novelraw Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99 : Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Garius looked at the Young Lord without a word.
“If the Main Tower’s policy were absolute, they would have stepped in when the Vice-tower lord sold Jeremy.”
Tapping his finger on the table as if organizing his thoughts, he continued as if he finally understood.
“I see.
There was no need to enforce it from the beginning.”
Saying the Young Lord simply had excellent insight wasn't enough.
“Low-circle wizards wouldn't leave their labs even if you gave them platinum, and wizards who have started walking their own path would lie low after hearing the legend you just told.
There must be a small restriction added on top of that.”
Even though he hadn't said a word, the Young Lord was certain of the restriction's existence.
“Seeing that you personally requested aid from the Main Tower, it must not be a powerful restriction.
Unless it’s just enough to stimulate emotions.”
Listening to him, he wanted to open up the Young Lord's head to check how on earth he had thought this far.
Even Garius, who had lived as a wizard for quite a long time, had never seen such a human.
The Young Lord, who finished organizing his thoughts in an instant, nodded his head.
“…Possessing power but not using it is absolutely not an easy task.
No matter how united the Magic Tower is, there must be quite a few people voicing complaints.
Ah, do some of them become battle wizards or teach battle wizards?”
Only then did Garius burst into laughter.
Because he could only marvel at the appearance of guessing even the existence of battle wizards, who were just beginning to emerge, with a handful of information.
“Hahaha!
Everything the Young Lord says is correct.
Hahaha!
I thought there wouldn't be anything to surprise me as my dying day approached, but you surprise me several times!”
At those words, the Young Lord answered in a sullen voice.
“What are you saying, a gentleman who will be alive and well even 10 years later.”
“Keulkeulkeul, look at my body.
How can this body, with nothing left but skin, live for 10 more years?”
“I guarantee, you will be alive and well and walking around even 10 years later, old man.”
At those words, Garius just chuckled.
Thinking that even the cold and cool-headed Young Lord would say such empty words for an old and sick person like him.
Of course, Ian just said the fact that Garius appears in the game 10 years later as well.
“Anyway, you said earlier you would do whatever you can, right?”
“Yes, I will help within my capabilities.”
When Garius spoke with a much lighter face, Ian narrowed his brows and muttered.
“If you gained a fortuitous encounter while spying on someone else's training ground, you should do at least that much.
Why make it sound like a favor?”
“Hahaha!
That is also true!”
Until then, while he was calculating available potions or scrolls, the indifferent voice of the Young Lord struck his ears.
“Good.
Then come to work starting tomorrow.”
“……?”
“Count, here is the domain's exclusive wizard, Lord Garius.
Take care of greetings, contracts, and stamps on your own, I’m busy so I’ll be going.”
“Uh… Yes?”
As the surprised Garius and the Count looked at the Young Lord with dumbfounded faces, he started speaking as if asking what they were looking at.
“You said you would help within your capabilities.
Do everything within your capabilities first.
The Tower Lord of the Magic Tower says he will help for free, I can't stop him.”
Ian’s tone became much lighter as if employment was already confirmed.
“No, how can I, a Tower Lord, be the domain's exclusive wizard…….”
“It’s temporary, temporary.
Who told you to stay in the domain until you die?
You’re a Tower Lord, right?
Reime-Front Hold Branch Tower Lord.
A Tower Lord is a Tower Lord only when there is a Tower here; without a Tower, you’re just a wizard, you know?
Do you want to be a regular wizard at that age?
Huh?!”
I don't know what he’s saying, but it sounded very plausible.
Listening to words that sounded like an incantation of complex mental magic, my head nodded on its own.
“So are you going to go to another Tower Lord and tell them to move because you’re older?
If you have a conscience, you can't do that, right?
So you should protect the Tower while it’s here.
While protecting the Tower, protect our Duchy a bit too.
Hmm?
While you’re at it, protect the Count and the pitiful knights and soldiers too.
If you do that, you’ll grow fond of them…….”
The Tower Lord looked at Ian with possessed eyes and nodded.
Like he said, since he decided to help anyway, there was no particular reason not to help properly, and there was no justification to refuse either.
“Magic Towers don't have a concept of clocking in, right?
Then I’ll take it that you’re coming to work starting tomorrow.”
Then he quickly grabbed Garius’s two hands, said thank you very much for giving such big help in difficult times, and left the room with a greeting that didn't feel sincere even by a grain.
“…….”
“…….”
The two people who stared blankly at the door Ian left through for a while exchanged awkward glances.
“That… would it be possible?”
“Yes… well.
As the Young Lord said, the Magic Tower isn't a concept of a workplace…….”
“Keuheum!
Then, starting tomorrow, how…….”
“F-For now, I will try coming out.
There must be something this old body can help with somewhere.”
There were countless things a 6th Circle Master and a wizard holding the clue to the 7th Circle could do.
Because if it’s him, he could solve numerous headaches of the fortress.
“Then if you could look at this first…….”
Garius, who was employed unexpectedly, kept tilting his head while talking with the Count.
‘This wasn't the plan…….’
He definitely intended to just see his beloved disciple's face and return today.
* * *
“Hehehe…….”
