Chapter 127 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (11)
Chapter 127: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (11)
“Whoa, whoa, hey!”
“Keep an eye on the surroundings!”
The subjugation team led by Shatien crossed the territory very quickly. Perhaps thanks to the good deeds and treatments diligently provided so far, they were able to march comfortably while receiving generous hospitality at every village they passed.
“Hm, the response is warmer than I expected, isn't it?”
Branch Manager Marhen said that while looking at the merchant group trading goods in the village they visited this time.
Because the villages had been isolated for a long time, the demand for necessary daily necessities was quite large.
In the village, the village chief was out in front, busy negotiating to buy various farming tools and daily necessities in bulk.
“There was no need for you to follow us all the way here, though….”
“It’s fine. Sometimes one must be able to hear the voices of the field like this.”
“Yes, yes. I suppose so.”
It could be seen as an excellent judgment as a merchant leader and branch manager, but in Shatien's view, it was not right at all.
Where were they going right now?
Was it not a place called the cursed region where various monsters swarmed?
Battle would surely break out, and it was dangerous if an accident occurred due to uncontrollable variables.
In the midst of this, he even had to protect a non-combatant and very important person.
Truly, from the standpoint of commanding, the difficulty was at its peak.
“Hnng… it seems you’re thinking something very impertinent?”
“Ahem. What are you saying. It’s a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding.”
Being a cat beastman, her intuition was fast. Shatien hurriedly changed the subject.
“So, how far has Viscount Ragnarsson moved?”
“I heard he’s just now in the Tullisen region.”
“Tullisen? Still?”
Shatien asked back in absurdity.
Tullisen was a city in the earldom located not far from here. They had departed nearly a month earlier than them, yet they were still there!
Shatien wondered if he had misheard. But he had heard correctly.
“Yes. He must properly soothe the subordinate nobles on this occasion. I heard he’s busy showing off his influence by doing street parades in every city he stops at. Furthermore, considering the customs as a noble, the hospitality cannot be neglected, can it? It will probably take three more months just to reach the capital.”
“Oh boy….”
Whatever that damn custom was. Shatien could only click his tongue naturally.
But it was also understandable. As Branch Manager Marhen said, was this not a golden opportunity to receive the support of the subordinate nobles?
Since the succession of the Margrave title was about to happen soon, Viscount Ragnarsson also needed to build internal solidarity.
“The picture is very good, yes. Stop showing off your youthful vigor and come over here.”
“Nya, nyanya?!”
“Ahem. Hm. You shouldn't say such dangerous things, Mage Agpiel.”
“Tsk tsk. Dangerous things my ass. It’s plain to see at a glance…. Anyway, youngsters these days.”
Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue and gestured as if it were a bother.
It was a sign to come quickly.
Shatien offered an apology to the very flustered Branch Manager Marhen and immediately approached Mage Agpiel.
“Why do you call me?”
“I thought it would be difficult to answer you if not now. Once we go to the cursed region soon, won't we be busy with the subjugation for a while?”
“Oh!”
The mystery of magic!
Finally, this mage seemed to be about to tell him about it.
Shatien quickly cleared away the insults he had been muttering against the mage in his heart and looked at Mage Agpiel with a very reverent posture.
“Right. You are probably curious about what magic is and what mystery is, aren't you? Magic is finding and expressing the laws hidden within mystery, and mystery is a collection of powers drifting and manifesting within all things in the world.”
“What must I do to handle it?”
“You must look at the essence of phenomena and listen closely to the story told by the mystery of the forest. The forest does not reject those who come and embraces everyone benevolently. If you lend an ear, it will naturally give an answer.”
As if he had prepared it, Mage Agpiel spat out the words rapidly.
Judging by his serious expression, it seemed he had given a very profound answer, but there was a problem.
'What is he saying?'
Shatien's face twitched. He understood the relationship between magic and mystery, but it was difficult to understand the method of handling and awakening it.
Seeing that expression, Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue and tossed out a remark.
“If you could understand that all at once, the world would be overflowing with the breed called mages.”
“A-Ahem.”
“Awakening magic and mystery takes a supreme amount of time. And the methods of awakening are various. Someone in a storm, someone in rough waves, another in death, and so on. A person who realizes their own laws within the whispers of the mystery they faced and acts with their will. That is a mage. If you asked a hundred mages for the method, a hundred methods would come out.”
“Mmm.”
In short, it differed from person to person.
The path of magic appeared truly arduous. Of course, even if the methods of awakening were all different, could he not at least give some advice on walking the path?
Thinking so, Shatien asked back.
“What happens if one is already facing and handling mystery?”
“Handling mystery you say? Hehe… I don't know where you heard such a strange story, but handling mystery with a human body. That’s a stupid thing to say.”
“What?”
“Mystery is the power of great nature. Thinking of handling the flowing mystery is an arrogant thought. One is merely being swung around by the mystery. How could one handle uncontrollable mystery. If there is such a person, I will serve that friend as my father.”
“Hmm….”
