To Gain a Friend, Become One First
There’s an old saying: to gain a friend, you must first become a friend. It means that if you want good friends, you have to be a good friend yourself. The question is, when exactly do you use a line like that? Turns out, it’s for moments like this.
“Order whatever you want. It’s on me.”
“I’m still not giving you any magic.”
Haze sat down and ordered a mulled ale. As the name suggests, it was basically beer mulled wine—warm beer mixed with spices, fruit, and sugar. Unsurprisingly, it was one of the commoner staples in Happy Mid-land.
“Even after spending so long in the imperial palace, you haven’t lost your roots. I was starting to think you’d abandoned us and moved uptown for good, Sir Haze.”
“Soundproof magic is active, right?”
“No?”
“You little—”
“I’m kidding.”
I ordered some mead and asked again. “Weren’t you on an errand? Is it okay to just sit here drinking?”
“I’m just having a quick drink while I wait for the food I ordered. This much is fine. And how did you know I came from the bottom rungs anyway?”
“Your hands are rough.”
“All swordsmen have rough hands.”
“But they feel different from Sir Leon’s, even though he’s a swordsman too?”
“Who the hell is Leon….”
You don’t know Leon? That transcendent pretty boy who charms everyone, men included?
“I’m hurt.”
“You get hurt over the weirdest things.”
Haze took a sip of his mulled ale and continued in a low voice. “Too bad about the Star Silver.”
“Right? I was so upset I cried buckets.”
“The way you say it makes it sound like you weren’t upset at all.”
“Actually, I’m not. I’ll get it back eventually.”
“From the imperial prince?”
“Nothing holds meaning in front of a 9th-circle mage.”
“Even an 8th-circle mage makes most things meaningless.”
Haze let out a small laugh, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at me. The gaze was incredibly familiar. It was the same expression a female classmate had given me back in middle school during my previous life. I’d been skipping class to hole up in the library studying magic when we ran into each other. It was the look you give something fascinating—like you’ve discovered a rare creature.
“I’m not a fantasy animal.”
“What are you even going to do with all that collected magic?”
“Everyone says that when they see me. I’m not collecting it to use for anything specific. I just want to use it, so I collect it.”
“Really?”
Haze rolled his eyes. He clearly didn’t understand, which was the normal reaction. Most people couldn’t relate. It was the same as someone with a stamp-collecting hobby. He seemed to think we operated on the same principle, but strictly speaking, I was far from a collector. The way I approached magic was deeper and narrower than that.
“What circle are you?”
“Third-circle.”
“If I gave you my magic, how would you even take it? You said you’re not learning it.”
“That’s top secret. But since you’re a valued customer, Sir Haze, I’ll tell you as a special favor.”
Creak.
Something appeared in my hand. It was as sudden as if someone had cut a piece out of the world and pasted it there—no warning, no precursor.
“That’s…”
“With this, I can permanently receive your magic, Sir Haze.”
“A unique magic.”
The utterly alien explanation that didn’t sound like magic at all led Haze straight to the correct answer. The ability to transfer another person’s magic—only a unique magic could pull off something so miraculous.
“Does it work on anything?”
“Yes.”
“Even unique magic can be transferred?”
“I already have one satisfied customer.”
“Then my specialty magic, Silent Shadow, should work too, obviously.”
Haze let out a hollow laugh. Even though he was a knight, he had elevated a single spell to the level of a specialty. He immediately understood just how absurd the idea of “trading” magic was.
“Don’t tell me you can even trade elemental affinity? What about talent?”
“That I can’t do.”
“At least you still have some humanity.”
In truth, my elemental affinity hadn’t been traded but had increased naturally. Still, it wasn’t exactly the same as gaining talent. If anything, it felt closer to expanding one’s aptitude. Raising a new elemental affinity required even more effort than when I’d struggled to comprehend fire affinity, but it was still better than having none at all. I had no complaints.
“You’re even more impressive than I thought?”
“It’s not me who’s impressive. It’s my master.”
“Master?”
“I received this magic from my master.”
“A third-circle mage with a unique magic did seem strange… so you have quite the teacher.”
Haze’s expression grew complicated. Reading the ambiguity in his reaction, I guessed what was on his mind.
“Is your master also an incredible person, Sir Haze?”
“Absolutely monstrous.”
Haze smacked his lips, set down his beer mug, and said, “You probably know my master too. He’s the greatest sword of the empire.”
“So you’re under Valion Dragomil. That really is an incredible master.”
“I’m the one who doesn’t match the teacher.”
Haze fiddled with his mug. The gesture was familiar to me. Kelton had done the exact same thing whenever he mentioned his own master, Adelian.
“Sir Haze.”
“What.”
“Sir Valion chose you for a reason. My master was chosen by Adelian Croft too, you know? He always found it strange. He thought he didn’t deserve to be the disciple of the Archmage. But look at the magic my master left behind. It’s exactly the kind of talent an 8th-circle mage would choose, isn’t it?”
“……”
Haze fell silent, lost in thought. I delivered the finishing blow.
“The reason you haven’t achieved what you want, in my opinion, is because you’re trying to pursue both the sword and magic. Hand the magic over to me. Everyone wins that way.”
“If not for that last sentence, I might have actually been moved.”
