The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 55

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 55

The Empire, holding sway over the northern and central parts of the continent, was a formidable nation occupying half of it. To its north lay the monster-infested lands, to its west an endless sea, and to its east and south, vast expanses of land stretched out seemingly without end.

In the empire’s southwest, Oslon, one of its most prominent port cities, bustled as a trade hub where countless merchants, adventurers, and mercenaries converged.

Caw-caw-

Splash- crash!

Blue. Endlessly so. Gazing at the sea, so blue it blurred into the horizon, it was hard not to be moved.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the sea in this life.”

If I didn’t possess memories of the sea from my previous life, I might have been brought to tears. The sight of the sunlight reflecting off the water was truly beautiful. Of course, while it was a first in this life, the lingering memories tempered my emotional response.

Even though it should have been winter near the Tera Barrier, the salty sea breeze felt refreshing, likely due to the central continent’s warmer climate. I stood there for a long time, savoring the breeze, before finally turning around.

“Cheap! So cheap! Come and take a look!”

“Whiskey from across the sea! A magical drink that’ll have you craving a second glass!”

“Light and soft flannel!”

As I entered the docks and the adjacent streets, I was met with a cacophony of merchants hawking their wares. Most were small-scale, relying on a single small boat to navigate the often-rough seas. Larger merchants often found it more efficient to quickly offload their goods, even at a slight loss, to save time and resources.

Indeed, befitting a city aiming to be the empire’s premier trading hub, goods that were hard to find even in the capital were readily available. Of course, what caught my eye the most was the seafood.

In this world, seafood was a delicacy, a rare ingredient only readily available in coastal cities like Oslon. It spoiled easily, making it nearly impossible to obtain inland. While magic could transport it to the mainland’s heart—and nobles certainly indulged that way—the price would skyrocket.

That’s why I hadn’t eaten seafood very often. After moving to the capital, I had opportunities at noble gatherings or by purchasing it myself, but I deliberately avoided it due to my ingrained habits and a reluctance to indulge in such luxury. But here, there was no need for such restraint.

Rather, seafood was cheaper than most other meats. Thanks to that, I indulged in all the seafood I had missed.

“It truly lives up to its reputation as a logistics hub.”

In terms of sheer size, it might even surpass the capital. And it was teeming with activity. The capital was also crowded, of course, but its inhabitants were primarily commoners with some wealth. Nobles resided there too, to the point where you could encounter one regardless of social standing. Thus, the capital was surprisingly orderly.

Tap- tap- tap- stop.

‘When did I end up here?’

I was lost in thought. It wasn’t a particularly complex problem, but perhaps the novelty of everything—new places, new faces—had made me more preoccupied than I realized.

I stopped and looked around. I had wandered into a dark alleyway. Despite being close to the bustling streets, it was dark, gloomy, and quiet, as if I had stepped into another world.

“Where the light shines brightest, the shadows are also deepest.”

Where there are the wealthy, there are also the poor. If someone lives in a grand mansion, someone else lives with the ground as their floor and the sky as their roof. That much remained consistent across worlds.

Swish-

I unfolded the map and searched for a way out. I had been so engrossed in my thoughts that the surroundings had become a maze, easy to get lost in without guidance. As soon as I located a path out of the back alleys, I changed direction.

A dark street, vagrants gathering in back alleys, and a well-dressed man walking alone. It was a recipe for trouble. At best, I might be bothered by the back alley’s troublemakers, but I wanted to avoid any hassle.

However,

For me, who had embarked on a journey seeking opportunities, the line between opportunity and trouble might have been razor-thin.

The last passage to escape the back alley. Lying in front of it, as if placed there deliberately, was an unidentified man. Normally, I would have simply passed by, but I couldn’t easily ignore him.

Sparkle-sparkle-

The map was emitting a strong light right in front of me. And the only thing there was the unconscious, unidentified man.

‘Who is this guy?’

Me and the unidentified man. The light emanating from the two points on the map wasn’t that different.

#

In the end, I brought him to my lodgings. I didn’t know who he was, but I felt like I would regret it if I left him there. At the same time, I was intensely curious. What had happened to him that a person with so much magical power was lying unconscious in the street?

After bringing him to my room, I examined him and found no external injuries. Looking at his face, he seemed to be about my age, though a bit smaller in stature. If he had simply collapsed from exhaustion, he would wake up soon, especially with my magical assistance. And that prediction proved correct.

Slight movement-

After a while, the unidentified man opened his eyes and sat up. He blinked, trying to make sense of his unfamiliar surroundings. Just as I was about to ask him who he was, a sound filled the room.

Grumble-

Only then did I realize why this person had been lying on the street.

