66
Chapter 66
"How old are you, Baldic?"
"Huh?"
The next day at lunch.
Waking up late, I ran into Baldic in the dining room. As we quietly ate our meal, I suddenly got curious and asked.
At my question, Baldic stopped chewing his food and stared at me as if I were being ridiculous.
"How old do I look?"
"About thirty? Thirty-five?"
Between his golden beard and rough features, I figured he'd be around that age.
Even being generous, he looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties.
"You little punk, what do you mean thirty?! I'm still in my twenties!"
"......Excuse me?"
My spoon stopped in mid-air.
"I'm twenty-six, kid."
"Really?"
It was hard to believe.
He somehow gave off the vibe of a man who had been through the wringer, but to think we were about the same age.
"Yeah, really. What's with that look? Did you seriously think I was over thirty?"
"...Well, no. It's just, that's surprising."
It truly was surprising.
Baldic let out a sigh for no reason and shook his head.
"I guess my face just shows how much I've suffered."
That, I could understand a little.
The Other World is a place that makes people's faces age rapidly.
"Anyway, what's that bulging out at your waist?"
"Ah, this?"
Baldic's gaze shifted to the pouch attached to my waist.
Inside was something that had been getting increasingly bulkier over the past few days.
It literally stuck out, looking as if there was a large ball inside.
What was inside was Gerangi.
It had been unusually quiet for the past few days.
It hadn't moved an inch inside the pouch, and after this last battle, it had completely curled up into a ball and hardened.
"It's just... some junk."
"Looks a bit solid for junk, doesn't it?"
I vaguely glossed over it.
Explaining it would probably take a long time, and since I didn't know much about the ecology of creatures in this world anyway, I didn't want to pretend I did.
Was it even a living creature in the first place?
Gerangi.
It had been a mystery from the start, but this was my first time seeing it change like this.
...Seriously, is something actually going to come out of it?
"Anyway, what are you going to do now?"
"Well... I need to earn some money and go back to my hometown."
"That desert?"
"To be exact, it's not the desert, but a small village right next to it."
When I first heard it, didn't he say it was the Red Rock tribe?
The word tribe somehow stimulated my imagination.
For some reason, I imagined a primitive tribe living with spears, but judging by his speech and habits, it wasn't really that kind of vibe.
"The Red Rock tribe... is it a real tribe?"
"Well, they say it used to be. Now it's just a village. Only the name remains like that."
Baldic shrugged slightly.
Only after hearing that answer was I able to clear away the image of a jungle tribe that had been floating in my head.
"Still, it sounds kind of cool. Red Rock."
"Yeah. Because of the sunlight, the real boulders actually look red. Other than that, it's nothing special."
He said that, but his expression softened a bit.
His affection for his small hometown subtly seeped through his words.
"Didn't you say you were heading to the Magic Tower, too?"
"Well...."
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"No, it's not that. It's just... there's something bothering me a bit."
The words I spoke were brief, but my mind was complicated.
That ominous dream I had back then.
The memories had mostly faded by now, but that lingering sense of unease remained like a thorn stuck in my finger.
A sensation ringing out from my subconscious, as if warning me of something.
Was it just a simple dream, or was it a silent premonition thrown at me by this body?
"Bothering you? Like what?"
"It might be nothing... I just want to think about it a bit more."
I said that, but deep down, I already knew.
If I ignored this uncomfortable feeling, I would definitely regret it.
"So you don't have any immediate plans, right?"
Baldic's tone carried a subtle hint of anticipation.
"Why? Do you have something to do?"
"Nah, the only way to make money now is by working as a mercenary. It'd be reassuring to have you around."
"...Wait, are you suggesting we team up?"
"Exactly!"
He waved his spoon with an awkward laugh, literally giving off a vibe of not knowing the details but just wanting to team up.
For a moment, rather than feeling dumbfounded, I actually didn't feel too bad about it.
"...Well, I don't know if I'd be all that reassuring."
"Come on, coming from a guy who can use magic. In a world like this, that's half the battle won right there."
He said it casually, but there was a strange sincerity in his words.
"I'll think about it once we get our reward."
"Alright."
Baldic didn't pry any further.
He just nodded and scooped up another spoonful of his remaining soup.
