Chapter 23- Pride of the lower line.
“He was a human with exceptional intuition. He quickly understood incantations and learned magic. Furthermore, he devised his own unique magic. Even compared to demons, his talent was so extraordinary that it would be hard to find someone like him.”
“Unique magic.”
Yurik slightly lowered his gaze to his right index finger, which he was clutching.
“It’s impossible to know exactly, but the number of demons killed by his hand undoubtedly exceeded three digits. He was a master at killing demons.”
It was the death of his kin. Yet, the demon’s tone was eerily calm.
“……Do you not care about the death of your kin?”
“Demons are a race that constantly engages in strife. Even if they don’t die by human hands, they’ll die by the hands of their own kind. Isn’t it the same for humans? If there were no external enemies like demons, humanity would have stabbed each other and self-destructed. Look. Even in this mere two hundred years of peace, humans have waged countless wars.”
Yurik couldn’t say anything.
The heat in his index finger had already cooled, but he couldn’t bring himself to release his grip.
“Anyway, that’s all I know about Titon. The time I spent with him was barely ten years. After he left, I only met him a few times over several decades.”
“…I see. I apologize for daring to ask you such trivial questions.”
“No need. It was interesting. For the first time in a while.”
Only then did Yurik release his left hand, which had been clutching his index finger.
The right index finger, which had been burning just moments ago, now seemed perfectly fine as if nothing had happened.
“We’ve strayed from the topic…. I received the letter you sent. In fact, it’s very rare for someone to report something like this. Including you, there have only been three such cases so far. As the Court Mage of Rehinburg, I extend my gratitude.”
“No, it’s not for me to receive thanks. The heroes who sacrificed themselves for humanity are the ones deserving of gratitude.”
“Then, please provide the detailed information about the dungeon to the court mage outside.”
“Understood.”
As the Court Mage stood up, Yurik quickly rose from the sofa.
The demon stared at him intently and revealed his name.
“I am Wiglaf. Thank you for bringing news of Titon.”
“I hope we can meet again under better circumstances.”
Yurik bowed his head respectfully.
The demon Wiglaf gestured lightly, as if to say he could leave now.
After leaving the Court Mage’s office, Yurik provided detailed information about the dungeon to the court mage handling the matter.
He would likely return to the dungeon’s tomb after making sufficient preparations at the Count’s estate.
Having finished his business, Yurik left the Count’s estate and walked along the beautiful riverside.
“He quickly understood incantations and learned magic. Furthermore, he devised his own unique magic.”
He recalled the words of the Court Mage and the demon Wiglaf.
The era when the mage Titon was active was a transitional period where ancient and modern magic intersected.
Yurik speculated that Titon’s decision to inscribe magic onto his index finger might have been influenced by that era.
‘He used his index finger instead of incantations. It might not have been as versatile as incantation magic, but it was certainly more efficient.’
Yurik believed that figuring out how to use this index finger was his top priority.
He didn’t want to let this stroke of luck end as just that.
It was the legacy of a hero who willingly sacrificed himself for his era.
No matter the reason, obtaining this legacy meant he also inherited the responsibility that came with it.
Heading to the market, he bought high-quality paper, ink, and plenty of snacks.
As he strolled leisurely through the antique district, he also admired the antiques displayed in the shop windows.
Items that were passed over twice at the Rehinburg auction house usually ended up in the shops of this antique district.
If the Rehinburg auction house was a place for wealthy collectors, this antique district was for those without deep pockets.
Planning to leave the city the next day, Yurik sat by the riverside and sketched the city embracing the river.
With new paper and new ink.
Returning to his inn room, he read magic books late into the night before falling asleep.
The next morning, Yurik passed through the bustling streets and headed to the southern gate’s station, where he boarded a carriage heading south.
There, he spotted a familiar face.
“Old man Haral?”
“Oh, it’s the young mage.”
It was Haral, the old man he had recently ventured into the dungeon with.
A pure coincidence.
“I thought you’d be staying here to work a bit longer.”
“I’ve earned enough for now, so it’s time to head south again.”
“Is there a particular reason you’re going south?”
“There are several reasons… but mostly, it’s a mage’s curiosity. I’ve heard that the south has its own unique magic, different from other regions. There’s also a lot of historical material.”
“…Just that? Hah, I’ll never understand how mages think.”
Haral chuckled softly.
“By the way, where are you heading, old man? Aren’t there plenty of jobs here too?”
“Me? I’m…”
The gray-haired old man gazed wistfully at the sky outside the carriage.
“My hometown is that way. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but with all the demons causing trouble, I’ve been feeling nostalgic.”
“…I see.”
