *


    "Wow," I exclaimed as I felt a great power emerge from afar. "It won''t be easy."


    They weren¡¯t empty words. It really didn''t seem easy. I didn''t know what monster had woken up, but it was enough for me to even believe that the Demon King had already been summoned. Even from such a long distance, I could feel the power to the point that my body felt tingly.


    "Uuahahahaha! It¡¯ll be fun!" My father got up excitedly from his seat, perhaps because it had been some time. He asked, "Did that Demon King guy get summoned?"


    "No. I''ve read the Demon King summons, so I know it''ll take at least another day,¡± I said.


    My father asked with lively eyes, "Then whose mana is this?"


    I replied, "Isn¡¯t it likely to be the family members the Demon King led? The ones called the first demons.¡±


    "Hahahaha! I¡¯m looking forward to that! I wonder how thrilling the Demon King will be?!" my father exclaimed, his martial aura flowing out unconsciously.


    I slowly moved to the side, away from my father. I could feel our pet dragon shaking under my father''s martial aura, too.


    -Heuk heuk, it¡¯s scary.


    My father''s martial aura seemed to be triggering the trauma of his pet dragon in real time.


    If the Demon King gets summoned, let''s pray for the Demon King. It''s terrible that he¡¯ll have to deal with my father. If I were him, I would just get sealed again. I shook my head.


    * * *


    Flam got goosebumps as he felt the enormous energy surge from afar. It stimulated a primitive fear that something that should not be present in the world was alive and breathing.


    "Is Teacher going up against such a thing? It''s terrifying,¡± he muttered to himself. If he had to deal with such a monster, he was confident that he would run away immediately. "I hope you stay safe, Teacher."


    Flam grabbed the reins of the green deer he was riding and urged it to run faster. Just a little further and he would arrive at Valhalla, the imperial army¡¯s barracks.

 CH 336

    Chapter 336. Caesar of Belief (5)


    It wasn¡¯t until late in the evening that Hillis was able to return to the room assigned to her at the Warrant temple.


    "Oh, my. What are all these?" she asked Albatoss while looking at the items that filled her room. The gifts ranged from bouquets woven clumsily out of wild flowers to expensive-looking jewels.


    Albatoss, who had brought them over, smiled and spoke as if it were nothing. "These are gifts of gratitude from the soldiers, citizens, and nobles who were treated by Saintess-nim today." He added, "You don''t have to worry because we''ve finished all the safety tests."


    Hillis picked up a bouquet of loose flowers that were hanging loose because they were tied incorrectly, saying, "I like this one the most."


    "Yes. They said that the young children of Warrant made it themselves. Isn''t it cute?" Albatoss replied.


    "It is." Hillis smiled gently and looked at the other gifts.


    "If you don''t feel comfortable because they''re too expensive, should I go return them?" Albatoss asked.


    Hillis looked at Albatoss as if he were saying something stupid. "Why would we give back what they gave us for free?"


    ¡°Yes? In the past, you used to say you felt burdened, and it was bothersome...¡± Albatoss began.


    "That was a long time ago. How much is all this worth?¡± Hillis touched the jewels with a snobby smile.


    ¡°¡­¡± Albatoss grew flustered, saying nothing.


    Hillis smirked and said, "Do you think their wealth will be reduced if we return these? It won¡¯t decrease at all. Even if we return them, they¡¯ll only rot in someone¡¯s safe. However, if we sell these and use them generously, hundreds or thousands of people can be fed.¡±


    Hillis put the jewelry and the other gifts she received into her pocket space and continued, "That means it''s right to receive them. If they approach me under the pretext of the gifts, we can say they offended the saintess and drive them away. My friend said it''s better to use everything you can use. whether it''s status or fantasy." She smiled playfully.


    Albatoss sincerely agonized over whether he should have removed Den from her side.


    "Ahh! I''m exhausted!" Hillis exclaimed, throwing herself onto the soft bed and tossing and turning.


    Albatoss coughed dryly as he watched Hillis, remarking, "Ahem! How about keeping your dignity?"


    Hillis kicked her shoes off as she rolled on the bed and grumbled, "Since I went through such a hard time, I should be able to rest however I want.¡±


    Albatoss smiled as if he were looking at his grumbling daughter, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. According to the captain of the imperial army medical corps, most of Warrant¡¯s patients have recovered."


    "Of course! I worked so hard after separating from Den and Leisha!" Hillis coughed awkwardly and boasted. Then she sat up and said, "Get ready to leave after breakfast tomorrow."


    Albatoss was confused by Hillis''s instructions, asking, "Yes? Where?"


    Hillis smiled playfully and replied, "I''ll tell you that tomorrow.¡±


    Naturally, Hillis was planning to leave for Valhalla, the frontline base where Den would be. She just wasn¡¯t informing him now because she was too tired to persuade Albatoss, who would oppose it.


    "But the Warrant parishioner prepared a prayer meeting with the Warrant citizens,¡± Albatoss said, perplexed.


    Hillis snorted. "Is that my business? Who decides my schedule? Is the parishioner of higher standing than me?


    "That''s true, but¡­" Albatoss began.


    "And you usually don''t like doing external activities like that because it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Hillis remarked.


    Albatoss had nothing to counter that point with. After all, he usually strictly enforced Hillis''s safety. Still, he began, "That''s true, but seeing Saintess-nim eat that potato during the day left a deep impression on me. I was very moved that Saintess-nim cared so much about the people...¡±


    "So you said yes without even reporting to me?" Hillis asked.


    "...I''m sorry,¡± Albatoss said.


    Hillis nodded and said, "Well, you''re the one who usually tolerates me doing whatever I want. I''ll forgive you for this.¡±


    "Thank you. Then...?¡± Albatoss began hopefully.


    "Of course, there will be no change in the schedule. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow. Even if I forgive you, the person who made the mistake should take care of it,¡± Hillis said, smiling playfully.


    Albatoss sighed. "Yes, I understand."


    "If the parishioner is clingy, say my name. What¡¯s he going to do if I say no?¡± Hillis added.


    Albatoss said sternly with a straight face, "There will be no dirtying of Saintess-nim''s name."


    "Well, do whatever you want.¡± Hillis lay down in the fluffy bed again.


    However, just as she was about to rest and send out Albatoss, she heard a knock. Since what she felt outside the door wasn¡¯t divine power, she tidied her clothes that had been wrinkled from rolling around and said, "Come on in."


    The person who carefully opened the door and came in was a man dressed as a servant of the imperial family. He said, "I''m sorry for coming at a late hour."


    "His Highness the Crown Prince must have sent you, right?¡± Hillis asked.


    The imperial servant answered with a bow, "Yes. That is correct. His Majesty wishes to know if he can meet Saintess-nim."


    Usually, regardless of status, one would have to go when the crown prince called. However, Hillis was a saintess in the temple, the second highest ranking individual after the pope. She had enough power to refuse his call.


    "What will you do?" Albatoss asked.


    Hillis deliberated over the question, then nodded. "I¡¯ll go meet him now."


    But just as Hillis got up, a bright voice said from behind the wall. "You don''t have to do that, because I¡¯m here." Prince Zantes appeared right as he finished speaking. Albatoss bowed and greeted him.


    "Huhu, I guess Your Highness the Crown Prince didn''t care about my opinion,¡± Hillis said.


    Zantes was flustered by Hillis''s thorny words, protesting, "That¡¯s not true! If you had refused, I planned to not show myself and just go back right away. I just visited to see if Saintess-nim was tired.¡±


    Sensing sincerity in Zantes''s voice, Hillis left the room with a smile, saying, "I see. Then I''ll take you to the living room."


    Zantes naturally sat in the guest seat after being led into the living room.


    "You could also sit at the head of the table,¡± Hillis remarked.


    "No, I''ve been rude to visit you so late in the evening, so I can''t also take the head position,¡± Zantes said.


    Hillis didn¡¯t keep pushing, but instead sat in the guest seat opposite Zantes. Even though Zantes had given up the head position, he was still the crown prince. She couldn''t just carelessly sit in that position.


    The two sat down and chatted, drinking tea brewed by the imperial family servant and each asking how the other was doing out of courtesy.


    Then Zantes put down the teacup and said seriously, "I came to see Saintess-nim because I have a favor to ask of you."


    Hillis took a sip of tea and slowly put down the cup, asking, ¡°What favor?¡±


    Zantes swallowed dryly once and asked, "Will you please join us on our way to the Demon¡¯s Territory?"


    "What are you¡­!?" Albatoss exclaimed in protest.


    Hillis raised her hand to hold him back, saying, "I¡¯ll at least hear him out.¡±


    "Saintess-nim!" Albatoss called out, wanting Hillis to say no.


    But Hillis inwardly cried out, thinking it was good luck. She had been planning to go anyway, but now she may not have to deal with so much hassle along the way.


    "Consecrated Division Captain. We are in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. Please lower your voice,¡± Hillis said coldly. Albatoss couldn¡¯t help but fall silent.


    "I apologize. This disrespect was out of concern for my weak self, so forgive him,¡± Hillis said.


    "Ahahaha! It''s alright. If anyone else were asking to go to such a dangerous place, I would also get angry first. So..." Zantes trailed off.


    Hillis smiled and asked, "I assume you''re going to Valhalla, the front line base, right?¡±


    Zantes nodded. "Yes. That''s correct. I¡¯m guessing Saintess-nim heard about it, too. They say that two great demons invaded and it¡¯s become a mess there."


    "What¡­!?" Hillis was momentarily shocked and almost shouted, but calmed down and stared at Albatoss. Albatoss avoided her stare, breaking into a cold sweat.


    -What is this?


    -I didn¡¯t know either. But please calm down. That guy Den is from the Crow tribe. In addition, the Crow tribe chief is also there.


    Speaking to Albatoss through sound transmission magic, Hillis picked up the teacup again, sipped, and spoke calmly. "Yes. I heard that, too. How many are injured¡­?¡±


    "Well. Fortunately, there were Crow and Butterfly tribespeople there, so there was no significant damage, but there were quite a few soldiers who suffered from the fire of the bird shrouded in never-ceasing flames,¡± Zantes said.


    Hillis nodded with relief. If that was the case, she didn''t think she had to worry about Den, who had run out of mana. She remarked, "Then it seems treating them won¡¯t be easy."


    "Yes. Originally, the Butterfly tribe could have provided magic treatment, but due to an urgent matter, both battle races had to go deep into the Demon¡¯s Territory, so the soldiers were unable to receive treatment,¡± Zantes explained.


    Hillis felt something was strange and asked, "All the battle races?"


    "Yes, that''s right,¡± Zantes said.


    That meant Den might have entered the Demon¡¯s Territory too. Hillis was worried about him.


    "In truth, this is confidential, but it''d be strange for me to hide it from you when I¡¯m the one asking. So, it seems that the ceremony to summon the Demon King has begun deep in the Demon¡¯s Territory,¡± Zantes explained.


    "Ceremony?" Hillis asked with a serious tone.


    Zantes nodded. "Yes. That''s why we need Saintess-nim¡¯s power even more."


    "Did the battle races go to stop the ceremony?¡± Hillis asked.


    "Yes. That''s right. In particular, the ceremonial altar will be attacked by the chief and little chief of the Crow tribe...¡± Zantes began.


    Even before Zantes finished speaking, Hillis jumped up from her seat. "Let''s go right now!"


    "What?" Zantes was confused.


    Leaving behind the flustered Zantes and frowning Albatoss, Hillis left the living room, yelling, "As the saintess, I can''t just stand still and watch!"


    * * *


    Atop the green deer, Flam looked at the burned wall that stood in the dimming field. "What is this?" He sent the green deer back into the bracelet and approached the military camp.


    "Stop! Who are you?" the soldiers exclaimed, raising their muskets and spears.


    Flam grabbed the civil servant ID he was wearing on his neck and lifted up both hands. "I am Flam, a civil servant from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters! This is a civil servant ID to prove my identity!¡± he cried.


    A knight emerged from among the soldiers, walking up to Flam and inspecting his face. He said, "There seem to be no issues. What''s a civil servant coming all the way here without an escort?¡±


    Flam smiled awkwardly and began, "Ahahaha, that''s...¡±


    "Ah! If you''re from the headquarters of the Adventurers'' Guild, are you here under the order of General Glont von Asilante?" the knight asked.


    Flam smiled and nodded. "That''s right!"


    "I see. I''ll guide you to General William,¡± the knight said kindly.


    Flam was flustered and replied, "No, that''s....¡±


    "Are you here to meet Colonel Den? I heard that Colonel Den was originally from the headquarters of the Adventurers'' Guild. I guess it¡¯s true,¡± the knight remarked.


    "Den is here?"Flam asked in surprise.


    The knight looked at him strangely and asked, "Aren''t you here to see Colonel Den?¡±


    "Oh, yes, that''s right. It was unfamiliar to hear him being called Colonel Den,¡± Flam said as an excuse.


    The knight nodded. "I suppose it''s awkward since the Adventurers'' Guild members don¡¯t refer to each other by rank. But what will you do? Colonel Den is now in the Demon¡¯s Territory."


    "Den went into the Demon¡¯s Territory?" Flam asked.


    "Yes... That''s right, but¡­" The knight began to look suspiciously at Flam as the questions continued.


    Suddenly, a small object flew over from far away and hit Flam in the back of the head. "Kku-aek!" he exclaimed.


    It was Arwen who had hit Flam, and she proceeded to keep hitting him.


    -Stupid! Idiot! Fool! Silly! Jerk! Stiff!


    Each time Arwen hit Flam, her sincere feelings emerged as magic words in the air.


    "Ahhh! It hurts! Stop hitting me!" Flam yelled.


    -How can someone who¡¯s supposed to be my oppa run away without saying anything!? You stonehead!


    When Den''s disciple suddenly appeared and started hitting Flam, the knight who was inspecting him was confused. He asked, "Do you know each other?¡±


    -He''s my older brother and my teacher''s friend.


    In response to Arwen¡¯s answer, the knight nodded. "Oh, is that so? Please come inside." He kindly opened the door.


    Even so, Arwen still didn¡¯t stop hitting Flam.

 CH 337

    Chapter 337. Caesar of Belief (6)


    Flam followed Arwen into the military camp and asked, "How did you know I was here?"


    Arwen took out a magic wand and an old pen that Den had given her from her pocket space.


    -It''s an application of soul magic that Teacher-nim taught me. You know how there¡¯s a story that the soul resides in objects that have been used for a long time? I followed the soul traces left on the pen that Fool used for a long time.


    "Then, have you been tracking my location all this time?" Flam asked, surprised. Arwen shook her head.


    -It might be different for Teacher-nim, but I can''t track others from a long distance. Teacher-nim wasn¡¯t able to track you down after you ran away because he was busy preparing for the war.


    Arwen''s sharp remark stabbed at Flam''s conscience. In the end, he felt guilty that he had run away because he couldn¡¯t find a solution after starting the war. He said sullenly, "That''s... I''m regretting it myself. In the end, I heard Den resolved the accident I caused. I have no face left to see him."


    Arwen hit the back of his head with her magic wand.


    -You idiot. Teacher-nim told me to tell you that you should be prepared to answer for running away without paying off your debt when you meet him later.


    "What, what does that mean?! I¡¯m certain I paid off all my debts!" Flam exclaimed defensively.


    Arwen smirked and replied.


    -That''s the principal. You didn''t pay back the interest. The interest has probably already increased by tens of times more than the principal.


    Flam, who had never thought of interest, was stunned. He said, "This... Rather than not being able to meet Den out of shame, I won¡¯t be able to meet him out of fear."


    He was trembling with fear because he had been working with Den for the past three years, and saw how Den had dealt with the people who owed him.


    -Teacher-nim will find you with soul magic anyway, so it''s a useless fear. Just endure it.


    Arwen''s kind consolation made Flam even more desperate. He asked, "But isn''t soul magic that evil magic that deals with the dead?"[1]


    -It''s similar, but it''s not. Raising the dead is necromancy, while soul magic is talking to or possessing the dead. To be precise, the field is the same, but the school is different.


    Arwen continued with a magical explanation that Flam couldn¡¯t even understand, so he just let the explanation go in one ear and out the other. He remarked, "Den is proficient in more magic than I thought."


    -Of course! I bet Teacher-nim knows all the magic in the world.


    Arwen boasted proudly as if she had been praised. It was like a child¡¯s vanity, but Arwen was sincere. She then asked a question.


    -But what brought you here?


    Flam answered seriously, "Teacher-nim sent me to this place because he was anxious about something."


    -Grandfather did?


    Flam nodded, and Arwen clenched her magic wand with a serious expression. She wondered if the reason why her teacher had given her the magic wand was related to that anxiety.


    -But what about Grandfather?


    "Right now, he¡¯s probably about to start attacking the place where the Demon King summoning ceremony is taking place." Flam looked in the direction he had come from. For some reason, he felt as if the terribly strong aura had grown even larger.


    * * *


    Libra tried to distribute the awoken family members of the Demon King among the three churches.


    However, Galak objected. "If you distribute those demons in groups of two, the defenses will become too weak. You have to assign at least three each.¡±


    Libra frowned. "Weak? What nonsense are you talking about? In the past, you had to risk your life against just one of these divine demons. Did you forget?"


    "That was possible because it was a long time ago, and I didn''t know much about the demons. Now I can deal with three at once,¡± Galak remarked.


    "Lies¡­!" Libra wanted to dismiss Galak''s words. However, over decades of cooperation with the Twelve Zodiacs, he had tasted Galak''s terrible power.


    Galak said confidently, "I''m stronger than three of the Demon King''s family members. If I risked my life, I''m confident that I could win against all seven."


    It was said that unless the Demon King was killed, the demons wouldn¡¯t die, but it was possible to render them unable to move.


    Libra frowned, but it was hidden behind his mask.


    "But you know what? The problem is that my grandson is stronger than me. I know because we''ve fought a few times in the last three years,¡± Galak remarked.


    Libra bit his lips and blood trickled down. He asked, "Then what are you saying we should do? The enemy will definitely attack from multiple angles at the same time. How do you know where the Crow of Death will come from?¡±


    Galak smiled lightly and said, "Hey, cool down. Our purpose isn¡¯t offense. It''s defense. All you have to do is stall for time."


    Libra''s eyes widened. "I see. No matter how strong the Crow of Death is, it will take a long time to deal with three divine demons at the same time." However, his bright voice quickly darkened again. "Then how will you defend the places where the divine demons can''t be placed?"


    "Didn¡¯t I say it already? I''m stronger than the family members of the Demon King. I¡¯ll protect the most important altar,¡± Galak said.


    Libra felt a subtle emotion. He could rationally accept the fact that his strongest enemy was on his side, but he couldn¡¯t easily accept it emotionally. Although they were holding hands now, Galak was a deadly enemy, so he couldn''t bear the thought of Galak guarding the altar.


    "There are definitely seven family members of the Demon King, so why are there only six here?¡± Galak asked.


    Libra held back from mocking him and said, "That''s none of your business.¡±


    "Hmm, it seems you''re trying to pull some nonsense again. Well, we won''t know if it''ll work out,¡± Galak said.


    Galak wasn¡¯t nervous, no matter what Libra did. He believed that he had prepared adequately for Zendia and Doomstone on his own. He knew quite well that it was a very irresponsible and selfish thought, but the most important thing to him was the success of the ceremony.


    * * *


    After a long night, dawn broke out over the horizon.


    The previous night, I had plucked off one of the scales of the pet dragon, made a simple hut, and slept in it. It was more comfortable than I¡¯d expected. When I plucked off the scale, the pet dragon had said his skin stung and got angry, but after my father said he was being noisy, he grumbled briefly and continued to fly quietly through the sky.


    "Are you awake?¡± my father asked when he felt my presence.


    "Yes. Did you stay up all night?" I asked in response.


    My father smiled and said, "Yeah. But don''t worry. I¡¯ve long since surpassed the level where my condition would worsen because I didn''t sleep for a day."


    "Haha, I''m more worried about the Demon King than about Father,¡± I joked as I took out breakfast from my pocket space.


    "You''re going to eat, right?¡± my father asked.


    "Of course,¡± I replied.


    Someone jumped up from down below as I was preparing breakfast with a barrier put up to block the wind. Then, that person climbed onto the pet dragon even as it flew quickly thousands of kilometers up in the air.


    "You¡¯ve arrived, Father?" my father asked.


    It was my grandfather who had climbed onto the dragon. He said, "Hey, it''s been a while, son and grandson."


    Grandfather didn¡¯t seem to have fully recovered yet, and looked exhausted. But neither I nor my father said anything about it.


    "Grandfather, please join us and eat,¡± I said, showing him some bread with butter spread on it.


    My grandfather smiled, coming over and sitting down. "I heard that the Demon King''s summons were stolen. Were you injured anywhere?" he asked while toasting the bread using a primitive method of rubbing mana together.


    "I''m fine. But still, I''m sorry. The Demon King summoning ceremony is starting because of me,¡± I said.


    My grandfather shook his head and smiled kindly. "No, the person who should apologize is the fool who wants to summon the Demon King. You did nothing wrong."


    Keup! If it were my aunt, she would have been all kinds of hysterical, but my grandfather was so caring. "Okay, then let''s decide who''s going to attack which place after breakfast,¡± I said.


    My grandfather spread jam on the toasted bread and took a big bite.


    * * *


    When generals visited, ordinary military units would start cleaning even a few days prior, from the nooks and crannies to places that wouldn¡¯t even be seen.


    Valhalla''s soldiers thought such things weren¡¯t related to them. They saw division commanders and even generals day in and day out, so a general coming to visit wasn¡¯t a special thing, but a normal part of daily life for them.


    However, Valhalla, the first line of defense against the Demon¡¯s Territory, was on alert this morning. They received a surprise visit from the crown prince and the saintess. The military camp had been half burned down by the fire of the phoenix, and the destroyed walls had yet to be cleaned up.


    Hillis arrived at Valhalla amid the panic of various officers, and said one thing as soon as she got off the carriage. "Please guide me to the medical corps." She spoke firmly, as if she didn¡¯t care about anything else. The knights who had lined up to receive her awkwardly guided her to the medical corps.


