Chapter 298
The night was still lingering, not quite over yet.
The soft sound of breathing filled the air repeatedly.
The dark smoke rising from the campfire tickled my nose, giving off a burnt scent.
There were two people sleeping around me.
Well, I’m not sure if calling them people is appropriate, but they looked like humans.
While Schugenharz and Beled were lost in slumber, I was on watch.
It’s honestly surprising to see how they could fall into such a deep sleep trusting me like this. Apparently, Schugenharz hasn’t been able to sleep at all since teaming up with Beled.
I mean, trusting Beled, who can’t get over her shock, is practically the same as not standing guard at all.
They probably slept, but I’d bet my last cookie they didn’t get quality rest.
“…Huh, uhh…”
Before I knew it, I turned my head towards the direction of the sounds of discomfort.
The expression of Beled, who was sleeping in a curled-up position, was all wrinkled.
She might be having a terrible dream, as it looked like tears were about to fall from her tightly shut eyes.
Words escaped from her parched lips.
“Baby….”
“…….”
Come to think of it, Frikkanrisk, whom I met in Dortmund, was in a similar situation.
A mother searching for her lost child.
The difference being that Beled’s child had already been consumed by flames and turned to ash…
‘Beled referred to her underlings as ‘children’.’
Also, she had become the head of the hardliners who harbored extreme hatred towards humans.
It’s hard to think their past experiences—being sold to the brothels since childhood—don’t connect in some way.
“…Hmm.”
I shifted my gaze from the two sleeping figures and scanned my surroundings.
It was still dark as a dungeon, but I had gotten a rough idea from Schugenharz about where we were and what city was nearby.
If I moved diligently now, I could reach the city by dawn.
‘Time to get moving.’
If I stayed here until morning, I would have to depend on Beled’s magic to get around.
While I was curious to learn more about their base of operations, that would surely expose my identity.
It’s a bummer I can’t extract more information from Schugenharz, but sneaking out here might be the wisest choice.
It would be wise to slip away.
Shh…
I concealed my mana and quietly got up.
I may not be able to stand guard, but even if monsters were to ambush them, it wouldn’t pose a significant problem to take them down.
After all, the Demon King is gone from this world.
The Twelve Divine Beasts are either dead or have pledged their allegiance to the first Magician.
There’s no way two high-ranking Archbishops with formidable power would easily fall.
“Ugh…”
Leaving Beled’s sobs behind, I moved forward.
Although the darkness seemed to block my path, my well-developed senses allowed me to move without difficulty, even without using mana.
*
As I moved and checked various things, it seemed that I couldn’t summon the Familiars I had a contract with.
It appeared to be due to spatial travel restrictions, which was proof that this place wasn’t reality.
Instead, I could use other magic without any problem.
Although I couldn’t use the Light Beast Magic, I could still employ Curse Magic and the Magic Cannon as before, so if I faced a dire situation, I would focus on using those.
“Hey there.”
A city was relatively close from where I was camping out.
Even during ancient times, the towering castle walls revealed the wealth of this city.
Upon arriving at the castle gate, a guard stopped me.
“Stop right there.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I must ask for your identification.”
Since he couldn’t treat me roughly despite not knowing my identity, my clothes likely indicated my status indirectly.
He spoke with a somewhat tense tone.
“Please show your pass or identification.”
“…How bothersome.”
I pretended to rummage through my jacket.
Of course, there was no way I had anything like that. I only had the ability to manipulate mana.
Curse Magic is very convenient in many ways.
“Is this enough?”
I took out a handkerchief that used to belong to White.
Naturally, it had no writing on it, but the guard closely examined the handkerchief before promptly returning it and bowing deeply.
“I apologize for the oversight.”
“Sure.”
I could have crossed over the castle walls if I wanted to, but why would I need to sneak around like a thief when I could just pass through the gate comfortably?
As I passed through the gate, a massive open road appeared in front of me.
Despite it being early, many people were bustling about.
Women walked by balancing huge jars on their heads.
An old man led livestock towards the market early in the morning.
Everyone was dressed in white, making it easy to see the fashion of this era at a glance.
‘There are still too many unknowns, so I need to gather information. But… first and foremost, I need to figure out how to dress.’
I walked into the crowd on the road.
Due to my clothes, I couldn’t help but stand out, and people glanced at me curiously from the side.
If there’s a way, I would find it.
I needed to stop by a clothing store nearby and buy something suitable.
However, now that White had turned into an ordinary handkerchief, there was no way for me to pay.
I wasn’t strolling around with gold ingots in my pockets, nor was I wearing rings or anything like that.
“Without doing that, I didn’t even put on a ring or anything.”
“Of course, I could easily deceive them by using Curse Magic. But that would be no different from stealing, so I pushed it aside as a backup plan.”
“Even though I came from the Schugenhartz Family, I must not lose the dignity of a noble.”
