29 – Episode 29
#29
As soon as Ean decided to diligently memorize scripture, the result was quickly evident.
[New Skill Acquired!]
[Skill: Divine Art]
[The ability to communicate with the majestic, sacred, and beautiful ruler of this world. Good for you, Ean!]
“…”
Ean acquired a skill called Divine Art.
But why is the skill description such nonsense?
Ean examined the Divine Art skill.
Just like other magic, there was practical advice written in the Divine Art.
[Give more attention to God. Study more, understand more. The more you send attention, the more delighted God will be – the majestic, sacred, beautiful ruler of the world]
Enraged, Ean boiled with anger.
Was it truly God who granted Ean this skill?
If so, this author, known as God, had abandoned Ean in this unfamiliar world, watching Ean’s movements and actions from a high place with a devilish grin, is that the implication?
Without raising the level of his sacred arts to a higher plane and engaging in direct dialogue with the god, it was an unknowable task.
“Damn it.”
He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do right away.
All he could do was accumulate more points and discover more mysteries to strengthen his sacred arts.
Frustrated, Ian threw the scriptures aside and stood up.
#
Without any mishaps, Ian and his group set foot in the Count Katina’s territory.
They were ambushed by a group of robbers halfway, but the robbers were easily vanquished at the hands of the Santiago Knights.
Though their noble character usually went unnoticed, on the battleground, they embodied complete violence.
“Brothers! Let us defeat those wretched robbers!”
“Hooray!”
More than half of the knights were clad in chain mail.
One would normally consider chain mail to be inferior to plate armor, but in this era, chain mail boasted a defense power that could be considered the king among armors.
Chain mail could endure slashes from swords, pierces from spears, and strikes from hammers and axes.
The only drawback was its expensive price.
A considerable number of Santiago Knights, backed by generous sponsors, were dressed in chain mail.
Thanks to this, nearly forty robbers were swept away without resistance.
“Robbers with zero resistance are instantly defeated…”
“?”
The Santiago Knights, who could be called the LK-99 manufacturer of the Middle Ages, returned to Ian with their bodies covered in blood.
“Hey! Magician! You alright?”
“Perfectly fine.”
During the battle, Ian did… well, he did nothing.
There was no point in using magic in a fight they were sure to win. Battles were for warriors. It was enough for a magician to just watch.
“Those sort of blokes are everywhere, aren’t they.”
It seems Elder had been swinging his sword; his entire body is drenched in blood.
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
“That’s my line.”
Ian looked at Elder curiously.
Even for the knights in chainmail armor, that was one thing. But this man named Elder, he had on just a flimsy linen armor.
Moreover, without even a shield, he was only carrying a measly sword…
It was incredible that he wasn’t wounded.
“Heh heh. No matter how old I get, I’m not to the point of being defeated by such foolish murderers.”
Ian had many questions, but he held back. If the old man wanted to boast, he wouldn’t have used a pseudonym.
Ian refrained from asking, and Elder noticed, giving a smile.
“A wizard who can restrain his curiosities! A rare sight.”
“Why’s that?”
“Wizards are basically clueless, you know. They don’t know when to be cautious.”
Ian nodded.
The more eccentric you are, the more respect you get – this atmosphere made it easy for wizards to speak their minds.
“Making a wizard curb his curiosities. I feel guilty.”
“Then tell me. What did Elder used to do?”
Elder spoke with a grin.
“I was a mercenary. Of a rather famous group.”
“How famous?”
“So much so, I had to use an alias. Because of my name, there were too many fools who attack indiscriminately.”
It was said to be someone whose name alone would be recognizable.
Famous enough to want to call for an immediate duel and enhance their honour.
“Hmm. I see.”
However, Ian’s reaction was lukewarm. What’s so special about being a famous mercenary? The magician Ian was already soaked in a magician’s way of thinking.
If it’s not related to mystery, it doesn’t arouse curiosity!
When he found out Elder was just a human who is good at using a sword, Ian’s interest rapidly cooled.
Elder, who had been watching, was flustered.
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a dull reaction.”
“What do you want from me? Am I supposed to entertain you?”
“hehehe. Hearing your rude tone definitely confirms you as a magician.”
Elder was sneakily dissing Ian for his impudence, but Ian quickly hid behind his ‘magic shield’.
I am a wizard, so what?
“Soon, you will meet the wizard who will assist you.”
Upon hearing Ian’s words, Elder made a strange face.
It was an expression that said ‘This is troublesome’, something he didn’t use even when slaughtering thieves.
“Though I didn’t drag you all the way here to say this… brace yourself.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you have to meet a wizard? As you may know, wizards are peculiar beings by nature.”
Honestly, Ian didn’t entirely agree with that.
He knew only two wizards: Eredis and himself.
Neither of them had peculiar or strange personalities. Hence, the rumor that ‘wizards are peculiar’ seemed groundless.
This would be his first time meeting another wizard.
Are wizards really such peculiar beings, as the rumor suggests?
“He must have been really upset. He will likely create an awkward situation to drive us away.”
“Hmm…”
For Ian, he had already achieved his original goal long ago.
Having safely brought Lucy to the county of Katina, there wouldn’t be any problem even if she ventured off to meet the count now. However, the Knights were different. They had come all the way here to slay a monster called Manticores. If the meeting with the wizard went awry, they would find themselves in a difficult position.
“I will attempt to reason, but do not harbor any high hopes,” Ian said, in a muttering tone.
Elder greeted this with a broad smile. “I suppose there is a possibility.”
The company had arrived at a crossroads. To the east was the Count’s castle; to the west lay the forest reputed for Manticore sightings.
“Under ordinary circumstances, it would be polite to seek out the Count…,” said Elder, casting a meaningful smile glancing at the Knights.
