65. I Am a Wandering Mage
65. I Am a Wandering Mage
Chapter 65. A Wandering Magician
The sun set quickly over the mountain.
As soon as it started to get a little dark, it became hard to move without torches.
So Diaz and I found a suitable spot and prepared to camp.
"But, why are you here?"
I tilted my head and asked Andrew.
He definitely hadn't been there when we first departed......
Yet at some point he appeared, hoisting a wild boar on his shoulder, no less.
Calling it dinner.
Now he had roasted it beautifully and was holding out a leg each to me and Diaz.
I took it because he offered, so I ate......
"Ah, does that really matter? What's important is that we're together."
"Doesn't seem all that important either, though?"
"Let it slide, let it slide. If you're so fussy about everything, life gets tiring."
I took a bite of the meat, dumbfounded.
Amid that, the whole-barbeque roast was delicious.
Rich juices trickled out and filled my entire mouth.
And whatever he did, the seasoning was just right, perfectly salty.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind that he could run a restaurant.
"How is it? Killer, right? Heehee!"
Seeing him act like that, the compliment went right back in.
Anyway, in terms of friendliness, this guy might be the best among all the people I've met in my life.
We finished the meal properly.
Diaz stood up from her spot.
"I will go do a quick patrol of the area."
"Mm."
"I wanna go too, cheep cheep!"
I watched Diaz's back as she walked away.
After killing Count Soleon.
She seemed to have undergone quite significant inner growth.
Her eyes had settled with a sense of calm.
Her emotional agitation definitely seemed to have lessened compared to before.
She was gradually getting closer to the named character Diaz I remembered.
Like that, Diaz vanished into the forest.
I asked Andrew.
"Do you have something to say?"
My gaze fixed on the campfire.
Idly poking at it with a wooden stick.
"Huh?......Ah......"
The trailing voice seemed to be the right answer.
I had already been noticing him constantly stealing glances at me.
He hesitated for a moment as if gathering his thoughts.
Then asked me.
"Why Diaz? When we first met. Why did you choose Diaz as your adjutant?"
Right, that did happen.
I recalled that Andrew had also said he would make Diaz his adjutant.
That's why there was a little bit of trouble from the start.
And come to think of it, I was suddenly curious too.
"Why did you yourself try to make Diaz your adjutant?"
"......Me......it was because I knew."
"Knew what?"
"That friend's emptiness. She grew up an orphan, lost even her friends, and had nothing left. Sir Rohan might not have seen it so you wouldn't know, but back then Diaz's eyes were in a completely lost state. So I was uneasy."
"......"
Andrew took a deep breath and continued.
"I have experienced it. I've had the feeling as if I had no one. Of course, that was also my own delusion. The truth was there were many people beside me, I just hadn't recognized them. Alone, I had thought something stupid like, 'Ah, I'm all alone.' So I wanted to let Diaz know. To tell her, too."
I could understand what he meant.
I too, before coming to this world......had been alone.
"But now, my thinking has changed. I feel like it's a good thing she followed Sir Rohan instead of me. Honestly, even if I had taken Diaz on as adjutant, at best I'd have just become another friend. But Sir Rohan was different. Something like a strength that makes a person solid? You seem to have that."
"You overestimate me. I'm not that great. A person who's made many mistakes and suffered countless setbacks. Just an ordinary person."
"Maybe. It might be that Sir Rohan himself doesn't yet know Sir Rohan. Or it's excessive humility. Trusting people, and giving them trust. That's not an easy thing. I've been through it too, but Sir Rohan must have been burned by people a lot too."
"......"
Why wouldn't I have been.
No, rather, who hasn't been burned by people?
I too have had my foot stamped on and been backstabbed to the point of nausea.
So this time too, I only trusted those who were trustworthy.
"Didn't you trust me as well? You trusted that we could beat Count Molen. After being betrayed that much, you trusted again. That's Sir Rohan's ability."
"......"
Yeah......
Andrew alone was a little different.
In truth, I hadn't known the person Andrew at all.
Maybe he died somewhere, but he didn't even appear in the original story.
So seeing him in Straun was my first impression.
And what I've seen of him up to now was everything I knew.
Yet trusting him was......purely my own will.
'I thought he was just a kid acting on impulse. He's quite eloquent. Hoho.'
Apparently that wasn't quite the case.
I smiled faintly.
"The meat's good."
* * *
After the night passed, as the dawn light rose.
We immediately started moving again.
The sun on the mountain path was short-lived.
I'd felt it a few times, but every time we camped my back ached.
Probably because I just lay down on the cold ground and fell asleep.
"Hoo."
Still, we didn't move leisurely.
The more we moved slowly, the more we'd have to sleep another day on these stone floors.
