4. Imperial Audience
1
“Halt!”
As the carriage approached the main gate of the Imperial Palace, the gatekeepers and Imperial Knights blocked its path.
“This is Luke de Rakan, the young lord of the Rakan barony. He is entering the palace under the order of His Majesty the Emperor, who has granted him formal recognition of his title.”
At the coachman’s announcement, an Imperial Knight approached and checked the Rakan barony’s seal on Luke’s hand.
Then, he stated, “From here, you must come with me.”
The coachman and Philip went to the annex for attendants, and Luke began to walk through the vast Imperial Palace, following the Imperial Knight.
It was his first time at the Imperial Palace.
The buildings, constructed from marble bricks, were so large and imposing that they were enough to intimidate anyone who looked at them.
After walking for about an hour, they arrived in front of the main hall.
The door of the main hall was engraved with the image of a dragon swallowing the sun, which made Luke scoff inwardly.
‘Hah, are they still claiming to be descendants of dragons?’
Since ancient times, there have been royal and noble families who claimed to be descendants of dragons.
The basis for this was the myth that their ancestor was a child born from the union of a dragon, who had transformed into a human, and a woman he met during his travels. This was to enhance the family’s authority by borrowing the prestige of the dragon, a powerful being in ancient mythology. However, from Luke’s perspective, knowing the truth about the Baroque family, it was ridiculous.
‘They’re descendants of whales, not dragons. Descendants of the debauched drunkard Dice.’
Luke chuckled involuntarily as he thought of the founder of the Baroque family.
The accompanying Imperial Knight assumed, ‘He must be happy to meet His Majesty,’ and didn’t question it.
As Luke stood before the door, a page announced his arrival in a loud voice.
“Your Majesty! The young lord of the Rakan barony has arrived!”
“Is that so? Let him in at once.”
A dignified voice echoed from inside, and the huge doors opened to the left and right.
Luke walked in confidently.
There were no meetings scheduled for today, so the main hall was empty.
At the far end of the hall, on a raised platform, sat a man with lion-like red hair in a large chair made of carved white jade.
‘Is that Rudolf?’
According to rumors, the Lion King Rudolf was a genius swordsman.
He preferred training to eating, reached the level of Sword Master in his late twenties, and was now said to be one of only two Sword Sages [a title for the most skilled swordsmen] on the continent.
Luke observed the Emperor with a keen gaze.
Although he was sitting in a somewhat relaxed posture, an enormous aura emanated from Rudolf’s body.
A wave of energy, as if containing the sea or a great mountain, flowed from him, enveloping Luke and pressing down on him.
His skin tingled, and he felt an urge to unleash black magic on the Emperor’s face, but Luke gritted his teeth and endured it.
‘Not bad.’
Rudolf, sitting on the throne, nodded as he watched Luke withstand the aura he had released.
If it were his aura, even a moderately skilled person would turn pale and kneel.
But the young lord was able to withstand it.
‘Swordsmanship is at the mid-Expert level, and magic is around the 3rd Circle [a measure of magical proficiency]? He’s better than the rumors, but he’s just a puppy who would die with a flick of my wrist.’
After roughly assessing Luke’s skills, Rudolf ceased emitting his aura.
Then, Luke inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
If this had continued any longer…
‘Whew… I almost revealed my true abilities.’
If he used the black magic he had recently reached the 5th Circle with and the abilities he had taken from the demons, he could not only block Rudolf’s aura but also push back against it.
But if he did, his identity would be revealed.
Then, the Emperor would use his power and the abilities of a Sword Sage to cut off Luke’s head.
Revenge did not need to be rushed, especially when the opponent was strong.
“You have worked hard to come a long way.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
At Rudolf’s praise, Luke bowed his head politely, concealing his true feelings for now.
“The reason I summoned you today is to formally grant you your title and issue your appointment to the Imperial Army. There are many things I want to say, but there is no time, so let’s begin with the investiture ceremony.”
At Rudolf’s gesture, Count Voltaire, the chamberlain, brought the imperial sword symbolizing the Emperor.
“Young Lord Luke, kneel!”
