Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Voyage to the Peninsula
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“There, you’ll need to use some proper magic. You’re hired by me, so don’t hold back for any lords or nobles—put on a show.”
“Leave it to me.”
Romari nodded vigorously at Eugene’s words.
‘Yeah, since it’s come to this, let’s give it our all. Who knows? If we’re lucky, we might bag a wyvern and score some byproducts.’
Honestly, he wasn’t expecting that much. Even just capturing some gargoyles for study would be a huge boon to his chimera research and production.
‘Half a year. Exactly half a year.’
“We’ll be taking a ship, so should I whip up some seasickness remedy? Or maybe some mana crystals?”
“Mana crystals? Oh, right. You’re a mage, aren’t you.”
‘What the hell did you think I was until now?!’
“Yes, yes. Proud graduate of the Pilgrim Shadow School.”
Hiding her inner thoughts thoroughly, Romari forced a smile.
“Galpredic and I don’t need any, but the others might, so make a few. Three days should do it, right?”
“Yes.”
Mana crystals made by mages couldn’t be sold. All transactions were strictly handled by the Church.
But there was no issue with a mage making them for personal use.
If the Church tried to clamp down on that, they’d have to throw down with the mages first.
“But honestly, I can’t guarantee the effect. I don’t make them often myself, so…”
“No big expectations. Just do your best.”
“…Yes.”
From the heart of a mage who’d only cared about chimera creation, an unidentified flame erupted.
It was a powerful ‘motivation’ that even Romari herself hadn’t known she possessed.
* * *
A few days later, Eugene’s group boarded a merchant ship owned by the Feilin Merchant Group.
Departing from Maren at the river mouth, the ship hugged the coastline. Two days later, the Kalsbaegin Peninsula loomed ahead.
‘So this is the Kalsbaegin Peninsula.’
Standing on deck, Eugene surveyed the scenery unfolding along the shore.
The blazing sun, the humidity in the air, and the dense foliage filling the beaches were all markedly different from Maren. Though part of the same kingdom, it could easily pass for another country.
“Yawn! This is boring.”
Eugene turned to Galpredic, who approached stretching.
“They say we’re almost there. But this region’s that complicated, huh?”
“You bet. There’s royal territory, but outside that, the king’s authority barely reaches. Anyway, whoever unifies the peninsula can negotiate with the crown and become the new grand lord. That’s what everyone’s fighting over.”
The Kalsbaegin Peninsula was three or four times larger than the areas Eugene had operated in so far, and it was a constant battlefield where dozens of lords—or self-proclaimed lords—clashed endlessly.
And it all stemmed from a single tyrant, they said.
“The original marquis was that much of a monster?”
“Yep. Marquis Archibald. His villainy was so bad that all the lords rose up. Oh, right. The baron owning this demon realm we’re heading to, Beogalan—maybe he’s tied to the marquis somehow.”
“No such rumors. And does it even matter?”
“Ha! Nah, not really. Master and I just do our job.”
Galpredic, whose days had brimmed with energy and joy since becoming a vassal, laughed heartily.
Then, as if struck by a thought, he spoke up brightly.
“By the way, I hear the Church’s influence is pretty weak around the Kalsbaegin Peninsula.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Not mortal enemies but a perennial thorn from his past life, Eugene perked up at the mention of the Church.
“Seems Marquis Archibald was a fanatic, almost zealot-level devout. But when his domain fell apart, the bishop of Kalsbaegin fled to the capital without taking any responsibility. That shattered the Church’s power there, and the resentment’s sky-high.”
“Good news for us.”
“Heh! Right?”
Galpredic, never much for faith and increasingly irked by prayers or sacraments since becoming a vampire, grinned in satisfaction.
Just then, a crewman who’d been avoiding the knights approached cautiously.
“Sirs, we’ll be docking at Mopern Harbor soon.”
“Got it.”
Eugene and Galpredic headed below deck.
The rest of the group, already briefed, bustled with preparations to disembark.
Everyone except one.
“Kieee! Master, master! Your servant’s dying!”
Eugene turned toward the cabin at Mirian’s frantic flight.
“Ohhh… ughhh…”
In just a few days, Romari’s face had turned sallow yellow. She groaned as she barely propped herself up.
Eugene’s gaze held a tinge of pity.
“So why didn’t you make that seasickness remedy and suffer like this? You said you knew how.”
“Eeeek! I-I spent all my time on the mana crystals. Ohhh, I’m dying. Ohhh, Master…”
For the last two days, every word from Romari ended with elderly death rattles. Eugene clicked his tongue shortly.
A seasick mage? He’d never heard of such a thing.
His expectations for Romari were dwindling further.
“Mage. I’m not expecting heroics this subjugation—just don’t be a burden.”
“Ohhh, Eugeeen. I swear on our school’s honor, I’ll… guuuueeek!”
“Ugh, you’re grossing out your servant!”
“Mark, help the mage.”
“Yes, Master.”
After spewing her guts, Romari staggered to her feet with Mark’s support.
The group’s gazes toward her softened with pity—not for a mage, but for a patient.
‘Ughhh! Why am I suffering like this? Why this treatment?!’
“Gueee… sob sob!”
But what escaped Romari’s lips wasn’t inner rage, but yellowish bile and sobs.
