Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Or Break Off Your Marriage
"I did."
Gwen turned at the voice. It was Viktor.
Hearing Viktor claim it was his doing, she believed him without question.
After all, Viktor's reputation as a 3rd-Tier mage was nothing to scoff at—dealing with Bandits like these was child's play for him.
"What are you doing here?"
Gwen turned her head back. She was curious—if Viktor was already here, why had Leah called her over?
She tucked away a crystal swirling with rainbow light and leaned beside Leah.
The color in the crystal gradually faded. Viktor noticed that Leah had a matching one at her waist.
The 2 women had been communicating through these Magic Crystals—functioning much like a telephone that connected 2 lines simultaneously.
Viktor maintained that cold, poker-faced composure and explained without any particular urgency:
"My family's Trading Caravan. Close to the Royal Capital, so I came to meet them—and took care of these Bandits along the way."
Hearing his explanation, Gwen had no reason to doubt him. She turned and issued instructions to the Knight company:
"Examine the bodies—see if any faces can be identified. Run a background check and report back to me."
"Yes!"
The Knight company received their orders and moved swiftly into action.
"Leah, stay safe. Next time there's danger, contact me as soon as possible."
With her instructions given, Gwen led the Knights and prepared to depart.
Once she had left, Leah puffed up her cheeks, her face swelling into a round bun-like pout.
She had been the one to deal with those Bandits—she had been looking forward to putting on a show in front of Gwen. She hadn't expected Viktor to come swooping in and steal her credit.
"Keeping wealth hidden—you understand that better than I do."
Viktor delivered this remark without so much as a change in expression. Leah immediately cooled down.
The people in the Trading Caravan were all her own—being seen by them was one thing.
But the moment anyone found out that her magic had been released through an item—
She would very likely find herself in danger.
As a merchant, she had never underestimated the greed of human nature.
"Mm… understood."
Viktor was quietly satisfied—he had successfully imparted a lesson to Leah, and a sense of accomplishment befitting an older brother rose naturally within him.
He walked over to Leah and extended a finger.
The dimmed gemstone flashed with a red gleam as he recharged the magic within it.
Once done, he prepared to leave.
Leah, however, asked him a slightly awkward question:
"Why did you come over? I don't believe a word of what you told Gwen."
"I felt you activate the magic, so I was curious and came to check."
Viktor turned to face her and answered flatly, not a single flicker of light passing through his eyes—still that same icy expression.
Hearing Viktor's words, Leah's feelings grew subtly complicated.
All her life, Viktor had never once shown her concern.
But what on earth had happened today?
Had someone tampered with this man's head?
A sudden pang of conscience? A moment of awakening?
The 3 questions running through Leah's mind were quickly answered.
Viktor looked at her quietly and continued:
"The attack on the Trading Caravan may be connected to some of my enemies. I've lost count of them, though, so I'm not sure exactly who. Just keep your guard up."
Leah finally had an opportunity to fire back at him. She let out a cold laugh and sneered:
"Heh—so even you know you're not well-liked."
She actually had some suspicions about where today's Bandits had come from—but she didn't tell Viktor.
"Have you tested the Potions' effects yet?"
"All the mages tried them. Every one who did had nothing but good things to say."
Viktor tossed that remark out of nowhere. Leah gave a nod, her tone carrying an inexpressible note of surprise.
Those mages, already utterly exhausted, had each drunk a single bottle and instantly come back to life with full vigor.
Even though she wasn't a mage herself, she could understand just how astonishing that effect was.
"This trip with the Trading Caravan isn't just about the ore trade—I've already scouted out a shopfront in the Royal Capital."
"There are many adventurers out there, especially mages. Selling something like this in a busy commercial district is guaranteed to be a massive hit."
Viktor listened to Leah's description and quietly admired her ability to get things done.
He didn't show it—because Viktor didn't give compliments.
"In the Royal Capital, if you run into trouble, I may not be able to help. Contact Gwen more."
Leah tilted her head and drew out a long, suspicious "Oh~?"
She looked at Viktor with narrowed, skeptical eyes:
"You didn't know?"
Viktor frowned and told Leah to stop speaking in riddles.
"In a few days, Gwen is leaving on a mission. She probably won't be back for at least half a month."
"And to think you're supposed to be her fiancé—you don't even know that much. I say let her start looking for a new husband sooner rather than later."
As Leah mocked Viktor, she snuck glances at his face, hoping to catch some change in his expression.
Viktor naturally had no idea about this. He and Gwen had virtually no contact to begin with—honestly, he still couldn't quite work out what their relationship even was at this point.
"Where is she going?"
Leah's hope of catching a reaction on Viktor's face was dashed. He asked as casually as if he were inquiring about a stranger's destination.
Leah lost interest, lowered her head, and fiddled with the Mage's Hand for a moment before responding offhandedly:
"She said she's heading to Mount Vesuvius."
"It's supposed to be a dormant volcano, but the locals say there have been strange sounds coming from the mountain. The Emperor sent her to investigate whether it might erupt, and to draft a contingency plan in advance."
