56 – Episode 56
#56
He understood the situation.
It meant that the fairy queen, like an obsessed protagonist in a novel, wanted to protect the Marquis’s corpse even in death.
But that was one thing, and this was another.
“It’s really difficult to admire a sword.”
Ian muttered.
If a magical sword had been sealed along with the Marquis’s corpse, the situation would become incredibly troublesome.
He didn’t know if he would be cursed by the fairy queen if he dared to tamper with the coffin.
But fortunately, the situation favored Ian.
“I think that’s it?”
In one corner of the cemetery, along with a large mural, various items that the Marquis might have used in his lifetime were neatly displayed.
Ian had seen such a sight several times in modern times.
“A museum… I see.”
It was just like an exhibition of ancient artifacts in a folk museum.
The purpose was not to curate the makers of this tomb, but to honor and commemorate the deceased.
A mural depicting the Marquis beheading a monster and the fairy queen looking up at him was visible.
“Is this it?”
“I think this is it.”
“It must be this, right?”
Ian carefully scanned the relics of the Viscount.
The sword, armor, clothes, jewels, and everything else the Viscount had carried in his lifetime.
They were all old and worn-out junk, reduced to nothingness by the passage of time.
“…”
Ian clicked his tongue as he looked at the ancient relics turned into trash.
No, in the game, they used to loot amazing weapons from ancient tombs. But in reality, the tombs were filled with nothing but garbage. I guess games are just games after all.
While it might have been an amazing weapon when the Viscount used it, it couldn’t resist the flow of time.
However, among the swords and armor, there was one weapon that was in good condition.
“… A dagger?”
When Ian seemed puzzled, Verenka made a sound as if asking what he was talking about.
“What makes you think that’s a dagger?”
“It’s short. So it must be a dagger.”
“Take a closer look. Isn’t that more like a gladius?”
Ian examined the sword again.
But even upon closer inspection, it was still short.
It resembled the sword known as a gladius, used by the ancient people, but its characteristic was its short length, like that of a dagger.
In the ancient Golden Empire, they adopted broad tower shields and gladius as their standard armaments.
Perhaps modeled after a black gladius, the blade seemed unusually short.
“Isn’t it too short?”
Belanka shrugged as if it was nothing special.
“Well, in ancient times, they lacked refining technology.”
“…?”
The sound of lacking technology… Is that what you guys are talking about?
In truth, it was only short in length because it was a weapon used with a large shield. It was already difficult to handle a tower shield that covered the entire body, let alone a long sword for fighting.
However, Belanka and Ian, who were ignorant of ancient weapons and technology, couldn’t know that fact.
“Isn’t this the sword you agreed to take?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s better to be on the shorter side. If it’s too long, it’s cumbersome and heavy to handle.”
“What kind of sword do you use?”
“I wear armor, don’t I?”
As the defense of armor increased, it became easier to use a two-handed weapon. Even without a shield, it was enough defense, and it felt like converting it into attack power.
Belanka, wearing full-body armor, enjoyed wielding a longsword called a “longsword.” Just by looking at it, it was a long sword that couldn’t be handled with one hand. The longsword was a two-handed weapon.
Come to think of it, the old sword master Salvador I met before also wielded a two-handed sword. And he didn’t wear armor either. He was truly an impressive old man in many ways.
“Is the mage greedy for weapons?”
“Not at all.”
Ian said so and drew his short sword.
At first glance, it looked short, but when he actually drew it, it wasn’t as short as he thought. The length was about 50-60 centimeters. This much was enough to kill a person.
“Oh, that black…?”
As soon as he drew the sword, Inrian exclaimed.
Although he had heard rumors of a mysterious treasure, he had never imagined what it would actually be like.
But the magical sword that Inrian actually saw was definitely an object that seemed to have been touched by the breath of a being beyond human intelligence.
Unknown power flowed through the sword…
“It seems to be enchanted with some kind of magic.”
Ian cautiously touched the blade.
He could feel a hot or cold sensation.
He recalled the story that Lucy had told him before.
The magic sword Anorisil. It was said to be a sword made with the power of the sun and moon.
“So, Ian? Do you understand anything?”
Lucy asked, but Ian remained silent.
He didn’t know what kind of mystery was sleeping within.
It was not the kind of mystery that could be understood at a glance; it would have to be slowly revealed through observation over time.
But he had a rough idea of how to harness its power.
“[Awaken.]”
