Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: High-Class? Manpower (3)
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"My goodness! You turned a wolf into a person!!!"
"..."
Rishir was dumbfounded.
What do they think I am, some kind of wizard?
Instead of correcting Kella's misunderstanding, Rishir tried to speak to the wolf pup—no, the beastkin woman.
"Ah—"
In that instant, the strength drained from her body, and she lost consciousness completely.
Her form reverted back to that of a wolf.
"D-Did it fail!?"
Fail what?
Ignoring Kella, Rishir checked on the wolf's condition.
What am I even supposed to figure out from checking—...Huh?
Surprisingly, he could sense something.
What is this?
If the wolf's body had been made of flesh and blood, Rishir wouldn't have sensed a thing.
He wasn't a veterinarian or a doctor, after all.
But the wolf's body was made of mana.
It was like a core of mana wrapped in a shell of flesh.
Thanks to that, Rishir could intuitively grasp the wolf's state.
It's clean but weakened at the same time...
Rishir placed his hand on the wolf's body.
-...
The wolf's expression immediately brightened.
Its body wriggled, as if craving Rishir's touch.
To meet the wolf's needs, Rishir recalled memories of petting puppies.
He scratched behind its neck and head, rubbed its belly, and patted its hips.
-Hing...
The wolf let out a pleased sound.
"Oh."
As he did so, Rishir felt the wolf's energy growing stronger than before.
I don't get the principle, but it seems my energy is having a positive effect on the wolf.
After a brief moment of thought, he picked up the wolf and cradled it in his arms.
-Hiiing...
The wolf wriggled in his embrace, finding the perfect position.
That perfect position turned out to be sprawled out on its back.
The blue wolf lay there with its white belly fully exposed, peacefully falling asleep.
Feeling the wolf more closely in his arms, Rishir thought.
A spirit...?
The word suddenly surfaced in his blank mind.
He had never seen or experienced a spirit firsthand, but if he ever did, wouldn't it feel like this?
"Wh-What did you do to the wolf!?"
Kella asked from the side, her face brimming with fascination.
To her untrained eyes, the sequence of events looked like a wizard turning a wolf into a human, then back into a wolf—a total spectacle.
"I'm not entirely sure, but for now, the immediate crisis seems averted. Maybe it's something like a spirit?"
"Oh...! A spirit!!!"
"Of course, it's not certain. It's not really my area of expertise. Do you know anything about it, Miss Kella?"
"S-Sorry...! I've never subjugated a spirit before!!!"
"Ah, so that's how it is."
"Yes! You went out of your way to ask, and I'm sorry!"
"No need to apologize..."
Rishir averted his gaze, finding Kella's sparkling eyes burdensome.
Rishir didn't understand, but Kella's reaction was perfectly natural.
Most wizards treated adventurers like illiterate bumpkins and dismissed them outright.
If there was a race more arrogant and rude than nobles in this world, it had to be wizards.
In fact, Kella had been ignored countless times by wizards up to now.
And they were all people who wouldn't even measure up to Rishir's toes.
-It's over.
-What happened?
-You think explaining would make them understand?
-...
That was how conversations went with the wizards Kella knew in a situation like this.
But Rishir, this genius wizard, not only kindly explained things to Kella but even asked for her opinion.
Kella felt needlessly anxious.
How great would it be if she could give a proper answer to his question?
How wonderful if she could show a side worthy of this genius wizard's respect!
Hoping for another chance(?), Kella heightened all her senses and focused on Rishir.
Then, a sudden memory surfaced.
-I came to check if you had any requests I could take.
-Buddy, from what I see, you're not the type to fit in this industry.
Recalling her first meeting with Rishir, Kella paled.
"S-Sorry, Sir Rishir!"
"Suddenly?"
"Back then...! I made that comment that seemed to dismiss you, and I'm truly— so embarrassed!"
"Pardon? Ah. It's fine. You were just worried about me, right?"
Kella was now gripped by fear.
What is this? How can he be so un-wizard-like?
He seemed less like someone who had lived his life as a genius wizard and more like a man who had accidentally become one overnight.
Kella steadied her startled heart and said,
"Anyway, let's head to the guild!"
His single visible eye, hidden behind an eyepatch, gleamed with a sharpness that belied its absence.
The second-in-command of the Dragon Guild.
Acting Master Duipona idly undid her neatly braided navy-blue hair, then tied it back up.