At the Emperor’s loud command, Luke knelt on one knee in front of him.
Then, Rudolf approached with the sword and placed it on his head and both shoulders, asking,
“Will you protect the laws and territory of the Baroque Empire and pledge unwavering loyalty to the Imperial Family?”
“I will.”
“Will you care for the poor and weak, and act honestly and justly?”
“Yes.”
“Then, by the sacred authority vested in me, I hereby appoint you as the lord of the Rakan territory and a Baron from today!”
Originally, the ceremony should have been held grandly in front of dozens of nobles.
However, as it was being held a year earlier at the discretion of the Emperor and Voltaire, there were only two guests.
Although it was an abridged ceremony, after the investiture ceremony, the Emperor gave him his appointment to the Imperial Army.
“As a Destroyer [a military rank], you will be of great help in defending the northern border. I hope you will faithfully protect the Empire from the provocations of the Volga Kingdom for two years.”
Luke, who received the appointment from Rudolf, saluted and left the main hall.
“What do you think of him?”
As Luke left the main hall, Rudolf asked Count Voltaire.
“In my humble opinion, he seems like a promising talent.”
“He’s not just a promising talent.”
He shook his head and continued.
“At the age of 17, he is already a Rune Knight [a knight who uses magic] with mid-Expert level swordsmanship and the abilities of a 3rd Circle mage. If he develops well for another ten years, he will easily surpass a Sword Master. If possible, I would like to take him under my wing, even if I had to give him my daughter.”
Count Voltaire, surprised by the Emperor’s praise, asked back, “Was he that good?”
“Yes. But the Rakan barony and our Imperial Family are incompatible.”
The bad blood of the previous generation only deepened as time went on.
Although they did not openly fight, the Rakan barony and the Baroque Imperial Family were like enemies.
“Shall I send an assassin to eliminate him right away?”
At Count Voltaire’s question, Rudolf chuckled.
“Hahaha, there’s no need to go that far. He’ll be dealt with during his military service anyway. It will be interesting to see how the last descendant of the hero Rakan dies.”
After saying this, Rudolf dismissed Count Voltaire.
He could not show his current appearance to any of his closest aides.
“Come out.”
At the Emperor’s command, a person emerged from behind the curtain.
His face was covered, so his true identity could not be confirmed, but a gloomy aura flowed from his body, which was covered in a black robe.
“How was the curse on his body?”
“I am sorry, but my shallow abilities were unable to detect it.”
‘Well, it’s impossible for anyone else to detect the secret curse cast by a 9th Circle old monster.’
Originally, Rudolf had planned to call Arsen to check the curse on Luke’s body.
If the curse had been lifted or weakened, he was going to cast it again.
However, he had not been able to contact Arsen for several days.
Frustrated, he called a 7th Circle black mage who was secretly being trained by the Imperial Family to check, but even his skills were not enough to even recognize it.
‘It can’t be helped. Curse or no curse, I’ll just have to kill him.’
A terrifying murderous intent flared in Rudolf’s eyes.
The black mage, who was exposed to the murderous intent, turned pale and trembled.
However, even he, who was called a Sword Sage, did not know that Luke had not shown even half of his true abilities a little while ago.
2
“Congratulations, Baron.”
When Luke, who had finished the investiture ceremony, arrived, Philip and the coachman, who had been waiting in the annex, congratulated him.
“Congratulations. More importantly, let’s get out of the Imperial Palace quickly.”
Luke, who did not want to stay in the den of the Baroque clan for long, wanted to leave the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.
Just as the two were about to go out to the garden and get into the carriage,
Suddenly, a sarcastic voice was heard from behind.
“Oh, who is this? Isn’t it Sir Philip, who was kicked out of the Imperial Knights for committing a crime?”
When they turned their heads to where the voice came from, three knights in Imperial Knight uniforms were approaching.
With their smug appearances, they were making mocking expressions at Philip.
“You, you guys…!”
Philip’s face hardened instantly when he recognized the knights. They were the trio who had framed him in the past and forced him to leave the Knights.
“I wondered what you were doing after leaving the Imperial Knights, but you got a job as a bodyguard for a little young master?”
