Episode 416
Episode 416
"What brings you here?"
"Ah. It's for a request. Oh right. Let me introduce you. Hey, everyone. This gentleman is the Archmage. Remember what I told you last time?"
"......"
"......"
When Gobon and Bizdek introduced Lee Han to the adventurers behind them, both Lee Han and Angrago froze stiff.
"I'm not an Archmage..."
"Huh? You're not?"
"You're... not?"
While adventurers rarely had opportunities to meet mages, even Angrago looked puzzled, making Lee Han consider smacking someone.
"Who are you talking about? Gobon, if you mean that mage you mentioned before... Gasp!"
One of the adventurers suddenly widened his eyes as if remembering something. Gobon gave him a look that said, Finally remembered, huh?
"So, you mean the one who joined your party, stood guard with magic, lit fires with magic, summoned water with magic, cooked with magic, and even cleared caves with magic?! You were talking about that?!"
"I thought Gobon was just spouting nonsense while looking down on us..."
"......"
As the adventurers buzzed with murmurs, Gobon's face flushed bright red.
What kind of disgrace was this in front of the great Archmage—no, the mage who was infinitely close to being an Archmage—to whom he owed so much?
"Why would I lie?! Are you mocking me?!"
"N-No, sorry. It just sounded too unbelievable."
"I don't know much about mages, but even I could tell what Gobon said was ridiculous."
"Grr...! You fools, do you even know who's standing before you...! H-Haven't you heard about the mage who recently defeated the Ghoul King?! That's him!"
"The Ghoul King?!"
The adventurers were even more shocked.
Adventurers who traveled frequently across the empire had plenty of opportunities to hear rumors.
When they had recently returned to Granden City, they'd heard tales about the Ghoul King a few times at taverns—and that was him?
"But... why would a mage like that even associate with Gobon...?"
"No offense to your skills, Gobon, but you're not the kind of adventurer who'd serve an Archmage, are you?"
"......"
As Gobon trembled with rage, Lee Han decided he had to step in, if only to calm the commotion.
"Ah. So you're from Einrogard. That explains it..."
The adventurers nodded in understanding.
Of course, not every student from Einrogard could wield magic like Lee Han, but the adventurers didn't know that.
They simply accepted that since he attended a prestigious magic school, he must be an extraordinary mage.
"I'm still a student, so I have much to learn. And the stories about the Ghoul King are a bit exaggerated."
"Aha. So even what Gobon said was mixed with some tall tales?"
"That part was true."
"......"
"...???"
Though confused, the adventurers accepted it for now.
"By the way, what request brought you here?"
The reason Gobon and the adventurers had come this far was due to a recent request they'd received.
-Reports have been coming in about strange phenomena frequently occurring in the Black Rock Forest near Philone Village. It appears there have been changes in the mana flow. Investigate the forest thoroughly.
It wasn't an extremely dangerous request, but neither was it something just anyone could handle.
The mana scattered throughout nature flows and gathers, causing various changes—sometimes triggering anomalies that could startle even seasoned adventurers.
'The incident where the undead realm connected last time was also one of those phenomena.'
The task required enough experience to assess the situation and enough combat prowess to escape and report if something went wrong.
Gobon and the adventurers had the necessary qualifications, which was why they'd been entrusted with the request.
'Oh.'
Listening to the adventurers' request, Lee Han looked at them with slight admiration.
Just from the description, it was clear this wasn't a job for just anyone—it was the kind of request only veteran adventurers with considerable experience could undertake.
'That reward sounds nice. I should've taken a quest like that too.'
No matter how he thought about it, the quest he'd taken during vacation had been a huge loss.
Had he known a Ghoul King would appear, he wouldn't have wandered around that area gathering materials.
Lee Han also wanted to simply investigate things and receive gold coins as reward.
"But we ran into some trouble... We're debating whether we should withdraw now or not."
While investigating the Black Rock Forest, the adventurers realized the forest's terrain kept shifting.
The gathered mana was creating illusions to confuse intruders.
For now, it was just the terrain changing, but if the illusions grew stronger, it could become life-threatening.
The adventurers were agonizing over what to do.
"Ah. Couldn't we ask the mage for help? Meeting like this must be fate."
"Don't spout nonsense. Why would a mage be interested in such a trivial quest? The reward is just pocket change to them."
'That's not true.'
Lee Han nearly scowled.
The adventurers clearly had some major misconceptions about mages.
"But last time you worked with Goo Bon..."
"That must've been because of the Ghoul King. Goo Bon probably just served as a guide."
Goo Bon looked flabbergasted at his companions talking so openly while he was right beside them.
But he couldn't refute it.
Because that was exactly the role he'd played!
"...I'm not only interested in things like Ghoul Kings. I'm interested in all kinds of quests."
"Eh? Really?"
"But why...? Surely not for the gold coins...?"
"For the acquisition of knowledge, I presume."
"Ah-ha."
Rather than correcting their misconceptions, Lee Han steered the conversation back.
"If it's alright, I'd like to help. I do have a connection with Goo Bon here after all."
Goo Bon made a touched expression.
"As for the reward..."
"Please do accept it, Honored Mage!"
"That's right. Of course such a reward would mean little to Honored Mage, but this is an adventurer's principle. If you help with the work, you must receive compensation."
