32 – Episode 32
#32
Upon the news of Ian’s joining, the Knights of Santiago Castillo let out a cheer.
“If we are together, there is nothing to fear!”
“Unleash the will of the sky at your leisure!”
From the perspective of the Knights of Santiago, the more wizards the better. The more cards in hand, the better.
As Elder beamed with joy, Ian slightly soured.
“Sire. You knew it would come to this.”
“I had an idea. Knowing you had a connection with Mani, I figured you’d come along.”
Ian couldn’t get angry at his innocent expression.
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In fact, it wasn’t such a bad situation.
Fighting was the knights’ job. Ian and Mani mainly used magic in the rear. Since Mani was going to observe Ian’s magic, it was no different than getting free magic consulting.
Ordinarily, wizards don’t need others’ advice. In becoming friendly with a mystery, there’s no reason to follow someone else’s advice.
Do you study specifically to make a new friend? If you get along, you just become friends.
However, advice among the same school can be meaningful.
For example, an item liked by a mystery I’m friends with is likely well-liked by another mystery from the same school. It is similar to how most cats like churu.
While there may be cats who hate churu (are there?), since almost all cats like it, ‘bring churu to befriend a cat’ is sound advice.
“Get a good night’s sleep today, and we’ll depart as soon as dawn breaks.”
Mani kindly declared that he would provide everything the knights needed for eating and drinking. However, he couldn’t provide accommodations, so they had to camp in front of the hut.
“I couldn’t just send you off, now that my friend’s disciple is here. Ian, disciple of Eledis. Is there anything specific you’d like to eat?”
Mani asked kindly.
Ian immediately responded.
“Garlic chicken soup… not whole garlic chicken.”
“???”
Manny was horrified, recalling how Ian had devoured the garlic chicken like a madman.
“You want to eat that?”
“Yeah… It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
Ian’s eyes were pure and clear.
He’s the mad light of clear eyes.
Manny was horrified once again.
Did he actually enjoy it and it wasn’t a pretense?
That wasn’t acting?!
#
The next day, the knights armed and headed for the forest where the Manticores were said to appear.
Hunting was an uncertain task, it couldn’t be determined how long it would take. It may take only a day or two to find the prey, but it could also take a week or even two.
So the knights prepared food and thoroughly completed preparations for camping.
‘… Lucy will wait.’
Contrary to Ian’s concern, Lucy needed time. Time for the Count to organize the situation and gather mercenaries.
There was no reason to complain if it took a bit longer.
Well, if they’re late, they can just leave!
“It feels eerie,” Elder summarized the atmosphere of the forest in one sentence.
It was a forest so gloomy it was beyond comparison.
“Mani, do you know any detection magic?”
Ian asked Mani just in case. Being a seasoned wizard, Mani might have some unique skills.
However, Mani looked at Ian with a dumbfounded expression.
“Are you asking how a plant magician finds a manticore? It’s not even a creature that eats plants.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“You would do detection much better than me. Aren’t you a summoner?”
Ian shrugged his shoulders. Thanks to a certain drake, summoning magic had become what he was best at.
“Caw! Caw!”
Just then, Oberon flapped his wings and crowed.
“Sheesh, feathers are flying all over. You crazy bird.”
[I apologize, Master! But it’s exceedingly hostile here!]
“…?”
Ian looked at Oberon in puzzlement.
He had recovered, but hadn’t returned to the wild yet?
“Why would I be your master?”
[Aie, don’t be cold! What about our relationship!]
What is this about?
Ian looked at Oberon with wide eyes, but Oberon brazenly met his gaze.
In the time Oberon had spent perched on his shoulder, he had virtually mastered human language. Oberon wasn’t an extraordinarily intelligent crow, rather it was due to the influence of Ian’s summoning magic.
As a level 3 summoner, Ian unconsciously projected his will onto the surrounding animals. Oberon made a point to listen in on Ian’s conversations and was able to understand human language with ease.
Once he knew their meaning, understanding the sounds came naturally.
