Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Fly with Her!
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"Ow, my aching body."
Thanks to the divine purification I'd scattered once, the sea monsters didn't reappear.
After recharging my mana with mana breathing, I headed out for continuous Madir hunts.
Before I knew it, the sun had set, and leaving the mana behind, my stamina was depleted.
Splash.
As soon as I arrived on the beach with the last school of ten tuna I'd caught, I collapsed.
'I'm dying. I couldn't do it even if you killed me.'
I couldn't even remember how many I'd caught.
The villagers' cheers welcomed me like a heroic general as I unleashed countless spells.
Inversely proportional to those cheers, my mana and stamina gradually drained away, and the hundred or so magic freezers Zamer brought were steadily loaded onto wagons.
"What a shame. If only we'd caught a bit more..."
'Hah! Look at this guy.'
They say human greed knows no bounds, and Zamer was exactly that.
He wasn't worried about me collapsed from hard labor; he was regretting the tuna schools still swimming vigorously out at sea.
And well he might, since every time I moved, it meant scooping up guaranteed money.
Even I'd want to keep the machine(?) running nonstop.
'No Peckas? Screw you!'
In this moment when even breathing was a struggle.
The sun, biting into a red pomegranate, sank into the sea with its beak full, and my sweat-soaked body was enveloped in a pleasant fatigue.
"Recovery."
Then, from behind me came Armis's soft, beautiful voice.
Rustle.
'Whoa!'
A cool energy, soft as fine sand, wrapped around my entire body like gently falling snowflakes.
My body, too weary to even turn my head, suddenly surged with vitality.
'It's like a hit!'
This was the ultimate fatigue recovery drug, the one they call a narcotic.
My whole body overflowed with energy, enough for night hunts.
"You've worked hard."
It wasn't even for Armis, but her sincere words of thanks melted away the stress built up in my mind.
'So this is the power of a priestess.'
With just one well-trained priestess, I'd want for nothing in the world.
No matter how hard I played, one recovery treatment and I'd be good as new.
Not even a million-dollar Energizer Bunny would scare me.
"You seem like someone who lives diligently, Kaiyer. As if today weren't enough, tomorrow might never come."
The top-grade Madir were set aside as merchandise, but the rest went to the villagers, turning the beach into a war zone.
Fish or Madir, dried in the sun—they were the ultimate food source, so the long-starved villagers eagerly gathered the meat.
Armis spoke about me from behind as I watched the villagers.
'Me?'
She'd missed the mark by a mile.
The reason I'd sweated buckets today wasn't because tomorrow might not come—it was to get it all over with in one go.
It was something that had to be done eventually.
My motto: do it thoroughly when doing it, play thoroughly when playing.
How could anyone live at full throttle until they die?
"I'm impressed. To know the will of the gods so well, even better than the priests... You truly are the messenger of the divine proclamation."
'What the heck? That's not it...'
Me, a messenger of the gods? No way.
I'd just whined a bit because I knew a lot about 21st-century religion and it landed well.
"All is the image in the heart... I will never forget those words, Kaiyer."
Armis's gentle, pleasant voice.
My fatigue was gone thanks to divine power, but suddenly drowsiness washed over me.
It felt like the kind-hearted girl next door was singing me a lullaby.
'Master Wonhyo, you sly fox!'
As if I had the chops to utter such wisdom.
'Sleepy. I want to crash hard.'
With the sun long set behind us, the stars in the sky began twinkling one by one.
Somehow, I had a feeling tonight would be unforgettable.
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"Come on, everyone! Eat your fill!"
"Heh heh heh! Never dreamed I'd live to see such a joyous day."
"Our brother Kaiyer is the guy I respect most in this world! You punks call him 'Panty Pervert Bro' from now on, and you're dead meat?"
'That little punk!'
Deron, who flipped my stomach every time I let my guard down.
Over scattered bonfires, Madir—something only nobles could taste—and pork skewers spun round and round like on a dragon train. Thanks to Zamer bringing plenty of the beer I'd ordered, the villagers, mercenaries, and merchants alike threw a raucous feast, eating and drinking to their hearts' content.
