No matter what anyone said, the mainstay of the army was the knight orders and the magic corps. But the level of
mages differed little from kingdom to kingdom. Considering how long it took to master magic,
the level of mages belonging to a kingdom tended to be influenced by that kingdom’s national power.
The knight orders, however, were different. Because it possessed an outstanding mana cultivation art, Terbia had
repelled its neighboring nations several times and proudly risen as a great power. Thanks to its powerful knight orders and
excellent knights.
Having successfully concluded disputes with several kingdoms, Terbia was able to acquire vast territories
as a reward, and through the products thereof, it was enjoying prosperity day by day.
Vertec was immensely proud of the fact that he was a mage belonging to Terbia. That was
because the Kingdom of Terbia truly treated its knights and mages exceptionally well.
Thus, despite not originally being a Terbian, Vertec was devoting all his loyalty
to Terbia.
His position was none other than war mage. In times of war, he served as the center of the magic corps,
but in times of peace, his duty was to travel around major cities at six-month intervals and inspect
the magical alarm network. From that perspective, there was no denying that Dontrel was a highly attractive city.
As a stronghold city, its security network was well established, and because the city itself was quite wealthy,
it was extremely comfortable to work there. If the place of dispatch was a small city, a mage could not
work in such comfort. More often than not, simply because they were considered intelligent, they had to take on
part of the administration.
But Dontrel was not like that at all. Since the dispatched officials handled everything,
a mage only had to relax at leisure.
“What a pity. To think I must leave Dontrel in fifteen days……”
Dontrel was the city most favored by all mages belonging to Terbia. As such,
mages of merely mediocre ability could not even dream of being dispatched here.
“But it doesn’t matter to me. Soon enough, I’ll be a master of the 6th Circle, qualified to be called an archmage,
after all.”
Vertec was quite an ambitious man. One could tell that much simply from the fact that he had abandoned
his homeland, the Kingdom of Shelbrun, without lingering attachment and joined Terbia. His mind was filled
with thoughts of how he might distinguish himself and raise his position.
Of course, the surest way to improve one’s position was to participate in war and earn merit,
but unfortunately, these were peaceful times, so it was by no means easy to seize such an opportunity. Vertec
quietly renewed his resolve.
“But I will become a court mage, no matter what it takes.”
In the past, with his ability as a master of the 6th Circle, he could have become a court mage easily enough.
In the case of Truvenia, which had perished five hundred years ago, once a mage reached the 6th Circle,
he could become the court mage of most great powers.
But circumstances were different in Arcadia. Befitting the Continent of Opportunity, here, even those who were not nobles
could receive education, so as long as one had the aptitude, one could become a mage. Therefore,
the overall abilities of mages could not help but rise. By the present day,
the formula of court mage = 7th Circle was applied almost absolutely.
Of course, in a small kingdom, Vertec’s ability would be more than enough to seize the position of court mage,
but in a great power like Terbia, it was hard to imagine. First of all, he had
five competitors. War mages of the same Circle, that is. But Vertec, a man of burning ambition,
was filled with anticipation that he would certainly achieve his dream.
Knock, knock.
When a knocking sound came from the door, Vertec quickly set aside his thoughts.
“What is it?”
A rough voice came from outside the door. It was the voice of a guard he knew well.
“It is Hailer, sir. There are people at the entrance who say they wish to see you, Mage.”
“Who are they?”
“They identified themselves as the princess of Karsel and her escort knight……”
A deep suspicion settled over Vertec’s face. First of all, he had never heard
of a nation called Karsel, and there was no reason whatsoever for a princess of a kingdom to come looking for him.
‘Could they have heard of my reputation and come to invite me to the Kingdom of Karsel?’
Various thoughts came to him, but they only made his head more complicated. In the end, Vertec decided
to call them in and speak with them.
“I will meet them. Let them in.”
“Yes, sir.”
A little later, those guided into his office were a beautiful girl and a young man. Thanks to
his sharp eye, Vertec immediately realized that the young man was a paladin.
It was something he could discern because he had the habit of always casting detection magic
just in case.
‘If he is the escort knight of a princess, it is only natural that he be a paladin.’
Nodding, Vertec spoke in a calm voice.
“I am Vertec, the war mage dispatched to Dontrel. Now, what brings you here?”
