Chapter 124 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (8)
Chapter 124: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (8)
“Woah....”
Shatien let out a gasp of admiration as he looked at the transformed interior. He was truly impressed by how the mysterious power was handled like this.
He wondered if this was what a true mage was like.
“Just an 'woah'...? Is that all?”
The Sage of the Forest.
Agpiel looked at Shatien with curiosity. People usually did one of two things when they saw magic.
They were either disgusted or awestruck.
But from Shatien, he saw something else entirely. Curiosity. It was truly exceptional.
‘What a strange fellow huh?’
Usually, knights tended to dislike mages. As those who worshipped bravery, honor, and physical strength, they couldn't possibly like the wicked, sinister, and uncertain mysteries of magic. Furthermore, the clergymen who stuck to their sides every day preaching only helped build that distrust even further.
“A-Ahem. I'm sorry, Mage Agpiel. I was just surprised by your grand magic. It's truly cool and wonderful. I was startled.”
“H.... Hmm? Is that so?”
“Yes. I've wanted to hear about magic for a long time, and to think you'd show it to me directly!”
‘What's with this guy? Is it because he's a mercenary?’
Looking at the people around him, they clearly looked like mercenaries and merchants. Since he had walked a different path from a typical noble-born knight, it made enough sense.
Of course....
Even so.
“How did you do it? No, what exactly is magic? If it's not rude, I'd like to hear about it.”
There were never any bastards who showed such absurd levels of friendliness.
‘What an interesting guy this is? This is getting entertaining.’
Agpiel curled the corners of his mouth. He felt as if a bit of stimulation had entered his life, which had been growing dull since he realized the mysterious power.
After composing himself from the embarrassment, Mage Agpiel shrugged with a calm attitude.
“Since it's fate, I can give you at least a line of advice.”
“Oh, please!”
“But you know it's difficult for even high nobles to get advice from me, don't you? Even this meeting wouldn't have happened so easily if it wasn't for Count Joberham's invitation, right?”
“Oh, boy....”
Shatien tried to smoothly slide past with words, but as expected, this mage wasn't falling for it.
Shatien smacked his lips in regret. The man was as thorough as a mage should be.
“Since I'm just a knight of humble mercenary origin, haha.... I don't really have anything to offer.”
“Oh, I see....”
Mage Agpiel mimicked his tone from a moment ago and snickered.
“I know. Surely I wouldn't want a harsh price. You just need to lend me something precious for a short while.”
“Something... precious?”
It was always fun to pull a prank on young knights or nobles.
This was Mage Agpiel's small pleasure and hobby. People called it a wicked hobby, but wasn't it the duty of a sage to let those living in their own conceit know that reality isn't always like that?
That was why Mage Agpiel became even more mischievous.
“Haha. It's nothing strange. You just need to serve me by my side. Why, aren't we going on a subjugation mission together anyway? Just carry my luggage and tend to my needs.”
In short, he was telling him to act as a servant.
‘Hehe. Now, what will you do?’
It was a significant insult and a hard-to-accept disgrace for a knight like Shatien, but the problem was that Shatien wasn't a typical knight.
“Is that real?”
“?”
“Are you saying you'll really let me understand magic just for doing that?”
“W-Well, it's not that I'll teach you, but that I'll help you understand what magic is....”
“I'll do it! Haha. Well, I was startled because I thought you were asking me to sacrifice something precious, Mage.”
“…….”
What kind of guy is this?
In that moment, Mage Agpiel changed his evaluation of Shatien from an interesting guy to a weird one.
* * *
“Hmm? Have you already introduced yourselves?”
While things were noisy, Count Joberham, who had suddenly appeared in the banquet hall, came straight to where they were and spoke. Count Joberham seemed to already know Mage Agpiel.
“You're practicing that wicked hobby again today. When will you grow up? Mage Agpiel.”
“A wicked hobby? People might misunderstand if they hear you, Count. I'm just giving these people a sage's advice that they shouldn't have wrong prejudices.”
“...It's because you act like that that the Order hates you.”
“Hmph. Let them hate me. Even so, don't they always call me with a smile whenever they need advice?”
“Consistent as always.”
Count Joberham shook his head.
“Stop the strange antics now. I'm declining any unnecessary commotion. Mage Agpiel, if you've received the pledge, then fulfill it. Sage of the Forest.”
“Tsk.”
As soon as the pledge was mentioned, Mage Agpiel made a gesture as if his interest had cooled.
Then, the fake(?) mage who was still giving advice to the nobles across the room hurriedly finished up and slipped away with the guards.
The show was over.
“…….”
“…….”
Branch Manager Marhen, Miles, and Centurion Jenga were staring blankly, wondering what kind of mess this was, but they were no longer the center of attention.
Not to Mage Agpiel or Count Joberham, anyway.
“You all should go now too. There's no need to mention what happened today to anyone.”
“Nyahaha. Of course. The honor of the nobles is at stake.”
“Ahem, hum. My mouth is very tight, Count.”
“That's right. Unlike this guy, my mouth is very solid and heavy.”
“Yes, I'm counting on you.”