“There should be at least one person… Hmm. Yeah, that should do.”
As I walked, examining the people one by one, I spotted a well-built man. Carrying several thick books, he seemed to be a young master from a well-off family.
The length of his pants was a bit disappointing, but it wasn’t too bad.
“Hey.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah, you. Come over here for a moment.”
“…What do you need…? Yes, understood.”
Once I lightly cast Curse Magic, the light that flickered in the man’s eyes vanished in an instant.
The residents of this era lack mana circuits, so naturally, they have no immunity, making them very easy to handle.
I led him into a secluded alley nearby.
I would have preferred to enter a house, but I couldn’t disturb a harmonious family’s morning.
“Take off your clothes and hand them to me.”
“Understood.”
The man obediently started to unfasten his clothes.
Even though the act of wearing someone else’s clothes wasn’t appealing, there were no other options.
It was better than being overly conspicuous.
“The material isn’t bad.”
I examined the clothes of the man now dressed in only his underwear.
As expected from someone carrying multiple books, the condition of the clothes was decent.
It wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t wear them.
As I took off my jacket, I aimed to gather information about the upcoming ‘Hero’s March.’
Two powerful mana signatures reacted nearby, and simultaneously, I heard a child’s voice.
“Hahaha! You’re up to something fun, aren’t you?”
I looked up, putting my jacket back on.
On the roof of a building, a boy and a girl perched in a cocky pose, grinning.
The older boy spoke up enthusiastically.
“You know this is our territory, right?”
“……”
“I don’t think I’ve seen your face before. Are you a new recruit? They must be doing a terrible job with education these days, huh?”
The boy and girl gracefully jumped down from the roof of the two-story building.
Their appearances were now familiar to me.
“Ami. Zagan….”
“Since you know our names, I guess you really are aware that this is our territory. …Haha. So, you’re bold enough to intrude on our area while using magic?”
“Careful, brother.”
“You keep quiet, Zagan.”
“Listen, brother. That person… their mana pool is exceptional.”
“I know, so be quiet.”
That’s right.
This is a major city under the responsibility of magician apprentices Ami and Zagan.
I had openly used magic here, revealing my mana pool.
A hint of tension flickered in Ami’s eyes. Yet, the swirling violet mana brimming with hostility was impressive.
Indeed, after being chased by the army of Frikkanrisk and becoming a magician’s apprentice, it seemed he hadn’t lived these 15 years in vain.
It seems like you haven’t wasted the last 15 years.
The only thing that’s concerning is that you haven’t physically grown at all.
It looks like the hypothesis that becoming a magician’s apprentice halts physical growth and aging is true.
At this rate… you might not be at the archbishop level, but you should have at least the power of a top bishop.
“I was waiting for you.”
“What?”
Ami narrowed her eyes at my words.
I smirked and continued, “I knew you were here. I came here knowing that.”
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you saying we came here on purpose just to stir things up? Why?”
“Because I need someone to provide me with information and work for me.”
“…Are you really insane? You’re just spewing nonsense. Do you want to die?”
Guuuuuuung—!
Ami increased her mana pressure as if she had activated Liberation.
She was giving me a warning.
No matter how much of a fellow apprentice we were, if I kept spewing nonsense without backing down, she’d attack me with full force.
Fifteen years ago, she had her cute moments.
Now, with her newfound power, she just seems like a wild beast.
“I’m not planning on leaving. So are you going to kill me? Your fellow magician’s apprentice? I wonder if you two kiddos can handle it.”
“…ha.”
Ami let out a hollow laugh.
She fell for my pathetic provocation.
—Kuwuung!
In an instant, she created a scythe made of purple mana, charging at me.
Right beside her was Zagan, also wielding a scythe.
‘They actually plan to swing with all their might over such a trivial invasion. Is this how far apprentices have gone?’
I casually grasped the state of the current magician forces and began to manipulate my mana.
I was about to show these kids something entertaining.
Let’s hope they don’t get so shocked that their eyes pop out.
Kagakagak—!
Ami and Zagan collided with the black smoke I created.
They narrowed their eyes, trying to figure out what kind of weapon was clashing with them.
“A scythe…?”
“It looks the same?”
It’s laughable that you two dare to say something so absurd at your level.
As they were flustered, I cleared the fog for them to understand easily.
Then, without lowering my crescent-shaped grin, I said, “Unfortunately, with that level of power, you can’t handle this thing.”
Kagakagak—!
Amidst the swirling purple mana, Ami and Zagan saw a figure clad in purple full plate armor.
It was the one who once took Helion’s left arm and cornered Dortmund.
「Archbishop Ami’s Liberation Form」
The full power of the being that remained in my memory.
“It’ll be interesting to see how long you two can hold out.”
If I can’t use familiars, I can always make use of an archbishop.
There’s no need for me to step in directly.
My first unique spell, Dream of the Butterfly, had long since activated and was controlling the battlefield.
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