A look of delight passed over the faces of the girl and the young man. It came from the joy
of having found the person they had been seeking. The two were none other than Mitchell and Juliana. They had
secretly come to see Vertec in order to achieve their objective. Juliana looked at Vertec and
opened her mouth.
“We came because there are a few things we would like to ask.”
Vertec nodded, putting on as much arrogance as he could. It was because he thought there was no need
to observe courtesy even toward the princess of some kingdom called Karsel, whose name he had never heard.
“Speak.”
“By any chance, have you studied black magic, Mage?”
Anger rose in Vertec’s eyes.
“What in the world is that supposed to mean?”
Asking whether one had studied black magic was an extremely rude thing to say to a mage.
Black magic used the mana of darkness under a contract with a demon king. Not only mages, but ordinary
people as well regarded black mages with extreme aversion. In particular, mages’ antipathy toward black magic
surpassed imagination. Priests and mages regarded black magic as evil itself,
rejecting and despising it to the utmost. As such, Vertec’s reaction was entirely justified.
“I am the war mage responsible for Dontrel. I would ask that you observe proper courtesy. Naturally,
I have never so much as laid eyes on anything like black magic.”
At Vertec’s fierce resistance, Juliana intuitively realized that she had found exactly
the person she was looking for.
“If I have been rude, I bow my head and apologize. The truth is, we came because we know
that a black mage of considerable ill repute is staying in Dontrel.”
“Oh! Is that so?”
Vertec sprang up from his seat. To Vertec, that was an exceedingly encouraging matter.
The opportunity to earn merit, so difficult to grasp, had finally presented itself.
In Truvenia, a continent that had once held an extremely devout faith in Verhazel, killing a black mage
was no crime at all. The very act of having studied black magic was an enormous felony.
Though the circumstances were somewhat different, even in Arcadia, black mages were still
beings viewed with aversion. That was because most mages who studied black magic were influenced by the demon king
and took on extremely wicked and cruel dispositions.
Of course, one could not kill them at will solely on the basis of having studied black magic.
Most of Arcadia’s kingdoms were strict states governed by law, so punishment could be carried out only
within the bounds of the law. But black mages almost invariably committed evil deeds, openly or secretly,
so if one first arrested and interrogated them, their crimes could certainly be uncovered. That was precisely
why Vertec looked so delighted.
‘Those black mage bastards delight in performing living experiments on people to improve
their magical ability. He will be no exception. This has turned out well.’
Having finally seized an opportunity to earn merit, Vertec’s eyes shone unusually bright.
“So, where is that man now?”
“I’ll tell you that in a moment.”
Smiling, Juliana subtly began negotiating.
“First, I need to find out whether there is a bounty on him.”
“Tell me his name. Most black mages of any note are already known
to our nation’s intelligence network……”
Vertec urged Juliana on, as if impatient. But the moment he heard
Juliana’s explanation, his eyes flew wide as if they would split.
“He is a black mage who was active in Sebain for about a year. I believe his name was Damon,
or something like that.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Vertec shot to his feet.
“W-where is he now?”
Vertec’s voice was trembling faintly, so great was his shock. It was only natural,
for the black mage of Sebain was a name already being secretly circulated through the intelligence networks of various nations.
What he knew was the fact that the black mage of Sebain had smashed, in a single stroke,
a punitive force dispatched by the Krosen Knight Order, and that was the only thing that had been confirmed. Nothing else—
not the black mage’s magical ability or origins, nor the scale of the destroyed punitive force—
had been ascertained. Even that much had been information obtained with difficulty through
a spy stationed in the Krosen Empire.
Of course, since the punitive force had failed, the Krosen Empire would not have revealed the details.
But because of the spy they had dispatched, the black mage of Sebain was definitely being watched
by several kingdoms. To think such a person of interest was staying in Dontrel……
Vertec’s eyes gleamed with a certain expectation. If he could only arrest him,
his promotion would be as good as assured. As if there was no need to think any further, he opened his mouth.
“There is a considerable bounty on him.”
“About how much?”
“I don’t know the exact amount, but I understand it is at least one hundred gold.”
“Ha!”
