Chapter 208
cqAZ5[Currently, the Order of the Red Turtle Knights is on a mission. Therefore, we cannot dispatch them.]XAq
NVtGolden Turtle Guild Branch in Chelkin.jQFYv
ZPRSUpon arriving in the viscounty of Chelkin, Fernan folded the letter handed to him by the captain of the Red Shell Order.JHBsiX
0vbaY‘The future has changed.’62fMjU
nj5vOL9Originally, the Red Turtle Knights were supposed to be in that location. The mere fact that they were absent due to another mission meant things were no longer the same.0wTHY1v
QDD5mbHe didn’t know what had caused it. So many things had changed, he couldn’t pinpoint the reason.MhupL7s
o7E7‘It shouldn’t be a major problem.’CrQm
FFZNor did he think it was serious. The difference was due to the fact that the Red Turtle Order had unusually exceptional members, not because the knights were weak.mq2zWmV
AwHT‘Besides, I have Professor Rosalia and Wooden.’3JaFfu
D9YWbHe himself had completely changed after ingesting the Dragon Heart.GQuJCi
QiqamAnd above all, this situation wasn’t that different from what he had seen in the book of prophecies.k25L
ZRtX‘Destroying the mithril itself isn’t much of a plan for the demons.’5HSsl
YsJmIThey hadn’t foreseen that Aint would reach that place, and even with the changes in the future, that likely hadn’t changed.jD4
Tpem“Long time no see, Lord Harten.”SBb6tU
tgd6“It’s an honor to see you again, young master.”Xh3P
uMBtThe captain of the Red Turtle Order, Harten, bowed his head.AwLDm2
98tb“Professor, it’s also a pleasure to see you again.”TVRuG5y
ZPH“The honor is mine. I leave our safety in your hands.”7KoWbl
Qh9blAfter a day of rest, Fernan departed with Professor Rosalia and the Red Turtle Order toward their destination.Xb74zk3
XRz8Since they traveled in secret, they avoided main routes and took lesser-used mountain paths, which made the journey longer.CpVfvgO
xGxM“Let’s spend the night here.”JcQ
J5kfbWPIn the mountains, the sun set quickly. The group set up camp in a mid-slope clearing.fl9DcF
f5UoV4h“I’ll go inside the tent for a bit, I have something to do.”zDCU3Cd
tmk8After a light dinner, Fernan retreated to his tent. He needed to recall what he had seen in the book of prophecies to pinpoint the location as accurately as possible.Ee8D
MuQo7WRosalia remained seated by the campfire.w8ft
jMQZLkkThe dark night, flames crackling between them, the murmur of insects.h101
8ThzWyAlways caught up in research and training, sometimes it wasn’t so bad to get away like this. Especially when the goal was mithril.4byO3hC
po9PtC“Did you enjoy the dinner?”cxSW34
LzyQUyqCrack.CoSmDi
NiaHarten threw another log into the fire and sat across from her.wlr0
ITfx“Yes, it was delicious. Almost on par with the chefs of noble houses.”XqXjS
fpqrKIt was impossible that there were chefs here—they had come without attendants to move discreetly.y6zBGu
7hn8“I’m glad to hear that. One of my men cooks quite well. Vandel!”Hj4NAi
HJ3“Yes, Captain!”5FLezvt
0slWA knight sheathed his sword and approached.mO6k78y
hzSecK“The professor says your cooking is worthy of a chef.”2tJtZKU
pplP1“Really? Wow, thank you! It’s an honor!”1cDk
MTm5EacVandel laughed heartily, bowing his head.Pqf
FtA“That’s unusual. Knights usually don’t like doing these kinds of things.”68Psxjn
Hz8“These kinds of things?”ugKPE
SWpjI“Servant work.”RkC
JDgaq8It wasn’t that a knight couldn’t do minor tasks, but normally such things were left to servants or soldiers. It was rare to see one cooking.664qC
vNIr“Normally, we just bring dried meat. But when the young master comes with us, it’s different.”0An6C1
8AD52cxHarten smiled as he added more wood to the fire.Les
lEjmA“You seem to trust Fernan a lot.”B5Qf
TlZsL“He’s always been… special.”sukV8
w67d9ke“Special?”JRaPXT
R0AM“His obsession with money was so intense even the Duke got tired of it.”gHa
ndgT“That hasn’t changed.”SpFF5X
wyvCby“True.”uKP4
pHfGMPHAll Pellenbergs loved money, but Fernan had a unique way of it.mmGQf4
mrS3“Ten years ago, on his birthday, the Duke asked what he wanted as a gift. Know what he said?”8fquq2U
