Chapter 186: Willen
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Willen
A full day had passed since we left Mayfield.
Eager to cross the border as quickly as possible, we pushed on, choosing to camp out even when we passed towns or cities.
The driver complained, but after a few rounds of 'financial therapy,' he started driving with less sleep, all on his own.
Thanks to him, we reached the County of Partal by early morning.
Clatter, clatter!
Unlike the Gail Marquisate, the County of Partal was a vast, mountainous region.
Naturally, we had to take the mountain roads to get to the border.
“Hyun-woo...”
“I feel sick...”
Perhaps due to the bumpy mountain path, both Iris and Amelia were suffering from motion sickness. They were completely drained, groaning weakly.
Even magic meant to soften the ride wasn't very effective on such a rough road.
More than anything, it was because we had been in the carriage for too long.
Iris was clinging to my arm as if it were a lifeline from the heavens, her head resting on my shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
Swoosh—
“Haaah...”
When I placed a hand on her forehead and infused her with magic power, Iris let out a sweet, pleased moan.
Thanks to the divine power, her pale complexion gradually improved, and her breathing stabilized as she seemed to grow much more comfortable.
But this was only a temporary fix.
Most importantly, it wouldn't work on Amelia.
The sight of Amelia by the window, groaning in discomfort, kept bothering me.
“We should stop and rest for a bit.”
It was about time for lunch anyway, and unlike people, the horses need regular breaks.
“I-I'm fine, so...”
“You're probably the only 'fine' person I know with blue lips.”
I took out a piece of candy and offered it to Amelia.
“What's this...?”
“You'll feel much better if you eat it.”
“Ah... th-thank you...”
Amelia's face flushed as she took the candy.
I thought she might have a fever, so I reached out to touch her forehead, but...
“E-Eek?! I'm not mentally prepared yet...!”
She flinched in surprise, squeezed her eyes shut, and scrambled away from me.
My hand, having lost its destination, hovered awkwardly in the air.
“Do you need to be mentally prepared for someone to check your temperature?”
“...Ah.”
A wave of red washed over Amelia's face.
She hastily covered her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment, but I could see her bright red cheeks through the gaps between her fingers.
“I-I'm sorry...”
“It's fine. In any case, it's against etiquette for a man she's not related to to carelessly touch a noble lady. It was my own carelessness, so please don't worry about it.”
I picked up the candy she had dropped, unwrapped it, and offered it to her again.
Iris and Sylvia looked horrified when they saw the yellow wrapper, but it was the only sour candy I had.
Amelia, still dazed from the motion sickness, popped the candy into her mouth without a second thought.
“Hk?!”
A moment later, a startled Amelia shot up from her seat.
Ignoring Amelia's teary, resentful glare, I told the driver to stop somewhere suitable.
Even on the rough mountain road, it wasn't too difficult to find a clearing where we could rest for a while.
Iris and Amelia spread out a mat in a suitable spot and enjoyed the break. Sylvia was attending to Iris.
I walked over to the driver.
“How much farther to Billen?”
We were heading to a small city called Billen, one of the few places in the rugged County of Partal where one could cross the border with relative ease.
“We should arrive in about two or three hours.”
“Alright, we'll leave in an hour.”
I gave the driver some food and returned to my spot to review our plans.
At this rate, we'll reach Billen before sunset. We can cross the border early tomorrow morning.
And with the letter of recommendation, crossing shouldn't be a problem.
'...At least, that would normally be the case.'
There was one problem we had to solve before crossing the border.
“Lady... Amelia.”
“Yes?”
Amelia, who had been chatting with Iris with a much more comfortable expression, looked at me.
Even dressed in commoner's clothes, with her face uncovered, she was the very picture of a noble lady.
“We'll be crossing the border tomorrow. From there, it should only take about four days to reach the Duchy of Orsia.”
“Ah...”
Amelia looked pleased to hear that.
“Before that, there's something I'd like to ask, if that's alright.”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember collapsing from exhaustion in an alley a few days ago?”
To cross the border from Billen, we have to pass through checkpoints manned by the border guards of both the Veilhaven Republic and the Nivia Kingdom.
