Ch.58The Artisan of the Wilderness

Seo-rin turned to look up at the large black fortress. It must have been a simple tower at first. As time passed, other buildings were erected beside it, connecting to each other to expand the structure. That growth resulted in what was now the Magic Tower.

“Sir Knight. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Seo-rin answered Shave’s question. Though all their missions were complete, Seo-rin’s destination was not the Blue Wing headquarters. While tending to wounds and recovering her exhausted body, a letter had arrived from the Empire.

A new mission had been assigned.

‘Accompanying the Magic Tower…’

It was a difficult mission to understand. To accompany them to the land of dwarves and destroy a ‘repaired’ power engine. Though her knowledge was limited and she couldn’t properly assess its value, Seo-rin could tell that this power engine was no ordinary object.

‘The way the mages treated it like some treasure…’

The Empire wasn’t trying to acquire this precious item. They ordered its destruction once repairs were completed. Conversely, this meant she could ignore it if repairs weren’t finished.

Seo-rin recalled what she had heard from her Blue Wing seniors. Occasionally, additional missions that were difficult to comprehend would come down from above. It seemed this was one of those times.

As the orders from above were absolute, she had no choice but to follow them. Seo-rin turned and joined the mages.

The Magic Tower was preparing a delegation to head to the dwarven nation of “Black Forge.” The delegation included dozens of mages. Among them were five Ether-class mages, known to be on par with high-ranking knights.

The air rippled with each breath they took. Mages who had reached a certain level were in harmony with the natural environment. Mana moved and responded to their every gesture and step. Seo-rin observed them intently.

“Seo-rin! Over here!”

Hearing someone call her name, Seo-rin turned her head. A woman wearing a bright-colored robe was leaning out of a carriage, waving her hand. It was Envy. Having spent the past few days together, the distance between them had noticeably decreased.

Seo-rin climbed into the carriage where Envy was sitting. Envy’s gaze swept over the young knight. Having regained her health, Seo-rin exuded a different charm from her previously sickly appearance. She was a girl who could captivate people regardless of gender. Envy gently rubbed the corner of her eye and asked:

“That thing, isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“It’s not uncomfortable. It’s much more comfortable than before.”

Seo-rin turned her head at Envy’s question. Between her white scattered hair, a straight piece of metal was visible.

‘Mage Killer.’

That was the name given by the Magic Tower mages. Seo-rin moved her hand to grasp the sword attached to her back. Unlike before, mana no longer leaked out. This was thanks to the scabbard provided by the Magic Tower. It was said to block the flow of mana.

That’s why she could now wear it on her body and carry it around. The lightening magic cast on the scabbard was an added bonus. It reduced the weight, making it lighter. It wasn’t a magic that lasted forever; the spell needed to be recast about once every half year.

“You said this is your first time going to Black Forge, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then trust me! This is my third visit!”

Trust her with what? Seo-rin looked out the carriage window, resting her chin on her hand. Her seemingly indifferent gaze settled lightly. Watching her, Envy couldn’t speak for quite some time.

In another carriage, mages who had reached considerable levels looked at each other and conversed. They were all Ether-class mages. The atmosphere around them fluctuated with their emotions.

“Why did they allow a knight to accompany us?”

“It was a decision from above. We couldn’t say anything.”

“The Empire didn’t claim ownership of the power engine… I wonder if we’re worrying for nothing.”

“Perhaps it’s because it’s not functioning properly? They might claim ownership after the dwarf craftsmen repair it.”

“I’d rather not be at odds with the Empire…”

“If we split the party midway, the time…”

***

The journey was extremely comfortable. Seo-rin lay in the steady carriage, looking up at the ceiling. It was much more comfortable than the carriage provided by the Empire. According to Envy, this too was due to magic.

The magic Seo-rin had experienced was versatile. The Magic Tower’s magic wasn’t limited to combat applications. Magic was integrated into all aspects of daily life. It was different from sorcery. Magic resembled human life, branching out in all directions like a tree.

‘If I get the chance, I’d like to learn…’

She didn’t intend to delve deeply into it. Perhaps just simple cleaning magic, or magic that assists movement.