I'd much rather arrive quickly and lie down on a bed.
As we traveled on horseback, Andrew asked.
"By the way. About that Vampire Lord guy. How are we supposed to find him? The Hessete Kingdom isn't just the size of a palm, and the Vampire Lord isn't going to come out saying, 'Here I am.'"
I was actually a bit worried about that part too.
The demon bastards had a scent......but vampires didn't.
Finding one person within a kingdom would not be easy.
On top of that, he's probably hiding on purpose......
But that didn't mean we could sit still.
"We'll have to search thoroughly, every last place."
"Well. That's true enough."
Diaz chimed in a word as well.
"If we request help from the relevant church officials in the region and the royal family, a solution may emerge."
"Right."
"Or perhaps I can be of help?"
While conversing with Diaz.
An old man's voice cut in.
The three of us all flinched in surprise and turned toward the direction of the voice.
"Greetings. I am a magician, by the name of Creuton."
The playable mage character from my memory was smiling before my eyes.
* * *
Creuton wasn't a very popular character.
He did have the feature of being a mage class, but first of all, when people choose a character to play, don't they look a lot at appearance?
Due to Paogat's nature of fixed customization.
They'd usually pick the naturally handsome mercenary class or the pretty thief class.
No, in fact, except for Creuton, everyone else had their own considerable charm.
And so, I think that might have made Creuton's pick rate drop even further.
In addition.
'In truth, he's just a mage you can commonly see in other games too.'
Creuton in the original work didn't use any particularly novel magic compared to other games.
So he wasn't exceptionally fun either.
However......
'Facing him in reality, the feeling is quite different?......'
His silver hair and beard gave off a sense of mystery.
And his eyes, which you couldn't gauge the depth of, stirred up an unexpected sense of dread.
Most surprising of all.
'The Third Eye could barely detect him.'
Was it because he had no killing intent at all?
I'm not sure.
As we stood flustered, saying nothing.
Creuton opened his mouth again.
"Did you not say you were searching for a vampire?"
At that, Diaz answered.
"Who are you......"
"As you can see. I am a wandering magician. Being a magician, I possess a few skills. I've never tried it, but if I do well, I think I might be able to find that Vampire Lord. In exchange, could you connect me a little with the royal family of Hessete? From what I hear, it seems you're in a position to even request help from the royal family."
"......"
Diaz frowned.
It was only natural to be suspicious when someone completely unknown suddenly approaches offering to help.
Trusting right away would be weirder.
But I.
"Fine."
Decided to trust him right away.
As if she hadn't expected my answer, Diaz came up beside me and whispered.
"Rohan-nim. We have no idea who this person is. Shouldn't we also consider the possibility of information leaking out unnecessarily?"
Andrew sneakily edged in next to her.
"I've met a con artist like that before. He kinda looks similar too."
It wasn't that I didn't understand their concerns.
However, Creuton was undoubtedly someone who had risked his life fighting demons after the Great Invasion occurred.
Since I know the future.
"Don't trust him, trust me."
I could confidently say to the two of them.
"......If you say so, then......"
"Hm. Then I'm okay with it too."
With their agreement.
I continued speaking.
"Creuton. My name is Rohan."
"Rohan? You have a good name, I see."
"But may I ask one thing?"
"Do so. What is it that you are curious about?"
I had no worry about Creuton's identity.
But there was one thing even I couldn't understand.
"How exactly do you intend to find a vampire?"
The Creuton I knew was someone who could only use fire-type magic.
He does have outside-combat abilities, but......
'I don't recall anything capable of finding a vampire?'
"Ah. You mean that part? Yes, it's quite understandable to be curious."
He smiled faintly, and brought out a completely unexpected statement.
"Three high vampires attacked me just yesterday. I'm on my way back after dealing with one even now."
At those words, Diaz and Andrew's mouths dropped open.
"Three of them......!"
"Right now, that old man......my ears aren't mistaken, right, Diaz?"
Despite their reactions, Creuton continued unperturbed.
"Capturing one alive was indeed not easy. Still, after much hardship I managed to capture one alive......I'm thinking of stripping that guy for information. If only you promise to connect me to the royal family, I will hand over the captured one to you. Cleanly."
Creuton asked me.
"So, how about it......are you a little interested?"
I raised the corners of my mouth.
Just connecting him to the royal family?
That was not a difficult thing at all.
To me, it was practically a free condition.
So I didn't think much.
"Very much."
"Excellent! Then the negotiation is settled!"
And so, following the strange magician Creuton.
We entered the Hessete Kingdom, where the captured high vampire was waiting for us.
How to Live as a Cheat Character in a Game
Chapter 65. A Wandering Magician