Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Let's Have a Drink
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After finishing his conversation with Dylan, he returned to the plaza.
“Regin!”
The first to greet Regin was none other than Manannan.
Next to the guy, empty beer mugs were stacked like a tower.
And seeing his flushed face, it was clear he had knocked back quite a few in a short time.
“You’re enjoying yourself properly.”
“……Heh heh. Does this even count as enjoying myself?”
Gulp.
Manannan poured the remaining beer into his mouth. A bitter smile hung on his lips.
“Master went off to talk with someone for a bit…… Hah, seriously. What was that atmosphere earlier?”
“What atmosphere?”
“The mood got weird with the marquis all of a sudden. I asked Master, and…… he just said it was a dangerous topic.”
Manannan seemed to have grasped the vibe somewhat, as he scanned the surroundings before speaking in a low voice.
“What the hell happened? What’s this about back alleys……?”
“Hard to talk about here. I’ll tell you later.”
“That serious?”
“Probably?”
Manannan stared at Regin intently. After a moment’s thought, he blurted out.
“Are you getting arrested?”
“What?”
“No, like, they suddenly dragged you to the town hall…….”
“It’s not like that at all, obviously. There’s just something that needs reporting to the kingdom.”
“Tsk. Really?”
“I’m telling you.”
He almost burst out laughing at how seriously the guy was asking.
He looked just like someone whose friend was about to get thrown in jail.
Of course, it wasn’t like he was going to jail or anything. No chance of getting arrested.
“Think of it like the Lycansrope incident. You wouldn’t know, but I had to go in for extra questioning after that.”
“Oh, I heard about that. Before entering the tower, you talked to the investigation teams and all.”
“Yeah. If you’d been outside back then, you’d have gotten questioned and given testimony too.”
“Nothing to really worry about, then?”
“Yeah.”
Only then did the guy let out a sigh of relief and nod.
“Phew, good. I was wondering how I’d even visit you in prison if you got locked up.”
“Jeez.”
“Anyway, you’re something else. The Lycansrope thing, and every exploration…… weird stuff keeps happening to you.”
“……Yeah, I find it weird too.”
DAT was a game where different incidents popped up each playthrough.
But cases where things got this dynamic usually weren’t that common.
Especially not for Regin, who had it optimized.
‘Two possibilities.’
In such cases, there were two endings.
Either you couldn’t handle the incidents, died, and the game ended.
Or you reached stages you’d never seen before.
‘The playthrough where I saw the ending had a ton of incidents too. That’s why it was hard to play as optimized.’
Not wasting a single save right was considered miraculous for that run.
In a way, as many things were happening now as back then.
“You never know.”
“Hm?”
Manannan lightly tossed out the words as he looked at Regin.
“A mage with many trials ends up mastering great magic.”
“Huh?”
“I saw it in Master’s study recently…… There’s a saying that mages with lots of trials awaken to great magic in the end.”
“Isn’t that from the intro of some mage’s exploration record?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re just reading that now?”
Manannan nodded proudly.
The guy’s character consistency was spot on.
He never studied unless it was assigned, building his magic through experience—that was Manannan.
‘Not the studious type. But he has a high chance of reaching the final phase…… so maybe he’s got talent.’
Even so, laughing at him finally reading something Nuada had left out was inevitable.
It had some pretty useful info too.
“This much doesn’t count as trials. We’re still a long way off.”
At that moment, Nuada’s voice came from behind.
“Master.”
“Yeah. Did you have a good talk?”
Regin’s gaze went not elsewhere, but to the beer in his hand.
The mug was about half empty.
He wasn’t one to enjoy alcohol much normally. Even in the game, he only drank for one reason.
‘When his disciples messed up.’
Despite his curt words, Regin immediately caught on that he was worried.
“The talk wrapped up well. Might need to head to the capital soon, though.”
Regin fiddled with the receiver in his pocket.
A magic tool made from processed mana stones, it could receive call signals.
‘Mostly one-use, so useless in explorations.’
But handy when in the kingdom.
“Yeah. Don’t get tense just because it’s the capital. Do as Sir Dylan said.”
“Did you just meet Marquis Dylan?”
“I talked briefly with Dylan coming out of the town hall. What…… it’s not for you all to worry about.”
“Oh.”
Regin nodded unconsciously.
Right then, he figured they must have exchanged stories about what just happened.
‘……Wait.’
Only then did the half-empty beer mug catch his eye again.
He definitely drank when one of his disciples had a problem.
‘Not me?’
Regin had just met the back alley group, nothing more—no wrongdoing.
Hard to call it a problem situation.
‘Not me…… then Ferma Vinishis.’
Nuada had another disciple.
Once his student, later a wanderer lurking in the plaza’s corners.
Now, Ferma Vinishis, a Class 3 criminal on the verge of execution.
“Give me a moment. Need to check on someone else.”
Regin quickly scanned the surroundings.
He needed solid info.
‘Find Jack and use Link Eye on whoever overheard that talk…… get the info.’
Honestly, he was a bit anxious.
Ferma Vinishis might already have been executed.
* * *
“You were here.”
“Regin Petrichio. All your busy stuff done? Taking your time to find me.”