The Veilhaven Republic is one thing, but the Nivia Kingdom is a neighboring country to the Duchy of Orsia.
Is it really possible that not a single one of them is collaborating with the rebels?
If there are collaborators among the border guards, there's a high chance they'll know what Amelia looks like.
“At that time, I tried to cast a spell on you, Lady Amelia. Your appearance is quite striking, after all. But it had no effect.”
“Magic...? Sir Hyun-woo, I thought you were a knight...?”
“I hold both positions.”
Amelia's eyes widened as I conjured a small fireball in my palm.
“If we run into rebel collaborators during the inspection, it will become a huge problem. Do you happen to have any artifacts on you?”
“...Yes.”
Amelia carefully pulled out a necklace that had been hidden inside her shirt.
It was a necklace featuring an exquisitely crafted sapphire.
“This is Arca, an artifact passed down through generations only to the heir of the Orsia Grand Ducal Family.”
“Passed down? You mean it's a subordinate artifact?”
Amelia nodded.
According to her, the artifact was responsible for teleporting her into the heart of the Veilhaven Republic and for allowing her to find me in Mayfield.
That explained why she had been so insistent on having me as her escort.
Furthermore, the abilities of the artifact called Arca, as Amelia described them, weren't limited to just those two things.
“Magic correction and high magic resistance...”
Not only did it have multiple abilities, but every single one was extraordinary.
The long-range teleportation seemed to be a one-time use, but even so, it also had the ability of Light-Dark Perception and a correction ability that allowed a normal person to use magic.
But most absurd of all was its high magic resistance, which granted immunity to all sorts of magic and magic power.
For a normal person to be able to block the magic of a 4th Circle Mage... this was no ordinary item.
“I knew it... This necklace is an artifact from the Mythical Era.”
Iris said with a look of conviction as she examined the necklace.
“The Mythical Era?”
“It refers to a time when gods and humans coexisted and built a civilization incomparable to our own. They say that magic tools and artifacts from the Mythical Era are sometimes found in ancient dungeons. It seems this necklace is one of them.”
I took the necklace from Iris and looked it over, but I couldn't feel anything special from it.
To have so many powerful abilities yet give off no presence at all.
'This is way too overpowered.'
If this had been a weapon like a sword or a bow instead of a necklace, an opponent would have let their guard down and been killed instantly.
After all, on the outside, Amelia is just a normal person.
“Is there any way to temporarily disable the high magic resistance?”
If I could just cast an invisibility spell on Amelia, crossing the border would be no problem.
However.
“I don't think that's possible. I can't fully control Arca yet...”
It seems having an easy time just isn't in the cards for me.
Of course, since I hadn't expected it to be easy, I wasn't too disappointed.
'Have I ever had it easy, to begin with?'
But unlike me, who was unfazed, Amelia seemed to feel differently.
“I'm sorry...”
Her voice was slightly strained, and the guilt on her face was more telling than her words.
Amelia couldn't even look me in the eye. Her fingertips trembled with anxiety.
“There's no need to apologize. We just need to find another way.”
Unfortunately, I have no talent for comforting women.
The best I could do was offer some words of comfort to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal.
I habitually started to pat Amelia's head, but then I remembered what happened earlier and quickly withdrew my hand.
Amelia, whose eyes met mine for a brief moment, quickly lowered her head again.
“It's not that there's no way at all...”
“Is that true?”
Amelia slowly nodded.
They say there's always a way out, even in a dead-end situation. It seems they were right.
“W-Well...”
Amelia fidgeted with her fingers.
She stared at the ground, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking.
“C-Can I tell you later...?”
“What?”
“I'm sorry...”
For a moment, I didn't understand what she meant, but I decided to let it go, figuring she must have her reasons.
For now, just knowing there was a way was enough.
*
That afternoon, as planned, we arrived in Billen before sunset.
After paying the driver the rest of his fee as per our contract and parting ways, we wandered through the city looking for a place to stay for the night.
In the process, I learned that not all border cities are of the same quality.
Billen had city walls, but the inside was so shabby it was embarrassing to even compare it to Wavel.