Juliana and Mitchell’s mouths fell open. One hundred gold was truly an enormous sum. That
amount was more than ten times the money they had commissioned the Kasim Mercenary Corps with. Of course, given
their status, they were not especially short of money, but right now they desperately needed it.
To achieve their objective, they had to go to the Krosen Empire and purchase quite a large number of goods,
so they could not help salivating over the sum of one hundred gold.
“Can we receive the bounty just by reporting his residence?”
“Of course. So tell me where he is staying. Once his identity is confirmed, I will make sure
measures are taken so that the bounty is paid without fail.”
At Vertec’s answer, Juliana smiled faintly. At last, a path had opened
to take revenge on the black mage. Along with the additional income of a bounty……
As if there was no need to think any further, Juliana revealed Damon’s residence.
“He is staying at the Blue Pigeon Inn in Dontrel.”
“This is certain.”
Having rushed to the Blue Pigeon Inn in one breath together with Juliana, Vertec trembled all over
with rapture. He did not know whether the opponent was truly the black mage of Sebain, but he was
certainly a great catch.
A powerful aura of black magic spread out, enough to send a shiver down one’s spine. This was an aura
that only mages or priests could detect. Moreover, astonishingly, the opponent’s magical ability was
so great that even Vertec could not perceive it. The fact that he was a high-ranking black mage surpassing
himself could be known from his inability to determine the other party’s Circle through detection magic.
Vertec had been able to realize this because he had cast detection magic limited to
the room where Damon was staying. Coincidentally, it was when Damon was performing the Crown-Opening Great Art
on Gerald once more.
“Amazing. To think someone like that is wandering around the streets of Dontrel……”
“It’s him, right? Then can we receive the bounty?”
At the voice that burst out beside him, Vertec turned his head. Juliana’s face, looking
especially anxious, entered his sight. It seemed her heart was urgent because she thought she had to leave
Dontrel as quickly as possible, but Vertec could not know the reason.
“Of course. The bounty will be paid as planned. But there is one thing I wish to ask. How in the world
did you know he was here?”
“T-that is……”
“Tell me honestly. Only then can we arrest him……”
In the end, Juliana had no choice but to explain in detail the process by which she had met Damon. How, out of
a burst of righteous indignation, she had gone to capture him only to be captured herself, and the circumstances by which
the black mage had come to join her party—everything was explained one by one.
“The ridiculous thing is, he seems interested in me. Whenever he has the chance, he stares intently at my face—”
“I do. It’s something I truly don’t even want to think about.”
After hearing the explanation, Vertek nodded as if he understood. When he heard the part about the black mage joining the mercenary corps and becoming part of their party, his eyes suddenly flashed, but Juliana failed to notice it. Vertek, who had been thinking about something for a moment, looked at Juliana again.
“Judging by the circumstances, it seems almost certain. By any chance, would you be willing to help us arrest him?”
A look of suspicion spread across Juliana’s face.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m offering you a chance to earn merit. To capture him, we need the aid of exceptional knights. But it will take some time to contact the nearby fortress and have knights dispatched. From what you’ve told me, it seems he intends to leave by tomorrow, so time is short. But if you were to step forward, I think things might work out surprisingly well…”
A troubled expression appeared on Juliana’s face. Of course she wanted to, desperately, but knowing his abilities, she could not help but worry. How terribly had Mitchell suffered at the hands of that vicious man? If, by any chance, something went wrong… Just thinking about it was horrifying.
“Wh-what could I do when I haven’t even learned swordsmanship?”
“It is very simple.”
A feigned smile appeared on Vertek’s face. He had already made up his mind to use Juliana to capture the black mage. At present, it was the only method Vertek could choose.
A duel between mages was governed entirely by their level of magic. There was no way Vertek did not know that. But his opponent was a mage of a higher class than himself. Even if Vertek personally stepped in, it was obvious that he could not easily arrest him.
For that reason, he absolutely had to bring along a Sword Master or a high-ranking paladin to capture him. But since there was a limit to the forces he could mobilize immediately, he intended to make the fullest possible use of Juliana. Since it had always been his creed to use whatever could be used to the utmost, Vertek began persuading Juliana in a subtle tone.