I also put down my spoon and took a short breath.
After all, we hadn't even been paid for the fighting we'd done yet.
I didn't know how much the reward would be, but it was only natural that my next steps would depend on that amount.
'Money isn't everything, but this is a world where you have to live as if it is.'
Making that excuse to myself, I shook off my thoughts.
"Where did Eileen go?"
"Ah, her? She's probably washing up behind the inn."
"Really? What about Silon?"
"That guy? He was drinking with me yesterday, so he's probably still passed out in his room right now."
"......."
Hearing that, it seemed I was the only one who woke up exceptionally late.
And it wasn't like I even slept well.
"...Then, doesn't that mean you stayed up pretty late too, Baldic?"
"I just woke up early for a bit, I'm still dying of sleep deprivation."
Baldic opened his mouth wide and let out a huge yawn.
For some reason, his tired expression felt a little peaceful.
It was a moment that made me realize this was what everyday life felt like.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going for a walk. My stomach feels a bit bloated."
Baldic stopped his spoon and glanced at me.
"Huh? First thing in the morning?"
"I'm just going to get some fresh air."
He still looked somewhat suspicious, but he didn't say anything more.
Turning his gaze back to his tableware, he muttered.
"Just don't go causing trouble outside."
"Come on, as if I would."
I lightly laughed it off and stood up from my seat.
'I should take Eileen with me on the way.'
The atmosphere in the city was still too unsettled for me to wander around leaving Eileen behind.
As I opened the door and stepped out, I coincidentally saw Eileen coming out from behind the inn, drying her hair.
"Ah, Eileen. Want to come with me for a bit?"
She looked at me with slightly surprised eyes before nodding.
We kept our words brief and naturally started walking.
The outskirts of the city, a quiet garbage dump.
It was a familiar place we had visited once before.
This was an area where thugs used to set up camp, but today it was strangely quiet.
Perhaps it was because the city's atmosphere was unusual.
Even though I had cleaned it up once, I thought other guys would storm in right away.
It seemed like some sort of management had stepped in from somewhere, as there wasn't even a hint of human presence in that once-chaotic place.
Between the roughly grown weeds and dusty piles of stones.
That place, without a single human shadow in sight, was perfect for conducting magic experiments.
Shall we slowly get started?
"What are you trying to do?"
At Eileen's question, perhaps curious now of all times, I quietly drew upon my mana instead of answering.
A light vibration arose from the tip of my staff.
Water drops floated up from the canteen I had prepared in advance, and they slowly coalesced into a single small sphere.
The sphere throbbed faintly like a heart, holding light within.
I raised my staff and aimed at an abandoned wooden chair.
As the target was set, the water sphere quickly contracted as if pulsating-
[Water Prison]
Plop.
With a short, low sound, the water sphere emitted from the staff flew toward the chair.
The sphere instantly unfurled as it flew.
Splash!
The stream of water spread explosively, scattering in all directions and unfolding widely.
Its shape split in all directions like a cast net, curling roundly with the chair at the center.
The swooping, curved streams of water tangled and overlapped, forming a single prison.
The swirling, spinning flow seemed almost alive, and the chair trapped inside looked distorted like an insect caught in amber.
On the inside, it was completely sealed water.
It looked calm from the outside, but the inside was sloshing like waves.
"...Wow."
Eileen gasped.
"They wouldn't be able to move inside there."
I gave a small nod and slowly released the magic power of the Water Prison.
The prison scattered as if slowly melting away, and the chair returned to its original shape, completely soaked.
"Is it a magic you've newly researched?"
"Well, something like that."
Answering Eileen's question briefly, I recalled the magic I had just cast.
'This is better than I thought, but... there's a problem.'
First of all, the biggest problem was the mana consumption and the amount of water.
Just to trap a single opponent, not only was the water in the canteen insufficient, but I also used up nearly thirty percent of my mana.
If it was this much even now that my mana had increased, I couldn't grasp just how much it would consume.
This meant that without water, casting it was entirely impossible.
'This is only for crucial moments or surprise attacks; it's useless in a protracted battle.'
Moreover, to maintain the shape, I had to continuously supply mana.
It wasn't a fire-and-forget type of magic, but closer to a sustained spell.
