Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Dracain
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‘Is it that surprising that I have a friend...?’
Of course, I was a bit surprised myself to learn that Semo had a friend. It was because of the intense first impression he’d left, looking like a beggar. On top of that, he rarely mentioned his hometown, so I could only guess that something bad had happened there.
As I observed my two disciples' reactions, it suddenly hit me—they had no friends of their own. First, Durel. Born into a prestigious mage family, he couldn’t use proper magic for some reason.
Unable to endure the discrimination and pressure that followed, he’d run away from home and wandered the streets until he met me. Naturally, he wouldn’t have had any friends. At best, he’d hung around with a few back-alley thugs.
Next was Olbern. The young girl hid her true appearance to avoid being ignored, disguising herself as an old dwarf. Her looks were aged, but her actions were those of a childish girl—careless, impulsive, and self-centered.
That disconnect was enough to brand the dwarf Olbern as a cranky old coot. Of course she had no friends. Even when leaving her hometown, she hadn’t bothered saying goodbye to anyone; she’d just blown up her own mansion.
‘I see...’
Now I understood why Durel and Olbern looked so baffled. They were clearly feeling betrayed by Semo.
‘Friends...’
Of course, I was different. It was a little unexpected that Semo had a friend, but not to the point of betrayal like with Durel and Olbern. And why would it be? I had someone I could call a friend too.
A boy from my hometown.
I couldn’t remember his name now.
‘Who was he again...?’
Ritegar, who’d been chatting animatedly, gave Semo’s shoulder a hearty pat before returning to his spot. He even turned back to wave goodbye to us, which suggested he had a decent personality.
“Sorry about that. I got too excited seeing a friend from home...”
“No, no. It happens. I get it—friends from home and all. I’ve got one too. Name’s a secret, though.”
The moment I nodded and responded to Semo, Olbern, Durel, and even Semo froze in shock. Durel was the first to recover and nod.
“Right. Friends... Yeah, that makes sense. I get Semo’s reaction now. I’d probably act the same if I met a friend.”
With even Durel saying that, Olbern’s eyes widened. Refusing to back down, she declared loudly,
“I’ve got tons of friends too! We’d drink beer and have a blast, but it’s a shame none of them are here!”
I could tell. Durel and Olbern were lying. Kids can’t fool adults. But I couldn’t scold them for it here.
What if it hurt their fragile feelings? What they needed now was an adult’s generosity. I nodded and replied,
“Yeah. How about we buy some light gifts for our friends later when we meet them?”
“Th-that sounds good.”
“I’ll buy a lot. I’ve got a bunch of friends...!”
We needed to pick out gifts for our friends. With this sudden goal, we boldly strolled through the streets. Durel was the first to buy something—a small dagger.
“This’ll do. Sturdy and light, perfect for everyday use.”
Next was Olbern. She picked a small pouch from a street stall. After paying, she hung it on her belt and swung it around, clearly delighted.
“I’ll take this. Cute, right?”
I bought a decent bottle of liquor. Packed in paper and padding, it went into Semo’s bag.
Now everyone in the group had bought gifts for their friends. Everyone except one. Durel and Olbern’s gazes naturally turned to Semo.
“Semo, you met your friend but aren’t buying a gift?”
“Yeah, Senior Semo. No gift for the friend you just met?”
“No... We’re meeting later. What gift? Buying a meal’s enough. Wait, are those even gifts? Why are you both wearing them on your belts like that? Won’t they get damaged carrying them around?”
At Semo’s point, Olbern and Durel’s faces stiffened. They subtly pulled the pouch and dagger from their belts and stuffed them into their bags. Looks like they’d bought them for themselves, not as gifts.
Kids these days...
If I left it like this, they might fight. I cleared my throat to draw attention.
“Ahem. Anyway, gifts are up to you guys. Semo, show us around. You said there’s lots to see. Ideally, I’d like to see other Dracain blood magic too. Blood Circle? How do we meet those blood mages?”
“Master, are you planning to tour the whole Levan Pol region?”
“Unless something comes up, yeah.”
“Then when we visit my hometown, I can ask my friends. Blood Circle blood mages have bad tempers... This might be better.”
“Friends...?”
This time, I couldn’t help but be surprised. Semo didn’t have just one friend. From his confident tone, it sounded like he could show us all kinds of blood magic. Durel, standing beside him, spoke up in disbelief.
“Jeez, how many friends do you even have?”
“Hmm... Let’s see...”
The fact that he didn’t answer right away probably meant too many to count. Even Olbern next to him gaped in shock. Leaving this alone wouldn’t end well. I hurriedly cut Semo off.
“The number doesn’t matter. You can show us, right? That’s fine. Just guide us around.”
“Ah, yes. Got it.”
Semo nodded and took the lead, while Olbern and Durel trailed behind with dejected steps. They’d need some time to recover from the shock.
Following Semo, we arrived at a massive tent. It was popular—the line to get in was quite long.
“This place shows off tricks with tamed monsters. They call it the Monster Festival here.”
“Oh... Taming monsters?”
“How do they even tame monsters? I’m super curious!”
Durel and Olbern showed keen interest in Semo’s words. They’d recovered quickly from the earlier shock. I was intrigued too. Even the dwarves who rode wyverns as mounts couldn’t fully tame them, leading to that accident. How did they do it here?
I naturally approached the tent entrance. Dracain guards blocked my path—they seemed to be staff.
“If you want to enter the festival, please wait in line.”
Wait in line? Me?
I tilted my head and raised my right hand. They clearly didn’t know I was a mage. Crackle— As I focused mana in my hand, blue lightning flickered above it.
“I’m a mage.”
“I see.”
“Please go to the back and wait in line.”
The staff’s reaction was utterly calm. It was baffling.
‘What? Why won’t they move?’
I’d clearly announced I was a mage. Shouldn’t they escort me in? As I pondered deeply, Semo rushed over with an awkward smile and tugged my arm.
“M-Master... This way for a sec.”
“Uh, okay...”
Once we moved a bit away from the entrance, Semo glanced back at the staff and whispered,
“Master, mages don’t carry much weight here. Their authority is kinda low.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, mages aren’t rare in our country. As a race closely tied to magic from birth, there are tons of us. So unless it’s special, we don’t get VIP treatment or anything.”
“Huh...”
Indeed, most Dracain I’d passed on the way here had mana in their bodies.
“So we have to wait in that long line?”
“Not necessarily...”
“Any other way?”
Semo nodded at my question and pointed to the tent entrance. A richly dressed female Dracain was chatting with the staff. After a brief exchange, she handed over a few shiny silver coins.
And that was it. She passed without waiting in line.
Got it. I nodded and held out my hand to Durel.
“Durel, give me those sun goggles from the desert.”
“The sunglasses, you mean.”
Swish—
Durel handed over the pitch-black glasses made to block the desert sun. As he did, he asked,
“Should I exchange some money first?”
“Nah.”
Who needs exchanging? Shiny gold works anywhere. I wore the slightly loose sunglasses like a headband, released my mana control, and strode forward. Unrestrained mana swirled with the breeze, kicking up a small wind around me.
My cloak billowed as I reached the entrance. Since I didn’t line up, the staff approached. Before they could speak,
I flicked a shiny gold coin from my pocket at them.
“Move.”
Dare to embarrass me? Not anymore. The staff hesitated briefly before bowing politely and stepping aside.
“Enjoy your time...”
“Let’s go.”
I walked in confidently, with Olbern, Durel, and Semo following naturally behind.