Oberon then cawed in conversation.
[I owe you so much for all the food you have given me. I can’t leave until I’ve paid you back!]
“Well, aren’t you something.”
In essence, Oberon didn’t want to leave as Ian was giving him free food. It was content to serve Ian because it enjoyed the benefits.
Suddenly Ian felt a deluge of eyes on him.
When he turned his head, he saw that the knights, including Mani, were holding their breath and watching him intently.
The Elder spoke as a representative.
“How is it, Ian? Have you found anything?”
“Ah.”
Unexpectedly, they had been waiting for Ian to perform some magic.
Ian felt awkward. All he had done was chatter with a crow.
But since he couldn’t openly admit that, he sugarcoated it a bit.
“This fellow wants to earn its keep.”
“Oh, the crow talks?”
Even though they had seen his magic several times, the knights still marveled at Ian’s magic. A man having a conversation with a crow?
Among them, Manny was the only one who didn’t find Ian intriguing.
Watching Ian handle the crow, Manny nodded approvingly.
‘Surely, a fine magician.’
Communicating with animals without using Maronius root implied Ian’s exceptional understanding of the mystics.
‘Eledis chose a worthy pupil,’ thought Manny.
“Oberon, are your wings all better? Can you fly on your own?”
[“Of course! Would you like me to scout?”]
Oberon flaunted his wings confidently.
Ian sent Oberon out to scout the surroundings. He thought it would return shortly, but surprisingly, Oberon came back only when the sun was about to set.
“Why are you so late?”
[“Well, I spent some time making new friends!”]
The knights, who had finished today’s expedition and started their camp, silently watched Ian conversing with the crow.
[“I have some friends I made, would you like to meet them?”]
“Are they here now? If so, bring them over.”
When Oberon cawed, over a dozen birds descended from the tree, fluttering down.
Sparrows, quails, orioles, and bullfrogs, and so on. There was no separate meeting for the members of the “Bird Folder.”
“Hmm. They’re definitely ‘bird’ friends.”
Fortunately, there was no bird who understood the high-end humor in Ian’s words.
Ah, if only it was Faker Daesanghyeok. He is a man with as sophisticated humor taste as his personality.
[All of these are friends who have seen the Manticore you are currently searching for, at least once!]
When Oberon spoke, each bird made noise. Ian was able to gather the general idea, but there were no birds capable of the level of free-speaking communication like Oberon. However, simple communication sufficed, and soon Ian was able to obtain the information that the Manticore was hiding its body on the northern slope.
“Hmm. Good job, Oberon.”
[hehehe. I’m glad you’re satisfied!]
Oberon crowed bashfully. Let’s not ask how a crow could be bashful.
[Ah, but sir. My friends have not eaten today because they were spending time with me…]
“Really?”
He caught on instantly. It was a request for payment for the information.
Without a word, Ian rummaged through his food pouch and brought out bird feed. The value of the information provided by the birds was worth more than what he paid for their meals. The birds enjoyed their meal and then took off.
Those who left were mainly carnivorous birds.
Smaller birds, like sparrows and quails, did not leave Ian’s side.
They did not want to become prey for raptors by the next morning.
“Aren’t these guys going home?”
[Should I chase them away?]
True to his notorious nasty nature, Oberon uttered menacing words without blinking. He truly is a part of the Crow Cartel.
“No, Oberon. You brought these friends, so it’s your responsibility to take care of them. You understand what I mean, right?”
[Of course! Just trust me, sir!]
Ian shared the information he had gathered through the birds with the knights, including Elder. Everyone in the knighthood looked at Ian with wonder. Even Mani looked at Ian as if he was an unknown creature.
“What.”
“To be fair, this old man was surprised by your competence.”
“Don’t flatter me. I don’t appreciate it. What competence indeed.”
To Ian, the act of exchanging small talk with birds was merely a trivial skill.
But it didn’t seem that way to others. Just how could a person converse with birds? And yet, Ian could.
