episode_0031

When the afternoon lecture time arrived, there was nothing special. The usual class, learning about magic theory, was naturally filled with boredom. Unable to erase the slowly filling boredom, I found myself lost in reverie for a moment, then suddenly came to my senses and let out a sigh as time filled with those thoughts.

Even as time passed, the spies of the Demon King’s army must be moving. How on earth can I find that person?

As I pondered these thoughts, it was already time to return after the lecture ended. I hurried to the dining hall to eat quickly and then made my way to the school gate after the fairies had prepared the food.

When I arrived at the gate, Senior Leonar was standing there.

“You’re going to Ignolia.”

“Even in this situation, I still need to make money.”

“I’ve already given the item to Sharen, but I asked Claire to give it to you because I think you’ll need it too.”

Senior Leonar handed me a small ring, and I smiled after putting it on my ring finger.

“Thank you.”

“That spy of the Demon King has already seen you twice, so it’s not impossible for a third time. If by any chance you meet that man, don’t hesitate to press the gem on the ring firmly. Then we will move to your location.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“And the most important thing is training. If you can protect yourself as a wizard and subdue your opponent as a wizard, then you won’t even need that ring.”

After nodding, I opened my mouth to Senior Leonar.

“I met your younger sibling.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“You asked me to treat them well, saying that I’m not the kind of person to say such things.”

“Nothing has changed. After all, that kid has always been like that. Despite what they say, they’re a more tender child than you’d think, so don’t let them get hurt.”

“But I’m curious. Lycy asked if I’m a good person when she saw me, and then answered herself. Does your sibling possess any sort of clairvoyance?”

“If there is a way to distinguish between good and bad people, that would be funny.”

“…I see. Then, for what reason did he say that?”

“He’s a bit of a strange kid, so try to understand.”

After nodding, I greeted Senior Leonar and quickly started walking towards Ignolia.

Ignolia was a place where fights happened more often than one might think. Naturally, in a city where many people gather, fights happen frequently as part of daily life, but because Ignolia attracted various social classes, fights occurred more frequently compared to other cities. However, it wasn’t an unsafe place. To be precise, although I couldn’t know the details of what happened in the alleyways, incidents occurred there despite regular patrols by the guards, so for safety’s sake, I didn’t venture into the alleyways.

Of course, there were rumors about secret spaces in the alleyways where the wealthy entered, some areas filled only with the poor, and somewhere else where hoodlums roamed, but as someone who only frequented Ignolia’s shopping district, I was unaware of such matters.

Upon reflection, the alleyway was where I first met Senior Isabelle. I became curious about why she was there, but it wasn’t my place to pry into what a fifth grader was doing.

Returning to the topic, fights at the tavern were more common than one might think. Like now, customers drinking suddenly quarreled and then challenged each other to a duel, going outside the tavern to fight and returning, or sometimes they even bet on the cost of drinks, creating an atmosphere somewhat similar to how people live.

However, dealing with the aftermath of injured individuals was usually the responsibility of our staff, so I sighed, picked up a mop and a bucket of water, and went outside the tavern. The scene of the finished duel was quite bloody, so if anyone saw it, they would surely react with horror, but by now, I had become accustomed to such scenes and didn’t feel those emotions anymore.

Familiarly, she put the mop in the bucket and soaked it in water. After wringing out the mop once, she wiped the blood splattered on the streets and tavern walls, and laughter could be heard.

“Sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, please duel somewhere else next time.”

“But Toa’s cooking is excellent; without such dishes, there’s no excitement.”

As I turned my head slightly to speak to the man, the first thing that caught my eye was his white hair. The passage of time was naturally evident on his face. As I looked at the sword in his left hand and the cup of alcohol in his right, I spoke while wiping the blood with the mop.

“Still, you win every time, so you’re fortunate. If you lost, you might really die, you know?”

“I don’t pick fights I might lose. And boy, surviving to this age is proof of a lot of experience.”

“I’ve never seen you lose, but I haven’t seen you fight because I’m working. Can you gauge an opponent’s skill just by looking at their swordsmanship? It seems impossible to perceive it as something special like magic.”

Experienced swordsmen stand out. Usually, those who have held a sword for a long time have thick hands and many scars.

“It’s amazing. Do you also participate in the Rune Martial Arts Tournament?”

