The Eccentric Mage 1
Sliced to ribbons by dozens of invisible blades, the corpse lay in tatters. The bandits, who had been howling in cheers just moments before, fell silent all at once. Their leader, a Sword User and the head of the band, was dead. It hadn't even been a proper fight. The moment the man drew his sword and blue aura cloaked the gleaming blade, intangible blades surged forward. All they witnessed was their invincible boss dying without landing a single blow.
'Wind magic is the most convenient.' Licht thought, gazing at the fallen man's body. Fire, water, earth, ice, wind, lightning. Among the various elemental magics, wind spells were the easiest to wield. The 3rd Circle common spell Haste. This body-acceleration magic meshed perfectly with Licht. He reinforced his body with mana, then wrapped it in wind like an overlay. Pure speed-wise, lightning magic might be fastest, but those blue bolts of lightning had too much visual flair. In contrast, wind magic was silent save for the faint whisper of slicing air. Unless facing a high mage constantly shielded or a knight Expert or above with hyper-sensitive senses, he could kill before they noticed. The bandits' reactions proved it—they were murmuring in confusion, unable to process the sudden turn.
"The boss... he's dead?"
"Then..."
"Run, we gotta run! We're all gonna die!"
"You fucking idiots!"
Clang! Curiosity was on the verge of turning to terror. The man who seemed second-in-command drew his sword and stepped forward.
"Surround him! There's only a few who can actually fight anyway! I'll kill anyone who tries to run my—"
Pfshk! His boldly thrust sword shattered into pieces. Like the previous man, he became a blood-soaked mess and slammed face-first into the ground.
Thud!
"......"
A deep crater formed beneath the pool of blood. One strike. The quick-witted were already edging backward.
"Th-this..."
"Outta the way! If you're gonna die, die first!"
That was it. As one bandit turned and bolted, the rest scattered in panic.
"Ha..."
What an utterly ridiculous sight. Rex let out a hollow chuckle.
"Let's get going," Licht said, climbing back into the carriage as leisurely as when he'd dismounted.
***
They cleared the Norn Mountains before noon. Rex's prediction that it would take past afternoon had been off. With no more enemies blocking the way, the merchants sighed in relief and urged the coachmen on. Unlike the weary humans, the well-rested and fed horses stamped the ground eagerly. Soon the forest gave way to open plains.
How long had they traveled? A straight, man-made road appeared, unlike the rough forest paths. Several caravans, like Caris Merchant Group having finished their journeys, were visible. Among them were a few battered wagons like the ones Licht had spotted in Britten—likely cheap rides for mercenaries.
"Licht, look over there."
"Already? We got here faster than expected."
"Just hope the inspection goes quick. Every damn time, I wonder why they drag it out so much."
Aila pointed out the window, and Rex and Jack chimed in. At the endless horizon stretched a massive wall.
The magic city-state of El Sion. Britten was prosperous, but El Sion was on another level. Its autonomy, recognized by surrounding nations despite belonging to none, wasn't for nothing.
'The entire wall is covered in enchantments.' Magical artillery of their own design lined it at intervals. Madness no other nation would dream of. Countless goods flowed in and out daily. Dozens of merchant groups made El Sion their hub.
The caravan queued at the end of the long line before El Sion's walls. Contrary to Jack's worries, it moved faster than expected. When their turn came, Rex stepped out first, door already open.
A guard approached the carriage. "Excuse me. Which merchant group are you with?"
"Rex of Caris Merchant Group. Returning from business in Britten."
Rex handed over his ID with a friendly smile. After checking it, the guard nodded.
"Confirmed. Rex of Caris Merchant Group. Have a good stay."
With routine words, the soldiers stepped aside. The caravan slowly entered El Sion. Once sufficiently inside, everyone disembarked. Rex bustled about, issuing orders to his people. Mercenaries collected their pay and dispersed. Sweat-drenched Rex soon approached Licht, Jack and Ranin at his side.
"Thank you sincerely for escorting us. Forgive my initial rudeness. Thanks to you, we all arrived safely."
"Thanks! I'll never forget this journey."
Father and son bowed in gratitude. The probing glint from before was long gone. Licht shook his head faintly at the unfamiliar emotion from his past life.
"No big deal. I took the job, so I did what was needed."
"No need for humility. Without you, we'd all be dead in the Norn Mountains. No guarantee more gold would've made them back off. You could brag a bit more."
Jack grinned. Despite receiving pay already, unlike other mercenaries, he lingered.
Rex stepped forward, offering an ornate pouch. "Your fee for the escort. Please check it."
"This is..."
"Way more than promised," Aila blurted, peeking and sounding shocked. Dozens of gold coins gleamed inside.
Licht looked up quizzically, and Rex smiled. "Fifty gold. For the lives of everyone on this trip, it's woefully insufficient. Please accept."
The original fee for Licht and Aila together had been three gold. Handing over fifty showed Rex had pulled strings.
'Not a bad deal anyway.' An elder pre-disciple of Barte's faction. A mysterious boy who'd slain a Sword User escort. Rex likely pegged Licht as scion of some prestigious house. Not wrong, really. For fifty gold, forging ties with Licht and Aila was a bargain.
