011 – Forest of Mist (1)
The next day, Tigris received the telegram and headed to school.
The caller was the principal Bastian.
“Do you like tea?”
“I’m not picky.”
“Good.”
After Bastian asked his secretary for tea, Tigris and Bastian sat facing each other.
Since it’s the principal’s office, there may be a head office, but there was only one round table.
The interior was also very sparse.
Other nobles had luxuries, such as decorating their rooms with expensive, unused plate armor and hanging ornaments from ogres’ necks on the walls, but at best, Bastian was all about classical orchids.
“I have called you here because there is a formal procedure and there is something to advise.”
“I will listen.”
Bastian smiled softly and pulled out the employment contract first.
“First of all, you didn’t tell me how long you wanted to work, so I didn’t say how long you would be working. After all, you’ll have to go back to Norverd anyway. How long do you plan to work?”
“Four years.”
“I will retire together when the incoming students graduate next year.”
“yes. That’s right.”
“Is there any reason why I have to do 4 years?”
“I don’t think there’s any reason to stay in office for more than four years.”
Year 4 is when both Irene and Rakan graduate.
Not only that, but Rota’s body and the shavers could not be tied to the school because it was a time when they were active.
Bastian nodded and waved his fingers.
Then, ‘4 years’ was written in the blank period of employment in the employment contract.
“As you can see from the employment contract, you are just a swordsmanship instructor. There is no need to write a dissertation while also serving as a professor like other instructors.”
If there was no need to write a thesis, it seemed that the time would be more generous than I thought.
I noticed that Bastian was deliberately taking care of it.
“And from next year, you will be able to open lectures if you wish. Originally, I was supposed to learn while working as an assistant instructor for a year or two, but the apprenticeship process was eliminated by my own authority. Was it some kind of nonsense?”
“no. good. Thank you so much for your consideration… Can you even do this?”
Bastian said, touching his white beard.
“It’s not that I don’t think that the head of the Nation department is not good enough, but I don’t think it’s enough to cut rocks with a rotten branch. You only have 3 rings, but if you are ready, I think you can go up to 4 rings right now.”
Tigris thought that Bastian had a great eye.
There were rumors that Bastyan was a wise man, but he did not think that it was enough to vaguely recognize the state of Tigris’ swordsmanship.
Bastian is a wizard, not a swordsman.
“A talented person like that came to the Imperial School on my own, and of course, you have to be considerate as much as you can. Isn’t it?”
Tigris had nothing to say.
Bastian laughed too, because it wasn’t a question he was hoping for an answer.
“Instead, I should give a total of two lectures. You have to make swordsmanship lessons, and one is to work as an assistant instructor under the instructor you want. It is difficult to take this into consideration because each instructor has a rule that requires at least 8 credits of lectures.”
“no. You can do that.”
“There are other things that the instructor has to do, so for details, you should hear from the head of the department and your archer Bedrian… When will you be able to go to work?”
“I will do it on January 16 next year.”
“Are you saying you want to spend the New Year with your family and come right away?”
“yes. That’s right.”
“Good. Then do it.”
Bastian took a sip of the tea the secretary had brought and opened his mouth.
“Now is the time to give you some advice. If you think I’m off topic, you can ignore it. Can you hear me?”
“I was taught by my father to always listen to the words of the wise.”
“haha. People call him a wise man, but the world still has so much to learn. I doubted your abilities because you don’t know much about the world.”
When the expected phenomenon does not come out, some people tend to deny it.
For example, like Morita, she thinks she will win and tries not to admit the visible facts as if she kept fighting Tigris.
However, Bastian immediately apologized again, saying that he had made a mistake, even when something happened that went beyond his understanding.
He knew that giving Tigris a lot of consideration was also a kind of apple.
Tigris was more envious of Bastian’s broad and deep knowledge, but the flexible thinking that he could accept and fix.
“In the eyes of others, you will think you are young and insufficient to become an instructor. Because of that, many students may express a lot of dissatisfaction with your lectures. In the worst case, I may not sign up for your course at all.”
That was what Tchrist knew.
Taking a class from an instructor of the same age would be a disgrace for the nobles.
“Before you become an instructor, you will have to build an achievement that will increase your reputation. The reason why it is said that people should look inside rather than looking outward means that most people look at the outside. You’ll have to adapt some sort of assortment to your résumé.”
“You mean like winning a young blood tournament, for example?”