“Seo-rin! It’s time for dinner!”

She rose at Envy’s words. The meal prepared by the Magic Tower was quite to her liking. In fact, it would be hard to find food that didn’t suit her taste. Seo-rin licked her lips and exited the carriage with Envy.

Clunk-

The carriage door closed as the two stepped out. Seo-rin’s gaze lightly swept the surroundings. When entering an unfamiliar place, she immediately checked the surrounding space. It was her instinct. That’s why she noticed quickly.

“There are fewer people…”

The number was indeed fewer. It wasn’t a simple misconception. A cold wind swept across the darkening field. There were no traces of carriages having departed. The rest of the party hadn’t left ahead. They must have split off while the carriages were traveling.

Seo-rin’s gaze swept over the surrounding mages, including Envy. These were people she had grown quite close to. They too looked bewildered.

“What…? Where did everyone go?”

“Did the party split up…? Has anyone heard anything?”

Seo-rin was sensitive to human emotions. People who lie tend to change their scent. Her sensitive sense of smell keenly discerned the scents of the mages carried by the wind.

Swoosh-

Seo-rin’s figure lightly soared, undulating like riding the wind before landing. She leaped over a distance of ten meters in one go, arriving in front of a carriage.

Seo-rin climbed up next to the mage sitting in the driver’s seat and placed her hand on the White Dragon Sword.

“Tell me what you know.”

“W-what are you talking about…?”

“Why did the rest of the party disappear?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Seo-rin and the mage in the driver’s seat. Some had drawn their magical weapons, wands, and were holding them. This was because Seo-rin had placed her hand on her sword.

It was a mistake. Her emotions had gotten ahead of her. Seo-rin sighed and removed her hand from the sword. Seeing this gesture, the other mages also put away their weapons.

The other mages were equally curious about the reason. Why had the delegation been split in half? There were no signs of battle. No one had been informed.

The mage sitting in the driver’s seat had no choice but to speak.

“Well… there were instructions from the Ether mages. They said we needed to split the party in half…”

“Why?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but… they said there was something to take care of in the border region…”

Sniff, sniff- Seo-rin checked the scent in the air. It didn’t seem like he was lying.

The mages who were left behind with Seo-rin didn’t seem overly concerned. Their destination was the same anyway. They also knew the route. Though their paths might diverge, causing a few hours’ difference, if they started moving now, they could easily catch up with the rest of the party.

Most of the mages thought so. Seo-rin also didn’t think this was a major issue. However, what bothered her was the power engine that had disappeared with the rest of the party.

“Alright, everyone, calm down! How about we rest for today? It’s getting quite late!”

It was Shave who stepped forward to resolve the situation. Coincidentally, among the remaining mages, the highest rank was Mystic. There were no objections to the words of Shave, a Mystic mage.

After finishing dinner, they retired for the night. They didn’t designate separate sentries to guard the surroundings. The protective magic used by the mages served as sentries instead.

The next morning, the party started their day earlier than usual. To catch up with the distant delegation, they needed to move a bit faster. After completing preparations, Seo-rin’s party boarded the carriages and moved quickly.

The carriages reached the border region around noon that day.

Beyond a large cliff, a vast plain filled their view. The hazy rising dust evoked the shadow of a giant.

Unlike the Empire’s land, which was lush with vegetation, the land where the dwarves lived had an extremely barren environment.

The party led the carriages to the edge of the large cliff. To reach the dwarven lands, they needed to cross the cliff. For that, they needed the bridge connecting the cliff.

However, the bridge was broken.

“Oh no…”

“Who would do such a thing…”

Seo-rin got off the carriage and examined the elongated bridge. There were no signs of it being cut from this side. The sagging bridge swayed left and right in the rough wind.

Seo-rin’s gaze turned to the edge of the cliff. Wheel tracks from the carriages led to the point where the bridge was broken. Without a doubt, the Magic Tower’s delegation had crossed this bridge just a few hours ago.

They must have been the ones who cut the bridge.

Seo-rin’s gaze sank heavily.