Viktor went slightly still at the name.
Memories surged up from within.
That place was no dormant volcano.
Hidden behind layers of magma deep beneath the crater lay an enormous creature—the Neutral World Boss that appeared in Chapter 1 of the game's Storyline.
Not a force to be taken lightly.
In the game, a World Boss was a challenge open to every player on the entire server—extraordinarily high in Level, and with far more HP than any ordinary Boss.
After being defeated, the area would generate a dungeon, available for players to challenge repeatedly.
If Viktor remembered correctly, that Boss would awaken in approximately 1 and a half years.
At that point in the game, the average player Level was still low—barely half a year since the server opened, most players were only around Level 20.
And that Boss was a staggering Level 50!
Players could barely even dent its defense.
He still remembered—when the Boss awoke from within the volcano, every town in the surrounding area was burned to the ground.
The Empire dispatched its military and Knight companies to suppress it, only to be effortlessly crushed.
In that moment of crisis, the Empire had no choice but to turn to adventurers—the "players"—for help.
This World Boss was one that players defeated only after wave after wave of deaths, grinding away at it for a full 3 days before finally whittling down its last sliver of HP.
Viktor had had the honor of participating in that battle himself. He still remembered staying up for 3 days straight during that period, logging on every day just to chip away at the Boss's HP together with the other players.
Every time he thought back on it, his blood still stirred.
The hard work had paid off—generous rewards were given to every player who had contributed to the battle.
Even after he later challenged that dungeon again with various other classes, the visceral, immersive despair of that very first encounter could never be recaptured.
Still—Viktor was rather curious to see what it looked like before it had awoken.
The Molten Fiend—that was the name the players had given it.
True to its name, it was like a colossal furnace set to incinerate the heavens, inspiring terror in all who heard of it, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake.
Its very emergence had turned the ground itself to charcoal.
Viktor decided he would pay Gwen a visit that evening and sound her out.
If he could tag along on Gwen's mission, all the better.
Seeing Viktor stand there in a daze after she finished speaking, Leah had the persistent feeling he was scheming something unpleasant.
She waved him off with a look of mild distaste.
"Don't you have things to do? You're a Professor at the Magic Academy—what are you doing loitering out here?"
"If you have nothing to do, can you please go home?"
Viktor looked down at her briefly, gave an unhesitating nod, drew a Magic Formation at his feet—and whoosh—vanished.
Leah pressed a hand to her forehead as she watched Viktor leave, and let out a sigh:
"This guy……"
"Leaves the moment he says he will—not a shred of reluctance."
Well, fine. He was gone—now she could get on with actual business.
She began directing her subordinates to take inventory of the goods.
The few mages huddled in a heap were utterly dumbstruck—they had watched with their own eyes as Viktor teleported in, then teleported away.
That… was the legendary head of the Clavena Family?
Throwing Teleportation Magic around as casually as breathing—even more formidable than their own boss!
Before long, the inventory was complete—not a single item missing, which allowed Leah to breathe a sigh of relief.
Leah beckoned to a subordinate behind her, gesturing for the person to draw closer, then leaned in and spoke in a low, quiet voice close to the person's ear:
"Get in touch with our people down below. Look into the recent movements of the du Chloe Family."
Her eyes turned noticeably sharper in an instant.
"When has the Clavena Family's Trading Caravan ever let itself get robbed?"
She had already had her suspicions about the Duke for some time.
Because lately, the only person who had newly made an enemy of Viktor was his precious young daughter.
As for Viktor's other enemies from before? Those that needed burying had been buried; those that needed exiling had been exiled.
The ones that couldn't truly be dealt with still had the sense not to blindly go after their Trading Caravan.
Apart from the Duke, she couldn't believe anyone else would be so ignorant of the rules.
We're the ones who collect protection fees from others. Even in the Royal Capital, we can't let these locals walk over us!
***
Viktor teleported back home and ducked into his bedroom to change into a different set of clothes.
He told a servant to prepare the Carriage, intending to pay the Delin Family manor a visit.
The servant received the instruction and moved to carry it out promptly.
Meanwhile, Gwen had just finished her day's work.
She returned home and immediately stripped off her armor and the layers of cumbersome clothing beneath.
The Maidservants at home had already prepared hot water for her. Gwen sank into the bathtub, stretched her limbs luxuriously, and savored this rare moment of rest.
"Mmm~haah!"
A satisfied sound escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, letting the gentle water envelop her completely.
At that moment, a Maidservant knocked on the bathroom door from outside.
"Miss, someone has come to visit."
Gwen was soaking in perfect comfort. Hearing the sound, she let out a lazy "mm," and floated sluggishly to the surface.
Her pale back came to rest against the edge of the bathtub. Water droplets trickled down her skin and fell, sending ripples across the surface.
"Haaah… who is it?"
She had just finished yawning, when the Maidservant outside the door said:
"It is Mr. Viktor."
Splash!
Gwen's foot slipped, and she plunged entirely underwater.