26 – Episode 26
# 26
After finishing a worthwhile conversation,
Ian stepped out into the real world in high spirits, only to be taken aback by a sight of a naive teenager.
“Hey, wizard! Are you done now?
“…”
That person exhibiting friendliness without hesitation was none other than Bernard.
His repetitive chatter made him grow familiar, which was quite worrisome.
“Going back to the village? Let me accompany you!”
“Why bother? I could just ask that knight from yesterday…”
“Oh, Sir Hanson is on leave today. He said he was going out for a day with his wife.”
Tsk. Ian clicked his tongue briefly.
Was he called Hanson? Ian wanted to see that knight. He seemed a hundred times more trustworthy than Bernard.
“Today, I will personally introduce you to River Ville!”
Ian was bothered by Bernard’s offer.
The purpose of his stay in River Ville was to rest. Following Bernard around would defy that purpose.
From Noble mtl dot com
What about roaming around during the rest?
That’s not rest!
However, Ian could not outright refuse Bernard.
He had just received a gift from Baron Kaltz. Bernard gave him a gift in order to impress Ian. Baron Kaltz would certainly be pleased if Ian responded right away with a gesture like wiping his mouth.
It was proper manners even though it was bothersome.
A tour of the village, it wasn’t a difficult task.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Ian followed Bernard back to the Fog Inn.
The two of them strolled leisurely along the street.
It was lunchtime, and the aroma of food wafted from every house.
People exchanging goods vigorously, children running along the street joyfully, and parents happily watching over the scene…
“This is a nice place.”
Ian spoke as the thought occurred to him. It was his genuine opinion. River Ville was a good village.
Even though it was still a village, once the population increased and the farmland expanded, it could be called a city. River Ville held such potential.
“Of course, it’s great! It’s the place where someone is reigning!”
Respect for his father oozed from Bernard’s tone.
The rising nobles, especially contract lords who received land from other lords, did not usually have such love for their territory.
They saw the villagers not as humans, but as money chests. Money would come out when shaken, and they were treated as if to be broken when in a hurry.
However, the local nobles, who had started the community together like Baron Kaltz, thought differently about their territories than the other emerging nobles. Because it was not the land received from someone, but the ruling power of a village they had originally ruled was recognized by other nobles, they had a strong sense of ownership.
Every time they met Bernard, the villagers took off their hats and bowed their heads. There was no one who showed ridicule, contempt, or fear in this process. From their hearts, they had already acknowledged Bernard as the successor to Baron Kaltz.
“In that sense, if you settle in Riverbill, my cousin’s niece will…”
“I told you I’m not getting married.”
Amid the small talk, the two arrived at the inn.
However, as they approached, a rather noisy sound was heard.
“Ian!”
Lucy ran up panting.
Ian gave Lucy a weary look.
“What’s the matter? What happened while I was away?”
“I, I didn’t make any trouble, okay?! What do you take me for!”
Elder also lazily approached.
“I thought you’d be coming soon.”
“Why? I could have lunch in the castle, couldn’t I?”
Elder responded shamelessly to Ian’s question.
“Aren’t you a wizard? I expected you wouldn’t get involved in something like this.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This situation?”
“Ian! We need your opinion!”
Lucy said with sparkling eyes.
“So. What’s the fuss about?”
Elder interrupted Lucy’s words.
“This morning, the hunters went out for a walk in the forest and caught a bird. They asked the innkeeper to cook it, but that lady there insisted on stopping them.”
“???”
Ian’s face became inscrutable. He had heard the explanation, but he still had no idea what they were talking about.
Lucy cried out as if in frustration.
“You can’t just call it a bird! It’s a crow! A crow!”
“A crow or a bird, whatever.”
Ian couldn’t understand why Lucy was interrupting the hunters’ lunch. What was so wrong with wanting to try some bird meat?
Could it be…!
Is Lucy, that girl, a vegan?
“Cash, do you think eating meat is violence?”
“What…? What do you mean? Your words are too difficult. Why would eating meat… be violence?”
“Ah. It was a joke.”
Thankfully, Lucy wasn’t a vegan. And from what Ian could see, Lucy didn’t seem smart enough to understand the concept of veganism.
“Eating meat is violence… Seems like you, being a magician, have a quite unique way of thinking.”
“Elder sir, what does Ian mean?”
“Well, in order to eat meat, we need livestock. To raise livestock, we need wide pastures. And the pastures must be seized through wars, don’t they?”
“Ah… “
“So, eating meat symbolizes violence… That seems to be the meaning.”
Elder looked at Ian with a chuckle.
As if to say, ‘What do you think? I’m also pretty smart, aren’t I?’ He smugly smiled.
Ian, feeling too lazy to argue, just agreed and moved on.
“So, why the crow?”
“Ah, yes. Cash thinks that this crow came to meet you, Ian.”
“… What?”
Ian looked at Lucy in disbelief.
Lucy met Ian’s gaze with a confident expression.
