As the sun began to set, they emerged from the forest.
Farmers who had been plowing the fields were preparing to return home, guarded by soldiers. It must be to fend off goblins who occasionally stole the crops.
'It was like that in the village where I lived, too.'
Verden recalled the past, casting his gaze into the distance.
A village tightly enclosed by a palisade, with a small castle at its center. It looked old, but thanks to good maintenance, it appeared relatively clean.
The carriage gradually slowed down. It felt almost like sightseeing as they took in the scenery of the village.
People with arms slung around each other, drunk and laughing, a blacksmith hammering iron, children helping their parents… everyone was living their own life.
"How do you find this village?"
"…It's peaceful."
It was a feeling he couldn't experience in the Magic Tower, where strict individualism prevailed.
"Ha ha, isn't it? That's why I like this village. It's a rare sight in this day and age."
Cities had grown bloated, while the populations in rural territories dwindled day by day.
There was talk that if things went on like this, the very foundation of agriculture would collapse, but even those who voiced such concerns never stepped outside the cities.
A safe life from the threats of demi-humans and monsters was something everyone desired.
Especially in the capital.
There were even those who had never once left the capital from birth to middle age. Living in such densely packed cities and competing all your life was no easy feat.
"It's a good place to visit on vacation now and then. Or a quiet beach somewhere, with a glass of liquor—can't go wrong with that. If you'd like, I can recommend a few good places… Ah, we've arrived."
The carriage stopped in front of the castle gate. The captain of the guards, who had been standing nearby with two soldiers, approached.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Conrad. I heard word, but you arrived sooner than expected."
"Ha ha, some unavoidable circumstances arose."
"Sorry? What do you mean by that…?"
The scratches all over the carriage, the dirt-stained clothes of Conrad—anyone could tell they'd been ambushed.
Conrad dismounted and whispered to the guard captain.
"We were attacked by bandits about half a day's distance from here. And then, suddenly, this bizarre orc shows up leading a group of demi-humans."
"B-Bandits? Orcs?"
"Yes, yes. The mercenaries I hired ran off first, and even the bandits scattered. We barely managed to escape, but the carriage was overturned and we were about to be devoured by goblins and orcs—then this mage appeared and wiped out the demi-humans in an instant. If it weren't for him, not only would I have lost the goods the lord ordered, I wouldn't be standing here at all."
The captain's gaze shifted to Verden.
Grayish hair, slightly dark in tone, and vivid blue eyes. The mystical air about him drew involuntary admiration.
Receiving the gaze, Verden gave a small bow.
"I'm Asher."
"I—I'm Marceau, in charge of the guard at the lord's castle. You, uh… you look quite young, but you're remarkable."
There's a saying: "Beware of a mage you're meeting for the first time."
In a world full of eccentric mages, treating one carelessly could end in disaster. A famous story told of a mage who quarreled with a noble and set his mansion on fire before fleeing.
So the guard captain's demeanor was extremely cautious.
"Still, more bandits again…"
"Is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is, but this isn't the place to talk about it. Let's head inside first. But that gentleman…"
As a guard captain, he couldn't allow a mage of unknown identity into the castle.
Yet, he also couldn't reject the benefactor who had saved Conrad's life. As he hesitated, Conrad quickly spoke up.
"I vouch for Lord Asher. He personally defeated the orc horde. He'll be of great help in explaining the situation in detail."
"Hmm, still…"
"I'll host him in the outer quarters of the castle, and personally obtain the lord's permission. How does that sound?"
Though Conrad was merely a merchant, he was also a long-time friend of Baron Pythe.
"If you insist that much… very well."
There was no helping it when someone like that took responsibility.
He could only hope nothing happened that would blow back on him.
Suppressing a sigh, Marceau raised his hand.
With the sound of chains clinking, the castle gates opened, and Conrad's carriage, carrying Verden, entered.
***
"It's been almost a year, hasn't it? You look like you've lost some weight."
"Don't even mention it. Just thinking about nearly getting torn apart by orcs still makes me break into a cold sweat."
As Conrad mimed wiping his brow, the lord of Pythe chuckled bitterly.
"Apologies. I thought I'd been managing things well, but who'd have expected something like that…"
"How could that be your fault, my lord? It's those shameless bandits and beastly demi-humans who are to blame."
"Thanks for saying that."
Pop! The baron personally uncorked a bottle of wine.
A gently sweet scent drifted out. It wasn't a particularly fine wine, but it had a unique aroma. Being prone to oxidation, it was an almost impossible drink to find this far from the city.
Only Conrad, with his extensive connections, could have transported it in such perfect condition.
In fact, there were no other merchants who would take such a job for the price he offered.
'This is what friendship's for.'
Of course, he received various conveniences in return.
Clink. They clinked glasses and took a sip. A sour yet sharp taste slid down their throats.
"Phew. That's good. If only managing a fief were as smooth as this wine."
"You mean the bandits?"
The baron nodded.
Already twice this year, he had launched major operations to wipe out the bandits. Though such raids happened about twice a year on average, having them this frequently in such a short span was a serious issue.
"Just days ago, we found bodies hanging by their necks in the southern woods. Turns out they were villagers from a nearby hamlet. The hamlet itself was already razed to the ground. We searched the area but didn't recover anything."
"Hmm, could it be that they weren't bandits?"
Bandits usually targeted travelers on roads.
Even a small hamlet wouldn't be worth raiding to the extent of slaughtering its people and hanging their corpses out in the open. No bandit would take that kind of risk under mere pretense.
"I thought the same, at least until I heard you were attacked. Every action they've taken seems without clear purpose. It's not like they've caused major damage to the territory. And really, who would go out of their way to target a lowly baron like me? I've never even had friction with another noble."
