Ch.2020. Magician

“I’ve experienced many things in my life, but today is a first.”

As the commotion settled down, Dunstan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and spoke. The expression “back from the dead” seemed truly appropriate.

Although one of the guards had lost his life, they had managed to overcome the crisis with minimal casualties.

No, it was practically no loss at all. It was a harsh thing to say about the deceased, but that was reality.

Dunstan was a merchant, and the carriage and cargo were far more important than a single guard.

Calculating profit and loss, things had actually turned out quite well. Having slain the magical beast, there was no need to detour around the forest, making it possible to reach Lindvale within the scheduled time.

Those who overcome hardship are rewarded with elation. Dunstan forcibly suppressed the laughter rising from within. There would be time to laugh later. There were more pressing matters to attend to first.

“Thank you.”

Bending his stiff back at a right angle, Dunstan expressed his gratitude to Rex.

“I’ve incurred a debt I can never repay. If it weren’t for you… it’s terrifying just to imagine. We would have lost the cargo at minimum, and likely all died.”

Rex stared at Dunstan with an impassive face. He didn’t say things like “this isn’t necessary” or “please stand up now.” Both objectively and in his own estimation, he fully deserved such treatment.

The guards who had been keeping their distance while reading the atmosphere also bowed their heads together. Their expressions clearly showed embarrassment, and rightfully so. Despite being hired specifically for situations like this, they had been too frightened to do anything.

Rex didn’t blame them. If the guards had tried to help and joined the fight, the situation might have become complicated. It was enough that they hadn’t fled and had maintained their positions until the end.

After a brief silence, Dunstan cleared his throat and addressed him.

“Ahem. So, what do you plan to do now?”

“Pardon?”

“About Lindvale. There’s still quite some time before sunset, so if we move diligently now, we could reach Lindvale before nightfall… I’d like to hear your opinion.”

His tone suggested he would act according to Rex’s decision, but contrary to his words, his eyes were pleading. Rex responded with a somewhat disgruntled expression.

“Let’s go then, I suppose. But…”

He wasn’t particularly tired enough to need rest, and above all, Rex was just as eager to reach Lindvale quickly.

However, there was something that needed to be addressed before departing. Rex pointed at the magical beast’s carcass.

“What about that?”

Following Rex’s gesture, Dunstan’s expression turned troubled.

Magical beasts are valuable. With the exception of extremely rare specimens, most have ferocious temperaments, making them difficult to subdue intact even if discovered. Naturally, the better preserved the corpse, the higher its value.

In this respect, the boar-like magical beast Rex had slain was clearly a premium specimen. Even the so-called magical beast byproducts sold in cities were mere trash compared to this.

To put it bluntly, it was something impossible to find elsewhere. As soon as they reached Lindvale, people would flock like the tide, begging to buy it.

The profit that could be made from selling such a magical beast might equal or even exceed the value of the entire cargo the merchant company was currently transporting.

“We can’t just leave it. It’s already a rare magical beast, and in pristine condition too. We should take it with us… but this is troublesome.”

Dunstan sighed, trailing off.

No matter how much a magical beast might sell for, it would be pointless if they couldn’t transport it to the city.

The problem was that the magical beast was enormous.

It stood taller than a well-built man, with a body that extended widely from side to side. Transportation itself was possible. Fortunately, one of the carts had enough spare space, and if the wheels didn’t break, there would be more than enough room to load it.

The real issue was that there was no one who could lift such a massive weight and move it to the cart.

“What to do about this…”

Dunstan sighed with a troubled face.

In truth, he had no reason to be so fixated on the magical beast. Rex was the rightful owner. Even if he helped with distribution, the merchant company would receive next to nothing.

But Dunstan was a merchant. He couldn’t simply walk away from a product that was certain to sell for a fortune right before his eyes.

“Nothing we can do. We’ll have to leave it behind…”

“No! That won’t do, not at all… You may not understand, but opportunities like this are rare. We must find a way somehow.”

“Even so—”

Rex was about to speak but closed his mouth after seeing Dunstan’s expression. Dunstan was staring at the magical beast with eyes dripping with attachment. He looked even more anxious than Rex, the actual owner.

Dunstan, along with the guards, tried with all their might to lift the magical beast’s carcass. They strained so hard that blood rushed to their faces, turning them tomato-red. Of course, the magical beast didn’t budge an inch.

After struggling for a while, the exhausted men finally collapsed.

Rex shook his head with a bitter smile.

It wasn’t that he had no desire for it. He well understood that when it came to money, more was always better.

He simply thought it better to quickly give up on an unsolvable problem and head to the city, rather than continuing to dwell on it.

Just then, Ellin suddenly spoke from behind.

“Want help?”

“What?”

Ellin turned her head toward the magical beast, as if confirming that Rex had heard correctly.

“That. You’re trying to load it onto the cart, right?”

“Well, yes…”

Rex scratched his cheek awkwardly. While he appreciated the offer to help, he didn’t think Ellin would achieve different results when even grown men had failed.

Ellin made a humming sound and stepped forward.

“Rex! Give me a little more time. I just had a brilliant idea… Hm? Ellin?”

Dunstan, still clinging to the magical beast and dripping with sweat, turned around at the sound of footsteps. Rex was looking this way with an uncomfortable expression, and beside him stood Ellin, holding a wooden stick.

