Chapter 125
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 125
At the sudden, nonsensical declaration, Lucian’s party turned their gazes toward Gunstein.
Seeing their questioning looks, wondering if he knew anything about this, Gunstein shook his head frantically.
“I—I don’t know what’s going on either.”
“You really have no idea?”
“If I did, I would have told you immediately. A king? What on earth…?”
His bewildered expression was one of genuine confusion.
While everyone stood frozen, unsure of what to make of the situation, the villagers began to drop to their knees one by one.
“O—O King…”
“Our King…”
The worship directed at Lucian spread like a wave.
Once the atmosphere took hold, even those who hadn't uttered the word "king" began to bow their heads.
Just as the entire village was about to prostrate themselves before Lucian—
“Stop this at once!”
A roar filled with fury erupted from the inner part of the village.
At that voice, the villagers who were in the middle of bowing stopped in an awkward, half-crouched position.
Turning their heads, they saw a middle-aged warrior glaring at them, his face flushed with rage.
“Who are you calling a king?! Stand up! How can those who carry the Dragon’s blood submit to a stranger they’ve never seen before?!”
“B-but the prophecy…”
“Shut up! Prophecy, my foot! If you utter such nonsense again, I’ll split your head open first!”
The man who had just opened his mouth flinched at the warrior’s threat.
The other villagers also began to slink back to their feet, casting wary glances at the warrior.
Now that the mood was broken, the warrior glared at Lucian as if he wanted to kill him.
“Outlander, you have trespassed upon our land. According to our law, those who intrude upon our territory are made into slaves. You shall serve until the day you die, regretting the moment you ever set foot here!”
“Shut your mouth! What kind of bullshit is that?!”
It was Gunstein who stepped forward to refute the warrior’s claim.
His face red with anger, Gunstein pointed a finger accusingly.
“Can you not see the clothes my Lord is wearing?! He is the one who defeated me! According to tradition, you must treat him with the same respect as the son of a Chieftain!”
“There are sons, and then there are sons! There is no need to give great treatment to someone like you!”
“Wh-what?!”
“I am giving this outlander the treatment you should have received in the first place! Now move! You have lost your status, so you have no right to interfere in this matter!”
“You bastard!”
Gunstein’s eyes flipped at the insult that had gone far beyond the line.
Snatching a subordinate’s axe to replace his own broken one, Gunstein was about to lung at the warrior when—
“Enough.”
Thump!
“Urgh!”
“Gah!”
Along with a short but powerful voice, an immense pressure weighed down on the shoulders of both Gunstein and the warrior.
Feeling as if a boulder were crushing their bodies, the two were forced to their knees on the spot.
As they gasped for air, unable to speak, the sound of someone clicking their tongue reached their ears.
“Tsk, tsk. It’s fine to be full of vigor, but to jump straight to bloodshed…”
““Master!!””
Colin and Helen shouted simultaneously upon seeing the elderly man who had appeared.
Lucian looked at the old man walking toward them, leaning on a long staff.
Judging by his small frame, it was clear he was not a native of this land but born in the Empire.
“Gah! What is the meaning of this, Guide?!”
The warrior, barely catching his breath under the pressure, shouted in protest.
The old man didn't answer; he simply tapped his staff on the ground.
The pressure seemed to intensify, slamming the warrior’s body face-first into the dirt.
“Just because you shout first doesn't mean you win. Why do you blame me while ignoring your own faults? If you’re bad at playing politics, don’t do it at all.”
“The… the consequences… how will you handle the consequences?!”
“I’ll take care of my own consequences. So don’t worry about me and keep worrying about yours.”
“Ack!”
The warrior pinned to the ground let out a short scream and went limp.
It seemed he had fainted, unable to withstand the pressure.
Only then did the old man lift the pressure crushing Gunstein and the warrior.
Watching this, Lucian was inwardly impressed.
‘Amazing. He’s reached the pinnacle, though in a different direction than Sir Eisen.’
A knight who has reached the ultimate heights of swordsmanship possesses a presence as massive as a mountain despite being human.
However, the old man before him was the exact opposite.
His presence was faint, as if he weren't a single individual but a natural phenomenon integrated with the world.
Even while looking at him, it felt as natural and expected as facing the earth or the wind.
“The prophecy has been fulfilled.”
Having calmed the commotion, the old man spoke in a tone far heavier than before.
Then, ignoring even his two disciples whom he hadn't seen in a long time, he fixed his gaze on Lucian.
“A monarch from a foreign land shall come from beyond the snowfields. In the year the sun changes, he shall gain the right to challenge the heavens; he is our King, who shall conquer all in this land and lead us on the path of glory and peace.”
Finishing his speech, the old man bowed deeply and laid his staff down before Lucian.
Then, raising his hands in a gesture of worship, he shouted for all to hear.
“Marius, the old Guide, greets the King!”
*
Marius, the master of Helen and Colin, led Lucian’s party to his home.
It was exceptionally spacious compared to the other houses, with enough room for the entire group to fit comfortably.
“I am about to have an audience with the King, so let no one approach.”
At Marius’s solemn command, the villagers didn't dare raise an objection.
After checking the surroundings, Marius closed the door and knelt before Lucian.
“Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Marius, the master of those clumsy fools and the Guide of this tribe. O King, if you have any questions, please ask anything.”
“M-Master.”
