Chapter 171: Mage (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Mage (1)
In any fantasy novel, the line between a Sword Master and everyone else is crystal clear.
I knew all too well that in these stories, as you head toward the final act, you either become a Sword Master or end up as an unnamed extra.
Even according to Boradori, the character "Adam Smith" didn't even ring a bell.
Maybe he was a character who never existed in the first place, or perhaps he was just someone so insignificant he wasn't even worth a mention.
That was why I did everything in my power.
I ate everything I could get my hands on, and if it wasn't enough, I'd shake people down to fill my belly to the brim.
You can't become a Sword Master just by popping pills, but you can at least fulfill one of the requirements.
Fortunately, my body responded well to the enhancements. I managed to bridge the gap in skill with sheer physical specs.
But even physical specs were no match for an overwhelming disparity in power.
Honestly, it felt unfair.
I went to such lengths, and I still lost.
Was all my effort for nothing?
"Hey, what the hell are you doing now?!"
So, I ran a little experiment.
I wanted to see if the magic I’d recently acquired was actually useless or not.
Perhaps stimulated by Ellen’s growth, Princess Hestia had confidently challenged me to a duel, so I tried it out on her.
The result was successful enough that Senior Lucia came over and nagged me until my ears bled.
"……"
However, I didn't let it go to my head.
After all, hadn't I been absolutely thrashed by Prince Ellen?
"Shit. You bastard, what the hell did you even make?"
So, I went to find the Captain and sparred with him, and it was quite effective.
I even managed to draw a familiar, nostalgic exclamation of "Shit" from the Captain’s mouth.
"……?"
And what was even stranger...
"Captain."
"What."
"It feels like you're weaker than Prince Ellen. Is it just my imagination?"
"I haven't lost yet! Not yet!"
Not yet.
Usually, he just seemed like a weird middle-aged guy, but he was the pride of the Leon Royal Family—a swordsman and the official Commander of the Knights guarding the royalty.
To hear a man like that say he "hasn't lost yet" to a newly awakened Sword Master...
"Damn it..."
My efforts weren't in vain.
It was just that my opponent was simply overwhelming.
If that was the case, there was only one way left.
"Boradoriemon!"
—What the hell is it this time...
The only thing left was an Isekai reincarnation cheat.
Boradoriemon: Today, my world collapsed.
As is typical for the development of a RoFan, the Holy Kingdom was a den of iniquity among dens of iniquity.
It was clearly a world where a God existed, yet for some reason, divine punishment was never dealt. Why wasn't their divine power confiscated?
From what Daisy said, it wasn't that the Goddess was unaware the religion was going to hell.
It was just that she couldn't impose any sanctions.
Corrupt clergymen sucked the lifeblood out of the common people in the name of God's will.
Meanwhile, the truly devout believers who followed the Goddess's will were pushed out by politics and factional infighting, living in poverty in the countryside alongside the poor, sustained by faith alone.
However, as is the case with most RoFans, the female lead is usually a Saintess, or one of the male lead candidates is a Saint or a high-ranking religious figure.
Naturally, in a RoFan, the Holy Kingdom is a target for reform and serves as a stage for political warfare.
This world was no different.
A battle against the deeply rooted, corrupt powers was scheduled to happen.
It was supposed to start with a faction of Cardinals trying to secretly win over Daisy, the Saintess.
When persuasion failed, they would try more radical methods, only to be blocked by the RoFan male leads.
The long, drawn-out struggle against the corruption rooted in the Holy Kingdom that followed... was abruptly crushed last year by a suddenly awakened Daisy.
Even those who were supposed to appear later—the ones who eventually joined hands with the Demon Tribe—were all cut down.
Because of that, as expected, life in the Holy Kingdom wasn't bad.
Slurp.
"Does it suit your palate?"
"Yes, thank you."
"It is my pleasure."
No, "not bad" was an understatement; it was actually more comfortable than the Academy.
"...Being a Cardinal might not be so bad."
My only job was hanging out with the Pope. Even that was strictly limited to three hours a day because he had a lot to study as the Pope.
In short, my daily routine in the Holy Kingdom consisted of playing with the Pope for three hours and playing with Daisy for three hours. That was it.
The rest of the time was all free, and since I was highly favored by the Pope and the Saintess—the two pillars of the Holy Kingdom—I was being treated with the utmost hospitality.
It was worlds apart from how a certain boss I know treats his subordinates.
Maybe I should just settle down here in the Holy Kingdom...
"Speak of the devil."
Just as that thought crossed my mind, my communication device began to signal.
"I don't really have anything to report, though..."
Contrary to my initial fears, the Holy Kingdom was the picture of peace.
Of course, there was some backlash against the radical reforms of the mainstream reformist faction.
But that was an inevitable, natural occurrence.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat, checked my face in the mirror, and...
"Do I look too happy?"
If I looked like I was doing too well, he’d definitely find something to complain about, so I scowled as I answered the call.
And then.
—Boradoriemon!
"What the hell is it this time..."
I was greeted by that obnoxious voice right from the start.
—I feel so wronged. I hate the world.
"I'm starting to feel the same way..."
What kind of nonsense was she planning to pull, calling me "Boradoriemon" the moment we connected?
I steeled myself and listened to his story.
"So, Ellen became a Sword Master?"
Apparently, Ellen had become a Sword Master.
Compared to the original work, he was more than two years ahead of schedule.
It was certainly surprising, but considering the person Ellen was, it wasn't impossible.
For one, there was the man currently lamenting on the other side of the communication device.
Because of him, the growth process had changed significantly, and unlike the original, he had started intervening from the very beginning.