The blond-haired knight in the middle glanced at Luke and sneered at Philip.
Twitch!
Luke, who stopped Philip from stepping forward with a furrowed brow, asked, “I am Luke de Rakan, the Baron. Who are you?”
“Ah! You must be the descendant of the hero Rakan, who is having his investiture ceremony today. I am Juan, the third son of Marquis Maghreb, and these are my colleagues, Zech and Gawin.”
Marquis Maghreb was one of the key figures of the Emperor’s faction and a great noble who owned a territory in the east, and the other two were also sons of well-known noble families.
Juan, who bowed his head to Luke, asked with a sinister expression, “But, Baron, do you know? The crime Sir Philip committed in the Imperial Knights.”
“What crime did he commit?”
“He was caught stealing magic stones from the Imperial Knights’ Gigant [a type of magical construct] and selling them secretly. You should be careful too, Baron. He might try to get his hands on your Gigant, hahahaha!”
As he laughed maliciously, his fellow knights also started laughing.
Luke stopped Philip, who was about to explode, once again.
He looked straight at the three knights and said, “I don’t think Sir Philip did such a thing. And even if he did, I think there must have been a valid reason.”
“What reason! That guy is a born thief. He’s not a knight, he’s a thug who belongs in the back alleys.”
‘Ugh! That bastard!’
Philip gritted his teeth at Juan’s words.
In fact, it was Juan who had stolen and sold the magic stones from the Imperial Knights’ Gigant.
Philip found out about this and reported it to his superiors.
Then, Juan claimed that Philip had first instigated him to do so, and now he was trying to put all the blame on him.
At the same time, he lied that Philip had incurred debts from gambling in the Gigant Arena and had committed this act.
It was true that Philip had frequented the Gigant Arena.
However, this was to improve his piloting skills as a mercenary rider, not for gambling.
But Juan’s gang brought in people they had never seen before as witnesses and fabricated the whole thing.
At the time, the Imperial Knights were deeply troubled about how to handle this incident, as it involved scions of prestigious noble families. In the end, the Imperial Knights decided to sweep the matter under the rug, issuing a dismissal only to Philip. Frustrated and deeply disappointed, Philip eventually submitted his resignation to the Imperial Knights and left. After wandering for a while, he came to the Barony of Rakan at Rogers’s recommendation.
“If you keep such a rat around, it will tarnish the Baron’s reputation… Ugh, what are you doing?” Luke, who had already taken off his glove, threw it at Juan’s sneering face. Juan was greatly surprised. Among nobles, throwing a glove at someone’s face meant a challenge to a duel.
“Philip is a knight I trust. Whether it’s true or false, I will not stand by and watch his honor be tarnished by your slander in my presence.” Juan’s gang, who hadn’t expected Luke to challenge them to a duel, looked bewildered and asked, “A-are you daring to challenge us to a duel right now?” “That’s right. Why, are you scared? Even though you’re Imperial Knights?” Luke’s provocation made the three of them bristle. Even though he was a descendant of the hero Rakan, they thought they were older and from more powerful families. Just as they were about to accept, “Lord! Please leave this duel to me!” Philip knelt before Luke and shouted. “You?” Luke inwardly wanted to prevent Philip from dueling the three of them. He was a Baron and the lord of a territory, so they couldn’t touch him carelessly, but Philip was just a knight. If word got out that he had dueled with the Emperor’s Imperial Knights, he could be punished in the worst-case scenario. That’s why he had stepped in instead. However, seeing the fervent, burning gaze in Philip’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse. “…Alright. Make sure you win.” “Thank you.” Turning his gaze to Juan’s gang, Luke clicked his tongue and said, “I suppose I have to maintain the dignity of a lord. I will appoint Sir Philip as my proxy for the duel.”
“Hmph, we have no intention of crossing swords with a thief.” “Are you going to back down like that? It seems the Imperial Knights these days train their tongues more than their swords. Is that why you can’t even handle a single thief?” Juan’s face flushed red at Luke’s mockery, and he took the bait. “Tch, fine. We accept.”