'Still.' Setting aside calculations, Rex was genuinely thankful. An emotion Licht had rarely felt in his past life. He carefully pocketed the pouch.
Now Jack proffered something. "My turn? Here."
A small wooden token. Studying it, Licht got a grin and explanation.
"Compared to your skills, it's worthless... but take it as my gesture. Simple to use: hand it to the guild receptionist. They'll help you once, no questions asked. Free of charge."
He boomed a laugh. Licht nodded slightly.
"That all? Time to split..."
"Um, excuse me!"
Ranin, silent till now, spoke up. After hesitating, he faced Licht and Aila. "If it's not rude... may I ask your names?"
No one stopped him this time. Jack closed his eyes in resignation; Rex mirrored his son's curiosity. Licht and Aila turned to each other. She chuckled, eyeing Ranin.
"Aila. Aila Pavria."
"Pardon...?"
"What?"
The pair's eyes widened like saucers. Jack, knowing Aila's identity, tsked.
"Then... the one beside you..."
"Licht." Ranin's voice was a whisper.
"Licht Sientia," Licht replied in a voice clear as crystal.
***
After more bows, the three parted ways. Late afternoon; the sun dipped west. Standing roadside a while, Aila asked Licht, "Where to now? Got any plans?"
"......"
Licht had no answer. In El Sion, he suddenly lacked direction.
As if expecting it, Aila smirked. "Wanna head to Barte's first?"
"Barte's?"
"Yeah. You said you'd help, right? Master's probably holed up researching as usual anyway."
Casual for speaking of her teacher. But he was a 7th Circle eccentric mage. Licht acquiesced silently; she hailed an intra-city carriage deftly.
The coachman asked, "Where to?"
"Barte's Mage Tower main gate."
"Three silver."
Aila glanced at Licht. He sighed faintly, handing over three silver coins.
"Let's go. Hold on tight."
Neigh! The carriage rolled slowly—standard for city travel. Licht peered through the small window at passing El Sion.
'Different.' Before Orkin Empire's destruction. Elegant mansions lined pristine streets. Faces brimmed with vitality.
'No slums, but...' Poverty gaps bred them inevitably. Still, El Sion outshone others. Density intensified toward center; spotting the central tower drew a wry smile.
"Sage's Tower."
"First time?"
"First... yeah."
"Country bumpkin."
True for a living, vibrant El Sion, not its ruined past self. She giggled, poking him.
"Never been to Orkin, but ask anyone for South Continent's busiest city—they'd say El Sion first."
"Yeah. Even more than Alpen."
Tall buildings abounded. The core housed Barte's, Brave, and Burneck factions' main towers, including the lord's castle. One faction's scale was immense; the city's vastness followed.
Licht muttered absently, "How many mage towers even...?"
"Hmm... over a hundred?"
"......"
Leaning at the window, soon a neigh heralded their stop. The coachman bowed briefly and left.
Before Barte's Mage Tower main gate. Amid endless grounds piercing the sky stood not one but several towers. Crowds too—not normal. Licht frowned.
"More people than expected. Something going on?"
"Always like this. Ignore 'em. Applicants."
"Applicants?"
"People hoping to join Barte's faction."
"Test today?"
"Nah. Just trying to schmooze faction members. C'mon."
Aila grabbed Licht's hand, pulling firmly—like avenging past slights.
"Hey? Don't shove..."
"Th-that robe..."
"An elder pre-disciple!"
"Aila Pavria? Didn't she return to her family years ago?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire. They reached the mages blocking the gate.
"You!"
A girl barred their path. Fiery wavy red hair to her waist, crimson robe drawing eyes.
'Brave faction?'
She jabbed at Aila. "Gone so long I thought you'd run... but sniffing around Cherbito's pre-disciple? Still obsessed?"
"......"
"Don't expect mercy. Think it'll be like last time? Big mistake."
She puffed triumphantly. Guard mages looked troubled.
"Lady Elia, this is Barte's gate. Even as Brave pre-disciple, such rudeness..."
"Shut it! Last loss was bad luck. This time I'll—"
Elia bellowed, eyes blazing. Aila eyed the redhead boredly. Despite the Barte mages' intervention, she wouldn't stop.
'Brave faction pre-disciple.' In crimson robes, she stood out like Aila. Attention converged naturally. Barte pre-disciple vs. Brave pre-disciple. Less dialogue, more Elia's tirade—but enough to captivate.
Licht eyed Barte's main tower beyond the gate. Spreading mana, his senses caught something.
'No way.'
Alien mana. Seven rings. 7th Circle.
"Follow me now. Running's useless...?"
Weeeeng—
Alien mana pierced Licht's ears. Aila and Elia noticed too, clamping mouths shut.
"Huh?"
Kwaaa—!
A flash streaked. Behind Elia, before Licht. As redhead and guards turned in confusion, Licht was already there.
5th Circle annihilation magic.
'Too late to block.'
So he slashed.
Chaaeng! The golden divine sword manifested. Pure white mana rippled along the Ascension Sword's blade, then sliced horizontally through the beam.