"Whoa, never imagined I'd live to stuff myself silly with Madir."
"Eat! Eat! Stuff yourself! Who knows when we'll see a day like this again!"
Even excluding the top-grade ones, there were dozens of Madir.
The hundred-plus magic freezers Zamer brought were stuffed full, forcing this massive Madir party.
'With chives... soy sauce, red pepper paste... Ugh, sushi...'
The dripping grilled tuna was decent, but what suited my tastes were sashimi and sushi.
Gulp gulp.
To soothe my regrets, the cool beer paired with nutrient-packed grilled tuna—D.H.A. and all.
Tears-of-joy deliciousness was made for times like this.
"Kaiyer, thanks to you, it's been ages since I stuffed myself with Madir. Truly grateful."
Zamer approached, his face unusually flushed, with thanks.
'If you're grateful, pay me. You shitty captain who drove me till evening! Hmph!'
No matter how profitable, I couldn't forget Zamer's villainous prodding, eyes rolled back like a greedy shipmaster.
"Kaiyer, you seem to have a special power. Some charm that makes everyone around you happy."
Not quite respect, but a look deeming me useful.
I didn't mind the gaze.
"But shouldn't we settle accounts now?"
'Heh heh, how much did we make today?'
We'd agreed on 50 gold per top-grade specimen.
Roughly over 100 top-grade tuna.
At least 5,000 gold for half a day's work.
"You and I were both lucky. The Sephir Festival moon, uncatchable Madir, a market defying supply and demand—such fortune is rare."
Zamer spouted nonsense instead of calculating.
"If more wizards had your flexibility, Madir hunting wouldn't be so tough... But once they hit 4th Circle, they puff up their chests and refuse lowly or dangerous jobs..."
Zamer sighed, a mix of regret and anger.
I'd heard 4th Circle wizards could join royal or territorial courts for a life of luxury.
'I wouldn't do it either.'
Madir hunting was a 3D job risking life and limb.
A 5th Circle might catch them easily, but would they stoop to fishing?
Wizards were like top-tier pros in Korea—money and honor beyond 'S' rankers. They wouldn't chase smelly fish.
Plus, the sea had monsters even 5th Circle wizards feared.
"Would you, Zamer, fish if you were 4th Circle?"
"Well... no, I wouldn't. Who becomes a wizard to fish? And if the Magic Tower knew you did it for money, they'd erase your name from the tower."
'See? Everyone's the same.'
If I hate it, others do too.
Of course, some selfless saints or oddballs might lead by example.
"Kaiyer, which Magic Tower are you from? At your age, reaching 4th Circle would make you famous across the continent..."
Zamer eyed me suspiciously.
'You'd only get hurt knowing, buddy.'
"I'm on a secret mission."
Telling him I'm from another world would just make me look crazy.
"Total: 106 top-grade at 5,300 gold. Your requested items: 752 gold. Paying you the remainder: 4,548 gold."
'Heh heh, 4,548 gold!'
He nodded at my secret mission excuse and rattled off the figures.
About 5,000 gold coins in my head.
An insane amount for the effort.
"Zamer, could I buy a territory?"
"Territory? You said territory?"
"Yeah. Big enough to ride a horse 3-4 days across."
"You're... nobility?"
Zamer asked cautiously.
"Nope. I don't raise that stuff."
"Urgh, but territory...?"
Zamer looked baffled.
'Just like in fantasy novels—need a noble title for land ownership.'
I knew, but needed confirmation.
"It's not impossible for you, I suppose. Reach 5th Circle, and even minor kingdoms grant baronies. But... title-only nobles differ from hereditary ones with land. Land is finite; even kings or emperors can't reassign it freely. Only for treason or long-term tax evasion."
'Whoa, wizards hit the jackpot!'
"Of course, some nobles sell land for taxes or debts... Even a small barony like Wangugui runs 3-5 million gold."
"Not bad."
"Not... bad?"
Zamer's eyes bulged at my casual reply.
