Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Mage Lumia
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To ordinary people, a mage's words inevitably carried a different weight. I knew full well that my speech and actions could sound plenty threatening. I had intended them to.
"Of course! I wouldn't dream of haggling! Allow me to... to show my sincerity!"
The nobleman's face paled as he bowed his head repeatedly. I found the sight a bit burdensome but didn't let it show. It was a situation I had to get used to if I wanted to live as a mage in this world.
It was late, so there was no further travel. Durel and I naturally joined the two men to set up camp.
The man reeking of booze introduced himself as Karoan de Bertion. As expected, he was a noble, and the man stuck to his side was his servant, Philip. I tossed in a few nods and murmurs to show I was listening, and soon enough, he was spilling stories I hadn't even asked for.
The tale of how he'd ended up here was neatly packaged with claims of his lifelong respect for mages. He capped it off by insisting he wanted to treat us to some fine wine, a local specialty.
What chatty guys.
I wasn't particularly curious about other people's messy family affairs. The flattery-laced praise was the same. As I started letting his rambling go in one ear and out the other, Karoan, who'd been watching my face, finally shut his mouth. He might look like a wastrel, but he had some basic social awareness.
Once the blabbermouth fell silent, a natural quiet settled in. The crackling of the campfire accompanied the deepening night.
"Pretty town."
I let out a short sigh of admiration at the city spread out before us. They'd mentioned wine as a specialty. Grape vines twisted along the modest walls, and neat farms beside the city grew grapes too.
The air was thick with a sweet fragrance. As I naturally exclaimed at the sight, a proud look crossed Karoan's face as he stood beside me.
"Let's hurry. I'm tired from all the walking."
Durel urged us on from my other side. I felt the same, so I nodded. Karoan and Philip hurried ahead.
"Lord Karoan? You're back sooner than usual...?"
As we approached the main gate, a guard greeted him amiably. From the guard's reaction, it seemed Karoan had bolted out of town drunk more than once or twice.
"Out of my way, you fool. I've brought esteemed guests."
"Esteemed guests...? Ah, yes. My apologies."
The guard's puzzled gaze flicked to Durel and me before dropping away. He couldn't tell we were mages just from our looks. Not that he could—we'd changed out of our distinctive mage robes, dirtied from the long journey.
Durel had even stowed his mage cloak in his bag since his mana circle control wasn't fully stable yet.
The moment we passed through the large gate into the city, Karoan, who'd been glancing around, shoved Philip's back.
"Go ahead and tell Father. I've brought important guests, so he needs to prepare accordingly."
"Right away...!"
The sun sinking in the sky painted the heavens in sparkling sunset hues. It had taken a full day and a half to get here, leaving us utterly exhausted. By the time fatigue showed on our faces, we arrived at a grand mansion.
Quite the turnout...
What had Philip told them? It looked like everyone from inside the mansion had come out to greet us, crowding the entrance. One man stood out among them.
A middle-aged man with features similar to Karoan's. His attire was flashy but not overdone. I knew at a glance—he was the lord of the land.
The lord stepped forward, smiling subtly as he welcomed us.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Bram de Bertion, master of these lands."
Courteous but not excessive. No furtive glances, and he spoke with steady confidence throughout. Was this how proper nobles were? It was impressively suave.
"Lumia. And this is Durel."
I'd already put on the haughty mage act in front of Philip and Karoan. No changing now—I kept up the performance. Durel had said mages outranked nobles. It seemed he was right.
"I've heard you saved my foolish son. This is no small favor. You mentioned the weight of a life. Karoan is the future of this domain. His life carries the weight of an entire territory, so I promise to repay you with all due sincerity."
With that, the lord gestured, and servants standing at attention approached us.
We handed over our luggage and naturally entered the mansion. A feast began right away. Unlimited servings of unfamiliar dishes, and drinks to match.
After days of rationing dried meat strips, we weren't in any state to mind our manners. A mage's actions were hard for commoners to fathom anyway—no need to worry about appearances.
I devoured the food without restraint.
"I like this. Bring more."
The servant standing by nodded with a pale face.
"R-right... right away."
Once the feast wrapped up, I muttered as I entered the provided room.
"Acting's tough."
"Master, you're a natural-born mage."
I glanced over at Durel from where I lounged on the plush sofa. He seemed to love the haughty act I'd kept up all day. He bowed his head only after noticing my look, his face pleased.
"Was I overdoing it?"
"Not at all. It's fitting compensation. You saved the heir to a domain, after all."
"I suppose..."
"If dealing with the lord feels uncomfortable, I can step in."
I nodded. Holding unfamiliar conversations in an unfamiliar setting was exhausting. No reason to refuse if Durel offered.
"You mentioned a carriage and travel funds. Anything else you need?"
"Not really... Oh, could you ask about my master and the Burning Saturation?"
"Information gathering, then. I'll add that to the request."
"Thanks for the trouble."
"It's nothing compared to what you've given me, Master."
That wrapped it up. Silence fell naturally as the talk ended. Durel paced around me a few times, then quietly slipped out when I closed my eyes for rest.
The kid was overly attentive, even after gaining full use of his magic. I'd thought he'd ease up once he got what he wanted.
No such luck.
What kind of family life had ingrained that demeanor in him?
Rustle—
I pulled a fancy envelope from my bosom.
The Asmond family, was it...?
A letter Durel's family had asked me to deliver. I'd held off on purpose. I'd subtly asked him once if he wanted to return home.
He'd answered straight-faced: Absolutely not.
A kid like that—I couldn't possibly hand over the letter. The paper crumpled in my grip, but I still couldn't bring myself to toss it.
With a sigh, I tucked the crumpled letter away and closed my eyes.
The moment I woke, a gentle wind stirred around me, and starlight etched itself into my eyes. A passive magic that activated regardless of my will.
Arcana and Gentle Wind.
I blinked up at the ceiling a few times. Rising, I spotted one person outside the door through Arcana. Durel.
Waiting for me to wake?
"Durel."
[You're awake?]
"Come in."
Click—
The door opened, and Durel entered, holding a thin stack of papers.
"What's up? Standing around since morning."
"I have the information you requested, Master."
"Burning Saturation? Or my master?"
Durel handed over the papers without a word to my question.
I frowned as I checked them.
Name: Raymond... Late 30s estimated... Golden Wind School... Charges: Serial murder of Mage Society mages... 15 people...? Robbery and arson... What the...?
What came out of the stack Durel handed me was Raymond's wanted poster.
"This is a wanted poster...?"
"Yes... I asked for research materials, and they delivered this this morning."
I rubbed my face and set the papers on the bed. There was some info on Burning Saturation left, but no time to look now.
What the hell is he up to...?
"You shouldn't reveal you're from the Golden Wind School, Master. With a wanted poster out, the Mage Society must be moving in earnest..."
I nodded and asked back.
"When you requested this, you didn't say anything extra, right?"
"Of course. I didn't mention you or Golden Wind—just asked for info on a man named Raymond."