Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Northern Duke (1)
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The cold northern wind clawed at my face.
I pulled my hood tighter and walked through the bustling streets filled with people.
Passing by the market where ordinary folk bought and sold goods, I entered the street reserved for mercenaries. It was packed with mercenaries armed to the teeth with all sorts of weapons.
I turned my gaze to scan the shop signs.
'Dog's death if you don't buy.'
'The best bite before you die.'
'Save now, die later.'
'Don't stand, come in.'
'Magic Supplies.'
Next to these quirky signs hung illustrations hinting at what each shop sold.
A shop with swords and shields, one with dried jerky, another with potion flasks, and one featuring a pointed wizard's hat.
I didn't hesitate and kept walking.
Compared to the other crowded stores, the magic supplies shop caught my eye for its quietness.
I pushed open the creaky door, and an elderly man wearing a pointed hat greeted me.
"Grandpa, it's me."
"Hm? Eric, huh."
I glanced sideways, spotting flasks of potions and scrolls etched with magic circles, thinly coated with mana stones.
I passed the displayed staves and robes, picked up three mid-grade mana stones from a box, and headed to the counter.
"That's all for today?"
"Just restocking the mana stones I used last time."
"Makes sense. You never used mana grass, right? Good choice. What's so great about that stuff that takes forever to recover mana? These young folks only chase mana grass..."
I gave an awkward smile as I listened to Grandpa ramble.
He had a habit of getting chatty with customers sometimes, but this old man was a 4th Circle mage who'd worked as a mercenary.
The shop seemed more like a hobby for him, as he sold things cheaper than other places, so I frequented it.
"Mana stones are way more efficient and faster-acting. I don't get the appeal of mana grass."
"Even non-mages are after the lowest-grade mana grass these days, aren't they?"
"I don't sell to non-mages. Why bother with something that barely recovers mana in the first place..."
"Hey, old timer! Got any mana grass?"
The shop door burst open, and a group of men poured in.
They dressed lightly despite the northern chill, their bodies covered in tattoos and piercings.
On the napes of their necks were identical black boar tattoos the size of two fingers.
Whether it was an entry requirement or not, they all resembled boars in their own ways and grinned with creepy smiles.
"Haa... Eric, step inside for a bit."
"I can just..."
"It's not about killing them. You avoid shit not because it's scary, but because it's filthy."
"Hey, kids! He called us shit!"
"Uhahahaha!!! Not wrong, boss!"
Even after the blatant insult, the men burst into laughter instead of getting angry.
"Hey, old timer! Give us some lowest-grade mana grass for these filthy shits as charity!"
"You lot... keep this up, and you'll really die. Don't you know what kind of shop this is?"
Grandpa swept a hand over his face and glared at the men.
This was a shop run by a former B-rank mercenary, a 4th Circle mage.
He could turn these lowlifes into former lowlifes in under five seconds.
"Aww, getting old and worrying about us now? If you're that worried, just hand over one mana grass each!"
They had to know that, yet they demanded it boldly anyway.
"Haa... Here, take this and scram."
"Ooh! Thanks, old timer! See you tomorrow!"
The men each took one lowest-grade mana grass and left the shop.
Street mercenaries shot them disgusted looks.
But the men, used to it, headed into an alley and lit up their mana grass.
I quietly watched them, then turned back to Grandpa.
"The guards are still swamped, huh?"
"With the Duke's mobilization order, all A-rank mercenaries and knight orders are out in force. Plus, rumors of barbarians at the Great Wall have sent a ton of guards there."
In a city ruled by the sturdy Northern Duke, lowlifes like these couldn't normally run wild.
But with his only daughter cursed in a dungeon, all eyes were on conquering it.
Security had deteriorated to the point where even these thugs went unchecked.
"They somehow avoid getting beaten to death."
In the rough-natured northern city, pulling stunts like that usually got you killed on the street.
But the mercenaries just spat and cursed without laying a hand on them.
"Those guys are part of the B-rank Black Boar Mercenary Corps, believe it or not. The grunts are trash, but the leadership is the real deal."
"They didn't dare make a peep when A-rank corps were around... They're having a field day now."
"The guild's policy is to just give it if they don't push too hard. They split up among shops, so send 'em off once and they won't come back that day."
If they went too far, merchants would toughen up and take the loss.
But at this mildly annoying level, they toed the line, leaving shopkeepers helpless.
"Why not give 'em a real scare? Even their leaders wouldn't touch shops."