CDhJUZh“Money?”EX0W
jT9N“Exactly. Money. And he asked to be given all his future birthday gifts in advance.”NtsI
ARlojJgThe Duke agreed and gave him a huge sum, even though he was just a child. Neither the one who asked nor the one who agreed were ordinary people.7DA1kPC
DKcXM2“With that, he founded the Golden Pillar.”v7HD
DQoA personal organization for intelligence and investment.DqX6KFF
uhY0tzQ“Ah, the Golden Pillar…”ZVPe
aHWc“Yes. With that name, he even invested in you, Professor. Though the real reason was to search for mines.”45SlszF
bib“Mines?”xdQc5
fsGfgb“Since he was little, he believed the earth was a hidden treasure. That’s why he studied earth magic, even though he was more talented in fire magic.”cRyAm9i
dyF“He really learned earth magic for that?”Fooif
44KOo7“Excuse me.”h1MAT
pcbSPPRosalia couldn’t help but murmur. She knew Fernan was obsessed with money, but not to this extent.BAw
OeTb“That’s right. The house’s mages criticized him, and even Lord Durleo, the archmage of Pellenberg, insulted him outright. And Fernan replied, ‘I’m not a mage, I’m a merchant.’”WmCoe
iwtFnMDuke Yvon had laughed heartily.yGagl5
mMlnYA“With that Golden Pillar, he started operating. But many of those undiscovered mines were monster dens. Every time it happened, the young master paid the Duke for troops, and we answered.”RytdHC
1awMXThat was how his close relationship with the Red Turtle Order began.ohBH1dk
3cRmcsT“He always treated us well—top-tier potions, luxury food, sturdy tents. And he also gave extra rewards.”tjMyNh
c7BxDVandel, listening in, chimed in.VAgCbiL
OYR6a“I asked him once if he wasn’t spending too much. Know what he said? Or rather, he asked us a question—‘What is money?’”BpSH
scoqzRosalia listened attentively.qkM2
uWu“And he answered himself: ‘Money is everything. With it, you can buy anything and do anything. Thanks to money, Pellenberg exists, and thanks to money, I can treat those who serve my house well.’”LvWFD
LZwN3“Young master!”PGQ7mvt
toLN“See? He’s bought even our hearts with money. How can we not adore him?”7pxhz
tS6VbHl“He hasn’t bought mine yet.”PR7t7l
g3l“He will.”Vpn
gsue0sfVandel smiled wistfully.M4yxOz
QoG“With words like that, how could we not admire him? I cooked happily today because I’ve already been well rewarded.”rdtYKv
6dgb2oHe made a circle with his fingers. Though it sounded bold, it wasn’t untrue. Fernan always kept his word and never skimped on those he considered his own.3R3hmBj
BFsAt that moment, Fernan emerged from the tent.qto7
Pre3“Did you all talk that badly about me?”lv0L9q
ovdyY“On the contrary, we praised you. Now the professor will like you even more.”eUa
3SdJ“Really?”jxG
P1T2Z“Ugh, you’re giving me chills.”8C8b5d
jJpzRosalia lit a cigarette with the campfire.X7WF9h
7eQE“Did you find the location?”HAq
SEe5eR“More or less. If we leave at dawn, we should get there in two days.”e8QtZe3
C5yt“It’s not that far.”Jcng
l0mMD“We’ll have to search a bit, but monsters always leave traces.”dWAJGc
QaAuBLC“That’s true.”S8l
8ggVRosalia looked at Wooden, hanging from Fernan’s neck. She knew that, thanks to the power of the World Tree, he could detect monsters with precision.G7L6
TiUpPUAfter a bit more chatting, everyone entered their tents.vrD4Ir
L90t“We leave tomorrow.”NBN
jbMGnoUAt dawn the next day, the group neatly packed up the camp and resumed their journey.LG0
qdG“Professor, when you get the mithril, what do you plan to do with it?”neJ5OhU
4muQM“Make a staff.”9wK0fBs
JI3“Mithril is the best material for that. Are you preparing for the winter? Ah, I heard your opponent is already set. Duke Bador Erbeto, right?”YT4
DvDa“That’s right.”GOVd
yZyAOZ1Bador Erbeto. Duke of the Kingdom of Helfen in the southwest of the Lutar continent, and considered the weakest of the Archmages.USs12M
MRZXz“I wanted to face Cardinal Albi or Rector Mikale.”ZqMwY
Kg1pFJRosalia clicked her tongue.64V0I
LMXRthIt didn’t matter who the opponent was—she had faith in herself. In fact, she wanted to face the top-tier ones: the Cult’s cardinal or the Academy’s own rector.Yx7WCYm