In the Imperial Palace, there were several training grounds for the Imperial Knights and the Imperial Guard knights who guarded the Emperor closely. In one of the training grounds behind the Imperial Palace, which the Imperial Knights occasionally used, a group of people appeared. It was Luke, Philip, and the three Imperial Knights.
“I’ll make you regret ever facing me.” Juan said to Philip as he warmed up. In the past, when Philip was serving in the Imperial Knights, he was weaker than Philip, who had graduated top of his class from the Imperial Military Academy. Perhaps that was why he was so jealous and tormented him. However, it had been several years since Philip was kicked out. During that time, Juan had received support from his family and consumed elixirs from the Southern Continent. He had also received guidance from an excellent master. Thanks to that, he was able to reach the mid-Expert level in a short time. ‘His skill was at the low-Expert level when he was kicked out of the Knights, right? He must have wandered around and wasted time in the countryside for years, so I’m sure to win.’ Confident of victory, Juan spoke to Philip with a relaxed attitude. “If you apologize now and crawl between my legs, I might consider calling off the duel.” “I’d rather die by your sword.” “Heh heh heh, then I’ll kill you.”
The two began their duel while others watched. Originally, a duel required a notary. However, neither Philip, who was dreaming of revenge, nor Luke, who wanted to protect his honor, nor Juan, who was focused on crushing the bug so that it would never crawl back up, thought of bringing a notary. Clang! Clang! The first attack came from Juan’s sword. Juan alternated between the swordsmanship he had learned in the Imperial Knights and the flamboyant swordsmanship of the Southern Continent he had learned from his new master, trying to corner Philip. However, just as much as Juan had improved, or even more than Juan had improved, Philip had also grown. After receiving the Gold Sword from Luke, his skills had improved significantly, and he easily blocked Juan’s attacks. “Th-this!” When the duel didn’t go as he had expected, Juan began to use aura [a magical energy that enhances physical abilities]. Whoosh! As expected of a knight who had reached the mid-Expert level, his aura looked dense and heavy. Philip also used aura to counter him. There was no need to even use the Gold Sword. Just using the Phantom Sword he had honed in the Imperial Gigant Arena [a large arena where knights train and compete] was enough to push Juan back. “Y-you bastard!” Juan’s face turned red, and curses spilled from his mouth, as if he couldn’t believe he was being pushed back by Philip. In fact, his swordsmanship was decent as a high-level skill. However, there was one serious deficiency. That was his lack of practical experience. Like a flower that had grown up pampered in a greenhouse, he had only learned and mastered high-level sword forms, and he lacked the tenacity and resilience of a weed. In comparison, Philip had honed his practical sense not only in the Royal Gigant Arena but also by carrying out missions such as monster and bandit subjugation in the Rakan territory. Therefore, there was no way he would be defeated by Juan’s empty swordsmanship. Swish! “Kuh-ack!” Juan, whose hand had been severely cut by Philip’s sword, dropped his sword and staggered backward. After the match was decided in just five minutes, Juan stared blankly at Philip, who had his sword pointed at his neck. “N-no way. How could I lose to you…” “You fool. Did you think that learning high-level sword forms would make you strong? What you learned was just a shell. You’ve actually regressed more than before.” Juan couldn’t even retort to Philip’s scathing criticism. Rather, when Philip brought his sword closer as if to stab his neck, he was terrified and backed away. He then tumbled out of the training ground. Philip, who had sneered at his pathetic appearance, looked at the other two and asked, “Are you two going to challenge me too?” “W-we…” Zeke and Gavin were even less skilled in swordsmanship than Juan. They were at the low-Expert and mid-low-Expert levels, and when they seemed to be sizing him up, Philip curled up the corners of his mouth and said, “If it’s too hard alone, you can attack together, you know?” The two exchanged a quick glance and drew their swords. It would be difficult to win alone, but if they fought together, it was a battle they would surely win. However, just as the two were about to charge, a loud shout was heard from afar. “Stop—!” The owner of the voice jumped into the training ground as if flying and stood in the middle of the three. “V-Vice-Commander!” Philip and Juan’s gang, recognizing his face, looked surprised. The giant who had burst into the training ground was none other than the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knights. Count Ferrero. One of the seven Sword Masters in the Empire and a neutral noble. The man, who had a beard that was as spiky as a mountain bandit’s, pointed his finger at Juan’s gang, leaving Philip alone. Then, the three, whose faces had turned white, trembled and approached the Count. Count Ferrero began to beat the three who had approached him mercilessly. