Chapter 14 – First Contact #2

His first meeting with Landius.

Kamael closed his eyes for a moment as if retracing his memories, then opened them with a small smile and began to speak.

“It was when I…”

“Wait!”

“Hm?”

Startled by the sudden interruption, Landius blinked. The others also turned to look at the one who had cut in—Fran—with puzzled expressions.

“Is there a problem?”

Fran quickly waved his hands in response to Kamael’s somewhat stiff question.

“No, no. It’s not a problem. I just thought we should change the order a bit.”

“Why is that?”

“Well… you know, there’s a certain flow to these things, right? Like starting with the trivial stuff and building up to the important parts. Hearing your story first, Kamael, feels like… eating the strawberry off the cake right away?”

“Hmm… I see. So that’s how it is.”

Kamael’s sharp demeanor softened in an instant.

At that, Fran let out a mischievous grin, while Lena gave a slightly dumbfounded chuckle and thought to herself.

He’s actually convinced he’s the strawberry on the cake…!

But he’s not. No matter what anyone says, I’m the strawberry.

However, Lena lacked the audacity to declare that she was the strawberry and should therefore go last.

So, Lena remained silent. Fran glanced at her face, then said with a wide grin.

“Alright, then let’s start with the old man’s story. It sounds like it’ll be the least important and most trivial one.”

“…I expected you to say something like that, and you did.”

It was so predictable that he didn’t even seem angry anymore. Belkian simply clicked his tongue a few times, straightened his posture, and spoke.

“It truly is a trivial story.”

“That just makes me more curious. What kind of meeting was it?”

“It was…”

*

Belkian was sitting in a drawing room, drinking tea.

The Paragon Kingdom. A small nation in the west, sharing a border with the Sailun Kingdom, one of the continent’s two great powers.

But it was by no means a country to be underestimated for its size.

Not only did it possess a long history and tradition that surpassed even the Sailun Kingdom and the Argon Empire, but it was also a cradle of talent, having produced scores of skilled and exceptional knights for generations.

Moreover, its people were generally tall and strikingly beautiful, often leading neighboring countries to remark, “The Paragon Kingdom is full of beauties and geniuses.”

The elven kingdom of the human world, they called it.

Recalling the nickname he had heard for the Paragon Kingdom during his travels, Belkian smiled faintly and set down his teacup.

The drawing room he was currently in was none other than that of Bardo, the palace mage of the Paragon Kingdom.

A space just like Bardo.

As befitting a palace mage’s drawing room, it was quite large, but there was little sense of splendor.

Instead, with books, scrolls, and various research materials piled here and there, it was more reminiscent of a research lab’s storage room than a drawing room.

And an undeniable simplicity and coziness. A unique feeling that clearly announced Bardo as its owner.

That’s a bit unlike Bardo… but it suits the place.

Belkian’s gaze fell upon a simple white field windflower.

A few blossoms were arranged in a small vase, fitting the room’s atmosphere perfectly.

If Bardo had put them there, they would have withered and died by now… Did the kingdom’s maids bring them?

No, perhaps it was the work of his new disciple.

Belkian closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the letters Bardo had sent him.

-I have a daughter now.

It was a short phrase, but it was enough. The sentence clearly conveyed how Bardo felt about his new disciple.

However… wouldn’t she be more like a granddaughter than a daughter?

After all, Bardo, like Belkian himself, was well past sixty.

Belkian smiled bitterly and lifted his teacup again.

The reason he, a wandering mage by nature, was now sitting in this drawing room was not simply to meet an old friend.

An offer of recruitment from the Paragon Kingdom. A request from the royal family to become the kingdom’s mage.

In truth, it wasn’t a common occurrence. For Belkian himself was a necromancer.

Necromancers, who commanded the dead, were shunned in every kingdom.

Their usefulness was acknowledged, but the dark image associated with death was so strong that kingdoms were reluctant to put them in the spotlight.

Thus, most nations avoided associating with necromancers altogether, and even great powers like the Sailun Kingdom and the Argon Empire only managed them in secret, almost never revealing their existence to the public.