7mxbC2“Especially, if I defeated the rector, it would be the perfect portrait.”qaiy9
sbTULLike inheriting a throne—defeating the rector and taking his place would be an imposing image.yVuSA9G
k9vD“Denied. Even I wouldn’t allow that.”uaHUNV
rWCds“The Duke and you are both cowards…”7Lvd
6q95Rosalia clicked her tongue again.aVPM6
LxzdAVS“They say it’s foolish to take the hard road when the easy one is right there.”PGR
ZyVCDXaIf there were no easier option, it would be understandable. But no merchant would drag their cart down a rough path when a smooth road was available. That would only wear out the horses, the men, and consume more time and effort.oKz0m2
wcGnDJ5“Weren’t you the one who said you’d pave the road?”oX7
c1Rq3“And now that I have, you insist on straying from it.”ttDDA
d6wcFrq“……”4heJ
W3yRosalia fell silent, lacking arguments.wVmw
JBmacBDThe group approached their destination.1tUJeUZ
QsAYScAnother day passed. Along the way, they faced an ogre that dominated the mountain as its territory and a pack of gnolls devouring corpses. All were cut down by the knights’ swords.Na5r7P
UNY— Piii!oh0l9sA
rSbAt that moment, something descended from the sky and snatched the ogre’s body.4em1s1
5uD“Young master, watch out!”g5Ni3c
uIjYVThe knights immediately surrounded Fernan and Professor Rosalia, but Fernan, upon recognizing the bird, was surprised.xm0A
pMTrGM“…A Saintbird?”G1oNQb
Hf3Rr“Silver?”2RpB
JRN7The four wings left no doubt—it was a Saintbird.8od
OCRco— Kyu, Kyu.mmKFi
k2Cx3Wooden’s enthusiastic gestures confirmed it was Silver.hOXgg0P
OF8latKThe problem was, it was no longer the Silver they once knew.F71Z
O3VF“Stand down, there’s no need to stay on guard.”sfuvyMy
AjUFernan calmed the knights and extended his hand. Silver, after tasting a bite of the ogre and spitting it out, gently landed in front of him.MsOAs
TLoc2— Piii.vLa
QhPeiHe rubbed his face against him. His head was now larger than Fernan’s own.kbMQ
jmkeU“…He wasn’t this big before we left.”I15yVF
n2wzSilver had grown as if he’d suddenly become an adult. With wings spread, he spanned over six meters—large enough to easily carry two people.uSXy
TKIH“Did you come because you wanted to see me?”ZZTFG
OTXzkz— Piii.bHUPzq
JJCjKWhen Fernan stroked his head, Silver seemed to smile happily.Xrh
CArT“A Saintbird? Wasn’t he Aint’s?”ogUEkf
vsqQy“Yes, he is.”XLjYKVN
AGCZC6J“Then why is he acting so affectionate with you? No, more importantly, why did he come to you all of a sudden? And he wasn’t this big before we left either.”1DO
590cVVH“I think it’s because I was there when he was born. For some reason, he approached me with trust from the start.”H7II6s
HAvFernan improvised what he’d planned to say in case it ever came up.Yny
zMp1qmv“You were there when he was born?”WxQydV
VcMUAo“Yes. He was inside the box I gave to the professor.”ehYuSCG
390q10i“…The extreme freezing spell was to preserve the egg?”s1DzMn
hwGq5stFernan didn’t know either why he had come now or why he had grown so much.jB9
cyxog— Kyu, kyuu.SBfkD
bogXyYUWhen he asked through Wooden, he found out that nothing had happened at the Academy.cFCw
xZ3tHe had just come because, after molting his feathers, he wanted to see him.ra2kuI
8OSNXew‘Molting feathers…?’TmvF
3g1gMr1Could molting really cause such a sudden leap to adulthood? Or was it something unique to spirit beasts?GSp
tOVThIn any case, it seemed true—his feathers now gleamed more and felt stronger.q5wjW
mxbYyi‘If nothing happened, that’s a relief…’lKp
MCO1ZHFernan pulled some beef from his subspace and gave it to Silver, who let out a satisfied chirp.AMyQ
xZeZFB“I’m busy right now. Stay nearby and come when I call, but don’t let anyone see you.”p5mZW
Hy7cRII— Piii.LVIlGsN
81FhRdSilver nodded and took off into the sky.goeVLEH
LtMm“We’d better get that mithril soon and return to the Academy.”h2sW
w8bfThe feeling wasn’t a good one.noy8Ug
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!