“Had to help Master a bit. Sorry for not saying ahead.”
“……Huh?”
Jack, sipping booze in the corner, flinched and looked at Regin.
Jack had come dressed neatly, as Regin requested last time.
Even so, he’d been a little miffed that Regin hadn’t sought him out……
“You apologizing so straightforwardly feels off.”
“Wrong is wrong.”
“You’re not usually like this…… Anyway, spit out what you want quick. You’re making me nervous.”
“Got it. Straight to the point, then.”
Regin nodded and said.
“Can you do Link Eye on Master Nuada?”
“Pfft! You serious?”
His worry had come true.
Jack jumped up and shook his head.
“You think Nuada doesn’t know my Link Eye?! He’d burn me the second he catches on.”
“He’s not that prickly.”
“You say that ‘cause you’re his disciple. He hates tricks most.”
“No choice, then. Someone else.”
“Yeah. Anyone but Nuada. I can link and pull info somehow…….”
“Marquis Dylan. Possible?”
“Goddamn it.”
Jack scowled hard at Regin.
“If I did something wrong, just say it!”
“Nothing like that.”
“Those two are no-go. Hard to even approach, and they won’t leave me be.”
“I need someone who at least heard their talk.”
“……Ugh. What about the knights? Nearby knights might’ve heard.”
“Hm.”
Regin nodded.
If it was news of Ferma’s death, they probably didn’t use Silence magic.
So the knights’ ears would’ve caught it too.
“Good. Knights it is.”
“Should’ve said that first.”
“You can do it? Festival or not, knights are on duty—hard to approach.”
“You know that and still mentioned Nuada and the marquis?”
“Might as well go big if we’re doing it.”
“Fine. Anyone but those two, I’ll find a gap somehow.”
Jack’s eyes quickly swept the surroundings.
“Inducing carelessness is key. Then yank thoughts fast with Link Eye.”
“I’ll trust you.”
“Let’s see, someone suitable among these…….”
He was checking which knight fit best.
Two knights passed by, their gazes lingering on Regin, caught in Jack’s eyes.
“Looks like they’re interested in you.”
“……What, should I go talk to them?”
“Why not? Not in a position to pick hot or cold water, are you?”
“True.”
“I saw you chatting with Dylan earlier. Knights watching that…… might be interested.”
Regin nodded and looked at the two knights.
One woman, one man, seeming to move together.
“Go buy ‘em drinks first, feel it out. They might let their guard down.”
“Got it. I’ll go talk to that one…….”
Hitting on a total stranger woman to induce carelessness.
Not easy, but necessary—he was about to move.
“Ah, to avoid misunderstanding, not the woman. She doesn’t seem that into you.”
“……Pardon?”
“Sure, you’ve got a good face. But thinking she’d be interested just from looks is a mistake.”
“You know women well?”
“Gotta talk to men and women alike in this line. Anyway, from the eyes alone.”
Jack pointed to the man and continued.
“That guy seems interested in you. Go chat.”
“…….”
“Puhaha, why the stiff face?”
Jack chuckled and went on.
“Knights who admire magic are a thing. Especially someone like you, rising fast enough to meet the marquis…… a guy could be jealous.”
“Ah, yeah, I get that.”
Regin finally nodded and started walking.
Like a junior from another department he’d run into by chance—time to talk.
* * *
“I actually wanted to study magic at first.”
He exchanged words with the male knight in a corner of the festival.
After introductions and chit-chat, the guy started opening up more than expected.
“But my innate mana was low. Tsk, not something elixirs could fix.”
“So you became a knight?”
“My body was sturdy at least. Knights use mana, but not as body-dependent as mages.”
“Right.”
The male knight gave a wry smile and continued.
“But once I became a knight, there are so many standouts. I made it to trainee somehow, but can’t keep up…….”
“Makes you think of magic again, huh.”
“Yeah, sometimes. ……Honestly, I’m jealous. Keuh, disciple of Sage Nuada. Must be born with that magic talent too.”
“Hm.”
“Ah, not ignoring your efforts, of course.”
“Haha, I know. Effort aside, innate stuff differs.”
As the knight scratched his head, Regin tossed out.
“Come find me anytime. I can share what I know. Experiences as a mage, I can lay ‘em out.”
“That okay?”
Regin naturally lifted his beer mug.
The knight glanced at others, then hesitantly grabbed one from the table.
That’s how atmosphere works.
He’d just spilled his shelved dream, and Regin had genuinely cheered him on.
Made him want to down a cool one.
“One drink’s fine, right?”
“Uh, yeah. As long as not drunk…… They just said no heavy drinking anyway.”
“Let’s down it.”
Gulp.
Knights on festival duty should minimize drinking, but one was okay.
‘The manpower deployed here under Dylan’s direct watch are just hidden mages and assassins.’
Minus the pursuers for Verdante, the rest were for show.
Not strict control.
Other knights were having a drink too, so Regin could offer freely.
“One more?”
“Sure, why not.”
Not planning to stop at one anyway.
Clink!
They kept emptying mugs after that.
Planning to keep the warm vibe until the buzz hit.
‘Until Jack can pull the info.’