It was the only way to calm her troubled mind.
She muttered inwardly.
We're screwed.
A low-rank adventurer from the guild had dragged in unconscious thugs and a wizard.
Apparently, the thugs had ambushed the wizard and herself, so they were subdued and brought in.
That much was understandable.
No, more than understandable—it was good.
The Adventurer's Guild shared some responsibility for city security with the city council.
Catching hoodlums who prowled back alleys in suspicious attire during broad daylight and assaulted passersby?
It was a clear merit for the guild.
If the report had ended there, Duipona would have praised the low-rank adventurer and handed them a candy as a reward.
Unfortunately, the report contained more.
Duipona prayed fervently.
She hoped she'd misheard or that the wizard had misspoke.
"Are you certain? That these guys might be connected to black wizards?"
"Yes. They possessed an item imbued with black magic power."
"..."
Black wizards were a danger incomparable to mere bandits or thieves.
Capturing black wizards and reporting to the city council would bring immense acclaim.
Not only that, but the guild's honor and prestige would soar.
Subjugating black wizards was an undeniable merit for the guild.
Yet Duipona couldn't bring herself to celebrate.
There was a reason for the massive rewards on black wizard hunts.
They were trickier to deal with than any beast or criminal.
Even the Magic Tower wizards knew little about black magic.
How much less could adventurers know?
Wise adventurers avoided getting tangled in anything related to black wizards.
And now what?
They'd already stirred the pot, so just rubber-stamp it?
Duipona glared at Kella, who stood beside her like a criminal.
"S-Sorry... I had no idea it was connected to black wizards...!"
Duipona lit a cigarette and took it in her mouth.
Only after deeply inhaling and exhaling the smoke did the trembling muscles of her face calm.
"Are you certain? That these guys might be connected to black wizards?"
"Isn't that the question you just asked?"
"So, for the sake of saving one person's life, say it again. They might have just coincidentally gotten their hands on that item."
"That possibility is slim."
"How can you be so sure?"
"They knew exactly the power contained in that item and its purpose. That requires accompanying knowledge of black magic. However, aside from the ring, no other traces of black magic were detectable on them. So, my opinion is this: A third party handed them this item along with a specific mission."
"..."
Duipona stared in shock at the obsidian ring on the desk.
From just that one thing, he gleaned all that information?
The only info Duipona could gather from observing the ring was that it felt ominous.
Yet this wizard before her had deduced all sorts from that single ring. As he said, it required black magic knowledge.
The kind and depth of knowledge even hard to expect from Magic Tower wizards.
Thus, Duipona couldn't easily believe Rishir's words.
I can consult that person first and compare.
Duipona reserved judgment on Rishir's opinion.
Soon after, a new visitor arrived at her office.
"I heard you called for me."
Her name was Kedgan.
A formal wizard of the Gray Magic Tower, one of the wizards the Dragon Guild occasionally consulted on magic matters.
As far as Duipona knew, in the Gray Tower, only one or two masters above her had deeper knowledge of black magic.
In the current situation, she was the most reliable asset.
However.
Duipona swallowed a sigh with effort.
Magic Tower wizards, with their absolute pride in their abilities and knowledge, rarely offered help lightly.
Given the circumstances, she had no choice but to summon her, but thinking of the price she'd demand later already gave Duipona a headache.
With difficulty, Duipona opened her mouth and explained the situation to Kedgan.
"Where's this ring said to contain black magic power?"
Kedgan picked up the obsidian ring from the desk and examined it closely.
"You called me here over something this trivial?"
"Could you explain in more detail why it's 'this trivial'?"
"Rather, I want to ask why you're so wary of this unidentified ring."
Kedgan let out a scoffing laugh.
Yes. This is it.
Now it feels like talking to a wizard.
Duipona continued, feeling the vivid displeasure she hadn't felt talking to Rishir.
"Another wizard warned me. To beware of the power in that item and its true owner."
"The power is too vague to even define as black magic. It has no effect on humans whatsoever. Warning you about this means that wizard is one of two things: a fraud trying to deceive you or an ignoramus deluded by their own lack of knowledge."
Duipona glanced at Rishir amid the sharp criticism.
"Hm?"
Kedgan's gaze naturally turned to Rishir.
Duipona inwardly cursed.
This had happened before.
-My goodness, is that what you call magic?
