Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 169

Magic is Learned in Vain – Episode 170 (170/502)

# 170

Frozen 1

Mandrake.

One of the rarest herbs in the world.

It’s hardly ever found, and even when it is, legend says that clumsy herbalists die trying to uproot it.

Mandrake screams a bizarre scream the moment it is pulled out, and any living creature caught in that scream loses its life.

Moreover, since it has the effect of reviving even the dead, nobles are lining up with tens of thousands of gold to buy the herb.

Nevertheless, they cannot obtain the Mandrake.

So, Legion thought it was nearly impossible to find a Mandrake in just ten days.

The reason he came to find Mizset first was precisely that.

He didn’t know where to start looking for the Mandrake.

Running around the mountains, relying solely on Mark’s detection ability, seemed too reckless.

So, he thought about asking Lauzel, who is now a teacher but suspected of being an herbalist, but this time, the distance is the problem.

By the time he arrives at the territory, all his subordinates will be dead.

That’s when Mizset made an excellent suggestion.

-Let’s go to the Magic Tower. They will have Mandrake there.

That’s right! There was the Magic Tower! That’s right!

At first, he was very happy.

It was as if he had found an easy way to find the Mandrake, which had seemed so daunting.

But as time passed, it didn’t seem like it.

Mandrake, the ultimate herb that can revive the dead.

In terms of minerals, it would be one of the three divine metals [extremely rare and powerful materials].

If he went to the Magic Tower and said to the notorious wizards, ‘I need Mandrake. Please give it to me, considering it’s like saving a person,’ would they listen?

He was sure they wouldn’t even scoff.

It was no different from someone coming to him and saying, ‘I really need Lactorerium [a powerful healing substance], so give me some.’ If there was such a guy, he would have punched him in the face.

The wizards of the Magic Tower were likely to do the same.

Mizset, noticing his worries, said.

“Master would give it to you generously.”

He was even less convinced.

That old man who took the lead in capturing the Dark Elves.

Of course, there might be some story behind it, but just because there’s a story doesn’t change the fact that the old man engaged in slave hunting.

It’s hard to trust such an old man.

Still-

Since he saved Mizset, wouldn’t he at least give him the minimum amount of medicine to save his subordinates? Sadly, he had to pin his hopes on that for now.

“But there’s not even enough time to get there… This is driving me crazy. What should I do?”

Legion sat in Sir Signal’s room, sighing deeply.

He put a twig inside his helmet and scratched his scalp. He couldn’t wash, so his head was itching like crazy. He was sweating a lot every time he moved, but this armor didn’t ventilate properly.

Especially, his balls were sweating, which was driving him crazy.

He wanted to scratch, but he couldn’t reach.

It’s already early summer. To have to wear iron armor in this weather. How will he survive the summer…

He was overwhelmed.

-There is one way.

Mark said.

“A way?”

Legion asked back with a suspicious tone.

Usually, Mark would have said there were about 10,000 ways. The fact that he was speaking timidly made him feel uneasy.

-One way. A method using future advanced technology. Right now, magic is absolutely necessary, though.

“What is it?”

-Making them into frozen humans.

“What human?”

-Freezing them. If you instantaneously create absolute zero, their biological functions will be temporarily suspended, and they will remain in a non-dead state.

“Oh, is that possible?”

-In the future, they put the body to sleep like that. Everyone becomes a frozen human when going on space travel.

“Then I can do it too.”

-Again, it’s future advanced technology. If it fails…

“If it fails?”

-They may never wake up again.

“If someone doesn’t give me Mandrake anyway, they’re going to die anyway.”

-Are you planning to deceive them?

“No, I have to ask. The distance to the Magic Tower is at least fifteen days, even if we hurry. There’s no guarantee they can endure it.”

-The subordinates’ stamina is at most ten days. Buffalo and Hymo, who have divine power, might survive, but the rest cannot avoid death.

Legion nodded.

The subordinates had to make an inevitable choice.

Frozen human or death.

He felt sorry.

If they choose an honorable death, he will send generous compensation to their families.

* * *

Legion returned to the Dark Elf village over several days.

He was really exhausted.

When he led 600 mercenaries back, the village was turned upside down. They thought the mercenaries had invaded the village again.

The Dark Elves hurriedly prepared for war, but Rice stepped forward and shouted.

“We are the followers who serve Dondre Kman, the one and only death butcher in the universe. We will not harm you in any way!”

In reality, they set up a base camp on the outskirts of the village.

They were united because of Dondre Kman, but they still seemed awkward with each other. They were six organizations, and six base camps were created, slightly distanced from each other.

The Dark Elves looked at them with uneasy eyes, but they never entered the village unless it was to get water.

“You’ve come.”

Senka and Natalie came out to greet him.

As soon as Natalie saw Mizset, she burst into tears and hugged her.

They had become quite close in a short time. They had crossed the line of death together several times, and they seemed to have developed a feeling similar to ‘comradeship’.

“Oh my, sister, you’ve gained a lot of weight.”

“Why? Is it weird?”

“No. It’s not bad. You look healthy.”