As Ian spoke the words in Maronius, the mystery sleeping within the sword responded.
The blade of the magic sword gradually ignited, and a hot flame appeared.
When Ian held a piece of leather against it, the leather burned with a pungent smell.
“Oh!”
“How did you do it, Ian?!”
Both Inrian and Lucy exclaimed almost simultaneously.
Lucy, well, she’s always like that, but why is that human so arrogant?
“I told you before. It’s a sword made with the power of the sun and the moon, right?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“So I tried using it as if I were harnessing the mysteries of the sun, and it seems to be working decently.”
Lucy seemed delighted as if she had expected it all along.
In truth, she didn’t know if the magic sword would work or not. It wasn’t written in the priest’s records.
So she worried about what would happen if it turned out to be a fake. Fortunately, it was real.
But Inrian’s reaction was a little different.
“Hmm. I understand the principle, but it doesn’t seem like something you should use like that.”
If an unnamed sorcerer had said that, it would have sounded like, “Of course not, you nerd.”
But Inrian is a professor at the Imperial Magic University.
As an exceptional mage, no one dared to criticize his words.
“I also think the same way. This is not the mystery of fire, but the mystery of the sun.”
When Ian responded positively, Inrian smiled broadly.
He was supposed to be Eredis’ disciple. Quite a confident magician, isn’t he?
It’s natural to start liking people who listen to his words when he becomes old.
Just by not ignoring Inrian’s words, Inrian had a high opinion of Ian.
After all, magicians are a breed that considers arrogance as a source of pride.
“Sure. Your method seems to be like a way to manipulate the mysteries of fire. However, according to tradition, it is said to be a sword tempered with the power of the sun, so there must be a better way to handle it.”
“Well, I’ll have to study it gradually.”
Ian played around with the magical sword for a while.
He couldn’t harness the grand power of the sun and the moon, but he succeeded in manifesting the sub-properties of heat and cold.
He could make the blade hot or cold.
“Well, it’s not a lighter or anything.”
So, the magical sword he received from Lucy… was like a fantastic lighter.
It was useful for igniting fire or freezing ice, but that was about it.
However, for a novice magician like Ian, there was plenty of potential to make use of it. He could invoke the mysteries that were strongly influenced by weather conditions, such as heat and cold, when the surrounding conditions were right.
For example, the mystery of cold would readily respond in winter, and the mystery of flames would become more active on hot summer days.
This was a natural occurrence, but it was disappointing when considering its usefulness.
What would he do by summoning cold in winter or heat in summer?
But with a magical sword, the story was different.
He could create ice in summer and sparks in winter, enabling him to perform truly magical feats.
Of course, magicians who were proficient in cold magic or flame magic could easily accomplish what Ian could only do with the help of the magical sword.
However, Ian’s magical achievements were not yet high.
In short, it was a situation where a useful item was given to a novice.
At times like this, one had to say a word.
“Lucky, huh?”
Ian chuckled happily.
Lucy approached the magician, who was wearing a fake smile that made her feel uneasy.
If someone didn’t know Ian, they might think that smile was wicked.
But Lucy was not one of those people.
Having spent quite a long time with Ian, she had a rough understanding of what he was thinking, what he was looking at, and how he would react.
That smile was a pure smile, born from encountering a new mystery.
While others might see the image of an ominous and unlucky magician…
Lucy simply empathized with Ian’s joy.
“Ian, did it go into your black heart?”
“Yeah. Um. Of course.”
Ian managed his expression.
Even if it was a gift, it was probably an important item to Lucy. He couldn’t openly show his delight.
“Really? That’s a relief.”
Lucy playfully poked Ian’s chest with her finger.
“I promised before, but that’s yours, Ian.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve helped me so much until now.”
Lucy definitely kept her promise.
She gave Ian the treasure of Talien as a gift.
And the promise was fulfilled…
“Finally, it’s over.”
The farewell with Ian was imminent.
As that thought crossed her mind, Lucy felt a little melancholy, but she didn’t show it on the surface.
She wanted to show only her best side to Ian until the end.
“Let’s go, Ian.”
Ian and his companions left the tomb of Viscount Talien.
The sun was shining brightly, illuminating the world in no time.
Unbeknownst to himself, Ian smiled.
#
That day, Ian and his companions quickly prepared dinner.
Everyone was exhausted from going through so much.
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
“I will prepare the meal, my lord.”
Although it was expressed as preparing dinner, in reality, Ian didn’t lift a finger.