    In contrast, as soon as the crown prince got off the carriage, he told everyone to keep up the good work and immediately went to meet William. The officers and soldiers, who had been nervous and prepared to hear bitter words, were relieved.


    After arriving at the medical corps, Hillis immediately began to treat the soldiers and residents. She asked, "This is a frontline base, so why are there ordinary people here?"


    The nursing officers answered, nervous about the presence of the saintess whom they had only heard of. "Yes! That''s because this place is going to be the second Warrant."


    Even though it was a poor explanation due to their nervousness, Hillis immediately understood. She remarked, "So it''s because of the empire''s work to move north and reclaim the Demon¡¯s Territory, integrating it into the empire. I heard that Warrant was originally a frontline base, but Valhalla seems to be the same."


    "Ah! Yes! That''s right! So, families of long-term soldiers or pioneers who wish to have their own land are living here together!" the officers replied.


    If it were simply at the village level, more settlements could have been built besides Valhalla, but not many places could be developed into bases the size of cities. For that reason, the deepest frontline base had been selected as the main camp and the frontier.


    "It would have been better if we took more time to set up a frontline base further ahead than this,¡± Hillis remarked.


    "That¡¯s¡­ The previous frontline base ahead of this one was destroyed two years ago by the flood of demons. It seems they haven¡¯t recovered yet,¡± the nursing officer explained. Hillis nodded.


    Geographically, there was enough land for it to become a city, but since it could only grow if there were people, it was natural to invest in getting more people to come over.


    "And there haven¡¯t been any big problems so far because the imperial family and His Highness the Duke have fully supported us...¡± the nursing officer trailed off.


    Hillis smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°But there¡¯s a risk of great demons attacking without any notice.¡±


    It was a high risk, high reward situation. She had to admire the courage of the pioneers, but the risk was too brutal. The burns caused by the phoenix¡¯s fire were so serious that they couldn¡¯t easily be healed without her level of divine power.


    While Hillis was focusing on the treatment, suddenly another source of divine power other than her own manifested. She raised her head and identified the owner of the divine power, smiling brightly. "Arwen!"


    -I heard you came over. I''ll help too.


    It was clear that Arwen, who had learned divine magic from Hillis, would be of great help.


    "Thank you. I heard Den left me to go stop the summoning of the Demon King?¡± Hillis asked, smiling playfully.


    But Arwen felt helpless as she replied.


    -Yes. If it¡¯s Teacher-nim, he¡¯ll be back safely. With your sister.¡±


    At Arwen''s consolation, Hillis smiled and stroked her head. "Thank you for worrying about me.¡± She then looked at Flam, who stood hesitantly next to Arwen, and joked, ¡°I heard that you ran away, but it seems you were here all along? It¡¯s been a long time."


    Flam laughed awkwardly. "Ahahaha, I heard you took care of Arwen while I was away. Thank you."


    "If you''re grateful, please help the nursing officers,¡± Hillis said.


    "Of course! Just tell me what to do!" Flam shouted enthusiastically. After receiving instructions, he moved busily to transport medical supplies.


    Thanks to their diligent work, soon they had some room to relax.


    "Oh, I''m tired," Hillis said.


    -Good job.


    "Good job."


    Around the time they were about to take a break, a roar came from outside.


    Boom-! Ding ding ding ding ding-!


    The emergency bell rang urgently, just as a huge mass of black mana suddenly hit the military camp.


    1. The author uses two different words for necromancy. Based on the description given in the next dialogue, I named one soul magic to distinguish it from necromancy. ?

 CH 338

    Chapter 338. Caesar of Belief (7)


    The demon that attacked the frontline base looked like a huge reptile with thorns on its back. It was acting strangely, changing the color of its body from moment to moment and rolling its eyes from side to side.


    "What kind of demon is this?" William, who had been with the crown prince, was the first to respond to the attack of the demon. He quickly froze the demon''s legs to stop it from moving.


    It was a rational and legitimate judgment. Ordinary animals¡¯ mobility was dependent on their legs. However, although it made sense, it wasn¡¯t an accurate judgment. The demon opened its mouth, and a faint force immediately emerged and hit William.


    Boom!


    "Gasp!"


    The blow, which wasn¡¯t just a physical force but also contained dark mana, blew William away with a roar and destroyed the surroundings..


    "Keuuuu!"


    William protected himself with the skill of a seasoned medusa. However, he couldn¡¯t completely block the blow, because his mana was dispersed to reduce the explosion¡¯s range to prevent damage to the surroundings. Still, thanks to his effort, he was successful at protecting the area from the explosion.


    "Emergency call!" William exclaimed, using a signaling spell of the Butterfly tribe to send a beacon high into the sky. When the nearest Butterfly tribe member felt the signal, they would repeat it in all directions, attracting all the forces of the Butterfly tribe.


    "Damn. Where did that monster come from!?" William exclaimed.


    Although the signal had been sent, there wasn¡¯t enough time for the Butterfly tribe people, who were spread throughout the Demon¡¯s Territory, to gather. It wasn¡¯t an opponent ordinary soldiers could deal with, so William had no choice but to deal with it with a small number of elite soldiers. However, the strength he felt from it was similar to or stronger than a great demon.


    "William, are you okay?!" Bloody, who had traveled with the crown prince, ran to William with a sword in hand.


    "Hey! If you¡¯re here too, then Zantes¡­!" William began.


    "He''s all grown up now too. And since he¡¯s of the imperial family, the crazy 2nd Army leader is here, so he''ll at least save Zantes somehow,¡± Bloody remarked. It wasn¡¯t something that should have come out of the mouth of the head of the imperial army, tasked with protecting the empire and the imperial family.


    Nevertheless, William felt strangely convinced. The head of the 2nd Army was a rare knight with strength that could match that of the battle races. He was much more reliable than Bloody, who wasn¡¯t well suited to protecting anyone.


    "I''m just dealing with that monster for Zantes, and of course, for the people,¡± Bloody said, pointing his sword at the demon.


    William smiled and pointed his magic wand at the demon alongside him, saying, "You''re so persuasive." With that, he shot a huge ice spear into the mouth of the demon.


    "Oh! Let''s fight! You look stronger than a great demon, so it''ll be fun!" Bloody exclaimed.


    "Don''t use Dance of the Fireflies this time!" William cautioned.


    "I can''t guarantee that!" Bloody shouted as he rushed toward the demon.


    William covered Bloody with magic and ordered, "Everyone! We¡¯re giving up Valhalla! Retreat to Warrant!"


    In response, the soldiers abandoned all their unnecessary luggage and began to hasten their retreat by breaking down the walls. Fortunately, the wood wall that had been burned once was easily broken.


    As William began to support Bloody with his attacks, his whole body was surrounded by divine power, healing his wounds and recovering his vitality.


    "I''ll help too,¡± Hillis said, having come from the direction of the medical corps. She smiled and began to sing in a beautiful voice. Despite the critical situation, her hymns sounded very reverent and beautiful. Notes containing divine power spread in all directions, suppressing the dark mana of the demon and blessing the allied forces.


    Flam said admiringly, "As expected, priests are amazing."


    Arwen shook her head and corrected him.


    -It''s not that priests are amazing, but that Unni is amazing.


    Hillis weakened the black mana, which was at the level of a great demon, with her own divine power. Simultaneously, she strengthened the paladins as they rushed to deal with it. It wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat to do so even if thousands of ordinary people worked together.


    Arwen took a magic wand out of her pocket space and asked a question.


    -Oppa, what are you going to do?


    Even if Flam didn''t help deal with the demon, Arwen would understand. She knew that the empire was like a sworn enemy to him. In addition, for a demon on this level, Flam would have to risk his life and show all of his strength.


    In response, Flam touched his sword handle and said, "I''m going to fight. But that''s if the ordinary people are put in danger." He saw a group wearing brilliantly shining armor in the distance. To him, knights and soldiers weren¡¯t ordinary people.


    Arwen respected Flam''s choice.


    -I feel reassured just by that. I''m going to fight. I hate the thought of being powerless anymore.


    Arwen flew up into the air, forming a hand seal instead of an incantation.


    On the other hand, the imperial knights were guarding Zantes in the center of the military camp. They cried, "Your Highness! Hurry and take refuge!"


    Zantes shook his head and replied, "I''m fine! Keep the civilians safe first and retreat!"


    "Your Highness?!" the knights exclaimed.


    "I''ll leave after all the civilians have taken refuge!" Zantes shouted. The reason he said that was because he thought the knights would otherwise focus on protecting him and not the pioneers.


    Unlike Warrant, Valhalla was still classified as part of the Demon¡¯s Territory because demons roamed these lands. If they only thought of retreating now and did a poor job of escorting the pioneers, the pioneers wouldn¡¯t be safely evacuated.


    "Please agree to our request, Your Highness!" the knights insisted.


    In response, Zantes remained firm and commanded, "This is an order! 2nd Army, help General Bloody and General William rather than guarding me, so that civilians have time to take refuge!"


    Despite his order, the soldiers remained frozen in place. He sincerely shouted angrily, "Didn''t the Valhalla soldiers say to evacuate with the injured and the civilians?! Are you daring to ignore my order!?¡± It was only then, in response to Zantes¡¯s anger, that the soldiers began to evacuate the injured and the pioneers.


    "Is the 2nd Army Leader playing with the life of the crown prince right now? What are you doing not attacking the demon right now!?" Zantes cried. His words carried the implied threat that the later the civilians evacuated, the more danger his life would be in.


    "Or do I need to draw a sword and deal with the demon myself?!" Zantes exclaimed. However, he was naturally weaker than an apprentice knight. When he pulled out a sword and took a step toward the demon, his guards became frightened and pulled their swords out, charging toward the demon. Only a few knights remained to guard Zantes, and the rest did their best to attack the demon or help civilians evacuate.


    Flam''s thoughts became complicated seeing that. He still felt anger at the fact that his village¡¯s people had to be brutally slaughtered, as if it hadn¡¯t been enough for the country to collapse. At the same time, his conflicting thoughts were unconsciously convincing him that it had been only natural, making his head hurt. He wondered bitterly if his experience as a civil servant of the empire had shaken his heart.


    Then Zantes approached Flam, who was standing alone, and asked,"What are you doing? Why are you not evacuating!? It''s dangerous. I''ll assign some of my knights to guard you, so hurry up and evacuate...¡±


    "Stop!" Flam couldn''t stand Zantes¡¯ look of sincere concern.


    The knights guarding Zantes tried to cut down Flam due to his insolent response, but Zantes raised his hand to block them. "You must be confused. I understand. It''s a sudden situation, so I forgive you. So..."


    "Your Highness! It''s dangerous!" the knights exclaimed.


    Amid the battle situation, which was looking extremely disadvantageous, the demon swung its  long tongue. To protect Zantes, the imperial knights wrapped themselves around Zantes and closed their eyes. But as they prepared for the impact, they saw a strong aura shining with a bluish light emerge from Flam¡¯s hand, cutting off the demon¡¯s tongue.


    "It''s against my beliefs to save the slaughterer from the empire." If Flam had been alone, he could have easily avoided it, but he didn''t. It was definitely against his beliefs, but his hand had pulled out a sword of its own volition to save the crown prince.


    "What¡­?" Zantes didn¡¯t understand Flam''s words.


    "Do you know the people of the Imperial State who were killed by the empire?¡± Flam asked.


    Zantes momentarily stopped breathing in surprise. "Are you perhaps¡­?"


    "It¡¯s just as you guessed. Was it not enough to destroy the state? I''m asking if you couldn¡¯t have spared the people!" Flam choked up. Words he¡¯d been holding back all this time spilled forth.


    The empire and the Imperial State had the same root, known as the Holy Kingdom. However, the refugees of the Imperial State were still being discriminated against at the border. Just under thirty years hadn¡¯t been sufficient for them to get along, even though they shared the same origin.


    Zantes lowered his trembling head and apologized. "I¡¯m sorry... It''s a cowardly thing to say, but this is what I¡¯ve wanted to say to you guys since General Glont retired."


    As Flam walked toward Zantes, the knights blocked him out of surprise. They knew they couldn''t compete against his skills, but they had a mission to protect the crown prince.


    "You guys get out of the way,¡± Zantes said, ordering the knights to stand down. He said, seemingly prepared, "If you want, you can kill me...¡±


    Even before Zantes finished speaking, Flam hit him hard in the face.


    "Your Highness!" the knights exclaimed.


    "Don''t give your life to others so easily. Taking life so lightly¡­ That¡¯s why things like massacres happen,¡± Flam said.


    Zantes reeled from the blow and touched his cheek, smiling bitterly. "That''s true, too. I learned an important lesson. Is it okay to ask your name?¡±


    Flam looked up at the sky and said, "I just broke my beliefs and abandoned my name. I couldn¡¯t even uphold my beliefs, so I¡¯m not deserving of that name."


    "Then¡­?" Zantes trailed off.


    "You can call me the name Teacher-nim gave me. My name is Caesar." Abandoning his name, Caesar passed Zantes and headed toward the family member of the Demon King. "Since I broke my beliefs, it might be good to go have fun while I¡¯m at it." As he spoke, he called on the Crow martial arts with all his might.


    The Crow martial arts had been the driving force that had enabled him to become strong in a short period of time, but they were also a double-edged sword that gnawed at his lifespan because he used them with the fragile body of someone who wasn¡¯t a crow. Caesar was determined to end his life here.


    "I just hope there¡¯s no deception in what I saw in you!" Caesar yelled toward Zantes, kicking off the ground and launching a strong aura strike at the Demon King¡¯s family member.


    "What? Crow martial arts? No, it''s different." Bloody, who had been running wild on the demon''s head, felt something strange as Caesar¡¯s aura suddenly flew in and cut the demon¡¯s nape.


    "Get out of my way! Enlightenment! Crushing rocks!¡± Caesar yelled. Bloody jumped high in the air to dodge, and Caesar cut the right eye of the fast-moving demon with his full power.


    -Kiiiiaaaaak!


    "It''s been a while, Den''s uncle."


    "You! Den¡¯s friend who was wearing the brown mask!"


    The two recognized each other and exchanged greetings, and without taking a break, brought forth their martial arts to cut off the demon¡¯s head.


    Bloody easily matched the familiar swordsmanship, easily working together with it. The swordsmanship that belonged to the same faction combined to create a huge synergistic effect.


    Bloody asked, "Who are you? This is Old Man Weger-nim''s... No, it''s my father''s swordsmanship.¡±


    Caesar nodded seriously. "Right. Your father is my teacher."


    "Oho, I see." Bloody was easily convinced. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand, since he often exchanged letters with Zendia.


    Magic and arrows flew in from all sides and attacked the demon, but it didn¡¯t sustain much damage. Even if it got hurt, it healed quickly.


    "But anyway, we¡¯re in trouble,¡± Caesar remarked.


    The camp had already been completely ruined, and the demon had caused numerous casualties. If it couldn¡¯t be stopped here, it was clear that the safety of the pioneers fleeing, as well as the empire past the border, would be destroyed.


    The problem was that they were only able to do this much because the demon had been greatly weakened by Hillis''s divine power.


    Caesar shot countless strong aura blasts, hurting the demon, and the demon shot countless thorns back at Caesar. He dodged the thorns safely, but he couldn¡¯t avoid its tongue imbued with mana, that moved so fast he could only see its afterimage.


    "Keuk!"


    Boom!


    Caesar surrounded his entire body with a protective barrier to block it, but was still sent flying into the ground. At the same time, a big explosion hit him.


    Arwen went to Caesar, worried about her brother being sent flying away.


    -What are you doing!? You said you were only going to move when the civilians were in danger! And if you use martial arts like that¡­!


    "Ugh, I know. It¡¯s an idiotic thing to do!"


    Caesar wrapped himself around Arwen and covered himself with a protective aura. The demon once again swung its tongue at him and hit him directly in the back.


    -Oppa! Are you okay?


    Even in such an urgent situation, Arwen¡¯s voice didn¡¯t come out, so she continued to draw letters in the air.


    Caesar vomited blood on the ground so as not to splash it on Arwen. "Uwack! Keup! Rather than having to worry about my lifespan, I might be killed first."


    -Don''t say that! Because of me¡­!


    Caesar roughly wiped his bloody hands on his clothes and stroked Arwen¡¯s hair, saying, "It''s not because of you."


    Then he took a step toward the demon.


    "It''s all because of my beliefs." To no longer cry, not look back on the past, and protect what is precious.


    "Not Flam¡¯s, but Caesar''s beliefs.¡± Golden grains emerged from Caesar''s entire body. Let''s dance properly, if we''re going to die like this anyway.


    "Final Enlightenment." Caesar''s martial arts mixed with Hillis''s divine power, healing his wounds and revitalizing him.


    -No!


    Arwen shook her head, about to cry.


    "Dance of the Fireflies." Caesar rushed back toward the demon, swinging his sword with enough power to cut a mountain.

 CH 339

    Chapter 339. The Holy Grail of Revenge (1)


    Caesar¡¯s powerful golden aura completely severed the demon¡¯s right foreleg. He felt a rush of adrenaline, finally freed from the painful sensation of vomiting blood that he had endured until just now. He felt as if he could get drunk on this sensation, that made it seem as if he could fight for a few days.


    -Kiiiieeeeehhh!


    The demon writhed in pain and shot the thorns on its back in all directions. Caesar swung his sword to create a huge gust of sword wind and deflected the thorns.


    Rationally, it was clear that his entire self would burn at the end of the Dance of the Fireflies. He knew at least that he wouldn¡¯t last a very long time.


    The demon''s recovery was abnormal. New bones and flesh were already sprouting from the severed leg stump and growing back.


    Intuitively, Caesar realized that out of anyone here, he alone could kill that demon.


    -Stop! If you stop now, you can still live on somehow!


    Arwen stopped Caesar. If he used only one attack, Hillis could still save him.


    But Caesar shook his head. Even if he hadn¡¯t used the Dance of the Fireflies, considering the unfavorable battle situation, it was clear that Bloody would have used the Dance of the Fireflies instead. In order to hold out until the support of the Butterfly and Crow tribes arrived, someone had to die anyway.


    "No, I can''t live." Caesar smiled at Arwen. If he didn¡¯t go all out right now, even Arwen and Hillis''s safety couldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Furthermore, the safety of his colleagues and boarding house friends, whom he had stayed with in the capital, would also be in danger.


    "It seems I had more than I thought." Caesar laughed cheerfully. "I''ll cut it into as many pieces as I can!"


    Even if he couldn''t kill it, even if he fell, he had to at least keep the demon from moving for a while¡­ So that no one else would die or get hurt other than himself.


    Caesar began running once again with all his might, jumping high above the demon''s head.


    The demon shot its tongue at Caesar, the one who had severed its leg. Its tongue moved so fast it didn¡¯t even leave an afterimage. However, Caesar shot out a strong aura blast, tracking the tongue with his eyes. The tongue was split in half; Caesar stepped on it as it fell helplessly through the air and took another leap forward.


    "Enlightenment! Splitting the Sea!" Caesar yelled, firing off a giant wave of golden aura.


    The demon¡¯s huge neck the size of a castle wall was severed, and its head fell to the ground. Caesar didn¡¯t stop at that, scattering more powerful golden aura waves to hack apart the demon¡¯s body.


    The pieces of the demon tried to reattach to each other, but Caesar unleashed golden aura waves without stopping. As soon as a severed part reattached itself, it was severed again. As soon as it was severed, it reattached itself again. But then Caesar would sever it again before attacking another spot.


    No one dared to intervene amid the unceasing rain of sword aura.


    As hours and hours passed, and the demon¡¯s flesh was severed and reattached repeatedly, its regeneration began to slow down. Hillis¡¯ divine power permeated each of its parts, suppressing its regeneration speed.


    The endless cycle of sword strikes and regeneration gradually became more frequent, but eventually Caesar stopped swinging his sword. The golden mana surrounding him died down and the sword fell from his hand.


    "This must be my limit,¡± Caesar said. The demon¡¯s regeneration hadn¡¯t stopped, but his limit had come.


    The skin on his hand that was holding the sword split apart and cracked. From the wound, instead of bright red blood, dried-up dark red fragments fell. Caesar collapsed backward and smiled as if he were relieved.


    As Arwen approached Caesar, her eyes turned red as if she were about to cry.


    -Don''t die.


    "I didn''t live all that long, but it wasn''t a bad life,¡± Caesar said. The cracks, which had started from his hand, climbed up his arm and began to spread throughout his body.


    As he heard his own dry, crumbling death, Caesar looked up at the sky peacefully. "If there¡¯s anything I regret, it¡¯s sad that I felt empty thinking only about what I had lost, instead of what was next to me."


    Perhaps because death was near, his senses were heightened. He felt several auras flying over from far away. Still, he was relieved that he had properly earned enough time, and that it wasn¡¯t a dog¡¯s death.


    "Sorry." Caesar wiped away Arwen''s tears with his crumbling hands.


    -Don''t die.


    Arwen poured out her divine power with all her strength. However, she could only slow down the cracks, but not stop them.


    "¡­D¡­" Arwen''s mouth moved and made a sound.


    "Don''t... die! Don''t leave me behind!" Arwen shouted desperately. She didn''t want her family to die anymore. She didn''t remember her old family, but she still thought that.


    Hillis arrived next to Arwen as she desperately poured out divine power.


    "Unni! Please save this fool! It¡¯s possible if it¡¯s you! Right?¡± Arwen asked.


    But in truth, she knew that Hillis''s divine power had been constantly flowing toward Caesar from the time he had first attacked the demon. In addition, because Hillis was suppressing the demon¡¯s regeneration and supporting the allied forces, she had little divine power left.


    Hillis didn¡¯t answer. Arwen cried as she picked up the magic wand, saying, "If it¡¯s Teacher-nim¡­! I''m sure! If it¡¯s Teacher-nim, he¡¯ll fix it!"


    Although it could only be used one time, there was a spell on the magic wand that would allow Awen to teleport to Den.


    As soon as Arwen tried to use the spell, however, Caesar grabbed Arwen''s arm and stopped her. He said, "Stop it. Den must be fighting by now. We can''t risk putting Den in danger."


    "But¡­!" Arwen had to try grabbing at even the last straw.