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! “Not only did you Imperial Knights duel without reporting to your superiors, but two of you drew your swords against one person? Do you have any pride as Imperial Knights or not!” “Ugh!” “Gack!” “P-please spare us!” “Alright, I’ll spare you. I’ll spare you so I can fix your rotten mindset, so go and prepare your full gear and wait at the Knights’ headquarters parade ground right now!” The three, who had been scolded by Count Ferrero’s roar, disappeared from the spot as if fleeing. “Vice-Commander…” Philip bowed respectfully to Count Ferrero. It was he who had defended him to the end when he was falsely accused in the Imperial Knights in the past. Ferrero looked Philip up and down and said, “Your skills have improved a lot since I last saw you.” “I’m still far behind the Vice-Commander.” “It’s absurd. To let a future Sword Master go because of a petty false accusation… How about it, Philip? If you want, I can try to help you return to the Imperial Knights.” Of course, it was difficult right now. Even if he was the Vice-Commander, it was difficult to re-accept someone who had left the Imperial Knights in connection with a disgraceful incident in the past. However, if time passed and people forgot about it, it wasn’t impossible. But one person opposed his recruitment plan. “That won’t do!” “You?” Luke subtly hid Philip behind him and introduced himself. “I am Baron Luke de Rakan. Philip has already sworn his loyalty to me until death. He will never return to the Imperial Knights.” ‘Ho, is that so?’ Ferrero’s face lit up as he looked at Luke. He hadn’t paid any attention to him, thinking he was a mere youngster, but he felt the aura of a strong person from him. ‘He might even be stronger than Philip.’ Having made that judgment, Count Ferrero made the following proposal to Luke. “I am Count Ferrero, the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knights. Would you like to spar with me?” Ferrero was a natural martial artist, and his body itched to fight whenever he saw a strong person. Because of that, there was no strong person in the Imperial City who hadn’t crossed swords with him. Recently, Count Ferrero had been feeling bored. Then, a new prey appeared, so it was natural for his eyes to gleam like a beast’s. “No. Why should I fight you?” In fact, Luke also wanted to test his current skills. To do so, he needed to fight someone who was somewhat strong, and Count Ferrero in front of him was a suitable opponent. However, to fight him, who was a Sword Master, he would have to use black magic and the abilities he had taken from the demons.
Using black magic openly in the Imperial Palace would be like stirring up a hornet’s nest, unlike in some secluded, out-of-the-way place.
“I am a Sword Master. Sparring with me will greatly benefit you. If you wish, I can even give you some pointers after the duel.”
Knights would be desperate to receive guidance from a Sword Master.
Therefore, Count Ferrero assumed Luke would accept his offer.
However, his expectations were completely wrong.
“I refuse. And we are under His Majesty’s orders to get to our post as soon as possible.”
“Surely His Majesty would understand if you took a little time.”
“It’s bothersome.”
“Then, I’ll give you a master sword made of Ergen alloy….”
“I said I don’t want to!”
Luke forcefully shook off the persistently clinging Count Ferrero and left the Imperial Palace in a carriage.
Count Ferrero, with a dumbfounded expression, blinked at his actions before bursting into a hearty laugh.
“Goodness! Philip has taken a very audacious fellow as his lord.”
There wasn’t a young knight who wouldn’t bow down to a Sword Master.
Yet, this fellow named Luke not only didn’t bow down but also refused his request and left.
He didn’t find that spirit particularly unpleasant.
4
“I apologize, Lord.”
As soon as they left the Imperial Palace, Philip apologized to Luke.
“What are you talking about?”
“Because of me, you almost had to duel. I am sorry for causing you trouble.”
“What’s with you, not acting like yourself?”