"...Ah. Yes. Well."
Lee Han had been about to say "You must give me the reward" but felt awkward.
'Not bad.'
To think he could get gold coins so easily. For the first time, Lee Han thought becoming a mage had been the right choice.
Other adventurers had to build up all sorts of experience and achievements, but as a mage, his name alone granted him access.
Being a mage was great!
Moreover, traveling with adventurers would help avoid any potential pursuers from Einrogard.
"Hey. Wardanaz..."
Angrago, who'd been listening nearby, whispered in disbelief.
"We're first-years. You really think you can handle this?"
"Angrago. Do you think I'd suggest this without considering that?"
At Lee Han's confident reply, Angrago realized his mistake.
Come to think of it, though they were both first-years, Wardanaz was a mage on an entirely different level from Angrago.
'Right. This guy's from the Wardanaz family.'
Angrago nodded as if understanding.
"My bad, that was a stupid question. Well, if you're confident, we should definitely take it now. Traveling together will draw less attention too. With your skills, it should be enough..."
"Right. I'll ask Lord Valdororn to come with us."
"...????"
Wait, you're not solving it yourself?
Philoné Village's illusion mage, Valdororn.
He was the kind of mage you might encounter once while traveling through villages - closer to an ordinary mage without exceptional skills.
Those who either self-studied from magic tomes or sought guilds and teachers but hit their limits often ended up like this, settling to use magic as mere livelihood.
Naturally, Valdororn had long abandoned any ambitions about glimpsing the end of truth or the world's hidden aspects through magic.
"......"
"Doesn't the mage look a bit strange? Is he displeased with us?"
"Were we too rude?"
"...Ah, no, that's not it."
Valdororn quickly explained himself to the adventurers.
It seemed his frustrated emotions had been all too apparent.
'Why on earth does this Einrogard student keep coming here...'
When Valdororn had absentmindedly gone to answer the door at the knocking sound, his heart nearly dropped to his stomach from shock.
It was that familiar Einrogard student visiting yet again.
"Lord Valdororn. Could you perhaps help us?"
"...Why... No... Very well..."
Valdororn couldn't bring himself to refuse Lee Han's pressure—no, request.
How could he possibly refuse when he made his living through magic in a village near Einrogard?
The students might be acting kindly now, but who knew what kind of retaliation might come later.
"Lord Valdororn isn't the type to act that way," Lee Han stated firmly to the adventurers.
"My apologies. We misunderstood."
"We've heard so much about how difficult mages are to deal with..."
The adventurers apologized with genuine sincerity, which only made Valdororn feel more burdened.
'If we fail to resolve the forest issue, won't they get angry?'
Mages from places like Einrogard carried an innate aura about them.
Even when such mages made mistakes, the empire's people rarely protested.
"Ah, seeing the mage fail must mean it was truly a difficult task!"
But mages like Valdororn lacked that kind of aura.
One slight misstep, and reactions like this would immediately follow:
"He failed? A mage? Is that guy even a real mage? Some kind of quack?"
The adventurers looked like seasoned veterans. Just imagining what would happen if he failed made his stomach churn in advance.
"It's an illusion," Lee Han warned first. He had sensed an unusual flow of mana in the pale mist.
"Look at that!"
"From the forest entrance... the range has expanded."
The adventurers frowned.
For the illusion's influence to have spread all the way to the forest entrance...
This wasn't a good sign.
"Lord Valdororn. May I try dispersing it using the method we learned last time?"
"Ye—... Yes?"
"Then I'll disperse it."
Valdororn, who had answered absentmindedly, startled and tried to ask what he meant.
'What method? I don't remember teaching him anything?'
But upon hearing the answer, Lee Han didn't hesitate—he immediately swung his mana like a hammer and blasted the mist away.
Instead of reading and deciphering the structure, he shattered the framework itself with sheer force—a crude but effective countermeasure.
"......"
Valdororn's jaw dropped at that brutish solution.
'He actually used THAT?!'
While theoretically possible, it was only meant for extremely weak or small-scale illusion magic. The sheer mana consumption required to disperse mist enveloping an entire forest entrance was unimaginable.
The adventurers, still processing what had happened, stared blankly before asking:
"Is it resolved?"
"Yes."
"Incredible!"
"...I didn't do anything."
"Such humility too!"
"......"
Valdororn genuinely wanted to go home.
From then on, Valdororn and Lee Han worked in perfect tandem—breaking the forest's illusions and finding the correct path through keen observation and astonishing magic.
Valdororn observed; Lee Han resolved.
Whenever Lee Han posed a question, Valdororn reliably verified it.
Their flawless teamwork left the adventurers in awe.
"But why is that mage just standing there?"
"He must be conserving his mana."
"......"
Angrago also felt very self-conscious.
He wanted to help, but...
'I can't make sense of it no matter how hard I look!'
From the outside, it just looked like Lee Han was mindlessly swinging his mana around to blast the mist away.
Of course, that couldn't actually be the case—there must have been some extraordinary principle behind it...
But he couldn't figure it out at all.
When Lee Han dispersed yet another patch of mist, Angrago let out a deeply frustrated sigh.
"Hoo."
And Valdororn also sighed deeply.
"Hooooo..."
"...???"
Angrago wondered why this great mage was acting like this.