    Then Hillis smiled and stroked Arwen''s head, saying, "I''ll save him. Don''t worry." She untied the rosary that she was wearing around her neck.


    "Saintess-nim, that''s...!¡± Albatoss, who had been watching Hillis from behind, groaned.


    Hillis''s rosary was a divine spell called "Miracle," the greatest anomaly that a saintess could create.


    Albatoss closed his eyes and looked away. Likewise, the surrounding paladins closed their eyes and looked away. It was an honor to see a miracle being used, but in averting their eyes, they were tacitly condoning Hillis¡¯ willful use of it.


    Hillis instilled divine power into the miracle that she had originally decided to save for her older sister, Vibrio. She prayed, "Generous Mother, please present a future to Mother''s child, who sacrificed himself and became a lamp for the many."


    If she used the miracle, her older sister could certainly easily be released from the brainwashing. Hillis was well aware of that, but she used the miracle without hesitation. She firmly believed that Den would save her older sister.


    A sacred white light emanated from the rosary and wrapped around Caesar''s body. His crumbling, cracked body appeared to travel back in time, returning to normal. His exhausted vitality returned, and his body that had aged from excessive use of power was reconstructed.


    "How do you feel about getting to live a new life?" Hillis asked with a playful smile, absorbing the surplus divine power left in the air.


    Caesar was dumbfounded and said, "I don''t know what that is, but isn''t it something precious? Is it okay to use that on me?"


    "Of course. Nothing is more precious than a good man who sacrifices himself. I''ll just write a letter of apology,¡± Hillis said.


    It was clear that the use of a miracle wouldn¡¯t simply be resolved with a written apology if it were discovered. However, Hillis shrugged casually. She would have to suffer for a year, but she could just make another one.


    In the distance, William could see the Butterfly and Crow tribes gathering from the direction of the Demon¡¯s Territory. And from the direction of the empire, a giant dragon and two magicians quickly flew over. It was the Dragon King and two of the great madosas.


    "Oh, my. I haven¡¯t seen that guy in a long time, not since the sealing of the Demon King,¡± the Elemental Specialist Arpen said as he landed.


    "Father!" William was surprised by Arpen¡¯s arrival.


    Arpen spoke, looking at the demon starting to regenerate slowly again. "I came in a hurry after seeing the emergency signal, but I fell into the trap of the Curse Specialist. But you''ve finished it. Good job."


    "No, I didn''t do anything in particular,¡± William replied.


    Arpen tapped Mirpa¡¯s shoulder and said, "Alchemy Specialist, let''s freeze it first."


    "How funny. It regenerates even when you hack it apart like that,¡± Mirpa remarked.


    Arpen and Mirpa drew their magic wands and began to freeze the demon in immutable ten-thousand-year ice to prevent it from regenerating further.


    As she watched the scene, Hillis stroked Arwen''s head and took the magic wand in Arwen''s hand, saying, "Well, it''s not enough of a price to pay for using the miracle, but let me borrow this for a moment."


    "What? Oh, yes!" Arwen replied.


    Holding the magic wand, Hillis activated the teleportation spell imbued in it. Just in time, her divine power had been restored using the power of the miracle. She said, "I need to say something to Den, who left me and went off by himself."


    "Wait, hold on a second, Saintess-nim!" Albatoss tried to catch Hillis, but the teleportation spell was too fast.


    * * *


    Because the pet dragon flew hard without sleeping, it took only about a day to cross the Demon¡¯s Territory, the land where about five countries had fallen. Five countries didn¡¯t sound that wide, but it would have been appropriate to call such a distance a continental crossing.


    Here and there, one could find places like Olympus Forest that couldn¡¯t be inhabited by humans, as well as places that resembled the Arctic further north. In the terms of my previous life, it could be said that those fallen countries occupied a landmass similar to Russia.


    "Which one will be the winner?"


    After a leisurely breakfast thousands of meters above ground, my father, grandfather, and I seriously deliberated. There were three target locations, but time wasn¡¯t on our side. There were two days at most, but honestly, if we couldn''t end things by today, that could be considered a failure.


    "Well, it''s best to follow your instincts at times like this."


    "All three of them seem to be important."


    My father and grandfather seriously contemplated the situation.


    Considering that my father and grandfather couldn¡¯t choose even with their instincts, that meant all three places were related to the summoning of the Demon King.


    "Let¡¯s split up.¡± I suggested attacking three places at the same time.


    My grandfather nodded. "Good. I''ll choose first as the elder."


    My father shook his head and said, "I want to fight the Demon King, too.¡± Somehow, he seemed to have no intention of stopping the Demon King summoning.


    "I want to see the summoning ceremony too. Of course I''m going to interfere with it, though," I said. Personally, I wasn¡¯t interested in the Demon King, but I was interested in the ceremony itself. The summoning of the Demon King could stimulate a magician''s imagination.


    ¡°Huh-huh, you brats haven''t learned filial piety. My father must be guarding the altar." My grandfather had a leisurely smile while touching his beard. He seemed to want to fight my great-grandfather again.


    "We don''t know which location is the right one anyway, so let''s decide by rock-paper-scissors,¡± I said.


    My father and grandfather found my opinion interesting and nodded.


    "Fine with me, Youngest."


    "We can compete on who has the best instincts."


    Rock-paper-scissors seemed like a game of luck at first glance, but it had quite the psychological element. In addition, since all three of us were superhuman, various factors such as super vision, instantaneous judgment, and instinct would be added to the mix.


    "Rock, paper, scissors!"


    Right as I shouted, my father and grandfather''s hands flashed from scissor to rock, and kept changing as they stuck out their hands.


    But did we have to go this far?

 CH 340

    Chapter 340. The Holy Grail of Revenge (2)


    The result of rock-paper-scissors was that all three people, including me, had paper.


    After seeing the results, my father spoke quietly. "Youngest, if you pull that nonsense again next time, you''ll get hit."


    At my father¡¯s light threat, I surrendered with both hands raised. "Hahaha, was it too obvious?"


    "Uh-huh-huh-huh, my grandson is smart. But this grandfather is serious." Grandfather also smiled, warming up lightly. It was very scary to see that smile.


    All I had done was that I kept putting out scissors and changing it to paper at the end. Simply calculating the situation, if I kept playing scissors, my father and grandfather had no choice but to throw out a rock. That was because paper would lose to scissors, and I had to think about the possibility of the others using rocks.


    Of course, they could have aimed for the next round by putting out a rock and paper respectively, but there wasn''t enough time for that. In addition, my father and grandfather would have thought I had given up on the game.


    In other words, I had tried to take the win by influencing my father and grandfather to throw rocks in the ever-changing rock-paper-scissors, then changing from scissors to paper. However, the fact that their reaction speed was faster than I had expected resulted in paper for all three.


    In fact, the reason why they had chosen paper, not scissors, was because I had changed it at the last moment. No matter how fast the two of them were, it was physically and reflexively faster to change from rock to paper than to scissors.


    No matter how much I exceeded the limit, my mistake came from the fact that I was fundamentally a magician, and those two were martial artists. I just had to correct that mistake.


    Now that this method wouldn''t work, I was thinking about what psychological trick to play next, when my grandfather spoke in a kind voice. "Come to think of it, if Grandson plays another trick, the winner won''t be decided, so let''s make Den take a loss for a foul."


    "What?" I looked at my grandfather, flustered.


    "That''s a good idea. Youngest, you default for a foul." My father agreed with my grandfather.


    "No! How can you do that?!" I was dumbfounded.


    But my grandfather comforted me and patted my shoulders. "You know we don''t have much time. And it''s two to one.¡±


    "How can you play politics like this?¡± I complained, shocked. Even the minorities of the world deserve to be respected, so how could they suppress me like this? Where did my fair grandfather go?!


    My father grabbed my shoulder. "The words of the chief are the law. If you don''t like it, you can be the chief. Since you surpassed the limit, I''ll give it to you anytime."


    "I refuse. How could you try to slyly pass it on to me? Why didn''t you just come in last?¡± I replied firmly.


    My father smacked his lips and said, openly disappointed, "Tch, I almost passed it on."


    My grandfather smiled kindly and said, "Sometimes you have to cut things off boldly and firmly without being swept away by affection."


    Grandfather''s words were very reasonable. However, I said, "I don''t think that''s something to say when playing rock-paper-scissors."


    Grandfather smiled and nodded. "Huh-huh-huh, that''s true, too. Well, since it¡¯s you, you should know that well, so my worry was for nothing. Such advice should be for Leisha or Gallahad.¡±


    I gave up and sat down, leaning on the horns of the pet dragon.


    "Okay then, son. Let''s come to a conclusion,¡± my grandfather said.


    "Okay, I won''t go easy on you,¡± my father replied.


    My father and grandfather put their hands together to prepare for rock-paper-scissors. Even while playing simple rock-paper-scissors, the two displayed an intense martial aura.


    "If you don¡¯t play, you lose. Rock-paper-scissors!"


    Rock-paper-scissors, without my participation, turned into a pure physical fight. Their hands stretched out, undergoing countless changes.


    At the same time, a fierce battle took place with the opposite hand to interfere with the opponent "making results."


    My father''s punch went for my grandfather''s scissors, but my grandfather deflected my father''s attack with his other hand. Then, he went forward, aiming at my father''s wrist with a karate chop. Just then, my father grappled and blocked the attack.


    ¡®If you don¡¯t play, you lose.¡¯¡¯


    My father and grandfather competed for tens or hundreds of battles in that short period of time to win using the implicit and absolute rule. In the end, both failed to make their opponents unable to play.


    But it was decided in the end.


    "Huh-huh-huh. Since I won, I''ll make the choice first. Do you have any complaints?" my grandfather asked.


    In the final round of rock-paper-scissors, my grandfather''s scissors beat my father''s paper. While fighting with his other hand, my grandfather repeatedly engaged in psychological warfare with my father, and eventually my father lost the psychological battle.


    If it were a life-threatening struggle, my father''s absolute instincts would have been superior, but in a peaceful confrontation, my grandfather''s schemes shone. Perhaps I could have won using psychological warfare, but my father lacked such knowledge.


    "There''s nothing I can do." My father looked resentfully at his palm, as if he were truly angry about losing.


    "But do we really need to go this far? We don''t even know where the right place is, anyway,¡± I asked because I found the situation so ridiculous.


    My father and grandfather answered at the same time.


    "In a match, one must always win."


    "In a match, one must always win."


    While they gave the same answer, my grandfather expressed pride in his victory, and my father¡¯s hand shook in anger.


    Come to think of it, "If you fight, win" was my family motto. It was a family motto that was in line with the villagers.


    "Now, which spot should I choose?" my grandfather mused.


    Even though we didn¡¯t know which of the three places was the answer, if one was using the natural instincts of our family to pick, it was more likely that the first choice would be the answer. Even if the probability was high, it would be about 100 divided by 3, plus the remaining 1. Still, at the level of my father or grandfather, even one percent probability could not be ignored.


    "Okay. I''ll go over there,¡± my grandfather said, setting his target.


    My father stroked his chin. "Hmm, it''s subtle. Then I''ll go over there."


    Obviously, whatever was chosen, it would always have a subtle feeling. According to our instincts, that meant all three places were important for summoning the Demon King.


    "Then I''m going there,¡± I said. I was in last place, so I didn''t even get to pick.


    I took a recovery potion and a special nourishing tonic out of my pocket space and threw them at my father and grandfather.


    "Is this good for your health?" my father asked.


    I nodded and said, "Well, I don''t think Father will need it, but we always have to prepare for the worst."


    "Okay. I''ll use it well,¡± my father said, packing the potion into his pocket.


    My grandfather chewed up and swallowed the tonic on the spot after receiving it. "Huh-huh, it''s nice. Then let''s meet after we smash everything."


    "Yes."


    "Yes."


    My father and I answered at the same time and jumped from the pet dragon. The pet dragon flew straight ahead with my grandfather still on it and blew a Breath toward one of the targets in the distance.


    "Wow, there''s a reason why it was on top of the great demons,¡± I remarked. The pet dragon''s Breath had the power to casually erase at least one city.


    After witnessing that, I flew toward my target. When the battle began, we would naturally know who the winner was.


    "Hmm?" From far away, in the direction of the empire, I suddenly felt the power of the Demon King. It was too far away, so I didn''t know for sure, but was it Valhalla?


    Thinking about it, during breakfast, my grandfather said he had sent Flam there. If there were no variables, it would have been time for Hillis to start heading from Warrant to Valhalla.


    If it were Hillis, she would feel it even from Warrant and stop, so I wasn¡¯t worried, and Arwen was fine since she could teleport.


    However, the righteous old man was on my mind. I hoped he wouldn¡¯t get too nosy for no reason.


    "Well, according to common sense, they¡¯ll endure the damage and retreat their troops, dragging out the fight until they can deal with it with the Crow and Butterfly tribes,¡± I muttered. They wouldn¡¯t do something reckless to reduce the damage, right?


    Something didn''t feel right, but the priority was to destroy the Demon King worshipping church.


    "Let¡¯s start light. ¡®The Symphony of Falling Stars! Stardust of Falling Star!¡¯"


    Without the need for a long incantation or an auxiliary tool such as the chirps, numerous rune words and magic circles appeared in the air, completing the spell. As I had exceeded the limit, magic equivalent to thirty great magicians immediately activated without an expedient like the mana stone of a great demon. A huge white pillar fell on my target from high in the sky.


    "As expected, it was asking for too much,¡± I remarked. My magic penetrated the defensive magic circle that guarded the church without difficulty, but was blocked by a black lion-shaped demon.


    -Krrrrrrrrrrr!


    The huge wound on the lion-shaped demon¡¯s body caused by my magic quickly healed. Still, it still seemed to feel pain and openly emitted killing intent mixed with black mana toward me.


    "Oho, it''s not healing but regeneration, like the monster from the reverse world? It''s just like the angel-shaped gargoyle,¡± I remarked.


    It was likely that the core was the Demon King itself. If so, there was no choice but to seal the Demon King again or kill the Demon King. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to completely bind it and make it an experimental animal and by-product production plant forever.


    -Piiaaaaak!


    -Srrrrrr!


    Behind the lion-shaped demon, a pterodactyl-shaped demon with feathers and a horned, snake-shaped demon appeared.


    "Wow, three? It''s not going to be easy,¡± I said to myself. It seemed as if it¡¯d be easy to catch one, but not three. In particular, it was even more difficult because I was on the offense with a time limit.


    At that moment, likewise, I felt the energy of the Demon King''s family members in the direction where my father had gone. I wondered, "Are there three over there too?"


    I felt the power of my great-grandfather in the direction where my grandfather had gone. It seemed my grandfather was the winner.


    According to the records, there were seven of the Demon King¡¯s family members. It was an expected tactic for my great-grandfather to guard the place where the ceremony would be carried out, while three demons each would hold down me and my father.


    "Summon! Chirps, dragon tooth soldiers, stone statue golems!"


    I took out as many forces as I could from my pocket space. More than 10,000 dragon tooth soldiers lined up around me, and the chirps moved actively according to my will.


    "Destroy the enemy according to the will of your Master!" I commanded.


    Led by their leader Percival, the nine knights guarded me while silently holding their weapons.


    Numerous fanatics from the enemy church, who were strengthening the demons at the forefront with black mana, were also poised for battle.


    An old madosa, who appeared to be the head of this branch of the Demon King worshipping church, climbed onto the demon and shouted solemnly, "Impudent! How dare you try to interfere with this sacred ceremony?!"


    In response to him, I shouted while raising the sign for a mountain in sign language. "F**k blaming others! Your sacred ceremony is bullsh*t!¡±


    "You, you! How dare you!" the medusa exclaimed.


    I lifted my magic wand and shouted, "Shut up! We don''t have much time. All forces advance!"


    At my cry, the dragon tooth soldiers began to charge atop their horses, their eye sockets burning with green fire. Subsequently, the golems also took a heavy step forward.


    Unfortunately, the giant golems weren¡¯t very durable because they had forcibly been patched up after being broken by the Space Specialist. However, the role of the golems lay in their overwhelming weight.


    "Roll!" I exclaimed.


    At my command, the golems began to throw themselves forward at once.

 CH 341

    Chapter 341. The Holy Grail of Revenge (3)


    Someone who had suffered through something would know it best. When I had been squashed under the stone statue knight at the ruins, I had really thought I was going to die. The weight of a giant golem was so overwhelmingly violent, I bet even my father wouldn¡¯t be able to escape if he were properly squashed underneath.


    Realizing that, the enemy black magicians attacked, trying to stop the golems and protect their church.


    "Not a chance!" I cried as I directed the chirps to prepare dozens of great magic circles in the air. "Let the Sky God''s anger pour down! Instant fusion! The Thunder God¡¯s spear that races across the sky!" A giant thunderstorm brought down thousands of bolts of Lightning that Races Across the Sky.


    I focused my shots on the place where the black magicians were, but half were blocked by the magicians and half were blocked by a barrier surrounding the church. However, the enormous electrical current of the spell flowed through the barrier, burning the fanatics on the ground.


    "How dare you!" The black magician, who appeared to be the head of the enemy church, was furious.


    But I hadn¡¯t even begun yet. With their overwhelming weight, the golems fiercely rolled along the ground and broke through the barrier that had been weakened from having blocked the spell.


    "Reinforce it!" the black magician cried.


    "Too late. Caradoc!" I shouted. The dragon tooth soldiers charged through the gap created in the barrier. Knights using black mana poured out from inside the church, and a war began to break out.


    I launched another great magic before the family members of the Demon King could attack the dragon tooth soldiers. "Chain of Seven Stars! Tie up my enemies!" I cried. A thick, seven-colored magic chain appeared in the air and bound the family members of the Demon King.


    "Flame Constellation!" I yelled. Subsequently, thousands of flames poured down on the demons.


    Just then, one of the Demon King family members, the black lion, struggled free of the chain and rushed in. Its wounds from having been burned violently regenerated, and at the same time, it shot its needle-like mane at me.


    "How dare you impertinently throw fur at Master?!" Gwalchavad exclaimed, blocking the mane with his shield without even letting it reach my barrier. Subsequently, arrows surrounded by Tristan''s strong aura penetrated the black lion¡¯s eyes.


    -Kuaaaaahhhh!


    The lion screamed in pain.


    "Wow, Master. The mana flowing from Master is extraordinary. Did you secretly eat something good?¡± Tristan asked while looking at his arrow, which was wrapped in strong aura that had been produced even more smoothly than usual.


    The dragon tooth soldiers and knights were essentially powered by the Miracle Crystal from the ruins, but they could be reinforced with my own mana.


    I shrugged at Tristan''s playful joke and replied, "Who knows? Let''s go get some rest after this business."


    "That sounds good!" Tristan replied, excitedly firing arrows and attacking the family members of the Demon King.


    Before I knew it, the pterodactyl and the horned snake had regenerated from all of their wounds, escaped from the chains, and charged at me. I gave orders while infusing the Holy Sword with mana. "Tristan, Gwalchmai, and Bors, support Caradoc and turn the church to dust!"


    "Yep! Got it, Master!"


    "I''ll be back after smashing everything! So please leave me some of those demons that look fun to fight, Hyung-nim!¡±


    "I will send all those evil henchmen that blaspheme the Goddess to hell, Boss!"


    The battle-crazy Bors seemed disappointed that he couldn¡¯t fight with the demons, and Gwalchmai, a paladin, charged into the church with lively killing intent against the Demon King worshippers.


    To make it easier for the three knights to enter, the giant golems kept the broken barrier open. With them preventing the gap in the barrier from closing, intruding was easy.


    After confirming that they had entered, I shouted, beheading the snake the size of a house with the Holy Sword. "Lionel! Bedivere! Palamedes! Percival! Take care of the enemy''s leadership without leaving a single one behind!"


    It couldn¡¯t end with just destroying the church. They had to be completely eradicated so they couldn¡¯t cause trouble in the future. At my orders, the four knights also went into the church.


    "What? This punk," I remarked.


    Two heads sprang out of the body of the horned snake I had beheaded. Was it a Hydra or what? The horned snake stretched its necks and rushed forth with its mouth open from both sides.


    Gwalchavad and I jumped high into the air and avoided it, but the pterodactyl showed itself from right above us.


    "How dare this ancestor of a chicken stick out its chicken legs?! Wind Maiden!" I pierced the pterodactyl from all sides with countless spears of wind.


    -Kyyyyaaakk!


    The pterodactyl¡¯s body was pierced through with holes by the wind and fell due to the holes in its wings, but it regenerated and flew back up.


    "Gwalchavad, you go to the site my grandfather went to and look for Hillis'' sister. She¡¯ll probably be there for the ceremony,¡± I instructed.


    "But¡­¡± Gwalchavad hesitated, but eventually nodded and said, ¡°I understand." He headed to the place where the Demon King was being summoned.


    Gwalchavad had also been called the Knight of the Holy Grail in the past. As the guardian of the Holy Grail, he had the ability to detect the location of holy relics. It was certain that Hillis'' older sister would have the holy relics needed for the ceremony.


    The family members of the Demon King surrounded me and emitted killing intent, now that I had been left alone. Each one was stronger than a great demon.


    I smiled and held up my magic wand, saying, "You guys aren¡¯t even as good as animals."


    I took the Miracle Crystal out of my pocket space, released it from its seven layers of seals, and embedded it into my magic wand. Then, the crystal that had gathered the world¡¯s mana for 500 years and seemed to have no end overflowed. It was mana so powerful, it would quickly turn an ordinary magician into a handful of ashes in an instant.


    "The fact that you chose the wrong opponent..."


    Before having surpassed the limit, I wouldn¡¯t even have been able to touch it without the seal, let alone use it. But now, I could handle it without the seal. The mana traveled through the magic wand in my hand, then the magic circuit in my arm, and spread throughout my body, leaving me feeling refreshed.


    "I''ll engrave it in your soul."


    When I swung my magic wand, the ground rose sharply and penetrated the body of the black lion. The pterodactyl, who had been trying to swallow me into its gaping mouth, was forced to crawl on the ground due to the sudden increase in gravity.


    -Siaaaahhh!


    The horned snake tried to wrap around me with its body, but I cut it into dozens of pieces with the Holy Sword.


