Chapter 77
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 077
Chapter Title: Lord and Troublesome Matters (2)
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A black mage of Eremus and an elite of the eastern branch.
He was spending the day leisurely as usual.
There was no superior around to give him orders.
'After destroying a few villages, I'll join the northern branch. HQ won't have much to say then.'
The death of the eastern branch leader, Desmond.
The plan to plunge the eastern empire into chaos had long since fallen apart.
No word from headquarters either, so they were likely to just abandon the east as is.
Thus, the black mage needed results.
Achievements to make up for the blunder of losing the war.
'Where the hell did a monster like that even come from?'
The memory of that day was still vivid in the black mage's mind.
The young mage who had killed Desmond with a fireball.
How thrilling it had been to witness his magic?
It was a sight that stirred the soul of any mage.
Of course, he'd snapped out of it and fled immediately.
He had no confidence in beating that young mage.
'The north shouldn't have any monsters like that.'
So the black mage thought.
That was when noise erupted outside the tent.
'What now? Are they fighting among themselves again? This is why bandits are no good. Too much hassle to manage. Ah, seriously, I just want to kill them all and turn them into undead.'
With those thoughts, the black mage stepped outside.
And there he found three bandits, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
They were all members of the group he'd sent to threaten Evergreen.
"Where are the others? Why'd only you three come back?"
The black mage asked, arms crossed.
One of them trembled as he answered.
"The mage burned our comrades alive! There were knights too! We have to run, now!"
A completely unexpected reply.
Stunned for a moment, he quickly pressed.
"A mage and knights? Tell me everything. How many mages? How many knights?"
"One mage and four knights. And the soldiers..."
"Enough, stop there!"
One mage and four knights.
Impossible to win with their current forces.
'Why would elites like that be in some backwater like this...!'
The black mage panicked.
But he pulled himself together soon enough.
He needed to prepare to flee right away.
Order the bandits to pack up.
Then a sudden curiosity struck him.
"But how did you survive and make it back?"
One mage and four knights.
Facing that and having survivors was suspicious.
That's why he'd pointed it out.
The bandit grinned, showing yellow teeth.
"We got lucky. Begged the mage to spare us, and he just let us go."
"You idiots...! Why do you think he let you live? Obviously to track our location!"
At that moment.
The black mage sensed the flow of mana.
And the movement felt terribly familiar.
He'd experienced it once before.
The only difference was the mana compressing far faster than last time.
The magic that killed Desmond.
No doubt about it.
"Damn."
The black mage spat the word.
Right then, an orange fireball hurtled toward them.
And soon, his vision was bathed in blinding light.
When we located the bandits' camp,
I unleashed flame magic right away.
To seize the advantage with a preemptive strike.
But I hadn't expected that single blow to turn the tide so decisively in our favor.
"Aaaagh...!"
The camp ablaze.
Bandits screaming as they fled.
Knights and soldiers in pursuit.
I watched the scene with Gilbert as my guard.
Then Conal approached me.
"Lord Heros, I think we've found the black mage."
"Take me there."
"Yes, sir!"
Conal replied crisply and led the way.
I followed close behind.
Soon enough, we spotted a young man sprawled on the ground.
'He's not long for this world.'
The young man's condition was dire.
Burns covered his body.
He was barely clinging to life.
He'd somehow survived the flame magic, whether with spells or artifacts, but hadn't fully dissipated its power.
"Never thought I'd run into you here..."
At that moment, the black mage—who'd been staring blankly at the sky—slowly turned his gaze to me and spoke.
His tone suggested he knew me.
Probably the black mage from the Chester raid.
And my guess was spot on.
"You know me?"
"Of course. After the thrashing you gave us at Chester, how could I forget your face?"
The black mage answered my question straightforwardly.
Resigned, detached.
He seemed ready to answer anything I asked.
I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Time to get all my questions out.
"What were you doing out here?"
"Just planning to wipe out a village. Grab some food while at it. With so many mouths, supplies dwindle fast."
The black mage spoke flatly.
His calm tone made destroying a village sound trivial.
"What for, exactly?"
"Gotta have something to report to HQ. Sitting idle after losing the war? That'd piss off the higher-ups."
