Four days had passed.
Verden had not stepped outside even once, living only in the annex.
He hadn't shown himself at all, making surveillance meaningless. According to the servants, it felt like delivering food to a prisoner locked in jail.
There was no point in delaying any longer.
Left with no choice, Lord Pythe decided to invite Verden to dinner that evening.
"My lord, your guest has arrived."
"Let him in."
The door opened and Verden entered. At the sight of his appearance, the lord couldn't help but marvel.
Gray hair that softly reflected the light and clear, intelligent blue eyes.
He wore clothes typical of a commoner, yet he couldn't conceal his natural aura. He looked exactly like the image of a mage the lord had imagined as a child.
'Now I understand right away why Conrad said what he did.'
To commit banditry with such a face—there could be no greater waste.
Verden bowed.
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Baron. I'm Asher, a wandering mage."
"I'm Pythe Henrod, the baron who governs this land. I'm sorry for the late greeting, especially as you're my guest. Please, have a seat."
As soon as Verden sat down, a servant entered, pushing a serving cart. An appetizer made from ground vegetables was served. Its crisp texture and the tangy sauce that accompanied it delighted the tongue.
"How is it? Our chef prides himself on that appetizer."
"It's a refined, restrained flavor. Excellent for awakening the palate."
Being affiliated with one of the ten magic towers in the world was, in itself, proof of elite status for a mage.
In Verden's case, although he lacked the innate talent expected of a mage, his exceptional research abilities and years of usefulness as a worker had earned him a place there. His work amounted to little more than handling troublesome errands.
Still, living in the magic tower meant exposure to all sorts of cuisine.
Even the worst of them were in no way inferior to noble fare. That was the luxury afforded by a magic tower where money overflowed.
'The tower is trash, but I can't deny the taste.'
Verden's tongue had long since been spoiled.
His palate could rival that of most gourmets.
Lord Pythe, observing Verden's noble manners, guessed at his background.
Clearly, he wasn't just some wandering mage. Most likely, he was a disciple of a renowned hidden master or a former member of a magic tower. Especially the latter.
'Not unheard of.'
Some mages do leave the towers and go independent.
Having a magic tower background was akin to a certification—you could go anywhere. Even Lord Pythe hoped to attract such a mage. Though it was unlikely one would come to such a rural place.
At any rate, this man calling himself Asher clearly had no connection to the bandits.
That fact alone eased the lord's wariness. After enjoying the main dish—a steak—they continued their conversation over dessert.
"I'm glad it suited your taste. I did urge the chef to do his best."
Of course, that wasn't all.
With a gesture, the lord signaled the butler, who respectfully placed a bundle of cash on the table.
"Five million Elk. My thanks for saving my dear friend, Conrad."
"I accept it with gratitude."
Verden tucked the money into his coat.
An enormous sum for subjugating a band of orcs and goblins. It showed just how important Conrad was to the lord.
Then the lord spoke.
"You said you're a wandering mage? Would you be willing to take on a job, if you don't mind? I'll make sure the pay is worthwhile."
The job was to subjugate a band of bandits. The lord explained the incidents that had occurred over the past few months.
After listening intently, Verden asked,
"So you believe there's a mage among the bandits?"
"It's a guess. But I'm half-convinced. Otherwise, there's no reason we wouldn't have found them after combing through the area so thoroughly."
The knights under him were limited. They knew nothing about magic.
And there was no one else he could ask. No mage would choose a quiet countryside over a culturally rich city—especially not in this day and age.
"When do you plan to launch the subjugation?"
"Tomorrow. If we wait any longer, there might be more innocent victims."
Tomorrow, huh.
He was just short of reaching the 3rd tier.
Still, it was hard to outright refuse the lord's request. Not after receiving five million Elk, fine meals, and a good bed for several days.
And upon reflection, he had a reason to accept.
'A mage among the bandits.'
If they'd turned to banditry, they couldn't be very skilled.
Aside from the two tower mages he had killed by surprise, this would be a fitting first opponent in a proper magic duel. He'd earn money too.
He was confident.
After some thought, Verden nodded.
"Very well. I'll accept."
"Thank you. I'll send someone for you in the morning. I'll assign you three knights and some soldiers. I'd prefer it if none of the bandits managed to escape."
He must've been quite angry about the damage caused within his territory.
Verden shook hands with the lord and returned to his room. After training late into the night, he went to sleep with a hint of tension.
***
Verden woke up early in the morning, neatly dressed.
His mind was clear, and his mana full. He was in perfect condition for battle.
Following a servant to the castle gate, he found three armored knights and fifteen spear-wielding soldiers lined up in formation.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Enok, a knight of Baron Pythe and the commander of this bandit subjugation. These are Harris and Perik."
"I'm Asher."
The middle-aged knight was respectful.
Generally, a mage who had reached the 3rd tier—especially one adept in destructive magic—was considered on par with a knight in the eyes of the world. Thanks to Conrad, they believed Verden to be at least a 3rd-tier mage.
And he was on the verge of that level anyway, so they weren't wrong.
"We've identified a likely location where the bandits are hiding. It's a bit of a distance, so we plan to ride part of the way. Do you have any experience riding a horse?"
The magic tower had no stables.