    "Fusion Enlightenment! Revised! Dance of the Fireflies!¡±


    Golden mana grains spewed out of my whole body and strengthened me. It wasn¡¯t a technique that strengthened me only in the brief moments I made contact, but rather a complete Dance of the Fireflies.


    The black lion broke the earth that rose from the ground while emitting black mana from it¡¯s whole body, regenerating from the wound that had penetrated it. Then it shot a Breath.


    -Caoooooooo!


    I kicked the pieces of the horned snake toward the Breath, crying, "Friend Shield!¡± The head of the horned snake was directly hit by the Breath, flying away as a handful of ashes as it defended me.


    "Keuk! I won''t forget your sacrifice! Unknown head of the snake, No.1 and No.2!" I shed tears as I saw it turn into ash and blow away, and then shot a strong aura blast at the black lion, splitting its head in two.


    -Kiiiaaaak!


    Before I knew it, the horned snake¡¯s head grew back, and it cried out from its three heads. It had a phenomenal ability to regenerate.


    "Don''t ruin my memories and die! Heavenly Punishment!¡± I cried. Using the divine power emitted from the Holy Sword, I shot divine lightning at the horned snake to the point that it didn¡¯t even leave any trace. Thanks to divine power, which was the opposite of black mana, its regeneration felt slower. Hurry up and create a beautiful ending!


    While I was supporting the snake hard, the pterodactyl, which had escaped my high gravity field, opened its mouth and attacked me again.


    "I''ll deal with you later, so lie down!" I exclaimed. Again, the pterodactyl was stuck in the ground under a gravity field.


    Then, the black lion, which had been split in half, merged into one and shot its mane at me again.


    "New Friend Shield!¡± I cried, blocking the mane by reversing the gravity that weighed down the pterodactyl and making it rise. Then, I kicked the pterodactyl in the stomach and sent it flying toward the lion.


    The lion jumped away quickly and avoided the pterodactyl, and the pterodactyl hit the church''s barrier and smashed it once again.


    "Golem! Crush it!" I called. Two golems that had been hitting the barrier according to my instructions launched themselves one after another, landing on top of the pterodactyl and crushing it.


    -Kiiiaaaaak!


    The pterodactyl, crushed under the pile of heavy stones, screamed desperately. The gravity field increased weight by a few times, but the golems were tens of times heavier and took away freedom of movement.


    After avoiding the pterodactyl, the black lion ran up to me and swung its front paw covered with a strong aura of black mana at me.


    I put a golden field of strong aura all over my body and kicked its front paw as it flew toward me. Its paw bent the opposite way, twisting in a direction joints weren¡¯t supposed to move in.


    "Teleport." I immediately teleported into the space behind the black lion and swung the Holy Sword.


    "Enlightenment, Heavy Rain!" One strike was divided into hundreds and then thousands of branches, and many aura blades crashed onto the black lion¡¯s back. The divine power permeating those blades cut through the black lion¡¯s body and slowed its regeneration.


    If Hillis were here, this would have been finished easily. Even though the Holy Sword created divine power, it fell far short of the divine power of Hillis, a real saintess.


    "Oh, you''re regenerating barbarically fast,¡± I remarked.


    Not long after the horned snake became ash, it quickly finished regenerating and exhaled poison on me. I swung my magic wand and redirected the poison pouring on me toward the black lion, exclaiming, "This time, it''s a Friend Attack!"


    It was a pity. If only Hillis were here, she could block their regeneration and I would freeze them with ten thousand year ice. Because I was dealing with three at the same time, I didn¡¯t have the time to use magic at my leisure.


    -Kuaaaaahhhhh!


    The black lion¡¯s body was hit by the poison and quickly corroded, and it screamed in pain.


    "What? Was this poisonous acid rain? Even though it sent a Breath at you, isn¡¯t this too mean to your friend?! Don''t you think so? Friend Shield No.3!" I yelled.


    Oh, since No. 1, the Golden Goddess statue, had turned into the Holy Sword and finished its role as a friend shield, should I have promoted it to No. 2?


    -Kiiiaaaak!


    The regenerated horned snake also howled from its four heads in surround sound as if it agreed with me.


    Before I knew it, there were already four snake heads. I was getting curious as to how many heads would form if I kept killing it. I said, "Tch, what a pity. If I had enough time, I would have done an experiment.¡±


    In the meantime, I froze the black lion that had been melted in the acid with Old Man Arpen''s ten thousand year ice magic to prevent it from regenerating.


    The horned snake and the pterodactyl who had escaped from the pile of golems at some point rushed to interfere.


    "Oh, so this magic is actually dangerous,¡± I said. I was grateful that they were charging angrily in such an easy-to-understand amanner.


    After taking a deep breath, I cut the two family members of the Demon King apart with the Heart Sword.  The horned snake and pterodactyl fell to the ground, and the melted black lion was completely frozen.


    "Hu-ha! Like I thought, Heart Sword and great magic don¡¯t mesh well!"


    No matter how much I had surpassed the limits, both needed a high level of concentration and mana. The mental power and energy consumption needed to use them in conjunction were no joke.


    Next, I tried to use the ten thousand year ice to deal with the second biggest threat, the horned snake.


    Then suddenly, my connection with Gwalchavad was cut off, and the core containing his soul returned to my pocket space. I exclaimed, "What?"


    At the same time, I felt a strange power from the Demon King worshipping church.

 CH 342

    Chapter 342. The Holy Grail of Revenge (4)


    Gwalchavad had gotten destroyed so suddenly that I didn''t know how he had been beaten. There were only three possibilities if Gwalchavad, who had the Holy Shield, had been beaten without contacting me.


    One was that the enemy was so strong, Gwalchavad couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Another was that he had accidentally gotten swept up in my grandfather and great-grandfather¡¯s fight.


    Finally, thought transmissions could have been blocked.


    "It feels like it should be the last one,¡± I muttered in disbelief. Once again, I cut apart the horned snake that had half-regenerated the moment I stopped.


    -Kieeeekk!


    The other two scenarios didn¡¯t make sense considering Gwalchavad''s skills. And above all, the aura I¡¯d felt from the church was unusual. It was like divine power, but mixed with black mana. It was an unfamiliar feeling to see those opposing forces combined.


    "Caradoc, what''s going on inside?" I asked.


    -Is something wrong? Here, we¡¯ve removed the black knights and have begun to destroy the altar. It¡¯s going smoothly.


    Could he not feel that aura from the inside? Well, the altar would be full of black mana, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to be unable to feel it unless he had very keen senses.


    -If you feel something strange outside, I¡¯ll assign troops to search.


    "Okay. Start a search. I think the location is coming from the altar toward the center,¡± I began. ¡°Hmm?" I exclaimed.


    - What''s wrong?


    The core containing Palamedes'' soul had returned to my pocket space. Palamedes hadn¡¯t been alone. But there had been no communication, even though Palamedes had been attacked?


    "Caradoc! Detonate the dragon tooth soldiers and finish it as soon as possible!" I commanded.


    -Yes! Understood!


    Sensing the unusual tone in my voice, Caradoc detonated the dragon tooth soldiers without hesitation and began to destroy the altar.


    "Palamedes was taken out. Tristan, keep sending thought transmission signals and go inside to check!" I instructed.


    -Yep! I understand.


    Tristan was playful, but his mind was sharp, so he quickly grasped my intentions. Unknown enemies were interfering with thought transmissions, and thought transmission  interference usually fixated on a certain area. Tristan kept sending signals to me constantly, and I also sent signals back in response. In the meantime, Lionel was taken out.


    At some point, Tristan''s signal was cut, but then resumed.


    "Did you confirm the presence of the enemy?¡± I asked.


    -Middle... of¡­ confirming...! ¡­That side...!


    Tristan''s thoughts had noise mixed in.


    Then suddenly, I heard Percival''s thoughts clearly.


    -Everyone, get ready for impact!


    At the same time as Percival¡¯s shout, a strong flash of light and an explosion erupted from the Demon King worshipping church. The barrier that had been guarding the church was completely destroyed by the explosion, and the golems that had been hitting the barrier were also completely destroyed.


    "No! It took a lot of effort to fix them!" I cried. Ugh! The golems I had fixed in the workshop at the cost of delaying my mana recovery had turned into dust. Even at a glance, the main parts looked completely broken.


    Do you feel better about destroying my dream?! Do you know how many years I¡¯ll have to study to recreate Merlin''s golem technology?! There was data on parts, but there was no data on the manufacturing process!


    "Heuk! No matter who it is, I''m not going to let them go!" I shed tears of blood as I threw the regenerated pterodactyl into the ground.


    I quickly froze the horned snake in ten thousand year ice, and now only had to deal with the pterodactyl before I could avenge my golems.


    From within the completely destroyed church, a woman in a black gothic dress walked out, waving away the smoke from the explosion of black mana. Within her hand was a small golden drinking glass.


    I got a headache from seeing her and frowned. "This just got annoying."


    The woman holding the glass was covering her face with a black veil, but she was clearly Hillis''s older sister. In other words, I had to unfortunately give up on revenge for the golems. My promise with Hillis was my first priority over the golems. It really made me want to cry.


    Let''s just say that the price of the golems is the glass in that hand. I''m really broad-minded. I made my resolution. Just then, Tristan''s thought transmissions increased in strength amid the wreckage of the destroyed church.


    -Master, where''s your conscience?


    "Oh, were you okay? I thought you were done in by the explosion." Three cores had come in at once after the explosion, so I¡¯d thought Tristan was included.


    -Our stiff captain and I are fine. I avoided it because I was far away, but Bedivere took the hit for the captain.


    -You should be ashamed, Master.


    -As expected of Master, to assign the Holy Grail the same value as those barbaric stones! I respect his shamelessness!


    I thought about the situation while ignoring Tristan''s joke. That meant the two on Caradoc¡¯s side had been taken out.


    -Gwalchmai and Caradoc were just taken out by the explosion, Hyung-nim.


    I was surprised by Bors'' answer. Caradoc was the only one who could handle the dragon tooth soldiers on a 10,000-unit basis. It seemed I would only be able to use a few of the dragon tooth soldiers for now. It didn''t matter, though, since the altar had already been destroyed anyway. I put the dragon tooth soldiers that were still fine after the explosion back into my pocket space.


    "But that''s weird,¡± I muttered. I knew Hillis¡¯ older sister didn¡¯t have such tremendous power. Of course, I was sure they had awakened her Holy tribe blood for the ceremony, but it far exceeded expectations.


    Was it the power of the Holy Grail? No, even if it were the Holy Grail, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to suddenly create such power. In addition, if it were the power of the Holy Grail, it would be strange that there wasn¡¯t only divine power, but also black mana.


    "Is it the power of the Demon King?!" I exclaimed. Suddenly, it made sense.


    Originally, deciphering the Demon King summons had shown that the shaman was the vessel of the Demon King. But what if the Demon King¡¯s old body had been sealed intact? It would be much shorter and more efficient to summon him in his original body without having to find a new body. However, the Demon King had one soul, while there were two vessels for it to be put into, so a conflict in the program would occur.


    "Is that why the holy relics were needed? No wonder!" I remarked. The role of the Holy Grail wasn¡¯t only to break the seal, but also to prevent a conflict by opening two channels in one body.


    As a comparison, if the Demon King¡¯s soul were a computer, the vessel that would become its body was a monitor that showed the world that the Demon King was now present. In other words, since there were two vessels, dual monitors would be used. The main monitor was still sealed, so the power of the Demon King was being channeled through the Holy Grail into Hillis¡¯ sister.


    "This is bad,¡± I muttered. Perhaps if the Demon King were complete, the connection would be cut off on its own to prevent a leakage of power, but until then, it was good enough to say that she was the Demon King¡­


    ¡­Although the output might be weaker compared to the real body. It would be like the difference between a 60hz monitor and a 144hz monitor.


    Still, I hadn¡¯t been planning to deal with the Demon King.


    Then Hillis'' sister slowly began to float in the air. I couldn''t see very well because she was far away, but she seemed to be crying.


    "I hate you¡­! I curse you...!¡± Hillis''s older sister stared at me, giving off killing intent and black mana.


    Ah! I figured it out. When I had been in the capital, I¡¯d shaken her brainwashing until it was almost released, so Libra seemed to have forcibly fixated her emotions on revenge. It was a rather unsophisticated method, but he probably couldn¡¯t have helped it because I had messed up the brainwashing so effectively.


    Hillis''s older sister, who had gained strength thanks to that, must have escaped on her own¡­ to kill me.


    "Should I say this is a relief or a failure?" I muttered. It was probably closer to a failure.


    Hillis'' older sister used primitive and powerful black magic against me.


    I moved quickly and avoided it by teleporting. The space where I had been standing, and the mountain range behind it, was completely cut off.


    "Oh, I''m screwed!" I exclaimed. Due to that attack just now, a crack appeared in the ten thousand year ice I had frozen the family members of the Demon King in. With that, I would have to cut them up and freeze them all over again.


    The family members of the Demon King began to regenerate faster in response to the Demon King¡¯s mana, too. This had just gotten annoying.


    "If it¡¯s like this, I¡¯m going to have to go all out now." I let out a deep sigh and poured mana into the Holy Sword.


    First of all, my priority was to steal the Holy Grail, the conduit connecting Hillis''s older sister and the Demon King.


    ¡°Now! This is payback for just now!" When I shoved the mana from the Miracle Crystal on my magic wand into the Holy Sword, its blade shot endlessly into the sky. I swung the Holy Sword as it was, aiming at Hillis''s older sister.


    "I hate you¡­!" Hillis'' older sister kept saying the same thing over and over again as she sent black mana against the Holy Sword.


    "Heart Cut!" I cried, cutting the black mana apart by mixing the Holy Sword with the Heart Sword.


    Then, as if the Demon King¡¯s relatives recognized Hillis¡¯ older sister as the Demon King, they threw themselves into the path of the Holy Sword to block it. After being burned by it, they began regenerating again.


    Hillis'' older sister hadn¡¯t been consumed by the Demon King, so it was certain that she wouldn¡¯ have the same regeneration ability as the Demon King. I had to handle this gently, so as to not hurt her as much as possible.


    I teleported right behind Hillis''s sister to take away the Holy Grail before the regeneration process could finish.


    "Enlightenment! Breaking a Mountain!" I hit her temple with all my might. I hit Hillis'' older sister directly on the head, and she flew far away and rolled across the ground.


    "Tch! Was it shallow?!" Clicking my tongue, I teleported right above her before she could regain her stance.


    "Enlightenment! Splitting the Sea!" I raised my leg high and stabbed down toward her solar plexus.


    Bang!


    Hillis'' older sister was deeply embedded in the ground, creating cracks. I jumped high into the air using the rebound of my kick and aimed my magic wand.


    "Lightning that Races Across the Sky! Fire!¡± I shot hundreds of bolts of Lightning that Races Across the Sky at the center of the crack. Dust rose thickly into the air as I prepared for the next spell. I placed the chirps high in the sky and cut the ground with the Holy Sword.


    "I¡­ Curse you!" As the dust scattered due to the Holy Sword, despite being covered in dust, Hillis¡¯ sister only had a few scratches.


    Still, seeing as she had received injuries, there was proof that if I kept hitting her, the thick black mana protecting her body would weaken. The trick was to beat her like crazy, the same way I had defeated Arietta as she was about to lose her reason and become the Demon King.


    Hillis''s older sister blew black mana at me again, and I confronted her by pouring mana into the Holy Sword at full power.


    Boom!


    A huge explosion occurred as black mana and divine power collided.


    I held my magic wand high and activated the spell I had prepared. "Star in the sky, fall down! Meteor Strike!"


    As mana was sucked out of my whole body, I could hear the sound of air being torn apart high in the sky. This meteor was bigger than a human body, and was several times larger than last time. The meteor flew directly at Hillis'' sister, and just before it hit the ground, I ran away by teleporting.


    As soon as the meteor hit the ground, a huge chunk of land flew up like a tsunami, and a mushroom cloud rose as if a hydrogen bomb had exploded.


    "There¡¯s a reason that there¡¯s a hypothesis that dinosaurs went extinct due to a meteor,¡± I remarked.


    Anyway, HIllis¡¯s older sister would be safe, right? I was sure she¡¯d be safe. She was basically the Demon King. She should have been able to stop the meteor that my grandfather had blocked, right? I was a little nervous, but it would be fine. Probably.


    Toward the end of the disaster caused by the meteor, my magic wand suddenly began to vibrate. What? Did something happen to Arwen?


    This vibration was a signal that the teleportation spell on Arwen''s wand had activated. Soon after, mana began to be pulled out of my magic wand, opening a space in the air, and a person popped out.


    "... Hillis?¡± Why are you coming out from there?

 CH 343

    Chapter 343. The Holy Grail of Revenge (5)


    Hillis, who had teleported here instead of Arwen, pinched my cheeks as if she were dissatisfied. "How could you go without telling me?! I told you to wait because I''d be there soon!¡±


    "Nuo, that¡¯s becwuase the Demong King was being summonged.¡± My pinched cheeks didn''t hurt much, but my pronunciation suffered.


    "Hmph! It''s probably because you''re too lazy to take care of me,¡± Hillis remarked. Honestly, I couldn''t deny that. She knew me too well. She continued, "I''m not weak enough for you to need to take care of me.¡±


    "Well, that''s true,¡± I replied.


    In particular, if Hillis had been there while I was fighting the family members of the Demon King, it would have ended simply. Hillis'' divine power was the opposite of black mana, and they were natural enemies. In addition, she had the best selection of attack magic, healing magic that I couldn''t perform, and all kinds of blessings.


    However, the problem was that Hillis'' relative had been captured.


    "What about Arwen? Why did you use the teleportation spell I gave Arwen?" I asked.


    Hillis smirked and replied, "Are you worried because she¡¯s your only disciple? Don''t worry. She''s safe. Flam¡­ No, it''s Caesar now. Arwen''s oppa is with her."


    I didn''t know what she meant by ¡®it¡¯s Caesar now¡¯, but Flam seemed to have met Arwen. Considering Arwen''s personality, she had probably beaten him to the extent it¡¯d create dust on a rainy day. It was too bad I had missed such a sight. I should be hitting him to make him pay interest, too.


    "You''re not as surprised as I thought?''¡± asked Hillis.


    "Yeah, I heard from my grandfather that he¡¯d sent an old looking ahjussi to Valhalla. Arwen probably would have detected it with soul magic,¡± I replied.


    Hillis pouted as if she found my answer unfun. She added, "Then do you also know this? Arwen spoke.¡±


    "What?! Really?" I exclaimed, surprised. Hillis smiled and nodded, seemingly satisfied. I asked, "How?"


    Even though I had tried hard to treat Arwen''s mutism, all of my methods had failed. I had just guessed that some trauma in her forgotten memories had caused a psychogenic speech disorder.


    Hillis looked awkward as she answered, "Well, it''s too long to explain, so I''ll tell you later.¡± She looked around and asked, ¡°But how much did you fight for the surroundings here to look like this?¡±


    I flinched. The surrounding area was literally filled with traces of disaster. The mountain had been destroyed, the ground had been overturned, and dust hung in the sky like a dark cloud due to the meteor¡¯s collision. It was as if a scene from the end times had been cut and pasted.


    "Uh... I dealt with the family members of the Demon King,¡± I replied.


    Hillis¡¯ eyes widened. She asked, "By the family members of the Demon King, you mean those that pump out black mana and regenerate continuously?¡±


    "How did you know?¡± I asked with a worried gaze. Was it Warrant, not Valhalla?


    Hillis smiled lightly and said, "Don''t worry. The great elder-nim of the Butterfly tribe froze it."


    "The old man?¡± I asked. He¡¯d seemed to be dawdling at Shellen Fortress, but it seemed he had finally come over. There was no need to worry, since Old Man Arpen¡¯s ten thousand year ice could stop their regeneration.


    Considering that Hillis knew about that, that meant she¡¯d also been there. In other words, they had dealt with it after Hillis greatly weakened the Demon King¡¯s family member, so I didn''t have to worry.


    "Let''s hear more about it later. First, we need to get ready for battle,¡± I said, moving Hillis behind me and putting mana into the Holy Sword.


    Just then, black mana exploded from where the meteor had hit. As I¡¯d expected, it hadn¡¯t died. Right, would it be the Demon King¡¯s relative if it died simply because it had gotten hit by a little meteor?


    ¡°What!? I''ve never seen such black mana!" Hillis tensed up as she confronted it with divine power. At the same time, she gave my body all kinds of blessings and reinforcements.


    My energy recovered so quickly that I was amazed, remarking, "Wow, a saintess is a saintess after all."


    "Ahem! Respect me more!" Hillis was flattered and said something she didn''t mean.


    I smiled when I saw her appearance and swung my Holy Sword against the black mana that was flying over from afar.


    "Enlightenment! Cutting the Clouds!" I yelled. The blade of the Holy Sword cut the black mana in half and split apart the dust that filled the sky.


    When the black mana and dust that had been blocking the view disappeared, I saw a woman in a black dress flying quickly this way.


    "Unni¡­?" Hillis began.


    "I don''t have time to explain, so I''ll tell you briefly. I¡¯ll steal the Holy Grail in her hand and disconnect her from the Demon King,¡± I said.


    Hillis nodded resolutely as if she thought her sister was being manipulated by the Demon King. In reality, because I had messed up the brainwashing, her sister was in a state where she only had revenge for me left, but I didn''t have time to explain in detail.


    "I''ll help you!" Hillis exclaimed as she quickly purified the surrounding black mana and took control over the surroundings. She prayed, "God says, find my land! To the south! To the south! The hope of starlight leads us; the saint leads the old donkey and leaves!"


    The air filled with divine power that began to resonate with my Holy Sword.


    "At the place he finally arrives, the saint is certain that the name of the land must be the Holy Land! Dare you declare it!? This is the domain of God!" Hillis'' domain proclamation spread in all directions, tightly confining the Demon King¡¯s power.


    In addition, the family members of the Demon King that had been rushing over were reluctant to enter Hillis'' domain.


    I was surprised by Hillis'' power and looked back. Originally, another magician''s domain proclamation should have acted like poison to me, another magician. However, Hillis'' domain didn¡¯t end with blessing me, but began to embrace and assist me.