“At my age, what glory would I gain from participating in martial arts tournaments? I’d rather watch young swordsmen fight and drink. What about you? I heard you attend the academy, but even if you’re not interested in wizard duels, if you get the chance, will you go see them?”

“What achievements can a first-year achieve in the martial arts tournament? That’s the realm of geniuses.”

“No ambition.”

“You know reality.”

In response to my answer, the old man laughed heartily, then sipped from his cup and handed it to me.

“Give me more wine.”

“Whose name should I put the tab under?”

“The young lad swaggering into the tavern just now.”

I took the cup and went to the counter to pour some wine. As I poured the wine, a voice came from behind.

“Hans, did you not lose again this time?”

“Yeah, it’s strange, isn’t it?”

“When I was young, I heard that he used to explore dungeons alone. It’s really amazing that he’s living like this now.”

“Dungeon, huh…”

I took all the cups out of curiosity and went outside the tavern to talk to the old man, handing him a cup.

“What kind of place is a dungeon?”

“It’s full of death, a place filled with so much danger that one wrong step could lead you into the hands of Thanatos in an instant.”

“I’m curious why someone would go to such a place.”

“Many people go in search of treasure, but adventurers are naturally seeking honor. Breaking through a dungeon shows that level of strength, just like how wizards display their power. Who was it, called the Goliath of Flames? He was an impressive young man.”

“So, you know Senior Leonar.”

“He was overwhelming when he held back the dragon. It was a stunning sight, an area beyond the reach of a swordsman. He said he was in his third year at that time, I wonder how much stronger he’s become now… but I guess I won’t have the chance to meet him.”

“Are there swordsmen who have defeated dragons?”

“That’s possible only for those who can wield magic.”

I nodded at the old man’s words and picked up the mop and bucket in front of me.

“So, swordsmen can also wield magic.”

“An exceptional swordsman wields his sword to contain evil, and an even more exceptional swordsman uses his sword to cut through magic. A swordsman cuts what has substance, and ultimately learns to cut what has none. It’s the realm of effort and talent.”

I smiled at his words.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay here like this.”

“I should go inside.”

As quitting time approached, I gathered my things and said I’d go in first, walking along the familiar main road of Ignolia towards the academy gate, when suddenly a black cat appeared in front of me. Looking at the cat that I met every time, I spoke.

“It’s Isabelle’s familiar, what’s going on?”

The cat looked at me, then gestured as if to follow, and started walking ahead. I followed the cat slowly. As we turned into an alley off the main street, the same path as before appeared.

Without hesitation, I continued to walk forward, and there was Senior Isabelle standing there. I bowed my head and greeted her.

“You’ve worked hard, Jeremy.”

In response, the cat meowed once and walked off somewhere, and Isabelle smiled at me.

“This time, you’re not asking?”

“Back then, you didn’t reveal yourself.”

“Because I wasn’t sure. Who is this person, really?”

“I want to ask, but why did you seek me out back then?”

“Do you know that a familiar’s eyes are the same as a sorcerer’s eyes?”

“I’ve read about it in a book; what a familiar sees, a sorcerer can also see.”

She nodded.

“One of my hobbies is to see the world through your eyes, and sometimes I meet people with interesting destinies. But… Astan was different. What kind of person is he? Perhaps his information was filtered through your eyes, so I called Astan out of curiosity. His destiny wasn’t visible then, and it was the same yesterday.”

“So you’ve made a decision. What’s going on today?”

“Astan said that the demon king’s familiar would be in Ignolia.”

“Understood, whether you believe it or not.”

At that moment, Isabelle slowly extended her right hand. As she did, the surroundings darkened. Even the magical light that illuminated the alley disappeared, and it seemed as though even the moonlight vanished.

“Tomorrow is a holiday, so it doesn’t matter if we sleep late, right?”

“You need me, I see.”

“Let’s trust Astan’s intuition. I’m trying to find the demon king’s familiar hidden in Ignolia. Are you not too busy?”

“As long as the restrictions are resolved…”

Upon my response, Isabelle smiled faintly and took a step towards me.

“I’ll take care of that much. Shall we go?”

“I will do my best.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Then she clenched her right hand. The darkness that filled the surroundings was drawn into her hand, and she opened her mouth while looking at me.

“Where shall we go?”