“To my regret, I cannot determine his circle. In other words, he is a mage more skilled than I am. But that does not mean he cannot be captured. The problem is the time it will take from the issuing of the summons until the knights are deployed. Terbia has plenty of powerful and outstanding knights. But if he flees before they arrive, all will be for nothing, which is why I need your help. Of course, there will be a fitting reward.”
“What do I need to help with?”
When his target took the bait at once, Vertek seized the moment and continued his explanation.
“First, return to where that man is. Then, somehow lure him out and bring him to the place I designate. From now on, I will prepare a trap for him there. Once you bring him to that place, your task will be finished.”
“That doesn’t sound very difficult.”
Juliana nodded as if she understood. That much was not particularly hard. The thought of having to speak to a man who made nausea rise in her just by looking at him bothered her somewhat, but if the matter ended successfully, she would never have to see his face again. For that one fact alone, Juliana readily accepted Vertek’s proposal.
“All right. I’ll do it.”
“I shall be counting on you. Then let us meet shortly. I will have the preparations completed in advance…”
After setting the appointed time for two hours later, Juliana rose. The thought that she would never again have to look at the black mage’s leering face made her heart impatient. Because of that, she failed to see the meaningful smile that appeared on Vertek’s face.
“Where have you been?”
When Juliana and Mitchell returned from their outing, Kasim raised his eyes in puzzlement. Since the two of them had disappeared without saying a word, Kasim had been searching for their whereabouts the entire time.
“We just went for a walk…”
“If you intend to go out in the future, please tell us in advance.”
“All right.”
Juliana smiled as warmly as she could. In preparation for what would happen shortly, she had to avoid provoking the mercenaries as much as possible.
“I’m tired. I’ll go upstairs and rest.”
Watching the two enter the inner room, Kasim narrowed his eyes. Their attitude was slightly different from usual. But since there was nothing in particular to be suspicious of, he resumed his mana cultivation. For Kasim and the other mercenaries, mana cultivation had now become part of daily life.
After entering the inner room, Juliana waited anxiously until the appointed time arrived.
“How tedious.”
In two hours, she had to bring the black mage to the appointed place, so she could not help but be restless. The black mage was currently napping downstairs. She had confirmed that when she came in, so for now, all she could do was wait for time to pass.
Snore.
Listening to the sound of snoring coming from downstairs, the two waited with pounding hearts. Perhaps their waiting had paid off, for at last the appointed time drew near. Juliana looked at Mitchell with a strange gaze.
“Will you go and bring him?”
The moment she finished speaking, Mitchell shook her head violently.
“N-no, I don’t want to. Just seeing his face gives me chills.”
“True.”
As if she fully understood how she felt, Juliana rose. At present, going herself was the surest method.
“If you come along, he might become wary, so stay here.”
Leaving Mitchell behind, Juliana went downstairs alone and walked straight over to Damon. He was still lost in his nap. With a stiff expression, she woke Damon.
“Hey.”
But Damon, deep asleep, showed no sign of waking easily. When he showed no response despite her calling several times, Juliana finally had no choice but to shout.
“Hey! Wake up!”
At that, Damon opened his eyes blearily. When he saw Juliana looking down at him, his eyes widened. Juliana, who normally refused even to deal with him, was now staring straight at him. To Damon, who could not understand what was going on, Juliana spoke. Her tone was somewhat softer than usual, though it was still just as blunt.
“I have something to say to you.”
“Something to say to me?”
As if something truly unusual had happened, Damon quickly sat up. Considering that until now her usual attitude had been to avoid even meeting his gaze, it certainly did not seem like an ordinary matter.
“What is it?”
“This place won’t do. How about we move somewhere else to talk?”
Though she tried to put on an act, Juliana’s tone remained cold and curt. Her aversion toward Damon had already taken root deep in her bones. But in the end, that could be considered fortunate for Juliana.
If she had spoken to Damon in a gentle, friendly manner, anyone would surely have found it strange. Because of that, Damon did not feel the slightest suspicion toward Juliana. He merely thought it was a little unexpected.
“Well, it makes no difference to me.”
Answering readily, Damon quickly stood up. Peeking at her was nice, but conversing face-to-face seemed like it would be a novel experience, so he could not help but feel excited. Turning around, Juliana strode toward the entrance.
“We’re not going to the inner room?”
“We’ll talk outside.”
Seeing Juliana open the door and go out, Damon hurriedly followed after her.