Bastian nodded.
“You were also thinking about it.”
Young Blood Tournament.
It is a tournament hosted by the Imperial Family every four years, and it was a tournament in which aspiring knights in their teens and twenties, regardless of rank, participated.
If you won 1st place, you could take one weapon you wanted from the 3rd place treasury, and you could make a wish by attending an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.
In fact, the word was a wish, and it was an assortment to ask for the honor of being a knight.
It was because of the justification that the emperor did not step forward and appoint a knight.
All in all, the winners of the Young Blood Tournament and those who made it to the quarterfinals will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals by His Majesty the Emperor.
The honor of receiving the gold plaque from His Majesty the Emperor was so great that even within the Imperial University, it was eaten.
“You don’t have to win. Just getting a bronze medal will be enough to get you famous. If you overdo it and get seriously injured, it will be difficult for you to become an instructor.”
“Don’t worry.”
“okay. You’ll be fine with that.”
Of course, Tigris had no intention of stopping in the quarterfinals.
I was thinking of getting 1st place, entering the 3rd place report, and getting a ‘Mixed Iron Sword’.
“Oh, and Morita was discharged this morning. The shock of losing both hands seems serious, but that must be unavoidable.”
“···okay.”
With Morita out, Nemesis must have started tracking them down.
It felt like the countdown had begun.
The day Levis comes into contact with Morita will be the day Levis dies.
Tigris clenched his fists.
‘You have to be stronger.’
Getting rid of Levis with his current body is close to a fluke.
You need to make at least four rings, and five to kill them safely.
‘Is it possible to make another ring?’
Impossible in the current state of affairs.
His body was not yet mature, and his magic circuit had not been widened enough.
If you make another ring like this, Tigris’s body will be irreparably damaged.
Then, suddenly, a method came to mind.
‘Eat the elixir.’
There was an elixir called ‘Ice Essence of Starlight’ in the forest of fog that bordered on the mysterious land in the southern part of the kingdom.
It was a heavenly elixir that purifies the magic flowing through the body, widens the magic circuit, and washes away all the wastes accumulated in the body.
It was the most needed elixir for Tigris right now.
But there was one thing that bothered me.
The original owner of the elixir was Rakan.
Rakan ate the elixir and made 4 auric rings and became a 3rd circle wizard.
‘···Hmm. It doesn’t matter to him.’
Tigris thought that the elixir was of no use to Rakan.
After becoming a 6-star knight and 6th circle mage, Rakan somehow found and ate dozens of elixir, but in the end, none of them reached the pole.
For Rakan, the elixir wasn’t important, it was important to gain Simdeuk.
‘So, it doesn’t matter if I eat at least one ice essence containing the starlight.’
If Tigris eats it, it won’t be a problem for Rakan’s growth.
Bastian coughed as he looked at Tigris’ hard expression.
“greatness! You’ve done enough. Didn’t you give me 23 chances to admit defeat? So there is no need to feel remorse. Did you see blood for the first time yesterday?”
Bastian had mistakenly thought that Morita was responsible for Tigris’ serious expression on his face.
Tigris didn’t need an explanation, so he just let it be misunderstood.
“yes. That’s right.”
“It was too. If your mind is very complicated, come to me anytime. I can give you some advice.”
“There is no need for that.”
“No. Those who will become the swordsmanship instructors of the Imperial University in the future should not be confused. Just think that you are coming to my grandfather’s house to play, and come comfortably.”
Tigris nodded his head with a trembling expression on his face.
“···yes. All right.”
“haha. Good. great. He… is there a woman you like? Nothing else, but one of my granddaughters…”
Tigris was able to escape from the principal’s office after listening to Bastian’s bragging about his 12-year-old granddaughter for over an hour.
* * *
Tigris arrived at the penthouse.
I was a little tired, so I sat down on the sofa.
Instead of resting with a disheveled look, he sat neatly and drank the cold water that Lenny had given him.
Tigris thought for a moment.
The tournament will be held on November 22nd and today is November 2nd, so there are approximately 19-20 days left.
‘Time is ambiguous.’
It takes more than 24 hours to travel by magic train from the Imperial Capital to the Forest of Mist.
It will take a little over 24 hours to return, so if it takes two days and half a day, Tigris has about 16 days left.
‘Would you like to go home after the tournament?’