Perhaps because of the past, Philip’s expression looked heavy and dark. Even though he had taken his revenge and everything had been resolved, he still didn’t seem at ease.
Luke comforted Philip.
“Don’t worry about it. There are times when a lord must step up for his subordinates.”
At Luke’s words, Philip looked deeply grateful. It was easy to say, but it was rare for a lord to directly stand up for his subordinates.
After gazing at Luke with respect for a moment, Philip changed the subject.
“By the way, where is our assignment?”
“Well, it seems to be… Fort Tolude.”
Luke unfolded the appointment letter he had received from Emperor Rudolf.
The phrase ‘Northern Army, Fort Tolude’ caught his eye.
The Baroque Empire’s army was divided into five legions.
These legions guarded the east, west, south, north, and center, and among them, the Northern Army faced the Volga Kingdom.
“Did you just say Fort Tolude?!”
Philip looked shocked upon hearing the news.
From the moment the Emperor conscripted Luke, Philip and his retainers had thought he would be assigned to a dangerous place.
But to think they would openly assign him to Fort Tolude, the most intense battleground with the Volga Republic!
“Why are you so surprised? Is it that dangerous?”
“It’s extremely dangerous!”
Although Philip had been staying in a remote territory for several years, he had heard rumors about Fort Tolude.
“After the defeat in the war with the Volga Republic seven years ago, the northern border has not had a single peaceful day.”
This was because the interests of the Empire, which dreamed of revenge, and the Republic, which was waging local wars to prevent large-scale invasions, were intertwined.
Most of the border areas between the two countries had become conflict zones, but among them, Fort Tolude was the place where battles occurred most frequently and fiercely.
Built on a riverbank protruding from the Empire towards the Volga Republic, this fortress was like a dagger aimed at the Republic, and it had been repeatedly captured and recaptured.
In the process, there had been several cases where the garrison was annihilated or disbanded.
“Damn it! The Emperor is really determined. But what is your rank?”
“It says I’m the fort commander?”
“Hmm, that’s a relief. If you’re going to go, it’s better to be the top dog there.”
No matter how young Luke was, they couldn’t ignore his title as a Baron and his ability to defeat four Gigantes [Giant monsters].
Therefore, he must have been given full authority to command the fort.
“Then, should we go straight to Tolude?”
“Not quite. We must first stop by the Northern Army Headquarters to report for duty.”
“Is that so? Then let’s go there.”
Luke nodded and had the carriage driven to Krom City, where the Northern Army Headquarters was located.
5
The road stretched to the south.
A stagecoach traveling on it entered a village by the side of the road.
While the coachman changed horses and took a short smoke break, the passengers went into a nearby tavern to quench their thirst or have a quick bite.
Among those passengers was a woman dressed as a pilgrim.
She wore a hood that covered her head and ears, like a priestess, and held a long staff wrapped in cloth.
She went straight to the counter of the tavern and ordered from the owner, who was staring at her.
“A cold beer, please.”
The owner took the money she offered with a reluctant expression.
Some of the customers who saw the scene clicked their tongues and muttered that the world was going to ruin.
Traditionally, pilgrims were supposed to follow in the footsteps of past saints on foot, living a devout and austere life.
But she was not only riding comfortably in a carriage but also drinking in broad daylight.
However, only the old and women were sending her disapproving glances. The young, especially the young men, looked at her with a tolerant gaze, as if saying, ‘What’s wrong with a pilgrim having a drink?’
Although she had a blank and cold expression, the woman was an undeniable beauty.
She was even comparable to the elves, who were called the embodiment of beauty.
“Here’s your beer.”
The owner filled a pewter mug with beer and placed it in front of the woman.
The woman, who was about to relax her expression with satisfaction, soon frowned. The beer mug felt lukewarm when she touched it.
“I asked for a cold one, didn’t I?”
“That’s the coldest we have.”
Usually, beer was stored in a cool underground cellar. In the case of high-end taverns in the city, they would even take out ice stored from the winter.
It was unclear whether the owner was being unfriendly or if it was his dissatisfaction with the unfaithful pilgrim.