Still, the effect was certainly undeniable.
In terms of blocking movement, it was optimal for cutting off highly mobile enemies.
I didn't say it out loud, but several combat situations where I could use this magic were already being drawn in my head.
Ultimately, the problem was one thing.
To use it properly, both water and mana had to always be sufficient.
"......I'll have to find a way to replenish water."
Even after muttering that softly, no clear answer came to mind.
Actually, there were a few solutions that did come to mind.
But all of them were ignorant methods, relying entirely on luck or physical endurance.
For example.
Carrying more water jugs around.
→ Increasing my load when I already lack stamina is just suicidal.
Securing a water source like a river or well nearby.
→ How many situations would allow for that kind of leeway? Even more so in the middle of a battle.
Only fighting on rainy days.
→ There's no way the weather will accommodate me.
Like this, they were all unfeasible methods without exception.
If I had to choose, carrying around more canteens would be the most realistic option.
'Damn it, I guess I'll have to increase my strength at least.'
If I wanted to run around with a few more canteens attached, these skinny arms of mine wouldn't stand a chance.
A sigh escaped me naturally.
If I were a real RPG protagonist, this kind of thing would have been solved automatically.
But this wasn't a game; it was reality, where I had to scoop water myself to fight.
Upon finishing the experiment and returning to the inn, I saw two familiar figures chatting with someone out front.
Baldic and Silon, and a soldier standing before them.
As if waiting for us, the soldier sensed our approach and turned his head.
"Ah, I've been looking for you. A message has arrived from the Mercenary Guild."
Baldic turned his head at the soldier's words.
"A message? For us?"
"Yes. Rewards are being distributed to those who participated in defending the castle wall yesterday. They are currently calling each group in order, and I was told your turn is coming up soon."
Silon suddenly spoke with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, they're finally bringing that up...."
"Don't get your hopes up."
Baldic grumbled as he patted his waist.
I let out a small breath.
It was the news I had been waiting for.
Just how much were they going to give us?
With that thought, my heart fluttered a little on the way to get the reward.
The three of us walked toward the Mercenary Guild together.
Located in the center of the city, the headquarters seemed to have been used as a temporary command post during the battle.
Instead of mercenaries, armed soldiers were standing guard at the entrance, and upon entering, the walls were covered tightly with combat maps.
Seeing the castle wall we had fought at yesterday drawn like a diagram, I felt strangely peculiar.
"This way."
Following the soldier's guidance, we stepped further inside where a desk was placed. Instead of a young receptionist, an elderly administrator flipped through some documents and looked up.
"Name."
"It's Riv."
When I answered briefly, he nodded and checked something on the document.
"Riv, Riv... Ah, that magician? You're Riv?"
"......Yes."
By now, most of the people in the city probably knew I was a magician.
It wasn't an issue I could just hide anyway.
I didn't want it to spread like this, but I couldn't help it since I openly used magic during the battle.
All that was left was just to keep that in mind and be careful.
"They said we were able to delay the frontline collapsing a bit thanks to you. Good work."
Then, his hand reached for a box placed beneath the documents.
The sound of metal clinking rang out softly, and the next moment, a rather sizable pouch slid in front of me.
"The branch manager told me to take good care of you. Total payment amount, 20 silver coins."
"...!"
My eyes widened slightly.
This much... It was far more than I had expected.
It was an amount you'd normally only gather after completing several escort missions.
The sound of the silver coins clinking together inside the pouch somehow sounded cheerful.
"Next."
The administrator shifted his gaze toward Silon, and I quietly stepped aside.
"Seems like they gave us quite a bit, right?"
As Baldic, who received his payment next, muttered softly, I nodded my head.
"Yeah. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, but if it's this much..."
But a strange feeling lingered in a corner of my heart.
A reality where a few silver coins remained in the place where countless people had fallen.
Was that all there was to it?
Not that I could say it was wrong.
After staring into the pouch for a moment, I lifted my head.
"...Still, this much isn't bad."
"Then, I guess you need to make a decision now."
Baldic said with a meaningful smile.
Come to think of it, the conversation we had earlier.
The proposal to work as mercenaries together.
Now, it was my turn to give an answer myself.