Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Monster and Lion
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“Red Mage Sharen has become the exclusive mage of the Cron Family?”
The news that Red Mage Sharen had become the Cron Family's exclusive mage spread across the entire continent in an instant.
The ones most shocked by the news were the Blackrose Family, the great noble house of the west.
Count Mordic Blackrose, the head of the Blackrose Family, couldn't hide his surprise upon hearing it.
“It's been a long time since I've seen you this shocked, Father.”
“It's news that an idealist like her has finally settled down. Even I can't help but be surprised.”
Sharen had stayed in Blackrose territory for about three months.
Though the time was short, the magical prowess she displayed was astonishing, and they had tried to make her the family's exclusive mage with pay over ten times that of a normal mage.
But she left the territory behind, saying, “The darkness of the Blackrose Family runs too deep.”
“The Cron Family... She went to a house I never would have imagined.”
“Tell me about it. I thought she'd go to the Tarwin Family in the north or the Seraphin Family in the east.”
“I thought so too. Given her tendencies, those were the only options.”
Mordic had conversed with her a few times.
So he had some idea of her mindset, and he believed only those two families matched her disposition.
Yet she had gone to the Cron Family in the south, a place he hadn't even considered.
“I thought the Cron Family was just southern salt peddlers, but it seems I've underestimated them.”
The Cron Family's image was that of southern salt merchants.
They had made a fortune with their salt monopoly, but instead of hiring masses of knights or lobbying the imperial family aggressively, they just hoarded the money like upstarts. People called them southern salt peddlers.
For such a Cron Family to recruit Red Mage Sharen, a power strong enough to upset the balance in their territory, was shocking to Mordic, who knew the old Cron Family.
“This new lord of the Cron Family seems special, Father.”
Ivy Blackrose, Mordic's daughter and steward of the Blackrose Family, shared the information she had gathered.
In truth, she had already known about the news coming from the south for some time.
She had learned that a new lord of the Cron Family had taken office and was implementing various reforms.
Worker wage restructuring, improved equipment for knights and soldiers, tariff reforms, and more—the new lord was pushing aggressive changes and achieving remarkable results.
Recruiting Sharen was the biggest accomplishment, but even without her, he was already a major player. That was Ivy's assessment of Calix Cron, the lord of the Cron Family.
“Calix Cron, was it?”
“Yes, that's right. Father, among the southern commoners right now, they're calling him the ‘Silver Dragon of Cron.’”
“Silver Dragon of Cron... A young man with a dangerous epithet already.”
Five hundred years ago, when the empire was still a kingdom.
To unify the continent, the Novarens Kingdom waged wars of conquest.
In that era of war, countless heroes left their legends, and one of them was Draygon Cron, the great general of the Novarens Kingdom and the first head of the Cron Family.
In awe of his superhuman feats and valor, people called him this:
The silver dragon blessed by the sea god Cron.
The “Silver Dragon of Cron.”
“Ivy, keep a close eye on the Cron Family and the south.”
“Yes, Father. I'll double the number of investigators.”
In truth, she was already planning to increase them.
She had expected her father to give this order, but more than that, her curiosity was piqued.
“I can really feel the game beginning. I can't wait to see who will win this war for the throne.”
Mordic gazed at the moon outside the window, sipping fine wine as he spoke.
Ivy could guess at the unspoken words of her father.
‘In the end, we are the ones who laugh.’
That was the Blackrose Family's motto.
Red Mage Sharen had officially become our family's exclusive mage.
Hart and Noah were overjoyed upon hearing the news.
“Everything went according to Your Lordship's plan. To think you pinpointed Mage Sharen's aversion to luxury and gave those instructions... You're truly remarkable, my lord.”
“I was surprised too, my lord. When I saw you leaving Sharen alone, I thought for sure you'd made a mistake this time.”
“Hahaha... Th-that's not possible, Hart. Hahaha!”
“Indeed. Hahaha! There's no way Your Lordship would make such a mistake—I shouldn't have doubted you. My apologies.”
“It's fine. Water under the bridge. Hahaha...”
My heart had stung several times, really.
And so, Sharen officially became the Cron Family's exclusive mage.
I could feel my fame stat skyrocketing in the invisible game UI window.
Places like the Blackrose Family were surely gossiping and already dispatching investigators my way.
Ha... Thinking about the future gave me a headache.
Now the neighboring territories would start pressuring us hard. What to do...
Screw it!! I'll worry about problems when they arise!!
That was when I tried to turn away from reality.
“My lord!!! Emergency news!”
“What is it!?”
But this damn world wouldn't let me rest.
Honestly, not even giving me a second to breathe was too much.
“Deep Rocks!! A Deep Rock tide has appeared!!”
“A Deep Rock tide!?”
Deep Rock
A monster with a fish body and limbs, dwelling in the deep sea.