"…No, I don't."
"Then please ride with me. Or, if you prefer, I could arrange a separate carriage…"
"I'll ride with you."
He wasn't some noble, after all—mobilizing a whole carriage just for one person was over the line.
Verden grabbed Enok's hand and climbed onto the horse. The other knights and soldiers also mounted their horses and waited for orders.
"Then let's depart."
Tap! With a light kick, the horse began to walk.
The scenery of the village passed by pleasantly, but then Verden noticed a crowd gathered near the entrance.
"What's that…?"
"Adventurers. I haven't heard the full story myself, but apparently, a strange orc was spotted, so they're likely heading out to subjugate it. Dangerous and unusual monsters fetch high prices. The lord even issued a special bounty. Seeing a gold-ranked adventurer among them, the reward must be quite substantial."
At the front of the group stood a middle-aged swordsman.
A golden plate glinted around his neck.
'A gold rank is said to be about equivalent to a knight, right?'
It was hard to say objectively who was stronger, but it was clear that adventurer was a seasoned veteran in his own right.
Verden quickly lost interest. They passed by the group of adventurers and left the village.
With another kick, the horse began to pick up speed.
Maybe it was because the knights rode warhorses, but the speed was no joke. Whether there was a saddle or not, Verden's lower body took a constant beating.
"If you're not used to this, it'll hurt quite a bit. But just endure it for a while—it won't be long."
"…How long will it take?"
"About an hour."
An hour? Are you kidding me?
Verden barely held back a curse.
If he'd already reached the third tier, he wouldn't even need to ride a horse. He regretted not asking for even half a day's delay.
***
One of the essential requirements to become a knight was awakening "aura."
The power that enhanced the body, and even made the weapon one held sharper.
There were even rumors that the Sword Saint of the Empire could cleave a mountain in one stroke. Whether that was true or not—well, obviously, that was a rare exception.
As long as someone had decent talent in martial arts, they could awaken ki, though simply awakening it was equivalent to reaching the second tier of magic in a mage's path.
Only after intense training would one meet the true qualifications of a knight.
Some said knights were weapons specialized for killing.
Even if dozens of bandits attacked, a single knight could decapitate them all. But if a mage was present, it was a different story.
"Lord Asher, if the enemy has a mage, could I ask you to take care of them?"
If a mage rained down spells from a distance, there was no way the soldiers would survive. And if swords couldn't reach, there wasn't much a knight could do either.
So someone who could fully attract the mage's attention—like Verden, another mage—was the perfect fit.
"Understood. I'll prioritize neutralizing the mage. Do we need to capture them?"
"The lord has ordered the extermination of the bandits."
Verden nodded.
Soon after, the party arrived at the target area, tied up the horses in the forest, and set a guard.
As they neared the suspected location, Verden spread his mana wide as previously discussed.
'…Nothing's picking up.'
This wasn't the place. Shaking his head, Verden signaled to move on to the next location.
His backside throbbed like it was bruised, but he couldn't show it—he was a mage, after all. The second location, then the third… and finally, as the sun began to set, they reached the last spot.
"This is the last one in the east. If there's nothing here, we'll rest a day, then head west."
Which meant more time on horseback. Verden silently hoped the bandits were here as he spread his mana.
And then, something registered. It was a foreign sensation—definitely a type of magic circle.
If his mana lingered too long, it would be noticed. Verden quickly withdrew his mana and pointed in a direction.
"There's a magic circle over there."
They'd found it.
Leaving only a minimal number of troops to guard the horses, they moved forward. Verden raised a hand, stopping the group, then lifted a branch and drew a boundary on the ground.
"Step past this line, and the magic circle will activate."
"Hmm… Is there a way to cross it?"
"It's simple."
With a gesture from Verden, the hidden magic circle revealed itself.
"To think such a thing existed in our territory…"
It was a massive dome encompassing the entire forest. It was more like an alarm system—not one of those high-tier magic circles from the towers that incinerated intruders on contact.
In short, it was nowhere near enough to stop someone like Verden, who had breached a tower master's magic circle.
He drew out a fine thread of mana and carefully fed it into a gap in the circle. In less than 20 seconds, part of the circle unraveled, creating an opening wide enough for a person to pass through.
"Let's go."
"…"
Could magic circles really be breached so easily? Enok wasn't sure—but he pushed aside his hazy doubts and cautiously stepped through.
The alarm didn't sound. The rest of the group followed one by one, and after tracking obvious signs of activity, they came upon a crude village housing dozens of people.
At the center stood two men.
One was a warrior with a large scar across his face and twin swords at his side. The other wore a robe, a small staff strapped to his belt, and seemed to be giving orders to the bandits.
They clearly weren't your average bandits—definitely the leaders.
To launch a surprise attack, Enok quietly drew his sword.
"Wait, Sir Enok. We don't know the rank of the enemy mage—an unplanned ambush might be a bad move."
"Then what do you suggest…?"
"I have an idea."
Verden had studied even mage tactics in detail to access the energy source of the tower.
A mage caught in a surprise attack would instinctively cast a "mana barrier." Like a shield for mages, it was useful in blocking ambushes.
'But it has a clear weakness.'
Verden explained his plan to the knights.