Dunstan asked Rex with a puzzled face.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure myself…”

Regardless of the people’s murmuring, Ellin pointed the wooden stick at the magical beast and said:

“Move aside.”

When the hesitant people stepped aside, Ellin lightly waved the wooden stick.

And…

Surprisingly, nothing happened!

Rex closed his eyes tightly, while the others wore expressions of disbelief.

This was no childish prank, but what was she trying to do? One of the guards, moving beyond confusion to irritation, glared at Ellin and began to speak.

“That’s enough—”

His words were cut short. Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

“Huh?”

Rex was the first to notice the change. His sensitive senses detected vibrations rising from beneath the earth. Though there was no wind, the leaves on the trees trembled.

Crack!

Centered precisely where the magical beast lay, thin fissures appeared in the ground and quickly spread like a spider’s web. Then, with a splitting sound, the earth broke apart and began to rise into the air.

Amid falling soil and stones, the magical beast’s corpse also floated upward. The soil fell back to the ground while the magical beast hovered, moving toward the cart.

Thud!

With another gesture from Ellin, the magical beast settled into the empty space on the cart. The wheels creaked under the sudden weight.

Those who had been watching in stunned silence finally regained their senses. In an atmosphere where it was difficult to speak, Ellin calmly addressed Rex.

“Is that good?”

“What?”

Rex looked back and forth between Ellin and the cart like a fool. Ellin stepped closer and tilted her head. Somehow, a sense of dissatisfaction emanated from within the shadow of her hood. Rex stammered a response.

“Ah… yes. That’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

This seemed to be the right answer. Ellin nodded proudly.

Rex muttered in a deflated voice.

“You’re a mage?”

“Yes.”

Rex’s lips twitched at the straightforward confirmation. Why tell me only now? His facial muscles twitched involuntarily. If she had mentioned it earlier, it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

Ellin responded to Rex’s question without hesitation.

“You didn’t ask.”

“Ah… I see.”

“I wanted to help earlier too. But you were too close to the magical beast, and I was afraid using magic might hurt both of you.”

Rex covered his face with his palm. A hollow laugh escaped between his fingers. Ellin tilted her head as if finding his reaction strange.

Rex slumped his shoulders weakly. It felt awkward to continue questioning Ellin. He wasn’t particularly upset. He was just a bit surprised to learn that Ellin was a mage.

‘A mage… huh.’

As a child, Rex had admired mages. In fairy tales, mages were mysterious beings like stars twinkling in the night sky. They were wise individuals who could easily solve all the world’s problems.

Rex silently looked Ellin up and down. The boy’s childhood fantasy was thoroughly destroyed in this moment.

As always, imagination and reality were different…

“What?”

“…Just, thank you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Ellin seemed pleased.

***

After the commotion subsided, the carriage began to move shortly thereafter. Contrary to concerns, the wheels withstood the magical beast’s heavy weight. If the constant creaking sounded like desperate pleas for mercy, that was surely just imagination.

The group remained quiet throughout the journey, mainly because they were all wary of Ellin.

In particular, the man who had tried to snap at Ellin when she was casting her spell was now huddled in a corner, quiet as a mouse. Ellin didn’t even know his name, but he had no way of knowing that.

“Ha ha. Ellin, or should I say Miss Ellin? I never dreamed you were a mage.”

At least Dunstan broke the silence with a friendly smile. He was promptly ignored, which made Rex, sitting nearby, feel uncomfortable as well.

“Ellin.”

When Rex admonished her, Dunstan quickly waved his hands.

“It’s fine. I was just wondering why you joined as a passenger without revealing you were a mage. You wouldn’t have had to pay at all. Just curious, that’s all. It’s not an important question, so don’t worry about it.”

Rex secretly agreed with his question.

Mages were a privileged class on par with nobility. Magic was useful not only in combat but in all aspects of daily life. If she had revealed her status, people would have flocked to escort her respectfully.

Rex couldn’t understand why she would pass up the opportunity to travel comfortably to the city and instead accompany such a small merchant group.

While he didn’t understand, he didn’t ask. It was already in the past, and he didn’t feel entitled to comment on others’ affairs.

“Because of this.”

However, not long after Dunstan left, Ellin suddenly spoke up.

“Pardon?”

“It’s annoying. When people find out I’m a mage. I don’t like how they immediately change their attitude, like flipping their palm.”

Unlike usual, her response was lengthy this time. Her tone seemed almost apologetic, as if she didn’t really want to push people away like this.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t unreasonable that Ellin had developed her characteristically aloof personality.

Just looking at the atmosphere surrounding the group now, everyone was clearly giving Ellin special treatment, so it was easy to imagine how many people had bothered her over time.

Then, a thought suddenly crossed Rex’s mind, and he pointed at his own face.

“What about me?”

“…You don’t matter.”

“Why?”

Rex asked before he could stop himself. After a brief silence, Ellin turned her head sharply to the side.

“Don’t know.”

Finding her reaction somehow amusing, Rex smiled softly.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Don’t know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

Rex looked up at the sky, avoiding her piercing gaze.

It was now fully afternoon, with bright sunlight pouring down from the sky. In the distance, the edge of the forest was gradually drawing closer.

Once they passed through there, they would reach Lindvale.

Their brief journey together was coming to an end.