    "Oh my? This is stronger than usual,¡± Hillis remarked. She also seemed surprised by the power of her domain proclamation. "It seems your Holy Sword and the glass in Unni¡¯s hand is strengthening my domain.¡±


    I took the Holy Shield that I had recovered, along with Gwalchavad''s core, out of my pocket space. Then, the Holy Shield also resonated and strengthened Hillis'' domain proclamation.


    "Is that why the previous saintess, Oryana, was able to go around together with my great-grandfather?" I mused.


    In fact, because the difference in power between Hillis and Oryana had been so great, I¡¯d thought it was because of her age. However, it wasn¡¯t that; it was that Oryana¡¯s power had been strengthened by holy relics.


    Later, I¡¯d have to go recover the Holy Bow and Holy Spear.


    "Wait, the Holy Grail is giving you strength?" I asked.


    "Yes, it seems so,¡± Hillis said with a nod. I smiled broadly, and she asked, "What are you trying to do that¡¯s making you smile so mischievously? Let me in on it too.¡±


    I nodded at Hillis and said, "Of course. You''re the key. Shall we take the Holy Grail first?"


    I swung the Holy Sword, cut down the family members of the Demon King, and flew in to retrieve the Holy Grail. Thanks to Hillis'' reinforced domain proclamation, the demons¡¯ regeneration slowed significantly.


    "I curse you!" Hillis¡¯ older sister exclaimed. Because she had also been hit by the meteor, the power of the Demon King, which was protecting her, was also greatly reduced.


    She fired black mana at me again, and I blocked it with the Holy Shield. Immediately after that, I hit her head with the Holy Shield.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Keuk!" Hillis'' older sister tried to block it, but she couldn¡¯t show any of the skills of a paladin without her reason. In this state, no matter how much of the Demon King¡¯s power she could use, it was no different from a cannon that only fired shells.


    When the Demon King¡¯s power was weak enough, I threw the Holy Shield and the Holy Sword and grabbed the Holy Grail. Then, I poured in as much mana as I could to disconnect her from the Demon King.


    "Unni!" Hillis flew after me and hugged her sister tightly, saying, "I''m sorry. I couldn''t understand you. I''m sorry."


    "Aaaarrrrgh!" Hillis'' older sister grabbed her head and screamed painfully. When she saw Hillis, her brainwashing fluctuated greatly.


    While she was confused, I used Hillis¡¯ divine power to disconnect and take away the Holy Grail. Then, the black mana slowly faded from Hillis'' sister. She muttered, "Hil... lis? Ugh!"


    I quickly grabbed her head while she was in Hillis'' embrace and pulled out the black mana embedded deep within. It was delicate work that would have required me to pull it out slowly over a few months before I¡¯d surpassed the limit, but it wasn¡¯t so difficult now.


    "Until now, what... have I done?" Hillis¡¯ sister murmured.


    "Take a rest,¡± I said, casting a sleeping spell. She lost consciousness and slumped into Hillis'' arms.


    Hillis slowly sat down and shed tears, laying down her sister. She asked, "Is Unni okay?"


    I nodded, picking up the Holy Sword and the Holy Shield again. "Yeah. She received a huge mental shock, so she''ll need to recuperate, but she¡¯s fine." She might have been confused now, but she would come to her senses quickly.


    "...Thank you." Hillis looked sadly at her sister, caressing her cheek.


    I asked a question that I had put off ever since I first told her the truth. "I killed your brother-in-law. Are you okay with that?" I had no regret over what I had done, but that was from my point of view.


    As family was involved, I would understand even if she were resentful, putting aside reason and law. Rather, it was natural to resent. No matter what bad things he had done, he was family, and her older sister, whom she admired more than anyone else, was in pain.


    Hillis smiled sadly and shook her head. "Of course it''s not okay. But I understand you. I trust you as much as I love Unni. It''s just sad that you and Unni will never be able to become close.¡±


    Hillis was strong. She was unimaginably strong.


    I froze the family members of the Demon King, who had yet to regenerate due to the power of Hillis'' domain, with the ten thousand year ice.


    "I want to teleport you and your sister to where you originally were, but there''s no ward placed there,¡± I said.


    When she had come here, my magic wand had become a coordinate so she could arrive at once. But the other coordinate that could be used to go back, the other magic wand, was in Hillis¡¯ hand. In fact, I had been planning to teleport away to Arwen''s magic wand right after this business was taken care of, but I hadn¡¯t known someone would really use it to teleport here.


    In response, Hillis wiped away her tears and spoke proudly. "It''s okay. I''m a saintess whether I like it or not.¡± She continued as she drew a cross with a rosary that had a jewel missing from its center, "I also have an obligation to stop the summoning of the Demon King."


    "How reliable,¡± I said. They weren¡¯t empty words; I really felt reassured. Hillis'' power, aided by the power of the holy relics, was the best source of strength against the Demon King.


    I called over Tristan, Percival, and Bors, who had survived without being destroyed, by flicking my finger.


    "Iya, it''s been a while, Miss." Tristan smiled happily and greeted Hillis as usual.


    "It''s been a while.¡± Hillis nodded.


    "Oh? Your eyes are red. Did Master make you cry? Iya, I didn''t see you like that, but you were a bad guy,¡± Tristan joked.


    "I know, right? Don''t you think so, bad guy?" Hillis teased me, going along with the joke.


    After suddenly becoming a bad guy who had made a woman cry, I shrugged. "The three of you, protect Hillis'' unni. Hillis and I are going to go to the winner¡¯s side.¡±[1]


    "Hmm. Understood, Master. Then should I just wait here?¡± Percival asked.


    I nodded and said, "If you feel it¡¯s become safe enough, you can follow me."


    "Okay."


    "Kkeung, I want to fight too, but I guess it can''t be helped, Hyung-nim," Bors said, disappointed.


    Deactivating the Dance of the Fireflies, I smiled playfully, waving the Holy Grail. "Then shall I go wild properly?"


    The Holy Grail was a very good tool to make a mess of someone¡¯s efforts.


    1. By winner¡¯s side, he means where his grandfather went after winning the rock-paper-scissors match. ?

 CH 344

    Chapter 344. The Advent of the Demon King and the Fallen Warrior (1)


    The wolf with green mane shed tears and grieved.


    "Do you resent me?"


    When asked by the person called the benevolent saintess of the world, the wolf bowed his head.


    "I don''t resent you. You did your best. It was just beyond your ability to treat Hyung-nim."


    "But..."


    The wolf firmly cut off the saintess. "My brother was a great warrior, braver and prouder than anyone else. Hyung-nim¡¯s death was more glorious than anyone else. That''s why I don''t resent anyone. You don''t have to be the object of hatred for me. I''m also a great warrior."


    Although those were his words, he couldn''t hide his tears.


    An old man praised as the current king patted his dragon''s neck and told a gray-haired young man. "It''s a day that makes you hungry for alcohol. Kid, bring out the alcohol.¡±


    The gray-haired genius, who normally would have gotten angry and said not to call him a kid, took out hard liquor from his pocket space without a word.


    It was unknown whether he was distracted by the pain from the terrible healing potion treating his penetrating abdominal wound or sad about losing his comrade, the old man drank hard liquor with his single arm.


    The Guardian Knight of the Great Khan, who was usually playful and energetic, spoke exhaustedly, "Let''s go back... home."


    The remaining people became emotional. A lot of people died. Some were lovers, some family, and others friends. Nevertheless, they had a place to go back to. There were people who survived. It was an honor full of wounds, but they won and kept the peace of the world. They could be proud.


    "Yeah, you guys go back." The man, praised by the public as an almighty warrior, grasped a bracelet, a relic, and said, "I can''t let it end like this.¡±


    The young genius madosa frowned. "What do you mean you can''t end it like this?" he asked as if shouting with his red eyes.


    But the warrior looked determined and didn¡¯t answer. Then he reached out to the witch, who now became the head of the witches. "Give me the books."


    "Happy to." The witch handed over four books from the church they destroyed to the warrior.


    "What are you trying to do?!" cried the genius madosa.


    The warrior smiled distortedly. "I''m going to summon the Demon King again."


    "He¡¯s crazy!"


    The warrior nodded at their dumbfounded astonishment. "Yeah. It''s crazy. How can I not go crazy? This world has turned into hell for me." He spoke as if it was reasonable. Then, he handed three of the four books to the old man. "So hide these books where I can''t find them, Old Man."


    "Oh, my. You selfish idiot." The old man could have burned them with dragon''s flames right away but put them in his pocket instead.


    The genius madosa cried out at the sight, "What are you doing not burning it immediately!?¡±


    The old man chuckled and smiled. "That''s why you''re a kid. You don¡¯t have anything precious to you, right?¡±


    The genius madosa closed his mouth, then grumbled, "What does having nothing precious to me and being called a kid have anything to do with each other?"


    "You¡¯re a kid because you don¡¯t know that, Kid. For example... Yeah, you''ll find out when you have your own family," the old man said.


    The genius madosa grumbled again, "Hmph, are you on this campaign because you have a family? What''s so precious about family?"


    "Kuhahahaha! Just wait and see. The moment you have a family, you''ll become a sucker for your family more than anyone else, Kid."


    "Hmph! That won''t happen!" The genius madosa shouted, but the old man was looking at the warrior with interest.


    The warrior handed over one side of the horn of the Demon King and the Holy Spear, which were used to summon the Demon King, to the saintess. "I''ll leave these to you. Please fulfill your duty as a saintess.¡±


    The saintess shed tears. "A cruel and selfish person. You know me better than anyone else and yet you still leave these to me.¡±


    "I¡¯m selfish, and as you have always said, I¡¯m narrow-minded. I can''t embrace everything like you." The warrior spoke with a smile as if he might cry immediately. "So put them where I can''t find them."


    The saintess cried unceasingly and nodded. "Yes. I will seal not only the Holy Spear but also the Holy Grail and the Holy Sword forever.¡± She hugged the Holy Grail, the Holy Sword, and the Holy Spear.


    "The Holy Grail and the Holy Sword will be lost here, and only the Holy Spear will be enshrined in the holy palace. Even if it¡¯s His Holiness the Pope, he won''t notice it if I decide to make a replica." The warrior wiped away the saintess''s tears and whispered, "Don''t cry. I''m sorry I put a burden on you."


    "Don''t worry. Unfortunately, there is only one miracle left from the fight against the Demon King. If any were to enter your hand, it would be the most dangerous Holy Sword, but you¡¯ll never touch the horns of the Demon King."


    The saintess lost the power to make miracles and a huge amount of lifespan from overexertion but promised to do her best to block the warrior for the rest of her life.


    The warrior acknowledged with a nod. Then he held up the Demon King summons and the horn of the Demon King and said, "With this, I¡¯ve completed my fidelity to all of you who''ve risked your lives. The Demon King has fallen, and at worst, I won''t be able to summon the Demon King for the next 100 years."


    Everyone was silent those words.


    "From now on, I will collect the scattered things again and summon the Demon King. Whether you block me or not, do as you please. I''ll do my best with an excited heart."


    At the words of the fallen warrior, the others spoke one by one.


    -o-


    Galak was lost in memory as he watched a storm of black mana constantly crashing on the altar.


    What did his comrades say back then?


    Perhaps because he was old, he couldn''t remember clearly. Well, it wouldn''t have been very important words if it was fading from memory.


    "No, maybe it¡¯s no longer important now?"


    It must have been precious words to him. However, it had no meaning for him who was about to summon the Demon King. Those were words that could not explain as the moment he had longed for was just around the corner.


    "Ah, it¡¯s been hard.¡±


    Arpen, who had interfered with Galak the most since breaking up on the spot, stopped interfering after he had a son. He said that he understood how he felt now that he had something precious.


    He, who was called the Glacial Demon King for being so cold, had become calmer than anyone else in the world.


    Looking at Arpen, who turned into a sucker for his kids, Drachen laughed, saying, "See, I told you so." And Arpen accepted that he had changed despite being angry.


    It was an unexpected surprise for Galak that his son turned into his biggest interference after Arpen.


    "You''re here." Galak smiled and slowly left the altar and came out of the church.


    The Dragon That Lived Ten Thousand Year¡¯s Dragon Breath shot towards him.


    The breath directly hit the church''s barrier and smashed it.


    Zendia jumped in before the smashed barrier was restored.


    "I''m here to challenge again, Father!" He took out the Spirit Sword.


    The determination to not lose again and the determination to prevent him even if he needed to kill were conveyed through his martial aura.


    "You¡¯re not going to ask me why I want to summon the Demon King anymore?" Galak asked playfully.


    Zendia answered seriously, "I decided to stop caring about such small things now. So please shut up and die by my hands."


    In response to the brutal answer, Galak burst into laughter and activated martial arts throughout his whole body.


    "Kuahahahaha! I¡¯ll take you on, Son!"


    Zendia was about to cross over, facing the limits. Although the limit had been faced by numerous ancestors, only a few had exceeded that limit.


    Galak thought it would be nice for an irresponsible father to give a present to his good son at least for the last time.


    The two pulled up martial arts with all their power.


    "Final Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!"


    "Final Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!¡±


    Golden grains of mana erupted from their entire bodies and clashed.


    -o-


    The sight I could see in the distance was not much different from the sight I caused at the Demon King worshipping church.


    "You''re late, Youngest."


    My father came before me and was watching the battle between my grandfather and great-grandfather in the distance.


    "Yes, I had something to do. Anyway, you ended it really quick. You didn''t even have the magic to seal them, right?"


    Honestly, I thought my father would suffer the most. It was natural that the family members of the Demon King wouldn¡¯t be able to even scratch my father¡¯s body, but regeneration was very annoying.


    My father smirked at my question. "It''s simple. If they keep regenerating, you just have to kill them until they can¡¯t."


    It was a very ignorant and very father-like answer.


    "No, is that even possible?¡±


    When I was surprised, my father nodded as if it were natural.


    "There is nothing infinite in the first place. After killing them hundreds of times instantly, the regeneration slowed down and at some point, they couldn''t regenerate. Well, I didn''t completely block the regeneration... How should I say this?"


    Unable to think of the words to explain, my father frowned and grabbed his temples. So I smiled and sat next to my father.


    "The regeneration becomes extremely slow as if a bottleneck occurs due to overload?"


    Indeed, it was not impossible in theory. The family members of the Demon King were a kind of chimera created by the Demon King. Even if they seemed to regenerate indefinitely with the mana of the Demon King, there was a limit.


    However, it was a theoretical concept. In order to make it a reality, they had to be forced to regenerate a thousand times in a second. To be able to make it a reality against three monsters who were stronger than great demons...


    He was my father, but he was extremely beyond common sense.


    "Oh¡­ Yeah! That''s it."


    My father didn''t seem to understand me, but he nodded as if he felt that it was what he was trying to say.


    "As expected, you''re as smart as your mother, so you explain it in difficult words."


    Was bottleneck such a difficult word?


    "By the way, when did the lady holding the glass next to you come? I''m sure we split up because she was going to Warrant."


    At the father''s words, Hillis greeted with a smile.


    "It''s an honor to meet you. I couldn''t say hello properly because of my escorts, but I''m Hillis, Den''s friend."


    My father looked back and forth between Hillis and me with an interested gaze.


    "Hmm~"


    For some reason, my father flashed a bright, wicked smile.


    "Yeah, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Den''s father, Doomstone. So you''re the friend who¡¯s the saintess. I heard about you often from Leisha in letters."


    "I have also heard a lot of you, too. Den doesn''t talk about his family much, but Leisha often talks about it.¡±


    "Ahahaha! Is that so? Well, he''s strangely cold about some things."


    My father tousled my hair roughly and messed it up. Somehow, I felt an unknown sense of alienation, stuck in the center.


    "But is it ok to not join that fight?¡±


    "That''s my father''s fight. Don''t try to sneak attack the altar or anything."


    I felt a prick at my father''s point. If I tried to attack the altar, my great-grandfather would immediately aim for me. Then it would interfere with my grandfather''s fight.


    "Then I have no choice but to wait."


    My father was hundreds, thousands of times scarier than the Demon King. And even if I don''t destroy the altar, I can still easily sneak attack the Demon King worshipers.

 CH 345

    Chapter 345. The Advent of the Demon King and the Fallen Warrior (2)


    The warrior was left alone. The surviving comrades left for their own reasons. It was obvious. They had their own place to return to as did the warrior.


    Come to think of it, it was just amazing that people from such diverse groups gathered together.


    The warrior was far from achieving his immediate wish, but had to return to his hometown. All alone now, he stepped into the forest of his hometown.


    The quiet forest, without any preparation for a triumphant return from victory, had fierce mana as usual; a deer biting off the neck of a demon could be seen. It was a peaceful forest dominated by the usual strong eats the weak.


    As he passed through the forest path dominated by strange quietness, the road was cut off. It was created by the past Demon King¡¯s attack. But bringing in provisions from the empire was better in quality and easier. He had no choice but to endure the annoying task of rebuilding the trade route.


    "It seems the encampment will get doubled."


    The warrior, who crossed the gorge with uninteresting thoughts, soon arrived at his hometown.


    When the villagers saw the warrior, they rushed at him as if to say good morning.


    "Look how strong I''ve become so far, Chief-nim!¡±


    The warrior lightly blocked the attack of a young man, who would be the future head of the elders, and at the same time tripped his legs.


    "You''re still too focused on the technique, Weger. Didn¡¯t Caron teach you that a balance with power is important?"


    When the warrior mentioned the name of his younger brother and teacher of the young man, the young man became speechless and cried.


    "Why did you make him cry?"


    From inside, a young alchemist put a magic wand over her shoulder and walked out.


    The warrior smiled lightly at the scolding. "I didn''t make him cry? Well, since Old Drachen said you were full of talent when he saw you, do your best. That old man possesses a great discerning eye.¡±


    At the consolation, the young man shook off the dirt, stood up, and nodded. "Yes! Got it, Chief-nim!"


    As the young man regained enthusiasm and went his way again, the alchemist with the magic wand on her shoulder asked, "So how was it? Was my potion useful?"


    The warrior nodded. "Yes, thanks to it, Arpen survived."


    "Oh, that annoying Butterfly. Kaaak, tweh!" The alchemist spat out phlegm on the ground with a severely annoyed face. ¡°Damn it, I shouldn''t have given it to you. He should have just died gracefully."


    The warrior burst into laughter at her reaction. "Puhahahaha! He is definitely annoying.¡±


    "So, what about Wayne Unni? She said she''d teach me magic when she got back,¡± she asked.


    The warrior''s laughter ended abruptly and was replaced by a cold silence. The alchemist¡¯s expression stiffened at the silence.


    "No way..."


    As she trailed off, the warrior silently handed her a bracelet that was a keepsake.


    "This is... incredible. With this, I could survive in any environment." She realized the value of the bracelet at once. She had been closely observing with a magician¡¯s unique curiosity, and was once again surprised by what was inside the bracelet.


    "Oh my god! I can''t believe it. How...!¡±


    The warrior nodded at the astonished alchemist. "Yeah, there''s Wayne''s love in it. All the magic there is to protect it."


    The Witch of Pride was arrogant. She was certain that there would be no gene better than hers, and hoped that the world''s best genes would be preserved even if she died.


    "I will create children using that love as Wayne''s will says. What do you think? Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± he asked.


    The alchemist swallowed dryly. Compared to a great madosa, she was a greenhorn who had just become a madosa. "I need to do research. It may take at least 20 years, maybe more, for the child to be safe.¡±


    Perhaps it was only possible after reaching the level of a great madosa.


    However, the warrior smiled brightly at her words. "You''re saying it''s possible. Then it doesn''t matter. Yeah... Whether it¡¯s years or decades."


    The warrior thought it would be nicer if the child resembles her rather than himself.


    -o-


    Zendia stabbed Galak''s neck with his Spirit Sword wrapped in aura blade. Galak dug into his defense by hitting away the Spirit Sword with his left hand wrapped in superior aura. Then, he hit his chin hard with his right hand.


    Zendia pulled his upper body back and avoided the fist, while also turning his body to aim for the other''s temple with his knee.


    Galak quickly recovered his extended fist and deflected the knee with his right arm, and snatched the other''s ankle.


    Zendia, whose ankle was caught, applied rotational force to his body, raised his other leg high, and struck it down on Galak¡¯s head.


    Galak pulled the ankle back to disturb Zendia¡¯s balance to make his leg miss. However, the latter bent his knee to reduce the distance and swung his Spirit Sword.


    Even for Galak, it was too much to block the Spirit Sword wrapped in golden aura blade with one hand. He had no choice but to let go of the ankle and covered his arms with strong aura.


    Boom-!


    As a result of the collision between the aura blade and superior aura, the two were pushed back at the same time. As soon as they regained their balance, they fired hundreds of strong auras at each other. The strong auras they shot left a large scar around them as they avoided each other¡¯s attacks.


    Zendia smiled at the battle that occurred in an instant. "Is there anymore to feel out? Didn¡¯t we clash at full strength not too long ago?"


    Galak lightly shrugged and jokingly replied, "Let''s think of it as a light warm-up. Warming up before going all out is good, right?"


    Zendia nodded.


    The two pulled up martial arts at full power. Then they shot strong auras of hundreds of meters at each other so that the opponent could not avoid it.


    When the fierce strong aura of the two collided, it caused a huge explosion that created a huge crater and completely extinguished the barrier protecting the church. Thanks to this, the outer wall of the Demon King worshipping church was also broken down, but it was not enough to affect the altar.


    "Phew~ That was dangerous." Galak laughed jokingly when he saw the aftermath reaching the church building.


    "That''s too bad. It would have been nice if everything had been destroyed with that.¡± Zendia seemed truly disappointed.


    "You''re not going to try to ignore me and destroy the altar?¡± Galak asked.


    Zendia held the Spirit Sword straight with a determined look. "There''s no way I can ignore you, right, Father?"


    "Uahahahaha! You''re such a good son!"


    "In addition, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll stay still just because I¡¯m ignoring you," Zendia said bluntly.


    Galak laughed happily. "Ahahaha! You know your father well!¡±


    The two again put a golden strong aura on their bodies and released martial aura.


    "And I realized after losing to Father¡­ that I really don''t like to lose more than anyone else."


