Chapter 156

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 156

Chapter Title: Hail Mage Blaine

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Blaine, the Hail Mage.

"If you ever find yourself visiting Aquarius, just use this invitation. The Magic Tower isn't exactly welcoming to outsiders—it's one of our unfortunate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠traditions."

Kang Seol recalled his memory of the man while piecing together what he knew about the woman with him.

"No way... Prin from back then?"

"Yes! That's right! You remember me?"

"You look... a bit different..."

And she really had changed completely, like she'd shed her old skin entirely.

Her hair, once braided into two neat pigtails, now flowed long and loose, and the glasses that had made her eyes look like tiny beans were gone.

"I've changed a bit, right? I finally got away from all that exhausting work. I'm back in the Tower now."

"Congratulations... are in order?"

"It's not a bad thing. How tough do you think it was for a delicate girl like me out in the wilds?"

Prin put on a fake pout as she said this. Anyone there could tell she was just playing around.

She grinned innocently and continued.

"But you're exactly like I imagined?"

"Like what?"

"You, Snowman! Even when I first saw you, you had that heroic vibe. See? I knew I had a good eye for people!"

Blaine winced at Prin's fussing and spoke up.

"Prin kept asking me when you'd visit the Tower, giving me headaches. When might you stop by Aquarius?"

"Next time... if there's a chance..."

Kang Seol's disappointing answer didn't faze Prin at all.

"It's fine! We'll be at the gathering anyway."

Kang Seol raised a question.

"But why is Aquarius joining a meeting about Libra's affairs?"

"We're not the only ones. Probably all the Zodiac Towers sent representatives."

Phraenn closed his eyes and nodded.

"That's right. They're likely there to advise Libra rather than provide direct support. But even that's something."

Prin raised a finger triumphantly.

"I've heard from here and there that this gathering has an unusually high number of organizations attending. From all walks of life!"

Blaine glanced at Phraenn and reined Prin in.

"Prin, Lord Bernoulli is missing. This is no light matter. Mind your behavior."

"Ah... yes, sir..."

But Phraenn just chuckled heartily to lighten the mood.

"Hahaha! It might just be some old fogey's dementia. No need to get all gloomy. We can be cautious once everything's confirmed. Anyway, Blaine."

"Yes, Lord Phraenn."

"Still no ascension to Saint? I figured someone like you would claim the title of youngest Saint."

"How could an ignorant fool like me covet such a position?"

"Heh heh... I can't tell if that's your true character or just worldly wisdom."

Prin bristled and jumped in.

"Saint! It's not that my master lacks the skill! The other Saints are just so exceptional..."

"Oh, I know full well. Those old coots are the epitome of stubborn mages. Climbing up early just means more wrinkles. Always griping about..."

- Why did Veil take in a scoundrel like this and give me all the wrinkles?

Phraenn, who had been laughing through the conversation, suddenly clamped his mouth shut.

Everyone sensed something off, but no one mentioned it.

The carriage kept rolling on.

Of course, with the distance involved, they couldn't reach the border in one go. They had to camp in open wilds now and then.

"Whoa... what kind of meat is this?"

Prin marveled at the dish Kang Seol had made. Blaine did too.

But Chamelie, who knew what it really was, looked pale.

"...The scriptures say that sometimes knowing all the facts only brings suffering. The scholar Mullu, who sought all the world's knowledge, ended up having his soul taken by a demon and died in agony—that proves it."

"Huh? Why bring that up out of nowhere?"

"...Anyway, let's talk about something else."

The carriage moved on again.

Prin and Bitan dozed off, nodding.

"I get we're heading south to cross the Adelin border into Libra, but is there a set route after that?"

"It'll be decided at the gathering. Most likely straight west."

"Hm..."

"For now, just focus on crossing the border. At this rate, we'll be dead last."

A few days later, they finally reached the southernmost border of Nevenia. And they tasted a brief moment of despair.

"What the hell!"

"This is..."

"Hmmm..."

A massive crowd had gathered to cross, stretching out endlessly.

Kang Seol furrowed his brow.

'This... is gonna take longer than I thought.'

Clearing that many people through inspection would take ages. Maybe days.

The coachman asked Phraenn.

"Uh... what now, master?"

"...Let's go up front and see what's happening. Waiting for all these people means those who arrived first will be kept waiting."

In truth, this was risky too.

Moving to the front of the line would take time, and if others cut in behind, it'd delay them even more.

The carriage was nearly at the front when...

"Whoa, whoa! Hold up, hold up!"

"What the fuck, you lunatic!"

"Just a sec, hear me out!"

The carriage halted amid the shouting outside.

Stopping a moving carriage was dangerous and rarely done.

"L-Lord Phraenn. This guy..."

"Big shot inside, huh?"

Knock knock...

A man rapped on the carriage door.

"Talk to me?"

"You little..."

The coachman started yelling in outrage, but Phraenn stopped him.

"It's fine. What is it?"

"Got a proposition. You're trying to cut in, right?"

"......"

"I know the deal. Fancy carriage, cute ones inside. Rich folk, probably planning to grease some border guard's palm."

Phraenn asked, amused.

"And?"

"Bad timing. That scam got shut down ages ago. All the guards who took bribes are gone."

"...Really?"

"Damn straight! Refugees pouring in, merchants and mercenaries smelling money in the chaos. Border traffic's five times what it was. Join the end of the line? Two days minimum to cross."

