Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Shuhan's Secret
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Barundel's physical training didn't wrap up until evening.
It was because all the potions were used up, and he insisted that any more would poison my body.
I wasn't satisfied since it felt like I hadn't done as much as I'd hoped, but looking back now, it was a blessing that I'd listened to him.
“Ugh…… I'm seriously gonna die.”
My arms, legs, shoulders, torso, everywhere……
Not a single spot was unscathed.
I could've passed out right then and no one would bat an eye.
Yeah, I definitely pushed too hard relying solely on the potions.
I never imagined my body would be this wrecked from just basic training.
Still, the results were promising, thankfully.
‘My muscles already feel bigger.’
Combined with the potion effects, squeezing every ounce out of my body had accelerated muscle growth beyond belief.
By tomorrow, once the damaged muscles healed, I'd be even stronger.
I was inching closer to the kind of mage I envisioned.
Just as planned.
……The problem was this.
Step, step.
Glance—.
“……What're you looking at?”
“……Ahem!”
Now, walking down the street, everyone whose eyes met mine felt suspicious.
The silver-haired knight's words kept echoing in my head.
—……But next time we meet, I'll take your heart. Remember that.
Of course, I might be overreacting.
There's no way the silver-hair put a tail on me.
No way he'd stoop to something that sleazy.
A knight, of all people……
……
On second thought, maybe he would?
That guy didn't strike me as normal no matter how you sliced it.
“Ha…… This is seriously nagging at me.”
Splash.
In the end, I sighed and changed course.
If I went back to the inn like this, I'd be too uneasy to sleep.
I needed to dig up some dirt on the bastard to ease my mind.
The place I reached after passing through a dim alley was a rundown office.
It looked like any other shop in the square from the outside.
But with no sign in such a shady spot, it had to be the place I was thinking of.
Creak—.
“……Come on in.”
As I stepped inside, the man at the desk gave a casual wave.
Dressed head to toe in black.
A guy who oddly sported a small pair of glasses perched on his nose.
I pulled out a chair and sat across from him, and he asked,
“Don't think I've seen you before…… You know what this place is, right?”
“Of course.”
In simple terms, this was an [information broker].
Unlike the tavern gossip I'd overheard, here you could get more detailed intel.
Of course, you had to pay for it.
Still, the quality was solid, making it a must-visit in the game for quest progress.
“Good. Tell me what you want to know.”
“I'm looking for info on a guy named Shuhan.”
“Shuhan…… Shuhan……. Ah, that knight?”
I nodded slightly.
Yeah, he knows him.
I reached for the gold coin pouch in my bag, feeling relieved inside, but froze for a second.
‘Why…… is this so light?’
I'd grabbed a massive haul from the hideout safe, and this pouch held every coin I owned.
My entire fortune.
So when did it get this light?
The annoying part was, recalling my expenses made it all too understandable.
‘……I've spent a ton.’
Inn fees, potion costs, training expenses, food from the square to curb my hunger, and more.
I'd only spent on necessities, but adding it up, it was way more than expected.
And considering future expenses…… damn.
“……Guess I need to earn more cash before hitting the magic tower.”
“Huh? What was that?”
“Nah, nothing. Let's start.”
I could worry about this later.
Toss.
I slid one gold coin across the table, and the man tilted his head.
“……What're you doing?”
His face screamed, 'You messing with me?'
Tch, one gold was plenty in the game.
Damn inflation. No wonder I'm broke.
“Wait up. Still digging them out.”
I casually pulled more coins from the pouch and offered them.
In total, ten gold coins paid.
Only then did the man, stashing them in his drawer, finally speak.
“Shuhan is a knight from the Vulcan Kingdom.”
“Vulcan Kingdom?”
“Yeah, lower rank. But his talent's top-notch—supposedly even mid-tier knights can't touch him.”
“Why's a guy like that in Asteron?”
“Hmm, hold on.”
The man rummaged through his drawer.
Papers rustled repeatedly until he pulled out a single sheet.
“Ah, here it is.”
The document was a profile on Shuhan the knight.
Shuhan Philedia.
Eldest son of the Philedia family.
Age 29.
Rank: Lower.
And a bunch of other details neatly compiled.
‘Pretty professional. Good call coming here.’
I'd picked the first info spot I saw with no expectations, but this was satisfying.
Plenty of joints just peddled common knowledge for coin.
I could come back.
As I scanned the paper, the man added,
“According to our guy's intel, Shuhan got dispatched to Asteron a month ago. Probably gunning for a rank-up.”
Knight ranks advanced one step at a time through annual promotion exams based on performance.
Apprentice to lower, lower to mid, mid to upper……
The catch: exams only once a year, so it took forever.
‘I struggled with that too.’