"Old Hans across the street tried that, and different guys showed up the next day. They're like mayflies—don't fear death."
"Even bugs are a hassle in a swarm..."
"Once His Grace returns, it'll be over. The guild doesn't want to stir trouble."
This wild colt behavior would end when the Northern Duke and knights returned.
It wasn't endless suffering—just hold out a bit, and people endured.
'Hope they don't crash the promotion exam, or it'll be a problem...'
I bought two more mid-grade mana stones and left the shop.
Glancing around, I saw the men who'd just gotten mana grass entering another store.
'They won't get away with that forever...'
For now, the city's mess let them slide.
Once the Duke returned, it'd be prime target for stoning.
The Black Boar Mercenary Corps wasn't in the original story, so I didn't know their motives.
Unresolved, I boarded a carriage heading to the promotion exam site.
The carriage interior was more comfortable than expected.
Made to carry large groups, it had a small foldable table inside where a five-man mercenary party played poker.
I sat a bit apart, reviewing my plans.
'Once the promotion exam's done, join the Northern Duke's expedition right away...'
My thoughts stopped there as a petite woman in a white robe and white mask entered my view.
'She's taking the promotion exam now? Well, she did join the expedition later in the original...'
This was when the heroine was busy at the academy with the 2nd Prince.
The northern arc only appeared later as the now-duke's flashback after losing his father and sister.
The flashback was short, and my info limited.
'She's got a quirky personality, but not a bad person, so she won't interfere.'
As I organized my thoughts, a middle-aged man's voice pierced my ears.
"What?! Cheating, huh?! How'd I lose again?!"
"Heh, you can't bluff. Stick to mercenary work forever."
"Ugh! No fun. Play among yourselves!"
"Aw, our mark's gone. What now?"
The wrinkled-faced man stood and turned toward me.
He paused at the sight of the white-masked woman.
Her pure white robe and mask gave off an otherworldly vibe, standing out even among the eccentric mercenaries.
His eyes met mine as he turned to me.
'Oops, mistake.'
He grinned like a predator spotting prey and approached.
"You're that famous 4th Circle space mage lately, right?"
"Ah, yes..."
"Look young but impressive. Heard you go solo—no partners?"
"Dear! Why ask that?"
A plump woman in a blue robe came over to us.
"Sorry. He's clueless about his age."
"Haha... It's fine."
"See? He says it's fine! Heard you hit 4th Circle at 19?"
"Thanks to a great mentor."
I hadn't hidden my face or name coming north, but played the disciple of a reclusive space mage and fudged my age up by three years.
The man leaned close and whispered in my ear.
"Heard about that girl? Hit 4th Circle at 17."
"Really?"
I knew from the original but played dumb.
The white-masked woman was infamous at the guild for avoiding mingling—her info was guild brass-only unless connected.
"My wife's 4th at 28, and that's impressive..."
"Haha... 4th at 28 is fast."
"See? I told you it's fast! You should appreciate your luck marrying me!"
The plump woman, who'd been quietly gauging us, unleashed pent-up gripes on her husband.
The original heroine rocketing circles in 1-2 years solo was the outlier.
4th Circle earned respect anywhere normally.
'Power creep hits later... For years, 4th is plenty for merc life.'
Of course, changing the future needed growth, but pure merc work? 4th sufficed.
"But this young man's 4th at 19? They say some kid at the Imperial Academy hit it at 15."
"Don't compare to real geniuses! I was a prodigy in the magic tower too. Got into merc work 'cause..."
"Your mentor was insufferable."
"Know how many papers that thief stole? Better merc than assistant forever!"
Tiring of teasing his wife, he turned back to me.
He pulled a palm-sized photo from his pocket.
"Wanna see this? My daughter's turning 15 this year..."
It showed a smiling elementary-school-aged girl.
"Splurged on a photo magic tool four years ago. She's grown so much now, doesn't match anymore."
"Kids grow fast."
"Exactly! Pass this A-rank exam, and we'll take new pics! Show you if we meet at the guild—stunner, she'll shock you!"
"Dear, stop bothering the young man."
She tugged his arm, but he laughed, enjoying it, and kept chatting.
Meanwhile, the carriage sped on.
Looking out the window, a steep canyon came into view.
'Wait, isn't this a death flag?'
A weird thought flashed, but I shrugged it off—more rescuers now—and got off when we arrived.
The academy buzzed with new students' entrance ceremony.
A pink-haired woman walked the halls with a brown-haired woman, heading to 1st-year Class A of the Magic Department.