It was the power of magic.
‘Elder found Ian to be a truly fascinating young lad.’
Wearing a proud smile on his face, Elder looked at Ian. In his younger days, most wizards he met on the battlefield were trouble. If they were enemies, they were aggravating for their strange tricks, and if allies, they were infuriating for their unpredictable behaviour.
Wizards are eccentric beings. Many pretend to be eccentric, but truthfully, those who are truly eccentric are closer to wizards. Forget the laws of humans when you live closer to mystery.
But this young wizard, Ian Eredis Raven, is different from any wizard Elder knew.
He was capable, but disliked bragging. Perhaps we could say he was a wizard who knew humility and courtesy.
A wizard knows he is special. Therefore, they act arrogant, and it’s the fact that they are truly arrogant rather than pretentious that’s annoying.
It’s extremely rare for a wizard to say, ‘My magic is not a big deal.’, like Ian.
Is his master Eredis? Elder had never met Eredis, but he thought he must be a great wizard with a proper character.
“Your achievements are truly amazing. It took me 10 years of studying the mysteries of plants to finally hear the voice of the sprout in the garden. And yet, you reached the state where you can converse with birds in less than a year of being a wizard.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
At Ian’s humble attitude, Mani smiled. Among wizards, there’s no need to show off eccentricities. That’s a rule only applicable to nobles.
Between wizards, manners and respect were more important.
And Ian’s humble manner was quite to Mani’s liking.
Mani expressed her feelings with the highest compliment she could offer.
“Eredith would be proud if he knew.”
Ian laughed awkwardly.
It’s just a small bird chattering. Why is everyone making a fuss about it?
“Anyway… they say that the manticore has hidden in the northern foothills. We do not know the exact location yet, but when the day breaks, my bird friends over there will fly and find the manticore for us.”
Ian’s bird friends (?) chirped away.
“Reliable indeed. It’s comforting to have a wizard with us.”
“What hardships we would’ve faced if we came alone…”
The next day.
After Ian paid off the birds with some feed, he sent them off to search for the manticore. Led by Oberon, who volunteered to be the group leader, they followed the traces of the manticore.
The result appeared in no time.
“Master! We’ve found it! It’s the manticore!”
“Oberon found the manticore, everyone, let’s move.”
The knights, who had been preserving their strength at the campsite, slowly got up and began to move, following Ian as their guide.
As they approached the manticore’s hiding spot, Ian felt an intense murderous intent.
Even without the birds’ help, they would have definitely detected such a presence.
“Ian, my lad.”
Elder spoke. His expression was much more serious than usual.
“From now on, never leave my side. The same goes for Lady Mani.”
“I understand.”
Wizards are weak in close combat. That’s common knowledge to anyone who has ever played a JRPG. This bizarre ‘common knowledge’ that originated from Japan was also applied to the wizards in this medieval fantasy world, simply because wizards never trained for combat.
Yet that was only to be expected.
“You obtained a doctorate in Korean Literature and became a university professor. However, isn’t it strange that you can also do martial arts? Of course, if you practised martial arts, you’d have the merit of being able to physically thrash students who argue about grades. But generally, it would’ve been more beneficial to devote that time to studying.
“But Elder,” Ian spoke, “if manticores are monsters, maybe I can persuade them quite well?” Elder had a non-committal look while Mani bore a look that rejected the idea entirely. “Ian, I understand that you’re an excellent summoner, but manticores aren’t things you can persuade with words.” “But Mani, you don’t know much about summoning, do you?”
“I may not know about summoning, but I know about mystery, kid! Don’t treat me like some old hag!” Although her major was different, Mani was a wizard proficient in herbology. Magic is basically manifested through a dialogue with mystery. And in this world, there are plenty of creatures that can’t understand a human language. Manticores are prime examples of such beings. “If by some chance you manage to persuade a manticore, then I’ll run directly to Eredis to tell him.” Ian didn’t understand what Mani was saying. However, his question was answered after facing the manticore directly.