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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Where is this place?
The command tent within the encampment of the self-proclaimed “Margrave Levien’s Guard”, built on the outskirts of Ogwen.
Who am I?
Eldmia, who was squatting, got overwhelmed by the atmosphere and got dragged along by Lagnis’s forceful attitude, without being able to say a word.
No, this doesn’t make sense.
The image of Lagnis, the girl I knew, was completely gone, and she looked just like a noble herself. Does the early education of nobles start from the age of 1?
I couldn’t fathom how she had hidden such an atmosphere until now, to the point where I got completely intimidated.
The carriage escorted by the soldiers was to take Lagnis.
I trembled, thinking I might be kidnapped straight to the capital like this, being led by Lagnis, who got on the carriage as if just the suffocating greetings were needed.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
When I heard their story, they said they would stay in town for about 3 days, to receive supplies from the city and also receive a report on the previous kidnapping.
There were five people riding horses, but only two were accompanying us now. Sir Ekaf and Lagnis’s teacher.
In effect, these two were representing the guard. The others seemed to be adjutants.
They wanted to hear directly from Lagnis about the recent incident.
That meant not only Delt’s kidnapping incident, but the entire journey Lagnis had taken since the Margrave’s territory was destroyed.
Lagnis, who had spent time organizing the story while waiting for the guard expecting this, delivered the story very neatly and clearly, organizing the events.
Only after sorting it out like that did the conversation finally start to move on to personal topics.
“I never imagined the Margrave would be in Ogwen.”
I, who had been sitting like a borrowed rice sack for that long time, afraid to even go to the bathroom, was confused as to why I had to be there.
They continued talking among themselves as if they didn’t care about poor Eldmia at all.
In fact, even though Lagnis had told me in advance in the carriage that this would happen, and that it was an unavoidable etiquette when nobles and non-nobles had a conversation, it was indeed uncomfortable to be in a squatting position.
Ekaf Tzin Ogatorf, who was also one of the commanders of the Kingdom’s Knights, and the King’s 3rd Sword. He had a long-standing relationship with the previous Margrave Levian.
The previous Margrave was the first to warn of the changes in the Demon King’s army, and Ekaf was the one who properly considered and accepted the previous Margrave’s claims and raised their voices together.
Naturally, they had to visit each other frequently.
It might be embarrassing to say that it was thanks to that, but his and Lagnis’ relationship wasn’t at a light level where he could confidently step forward in this kind of situation.
“While recovering my body, I ended up coming here. Sir Ekaf also had a connection here 6 years ago, right?”
6 years ago was when our village was destroyed, so did he visit for an investigation?
When I actually recall, no one really came to the village, so he might have just stayed in Ogwen, received a report on the situation, and left.
Ekaf only acknowledged Lagnis’s words with a light nod, without saying much.
I wondered if she had touched on something uncomfortable, but Lagnis didn’t seem to mind at all and shifted the conversation to her teacher.
They were already all acquainted with each other, and since they were the main focus of this conversation, the story proceeded without any proper self-introduction.
Indeed, there was no place for me to intervene.
I missed Asirye so much it ached.
“I will repay the favor of my teacher helping his lacking disciple throughout my lifetime.”
“There’s no such thing in a master-disciple relationship.”
The old man with long white hair and beard was a true natural-born mage himself.
Instead of a pointed hat and robe, he wore sturdy-looking leather armor and a hooded cape, with several potion bottles, magic books, a one-handed sword, and a staff each on his belt, presenting a radical appearance.
It was indeed the kind of appearance you would expect from a mage fighting on the battlefield, but it was terrifying to see an old man whose face showed the passage of time maintaining a huge physique like a macho bodybuilder.
It seemed like sunglasses would suit him very well.
He was one of the few accomplished battle mages, exuding a combative atmosphere that should be taken as a testament to his survival, rather than his old age.
His presence was no joke, enough to make any decent guy lower their eyes immediately if they encountered him on the street, and his way of speaking was also extremely sensible.
“Even the kingdom’s law doesn’t distinguish us as outsiders. In the end, we’re like family, so how could I have acted and received a reward from you? Just think about succeeding the previous Margrave in the future.”
Although he seemed like someone who would value physical education more than theoretical education, I realized once again that people should not be judged by their appearance alone.
He was so enthusiastic about discovering and nurturing talented individuals, even going out of his way to do so.
Unlike the others, the old man started speaking while looking at me.