Anyway, the woman, who had no intention of drinking lukewarm beer, focused a little magic power on the hand holding the mug and chanted a spell.
“Cooling.”
A bright light seemed to swirl, and soon frost formed on the beer mug.
The woman, with a slight curl of her lips, was about to take a sip of the beer when an old mage in the corner of the tavern approached her and spoke.
“Excuse me. Are you perhaps Erewyn Lesa?”
“……”
The woman, no, Erewyn’s eyes changed instantly.
The old mage, who flinched at her sharp gaze, put on a humble smile and spoke again.
“I was right. The genius elven mage who developed the artificial magic stone manufacturing method and brought a revolution to the development of continental magical engineering. I saw you from afar at a conference decades ago, and I never thought I would meet you in a place like this…”
When Erewyn appeared, the old mage had watched her with a hopeful heart.
Then, he became certain when he saw her using magic.
There might be people with similar appearances, but there was no one with the same mana wave.
Anyway, at the old mage’s words, the people inside the tavern buzzed.
More than the fact that she was the one who developed the artificial magic stone or brought a revolution to magical engineering, the fact that she was an elf stood out.
“An elf? No wonder she’s so incredibly beautiful.”
“But do elves drink alcohol?”
“She must be a delinquent elf. She might be in league with the republicans.”
“If she’s disguised as a human, could she be a spy from Volga?”
As various comments spread from all directions, Erewyn left her seat.
“Wait, please wait, Erewyn!”
The old mage hurriedly chased after her.
But when he came out of the tavern, she had already disappeared.
Currently, there were only a few places, including the Ten Great Magic Towers, that knew how to properly make artificial magic stones.
If he could just find out the method from her, he could become rich in an instant.
However, as if she had noticed the old mage’s intentions, she disappeared without saying a word.
“Damn it! I was going to try to coax her into revealing the secret of artificial magic stone manufacturing…!”
The old mage stomped his feet in anger.
‘Honestly, humans.’
Erewyn, who had teleported to a forest far from the village, frowned.
It wasn’t the first time she had to hide from the eyes of humans since leaving the Volga Republic.
‘Tch, it looked delicious….’
As the beer with frost on it flickered before her eyes, she kept smacking her lips.
The current continent was a difficult place for not only elves but all fairies to live in.
Although the practice of openly treating them as slaves had decreased, prejudice and discrimination still remained.
In the Volga Republic, there were more fairies living than in other regions of the continent, and they often mingled with humans, so there was less discrimination and prejudice.
However, the Baroque Empire was not like that.
Most fairies, except for a very few, were ostracized or persecuted in the Empire, so they lived together in deep mountains or forests.
Recently, it had become even worse because the fairies in the northern part of the continent had cooperated with the republicans to establish the Volga Republic.
Therefore, fairies were being treated as potential republicans or rebel forces.
“There’s a broken wind or storm in this country? Honestly, my teacher has gone senile.”
But when she thought about it, she, who had come down here listening to that senile teacher, didn’t seem much different.
‘Since I’ve come down here, I should go see the vast southern sea.’
As Erewyn was walking through the forest path with that thought in mind.
A scene of smoke rising from a nearby mountain ridge caught her eye.
If it were just ordinary smoke, she would have passed it by, thinking it was a fire set by slash-and-burn farmers.
However, when Erewyn saw the red smoke rising with it, she hurriedly ran towards it.
Red smoke was a signal among fairies that an enemy had invaded.
Upon seeing that signal, non-combatants had to flee, and those who could fight had to go to help.
“Damn it, I’m already too late.”
By the time Erewyn arrived, the situation was already over.
The fairy village that had been attacked was about ten households in size, a collective settlement where elves and fairies lived.
Fairy corpses were lying all over the burning village. Most of them were the old, the sick, and the able-bodied who had taken up arms.
‘It’s not the work of the army. Those who use these snares are only slave hunters.’
More importantly, there were those who had been taken away. If she didn’t rescue them quickly, they would not escape a miserable fate.
“They haven’t gone far.”
Seeing the wagon wheels and footprints leading out of the village, Erewyn hurried to pursue them.
Her cold gaze was burning more fiercely than ever before.