Chapter 108
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Genius and the Vampire (5)
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I woke up late.
Then I headed to the empty house where the troupe members were staying.
"You've arrived!"
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, Cedric greeted me warmly.
He tilted his head after checking my face.
Then he cautiously spoke up.
"Something... seems different about you."
"What do you mean?"
"Your face looks subtly changed? You seem even more handsome than before."
"It's because I learned a new spell."
"There's a spell that makes your face more handsome?"
"Surprisingly, there is."
"I've never envied a mage as much as I do right now."
I could sense the sincerity in Cedric's words.
Suppressing a laugh, I looked at the rest of the group.
Maybe because of what he'd said, everyone was staring fixedly at my face, making the situation feel incredibly awkward.
So I quickly changed the subject.
"Let's head out for now!"
I used training as an excuse and left the village with the troupe members.
Once we reached the clearing in the forest?
I had Gilbert, who was standing next to me, draw his sword.
The troupe members watched him with curious eyes.
'They're all going to be shocked, right?'
With that thought, I cast the Ignition Weapon spell on Gilbert's sword.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
Flames enveloped Gilbert's sword.
The troupe members watching widened their eyes in astonishment and let out various exclamations.
"Ooh! The sword's on fire!"
"Lord Heros! What is this awesome magic?!"
"Please cast it on my weapon too!"
The troupe members reacted even more intensely than I'd expected.
Even Bear and Conall were glancing at me cautiously.
With faces that seemed inwardly expectant.
They probably wanted to try wielding a flaming sword too.
'As expected! I knew it'd be a hit.'
It's an era with few entertainments.
But now they could play with flaming weapons?
How could they resist that?
"It's a new spell I learned this time."
I first calmed the troupe members down.
Then I simply explained the effects of Ignition Weapon to them.
After all, the reason we'd gathered here was for training.
So we at least had to pretend to train.
"The point of this session is so you won't panic if your weapons suddenly burst into flames during battle. That's why we're taking time today to get used to Ignition Weapon. Alright, everyone, draw your weapons."
Right after I finished speaking.
The troupe members moved with surprising speed.
It was the fastest I'd ever seen them.
If we'd traveled at that pace from the start, we would've reached the Time-Space Mage's ruins long ago.
'Ignition Weapon.'
I started with the members closest to me and cast Ignition Weapon on everyone's weapons.
Cheers erupted from all around.
"My sword's on fire!"
"Whoa, it's fire but it doesn't feel hot!"
"I feel like a legendary hero!"
The troupe members were delighted like children.
They swung their weapons in the air, paired up to clash blades in mock spars, and more.
Bear and Conall were also grinning openly, unlike their usual selves, as they swung their swords this way and that.
Even Pergal, who always grumbled, was beaming at his blazing axe.
'We need moments like this every now and then.'
I watched the group fondly.
This was exactly the scene I'd hoped for in setting this up.
Grown men playing so childishly was pretty amusing, but that made it feel all the more special.
'I hope everyone here stays happy.'
With that thought, I watched over the group.
Until the duration of Ignition Weapon ran out.
The next afternoon.
We packed our things.
We couldn't afford to linger too long in Densfog.
The old priest had assured me the sun wouldn't reach me, but the future was unpredictable.
The fact that I'd killed a noble wouldn't just vanish, so unexpected problems could arise.
'So the best is to leave as soon as possible.'
We headed to the village entrance to depart from Densfog.
The old priest and a few village notables were waiting there to see us off.
They were all witnesses to the reception room carnage.
In fact, we'd been able to resume our journey so quickly thanks to their support for the mercenary troupe.
"Why not stay a few more days?"
At that moment, the old priest stepped forward and said.
I bowed politely to him and replied.
"The road ahead is long, so I'll gratefully accept your kind thoughts."
"Well, can't be helped then."
The old priest nodded and continued.
"John. We've decided to keep quiet about you killing Baron Patrick—no, the vampire. Officially, it'll be known that the baron and the black mage fought each other to mutual destruction."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"So, where are you headed now?"
"Nowhere in particular. We'll wander around looking for work."
I lied to the old priest.
I didn't want to reveal our destinations.
'Actually, to Forefront.'
Forefront.
It was a city at the northern edge.
Smaller than Chester, but ruled by a lord of equal rank to the Chester Earl.