“Thank you. Thank you. I received… your help.”

Judging from his belongings and magical power, he was a mage on par with me, but I couldn’t fathom why he had collapsed from apparent starvation. But once I helped him fill his stomach, I could sense something unusual in his words of gratitude.

‘Is he a foreigner? I thought his Imperial language was poor…’

At first, I simply assumed he wasn’t fluent in the Imperial language. But soon I realized it wasn’t merely a language barrier. The lingering magical energy I felt every time he spoke was one clue, but more importantly, his lip movements didn’t quite match the sounds I heard.

‘His translation magic is weak.’

Translation magic is distinct from ordinary magic. It wasn’t necessarily difficult to master due to its complexity. In fact, a novice mage could potentially use translation magic more effectively than the Imperial Magic Tower Lord.

Mages had to meticulously improve their understanding of languages, associating them with specific meanings. Of course, the Magic Tower provided basic language data to prevent newcomers from wasting time, but achieving a truly seamless translation required dedicated effort.

In that regard, the mage before me was strictly adhering to the fundamentals of translation magic. It was raw and 그대로 [Korean for ‘as is’ or ‘literally’], as if it could unravel at any moment.

“First of all… you seem to be a mage, am I right?”

“That’s right. I am a mage. Are you a mage too?”

“So, you understand what I’m saying.”

It’s not as if we couldn’t communicate at all. But it was also clear that it wasn’t conducive to extended conversations.

“Where are you from?”

“I was born… in the Aubes Kingdom.”

Aubes Kingdom.

One of the kingdoms located south of the Empire. One of the kingdoms on my translation magic’s language list. In the first place, there was almost no data that I, who had the Magic Tower Lord of the Empire as my teacher, could not see. And there was nothing related to language among them.

“If you have the energy to talk, let’s improve your translation spell first and then talk.”

It’s alright to reveal this much. After all, if he belongs to the Magic Tower of that country, he can easily find data on the Imperial language. Rather, it would be more beneficial if I could do him a favor with this. I wondered why a person with a similar level of skill as me wouldn’t know about the Imperial language, which is used by more than half of the continent, but I’ll find out if I ask later.

“Oh, you are very kind. Thank you… for your kindness.”

And the speed at which the mage in front of me refined the spell was remarkable. Even if it was just copying and pasting.

My prediction was correct.

‘Just what is his identity?’

#

“I didn’t think I would receive such kindness in a foreign land, thank you very much.”

“Don’t mention it. It seems like we can have a proper conversation now… Just what is your identity? You don’t seem like an ordinary mage.”

If you only infer from the amount of magical power, it’s at least 4th Circle [a measure of magical proficiency], and considering that he was exhausted, it’s similar to my level or a little higher. Considering that I was able to accumulate a considerable amount of mana in a short period of time with the help of my teacher, and now I’m not that far behind even when compared to mages of similar level, it was an amazing amount of magical power.

In fact, it could have been a rude question. It was true that I saved him, but I had no right to interrogate him like a criminal. Unless he had illegally entered the country, and even if he had, the Empire would welcome a talent like the man in front of me with open arms.

“Haha. I’m a little sad that I’m being interrogated by my benefactor, but I’ll answer honestly since it’s my benefactor’s question. Honestly, I think my appearance is suspicious even if I look at it. My name is JoJo. Born in the Aubes Kingdom, twenty-seven years old this year. Finally, like my benefactor said, I’m a slightly unusual mage.”

“Four? Five?”

“It’s five.”

I was surprised by his answer. 5th Circle at twenty-seven. I don’t know when he reached that level, but isn’t it similar to my teacher’s level? As a disciple of the Magic Tower Lord, I knew about the information of the continent’s outstanding mages, so it was quite a shocking story.

Where did a mage of this level appear from? I had never heard the name JoJo even once. It was as if he had fallen from the sky. Besides, he’s a little unusual, this is something beyond special.

“Why was a mage of that level lying on the street?”

“Haha. It’s a little embarrassing to say, but there’s someone I want to meet, no, someone I have to meet.”

“Someone you have to meet?”

“To be exact, it’s a mage.”

Who could it be? The Aubes Kingdom is not far from the Empire, but it’s not close either. But there is a mage that a mage with the amazing skills named JoJo has to meet, even at the risk of collapsing. Who could it be?

If there is a most likely candidate, it would be my teacher. He was the best mage in the Empire, no, the world. If he was a talent like JoJo, he would want to meet my teacher at least once to receive his teachings.

However, the name that came out of JoJo’s mouth was a name that lightly shattered my expectations.

“Um… Renil? I think that was the name I heard from people. Since my benefactor is also a mage, I think you’ve heard of it, but do you happen to know him?”