If it were a game, by now
【A-rank Hero Garius has joined.】
Would a message like this have appeared?
No, since he dipped a toe into the 7th Circle, would it have said S(-) rank?
I expected to see a similar message here too, but maybe because the system is patching, no message appeared.
“S-rank sla… no, oh~ yeah!”
Checking the time while humming a song, it was already time for morning training.
“Would Jeremy have recovered fully by now?”
You can tell just by looking at the magic used this morning, but Garius is a typical supporter-type wizard.
A character who can use various utility magic to the extent of being called an all-round supporter, but has no proper offensive magic, having gone all-in on support.
Thinking about it now, the probability was high that Garius’s restriction was something like ‘Do not use offensive magic’.
“It’s okay.
I just have to raise Jeremy as a battle all-in wizard.”
Isn't this relationship, filling in each other's lacking parts, the most perfect 1+1 appearance?
“Huhuhu…….”
Passing soldiers saw me and avoided me, but even that didn't feel bad, so I smiled brightly at them.
“Hiiiik!”
“I apologize!”
Seeing the soldiers running away as if a fire broke out upon seeing my smiling face, I made a resolution.
That I would pick a day sometime to properly establish discipline in the castle.
* * *
“What do you think?”
Even at the voice from the side, Zehir answered without turning his head.
“About what?”
While doing so, he hurriedly moved his steps following the guide.
“You’re joking, right?
Do you really not think this situation is strange?”
Zehir, knowing well that Thomas was particularly timid even among knights, smirked.
“Don't worry, I will follow the guide without losing him.”
“No, not that!”
As Thomas beat his chest in frustration, the guide turned his head and glared at him.
“Apologize quickly.”
“What on earth……!”
“Didn't the guide say we must be quiet in the Demonic Beast Forest before departure?”
Zehir admonished Thomas with a calm voice, but he still asked with a crumpled face.
“No, so do you really not think this situation is strange?”
At this point, Zehir also felt frustrated with his close friend.
No matter how timid he is, making such noise in the Demonic Beast Forest.
After bowing slightly to the guide to ask for understanding, he took Thomas off the path and asked.
“What on earth is strange about following the Count’s secret order?”
“Is there really nothing strange?”
“The Count told us to follow the guide to check the enemy’s scale and return.”
Zehir, pondering deeply at his close friend’s serious face, struck his palm with his fist and said.
“Ah!
As you said, it is a bit strange that we haven't met any enemies yet.
But isn't that because the guide taught us a safe path?”
Thomas looked alternately at Zehir and the ‘guide’ the Count mentioned, as if he still couldn't believe it.
‘Moving while following a squirrel really isn't strange……?’
Even when the Count gave the secret order to move following a squirrel, he thought it was a code he didn't know.
So even on the way to the Demonic Beast Forest, he asked Zehir several times about the guide’s appearance or things to be careful about, and he clearly remembered the answers.
‘I should have recognized it when he said he likes mana stones…….’
Perhaps thinking it was taking a bit long, the squirrel, puffing up both cheeks with air, kicked the ground with its short foot.
“For now, let’s continue moving.
Stop disturbing the guide’s mood.
Do you not know there’s no answer if we get lost in the Demonic Beast Forest?”
“No, that is, right now the squirrel… Hu…….”
Thomas replaced his answer with a sigh out of sheer frustration.
‘Am I really the strange one?
Do squirrels originally understand human speech and guide the way like that?’
While moving silently for a long time like that.
Jji-i-i-ik!
The squirrel, stopping with a sharp sound, seemed to look to the left, then disappeared from the spot in an instant.
“Uh?
Uh?!”
Startled Thomas scanned the surroundings with a panic-stricken face, but the squirrel was nowhere to be seen.
“The guide disappeared!”
We didn't move following ranger marks, but followed a squirrel, so if we get lost now…….
Zehir’s voice was heard by his ear as he turned pale and tried to search the ground.
“Be quiet.
Didn't the guide say to wait quietly because it’s dangerous.”
“……?”
Who said what?
As Thomas, startled as much as when the squirrel suddenly disappeared before his eyes, looked at Zehir as if asking for an explanation, he sat down casually as if it were nothing.
“Since we’ve only been moving until now, let’s rest until the guide returns.”
Thomas, looking at that appearance dumbfoundedly, muttered.
“Since the knight training center days, every time I looked at you, my chest felt so tight.
I wondered if you were really human, but seeing you now, I know.”
“What does that mean all of a sudden?”
“Be quiet.
You beast-like guy who would have no friends if not for me.”
At his close friend’s sudden attack, Zehir shut his mouth.
Thinking that Thomas seemed afraid of the dark.
“I’m asking seriously, how do you understand the squirrel’s speech?”
Then Zehir looked at him as if he were a crazy person.
“How can a person understand a squirrel’s speech?”
“…Then what about what the guide said?”
“Well, I could know because he kindly explained with body language.”
Only then did Thomas nod and mutter.
“I really hate you sometimes.”
“You seem to be in a particularly bad mood today.
I hope you feel better tomorrow.”
It was a day when the fact that this stiff knight who couldn't communicate well was his most precious friend felt painfully heartbreaking.