    Zendia really meant it. The reason for not attacking the aforementioned altar first was only a secondary excuse. If the altar was destroyed somehow right away, then the tragedy that occurred over 120 years ago would not occur again. However, all he wanted to do was pay back the humiliation of defeat.


    It was the desire that lit a fire in Zendia¡¯s heart, who had only lived for the tribe all his life.


    "Finally, the unnecessary prudence has disappeared from you." Galak smiled deeply.


    The child of the selfish and irresponsible father was bound to be smart. The prudence that came from such a personality helped to lay the foundation and strength, but it put a brake on the risks that were needed to overcome the limits.


    "Yes, I found out after I lost. That I''ve been wanting to get out of this restricting position and duty.  I had a longing to cut, but I didn''t know what to cut. Thanks to you, I realized it.¡±


    The Spirit Sword cried furiously at Zenda''s martial aura.


    "What I wanted to cut were the invisible shackles that bound me!"


    Golden grains of mana began to gather towards Zendia''s Spirit Sword.


    "And that shackle came from my father!" Zenda cried out.


    Galak was flustered. "No, Son! Isn''t the conclusion off?¡±


    "Not at all! So please just be cut by me! I''ll show you how the model student gets crooked and changes!¡±


    Zendia swung the sword with all his heart. The Spirit Sword and the golden grains of mana cut Galak in response to Zendia''s heart.


    Galak responded to Zendia''s Heart Sword with all his might. There was only one way to accurately respond to a sword that neutralized all defenses. He had no choice but to use the Heart Sword himself to offset it. However, there was nothing farther away than the Heart Sword for Galak. Therefore, the method he chose was extremely expedient.


    "Enlightenment! Destroying Space!"


    Galak''s fist, containing all his power, tore through the air and instantly distorted the space. In the process of the world restoring space, the position of the sky and the ground changed, the distance decreased, and increased. In that way, he avoided his head being sent flying by the Heart Sword but couldn''t stop being cut by the desire of cutting.


    A wound appeared on his side and blood spewed out.


    "Will you surrender?" Zendia asked, breathing heavily.


    To use the Heart Sword on top of the Dance of the Fireflies, which consumed a great amount of mana, was a considerable burden on his body, who had yet to exceed the limits.


    Galak smiled with cold sweat. "No way. A wound like this can be healed easily," he shouted, golden grains of mana surrounding him gathered and began to heal the wound.


    Zendia frowned at the sight. The trick his father just showed was a method of treating wounds by reducing one¡¯s lifespan.


    "Do you have to go so far?¡± Zendia asked


    "Of course! For the moment I''ve been looking forward to, I can give up as much of the lifespan I have left!" Galak answered as if it was nothing.


    In response, Zendia raised his Spirit Sword rather than speaking. Galak naturally threw out martial aura at the sight.


    The two rushed toward each other, putting strong aura on their sword and fists, respectively.


    -o-


    The battle between my grandfather and great-grandfather got fiercer and fiercer. Despite the clash between the two, the altar for summoning the Demon King was still intact.


    "That''s amazing."


    My father agreed with my honest appreciation.


    "It is."


    Then he glanced at me. My father asked me carefully not to disturb Hillis, who was concentrating, and I smiled playfully.


    "It''s hard to just stay still, so I''m going to go make a mess.¡±


    The Holy Grail in Hillis''s arms was shining softly.

 CH 346

    Chapter 346. The Advent of the Demon King and the Fallen Warrior (3)


    At my words, my father looked at the glass with interest.


    "It doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary glass? I don''t know what it is, but it looks interesting."


    As expected, his eyes were not ordinary.


    "You can look forward to it.¡± I got up with a smile.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Rather than going somewhere, isn''t it a bit painful to just sit and watch?" I asked.


    My father smiled happily and nodded. "That''s true. Do you have anything fun to do without disturbing the fight between those two?¡±


    "It''s nothing much. Rather than just sitting like this, I thought I''d do something like eradicating those cockroaches."


    With that, I took my magic wand out of my pocket space. The battle between my grandfather and great-grandfather was great, but rather than just chatting, it was more to my taste to screw over the Demon King worshipers. It seemed that my great-grandfather would stop if the Demon King was summoned anyways.


    "That sounds fun. What can I help you with?"


    It wasn''t the tone of asking if there was anything to help but more of telling me to give it.


    "The best would be to charge in, but it could interfere with them, so should we go in this direction?"


    Anyway, from when Hillis''s older sister was connected to the Demon King by the Holy Grail, the only way to stop the summoning of the Demon King was to break the altar.


    Contrary to expectations, the Demon King already had a body, and including that point in the calculation, there was not much time left before he was summoned.


    "More than anything, I think it would be more fun for the Demon King to be summoned.¡±


    I hummed a song. My father, looking at me with a puzzled face, laughed pleasantly.


    "Puhahaha! I guess you''ve already done something."


    "Yes. So we¡¯ll have to keep our enemies busy before they notice. Please break the statue of the Demon King at the top of the church''s spire."


    Since ancient times, there has been no provocation better than destroying the symbol of a religion.


    "All right!"


    My father widened his legs and took a stance, then threw out a punch into the air.


    Kwaaaaaa-! Boom!


    There was a sound of air being torn and the roof of the church was completely destroyed.


    "Wow!"


    Although he was my father, he was also a monster to be able to destroy that from this long-distance with just an ordinary punch.


    "It would have been fine to just break the Demon King statue, but it seems we¡¯ve probably provoked them.¡±


    The Demon King worshipers finally noticed this side and began to move. As if they had noticed it before, my grandfather and great-grandfather did not blink at my father''s punch and still focused on the battle. Well, it was natural for the two not to be distracted since they were competent enough to grasp at a glance how far the scope of the punch extended.


    "If you break the statue of the Demon King precisely, they won''t be able to recognize our location from over there. If you''re going to do it, it''s good to cleanly break it all."


    My father made sense.


    At that time, Hillis, whose hair became messy in the aftermath of my father¡¯s punch, fixed her hair and was astonished.


    "But can you see all that in the distance? I have good eyesight, too, but I can only see it as a dot at best."


    "Right, I couldn''t see that well before, but now I can see it after overcoming the limit."


    My eyesight was not this good, but after overcoming the limit, my senses became more sensitive.


    "Ohhh, they¡¯re coming like a pack of dogs."


    My father looked happy as if the fanatics running over were to help him get rid of his boredom.


    "That¡¯s because if they held out a little longer, the Demon King would have been summoned, but now they¡¯re being attacked. If it¡¯s that many, I don''t think there¡¯s going to be anyone running away through a secret passage."


    I pointed at the mountain on the right side of the church with my magic wand.


    "Lightning That Races Across The Sky."


    A large ray of light emanated from my magic wand and collapsed the mountain.


    "What''s that?"


    Hillis was surprised to see a large mountain collapsing.


    Come to think of it, this was the first time I used a great magic in front of Hillis.


    I shrugged, saying it was nothing much.


    "There was a secret passage over there, so I buried the whole thing."


    When eradicating bugs, blocking the exit is essential. This should prevent the core characters of the Demon King worshipping church from running away.


    "I knew you were strong, but it''s beyond my expectations."


    "Don''t mention it." I laughed it off playfully.


    "Ohh! Youngest, look! Wow, amazing things are coming out there!¡±


    As my father said, various chimeras and undeads, including giant golems, began to pop out of the church.


    Compared to the family members of the Demon King, they were like flies, but the numbers were no joke.


    "Crow of Death! Where do you think this is? How dare you!¡± Libra, the leader of the Demon King worshipers, led a black magician corps under his command and shouted.


    However, my father cleanly ignored him.


    "Wow, how could there be so many monsters in that small place?" my father asked curiously.


    "Are you ignoring me?!!" Libra was angry, but he was too weak to attract my father''s attention.


    From a magician''s point of view, it was not that amazing. I also casually ignored him and answered my father.  "It''s normal space magic. Rather, there are things that seem to have been made by a great madosa here and there."


    In particular, the five bone dragons that flew high in the sky had the power equivalent to the Curse Specialist¡¯s ¡®Azhi Dahaka¡¯. I heard that the Demon King worshiper who summoned the Demon King 120 years ago, was a great madosa, unlike Libra. Then it meant that those that popped out from there were the relics of the Demon King worshipping church from its prime.


    "There are definitely a lot of things that look good. Are you going to fight, too?¡±


    I shook my hand at my excited father. "Go ahead. I''ll just take care of the small fries and provide support, so have fun."


    "Ohh, I knew Youngest was such a good son."


    My excited father rushed in between the monsters. Seeing that, Hillis smiled as if she found something interesting.


    "So, why did you ditch your father?"


    I smiled playfully at Hillis''s question. As expected, she knew me well.


    "Listen carefully..."


    I explained my future plans after using soundproof magic in case my father hears me. Hillis looked at me dumbfounded.


    "Will that be possible?"


    "Of course!"


    I was not confident.


    -o-


    The battle between Galak and Zendia became fiercer. When the former swung his fist wrapped in the superior aura, the latter used quick footwork to make dozens of illusions to avoid it.


    For afterimages caused by high speed, Zendia''s illusions moved and cut at the Galak.


    "Hahahaha! Is it the Spirit Sword¡¯s ability?" Galak, who got careless thinking that it was an afterimage, laughed joyfully when his collar was cut.


    "It''s also my technique!"


    When the power of the Spirit Sword was added to Zendia¡¯s afterimage, numerous clones swung their Spirit Swords with physical form from all sides. When his clones that formed a state where the sword and body became one attacked, Galak twisted his body in cold sweat and avoided the swords.


    "It''s fun!"


    Galak strongly kicked Zendia''s swords, which were attacking from all sides.


    Bang!


    At Galak''s kick, the ground rose like a tsunami and attacked Zendia''s clones. The clones all at once cut down the waves of dirt piles with aura blades. While the view was blocked by a pile of dirt, Galak moved to a blindspot to take care of the clones.


    "Tch!"


    Zendia clicked his tongue and stabbed the Spirit Sword at Galak''s forehead. Galak pulled back his body to avoid it while rotating his body and kicking with his heel aiming at Zendia''s temple.


    Rather, Zendia moved forward, grabbed Galak''s knee in his armpit, and turned the Spirit Sword upside down, and stabbed down at his heart. With his knee caught, Galak stretched both hands over his head, grabbed the ground, and did a backflip.


    Zendia, who almost got slammed into the ground, released the hold with his armpit, spun in the air, and landed. The two, who took their posture again, rushed towards each other without hesitation. Zendia''s power itself was weaker from not having fully recovered since the last battle, but each sword was sharper. Whenever a sword and a fist hit each other, it felt as if he was growing.


    "Are all the blocked experiences being embodied?"


    "Who knows!"


    Zendia has been stagnant. Faced with limits, all he could do was constantly hone himself to not regress in a stagnant place. Decades after having faced the limits, the experiences that had been honed and polished began to be used as nourishment to bloom. Sometimes he hit hard, sometimes he stabbed so fast that his eyes couldn''t keep up, and sometimes he swung the sword in disarray.


    Galak couldn''t hold back his laughter at the ever-changing swordsmanship. "Kuhahaha! It''s fun!"


    "Ahahaha! I feel the same!¡±


    The two clashed their swords and fists in a trance. There was a lot of blood spilled and bruises, but the two swung their sword and fists regardless.


    "Enlightenment! Breaking the Earth!¡±


    "Enlightenment! Cutting the Clouds!"


    Again, the fierce strong auras of Galak and Zendia clashed, and the clashing strong auras caused a huge explosion and devastated the surroundings. The two withdrew significantly along with the gust of wind in the aftermath of the explosion.


    ¡°Ughh...!"


    Galak''s right fist, which competed against the Spirit Sword wrapped in a strong aura, was covered with blood and had become tattered.


    "You''ve gotten stronger."


    "Ook! Tweh! I still have a long way to go!"


    Zendia vomited blood after suffering internal injuries from the power struggle just now. However, he felt energetic and refreshed. His head became clear without any hesitation.


    Galak smiled brightly at his son''s sharpening momentum. "Congratulations! You''ve surpassed the limits. I have no regrets now."


    Zendia frowned. "What do you mean?"


    Galak laughed pleasantly. "Hahahaha! It¡¯s my win by default since we¡¯ve gone over time!"


    At the same time as when Galak shouted, black mana began to crash out from the altar.


    "Ah¡­!"


    Zendia forgot about the time limit because he was too immersed in the fight. Galak recovered his body by even using his life span.


    "Come here! Phantom Sword!" Galak called his own favorite sword for the first time in 120 years.


    The Phantom Sword that had been sleeping in Talaria¡¯s pocket space, cut through space and returned to Galak''s hand.


    "I missed you!"


    Galak vigorously moved towards the altar.


    -o-


    Black mana erupted like a storm from the altar. Not only was my whole body numb from the huge black mana, but I was also having cold sweat. My father, who had hoped to fight the Demon King, also looked serious.


    "Hmm, this is unexpected."


    My father, having just smashed the bone dragon''s skull, smiled bitterly, wondering if he should have destroyed the altar. Sure enough, the power of the Demon King that Hillis''s older sister dealt with was only the tip of the iceberg.


    "Hahahaha! Our God! Come to this land and lead us!" Libra, who was desperate to stop my father just moments ago, burst into laughter and shouted.


    "I don''t even remember the last fight when I had to risk my life, but it¡¯ll be a fun fight!"


    My father sincerely emitted a martial aura and killing intent, wrapped a strong aura around his fist, and went towards the altar.


    "Enlightenment!"


    "Wait a minute."


    "Why?" my father asked curiously.


    I smiled slightly and pointed to the altar. "Look carefully."


    On the altar, Libra took off his mask and walked up toward the summoned Demon King with a joyful look.


    "Ohhhh, our God!"


    "God!"


    Not only the fanatics but also the chimera and undead bowed towards the altar.


    On the altar stood a woman believed to be the Demon King.


    Libra was thrilled and approached the Demon King with his arms open. "In order to bring you back, I...Cough!" He fell down vomiting blood because his heart was pierced by the magic of the Demon King.


    The fanatics suddenly began to buzz when their God killed their leader.


    "Silly things, nothing changes even after a long time." The Demon King wielded huge black mana and attacked the worshipers, undead, and chimeras.


    "Youngest, what''s this?!"


    "What do you mean? It''s the mess I made."


    Is there any better betrayal than being wiped out by the being they worked so hard to summon? It was something that I made, but it was truly spectacular.

 CH 347

    Chapter 347. The Advent of the Demon King and the Fallen Warrior (4)


    The Demon King annihilated the undead with a hand motion containing black horsepower. Even considering that my father had destroyed all of the entities that looked strong ahead of him, it was still a powerful force.


    "Ohhh, our God! Blessing!"


    "Blessing!¡±


    Despite the attack of the Demon King, the trembling fanatics who worshiped the Demon King still knelt down and prayed. They showed a very disgusting attitude, shouting as if they would be comfortable in the future if they died at the hands of the Demon King, and rejoicing as if the Demon King''s attacks were blessings.


    "You didn''t say anything like this! Save me!"


    "Damn it! We should have dominated the world!"


    On the other hand, the high-ranking ones began to beg for help or run away.


    Such a blatant sight even made me happy. They had to show such a reaction when being betrayed, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t feel worthwhile.


    "Argh!"


    "God!"


    "Save me!"


    The Demon King gave an equal death regardless of if they were fanatics praying to her to receive her blessing or those who wanted to use her.


    "Youngest, you said this is a mess you made?"


    Looking at the fall of the Demon King worshipping church, my father stuck out his tongue.


    I answered with a light smile, "Well, it''s simple. You know the glass that Hillis is holding right now, right?¡±


    "That glass creating that peculiar mana?"


    My father also seemed to have been concerned with the Holy Grail that Hillis was holding. To be caring about the Holy Grail, the core for summoning the Demon King, he indeed had good instincts.


    "Yes. That glass is the Holy Grail. The summoning of the Demon King requires a holy relic, such as the Holy Grail or the Holy Sword, and a shaman who can maximize the power of that holy relic. In other words, a descendant of the Holy Tribe."


    At my explanation, my father was frowning as if things had already become troublesome and made an uninterested expression.


    "Hmm, I don''t like hard explanations."


    I smiled at my father''s complaining. "It''s not that difficult. The Holy Grail used to summon the Demon King is connected to the sealed Demon King. I just interfered with the ceremony through the connection using Hillis''s divine power."


    The process of the ceremony to summon the Demon King was so complicated and detailed that if I didn¡¯t know it beforehand, it would have been impossible to interfere. However, the magic of summoning the Demon King used in the ceremony was extracted from my head. There was no magic that I knew the principle of but couldn''t interfere with. I worked hard to explain it, but it seemed to have already flown beyond my father''s interest.


    "But even if you interfered, attacking only the Demon King worshipers with such a clear will, ahem! Isn''t it strange? It wouldn''t be weird if it attacked indiscriminately," Hillis said, unable to understand even after listening to my explanation.


    "It''s simple. The Demon King is more like a mental body. In other words, it means that without a body, it can¡¯t appear in the world, and so there is someone who becomes the body of the Demon King in the real world," I answered with a playful smile.


    Hillis nodded, understanding. "Ah! So, you suppressed the consciousness of the Demon King and woke up the consciousness of the original body?"


    "Correct. I tried to seal or destroy just the consciousness of the Demon King, but I couldn''t do it alone."


    There needed to have been at least one more magician at my level, but it was too much since it was not so common for a magician to surpass the limits.


    "Then, how?¡±


    "Before the Demon King regains consciousness, we should cooperate to seal or kill her again."


    I flew to the Demon King, holding my magic wand and Holy Sword bitterly.


    The Demon King, who¡¯d annihilated the worshipers, smiled at me. "You''re the one that woke me up. Honestly, I didn''t expect this, but good job." She praised me in a tone that looked down at me somewhat.


    "Being recognized by me, a great madosa of heaven and earth, regardless of age, you can consider it an honor and boast of it forever."


    The Demon King crossed its arms and bragged with an "Ahem!"


    To put it nicely, she was a person full of confidence, and to say it as it was, she looked very arrogant. I should make sure to not become like that.


    "Hmm? That bracelet?" The Demon King smiled meaningfully at the bracelet on my wrist. "Where did you get that bracelet?"


    "This? I bought it on the street."


    In response to my answer, the Demon King roared.


    "Nonsense! The value of the bracelet is not something you can only get from street stalls! Not only is the bracelet great and noble that will never exist again in the world, but it was made by me, who has reached a supreme level! And there is a strong scent of martial arts from you, so the Crow Tribe¡¯s blood must flow in you."


    Why is the self-praise so long?


    She seemed to have a strange personality. And what, she made it herself?


    ¡°Then, are you the Witch of Pride?¡±


    "That''s right! I am the great...¡±


    "I don¡¯t need a long-winded self-introduction. Did you use your body to seal in the process of subduing the Demon King?¡± I asked.


    The Witch of Pride nodded with a smirk.  "You''re right."


    "The reason must have been that you couldn''t find the core that fixes it to this world," I said.


    The Witch of Pride opened her eyes wide.


    "Oho, has research on the Demon King been conducted to that extent this far in the future? You found out well even though I wasn''t there. I''m very proud. Of course, but you know full well that it¡¯s because Arpen, that kid, shared my research, so you don''t have to praise me in particular.¡±


    "No..."


    The Witch of Pride spoke proudly without giving me time to talk. "Oh, that Arpen kid I''m talking about is a Butterfly Tribe kid called the Glacial Devil. If the kid hadn''t died young, he would have become a useful madosa and left his name in the magician''s history.¡±


    It was the first time hearing Old Man Arpen being called a kid.


    "So how long has it been since I was sealed? 1,000 years? 2,000 years? Even if I am the greatest genius in history, the records of history will not change, so I think it¡¯s probably been around 10,000 years."


    The Witch of Pride was boasting that she was a magician who would have been known for at least a thousand years at the minimum.


    "Come to think of it, I don''t think the language you speak has changed much, so has it only been about 500 years? Oh, as expected, can the ignorant not learn things from history?! I can''t believe they repeated the mistake in such a short time!¡±


    "If you¡¯re asking how long it has been... How about you listen to me?¡±


    I tried to answer, but the Witch of Pride was kicking a ragged young man behind her without listening to me.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. This fool is someone who got caught up in my seal, but without this fool, the seal would have failed, so even if he is sprawled out and asleep, forgive him with generosity."


    "No, I''m saying something to you."


    "Ahahaha! That joke was funny just now. How dare you say something to the greatest genius in history, the head of the great witches. If it''s true, you''re rude to the hero who sacrificed herself."


    When she said it like that, I didn''t have anything to say.


    The Witch of Pride, who only said what she had to say, kicked the young man in the back of his head.


    "Get up! You idiot adventurer! You''re not going to get up!?¡±


    The young man rolled over on the ground and whined at the Witch of Pride¡¯s roar.


    "Mmm, five more minutes, Mom."


    "I''m not your mom! Idiot Marco! Even if it¡¯s the Mercenary King, it still has the title of king, so how can you be sprawled out like this! Doesn¡¯t this make me sad that I¡¯m called a king like you?!"


    The Witch of Pride sighed and shook her head.


    "I shouldn''t have accepted this guy who only has excellent viability like a cockroach to be a comrade. Phew, in the end, you were very helpful, so that old Dragon King''s discerning eye was not wrong."


    The Witch of Pride, who complained to herself, looked at the bracelet I wore again and smiled.


    "But seeing that the contents of the bracelet are empty, that sly and selfish fellow seems to have faithfully kept my will."


    It¡¯s empty?


    Come to think of it, something did seem strange since I received this bracelet. I couldn''t erase the feeling that it was like a case to protect something.


    "What did you say this was made to protect?¡±


    "Of course! Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been a need to cast on it the ability to protect and survive, and control mana."


    "What were you trying to protect?" I asked.


    The Witch of Pride proudly crossed her arms and said, "Of course, wouldn¡¯t it be the genes of the most precious, dignified, great, and genius person in the world, me?"


    "If it''s a gene, it wouldn¡¯t be a genomic data sample. Are they reproductive cells?" I said, surprised.