The zombie swordsman I leveled back then had slow rank-ups that stalled quests sometimes, so I chased field promotions instead.
Racking up merits in wars or repelling demon invasions, that sort of thing.
Pile enough recognition, and you could rank up outside exams.
Looks like Shuhan came to Asteron for merits too.
But that didn't explain it fully.
“What's in Asteron to warrant a dispatch?”
Merits could stack just fine hunting demons near his Vulcan Kingdom base.
No reason to trek to distant Asteron.
There had to be more.
“Dunno? Not sure myself.”
“…….”
The man leaned back, pushing up his glasses.
Despite claiming ignorance, one corner of his mouth curled up.
Only one reason he pulled that face.
“Here.”
More coin, obviously.
I slid five more gold across the table.
But unlike before when he snatched them quick, he just stared blankly at me.
“Hmm, this info's pricier.”
……You money pit.
I bit back tears and added five more gold.
Only then did I hear why Shuhan came to Asteron.
And.
“……Listen up. A month ago, the ‘Prophecy of the Red Moon’ hit Asteron.”
“……What?”
That info was worth it.
“It's legit?”
“Solid intel. Our scout was there the day it dropped.”
“…….”
I played it cool, but honestly, my heart sank.
No way I'd expected to hit a major event this soon.
A rare big one, even in the game.
‘……This pisses me off.’
[Prophecy of the Red Moon].
Exactly as named: the moon turns blood-red.
But the moon's not the point.
‘……Invasion.’
The night the moon runs red.
Demons launch massive assaults on an entire continent.
This time, they picked Asteron.
Meaning a bloodbath was coming to Asteron soon.
“The date…… exactly three months from now.”
Yeah, three months later.
Ha…… Now it clicked.
Why a knight like Shuhan was holed up in Asteron District 6.
“Rack up merits and promote…… He's not aiming for mid-tier.”
“……Oh, sharp one, huh? Right. Probably plans to skyrocket to upper knight in this war. Means he's damn confident in his skills.”
Aiming for upper knight, huh.
No wonder he was so freakishly strong.
My tangled thoughts started unraveling.
But one thing still bugged me.
“……Why go after my heart?”
“Your heart?”
Why the hell try to kill me?
Sure, I'd considered possibilities.
Like the silver-hair being Valefor kin like the redhead.
Or having some heart-related trait.
But somehow, those didn't fit.
There was something else……
Then, the man snapped his fingers like it hit him.
“Ah! You're that guy? The mage who busted through the main gate into District 6!”
“…….”
“Yeah! Knew I'd seen you somewhere!”
……How'd he figure it? Just from the heart mention?
I denied it anyway.
“Nope.”
“What do you mean nope? You match the wanted poster perfectly.”
“……Do I?”
Damn, no dodging this.
I'd hoped to keep it under wraps.
“Heh heh heh, so you're the mad bastard?”
Grinning like it was the best thing ever, he finally said,
“Alright. Looks like you don't know yet, so I'll spill as a freebie.”
“Spill what?”
“Word's already spreading. Shuhan threatened to take your heart, right?”
“……Yeah.”
“And I'll tell you why.”
He beckoned me closer, clearing up my last question.
***
Thud.
Back at the inn, I face-planted onto the bed.
The info broker's words lingered like an aftertaste.
—Shuhan, that guy's got ‘Mana Deficiency.’ It's terminal, basically.
Mana Deficiency.
A disease from lacking the baseline mana everyone needs inside them.
Catch it, and you need constant external mana to survive.
Chug pricey elixirs or use someone else's heart as ingredients.
That's why he coveted mine.
No warm fuzzies for the guy, but damn, he seemed kinda pitiful.
‘Thought he had it all with that arrogance.’
Born looks, born physique, born sword talent.
And then bam, ‘Mana Deficiency’?
God's a cheapskate.
……Not that I'm one to pity others.
“We'll clash eventually.”
I'd have tried talking him down for lesser reasons, but Mana Deficiency? No dice.
Unless a miracle cured it overnight, he'd hunt me to the end.
My heart would make premium ingredients for any mage.
But.
Whoooosh!
“……Not happening.”
I had no plans to die nicely.
Pitiful or not, life's life.
Slim odds or not, I'd thrash around at least.
Learn proper light magic at the tower, and who knows—might even win.
Woooong—!
The magic circle formed in a flash after the complex process.
I stared blankly, lost in thought.
“…….”
Two weeks in this world.
All I'd learned: basic magic tome from the redhead and my self-made variants.
Yet three months out, a demon mega-war loomed, and running into silver-hair meant instant death.
Things had gone straight to hell.
But.
Past or present, one thing rang true.
Big war or silver-hair……
Time was on my side.