It has the advantage of being able to go back and forth comfortably if you go to the Forest of Fog without being pressed for time after the tournament is over.
However, if that happens, the chances of breaking the promise with your sister increase.
Tigris judged right away.
‘It’s urgent, but I’ll have to leave tomorrow.’
Rakan knew about the approximate location of the star-lit essence of ice because Rakan talked about it all the time.
And he knew how to get the elixir.
There was one problem.
An enormous amount of food was needed to appease the spirit guarding the elixir.
It is also warm food that has been touched by human hands.
Tigris had done field cooking before, but it was a mess.
If he ate the food Tigris had prepared, he might become angry and become that spirit.
“Tigris, what would you like to have for lunch today?”
Tigris stared at Lenny.
“I found it.”
“···yes?”
Lenny tilted her head.
If it’s Lenny, I’ll be able to give you food to soothe the soul.
Because Lenny was a person who knew how to cook that warmed the heart.
However, there was a very minor problem.
“ah···. oh···. Why is he looking at you like that…”
“I’ve gained weight recently.”
Kugong-!
A black shadow fell on Lenny’s face.
“I… is it me?! That… can’t be! uh? uh?”
Lenny touched her stomach.
It was a little, but it caught on.
“···Oh my gosh.”
The imperial capital was no less than Lenny’s paradise.
I could eat one chocolate cake a day, and Sebastian was not there.
There were also people who helped with the housework, so there was little Lenny to do.
In many ways, the intensity of work was not that high, so of course, I had no choice but to gain weight.
“I will have to walk a lot from the day after day, so it will be a bit of a problem.”
“I can … walk! I’ve never had to go back and forth to a well in four hours to draw water…”
“That alone is not enough. If I make a mistake, I have to walk for a week.”
“It’s been a week?!”
Lenny cried.
It was because Lenny’s week-long march was very difficult.
“do not worry. There I will teach you how to walk and how to breathe. The Forest of Mist is rich in mana, so you won’t get tired easily. Of course, I’m going to have a lot of trouble for a few days because I’ve gained weight.”
“I’m going to lose some weight.”
“But don’t go hungry. It’s not good for your health.”
Tigris decided to sing Baiton after a long time.
“Call Baiton. I have to go to the forest of fog tomorrow, so I have a lot to prepare today.”
“yes···.”
Lenny muttered to herself, dead grass.
“I have to cut back on rice from today.”
Lenny never said she didn’t eat cake.
* * *
Baiton arrived at the penthouse less than ten minutes after being called.
Baiton was a little nervous.
I cleaned my clothes in the elevator and touched my hair again.
Tigris was a difficult person for Baiton, whose job was to meet people.
As soon as Baiton saw Tigris, he immediately bowed his head.
“I heard that you have become a swordsmanship instructor. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Tigris said, taking a sip of the tea Lenny had brewed.
“Tomorrow, Lenny and I are going to the Forest of Mist.”
The word Forest of Mist almost automatically said no to Baiton.
The Forest of Fog was famous for being a very dangerous place for adventurers.
It was because it was very easy to get lost because of the fog filled with mana and aura.
That was different from being good at swordsmanship.
‘How dangerous the forest of fog is there…’
Baiton swallowed the words that filled his throat.
Baiton is not yet a Tigris person.
I made him feel bad for nothing, but like the first time we met, I could be humiliated as much as I did.
What Tigris asked of Baiton was obedience, not presumptuous advice.
“What should I prepare?”
“A lot of ingredients, cooking utensils, and amulets to ward off evil spirits, enough to eat for at least a month. Other than that, you may have to walk for a long time, so you will need a spare pair of sturdy clothes and good quality shoes.”
Baiton thought for a moment, then opened his mouth carefully.
“Everything else can be prepared, but the evil spirits talisman is a little difficult. Spirit magicians who can craft amulets are rare even in the capital.”
“Okay then. I’ll take care of procuring it from the Forest of Mist.”
“All right. Then we will prepare it right away.”
Baiton went straight down the elevator.
Tigris looked at Baiton like that and thought for a moment.
‘He’s a very quick-witted guy.’
If I was just trying to give you stupid advice, I thought I’d give it a shot.
But Baiton didn’t ask why he wanted to go to the Forest of Fog, nor did he advise on how dangerous the Forest is.
‘I think it’ll be fine if I cover it up.’
The problem is that he is greedy, but as long as he doesn’t show his teeth to Tigris.