Shatien scratched his head at Mage Agpiel's words. It was because there seemed to be no need to speak so intensely.
Right now, did he not adjust mystery to some extent himself?
“Why do you look at me like that? As if you know how to handle mystery.”
“Well…. I do know how to handle it, though?”
“?”
Shatien carefully drew up the mystery of his bloodline. Perhaps thanks to his past experiences, the mystery of the bloodline pulsated through Shatien's heart and throughout his entire body very naturally.
-Woooooong.
The wriggling mystery expanded Shatien's synesthesia.
And at the same time, he saw, no, felt Mage Agpiel gasping in shock and horror.
“??????”
“It puts a burden on the body, but fortunately, I do handle mystery. Could you perhaps give me some teaching? Mage Agpiel, the Sage of the Forest.”
It was Agpiel, who was staring in horror with his mouth agape.
“Ah! You don't have to call me father, of course.”
“…….”
* * *
It was only after some more time had passed that the shocked Mage Agpiel regained his senses.
“My goodness. As expected, there is no definitive answer in magic and mystery.”
Mage Agpiel let out a sigh with a face that looked much older.
He seemed to be rebuking his own narrow minded thinking. But he soon composed his expression and looked at Shatien.
“Right…. So you said you need teaching?”
“Yes. This mystery of the bloodline. Ah, I have given it that name arbitrarily.”
“No. That word might be correct. I have heard a glimpse of stories before that a blessed mystery flows in the bloodlines of heroes. I thought it was a story in old legends, but I didn't know it was real. And a controllable mystery at that?”
Mage Agpiel looked at Shatien with sparkling eyes. Somehow, a desire to perform some experiment seemed to be burning in his gaze.
“Mystery itself possesses power. What kind of power do you have?”
“Should I say the perception of space time is activated? All information within a certain range is real time analyzed as if it were being injected into my head.”
“Ho.”
Was it not a mystery optimized for a knight? Mage Agpiel was convinced that there was a blessed hero of old in the bloodline of this young knight.
“There is no way there is no price for handling such a mystery. Mystery is actually not something for humans to handle. No matter how much you have received the blessing of the bloodline.”
“Even without that, extreme physical strength is consumed. If I use it to the limit, lethargy covers my body along with a severe headache.”
“Hmm. It seems you are drawing upon your life force? There is a reason why ancient heroes die young.”
As expected. It was the same opinion as his previous master. Shatien nodded.
“Even without you saying so, my master thought the same. So I did separate training to adjust accordingly.”
“Hahaha. You had a wonderful master. Was he a knight?”
“Yes. He was a knight who overcame the wall.”
“Overcame the wall? The Goddess of Fate truly looked after you. If some quacks had seen you, they would have completely ruined your body.”
There were fools who considered the power of mystery a blessing and instead worked harder to accelerate it. In that sense, this young knight had a wonderful master at the right time.
If not for that, he would have met his fate much sooner than his ancestors. Because he would have used up all his life force.
“It seems there is only one teaching you want then?”
“Yes. I need wisdom on how to handle this mystery safely.”
Shatien said so with a slight sense of expectation. Being a mage called the Sage of the Forest, he had expectations that he might know something about such methods.
“There is none.”
“What?”
“A method to handle mystery safely. There is no way such a thing exists. If that were possible, it would no longer be human.”
Mage Agpiel spoke very firmly.
“Oh….”
Shatien wore a face of failure. Did that mean he had to continue using mystery with his life force as collateral? Shatien was feeling that he had already consumed a significant amount of his life force on the mystery he used so far.
“Of course…. There might be an exception… but even so, it is close to impossible. As far as I know, there is none.”
“Is that so.”
“Still, don't be so dejected. One cannot handle mystery safely, but there is a way to minimize the backlash of mystery.”
“Is that true?”
“Since mystery is using life as collateral, is it not just a matter of filling that life force?”
“Oh?”
Shatien let out an exclamation of joy in surprise.
“Of course, filling life force is often a wicked magic.”
“Oh….”
This time, he let out an exclamation with a different meaning. Wicked magic. Was it not a perfect way to be subjugated by the church and nobles if he learned it?
It was at a level where it was better not to learn it.
“Do you think I would try to teach you wicked magic?”
Then Mage Agpiel furrowed his brow.
“Was that not it?”
“Would I, a mage of the forest, give you such a method. Tsk tsk.”
Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue and pulled something out from his bosom.
-Plop.
“Take it. It is a charm of the forest that will protect your life force. The forest has symbolized life force since ancient times. The endless abundance of the forest will become a spring that fills your life.”
The forest charm, which seemed to be made of oak, had unknown patterns carved upon it.
A faint mystery continued to wriggle from it, which appeared to be the source of life force Mage Agpiel spoke of.
In short, it was a magic item that looked incredibly expensive.
“Is it alright for you to give me something so precious?”
“Ahem. It is a gift for what I said earlier. With this, I won’t have to call you father, will I?”
“…….”
“What? Why do you look at me like that. You clearly said earlier that I don't have to call you father.”