'Son of man Kang Hyuk doesn't flinch at pocket change.'
Crown Prince Kang Hyuk, who'd maxed out unlimited cards on Earth.
3-5 million? Didn't register.
"Anyway, Zamer, a favor."
"A favor?"
Zamer couldn't keep up with my whims.
"You know the situation, but no village near here matches Luna Village's potential. Madir appear seasonally, Sharip and Ludi mushrooms abound in the mountains, honest folk—if developed right, it'd hugely benefit Rubis Merchant Group, no?"
"True. I've never seen a spot like Luna Village. But... too close to Zar Mountains. And the magic beasts..."
'Magic beasts? That weakling?'
The magic beast hide from the cliff cave, now perfectly dried.
Zamer feared it.
"They're cunning. Avoid crowds or experts, but drain the weak dry. Maintaining a village amid them..."
Zamer weighed opportunity costs like a merchant.
I got it.
But I had to lay Luna Village's foundation for prosperity.
My life-debt demanded more.
"How much to protect this village safely for 5 years?"
"Five years... Two 1st-grade mercenaries with Aura Blade, at least twenty 2nd-grades, rebuild defenses, restore to former merchant hub scale... Minimum 10,000 gold."
'10,000 gold? Steep.'
"And that's excluding temple or lord taxes."
Zamer seemed honest.
'Even expanding a village costs a fortune—not a city.'
His quick grasp of unexpected costs impressed me.
Beyond useful.
'Short on cash. Then...'
As a known wizard, I couldn't linger.
Even now, villagers eyed me warily.
If word reached the lord's castle, headaches galore.
"Zamer, do you buy magic beast hides?"
"Ma-magic beast hide? Of course! Hides are top priority—merchants bring jewels to snag them."
'Heh heh, good I dried it.'
"Y-you don't mean you have one?"
Zamer gawked, heedless of surroundings.
"About 3 meters, golden stripes on body, leopard face, fist-sized fangs—what's it called?"
"Ta-Tabeliger! Rarest hide among magic beasts!"
"And nearly flawless—what's a clean one worth?"
I teased without confirming ownership.
'Jewels to buy? Heh heh.'
My brain whirred.
"3 million gold easy!"
'Gasp! 30,000!'
The Tabeliger—easy catch like finding a gold ring digging where a mutt buried a bone.
Now worth a fortune.
'Ditch everything, become a beast hunter?'
Master's homeland, Kaliyan Continent: instant riches everywhere.
Eldorado for the skilled.
"N-no way, you..."
Zamer gulped, eyes gleaming villainously like when playing evil captain.
"50,000. I risked my life—30k's a joke."
'Gah! It's real! Oh gods! A Tabeliger hide!"
Zamer rejoiced more than for Madir.
'What? Could've asked more?'
His prayerful gratitude screamed I'd lowballed.
"50,000! Deal. I'll buy the Tabeliger hide for 50k."
'Oof, he would've paid 100k.'
Truth dawned quick.
"I'll hold 40,000. But protect this village 10 years, restore—no, make it bigger than before."
"...Young man, impressive. 40k could sustain generations."
Maybe.
But my dreams were grander.
"I'll fetch it now."
Secure ownership to avoid issues.
'Now my conscience is clear.'
Repay favors to feel right.
Especially irreplaceable life-debts.
'Grind! Master!!'
Of course, resentment toward Master for this mutt-training piled deeper.
Filthy bastard—hit 8th Circle, return to Earth, burn his tower to ash. Vowed it.
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'Ah, Armis.'
Treating sick villagers and playing with kids, yet here she was on my playground cliff—fearless priestess.
I'd climbed for night sea air to sober up; she stood gazing at the sea.
Stars thick as dew swam with the moon in the night sea, her holy aura fluttering white robes and long hair.
My quiet heart suddenly raced like prepping for a sprint.
'Mysterious.'
Her sublime beauty drew the soul; my chest warmed.
"How to explain the life force God grants? This scene of stars, moon, sea, all living things—what to call it?"
'Whoa, asking me?'