"Well, yes. This place isn't exactly worth coveting."
"That's why it's still a barony."
The baron laughed heartily and downed the rest of his wine. He chewed and swallowed a piece of meat seasoned with garlic, then the two continued catching up, sharing various stories.
"By the way, that mage you brought with you—what kind of person is he?"
"I haven't known him long, so I can't say for sure… but he's a mysterious man."
Even setting aside his exceptional appearance, there was something about him—an aura that Verden had never experienced before. A slow, overwhelming sensation. Especially when he cast magic.
"A mysterious mage who saved you from a desperate situation… do you think he might have had some kind of motive? Say, he was in league with the bandit group. What if we couldn't track them down because of some magical interference?"
"What? Oh, no, come on. It's just because you haven't met him yet, my lord, but I assure you, he's not someone who would stoop to banditry. I may be a merchant who lives by his words, but I have an eye for people, don't I?"
There was conviction in Conrad's voice.
It wasn't the kind of trust you'd normally show toward someone you'd only met a few hours ago.
'I want to see for myself what kind of man he is.'
Was he so handsome that he inspired trust just by being seen?
Usually, men like that lived off charming women… and to top it off, he was a mage. Even if he wasn't particularly persuasive, he could probably fool a few people with ease.
'Given the circumstances, I should be cautious.'
He was a guest, and it was the duty of a host to treat a guest well.
However, he was a baron, a lord governing a province of the duchy, currently buried in official affairs… or so he could claim, to delay meeting the mage face to face.
In the meantime, he could have the mage's every move monitored by the servants.
With that thought settled, the baron clinked glasses with Conrad, surrendering to the light intoxication he hadn't felt in a long while.
***
Having been granted a room in the annex, Verden was served a warm beef stew and bread for dinner.
Was this beef? It must have been cooked at a low temperature for a long time—it was incredibly tender. Even for someone accustomed to the refined cuisine of the Magic Tower, the taste was acceptable.
'A bit inconvenient, though.'
His magic was subtly spread, at a level imperceptible to any mage of average skill. It wouldn't be particularly effective, but it was enough.
The number of soldiers guarding the area had increased. Most likely as surveillance.
There seemed to be some trouble related to the bandits, so it was understandable that they would be wary of a stranger who had shown up suddenly.
"Pointless effort, though."
He wasn't a bandit.
He was merely a decent mage, here to receive the reward Conrad had promised and hopefully build a connection with nobility.
Still, it wasn't a bad arrangement.
He was receiving delicious meals daily without spending a coin, and soldiers were acting as both guards and escorts, making things quite safe. It was the perfect environment for quietly refining his magic.
The lord of Pythe had sent word via a servant that he was currently busy with official duties, so Verden could use this opportunity to his advantage.
He placed the empty dishes outside and focused magic into his fingertips.
A magic circle was engraved in the center of the door. With this, no one would interrupt him.
'Let's begin, then.'
Items brought from the Magic Tower.
Most of them were for Verden's own growth.
He had the talent—now he needed time to blossom.
The potion he was about to make would drastically shorten that time.
'Hand of Rutemil, Vardan herb, root of the mana blossom, and… Kethma's tears.'
Every single one of them was a high-end alchemical ingredient Verden had never even dreamed of possessing.
He'd gone to great lengths over several years to gather them in secret and store them without spoilage. Remembering those struggles, he ground them finely in a mortar.
Then he poured them into a pre-boiled solution of high-concentration mana water.
One minute passed, then two.
With perfect timing, he cooled it with magic. A deep green glow and a sharp, nerve-jolting scent filled the room.
[MCE-03]
In other words, a mana circuit expander.
'The method to reach 3rd-tier is simple.'
Stimulate the circuit with mana to expand it. If one can contain a certain amount of mana within their circuits, success.
Compared to other 2nd-tier mages, Verden possessed an enormous amount of mana.
But only in terms of the heart, the source that emitted mana. He already had the power source prepared, but the circuits to receive that power were limited.
It was like a well full of water—you couldn't draw more than a bucketful if the bucket was small.
So to increase output, he needed to enlarge the bucket—in other words, his mana circuits.
This potion would temporarily expand those circuits.
All he had to do was fill them completely with mana and maintain that expanded state for a certain period.
'I never want to do human experimentation again.'
Though the Magic Tower had forced him before, this potion and this method originated entirely from Verden himself.
And frankly, no one but him would dare attempt it now.
Because there was a deadly side effect.
Gulp.
Without hesitation, Verden downed the potion.
About five minutes passed, and his body temperature began to rise, his whole body pulsing. The moment he felt it, he drew up his mana.
Vwoooom.
The expanded circuits filled with mana. His blue eyes grew even more vivid.
Maintaining this heightened state required intense concentration and mana consumption.
Now came the side effects.
"Khrrrk…!"
Verden collapsed to the floor with a groan.
Pain.
An unbearable, writhing agony gripped his entire body.
This was why the Magic Tower had abandoned the method. Even though it could accelerate advancement, no mage could endure pain greater than being burned alive.
Crack.
Clenching his teeth hard, sweat poured from Verden's face.
He looked ready to faint, but far from dispersing, his mana surged violently from his body like shimmering heat waves.
'I have to endure, no matter what…!'
To make use of his greatest strength—his vast mana—he had to reach 3rd-tier.
Yes, it was impatient. He had only recently reached 2nd-tier.
But if the method to ascend was right in front of him, why should he wait?
Pain like this—he could endure. He had steeled himself for it seven years ago.
Grrrk!
Verden's hand scraped along the floor. His skin tore and blood welled up at his fingertips.
That faint, stinging pain sharpened his focus, and his mana flared even stronger.
Verden slowly lifted his head.
'A week at most.'
Within that time, he would reach 3rd-tier.