Count Dustin.
The stronghold of the man called the Guardian of the North.
That was our next destination.
"Safe travels."
"Thank you."
I exchanged farewells with the old priest and spurred my beloved horse Victory past him.
Soon, his low voice came from behind.
"Great One, bless Mage John."
The journey went smoothly.
Aside from the biting cold.
Late autumn had arrived, and the dropping temperatures were keenly felt.
'It seems to get colder the further north we go.'
Already chilly weather.
Add gusting winds to that?
Our bodies shivered.
But fortunately, I had countermeasures.
'Just use magic.'
What I relied on were Warming Magic and Wind Barrier Magic.
I hadn't needed the former yet, but the latter had been incredibly useful on the road.
Especially in strong winds like now, Wind Barrier made travel comfortable.
Wooong.
As I thought that.
A fierce gale howled toward us.
Without hesitation, I cast Wind Barrier.
A translucent hemispherical barrier formed around me, shielding all the troupe members.
'Nice.'
Right after casting Wind Barrier.
The wind noise dropped sharply.
The gales that had been buffeting us stopped affecting us entirely.
But it wasn't all upsides.
'I need to manage my mana carefully.'
Temperatures would drop further as we neared our goal.
But I couldn't spam Warming or Wind Barrier recklessly.
I might run out of mana.
Imagine enemies ambushing us then.
While the troupe and summons fought, I'd be stuck doing nothing.
So I had to always keep a minimum reserve.
Hence, careful mana management.
'What is it?'
As I pondered ahead.
Suddenly, the lead troupe members halted.
Soon, everyone stopped.
"What's going on?"
I spurred Victory to the front.
Then looked at Bear and asked.
He replied with a stiff expression.
"Someone's blocking the road."
"Then tell them to move."
"Even when our members approached and spoke, they just kept their mouth shut without responding."
How bold must they be to pull this stunt against a mage and armed soldiers?
With that question, I looked ahead.
A human figure was visible nearby.
But small in stature.
'A kid?'
Surprisingly, blocking our path was a girl who looked about five years old.
Totally unexpected.
Curious, I approached her.
But as I got closer, my questions only multiplied instead of resolving.
'Why is a child out here alone?'
The girl had an air of nobility.
But she seemed neglected lately.
Her clothes were tattered, her face streaked with grime.
More peculiar was her reaction.
She stood there expressionless even as we approached.
'A black mage's trap?'
That was my first thought upon seeing her.
But the situation felt too peaceful for that.
She was clearly a normal person, and I sensed no mana around her.
Next suspicion: an ambush.
Maybe bandits using her as bait to surprise us.
"Sir Bear, Sir Conall. Anyone else around besides us?"
I asked while dispelling Wind Barrier.
They scanned the area briefly, then answered.
"No signs of life."
"Yes, I haven't detected anything unusual."
No ambush, it seemed.
'Am I being too paranoid?'
Yeah, a kid could just be alone on the road.
Abandoned by parents, or separated from refugees.
Plenty of reasons to suspect.
So I decided to relax.
'I'll escort her to the nearest village.'
Leaving her like this meant certain death.
Just drop her at a village, then she's on her own.
"Put the kid on the supply cart."
I told the member in front of her.
He replied with a fearful face.
"That's... I can't with my strength."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been trying to move her since earlier, but no matter how hard I push, she won't budge. It felt like trying to lift a boulder, not a human."
"That possible?"
I stared at him as I questioned.
He was one of the young men from Evergreen who'd followed me.
Never lied once, so his words were likely true.
Still, better verify.
"Sir Bear, lift the kid onto the cart."
"Yes."
Bear, the strongest among us.
I asked him to move her.
He stepped forward briskly after replying.
"Pardon me."
Bear asked her permission politely.
Then carefully tried to lift her.
Or attempted to.
"Hm?"
As the member said, she wouldn't move an inch.
As time passed, Bear's expression worsened.
His face turned beet red from effort, but she stayed put.
Finally, he gave up.
Swish.
The moment Bear failed.
Conall grimaced and gripped his sword hilt.
"She doesn't seem like an ordinary girl."
"I think so too."
I agreed with Conall.
No normal child could withstand Bear's superhuman strength.
Something wearing human skin.
I inferred her true nature that way.
That's when it happened.
"Heros, help me."
The girl called my name.