These creatures periodically form massive schools, breed like mad, and when food runs out in the depths, they surge onto land.
Their intelligence is goblin-level, so individually they're not much of a threat, but when they swarm, they become an overwhelming horde that's impossible to handle.
From Calix's memories, even during the previous lord's time, a Deep Rock raid had forced knights from the Cron territory and surrounding areas to mobilize fully just to suppress it.
Upon confirming the Deep Rock tide, we immediately switched to emergency response mode.
We evacuated the civilians and sent out scouts to assess the situation.
The report we received was as follows:
“The Deep Rock horde is emerging from the Rag Coast at the eastern edge of Cron territory. We've confirmed 5,000 to 6,000 so far, and the number is growing. We need to suppress them quickly.”
“5,000... It's close, but not more than our territory can handle.”
“Good. That's a relief.”
With 5,000, the Cron knights alone could manage.
But only if we could deploy all of them intact.
As my bad premonition stirred, the door burst open and a soldier rushed in.
“My lord! Disaster!!”
“What now?”
“The Lion Family... They've started deploying knights.”
“What!? Knights!?”
The news the soldier brought was about the Lion Family.
After the Deep Rock horde appeared, the Lion Family had begun stationing knights along the Cron territory border.
The stated reason was to repel Deep Rocks crossing into their land.
But anyone who wasn't an idiot could see what the Lion bastards were after.
“My lord, this is them openly planning to invade our territory while we're fighting the monsters!!”
“Exactly. My lord, those lion scum would absolutely pull something like this.”
The Lion Family had done this countless times before.
Whenever an opportunity arose, they'd encroach on neighboring territories, claim them as their own, or demand massive reparations.
Especially in recent years, it had worsened, and no surrounding territory trusted the Lion Family anymore.
“Is Lord Hadem of the Lion Family out there himself?”
“Yes! Leading from the front, as always.”
As expected.
True to his war maniac nature, Lord Hadem always took the vanguard if there was a chance to fight.
Him showing up personally was also a signal that he'd invade our territory at the first opportunity.
“I'll go speak to them myself. Prepare my horse.”
“Yes, sir!!”
I sent a herald ahead and headed to the territory border with Rikain and the knights.
Meeting a Lü Bu-like figure like Lord Hadem could be extremely dangerous.
But since their lord had come out, it was proper for me to do the same.
One misstep, and our innocent herald's head could roll.
When we arrived where the Lion Family knights were at the border, Lord Hadem approached alone from afar, his bald head gleaming and axe in hand.
Seeing him up close, his appearance and actions alike screamed berserker.
I'd brought ten knights and Rikain, yet he came alone—impressive in every sense.
“Lord Hadem, it's been a while. I hope you've been well?”
“Yeah, I've been fine. Calix.”
As neighboring territories, Hadem and Calix hadn't been total strangers.
But as his tone suggested, Hadem looked down on the Cron Family and Calix.
I cut straight to the chase.
“I'll be direct. Withdraw your knights, or fight the Deep Rocks with us.”
Hadem seemed slightly taken aback by my words.
But he soon grinned as if amused.
“Being direct with me, eh? You've grown, Calix.”
“I'm a lord. If I don't grow, my people suffer.”
In Hadem's memory, I was the weakling from before the possession.
But now, I was me.
Weak or not in the past, I had to speak my piece.
“Trying to get strong for the weak—that's why you're still a greenhorn.”
Hadem brushed off my words lightly.
Then he slammed his axe into the ground.
Kwachik-!
“You know my answer.”
The axe's tip had bisected a snake.
I responded to him.
“The weak are devoured. So do not be weak.”
“Good. You know it well.”
The Lion Family motto was, “The weak are devoured. So do not be weak.”
The law of the jungle, in other words.
Hadem was telling me to prepare, because if I weakened, he'd devour me.
I'd half-expected it, but this berserker response was on brand.
Then Hadem said something unexpected.
“But if you come under me and fight for His Highness the Prince... we might fight together.”
This guy making that offer?
The Hadem I knew wouldn't suggest such a thing.
He looked at me with genuine interest.
“What's it gonna be, Calix?”
Like a lion... a hairless one, but a lion nonetheless, Hadem eyed me like prey.
I sighed and answered.
“You know my answer, right?”
“Planning to stay at the bottom forever?”
‘From the lowest place, think of the highest.’
That was the Cron Family motto, and my creed for surviving here.
I answered as the beloved lord of Cron.
“I'm not at the bottom. I just know what's truly important.”
“Fine. Your choice.”
Hadem casually yanked out the axe matching his size and slung it over his shoulder.
“I'll watch how the weak crumble from right here.”
He turned his horse and left.
I replied without showing fear.
“Watch all you want. It'll be quite the show.”
Yes, it would be quite the spectacle.
Time to show this fearless lion the flames of a red mage.