About half of the Knights wished to meet the Count, and the other half took no interest. It was primarily the worldly knights who coveted an audience with the Count.
The Knights of Santiago, being members of the monastery, faced difficult initiation but totaled freedom upon leaving. There were not a few knights who earned fame while hunting monsters and then sought a suitable liege to settle down with.
“Seems like it will be a waste of time?”
“I agree,” said the brothers Dehittre, whose faith was most devout. It was foolish to give time to such a dangerous monster as a Manticore. The Knights who wanted to meet the count also knew this fact, so they could not overtly object.
“hahahaha, Ian. What about you?”
“As for me…,” Ian cast a fleeting glance at Lucy.
From the moment Ian had safely brought Lucy to the county, his role had ended. It was up to Lucy how to deal with the Count.
“Ian, I’ll head out first.”
As expected, Lucy did not join in the Manticore hunt. Truthfully, there was nothing she could do even if she joined. Because she was dead with the exception of her noble bloodline, focusing on what only she could do was the right choice.
“Can you go alone?”
“Of course. What do you take me for?”
Lucy bid a brief farewell to the Knights.
Including Ian, the Knights did not mind Lucy’s departure. They had to face the monster shortly, and it was a welcome occurrence that the baggage had disappeared of its own accord.
“See you later, Ian.”
Ian and the Knights set off along the road once again.
The destination was a secluded forest where the wizard lived.
#
Mani Kemperbell is a wizard.
Unlike other wandering wizards, she preferred a settled life because the mysteries she dealt with were those of plants.
Wizards position themselves as close to the mysteries as possible in order to explore them and strive to understand them.
Almost all of the mysteries in the world are infuriatingly difficult to understand.
Even the seemingly simple mystery of the wind required the witnessing of a massive storm or tornado for proper comprehension.
So, if you hear about someone going to a storm-ridden land, instead of thinking, ‘Ah, that person is crazy,’ it’s easier to understand if you think, ‘Ah, that person is a wizard.’
In this sense, the mystery that Mani Kemperbell had realized, the Mystery of Plants, was particularly easy to study.
All she had to do was observe the sprouting and growth of plants!
In her youth, she went around the continent to study the plants of the world.
But now, as she approaches her 60s, she has grown too old to travel as she did when she was young.
Now, she is simply an old wizard living her life by cultivating her own garden and growing the plants she wants to grow.
Mani is old.
And old folks, for the most part, hate change.
“Mani Kemperbell! In God’s name! We need your help!”
One day, the priests of the Celestial Religion suddenly burst into Mani’s peaceful home.
Mani despised these priests with a passion.
“What now!? Is there a bloody blasted famine, is that it?”
The priests frowned at Mani’s crude language.
There was a saying that the more eccentric a wizard, the more powerful they might be, but not everyone found the eccentricities of wizards endearing.
Especially the priests who saw no reason to bow down to a wizard.
The priests, after all, serve the Sky God, the greatest mystery of all. This god is far beyond the trivial mysteries of fire, chill, or wind.
Hierarchy exists even in water, so why should wizards, who only study lower-tier mysteries, disrespect priests, who serve the greatest mystery in the world!
However, the wizards saw it differently. The priests loved the mysteries, but they did not deal with them. They were mere enthusiasts, excluding the unique cleric – a priest-wizard.
Real researchers, the wizards, couldn’t stand these imperious characters who strutted around, puffing out their chest!
That’s why wizards and priests usually didn’t get along.
“If you’re going to reject me with nonsense about a plant’s feelings…”
“Shush. Be quiet.”
Priests murmured their complaints for all to hear.
True to her calling as a mage who researched the mysteries of plants, Mani knew how to save a dying plant. So when there were crop failures, priests would come and ask her to save their crops.
But Mani found such requests extremely unpleasant.
Life and death too are a part of nature. What’s with these chaps who plant plants densely, give them too much nutrients, force them to grow overly and then babble about crop failures and bumper harvests?
Yes.
Herbologist Mani was a plant rights activist.
Just like animal rights activists who sympathize with chickens, sheep, and cows being exploited by humans.
She empathized with plants that had been subject to genetic modification and forcibly raised in densely planted fields.
So Mani didn’t like the human-made paddy fields much. The paddy fields were the scene of brutal plant abuse.
From Noble mtl dot com
Farmers also didn’t particularly like Mani. Beyond not liking her, they thought she was crazy. If they didn’t raise crops in the paddy fields, who would feed the people? Would their ancestors deliver food from the heavens?
Being a magician, Mani’s madness was believable. This was precisely why she could live quietly in the forest without being tied to a stake.
“The devout warriors will come hunting the manticore. I hope you can assist them with your magic.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Do not forget the fact that this forest was lent to you by the church.”
“Damn.”
Filthy power-mongers.
Mani’s magic was useful for making plants healthy, but useless against mercenaries that rushed in to set the forest on fire. Because of her political indifference, she had no close noble friends.
Helplessly, Mani had to move as the church’s oddballs directed.
‘Humph! I have a temper too, you know!’
However, her pride did not allow for humble compliance.
Externally, she pretended to move as directed…
But!
She was planning to throw a passionate welcome party for the knights of the pulpit. A very strong, electrifying party. If the knights could get through the party, she would cooperate with the knights without complaints. But what if they can’t make it through? She wouldn’t hesitate to kick those bastards out!
“hehehehe…”
Marnie, chuckling in the kitchen like a devilish old woman, had a grip full of bright white vegetables. Her hands were full of plants that would be used for the ‘welcome party’. Could the knight bastards withstand ‘this’? The name of the white and spicy plant Marnie had chosen was… garlic.