Just then, another mercenary boarded the carriage.
There were still two seats left, but as it was almost time to depart, the coachman stored the footrest in the luggage compartment.
With a creak, the carriage began to move. Soon, it left the station and crossed the fields.
Yurik looked back at Rehinburg, the city of heroes and the cradle of civilization.
The river, the city, the heroes, the dungeon, and….
His gaze suddenly dropped to his right index finger.
Yurik had gained much from this place.
* * *
The handsome mage and old man Haral, having left Rehinburg, passed through three villages over two weeks and finally arrived at [Fort God].
A fortress city built along a high canyon.
To head further south, one had to either pass through this fortress or cross the treacherous Beryl Mountains.
Of course, no sane person would choose to cross the hellish mountain range.
The fortress city was small but prosperous.
Being the only major route connecting the south and the central regions, the tolls collected were enormous.
Fortunately, the toll was based on the number of people and the amount of luggage, so the individual cost wasn’t too high.
Since they had come this far together, Yurik decided to continue traveling with Haral.
There wasn’t much to do or see in Fort God, so they stayed for only two days before passing through.
“The lower town has been quite noisy lately. You should be careful”
The guard kindly warned them as they passed through the gate.
When Yurik asked what he meant, Haral also tilted his head in confusion.
“I’m not sure. It’s been 30 years since I last came here. Perhaps there’s trouble on the southern front, and the security has worsened?”
“That must be it. We’ll have to be careful.”
The handsome mage and the old mercenary managed to join a merchant caravan and a group of mercenaries traveling through the canyon and forest paths.
Yurik asked one of the mercenaries riding in the carriage how bad the security in the lower town was.
“Damn, it’s been pretty rough lately. Apparently, several notorious bandit groups have popped up. They don’t just take tolls; they kill everyone on sight. Thanks to that, our pay has gone up a bit, but we still have to be careful. One wrong move, and you could end up dead for a few extra coins.”
Hearing this, Yurik fell into deep thought.
The words of the demon Wiglaf echoed in his ears.
“Isn’t it the same for humans? If there were no eternal enemies like demons, humanity would have stabbed each other and self-destructed. Look. Even in this mere two hundred years of peace, humans have waged countless wars.”
Even in this crisis, with the demon threat growing, greedy humans were tormenting their own kind.
Did they even have humanity?
Was it right to show compassion to such harmful humans?
Lost in deep contemplation, Yurik failed to find an answer as they exited the canyon and entered the forest path.
By evening, the group set up camp in a clearing.
Given the recent unsettling rumors, their expressions were tense.
The mercenary captain reassured his members that as long as they weren’t ambushed, there was nothing to worry about.
“Tonight, we’ll have three people on watch each shift. Let’s get through this night safely!”
Yurik was unlucky enough to be assigned the fourth shift.
Old man Haral was on the third.
Haral laughed heartily, saying he had always been destined for such tough luck.
Night fell quickly in the forest.
Before lying down, Yurik set up a detection magic barrier around the camp.
It wasn’t extensive, but it could detect anything within a 50-meter radius.
It would drain one of his mana crystals completely, but he felt it was necessary tonight.
After setting up the barrier, he lay on top of his sleeping bag instead of inside it, covering himself with a blanket.
This way, he could react immediately if something happened.
Yurik closed his eyes and listened to the chirping of insects.
Along with the sound of insects, his mind, wandering through the forest, gradually sank into darkness.
‘……?!’
Yurik’s eyes snapped open as he suddenly felt a burning sensation. His index finger felt like it was on fire.
‘Why all of a sudden…?’
The searing hot index finger suddenly moved.
Yurik’s body was pulled along by its motion.
The guards on watch, seeing Yurik suddenly sit up, thought he might need to relieve himself.
But when they saw him pointing his index finger in a certain direction, they sensed something was wrong.
Of course, it wasn’t Yurik’s will. It was the will of the index finger.
Moments later, Yurik felt something detected by the barrier.
Not just one. Two, three, four…!
Before Yurik could shout, something shot toward them.
-!
It was an arrow aimed at Yurik and the guards.
Yurik could protect himself, but he couldn’t protect the guards.
However,
At that moment, the index finger moved.
Again, it wasn’t Yurik’s will. It was the will of the index finger.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The arrows, flying swiftly like fish in water, stopped mid-air as if frozen.
Then, the index finger drew a circle in the air.
The four arrows reversed direction.
As the index finger thrust sharply into the air, the arrows shot back into the darkness
Ugh-!
A scream erupted from the forest.
This entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye.
“Enemies—!”
As the guard shouted, a group of bandits burst out from the forest.
The bandits had attacked the group.
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