With a sigh, Count Joberham nodded and sent the others out.
However, he then tilted his head as he saw Shatien still sticking to Mage Agpiel's side with an awkward expression.
“Hmm? And you?”
“Ahahaha. Well, about that.”
“Dear me. He's my assistant. He's absolutely necessary for this matter. Isn't that right?”
“Well, that is true, I suppose?”
Shatien wondered if it was really necessary for him to hear the story together.
“So he'll listen as well?”
“Yes. Won't you need this friend to subjugate the cursed temple anyway?”
“Hmmmm....”
Count Joberham looked at Shatien. The veteran elven noble's eyes still sparkled with a gaze that was hard to read.
Perhaps he was worried they were sharing too many secrets?
After a short yet long silence, Count Joberham finally spoke.
“Fine.”
“Hahahaha. Right. Come on, Sir Shatien? Let's go together then.”
“U-Uh, understood.”
* * *
On the way to the inner castle.
Shatien followed Count Joberham and Mage Agpiel to meet the lady of the house who was suffering from madness.
“It's the same as ever. Since it's a building from the ancient empire, the patterns are very unique. It feels like ancient magic is written on them.”
“It's been hundreds of years. No matter how great ancient empire magic was, there's no way it would still be maintained.”
“Are you sure you aren't hiding something, Count? Hahahaha.”
“...If there was magic that could be hidden from the Sage of the Forest, would I have invited you?”
“Well, since magic has different fields, I shouldn't speak recklessly... but I guess that's true.”
Mage Agpiel pouted as if the excitement had died down.
“Then let's hear the story first. How on earth did the curse start and what are the symptoms?”
“Hmm....”
Count Joberham hesitated for a moment at those words, then began to explain slowly.
“It first started at a pagan temple discovered by chance....”
A pagan temple discovered in Count Joberham's fief, where many ruins from the ancient empire remained.
Enchanted by its beauty, Count Joberham had visited the place with his wife, who was deep in grief after losing their son. Since then, his wife had been wasting away and had fallen into madness.
“Did the village where the pagan temple is located also suffer from similar madness?”
“Yes. In fact, the curse is spreading further. The madness is extending to the surrounding villages. Already one-third of the fief is suffering from the curse of madness. People often twist their bodies and drool while feeling a pain as if their hands and feet are on fire.”
“Hmmmm?”
“Hm.”
Shatien swallowed hard without realizing it as he listened to the story.
“?”
“?”
And it was the same for Mage Agpiel. After their eyes met for a moment, they turned their heads back to look at Count Joberham.
“Did the tips of their hands and feet actually burn away?”
“Yes. They turned pitch black as if scorched. Then they soon crumbled away. Anyone would see it as a mark of a curse.”
“Dear me....”
“Does the lady show the same symptoms?”
At Shatien's question, Count Joberham nodded. No, rather, he nodded as if it were devastating and put his hand to his face.
“Actually... actually.... it's more horrific. The blackening of the tips of her fingers and toes is still bearable for now, but...”
“But?”
“When my wife has a seizure, she does things I can't even speak of.”
“?”
Things he can't speak of?
If those words came from a Count's mouth, what on earth could it be?
Shatien wasn't the only one curious. Mage Agpiel also tilted his head and asked.
“'Things you can't speak of' from the Count's mouth.... That's a rare expression. Does she eat people? Bite them? Surely not, haha.”
“…….”
“...Right?”
“How can you even say that?”
Whoops, it looked like literal fire was coming from Count Joberham's eyes.
Shatien slowly turned his head away so he wouldn't get caught in the sparks.
“But it's something else.”
“Surely... um. Is it running around naked... or... doing something strange with a stick or something like that?”
“?”
“?”
Count Joberham's eyes widened and he wore a horrified expression.
As if to ask how he knew.
“Ah, ahahaha. That was just a deduction.”
“...Don't you ever say that anywhere else.”
“W-Well, of course, isn't that natural? Since the Count and I already share many secrets, I have no intention of saying that.”
Would he say it unless he was crazy?
It would probably be a secret he'd take to his grave.
But separate from that, Shatien's expression became a bit subtle.
‘Hmm... this is....’
That's right.
This curse.
No, this disease expressed as a curse.
He felt like he knew what it was.
Since it was a phenomenon that frequently occurred within the scorched territories of the ancient Holy Empire, he couldn't possibly not know.
He knew the name of that bizarre disease and even the devastatingly simple cure.
And Shatien wasn't the only one thinking this.
“This curse is....”
“This disease is....”
“……?”
Mage Agpiel was the same.
“You speak first.”
“N-No. The mage should....”
“No, it seems you know it too? It's rare to see someone with this much knowledge. How strange. Then let's say it together. How about it?”
“Oh… Hm. Understood.”
Shatien scratched his head and spoke together with Mage Agpiel.
“This curse is St. Anthony's Fire.”
“This disease is St. Anthony's Fire.”
“…….”
“Actually, it's no curse. It's just a disease, as this friend said.”
“However... it's not a disease the lady of the house should catch.”
“Right. That's why I called it a curse. How very strange, isn't it?”
“?????”