    The Witch of Pride nodded as if it were natural. "Of course, that goes without saying. What''s a genomic data sample?¡±


    "Oh, should I call it DNA structure? To be exact, it¡¯s a sample for perfect reproduction."


    "Oho! That''s quite interesting."


    Due to the Witch of Pride¡¯s interest, we had a short but in-depth conversation. Honestly, she was annoying, but she was surely a genius. The person from 120 years ago began to understand scientific theories from other worlds and incorporate them into magic.


    "Hmm, is the body the only thing that can be reproduced? If so, we need a way to replicate memories and personalities too. By the way, my junior magician from the distant future, aren''t you going to introduce yourself to a senior who has crossed over time?"


    Hmm... Should I just hit her?


    I seriously had an urge, but I decided to hold it in since I was in the position of having to ask her to calmly die for us.


    "Phew, my name is Denburg Blade. Some cockroach-like things were trying to summon the Demon King, so I played some pranks."


    Thanks to that, the Witch of Pride annihilated them using the power of the Demon King without me needing to do anything.


    "Blade? No wonder. I didn''t think you were an ordinary magician, but you must be a distant descendant of me. As expected, my genes are amazing.¡±


    "What do you mean?"


    It was my first time hearing about the Witch of Pride¡¯s genes.


    "Hmm? Hasn''t the truth been handed down? Well, that¡¯s common. I am your distant ancestor¡¯s lover. Your ancestor did not have a very good personality, but he was a companion with excellent genes. Sometimes it was cute that he was jealous and was so selfish."


    Is the companion my great-grandfather?


    "So, how long has it been since I''ve been sealed?"


    "That''s..."


    Even before I could answer, I heard an answer from behind.


    ¡°Around 120 years have passed.¡±


    The person who answered was Galak Blade, my great-grandfather, his clothes worn out by battle.


    "I didn¡¯t count the exact time. It was meaningless to count time that didn¡¯t have you."


    My great-grandfather made an expression as if he¡¯d cry but also seemed to smile brightly.


    "Long time no see, Wayne."


    "I see..."


    The Witch of Pride opened her eyes wide in surprise. "You didn¡¯t have to go this far."


    Wayne, the Witch of Pride, and Galak Blade, the warrior, aimed at each other with a magic wand and a sword.


    "I spent my whole life in order to kill you, Wayne."


    At Galak Blade¡¯s words, the Witch of Pride shed tears.


    "Really, you are foolish, selfish, but lovely."


    "I''m here to keep my promise. I''ll split your heart!"


    Wayne, the Witch of Pride, shed tears and smiled sincerely.


    "Come!"

 CH 348

    Chapter 348. The Advent of the Demon King and the Fallen Warrior (5)


    The warrior stared at the Demon King, spitting out blood-mixed phlegm. Just now, the Demon King¡¯s castle and the Demon King were blown away by the sword of the Guardian Knight, but the Demon King was revived as being created from nothing.


    "Haha, is it possible to kill that?" The adventurer, called the Mercenary King, laughed tiredly.


    "I know right, huhuhu. I don''t think it''d be bad to lie down in front of the Demon King?" the witch, with the name of Greed, replied with a smile in a self-mocking voice.


    "Wow, you sound so sincere when you say that," the adventurer said.


    The Witch of Greed said jokingly, "If it weren''t for Unni, I¡¯d lick the Demon King¡¯s shoes right away."


    The Witch of Pride frowned and said, "Quiet, I''m thinking now."


    "Hohoho, yes, yes. I¡¯m sure you are."


    The Witch of Greed sullenly attacked the Demon King with spirits.


    The warrior who was fiercely blocking the attacks of the Demon King on the battlefield and a wolf with a green mane would have died of excessive bleeding if it hadn¡¯t been for the saintess¡¯s miracle.


    "I think it''s time to come to a resolution." The Witch of Pride moved forward with a determined expression.


    "What are you trying to do?" the gray-haired genius madosa asked in fluster.


    The Witch of Pride smiled and touched his shoulder. "It¡¯s good to prevent abdominal bleeding with ice, but it would be better to use Mirpa''s healing potion."


    "Do you mean the potion that''s extremely painful? That''s a potion for torture! You''ll faint if you use it! And moreover, are you going to change the subject?!" the genius madosa chided.


    The Witch of Pride shrugged. "I''m not changing the subject. I¡¯m not explaining it because you already know it."


    The genius madosa clenched his teeth. "Are you planning to sacrifice your body?"


    As long as the whereabouts of the core that allowed the Demon King to exist in this world were unknown, it had to be sealed again to create a new nucleus.


    "Yes. See, you know it well."


    At the teaching tone, the genius madosa closed and opened his eyes.


    "Then I''ll sacrifice myself. It¡¯s right to sacrifice myself, who''s barely able to provide support since  I''m hurt. Above all, your knowledge is the treasure with no equal in the world. We can''t lose it here," the genius madosa said.


    The Witch of Pride nodded. "That''s extremely right. Losing me is a fatal loss to the world. But it''s not enough. You, who are only a madosa, and the body of a great madosa who is about to surpass the limits. You also know well which is more valuable as a magic catalyst."


    The genius madosa had no words to reply with.


    "And who else in the world can replace me? I''m the only one who can save the world."


    It was a terribly arrogant and self-righteous remark. However, no one there could refute it.


    Except for the warrior.


    "Don''t make me laugh!" the warrior, who had cut the king''s head into dozens, shouted.


    "You''re mine! No one else''s! Not the world¡¯s! Mine! You¡¯re Galak Blade¡¯s! So who said you can die!?¡±


    "Ahahaha! As expected, those are just foolish and selfish words, just like you. But there''s no other way. So you make the sacrifice."


    It was as if the warrior was sacrificing himself rather than herself. In a way, those words were not wrong. The warrior left alone will live in hell.


    The Witch of Pride magically interfered with the divine power of the saintess.


    "Ugh!"


    The warrior, who suddenly lost the connection with the divine power, knelt due to accumulated fatigue and damage.


    "Will you be able to hold out for a moment without my lovely warrior, Great Warrior, Current King?" asked the Witch of Pride.


    The two answered at the same time.


    "No problem."


    "The same goes for you about being foolish, Head of the Witches. I can''t believe you''re asking such an obvious question.¡±


    An old man called the Current King controlled a dragon and burned the Demon King.


    "Hmm, I see. It¡¯s rare, but I made a verbal mistake. It''s natural that you¡¯ll be able to hold out.¡±


    The Witch of Pride nodded and looked at the adventurer. "Mercenary King, it''s a request. Stop the Demon King¡¯s movements for a moment."


    ¡°Ahaha, that''s impossible?"


    "I''m not a person who makes the same mistake twice. I know that you certainly can. So go!"


    The Witch of Pride magically threw the adventurer to the Demon King, and the adventurer screamed.


    "Uaaaahhhhhh!"


    The adventurer quickly landed and entered the battle. Soon after a fierce battle, the adventurer held the Demon King, and the Witch of Pride did not miss the gap and sealed the Demon King in her body.


    A sphere of high gravity formed around the body of the Witch of Pride and began to consume the surroundings. As she disappeared to the other side of the world, the Witch of Pride smiled sadly at the warrior.


    "Then this is goodbye. Take good care of my belongings."


    The warrior shouted as he saw his lover disappearing, "Definitely! I will definitely see you again! I''ll free you!¡±


    ¡°Huhu, that''s nice. Try it. The core of the Demon King is my heart.¡±


    Soon there was nothing left in the place where the Witch of Pride and adventurer were. Nothing at all.


    "Wait just a little bit, Wayne."


    The warrior neither screamed nor cried. No, it would be right to say that he couldn''t.


    The warrior, who decided to become fallen, just held the bracelet tightly with a cold light in his eyes.


    -o-


    My great-grandfather and the Witch of Pride swung their sword and magic wand at each other. In the sudden situation, I didn''t know what to do, so I stayed still, but their blows did not clash with each other.


    "You didn''t get up even when I tried to wake you up, but you¡¯re quick when it comes to things like this.¡±


    "Don''t interfere, Marco."


    Marco, the legendary adventurer who was praised as the Mercenary King in the past, dug between the two and released a sword and magic strike.


    Marco shrugged with a cheerful smile.


    "Ahahaha! Why are you attacking each other as soon as you meet each other? Doesn''t talking it out usually come first when it''s been a while since meeting each other?¡±


    At Marco''s nonsense great-grandfather said, "Don''t interfere. I want to let Wayne go in peace when she''s still in her right mind. Wayne considers losing her intelligence the greatest shame."


    The Witch of Pride also nodded at my great-grandfather¡¯s words.


    "I can''t die calmly for you either. Killing someone who doesn''t resist would be a great insult to you.¡±


    The two knew each other well and simultaneously pointed their sword and magic wand at Marco.


    "So don''t interfere."


    "So don¡¯t interfere."


    Marco wiped away his tears and raised both hands as if he were surrendering when he saw the weapons aimed at him.


    "Damn, you guys are making such a big fuss. How can I live being so sad?"


    It was a voice that felt sincere.


    Marco sighed, looked at me, then said to the Witch of Pride, "So do you really have to die? There''s an impressive magician over there who pulled your consciousness out from the body of the Demon King."


    The two looked at me.


    "Oh, me?"


    When I pointed at myself, he nodded.


    "Yes, you." Marco yawned leisurely and advised, "Well, it''s honestly none of my business whether they¡¯re going to die or live together. But don''t be too emotional with possibilities right in front of you."


    The Witch of Pride thought seriously and shook her head. "It''s impossible. I chose my heart as the core to extinguish the Demon King."


    I also seriously agonized over the words of the Witch of Pride. The heart was an essential organ for survival. To kill the Demon King''s consciousness, one had no choice but to destroy the heart. Even if we joined forces with the Witch of Pride to seal the Demon King again, it had to be sealed with the heart, so the Witch of Pride had to die. It was clear that the reason the Witch of Pride made the heart the core was to make sure the Demon King was unable to hide the core separately. Even if the Demon King manages to live without a heart, it wouldn¡¯t be able to use mana properly. The heart was also a mana organ that produced mana.


    "Well, it''s impossible if it''s the heart."


    "See? There''s no way for me to live, so get out of the way, foolish adventurer."


    When the Witch of Pride pushed the magic wand, Marco smiled awkwardly and took a step back.


    "No, I can save your life. There are about three things that come to mind, so that''s not a problem."


    I shook my hand insignificantly and was lost in thought.


    "What..? There are three?¡±


    My great-grandfather of course, but as well as the Witch of Pride, opened her eyes wide in surprise and asked me.


    "You just said it''s impossible!"


    "Ayy, that means that it''s impossible for you to use magic if I save you. Anyway, the heart has to be extracted, but without it, you can''t create mana."


    The three were puzzled by the obvious words.


    "Hey, is magic the problem here?"


    Contrary to Marco''s dumbfounded statement, the Witch of Pride became serious.


    "I can''t use magic...?¡±


    For a magician, especially a high-level magician like a great madosa, not being able to use magic was like a death sentence. It could be better to choose to die with the Demon King here.


    The Witch of Pride put down her magic wand.


    "Let''s hear the method first. The three ways to save my life.¡±


    I opened my fingers one by one and said, "First, give up your body and put your soul in a core and transfer to a dragon tooth soldier."


    "Dismissed. I don''t want to give up on being human. I''d rather die."


    It was the fastest and most stable way, but I knew she would refuse. Giving up on being human was a taboo and an insult to the magician. In addition, there were serious restrictions on the use of magic, so it was clear that she, who had extremely high pride, would have thought it¡¯d be better to die.


    "Second, extract the heart and quickly connect an artificial heart."


    "Well, definitely, I can live if we do that. Although, I won''t be able to use magic."


    Mana production was almost impossible, but if she tried to use magic, her unstable heart would likely explode and she would die.


    "Third, you die once and are reborn."


    The Witch of Pride immediately grasped the meaning of my words.


    "It''s ridiculous. There is an excessively high possibility of failure. Rather, I can''t find an example of success."


    It was certainly ridiculous. Of course, it''s not something I should say as someone who was reborn. Moreover, I couldn''t incorporate myself into this situation because I wasn''t reborn by magic.


    "Then there''s only the second method. I can''t give you much time to consider it. Even if I do the procedure right now, it¡¯ll be cutting it close.¡±


    When the Demon King wakes up over time, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this surgical procedure, let alone the other two methods.


    "There¡¯s no need to think about it. Do it right away."


    "Will it be ok?¡±


    It was unexpected that she decided immediately.


    "Who do you think I am? Knowledge which is the treasure of humankind is in my head. Even if I can''t use magic, not a single part of my life will fade. Do it."


    The eyes of the Witch of Pride shone without any signs of shaking.


    "My lovely warrior. The child said it as if it were nothing, but it also has a high likelihood to fail. Even if I die, I want you to live."


    With a confident smile, my great-grandfather burst into laughter as if he were dumbfounded.


    "Hahahaha! How ridiculous. Don''t make me laugh. If it fails, I''ll die, too. So live."


    "Huhuhu, that''s scary.¡±


    Marco, who was watching the conversation between the two, frowned and retched.


    "Uwack! Damn, I should''ve just let them die. Why do I have to watch this just for her to be reborn?"


    "I agree."


    I couldn¡¯t help but agree with Marco. His and my feelings were in sync, and so we shook hands.


    "Can I call you a friend?" Marco asked.


    I laughed lightly. "What are you saying? You¡¯re an old man who is over 120 years old,¡± I jested.


    Marco pretended to be hurt, holding his chest, and I called Hillis, who was watching from down there.


    I''ll probably see blood, but I can''t just pour Elder Mirpa¡¯s healing potion, can I? She might die of shock.


    -o-


    Over quite a long time, the heart of the Witch of Pride was extracted and an artificial heart made of alchemy was attached. Without Hillis in the middle, there were about 20 times when she really almost got sent to death, but somehow it was successful.


    I never thought I would experience something like this in my life. As expected, life is something you can¡¯t predict.


    "Okay, just cut this."


    I threw the Demon King''s core and heart, and my great-grandfather cut it at once. The vast amount of black mana scattered from the body of the Witch of Pride, causing convulsions. Hillis sang a hymn in a calm voice and stabilized the Witch of Pride with the power of the Holy Grail.


    "Now, with this, it¡¯s over," I wiped off my sweat and said.


    My great-grandfather, who was watching anxiously from the side, approached me and asked nervously, "Is it really over?"


    "Yes. So please don''t go making any trouble now. Do you know how hard it is for Grandfather because of you?"


    "Khmm! I have nothing to say against that. Anyways, thank you."


    Unlike my great-grandfather¡¯s usual self, he blushed and spoke sincerely.


    "Well, act better if you know. And the patient herself likely already knows, but in short, never go into the Olympus Forest. Her heart will explode."


    "Okay."


    "And I''ll leave the follow-up care to Elder Mirpa, since she''s a lot more of an expert than I am."


    So is everything over now?


    When I thought so, as if telling me I did well, my father grabbed my shoulder.


    "Then all we have left is our business."


    "What?"


    "Go back to our hometown and follow in my footsteps."


    "Ah¡­!"


    My father''s touch was to hold me from running away. He gave out a vicious martial aura.


    "And I couldn''t fight against the Demon King even after all that."


    That''s what you really think! What is this?! Save me!

 CH 349

    Chapter 349. Father and Son (1)


    Zendia asked Galak, who was looking at Wayne, the Witch of Pride, who had yet to regain consciousness, "So, this person is my mother?"


    When he saw Wayne, who looked much younger than him, Zendia sighed and frowned with a headache.


    "Yeah, isn''t she pretty? Her personality is crazy, but her face is pretty.¡± Galak chuckled whether he knew Zendia''s feelings or not.


    Zendia, with a leg wrapped in a strong aura, kicked his father¡¯s shin.


    "Ouch!"


    At the sudden surprise attack, Galak grabbed his shin and rolled on the floor.


    Marco, who was watching it from the side, laughed happily. "Hahaha! Good job! I was so annoyed by that jerk! Hit him more!"


    "Hey! If a son is being immoral and hitting his father, you should be stopping him! Are you even my friend?!" Galak protested.


    Marco raised his middle finger on both hands and shouted, "Screw off! You **** punk! That¡¯s why you should do it in moderation. You ****, I¡¯ll **** you up!"


    "Oho, maybe if you **** do ****. Go trip on a stone! You **** bastard."


    "Yeah, never mind. Why don¡¯t you do that?¡±


    While watching their childish verbal fight, Zendia sighed and kicked Galak''s butt, who was still lying down.


    "Hey! It hurts, Son!"


    "Please grow up! And if you''d told me this!"


    "You would''ve stopped me. Do you think I don¡¯t know you? You''re the type to stop me even though you''re hurting because I¡¯m doing something wrong,¡± Galak retorted.


    Zendia had nothing to say. He would have certainly stopped his father despite feeling awful and suffering.


    Galak got up from his seat and dusted himself. "Your sense of responsibility is too strong. Because you''re trying to take responsibility for things you don''t have to take responsibility for, you''ve finally crossed the limit now that you could have overcome before.¡±


    Zendia clenched his fist and slapped his father in the face.


    "Wait, wait a minute! I think I just said something nice, but you''re hitting me!?¡±


    Marco snorted at Galak. "That slap made a great sound. You idiot."


    "Whether I stop you or not, if it''s family business, we should at least consult! Do you think you¡¯re so great or something? What the hell¡¯s wrong with you, Father?!"


    At Zendia''s assault, Marco thought it was a good time and hit Galak excitedly.


    "Ah! It hurts! Marco, I''m not going to let you go!"


    "Why? Are you going to kill me? Aigoo! People of the world! I sacrificed myself for the world, and my friend is trying to kill me!"


    "You¡­! You bastard! Then, aigoo! A young man is beating an old man!"


    "What? You¡¯re the same age as me! You just got old alone? Aigoo! You must be happy that you got old by yourself!"


    At Galak and Marco¡¯s conversation, Zendia sighed and stopped kicking.


    "If Father''s friend comes forward like that, then I have no choice but to forgive him," Zendia said.


    It was hard to keep getting angry when the hero, who even disregarded his life, stepped up. Galak knew his own faults which were why despite saying those things, he obediently took the beating without trying to stop them or avoid it.


    Marco smacked his lips. "Hmm? Never mind. Why do you forgive him? Hit him more. I want to hit him more."


    When Zendia stopped beating him, Marco also stopped hitting. Then he sat on the altar where Wayne was lying.


    "I thought I would go crazy just existing there in the reverse world where the Demon King was sealed because there was no concept of time and space. I''m sure he knows well because he''s been beaten by the Demon King once. What it means to be sealed there," said Marco.


    Galak sat up silently.


    "At that time, Wayne and Oryana worked together to save him, but Wayne and I were in a situation where that wasn¡¯t possible. Of course, the fact that that idiot almost messed up the world and that he is a selfish guy without countermeasures does not change. He¡¯s a guy who truly deserves to die." Marco spoke casually, but his hand trembled little, perhaps thinking of the time when he was sealed.


    Perhaps the Demon King was crazy because it came to this world after living in such a world.


    "But I''m still grateful to be able to smell the fresh air after a long time. Well, even though I was probably a bonus on top of Wayne."


    Marco smiled slightly and asked while looking at the explosion from afar, "They''ve been fighting for hours. Is it okay to not stop them?¡±


    Galak and Zendia shrugged at the same time at Marco''s concern.


    "It''s a normal friendship between father and son. Why?¡±


    "It''s common in my village."


    Marco shook his head annoyed from hearing the answers from the two.


    "If I had known that such a frightening fight would last this long, I would have followed that knight like Oryana''s successor."


    He couldn''t understand the father and son of the Crow Tribe.


    -o-


    I laughed at my father who held my shoulder.


    "Hahaha, can''t you just let me go?"


    My father laughed along at my question.


    "Hahaha! I can''t do that! You have to follow in my footsteps in order for me to retire.¡±


    "You''re still young! How can you retire when you''re only 45 years old? Grandfather retired after over 70!" I cried.


    My father looked at my grandfather who had a complicated expression after hearing the situation from having arrived late.


    "That''s because my father gave birth to me late because of a broken heart! I followed in my father¡¯s footsteps when I was your age!¡±


    My grandfather was choked up by my father''s rebuttal.


    "Hey! Why do you need to say the part about a broken heart!?"


    Suddenly, when we entered the dark history, my grandfather roared and my father flinched.


    "Anyway, what I am saying is that I followed my father at an early age."


    "But Father didn''t take over until you were nearly 30 years old! I''m not even 20 yet!¡±


    "Even if you''re less than 20, since you''ve surpassed the limits, it''s okay to follow in my footsteps! Rather, the elders will like it even more if you, who¡¯s much smarter than me, becomes the chief!"


    At my father''s coercion, I frowned. "I''m a magician. If I go back to the Olympus Forest, I''ll be weakened again."


    My father snorted at my rebuttal.


    "Hmph! That''s funny! You think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve surpassed the limits and can use the Dance of the Fireflies however you want? Saying that someone who can use the Dance of the Fireflies is bullcrap."


    Tch, how did he know?


    "The Dance of the Fireflies that I use is an expedient that mixes magic. If I use it without expediency, I''ll suffer from severe muscle pain."


    "That''s a given. When I had just exceeded my limits, for years I would get muscle pain when I used the Dance of the Fireflies. Besides, what''s a guy who flew in the sky and crossed the canyon even before surpassing the limit saying?¡±


    If you say that, I have nothing to say. It was impossible to beat a person with words who didn''t intend to let me go in the first place.


    I sighed deeply and told Tristan, who was watching this place from afar, "Tristan, the situation here is over now, so come and take Hillis safely to the empire."


    Hillis protested, "Wait! Let''s go together!"


    "As you know, my persuasion with my father didn''t work at all. You might get caught up, so go ahead first."


    My father laughed pleasantly at my words.


    "Ahahaha! You''re talking as if you can go."


    "Of course. I told you these days. That I''m going to run away. This is something that¡¯s confirmed."


    I took out my magic wand and put in mana. The magic wand, which had the Miracle Crystal added, gave off ferocious mana. I was obviously weaker than my father but the situation became unknown if my reinforced magic wand was added.


    "Seems fun."


    My father exploded with a martial aura against my mana.