-Which school are you from? Or who's your master?
-Why can't you speak?
-No way?
-Oh dear.
-I'll ask politely: Could you refrain from talking about 'magic' in front of me?
-I can't bear people treating me like one of you 'wizards.'
The Dragon Guild had invited several wizards for consultations, and Kedgan had gleefully torn into the wandering wizards.
The weight of a Magic Tower's name was absolute among wizards.
To engage in equal debate with a prideful wizard like Kedgan, one needed to be affiliated with a specific tower at minimum.
In fact, Kedgan had only once had a proper conversation with another wizard: one from the Blue Magic Tower.
Even then, it was with aggressive logic and tone that shredded the opponent.
"You're him? The 'wizard' Ms. Duipona mentioned."
"That's right."
"I'm Kedgan of the Sarorad family. Formal Gray Magic Tower wizard, trained in the Telldran school. My master's name is Kaldrain. And you?"
"I'm Rishir."
Duipona sighed inwardly.
His introduction was too short.
She closed her eyes tightly.
She could already picture what would follow, and needless guilt washed over her.
It was obvious.
Surely Kedgan would take offense at Rishir's curt self-introduction and nitpick everything—
"Rishir? Rishir... I've heard that name somewhere... Ah! I remember! It was you! The one who exposed that woman Toolan's true identity—"
"...?"
Duipona was bewildered.
It was a tone from Kedgan she'd never heard before.
Who knew Kedgan could sound so friendly?
Kedgan's following words were even more shocking.
She chuckled awkwardly.
"Duipona, what a mischievous thing—consulting Rishir here first, then trying to compare with my opinion."
"...?"
"Anyway, regarding this incident, I have only one piece of advice: Follow Mr. Rishir's opinion completely."
"..."
Kedgan, perhaps recalling how she'd just criticized Rishir's opinion in front of him, praised him effusively with a slightly flushed face before hurriedly leaving.
"...Is that really Kedgan?"
Kella asked, stunned.
"Here..."
It was shortly after Kedgan left.
The bound thugs regained consciousness one by one.
"...!"
They were startled once seeing Rishir's face, then again seeing Duipona's.
"W-Wait! We don't know anything! We were just following orders!"
Thoroughly cowed, they confessed voluntarily before interrogation even began.
"Just following orders?"
"Yeah! A few days ago, some guy came to our guild with a bunch of those obsidian rings—"
Just as they were about to spill everything.
"Gahk!"
Their voices were choked off along with their breath.
Duipona shot up from her seat.
"Lone poison!"
It was a method demonkin often used on underlings.
They implanted poison that triggered in specific states to prevent betrayal.
Fortunately, most lone poisons had their recipes and antidotes uncovered by alchemists.
Anticipating this, Duipona listed the prepared antidotes.
She was about to observe symptoms closely to select one when—
Damn. What is this!? I've never even heard of this poison—
Beside the flustered Duipona, Rishir said quietly.
"It's not poison. It seems like a form of black magic. Fortunately."
"Black magic? What a disaster—no, wait? What? Fortunately?"
Black magic is fortunate?
Duipona's mind worked overtime but couldn't connect those contexts.
"Hahk! Hahk! Hahk!"
Regardless, the thugs' breathing suddenly normalized all at once.
"Fortunately..."
Duipona's single eye shook in disbelief.
At the moment when Gadena, as an elf, swallowed her pride and headed to the Magic Tower for help.
Another elf was swallowing her pride to seek aid from a human.
Dragon Guild's top brass, Guild Master Dragon, couldn't fully hide his shock.
A letter requesting a secret meeting.
Upon arriving at the specified location, an unexpected figure greeted him.
"You..."
The giant standing behind the woman fixed his gaze on Dragon.
Overwhelmed by the immense presence, Dragon immediately bowed his head.
"I see the Branch of the World Tree."
One of the Ten Great Houses, blood of Royeh who ruled the Great Forest, the elves' holy land.
The princess of the Great Forest looked down at him.
"Dragon. I wish to entrust you with guiding a wandering spirit in Bondalles. It won't be easy. It's a child riddled with shame."
Bondalles' greatest adventurer had a gut feeling.
This request would be anything but easy.
Meanwhile, the wolf pup lounging on a chair twitched faintly.
Rishir gently stroked its body.
-Hiiiing...
The wolf let out a pleased sound and flopped over, exposing its belly.