Well-paved roads existed only in the city center; the rest were mostly dirt paths with weeds sprouting here and there. On top of that, I frequently saw dilapidated shacks on the verge of collapse.
It didn't seem like the lord was a corrupt official extorting taxes, though, as what appeared to be the lord's mansion wasn't in great shape either.
Above all, the lack of an exclusive district for nobles indirectly spoke volumes about the city's level of development.
'I have no choice.'
Even if I use the bed and food I brought from Earth, there are still minimum standards.
I couldn't let my women stay in some rundown, collapsing inn.
I'd rather camp outside.
“Sir Hyun-woo, this place is...?”
“This is where we're staying tonight.”
It was the most decent-looking building in the entire city.
“...All I see is the lord's mansion.”
Sylvia retorted, dumbfounded.
Ignoring her, I approached the guard standing watch at the mansion.
“...Who are you? This is the residence of Lord Reginald.”
I showed my letter of recommendation to the guard, who was eyeing me with a voice full of suspicion.
The guard seemed flustered by the large seal of the Viscount Hessler family.
“A-Are you a noble...?”
“I am a mage. I happened to stop by Billen during my travels and, having heard of Lord Reginald's reputation, I came to pay my respects.”
Of course, that was a lie.
I didn't even know the lord's name until the guard said it.
“A mage?! P-Please wait a moment!”
But at the mere mention of the word 'mage,' the guard started and immediately ran inside the mansion.
The guard's satisfying reaction lifted my spirits a little.
It's a fact I tend to forget whenever I'm rolling around like a dog with a sword in my hand, but on Earth, I'm a 4th Circle Mage, treated as a quasi-noble.
This kind of treatment is only natural.
“You're making a rather unpleasant smile.”
“I can hear you.”
It seems Sylvia's education is still lacking.
I'll have to set aside some time soon and give her a spanking in front of Iris.
“S-Sorry to keep you waiting!”
Not long after, the guard returned, accompanied by an old man who appeared to be the butler.
“May the blessings of the arcane be with you. It is an honor to meet you. I am Willen, the butler of the Baron Reginald family. Please, follow me.”
I followed the butler into the mansion.
The interior of the mansion was rather plain compared to those of other noble families.
Still, it was far superior to any inn on the street.
The butler led us to what looked like a reception room, where a middle-aged woman in a dress greeted us.
“May the blessings of the arcane be with you. I am Lila Sharen Reginald. It is an honor to meet a seeker of the arcane such as yourself, Sir Mage.”
“I am Kang Hyun-woo.”
As expected, she was the lord's wife.
She was alone in the reception room; according to her, the lord was currently away from the city.
“Around this time of year, magical beasts sometimes descend from the mountains and attack the commoners' houses. His Lordship periodically goes out on subjugation missions to reduce such damages.”
“It seems we've come at a bad time.”
“Did you say you were leaving tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, we have a long way to go, so we can't afford to dally.”
I gave appropriate answers to her questions.
By this world's standards, mages are known to have terrible personalities, so I didn't draw any glares even if my etiquette was slightly off.
In fact, she just seemed surprised, as if she'd never seen a polite mage like me before.
In the middle of our conversation, I placed a pouch containing several gold coins on the table.
“Since we will be in your care for the night, I wish to show our gratitude in a manner befitting the occasion.”
It was far too much for a single night's lodging, but it didn't matter since I had money to spare.
The Baroness lifted the pouch slightly, then gave a bright smile.
In truth, it's not that hard to tell the difference between gold and silver coins. You can distinguish them just by the sound they make clinking against each other.
“I will show you to your rooms.”
Thanks to the consideration of the now much more cheerful Baroness, we were each assigned our own room.
Dinner was also quite luxurious, featuring a chicken dish that looked like turkey.
They said it was the meat of a magical beast only found in this area, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the most delicious thing I've eaten in this world.
After finishing dinner, I returned to my room to rest for a bit.
Knock, knock—
I heard a knock on the door.
At first, I thought the Baroness had tactfully sent a maid, but the presence I sensed beyond the door was a familiar one.
When I opened the door, I saw Amelia, twisting her blue-gray hair with her fingers.
“May I... come in for a moment?”