    "Since it¡¯s become like this, go ahead first. I''ll write you a letter later," I said.


    Hillis bit her lips. She could probably guess that if we split up here, we wouldn''t be able to meet at least for the next few years.


    By now, the letter of resignation and notice of leaving the boarding room that I prepared in advance would have arrived at the Adventurers'' Guild headquarters and the boarding house. It was something I should have done anyways at the time when the prime minister and Uncle Bloody discovered my location and identity. I just postponed the end of the fun.


    As everything ends, the time had come to put an end to my life as a civil servant.


    "... All right." Hillis nodded her head sullenly.


    She couldn''t help it. She was a saintess and had her own obligations.


    Tristan, who came here from afar, whistled. "Wow, is it okay for me to not help you? You''ve kept us all this time just so you could have an advantage at times like these,¡± he asked.


    I smiled. "It''s okay. It would be nice, but Caradoc and Gwalchavad, who are the key players, were destroyed."


    Without Caradoc, who was supposed to move the army of dragon tooth soldiers, and Gwalchavad, the center of defense to protect me, the prearranged plan against my father would be useless. So it was more beneficial to switch him to being Hillis''s escort.


    "Then there''s nothing I can do." Tristan immediately gave up helping me and escorted Hillis.


    Seeing that, I made a suggestion to my father. "There are patients here, so let''s go away from here."


    My father agreed and I flew in the opposite direction to the empire. If I went towards the empire, then Hillis could get caught up in the aftermath of the battle.


    After a long time moving away from the altar, my father smiled lightly and said, "Seeing that you¡¯ve obediently agreed to fight, you must have finally decided to give up and succeed me, Youngest."


    He seemed to firmly believe that he would win without an inch of hesitation. Honestly, I thought so too.


    "No way. Of course, I¡¯ll run away."


    My father and I simultaneously raised our mana and martial aura. Sparks splashed everywhere and my mana and my father''s martial aura collided. The space began to distort as if haze bloomed in the invisible battle of superiority for space. I was the one who used the trick first.


    "Ice wolf of the North Wind! The March of the Queen¡¯s Protectors! This is the land of ice! Appear, Ice Castle!"


    Ice that had stopped Yuria¡¯s magic emerged and rose, surrounding my father.


    "Try it!"


    My father raised his martial aura to the extreme and tried to destroy the ice castle before it was completed.


    "Minefield!"


    I tried to stop my father¡¯s movements by laying invisible mines around him, but he casually ignored them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of mines exploded, and a huge explosion engulfed my father. The ice castle was completely shattered by my father''s footwork, and my father was completely unfazed even in the explosion.


    "Enlightenment! Killing a Wild Boar!"


    As the floor was collapsing, my father stepped on a large block of ice and leaped, charging at me with protective strong aura surrounding him.


    I attacked my father by manipulating the collapsing debris of the ice castle. However, fragments of the ice castle could not stop my father''s strong breakthrough. I flew high, infusing a lot of mana into the Holy Sword, and swung it at my father.


    "Enlightenment! Cutting the Clouds!"


    As if my strong aura was more threatening than the ice debris, this time, he kicked the air and avoided the strong aura I shot.


    "Enlightenment! Opening the Peacock¡¯s Tail!"


    My father, who avoided my strong aura, shot countless chunks of strong aura at me.


    "Bird Who Has Consumed Thunder! Cry!"


    In response, I magically shot countless thunderbirds to shoot down my father¡¯s strong auras. As the chunks of strong aura and thunderbirds collided, explosions happened everywhere. While my vision was temporarily blocked by the explosion, my father kicked into the air one after another and grabbed my back.


    "Careless!"


    My father cut my neck with a kick, the illusion of me scattered like smoke.


    "What do you mean careless?"


    "Did you think¡ª"


    "That you¡¯d so easily get my back?¡±


    My illusions appeared from all over the place and spoke one by one. My father laughed joyfully at them.


    "Ahahaha! Looks like it¡¯ll be a fun fight! Let''s give it a go!"


    My father rushed towards my illusions.

 CH 350

    Chapter 350. Father and Son (2)


    With my father¡¯s fist, one of my illusions was destroyed and a small mountain behind it disappeared. I was skeptical about what kind of monster I was dealing with such that a mountain disappeared when he wasn¡¯t even trying his hardest.


    "Oh my! It doesn¡¯t feel like I can win."


    I shook my head and had my illusions attack all at once.


    "Enlightenment! Heel Kick!"


    One of the illusions quickly twisted his body and kicked up at my father¡¯s chin.


    "Enlightenment! Beheading!"


    Another illusion flew high and using gravity to accelerate, he struck the back of the neck with his heel.


    "Enlightenment Cutting leaves!"


    Another illusion shot countless aura blades aiming at my father''s eyes. Each of my illusions was worse than my grandfather¡¯s illusions using his Spirit Sword, but they were illusions that existed in reality.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Alongside my father''s yelling, I let out mana from all over my body and extinguished my illusions at once. Still, while the illusions were drawing attention, the great magic was completed.


    "Chains that Connects Stars! Come down here and tie the darkness! Chains of Seven Stars!"


    Hundreds of chains thicker than a forearm poured out from everywhere, restraining my father.


    "Is it the magic of Elder Mirpa? It''s much stronger!¡±


    My father began to break the chain one by one with strength. I kept creating chains before he was released to prevent him from moving. Then, I released the chirps to quickly form a magic circle.


    "¡­God''s punishment resonates in the sky! A Thunder God¡¯s Spear!"


    "¡­It is clear that it burns like the morning sun! Dragon Breath!"


    "...Thorn Spears Are Cursed! Gaebolg!¡±


    By the time my father broke off the chain, various kinds of great magic were completed and directly attacked him.


    "Martial Arts Transformation! Flow Extreme Enlightenment! The Dance of Wind Flowers!¡±


    White mana rose subtly from my father''s whole body. Even though he moved very smoothly and slowly, he avoided all of my great magic. I was speechless by the ridiculous sight.


    "What kind of technique is that?"


    It was the first time I''ve ever seen that technique. Even at a glance, I could see that it was the opposite of the Dance of the Fireflies and had a little burden on the body. But instead, the delicate control of mana was no joke. How could an ignorant muscled guy like my father, who chased after only strength, do such delicate control that looked so graceful? I felt like I was going to have cognitive dissonance.


    "Things return to natural order. It''s different for everything, and it ended up becoming reversed. It hasn¡¯t been long since I made this technique."


    It looked more difficult than the Dance of the Fireflies. Certainly not easier.


    "It''s a technique that doesn''t suit Father."


    My father smiled.


    "I think so, too. Men should be strong by all means necessary."


    After saying that, he explosively boosted his martial aura.


    "Now! I think this is enough for feeling each other out! Come at me with your full strength!¡±


    The white mana that surrounded my father''s body was removed. I let out a deep sigh and raised both mana and martial arts at the same time.


    "Fusion Enlightenment! Transformed Dance of the Fireflies!¡±


    "Extreme Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!"


    Golden grains of magic burst out of his and my body. With the Dance of the Fireflies, the whole body''s senses were extremely activated and vitality soared.


    This time, he charged at me first. I infused mana into the Holy Sword and shot a strong aura at him, but he twisted and easily avoided it, then penetrated into my guard. His fist quickly threw out at my chin.


    "Enlightenment Breaking a Mountain!"


    I hurriedly threw myself and did a backflip to dodge it. Even though I completely avoided it, I was slightly dizzy by the power that shook the space.


    "Fusion Enlightenment! Lightning that Splits the Earth!"


    Spinning in the air, I threw out a fist made by combining the Lightning that Splits the Earth and Breaking the Earth. As the huge chunk of strong aura was about to directly hit my father, he jumped high and avoided it.


    Boom-!


    The land my father was on, hit by the lump of my strong aura, was turned into a crater. He kicked at me as if brushing away the boulder-sized debris that flew out from when the ground was smashed.


    "Enlightenment! High Kick!"


    The boulders that he kicked contained his full leg strength. Attacks poured down on me, as if I was the center of gravity.


    "Argh!"


    Boom-! Boom-! Boom-!


    I launched myself into the fire and avoided the boulders. The place where the boulders fell really exploded as if a cannonball fell. The difference was that a cannonball was fired indirectly, but my father fired it directly. In other words, his hit rate was much better.


    "At the end of the legend! Argh! Beautiful and brave! Keuk!"


    I chanted while avoiding the pouring boulders.


    "The Symphony of Falling Star!"


    When the magic was completed, the sky was filled with rune words and magic circles.


    "Stardust of Falling Star!¡±


    A white ray of destruction fell from the magic circle. Unlike with Hillis''s older sister, who should not be killed, this time I poured in as much mana as I could. Faced with the ray of destruction falling directly on him, my father laughed pleasantly.


    "Hahahaha! Yes! This is a fight! Basic martial arts skill! Fist!"


    He did not put any technique in his fist but just threw out the fist wrapped in strong aura. Martial art¡¯s enlightenment was literally the compilation of enlightenment. These techniques ranged from how to clench a fist to how to breathe, and how to walk. However, my father gave a straight fist as if denying the history he had accumulated.


    "Crazy¡­!"


    My great magic, which confronted my father''s fist, was severely split after a fierce struggle.


    "Hu... Your eyes seem to say you don''t understand. If you had crossed the limit with martial arts, you would have recognized it right away. That''s too bad."


    Crack! Crack!


    My father smacked his lips, rotated and stretched his right arm, that had just thrown the fist.


    "No way, no that¡¯s not possible."


    Suddenly, a ridiculous possibility came to mind. The possibility was that my father''s individual achievement was higher than the martial arts that our family built up from generation to generation.


    Seeing me shocked, my father smiled.


    "Oh! Did you realize it?"


    "Crazy! How can I beat this?"


    My father burst into laughter at my cry.


    "Ahahaha! So you were indeed thinking about beating me!"


    "Am I not allowed to do that?!"


    I thought the odds would be good enough if the equipment was added, but it was such an arrogant idea. My father was a monster beyond my expectations. When I had just run away, I was foolishly calculating the probability of being able to run away if I encountered him without even knowing this fact. It was an incredibly idiotic thought.


    "No! Now! If you want to beat me, take out your hidden secret weapons!¡±


    He shouted as if he had already guessed it.


    Damn, to think I would even need to do doping. I took out the Turtle Carrying a Mountain¡¯s mana stone, the phoenix''s mana stone, and the Demon King¡¯s horn. When I took out the Demon King¡¯s horn, the Holy Sword cried piercingly, and so I put it back into my pocket space. I improvised the phoenix''s mana stone on the fly.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The large mana stone was compressed into the size of a candy-like turtle''s mana stone. I put the two mana stones in my mouth and attached the horns of the Demon King to my head.


    "Fusion Enlightenment! Mad Banquet!"


    The mana circuit quickly rotated the mana as if being over-clocked by the intense mana spreading inside my body. Black mana spread from the horns of the Demon King to my whole body, amplifying my power several times.


    "Your right eye has become black. Is it the power of the Demon King?!"


    Due to temporarily using the power of the Demon King, the burden on my body was no joke, but I maintained my composure.


    I smiled at my shocked father.


    "You told me to bring out my secret weapon. What, is this not enough either?¡±


    I combined the Mad Banquet and the Dance of the Fireflies into one. About half of the golden grains of mana turned black.


    "Transcended Enlightenment! Banquet of Fireflies!"


    Because it extremely overloaded my body, I couldn¡¯t hold it for a long time. I had to achieve victory quickly.


    "Hahahaha! I like it! Then I''ll go along with you until the end, too!¡±


    My father raised his martial arts to the limit and suddenly his hair began to turn half white.


    "Transcended Enlightenment! The Sabbath of the Fireflies!"


    About half of the golden grains of mana around my father turned white. It seemed to be a technique fused with the Dance of Windflowers.


    My father and I rushed toward each other.


    -o-


    I could see the sky.


    In the aftermath of the clash with my father, the sky became clear without a single cloud. The sun was rising over the east.


    But why is the sun rising, not setting?


    "Um, how long did we fight?¡±


    To my question, he smiled and replied with a tired face, withdrawing the white and gold mana grains.


    "I don''t know. I was too focused on the fight.¡±


    "Me too."


    We might have even fought for about two days, not just a day. It was such a hard fight where he or I could have lost if we didn¡¯t keep focus the entire time. As a result of the fight, unlike my father, who was standing proudly, I couldn''t feel a handful of mana in my body.


    It was a perfect defeat.


    "Okay, then the youngest. Since you lost, you''re going back to the village obediently, right?¡±


    I smiled lightly at his question.


    "No way."


    He questioned my answer.


    ¡°But you don''t seem to have the strength to stand up right now?"


    "It''s natural that I can''t move since I''ve run out of mana. But I told you before I came up here. I''m going to ¡®run away¡¯."


    "What are you... Huh?!¡±


    His eyes opened wide as he noticed the strangeness of what I said.


    "You! No way! That body! Is it magic?!"


    I smiled playfully at my father who responded like he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    "Correct! Unfortunately, there''s no prize."


    The mana stones, the horns of the Demon King, and the magic wand I used were previously recovered to my pocket space.


    "No, how...!¡±


    He sat on the ground with a hollow face.


    "You can say it¡¯s a puppet made with doppelganger magic with a performance that can generate about 98 percent of my power. By now, my main body must have sealed his mana, and is working to escape without being caught by Father."


    Actually, just the doppelganger''s consciousness was not enough to deceive his instincts. Because of that, I had to split my consciousness and control the doppelganger''s body myself. Since most of the consciousness was in this body, my real body must be crawling in the direction of the empire with a weak consciousness.


    "I thought you would give that saintess lady the coordinates or whatnot and escape by teleporting."


    At my father''s words, I giggled and laughed.


    "It''s not that I hadn''t thought about that method, but no matter how I thought about it, I thought I''d get stopped before being able to use the magic. But of course, I did hand Tristan the coordinates in case the doppelganger was caught.¡±


    "Khmm!"


    It was a magic that replicated me close to perfection, and I was able to deceive him because I deliberately controlled it myself.


    The doppelganger''s body fat, completely depleted of mana, quickly began to break apart.


    "But when was it? When did you swap with that fake body?"


    "When Father was catching the bone dragon he saw excitedly?"


    He laughed absurdly at my words.


    "Ahahaha! You''re such a mischievous boy.¡±


    After laughing for a long time, my father smiled and said again with an excited face.


    "But 98 percent means that the main body is 2 percent stronger, right?¡±


    When I saw his deep smile, I felt it.


    Damn it! I''m screwed! I need to run faster!


    "I''ll write you a letter later! Then bye!"


    I quickly returned my consciousness to my original body. I felt a little dizzy due to the sudden change in vision, but I quickly returned to normal. I should stay as far away from my father as possible for the time being.


    I looked around and examined the surroundings.


    "Let''s see. Despite sealing my mana, I¡¯ve come a long way. My original body''s mana is intact too."


    I tried stretching while moving my body lightly. Unlike the doppelganger''s body, whose fat had become a rag due to excessive mana operation, mine was lively.


    I took out the watch my maternal grandfather gave me from my pocket to see how long it had been.


    "What?! We fought for 3 days? I did think that I came a long way. It¡¯s more than enough time for Tristan and Hillis to have arrived at the empire."


    Time had passed more than I reckoned. If he followed my orders, Tristan would have taken Hillis to Albatoss and should be moving with Arwen and the Debt-Ridden Knight, who hadn¡¯t paid off his interest to me.


    I released the seal on my mana and took out my magic wand from my pocket space. Then, I immediately made a space leap to Tristan¡¯s coordinates.


    The scene I saw as space split apart showed Tristan pulling a shabby cart.


    "Teacher-nim!"


    "Den, you¡¯ve arrived!"


    "So you¡¯ve come."


    "You came a lot later than I thought.¡±


    The four people sitting on the cart waved at me.


    "Wait, why are you here?"


    The people who greeted me were Arwen, the Debt-Ridden ahjussi, and Arietta. And also Hillis.


    I didn''t understand why Hillis, who was supposed to have returned to the temple in the empire, was here.


    Hillis proudly answered my question.


    "I quit being a saintess, so I''m here. I''m free now is what I''m saying!"


    She had a pretty bitter face for speaking confidently.


    "Actually, Unni decided to become a saintess instead of me. I''ve never shown my face externally, so most people won''t know anything except a few people even if the saintess changes."


    Hillis tried hard to smile, but she couldn''t hide her regret.


    "I said she didn''t have to do that for me, but Unni said she was going to spend the rest of her life in the temple to atone for her mistakes, including summoning the Demon King, so¡­ She said she¡¯ll give me the freedom I''ve been wishing for so far...¡±


    Hillis wiped the corner of her eyes and handed me a letter.


    "And it''s a letter to you. She asked me to deliver it to you."


    I read the letter right on the spot after receiving it from Hillis. The contents of the letter were short and simple.


    - There will be no such thing as becoming close with you, but please take care of my sister.


    I folded the short letter and put it in my pocket space, then sat on piled up luggage and muttered¡­


    "That request, of course I''ll do it."


    Then I pointed in the direction of the Republic and shouted,


    "Now! The destination is Milion, a port city in the south of the Republic! Go! You servant knight!"


    "Yep! Let''s hurry and go, Master!"


    With this, my life as a civil servant in the empire ended.


    What should I do next? I didn''t think it''d be bad to roam around the world freely.

 CH 351

    Outtro Premonition of Trouble


    The streets of Dimitrion, the current chair nation of the Trade Union and the center of commerce, were filled with the lively voices of people.


    Arcanta, the empire¡¯s prime minister, stroked his gray beard and put on his glasses. ¡°Hmm, what''s delicious in this restaurant, Miss?" he asked.


    The clerk at the gelato store flashed a business smile and answered as if it was natural, "The most popular thing in our restaurant is gelato mixed with mint chocolate chips! It''s so-called mint chocolate!¡±


    "Huh? Isn¡¯t mint something you put in toothpaste?" Arcanta was flustered.


    The clerk lady shook her finger and said, "That''s an outdated idea! Now, we''re approaching a time where mint is added everywhere!"


    "Really? Then will you give me one?" Arcanta nodded, thinking that he would like to experience it after such an enthusiastic speech.


    Then a strong wind blew away the hat he was wearing.


    "Oh no! I''ll be right back to go pick my hat.¡±


    Arcanta moved forward to pick the hat that fell on the ground. He bent down and tried to pick it up but a carriage rushed towards him. To be exact, it would be right to say that he had gotten in the carriage''s path.


    "It¡¯s dangerous!"


    "Kyyak!"


    The gelato store clerk and the carriage driver screamed, but fortunately, Arcanta was not hit by the carriage.


    "Aigoo, you have to be careful."


    Just before being hit by the carriage, a young man pulled Arcanta and rescued him.


    "Thank you. It could have been dangerous."


    Arcanta dropped his glasses due to being suddenly pulled, making it impossible to see the young man''s face in detail.


    The young man picked up the hat and glasses and handed them over to him. "Here you go. But the glasses broke. Will you sit down for a while? I''ll fix it right away.¡±


    At the kindness of the young man, Arcanta gently nodded. "Thank you for this. You¡¯re a kind young man."


    With the young man¡¯s guidance, Arcanta sat at an outdoor table in front of the gelato store that looked blurry, and the young man also sat opposite him.


    The young man worked hard to fix the glasses and asked Arcanta, "You look like someone from the Empire. What brings you to Dimitrion?"


    Arcanta smiled lightly and said, "No work wrong with work? Isn''t there a Dimitrion festival where goods from all over the world gather? I just visited because of that."


    "Will there be an auction where many merchants will gather to enter their goods?"


    The young man hinted that he could guess what the purpose of Arcanta¡¯s visit was.


    Arcanta nodded lightly since it wasn¡¯t necessarily a secret. "Well, it¡¯d be a lie if I said it¡¯s not related. Moreover, isn''t it said that the world is excited by the goods offered by one called the merchant of death, the ruler of the underworld, the master of the land flowing with blood?¡±


    It was such an amazing item that even Arcanta, the prime minister of the empire, moved.


    "Oh, is that so? That''s incredible."


    "Yes. Isn''t he the one who makes the children of the Trade Union stop crying and isn¡¯t the three-legged crow symbol that his subordinates carry, an object of awe?" Arcanta asked.


    The young man asked with a surprised tone, "It is to that extent?¡±


    "Of course. That''s why those in the Trade Union are even cautious to call him by name."


    "Oho, I see. Okay, I''ve finished fixing it."


    Arcanta received the glasses handed over by the young man. "Huh? You don''t seem to be very good with your hands."


    Just by touching, he could tell that the stem of the glasses was bent in a direction that should not be bent.


    "Hahaha! I hear that a lot."


    Arcanta spoke, forcibly trying to put on the glasses. "But thank you for your kindness. It''s not worth you saving my life, but I''ll pay for it, so get what you want at the gelato store over there. I think the so-called mint chocolate gelato is the best seller according to the clerk lady."


    The young man smiled awkwardly. "Oh, yes... I''ll just go with the chocolate flavor." He approached the clerk and received gelato. "The clerk gave it to me because you ordered it earlier. Mint chocolate.¡±


    "Oh, thank you." Arcanta, who managed to balance the glasses on his face, received the gelato while looking at the young man''s face. His face hardened after receiving the gelato.


    The young man smiled and spoke, looking at the other¡¯s hardened face, "Please say hello to Mrs. Arscilla for me, Your Highness Prime Minister.¡±


    "Oh¡­!"


    "Thank you for the gelato. Then I''ll be on my way.¡± The young man bowed his head slightly and gradually moved away from Arcanta.


    A man approached the distant young man and followed him as if he were supporting him. On the back of the clothes worn by the young man, a crow with three legs was depicted as a symbol.


    "Your Highness, what are you doing?"


    While he was sitting blankly with his gelato, a blonde young man and a white-haired young man approached him.


    "No, I just had a premonition of trouble." Arcanta took a bite of the gelato and frowned. "Okay, let''s go. Brigadier General Lisbon, Colonel Alphonso. I¡¯m going to have to stock up on my stomach medicine.¡±


    The mint chocolate in his hand tasted vicious. To the point where he thought the new era that would unfold in the future would not be happy.