The two disciples were deeply bewildered by their master’s unprecedented behavior.
However, Marius continued to act as if his disciples weren't even there.
Lucian stared at the bizarre scene for a moment before speaking.
“Old man.”
“Yes, O King.”
“Let’s stop this.”
“Pardon?”
“There is no real respect in your eyes. No matter how much you fix your posture or dress up your words, if there’s no sincerity, it’s bound to show.”
“…”
“Didn’t you say it yourself earlier? If you’re bad at playing politics, don’t do it at all. That’s exactly what I want to say to you right now.”
Marius blinked at Lucian’s words.
He looked shocked, or perhaps unsure of how to respond.
After a long silence, a bitter smile formed on Marius’s lips.
“Was my acting that terrible?”
“It was good enough to fool someone who isn't cunning. But I am a very cunning man. You won't deceive me with that level of performance.”
Lucian burst into laughter at Marius’s suddenly informal tone.
It was the attitude of someone who felt they could finally have a real conversation.
Seeing that Lucian wasn't surprised at all, Marius shook his head in defeat.
“Scary, truly scary. This is the first time in my life someone has seen through my inner thoughts so easily.”
“I guarantee you there are plenty of others who could have seen through it besides me. You’ve just only met easy opponents, which led you to believe your acting skills were superior.”
“You’re quite skilled at digging into people’s wounds as well. If you dig any deeper, I might die of shame, so let’s stop there.”
“If you wish.”
The subordinates listening to the conversation were dumbfounded.
The sudden change in attitude was surprising enough, but Lucian didn't seem to mind it at all.
To an outsider, it would have sounded like two old friends reuniting after a long time.
However, the warm atmosphere was short-lived.
“Now, let’s get to the point.”
Lucian stared at Marius, the laughter gone from his face.
Marius nodded, his eyes turning serious in response.
“Very well. What do you wish to know?”
“First, tell me what you can give me.”
“It is as you heard from Helen. The opportunity to use the people living here as an army, and the treasure known as the Dragon’s Heart.”
“And what do you want from me in return?”
“Rebuild the Magic Tower.”
The air froze at the mention of the Magic Tower.
It was the organization that almost every mage in the Empire belonged to before the rebellion 300 years ago.
The center of all magical research and the training of successors, as well as the focal point of the rebellion.
Marius had uttered that cursed name—a name even the Emperor had never mentioned to Lucian.
Lucian looked Marius straight in the eye and spoke.
“Do you realize what you are saying right now?”
“I know I am making a proposal that is absolutely unacceptable by the standards of the Empire.”
“And yet you dare to speak it aloud.”
“It is my lifelong ambition. A dream that was once frustrated. Now that I don't have many days left to live, it’s closer to an obsession. I cannot give it up, even if I try.”
“Even if the result is that you fail to achieve even the wishes you could have fulfilled, let alone your ambition?”
“If one could weigh the possibilities and make a cold, rational judgment, it wouldn't be an obsession in the first place.”
“Master!”
Unable to take it any longer, Colin cut into the conversation.
Having been sidelined this whole time while they spoke in riddles, his pent-up frustration seemed to explode.
“What on earth are you thinking?! You kept it a secret from me and used Helen to draw His Grace in, and now the Magic Tower?! I finally became a mage and—ack!”
Whack!
“You brat, I’m not deaf! And where did you learn your manners, interrupting a conversation between your master and his Lord?!”
“Is this the time to worry about manners—ack, ga-ack?!”
Colin, who had been venting his frustration, staggered after being struck by Marius’s staff.
Despite his master’s rebuke, Colin tried to rush in again, but he couldn't withstand the continuous barrage of the staff.
By the time a large lump had formed on Colin’s head, Lucian, who had been watching silently, raised his hand.
“That’s enough. Give me a proper explanation. I’m curious about your circumstances as well, not just Colin.”
“Tsk, I suppose I have no choice.”
Only then was Colin able to escape the baptism of the staff.
But even as he clutched his swollen head, his eyes were filled with a sense of injustice.
Marius sighed at his disciple’s gaze and spoke.
“Don’t be so upset, boy. I didn't tell Helen everything either.”
“What?”
“This is the first time Helen is hearing about the Magic Tower as well. If you don't believe me, look behind you.”
When Colin turned his head in the direction Marius pointed, he saw Helen, her face pale, clutching her sleeves tightly.
One could tell just by her complexion how shocked she was by the mention of the Magic Tower.
After confirming that his disciple’s resistance had subsided, Marius turned back to Lucian.
“So, where would you like to start?”
“From where your obsession began.”
“From the very beginning, then. Well, I suppose that’s fine.”
Nodding lightly, Marius began his story.
“The beginning was nothing special. I was born as the child of a dirt-poor farmer in a small village, met my master, became fascinated by magic, and became his disciple. By the time I had learned enough to stand on my own as a mage, the Imperial Family caught wind of my master.”
The Imperial pursuers were relentless.
Not only did they kill his master, but they also sought to discover Marius’s existence and eliminate him as well.
Marius did his best to lose the pursuers, but they never gave up and continued to follow him.
“I kept heading down to escape them and reached the edge of the North. But those persistent bastards followed me even there. Just when I thought everything was over, an ancient legacy appeared before me.”
“An ancient legacy?”
At Lucian’s question, Marius grinned.
“An artifact.”