Above all, considering Daisy's transformation, Ellen becoming a Sword Master two years early wasn't that shocking.
However, it seemed our boss couldn't accept it.
—You said there are more things like Daisy's Magic Sword. Do you really not know where they are?
"I don't..."
I wasn't lying.
The Demon King's Divine Artifacts I remembered were equipped as a full set by the Demon King upon his first appearance, which had been a huge shock to the readers.
If I had known, I would have found them all long ago, given them to Daisy, and told her to lop his head off the moment he showed up.
—Then what about something else...
"Hmm..."
I pondered while munching on a snack that looked like a Pepero, given to me by a priest earlier.
To be honest, I didn't understand.
Since Ellen was essentially a natural disaster, there was no reason for him to go that far.
No matter how much the Leon Royal Family valued strength... no, because it was the Leon Royal Family, they should know better than anyone how ridiculous a being Ellen was.
And yet, why was he so serious about this? Professional ethics? A man's pride?
...Neither of those really suited a man like Adam Smith.
"Actually, in the basement of the Academy library, there's an underground dungeon that wasn't fully revealed even in the original work..."
—Why does something like that even exist?
"Who knows? There were rumors it was bait for a sequel because so much was left unexplained."
Of course, that would only be possible if the original had been finished properly.
But since it had a rock-solid fanbase—readers who didn't even drop the series during the 'rape-to-pure-love' development...
Perhaps the author was working on a sequel right now.
"There are a few minor issues, but nothing to worry about."
There was a very high probability that a Princess hiding her identity would appear, but that wasn't really worth mentioning.
I told him what I remembered about the dungeon and the items found there.
—...I see.
Our boss had enough experience reading web novels himself.
Even with a vague explanation, he understood perfectly.
—So you were looting the place in secret...
"……"
The problem was that he understood too perfectly.
"This is why I hate sharp bosses..."
Still, the only things I’d taken were related to magic and sorcery.
As for the swordsman-related items, I’d only taken one or two essential ones and given them to Daisy.
—This is definitely grounds for an incident report.
"Oh, for God's sake..."
Even after explaining everything, the moment my boss mentioned he was definitely going to make me write an incident report this time, I was seriously considering quitting everything and just living as a Cardinal in the Holy Kingdom.
—Anyway. I'm heading over as soon as you return to the Academy, so be ready.
"Yes, yes."
—And this... it's about the bonus this time.
"Seriously..."
I was already broke... well, not exactly broke, but I was struggling because I was investing heavily for the future.
Just as I was about to tell my tyrannical boss that I was quitting because this was just too much...
"……?"
The amount written on the paper visible across the screen was strange.
How many zeros were there?
I didn't cause that much trouble...
"It's a plus?"
But what that 'plus' at the end meant was...
—Ellen became a Sword Master, after all.
"H-He did, didn't he?"
My heart raced.
If someone proposed to me right now, I might just nod immediately.
It was that much money.
Who needs the 'suspension bridge effect'?
When an amount of money that makes your legs tremble and your heart pound is right in front of you, it's the same thing.
—So a performance bonus came out this time. Since you're my direct subordinate, it looks like a separate bonus was issued for you too.
"Did I mention that I love you?"
—The bullshit is truly in full bloom.
It was a shame my sincere feelings weren't getting through, but what could I do if he didn't like it?
I was receiving enough money to pay off my salary advance and still feel wealthy.
Furthermore...
"This isn't taxed, right?"
—Activities related to agent work are tax-exempt.
Now this is the life. What else could compare?
This was truly a move worthy of Leon, the kingdom of knights and one of the greatest nations on the continent.
A Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom?
The previous Cardinals were rotten to the core, but the position itself emphasized integrity.
In fact, due to the atrocities of the previous Cardinals and bishops, the reformists were currently focusing most on ensuring high-ranking clergy distanced themselves from worldly desires.
In other words, 'capitalist Cardinals' were likely to get the spear.
A person should live where they belong.
Clear, Grade 1 water looks nice.
But a fish that lives in muddy water cannot survive in Grade 1 water.
Cardinal, my ass.
I will bury my bones in Leon, the home of my heart—no, the home of my soul.
Just as I was nodding in agreement...
Our boss made a very interesting joke, as if testing my loyalty.
—Oh, and one more thing.
"Just say the word!"
—I learned magic.
"Hahaha!"
Oh, Boss.
What a hilarious joke.
—...I really did learn it, though?
"I'm sure you did!"
—No, I'm serious.
"Ha, haha."
—Our Tower Master... well, you wouldn't trust him. But you know that High Elf I mentioned? Even she and the Dragonkin Ancestor perfectly acknowledged it as magic...
"Ha... ha... ha...?"
No matter how much the bonus warmed my heart, I couldn't accept this level of nonsense.
No, putting that aside...
"Are you serious?"
Having tried to teach Adam Smith magic before, I knew.
He was not someone who could learn magic.
As a Leonian to the bone, it was as if the Goddess had given Adam Smith a sword and taken away magic, proving that one cannot have everything.
And yet, magic?
The fire and ice coming from his hands were acknowledged as magic by an Elf and a descendant of a Dragon?
—Look.
As he said that, he once again produced fire and ice from his sword...
"……"
He did pull it off.
But it was different from before.
I could tell the moment I saw it.
"No, what the fuck is that?" was the thought that naturally came to mind.
It looked like just fire-attribute and ice-attribute sword energy, but...!
...It possessed all three of the essential components of magic!
—I'm a mage now.
I couldn't say a word to Adam Smith as he ended the communication.
Staring at the darkening screen, I was forced to lie in bed for three days, suffering the greatest shock I’d experienced since realizing this world was inside a RoFan.