The more we talked, the clearer it became—our values were worlds apart.
It was unsettling, like my mind was being tainted.
But I couldn't walk away.
This was a golden chance to learn what an Eremus black mage was thinking.
So I swallowed my disgust and kept questioning.
"What next after taking Evergreen?"
"Hit a few more villages, then head north."
"Why the north?"
"They've got an Eremus branch too. Planned to link up. Unlike our ruined east, things looked promising there."
"A branch in the north too?"
"Obviously. Eremus black mages are scattered across the entire empire."
His words weighed heavy on my heart.
Even the north might tangle me up with Eremus.
A persistent curse.
As I thought that, Nina's words surfaced.
She'd said the north was in as bad shape as the east, thanks to the barbarians' sudden push south.
Suddenly, I wondered if the black mages had stirred that up.
Troublemaking was their specialty, after all. Not an unreasonable guess.
"Know anything about what the northern branch is plotting?"
"No clue. But it's gotta be something massive, way beyond our east's scale. Heh."
Finishing, the black mage let out a feeble laugh.
Then he exhaled his last breath and went still.
His vacant eyes reflected the carnage around us.
Burning tents, bodies strewn on the ground.
For all I knew, it looked no different from the scenes he'd created attacking villages.
On the surface, at least.
I hadn't harmed the innocent.
'So that's why legitimacy matters.'
The belief that I'd done right.
It kept my mind from crumbling.
I resolved to hold to that conviction going forward.
After cleaning up the bandits thoroughly,
we gathered what we could from their camp and returned.
Not that there was much to salvage.
Just some food.
The band the black mage led was as ragged as beggars.
"Woooah! Lord Heros!"
"Evergreen's true lord!"
"Hero of Chester!"
Anyway, upon our return to Evergreen, the waiting villagers erupted in cheers.
The reaction felt awkward.
Over the top for what I'd done.
As if sensing my thoughts, Rupert spoke up beside me.
"In these chaotic times, a strong lord is always popular. It's only natural. Who wouldn't love a protector like that?"
Ah.
They thought I'd keep defending the village.
Fat chance.
I'd be leaving Evergreen soon enough.
The worry was fleeting.
I waved to the villagers.
That could wait.
The moment I did,
Michael approached.
"Well done. I'll show you to your quarters."
Where Michael led us.
A mansion on the village heights—his residence.
Once inside, waiting servants whisked away the soldiers and the count's knights.
The big three?
Stubbornly stayed to guard me.
"This way, Lord Heros."
Under Michael's guidance,
me, the big three, and Rupert entered what looked like an office.
'Feels like he's about to drop some important talk.'
I watched him, thinking that.
And sure enough, I was right.
"Lord Heros, I've waited for this day forever. Thank you for making my dream come true. First, about Evergreen's population."
"Pardon?"
Suddenly launching into a village briefing?
Important stuff, sure.
All the details a lord should know.
But so abrupt.
I stared at him intently, hoping to delay.
He ignored it and pressed on.
"Evergreen has 333 souls. 159 adult men, 132 adult women, 42 children."
Evergreen's population.
From there, the report droned on endlessly.
Michael read from a parchment of territory stats like he'd been waiting his whole life for this.
Behr and Conal finally realized they'd been dragged into something dull and pouted.
Rupert, meanwhile, was chipper.
Eyes gleaming, he soaked it all in.
Even chimed in with questions.
Like now.
"What about the tribute?"
"Haven't sent it in two years. Roads cut by the uprisings. Taking two years' worth back to Chester this trip."
Ah, too complicated.
While Michael and Rupert bantered about territory matters, I gave up following.
And thought about the underground manager grimoire.
Its third demand.
I could fulfill it soon.
'100 days with the dead.'
Tomorrow marked exactly 100 days since the request.
Hard not to get excited.
'Wonder what magic I'll learn this time.'
Probably something to strengthen my familiar, Gilbert, like before.
As I pondered,
Michael suddenly called me.
"Lord Heros. Now, a report on the village livestock."
"Ah, yes."
"Pigs: 44..."
I forced his words into my head while he spoke.
All the while wishing the time would hurry up and end.
A lord's first duty was brutally tough.