"Elly! The 2nd Prince is so cool, right?! That stoic face is killer!"
"Haha... Kinda scary, no?"
"Scary? Nah, there's warmth hidden inside!"
The brown-haired woman she'd met first at the academy.
An extra unmentioned in the original, but not the body's prior acquaintance.
Someone she befriended post-possession, so it eased her mind.
'Not pre-possession friends... No need to watch words. Nice.'
"Wait, isn't Class A this way?"
"Huh? Pr-robably? Let's check!"
In the original, the directionally challenged heroine wandered into the 2nd-year area.
I shuddered, thinking of the coming events.
'Ugh... About to run into the villainess... Gotta act like the original heroine to snag the 2nd Prince...'
She recalled the 2nd Prince from the pledge at the ceremony.
'Not even my type in illustrations... Seeing him for real is terrifying!'
Shivering briefly, she looked around and pondered.
'Still... I only know the 2nd Prince route in detail. Gotta cling to this thread...'
"Elly! It's Lady Scarlet!"
The brown-haired woman whispered in her ear.
Lifting her head, she saw a red-haired, red-eyed woman approaching from the opposite hall.
Dark circles under her eyes and an overall haggard look made her even scarier.
'Getting slapped and drenched by someone like that... and I have to stand tall and fight?!'
She recalled the original plot.
The heroine, unjustly bullied by the villainess, boldly challenges her to a duel when the 2nd Prince intervenes.
They head straight to the magic training ground, and she beats the villainess coolly in front of him.
Of course, the sneaky harassment continued after...
'Insane! How?! I should run now...'
"Oh? You're Elly von Selland, the new student, right?"
"Y-Yes! Th-that's me!"
As she agonized, the villainess was suddenly right in front of her.
"The new magic genius who hit 4th Circle at 15...?"
"Y-Yes!"
'Ugh, straight from the original! Now the slap should come...'
Bracing for pain, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth.
"Wanna join our magic research club? We share info openly for research."
"Huh?"
The unexpected reply made her blurt instinctively.
Opening her eyes, the villainess handed her a small business card.
"Magic research club...?"
"If you hit 4th at 15, you must've worked hard. We'll click."
The original heroine was indeed a relentless hard worker from childhood...
'But I'm different! Haven't practiced magic much since possessing...'
She'd run around her healthy new body and tried cool spells at first.
But overusing mana caused headaches, so she'd stuck to pain-free limits since.
'The original trained to mana exhaustion daily... Impossible!'
"Think it over and visit the clubroom. If joining right away's too much, you can try it out first."
The villainess, done explaining and seeming busy, brushed past her.
Moments later, the 2nd Prince appeared from the opposite hall.
"What do! It's the 2nd Prince! Even his walk is cool..."
"Huh? She left?"
"Yeah? Lady Scarlet? She just went by."
The 2nd Prince, who should've appeared after she got slapped and fell, approached.
Panicking, she recalled the plot and rushed to him.
"2nd Prince! Um... We met at a banquet when we were kids—remember?"
"Hm? Nice to see you. Work hard at the academy."
He patted her shoulder lightly and passed.
The pale-faced brown-haired woman approached her.
"Elly! What are you doing?!"
"Huh...? I just... thought he might remember..."
"The 2nd Prince meets tons of nobles at banquets! How could he remember all?!"
"But we played house..."
"Really? How old?"
"Five..."
"How'd he recognize that?! Got proof?"
She recalled the original.
After valiantly beating the villainess, the smitten 2nd Prince chats with her.
Reveals the girl he played secret house with in the palace as kids is her now.
A fun, happy episode...
"Anyway, invited by Lady Scarlet? Geniuses recognize geniuses."
"Huh?"
"She hit 4th at 17 too. You're 15, same age as the Principal's records say she was!"
"Wait, Lady Scarlet's 4th Circle?"
"You didn't know? C'mon, let's grab the academy mag."
The brown-haired woman dragged her by the arm.
'The villainess should've lost her talent to the archdemon's curse? Wait, where's her childhood friend who hangs with her?'
Mulling unresolved questions, she suddenly recalled the status window message.
★ The 2nd Prince route has been extinguished.
'So that's what route extinction means?!'
She then recalled the follow-up message.
★ A virus has been detected. Find and kill the virus.
Virus: 4th Circle Space Mage Eric von Berg
'Eric von Berg... The villainess's childhood friend, right? Virus sounds scary, but I need to investigate. Killing... later.'
Sorting her jumbled thoughts, she followed the brown-haired woman.