Bardo must have pulled some strings.

He probably spun a tale about how Belkian was a mage who wielded the power of life, not death!

It wasn’t exactly a lie, either.

But…

Even so, Belkian had no intention of staying in the Paragon Kingdom as a necromancer.

One way or another, being a necromancer could bring harm to both Bardo and the Paragon Kingdom, and more decisively, Belkian himself had no desire to be tied down to one place.

Perhaps an apothecary would be acceptable.

Belkian had no intention of settling down, but he still needed a place to serve as a home base.

So, what if he stayed in the Paragon Kingdom for a few months a year and worked as an apothecary?

He could even conduct magical research with Bardo from time to time.

Thinking it sounded rather nice, Belkian soon gave a wry smile.

The very fact that he was having such thoughts made him feel he was getting old.

And it was at that very moment.

“Sorry for being late. Something urgent came up that I had to deal with.”

The old man who entered the drawing room with a hearty laugh—Bardo—was the very picture of a kind neighborhood grandfather.

A slightly plump face, uncharacteristic for a mage; features brimming with benevolence and leisure; and a chubby frame that perfectly suited his loose-fitting robes.

To top it off, his curly white hair and beard, reminiscent of cotton candy, were simply perfect.

He was the kind of friend whose appearance alone could bring a warm smile to one’s face, so Belkian replied with a small smile of his own.

“It’s fine. The tea is excellent, so the wait was a pleasant one.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. My disciple dried the tea leaves herself. And she brewed the tea, of course. She’s so talented with her hands.”

He spoke with a beaming smile, looking just like an old father bragging about his youngest child born late in life, which made Belkian laugh again.

“It was a girl, then?”

“That’s right. Her name is Lena, and she’s a truly, truly cute, pretty, and lovely child. She’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Do you know how beautiful her blonde hair is? It shimmers as if it were made from gold melted in sunlight. And her blue eyes are like starlight. On top of that, she’s so kind. She’s practically an angel descended to earth. When she becomes great, I’m sure she’ll be known by the epithet ‘Angel.’ I’m certain of it. She’s also diligent, smart, honest… oh, and of course, her talent for magic is outstanding!”

“Mm, I see. I’m not sure about the rest, but I can certainly tell how much you cherish the child.”

“Hey, my friend, were you even listening? I’m telling you, she really is pretty, kind, and smart!”

“Yes, yes. Lena. Bardo’s kind, smart, and pretty disciple. I’ve memorized it.”

“Add ‘a child like an angel descended to earth’ to that list.”

“…I’ll do that.”

Just what kind of child is she to make him act like this? Belkian was starting to get genuinely curious.

“Anyway, have you thought about my offer?”

Bardo plopped down in the seat opposite him and picked up a cookie with his chubby fingers as he asked. Belkian gave his prepared answer.

“Becoming a mage affiliated with the kingdom doesn’t seem right for me, but I might consider staying on as an apothecary.”

“That’s the answer I expected, but it’s still a shame. Aren’t you playing a bit too hard to get?”

“I can’t help it. I’m a very expensive commodity.”

“Hehe, but the fact that you’re joking tells me you must quite like the Paragon Kingdom.”

“Well, you’re here… and so is that angelic child who is pretty, kind, and smart.”

“Indeed, Belkian. You catch on quick.”

Bardo, seemingly pleased by the praise for Lena, laughed heartily and began munching on a cookie. Belkian smiled faintly again.

Archmage. A profession practically synonymous with insanity, where over seventy percent of its members were mad, and the proportion of psychopaths was even higher.

But the man before him, Bardo, was a truly rare case who, despite being an archmage, had managed to retain his benevolent personality intact.

That was why Belkian liked Bardo. When he was with him, he didn’t have to suffer the headaches that came from the pointless posturing and suspicion that accompanied other mages.

“Anyway, I’ll prepare a room for you next to my laboratory. To work as an apothecary… hmm, you’ll need a lot of medicinal ingredients, won’t you?”

“You state the obvious. However, if you give me a plot of land, be it in a garden or elsewhere, I might cultivate them myself.”