The same went for Belenka and Lucy, as servants, including slaves brought by Lucy, were waiting below.
It was because they couldn’t bring such things to the Viscount’s tomb.
“Ian! Let’s eat!”
“Oh, yeah.”
Even though he must have been very hungry, Ian seemed sullen.
Lucy found that fascinating.
“Ian, aren’t you hungry?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“I’m hungry.”
“You don’t seem very happy.”
Lucy couldn’t understand Ian’s reaction.
While Lucy and the others were struggling in the graveyard dungeon, Ian’s servants prepared a feast that was hard to come by outdoors, hunting animals and baking dough.
Pigeon pie with a side of strawberry sauce, roasted rabbit crispy on the outside, soup made from grains, and savory butter.
They must taste incredibly delicious, as they were made with such determination, right?
But Ian let out a sigh as he looked at the Western-style dining table, filled with the rich aroma of pasta.
It’s been a day or two since I had Western cuisine.
No, everyone. I went on a trip to Europe. It was fun for about 10 years, you know?
But damn, the trip just won’t end no matter how much time passes…
Ian knows it too. He is not a traveler but a resident of this place. If there was a complaint center, they would have handled his complaints.
But Ian still couldn’t feel that he was a resident of this fantasy medieval world.
It feels like he’ll return to his hometown when the journey ends someday.
That feeling of arriving at a place where familiar scenery, familiar smells, and familiar food await.
In a way, Ian was indeed a traveler.
A wanderer who fell into this strange world through some kind of accident or trick.
That’s right.
Ian was currently caught up in a newfound homesickness.
No, calling it homesickness sounds too grand. He just missed Korean food.
“Sigh. I want to just forget about everything and have some instant ramen…”
The country allowed the consumption of drugs not only in music and religion, but also in instant noodles. This is evidenced by Koreans collectively complaining of withdrawal symptoms every time they go abroad.
“In times like this…”
Ian took out the special gift that Manny had given him as a farewell.
It was red pepper powder.
Manny, a master of plant magic, had collected and grown all sorts of strange plants, including the chili pepper that Ian was familiar with.
The reason for growing chili peppers was quite absurd. It was a plant grown to torment people they didn’t like…
When Ian discovered the chili peppers and asked for red pepper powder, Manny raised an eyebrow.
“Do you have someone you want to torment?”
“No? But it’s for me to eat.”
If he said that, it didn’t seem like Manny would give it to him, so he asked for a small amount for self-defense.
“What are you doing, Ian?”
Out of the blue, when Ian sprinkled the red powder on the soup and meat, everyone gave him curious looks.
“What’s this?”
“It’s spicy powder.”
Ingrian, with his adventurous spirit and curiosity befitting a magician, dipped his finger in the red pepper powder and ate it without Ian’s permission.
“Choke! Cough!”
When Ingrian suddenly had a seizure, Lucy was startled.
“Ingrian! What’s wrong!”
“Choke! It’s, it’s poison! Everyone be careful!”
Even Belenka stood up from the table.
Ian looked at Inrian in disbelief.
“You eat whatever you want and now you’re complaining? And it’s not poison.”
“Well, well, this tingling sensation…! It must be paralysis poison…!”
“It’s not poison~”
Ian casually scooped up the soup.
With just a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, the taste completely changed.
That’s it! Just what I wanted!
Ian nodded with satisfaction. Indeed, food needs this kind of stimulation!
Seeing Ian unaffected, the rest of them dismissed their suspicions.
“Can I… try it too?”
“You’ll regret it.”
Lucy dipped her finger in the red pepper flakes and tasted it.
“Cough, cough! This isn’t poison?!”
She looked at Ian tearfully, full of resentment.
Ian clicked his tongue.
Pathetic weaklings. They only eat soft food like porridge every day, so their taste buds have become dull.
While the medieval people were going crazy over pepper being too spicy, chili peppers were definitely still alive.
Except for one person.
“… It’s unusual, but not bad, right?”
Belanka wiped her flushed face and cut a piece of meat sprinkled with red pepper flakes.
Ian’s desire to open a YouTube channel surged uncontrollably as he looked at Belenka.
[Beep beep! The reaction of the blonde sister who tried chili powder for the first time?!]
“… It’s trash.”
Thanks to Ian sprinkling chili powder, everyone lost their minds.
I wonder why.
Ian and his party didn’t notice the gaze watching them from the bushes.