* * *
Arriving at Mopern—a decent-sized port city, if not quite Maren—the group headed straight for the Feilin Merchant Group’s branch.
“Welcome to Mopern, Sir Eugene. And Sir Galpredic.”
Unsure what the head office had said, the branch manager treated Eugene with utmost courtesy.
“I’ve heard from Deputy Manager Prechella. Will you head straight to Beogalan Barony? Or rest a day?”
“We’ll rest a couple hours and go. One of us has bad seasickness.”
“I see. This way, then.”
The Mopern branch manager glanced at Romari, nearly carried in by Mark, then quickly guided them.
Soon after, leaving Romari to recover and sending off the slaves and mercenaries, Eugene spoke privately with Galpredic and the branch manager.
“What’s Beogalan Barony like?”
As if expecting the question, the branch manager answered politely.
“It’s one of the few domains in Kalsbaegin properly running demon realm subjugations. But after recent losses, Baron Beogalan seems to be pushing too hard.”
“Losses?”
Eugene narrowed his eyes. Galpredic answered.
“Subjugation didn’t go well, I bet. Hire too many troops and bag too few monsters, you lose money.”
“Just as Sir Galpredic says. It’s been months without a single mid-tier monster. Two subjugations already—each with two or three knights and over thirty mercenaries.”
“Hmm. The wyvern?”
Eugene’s guess, based on Galpredic’s intel, made the branch manager nod in surprise.
“Exactly. As expected of a famed knight from Maren—you even know about the ruins. Your reputation is well-deserved.”
“…”
The branch manager coughed awkwardly at Eugene’s stone-faced response to flattery that would delight most knights, then continued.
“Ahem! Anyway, as you said, wyverns started attacking relentlessly at some point, botching the subjugations. Each raid kills five or six, so they couldn’t last two days before pulling out.”
“Just bring more archers. It’s not like crossbows are unavailable.”
Crossbows were far easier than longbows—hard to rapid-fire, but any child could shoot one pre-loaded.
Ten crossbowmen should check a wyvern, so Eugene didn’t get it.
“The thing summons harpies. And it’s cunning: wears down the subjugation force fighting harpies, then dives in. Lucky the ruins have buildings for cover—last team nearly got wiped.”
“Whoa! No joke, huh? Upper-tier monster, alright.”
Galpredic furrowed his brow and asked the branch manager.
“So they’ll scale up this time? At least fifty, properly equipped?”
“No idea. It’s our merchant group’s turn, so they just requested reliable troops. I hired ten extra mercenaries on my own.”
The branch manager eyed Eugene.
Some prideful knights hated unapproved extra hires.
‘Saved some coin.’
But Eugene was pleased.
“Good call. They know the area?”
“Of course. Long-time locals, trustworthy. They’ll meet your standards.”
The branch manager bowed excessively to Eugene and Galpredic.
It was only natural.
The prior two failed subjugations involved rival firms competing fiercely with Feilin in Mopern.
Success for Eugene and Galpredic could catapult the Mopern branch ahead.
‘Plus, Miss Prechella rarely emphasized so hard.’
Young but genuinely skilled, her insistence gave the branch manager full confidence in the knights’ prowess without seeing it.
‘The mercenaries look solid too. The seasick mage is a letdown, though.’
Disappointed only in Romari among the group, the merchant kept his smile and bowed to Eugene.
“Then we’re counting on you, Sir Eugene.”
* * *
“I’m Beron, sir.”
Beron, around thirty, had a sturdy build that screamed capable mercenary.
Rough around the edges like most, but he and his men showed discipline before Eugene and Galpredic.
Eugene, with a good eye for people, saw they were top-notch.
“You know the way to Beogalan Barony?”
“Yes. Two of my men are natives. No worries.”
“Good. Let’s head out.”
A guide mercenary hopped to the driver’s seat.
“Ohhh. Ohhh, I’m dying.”
“Hey! Quiet down, you whiner!”
Amid the mage’s groans and spirit’s irritation, the group set off for Beogalan Barony.
Two hours later.
Entering a deserted trail, Beron—who’d been quiet—approached Eugene.
“Sir Eugene. You might’ve heard, but Kalsbaegin’s nothing like the central regions you two worked.”
“They say it’s riskier. Enough to worry me?”
Beron swallowed a scoff.
He’d been warned not to trifle with the Feilin branch head’s guests, but Eugene looked like a pampered noble greenhorn.
With the strong-looking Galpredic calling him master, classic noble knight chasing fame via a real one on his debut.
“Begging pardon, but yes. Kalsbaegin knights are all hot-blooded. Mercenaries ignore anyone less. They roll in dozens, so if they block the road or pick a fight, pay a toll and…”
“Like those guys ahead?”
“Pardon?”
Beron’s eyes snapped to where Eugene pointed.
Nothing. Just bushes swaying in the damp breeze.
“Sir, even in Kalsbaegin, jokes…”
“You lot stay and guard the wagons. Partek, take Glad, Raban, and Mark on rear guard.”
“Yes, Sir Eugene.”
“No, sir, what are you—”
Ignoring Beron, Eugene and Galpredic spurred forward like the wind.
“Ha! Unreal.”
As Beron and his men gaped, Eugene and Galpredic hurled javelins from their atlatls.
“Kraaak!”
Screams rang out as a bandit band hidden in the brush tumbled into view.
(To be continued)