“That’s a good idea, too. Ah, but no mandrakes or anything dangerous like that. Understood?”

“I know. I do have some common sense.”

“Hehe, an archmage discussing common sense. How amusing.”

Just as Bardo laughed like that again.

“Mage, may I enter?”

Hearing the vigorous voice from outside the door, Bardo glanced at Belkian as if asking for permission, and Belkian nodded to indicate it was fine.

“Mm, come in.”

As soon as Bardo spoke, having received Belkian’s assent, a tall, well-built young man entered the drawing room.

Armor and a cloak identified him as a Royal Knight of the Paragon Kingdom. He had fiery red hair reminiscent of a flame and a handsome, manly face full of smiles.

When Belkian found himself staring at the young man’s face, Bardo chuckled as if he had expected it and said.

“This young man here is Landius, son of the Commander of the Royal Knights. As befits the commander’s son, he is very skilled and handsome—a truly promising youth. He will one day become a steadfast pillar of the Paragon Kingdom.”

At Bardo’s characteristic praise, the young man—Landius—blushed slightly as if embarrassed and showed his modesty.

“You praise me too highly. I am still lacking.”

“Huhu, so humble. Anyway, introduce yourselves. This is my dear friend, Belkian. You’ll probably be seeing a lot of him from now on.”

As Bardo said this and gestured toward Belkian, Landius performed a knight’s salute, placing his right fist over his chest, and spoke.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Landius, a knight of the Paragon Royal Knights.”

A vigorous and energetic young man.

Perhaps that was why. Despite being indoors, Belkian felt as if he were facing the sun outside. He replied with a small smile.

“Belkian.”

*

“Wait, that’s it?”

“You went to see Bardo, ran into Landius who was also there to see Bardo, and just said hello?”

Fran asked again for confirmation, and Belkian replied with a sullen face.

“That’s all there is.”

“What the heck is this! There’s really nothing to it!”

You just went to meet a friend and ran into him. No incident, no impact, no backstory!

“It wasn’t like you fought together to stop a zombie apocalypse or went on an adventure to save someone from a curse. You just said, ‘I’m Landius,’ and ‘Belkian.’ That’s it? What the hell is this?”

“That’s why I said there was nothing to it!”

I said it was trivial, and I told a truly trivial story. So what’s the problem?

As Belkian spoke with a mix of indignation and resentment, Fran cackled as if this was the reaction he’d been aiming for all along. The others just shook their heads and gave wry smiles.

“Anyway, we’ve heard the old man’s trivial story, so let’s move on. Ah, I feel like I’ve wasted my time. Why did you tell such a long story when you could have just summed it up in one line: ‘I met him at a friend’s drawing room’?”

“Belkian-nim, please calm down. You know what he’s like, right?”

Lena quickly took his hand and said soothingly. Belkian let out a long sigh—Hooo—and nodded.

In truth, while Fran was Fran, Lena’s recent words of comfort could also be considered blunt, if one were to be picky.

But perhaps that was just the nature of their relationship. One where they could speak bluntly without reservation.

In a way, it was a truly dysfunctional relationship, but that was also a measure of how close the five heroes of Paragon were.

“Then I’ll go next.”

Lena spoke up, as if to change the mood.

“Ah, wait. Could I perhaps give it a try?”

“Hm? Landi?”

“Yeah, I thought about it hard, and I think I remember.”

His first meeting with Lena. Not the one at the knight order, but the one before that.

At Landius’s request, Lena crossed her arms, a slightly mischievous expression on her face, and said.

“But Landi, are you confident? You know you’ll be in for it if you’re wrong, right?”

Her face was smiling, but her eyes were not. Her words sent a strange chill down one’s spine, but Landius, ever the Warrior of the Sun, just laughed heartily and said.

“Still, I remembered, so I want to tell the story. Is it okay if I go?”

He looked around as if asking for permission from the others, not just Lena, and everyone nodded.

“Alright, Landi. Go ahead.”

“Hmph, then I shall begin.”

Landius pulled Lena, who was feigning the expression of a test proctor, into a sudden embrace, finally making her laugh again, and then began his story.

---

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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