“Rather, I should repay the favor to the young man who helped you. I’m late with the introductions, but the nobility’s formalities are a bit like that, so please understand.
I am a mage called Radnelband Acrisan. Due to my extremely cumbersome name, I am called Rad, Lagnis’s magic teacher, and the owner of an insignificant bookstore.”
“I’m Eldmia Egga. You seem to quite like books”
“Huh? Ahahaha! That’s right. You’re a warrior.”
I was puzzled, thinking if it was the library I knew, and if it was a mage’s jargon since he confirmed me as a warrior, but Lagnis immediately added an explanation next to me.
“Mages call their personal research labs ‘bookstores’. The name of the Mages’ Association building is called the ‘Mage Library’.”
It seems that it’s not the structure of magic towers or whatever that I only saw in novels.
Still, the profession of mages revolves around books all the same. As I understood, Radnelband, who was laughing heartily, spoke as if he found it interesting.
“By the way… you must still be young, but it’s amazingly surprising. Will you also become an adult this year?”
“I still have 2 years left.”
“Oh my. 14 years old? Isn’t that the same age as your daughter, Ekaf?”
“…That’s right.”
Whether he was simply a man of few words or not, Ekaf answered briefly but started examining me closely as if his interest was piqued. Radnelband was the one who actually continued the conversation.
“Not only is it surprising that you killed that damn Delt, who deserved to be burned to death, with a single blow, but what the hell! Jumping from one wyvern to another with your bare body without any magical assistance?! Did you have the courage to do that while seeing the clouds and the tiny scenery unfolding below your feet?”
“It was so high that there was actually leeway until falling, so I just thought the wyvern pilot would be able to help.”
“Hahaha! No matter how I look at it, it seems the Imperial Holy Council chose the wrong hero!”
Even his laughter sounded like a barbarian warrior rather than a mage. Are all mages in this world actually like that? I couldn’t know since I had never met a mage directly except for Asirye and a visitor I briefly saw when I was young.
“Of course, that’s also surprising, but we can’t easily overlook the fact that you killed the 4 underlings Delt brought along.
According to him, they had the skills to pass the knight’s test. Did you already awaken your aura at that age?”
“No. I was just lucky. It’s embarrassing to call it skill, since I relied on luck from the beginning to theend.”
Aura users can recognize other aura users. Lagnis also knew that fact, so she showed a very puzzled reaction whenever I told such a lie, but when Ekaf didn’t say anything, she remained silent, looking even more puzzled.
“You’re humble. But your trained body is also extraordinarily exceptional. Who did you learn from?”
“I have an elven adventurer I met when I was young as my teacher.”
“An elf? I absolutely don’t mean to disparage elves, but I’ve never seen a muscular elf like you.”
“Physical training, well, it just happened.”
“Oh my. If the knights find out that there’s a body that can become like that just by chance, they’ll all wail in sorrow.”
I don’t know if it’s because he’s not a noble or if that’s just his personality, but he speaks bluntly even with a person who is the commander of a knights’ division right next to him.
And as if such blunt words and actions were familiar, Ekaf, who was pondering without minding at all, threw a question at me.
“I have no choice but to agree with Sir Radnelband’s words. Since when did you start training?”
“I started at the age of 8 and have been consistently doing it as much as i can without it hindering my growth.”
“8 years old? Are you from a knight’s family?”
Just as I was about to answer indifferently, thinking it was a thought that could be sufficiently made, Lagnis grabbed my hand and put the brakes on.
Wondering what was going on, I looked at her, and she answered instead after making eye contact with me with a rather serious expression.
“He is the sole survivor of the Demon King’s army’s attack 6 years ago. He has been training for revenge on behalf of his deceased parents and villagers.”
“What?!”
“There was a survivor…?”
Unlike Radnelband, who was shocked and surprised, Ekaf only showed a reaction of widening his eyes, and looked at me with a strange expression.
“…The ruined shrine.”
“Pardon?”
“The two graves made next to the collapsed shrine. The corpses of the thieves. Five? No, was it six?”
I got serious goosebumps. Is this guy a shaman, and not a knight?
Quite perplexed, Radnelband and my gazes poured onto Ekaf, but he only muttered in disbelief.
“That was you…? No, how could an 8-year-old child do that?”
Oh my gosh. The story he mentioned earlier about coming to Ogwen 6 years ago was actually a direct reconnaissance of our destroyed village?
When I turned my head to look at Lagnis, her expression remained unchanged. She had already expected it.
She just silently squeezed my hand she was holding with a little more force.
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