“What a shame.”
Maybe I’d harvested the fruit before it had fully ripened. I should have waited a little longer.
“Here’s your roasted chestnuts.”
“Thank you.”
Haze took the packaged roasted chestnuts and left the shop. I walked beside him down the street.
“Hey,” he said.
“Yes?”
“Why are you following me?”
“I thought there might be something else I could help you with.”
“I told you, I’m not giving you magic.”
“You never know.”
If the customer doesn’t want it, go to them and change their mind. That was my business motto.
“Haa.”
With a long sigh, Haze tossed me one of the freshly roasted chestnuts. When I caught it, he gave a small nod.
“Take that and go. I need to head back too.”
“Looks like you don’t need to buy anything else.”
“This is plenty. Actually, it’s too much. Her Highness will probably leave more than half untouched.”
“What do you do with the leftovers? Do you eat them, Sir Haze?”
“I throw them away.”
Haze neatly folded the wrapping paper and asked slowly, “How long are you staying in the capital?”
“Why do you ask? Are you going to give me the magic after all?”
“I’ve said no six times now. How long are you staying?”
“I don’t know either. But I’ll probably leave for somewhere else soon.”
“Really?”
Haze gave a small reply, then added in a completely casual tone, “Leave the capital as quickly as you can.”
“Why?”
“Just leave. I’m going now.”
Haze waved his hand and walked off. I stared after him for a while before turning around. I should head back to the inn and play with Jerry.
*
The next morning.
I sat across from Muran, who had come to the inn. She placed a pouch filled with gold coins on the table. Even at a glance, it was an enormous amount. I tilted my head, pipe in mouth.
“I already said I wouldn’t accept it.”
“The theft of the Star Silver was partly my fault for moving it without proper security. Since both sides share blame, I decided not to hold the Alchemist Guild responsible either. That’s what we agreed on, isn’t it?”
“…Even if a customer brags about their item to the entire world and makes a request, that is not the customer’s fault. However, losing an item entrusted to us is unconditionally the Alchemist Guild’s mistake.”
“Hmm.”
At this point, most people would either give up or throw the pouch of gold at me and run off, telling me to do whatever I wanted with it. But despite my repeated refusals, she kept coming back with this persistence. It was clear now. These Alchemist Guild people would chase me to the ends of the continent, begging me to please just accept the compensation.
That wouldn’t do. I blew smoke toward the ceiling and raised a finger.
“If you really want to compensate me, do it with magic.”
“…Magic, you say?”
“I have zero aptitude for alchemy magic. Find someone who can permanently transfer their alchemy magic to me. I won’t accept anything else.”
“…Transferring magic is impossible—never mind. Understood. I’ll find someone.”
Muran, who had looked slightly puzzled, soon stood up. I waved at her as she left the inn, then popped the bread in front of me into my mouth. Delicious.
“Lady Ruina. I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Is Sir Jerry some kind of shadow now? He just lights your pipe without anyone noticing and vanishes like a ghost.”
“I don’t really know either.”
I had no idea why Jerry was acting like that. Ask the man himself. I tapped out my pipe and fell into thought.
With this, my business in the capital was finished. Muran had just added one more thing to my to-do list, but that would be resolved quickly enough. Finding a retired alchemist who no longer used alchemy magic wouldn’t be difficult for the Alchemist Guild. They might even bring someone by this evening.
That left only one question on my mind right now.
Why was the imperial family in such chaos? The reason all those life-extending items were gathering in the capital was obvious. The imperial family was searching for them. The Second Prince’s reckless theft of the Star Silver fell into the same category. For some unknown reason, the imperial family wanted those items, so the Second Prince had desperately stolen the Star Silver as well.
And then there was Haze’s warning—he was connected to the imperial family. Star Silver, the imperial family, warning. The three words kept spinning in my head. It felt like something was about to surface, but it wouldn’t quite come to me.
“……”
“Lady Ruina? What’s wrong?”
Then I saw the succubus’s face, and one thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Succubus. Concubine. Struggle for the throne.
…Could the emperor be on his deathbed?
In that case, staying in the capital any longer really wasn’t a good idea. Nothing major would happen just because the emperor died, but it would definitely become troublesome. I calmly spoke up.
“We’ll depart tomorrow morning.”
“Why so suddenly? Weren’t we staying a few more days?”
“I was planning to, but I think it’s best if we leave as quickly as possible.”
“I don’t mind, but what about Sir Leon and Sir Jerry?”
“I have no objections.”
“Me neither.”
That settled it. I stood up to prepare for the journey in advance.
“Everyone inside! Now!”
Then I stopped at the sudden shout. It sounded like a simple threat at first, but the speaker was far from ordinary.
“Those are the southern troops, aren’t they? What are they doing here?”
As Jerry muttered, the southern army continued.
From this moment on, the city gates will be sealed and all passage forbidden! Anyone who fails to obey this order will be treated as a rebel!
“What the hell?”
“What’s going on?”
The crowd buzzed with confusion. They couldn’t figure out what was happening. But I understood immediately.
Rebel. The vicious word brought the realization crashing down.
The emperor was dead. And the Second Prince had drawn his sword—the terrifying demonic blade that would not stop until someone lay dead.