“Yeah! You are Ian Eredith Raven! And that is a crow! Both of you ended up in the same inn? Do you think that’s just a coincidence?”
“Ugh. What a coincidence,” He thought to himself.
No matter how he thought about it, it was not strange. The crow was a bird commonly found in the forest. There was no issue if the hunters picked it up out of boredom.
However, Lucy thought differently than Ian.
“Can’t you feel some magical power? It’s destined! It’s this!”
“Wow…”
“What do you think Ian? It is magic, isn’t it?”
Ian was amazed by Lucy’s incredible foolishness. The crow found the same inn as Ian, who was known as ‘Raven’, and this is considered magic?
If that’s the case, then Lucy must be a time wizard.
“You should apologize to the hunters.”
“What! Why!”
“Am I a mage, or are you a mage? Stop making such nonsense.”
Elder smirked, and Lucy blushed.
Ian left them alone and walked into the inn.
“So, you are the Raven.”
The two hunters greeted Ian. They were poor fellows who had not eaten lunch because of Lucy.
“That lady was saying that the crow we caught was actually here to meet you…”
“Ignore her, it’s nonsense.”
As Ian confirmed, the hunters laughed.
“So, let’s make this fellow our lunch…”
“Mage, would you care to join us?”
The hunters, who were frightened by Lucy’s threats, had carefully kept the crow. They were worried that they might cause trouble if they messed with it.
But now they didn’t need to. One of the hunters took the crow out of the makeshift cage made of branches.
“Caw! Caw!”
As if sensing its fate, the crow cried pitifully.
Everyone heard the crow’s cries.
But to Ian, it sounded a bit more clear.
“Save me! Human!”
“…?”
Just a moment.
Did that brat just say something…?
“Hold on a moment.”
The hunter who was about to wring the neck of the crow tilted his head as Ian intervened.
“Yes?”
Ian spoke to the crow in the language of magic, just in case.
“[What are you?]”
“Caw!”
[Save me!]
However, the crow did not understand the language of Maronious. It was because it lacked magic.
Creatures like Drake who had a strong connection with magic could communicate through level 3 summoning, but lesser creatures like crows could not understand Ian’s words.
In contrast, Ian could understand the crow’s speech.
“… Madam Magician?”
When Ian suddenly spit out peculiar pronunciations, the hunters cautiously responded in a bit of fear.
Ian explained to calm the hunter.
“Oh, it’s nothing. That guy just started talking to me.”
“???”
The hunter was left in a state of cerebral paralysis at Ian’s response.
The crow… spoke?
‘Wha, What? Is this a metaphor I’m not aware of? Or does he really mean the crow spoke?’
The hunter wondered if Ian was using a metaphor that only a magician could understand.
So, to confirm, he asked once more.
“A crow… spoke to you, sorcerer?”
Ian nodded his head.
“Yes, it asked to be spared.”
“…”
The hunters looked at each other, speechless and dumbfounded.
The crow only made normal cawing sounds. How could he possibly understand it? Even if he was a sorcerer…
‘… It’s possible. Damn.’
This was beyond absurd.
The hunters begrudgingly accepted Ian’s claim, swallowing their disbelief. The sorcerer’s words weren’t easy to believe, but it was equally unlikely that they would understand him easily.
If the sorcerer says so, well…
Maybe he could communicate with a crow…
“Hey. Crow.”
“Spare me! Please, don’t kill me!”
“I’ll let you live, so stop cawing for a moment.”
“Please save me!”
“Ugh, I said I’d spare you! Be quiet already!”
When the crow didn’t understand him, Ian became furious and raised his voice. The crow was supposed to be smart, right? But it didn’t know Maronius speak?
However, this was a prejudice Ian had from his experiences talking to powerful creatures like the drake. Maronius speak is a language of mystery. Only those who are deeply versed in these mysteries can understand it.
The crow did not understand Maronius speak, but it did sense that Ian was angry. As long as it wasn’t a fool, it had no trouble discerning the raised voice.
…
When the crow finally shut its beak, the spectators quietly admired.”
“Wow… are you talking with that crow, wizard?”
“How strange…”
The innkeeper cautiously approached and spoke.
“Mr. Wizard… are you going to spare that one?”
Ian studied the large crow.
Its black feathers, big and round eyes, and its cooperative nature, quietly obedient when told to keep silent.
Ian had no obligation to heed the crow’s request, but he decided to spare it.
Because… it’s interesting.
“Yes. It feels wrong to just eat it.”
As Ian announced his decision, the hunters chuckled quietly.
Lucy cheered from behind.
“I was right, wasn’t I? I knew there was something unusual about that crow!”
“hehehe, it seems you know a thing or two about mystery, having a wizard for a brother and all.”
“Y-Yes! I’ve never studied magic, but I seem to have some kind of talent!”
As Lucy blustered on, the knights and elders were bustling about, their words largely praising Lucy.
Ian, baffled, chuckled under his breath.