“Hehe, really? Can I gain more?”

“No, you can’t.”

The two women chattered non-stop as if they had so much to say.

“What about the staff?”

“They’re in the barracks.”

“How are they?”

“They’re getting worse. If a few more days pass, the poison will penetrate into the bone marrow. Then, even if there is an antidote, it will be useless. You must bring the antidote before that.”

Legion nodded and entered the barracks.

He bent over with difficulty and bumped his forehead against the barracks door.

The barracks were built quite sturdily, but they collapsed entirely due to Legion’s tremendous strength.

He heard the screams of his exhausted subordinates from inside.

“Please save us.”

“Ah, I can’t speak because I haven’t eaten anything. Why did the barracks collapse?”

“Someone will come to save us. Or not.”

They were voices of those who had become detached from the world. It sounded like voices saying, ‘Whatever will be, will be.’

Hearing their voices, Legion felt embarrassed-

Mizset felt sorry. Her colleagues were dying because of her. She bit her lip and tried to hold back, but tears flowed involuntarily.

“Sniff, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Mizset, it’s your voice.”

“Does that mean?”

“As expected, it’s CEO Legion. We serve the best owner. To rescue Mizset so quickly from those monstrous guys.”

“Hey, Mizset! Why are you crying! You’re not crying because of us, are you?”

“No, I’m not!”

Mizset snorted at Hymo’s sly voice.

Legion lifted the collapsed barracks with one hand. The Dark Elves approached and quickly repaired the barracks.

Legion bent down and entered the barracks.

As he entered the barracks, he saw his subordinates, whose faces were half gone. The stout Hymo and Buffalo looked like deflated balloons.

Looking at them, he felt a pang in his heart.

“You guys, look at you. What are you doing lying around like this!”

Mizset wiped away her tears and said roughly.

“Hehe, you must have eaten well and lived well there. You look radiant.”

“Have you ever eaten lobster?”

“Lobster?”

“Yeah. The flavor of the sea, lobster.”

“Damn, that lobster that only royals eat? That lobster that costs 50 gold per person for a meal?”

“Yeah, that lobster.”

“Oh my god! Have you eaten that?”

“Do you think I just ate it? There were times when I ate nothing but lobster for three meals a day.”

“Wow, you had a great time.”

“Yeah, I had a great time.”

Mizset smiled brightly and approached her colleagues. And she hugged each one tightly.

“But it was much more fun being with you guys.”

“You’ll miss the lobster.”

“That damn lobster. I’ve eaten it to my heart’s content, so it’s okay.”

“We haven’t eaten it.”

“I’ll sell the items I got from the Three-Headed Medusa dungeon and treat you all to a big meal.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Hehehe, good. We have to eat it.”

The colleagues smiled brightly. At the end of their words, there was a condition: ‘If we don’t die.’ They knew their physical condition well.

They also heard that they had to get Mandrake.

They also knew that it was almost impossible to get it in time.

Well, it’s okay.

They decided to think coolly.

Everyone dies once anyway. It was just that the time had come a little sooner.

No one blames anyone.

It’s a little sad that they didn’t get married, but they lived their lives to the fullest. There were no regrets.

“Are there really no regrets?”

Legion said. Looking at their expressions, he felt frustrated. They were preparing for the end. Seeing them like that in front of him made him angry.

It felt like they had become like that because of him.

Their mission is to do their best to assist him. They had faithfully done that job. Death is one of the results. That’s why they are paid much more than other jobs.

Even so-

He was annoyed.

“Why wouldn’t there be regrets? We just think it’s time. But CEO, can’t you really take off that helmet? It’s too scary. We’re like this, so what about other people? They won’t even be able to talk to you.”

Hymo said with a grin.

“I can’t take it off.”

“That’s a shame. I wanted to see the face of our handsome CEO before I left.”

“Where are you going?”

“CEO, you know our condition, don’t you? We have to go when it’s time to go.”

“Who’s sending you?”

“Don’t be stubborn, CEO. You know our physical condition best. Even with your blood, which has detoxification abilities, we haven’t been cured. There’s no hope anymore.”

“You can live.”

“We can live?”

At Legion’s words, the eyes of his subordinates, including Hymo, changed.

It was what Legion had said.

He was not a person who would ever say nonsense.

To them, Legion’s words were faith and belief. They were the ones who thought it was better to believe in Legion than to believe in God. From the mouth of Legion, who was greater than such a god, came the words, ‘You can live.’

It would be a lie if they didn’t have hope.

“Yes, we can live.”

“Did you get the Mandrake?”

“No.”

Without Mandrake, they cannot detoxify. The bizarre poison of unknown origin is already trying to destroy the bone marrow.

“Then how?”

“Do you guys trust me?”

“If we don’t trust CEO, who do we trust?”

“I trust CEO more than my own mother, whom I don’t even know.”

Steel answered with a grin.

“Good. Then trust me and let’s go just once.”

“……”

The subordinates looked at Legion with tense faces.

“You guys become frozen humans.”

“……”

Did they hear wrong?

What human?

Frozen human?

Not a frozen fish. Frozen human?