After my "image in the heart" line, she saw me as a philosopher, tossing metaphysics.
"Beautiful is beautiful, ugly is ugly. The problem is fussing distinctions or dwelling on ugliness."
"Beautiful is beautiful, ugly is ugly... Ah, yes."
'Sorry, Master Seongcheol.'
Paraphrased "Mountains are mountains, water is water."
Beautiful woman asks; man who can't answer flunked kindergarten.
As the book said: everything's "I learned in kindergarten."
"It's beautiful... The sky, sea, everything in my eyes... And you, Kaiyer..."
'Cough!'
Turning from sea, she naturally called me beautiful too.
'Sh-she hitting on me? Is she?'
Ambiguous situation, unsure how to read.
Men chase ten beauties, but a forward woman—especially a nun-like priestess of God, starry eyes calling a man beautiful—baffled me.
"I heard from the people. A wizard hiding power, risking danger for struggling villagers. This girl, servant of the Goddess of Mercy, offers utmost respect for such noble sacrifice."
Beauty, now respect hit my ears.
"N-no, that's not..."
Gilding my face outright flustered me.
I knew my good deeds, but not this much.
And it wasn't free—it was life-debt repayment.
"Till God's grace ends and I cross Lethe to the afterlife, I, Armis, swear by God: I'll grant any request of yours. Anything at all."
'A-anything... Anything...'
Her sudden oath echoed.
Gulp. Dry swallow.
Legendary goddess-beauty Armis granting any wish.
17-year-old boy full of dreams and curiosity—what would he imagine?
'Ugh, just hole up here?'
Parents, friends, Ye-rin on Earth tugged slightly, but no guarantee of such beauty lifelong.
Here, skill meant easy living.
Heart conflicted.
'No. She's a holy priestess.'
Wandered dilemma, but Armis was God's servant.
'World's vast, women plentiful!'
Legal minor, ID pending.
For bigger dreams, shelved regrets.
"I'll gratefully accept the sentiment."
She'd sworn to God anyway.
Bowing slightly, feigning grace.
"I thank you."
Armis bowed in thanks too.
'Ah! This scent...'
Fresh, breezy on night wind—unforgettable addiction.
Autumn, yet spring flowers enveloped.
Live with her, no air freshener ever needed.
"But why this dangerous spot...?"
"Suddenly craved the sea. Night sea from high cliffs, not low. Hehe, hard to believe, but my childhood dream was Sky Knight."
'Sky Knight? What's that?'
"Knights soaring skies on wyverns. Wanted to fly one such night..."
'Wyvern-riding aerial knight! Gasp! Real wyverns? Rideable?'
Never heard from Master or villagers.
Saintess Armis wouldn't lie.
Gave up dream for priesthood, reason unknown.
God's servant, yet human desires shone now.
"Wanna fly?"
Slipped out unthinking.
"Yes. Desperately..."
She nodded, gazing at shattering sea-sky.
"Then I'll make that dream real, if briefly."
"..."
Her brown eyes turned, locking mine.
I extended hand.
Lashes fluttered; cheeks flushed slow.
My hand gently took her warm one.
"Pardon me."
Like cradling fine porcelain, arm around waist.
"Ah...!"
Soft gasp as she nestled in.
'So slender.'
Ant-waist evoked; plenty arm space.
Thump thump.
My heart raced.
Hers matched mine's frenzy.
"Fly!"
Memorized Fly spell.
Whole day flying should've bored me, yet chant flowed natural.
Shhh.
"M-my body's floating!"
Gentle as Levitation, lest spook the doe in arms.
Armis cried out at levitating self.
Cling.
Slim arms clamped my neck in fear.
'Hngh!'
Unconscious links of moments.
Elastic feel of waist in arm snapped me alert.
'M-Mommy!!'
Mother cried inwardly.
"Beautiful... This moment..."
Carefully flying cliffside, now over crashing waves devouring sky.
Armis whispered beauty like rustling leaves in my ear.
'You're more beautiful.'
Inner ripple.
Arm tighter around her.
And thought:
Good I became a wizard...