"Hmmm... so?"

"How 'bout this? Sneak you in with my group. We're up next."

"Aha..."

"Just 50 gold coins. Not asking much. Good deal's a good deal, right?"

The furious coachman fumed, waiting for Phraenn's word, as if he couldn't take any more.

Kang Seol stayed quiet.

He trusted Phraenn, their de facto leader, to handle it.

"...50 coins is too steep."

"Hey, you kidding? I'm saving you two days!"

Phraenn smirked and sent the ronin packing.

The ronin ground his teeth.

"Next offer's 80 gold. Remember that."

"Price sure jumped quick."

"That's how the world works."

Phraenn snorted.

"Our worlds probably differ in a lot of ways."

"Hilarious."

The carriage carrying Kang Seol's group passed the ronin and reached the checkpoint.

"Hey, come on! Let us through!"

"There's procedure. This is..."

The checkpoint was utter chaos.

Probably overwhelmed by the surging crowds.

And now Kang Seol's group brazenly trying to cut? Beyond absurd—infuriating.

That was likely why the guard snapped.

"Halt! What the fu..."

Clank!

Phraenn opened the carriage door.

"Got urgent business. Mind letting us through first?"

"...Back to the line. This is your last warning."

Swish.

Phraenn pulled something from his pocket.

A brooch etched with a unique emblem.

"Hm?"

"This won't do?"

"Magic Tower seal... You're a mage. ...But no. Procedure is..."

Off to the side, the ronin from earlier was doubled over laughing.

"Puhahaha! Look at that! What? A mage? Oh, fancy mage! But... so what? We're all people walking the same dirt—can't cut like that!"

Phraenn exercised patience.

"Look closer."

"I did. Still no..."

Then, what seemed to be the guard captain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠approached, drawn by the commotion.

"What's the holdup? Get back to work!"

"This mage keeps insisting on skipping the line..."

"No way this mage still clings to that bullshit idea? You know what time it is! Let me see... Huh?"

"Please, he won't listen..."

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Where's your eyeball?"

"Right here?"

"Not up your ass?"

"...Pardon?"

"Didn't leave it at home? Go find it."

The guard hesitated, sensing something wrong.

"Why... are you..."

"That's a Saint's seal, idiot! International treaty—mages Saint-rank and above skip border checks. Didn't they teach you?"

"......"

"Answer."

"They did."

The checkpoint captain approached Phraenn, meticulously checked the Saint's seal, and bowed.

"My apologies for the offense. We got a directive from above, but it didn't reach the grunts properly. I'll take responsibility."

"Heh heh... No need for that. Carry on."

Phraenn patted the man's shoulder and whispered something.

"Got it!"

"Alright then."

Phraenn's carriage passed through smoothly. The captain then slowly approached the earlier ronin.

"Disrupting checkpoint order is a problem. Go to the back of the line."

"Wh-where's that written? And I disrupted order?"

"So, you're saying Libra's Saint lied? That alone is grounds for..."

"L-Libra's Saint?!"

"Your call?"

The man rolled his eyes desperately before mumbling in a near-dead voice.

"Just... make space to pull the carriage out... I'll go to the back."

"Smart choice. Good's good, right?"

A few more days passed. The carriage raced on, entering the heart of the wilds, far from any city.

Kang Seol gazed at the vast plains, lost in thought.

'Right... the Towers are always isolated like this.'

All supplies came via periodic trades.

The Tower itself was like a city, consuming vast resources.

"Almost there. See that over there..."

The group poked their heads out the window one by one at the coachman's words.

"The Tower! It's the Tower!"

"There it is."

"First time in Libra! Wow... Master! Way cooler than Aquarius!"

"No exterior beats Libra's. I'll show you the others later."

"Promise!"

"Once you advance your realm."

"...Mean."

As they neared, blazing mana prickled the air—a barrier against external threats, no doubt.

"Looks like we're not last. They have carriages too... Hm?"

"What?"

"N-nothing. Must've been seeing things."

"What is it?"

"Well... look over there."

The group turned to where the coachman pointed.

"Wh-what's that?"

"A beast?"

"Dangerous?"

"It's a Baku!"

Baku.

A monstrous rhino-like creature.

Ferocious enough that you ran if you saw one.

Yet someone was riding one straight toward the Tower.

"Huh? It's getting closer to us?"

"What now, Lord Phraenn? It's too close."

Phraenn shrugged indifferently.

"Interesting. Keep going."

"Yes."

Thud thud thud...

Roooar!

The Baku bellowed as it closed in on the carriage.

Prin trembled in fear, but the others were curious about its rider.

'Who is that?'

The hooded robe alone marked them as no ordinary person.

They were huge.

Thud thud thud...

The Baku stuck right beside the carriage, and the mystery rider spoke.

"We arrived around the same time. Good thing."

"Hm? Who?"

Phraenn tilted his head at the voice, and the others shook theirs too.

But Kang Seol stuck his head out the window.

"That voice... no way?"

"Yes, it's me."

The Baku's rider threw back the hood.

The group recoiled in shock.

"Tr-troll?"

"A troll!"

Kang Seol shouted happily.

"Mael!"

Mael, with a bit more beard now, sat calmly atop the Baku, smiling.

"Long time no see, Snowman!"