Chapter 25

The accident caused by the boss's son had to be cleaned up by an employee.

As usual, it was Sir Hansen who took care of Bernard's aftermath.

"This is not a good place for conversation, Wizard, and knights. Won't you come with us to the castle?"

At first, Ian intended to refuse Sir Hansen's offer.

He felt guilty, but he was hesitant to readily accept an offer from a knight he had just met.

He also didn't want to waste the effort he had made to take a bath...

"I'd rather not..."

"Excuse me?"

When Ian showed reluctance, not only Sir Hansen but also Elder and Lucy looked at him with puzzled expressions.

"Um, Wizard friend, I think it might be okay to stop now..."

"Yeah, Ian, it's time to stop calling a wizard."

"...? What are you talking about?"

Ian realized that they thought he was still pretending to be a quirky wizard.

Elder couldn't understand Ian, but Lucy, who had spent some time with Ian, quickly caught on to what he was thinking.

Lucy whispered.

"That nobleman called for a wizard, and you responded."

"Right?"

"Responding to the call for a wizard means accepting the noble's invitation."

Ian nodded.

He understood why Sir Hansen found it strange.

It was odd to accept a noble's invitation and then do differently afterward.

'Damn...'

Being a wizard comes with its nuisances, Ian thought as he got out of the bathwater.

"Then, have a good trip."

"What about you, Elder? Aren't you coming with us?"

The knights and Elder showed no signs of moving.

Elder laughed happily and said.

"We've already said we won't go. What's refused once can be refused twice."

Elder's jest made Sir Hansen give a wry smile.

It was a bit disappointing that the knights weren't coming along, but it wasn't a big deal.

The important thing was the wizard, not the knights.

"I'll... stay here as well."

Lucy chose to stay at the inn.

She was uncomfortable with her presence being known to the lord.

"Your sister will be well looked after by us."

Lucy's face turned slightly red at Elder's words.

Ian waved his hand casually and followed Sir Hansen to the castle.

Upon arrival at the castle, Ian was led to Baron Kaltz's audience chamber.

"Thank you for accepting the invitation, Wizard."

Baron Kaltz was slightly surprised when he saw Ian. The wizard was younger and more refined than he expected.

He had imagined a quirky and willful savage controlling a Drake, but a neat-looking young man appeared, which was surprising.

In fact, the typical summoner was not different from what Baron Kaltz had imagined.

The mystery required by a summoner lies in the wilderness and the strong life that breathes within it.

Naturally, one must stay close to nature, and staying close to nature inevitably leads to losing the appearance of a civilized person.

They looked like cavemen with bushy beards.

"Don't mention it."

It was late, and after various events, Ian was quite tired.

So, he casually brushed off Baron Kaltz's greeting.

Considering Ian's status, his insolence could have warranted execution, but Baron Kaltz didn't mind Ian's attitude at all.

Look at that confident and arrogant attitude!

Isn't he an excellent wizard!

"I heard you were staying at the inn, so I wanted to offer you a nice place to sleep."

"Thanks for the offer, but there's something missing."

"What's missing?"

Ian smirked and said.

"I left my bath at the inn midway, feeling a bit grimy. Could you provide some hot bathwater?"

Baron Kaltz didn't fully understand why Ian insisted on soaking in hot water, but he let it slide.

He's a wizard, after all.

He must have his reasons.

'Indeed. He's definitely a wizard capable of commanding a Drake.'

The baron ordered a bath to be prepared and provided Ian with a place to sleep.

While Ian was bathing, Baron Kaltz received a report from Sir Hansen.

"So, what was the atmosphere like between the wizard and the knights?"

"It wasn't dangerous, but... I think it was a good decision to bring the wizard here."

Sir Hansen summarized the situation when he met the wizard.

Of course, he reported every tiny detail about the cute mess Bernard had caused, without leaving anything out.

After all, the only person who could discipline the boss's son was the boss himself.

"Ah... I told him not to act rashly."

Baron Kaltz managed to overlook the part where Bernard made a few mistakes during the wizard calling.

In fact, Baron Kaltz himself didn't know how to properly call a wizard.

He wasn't a nobleman affluent enough to invite one.

No matter how much wizards are called gods of war, that only applies to battlefields where hundreds of men are entangled in combat.

Just four knights and Baron Kaltz, who commands a few dozen soldiers, had no reason to invite such a distinguished wizard.

However, the part about bursting into tears because of the wizard's magic was hard to overlook.

"It's my fault for not educating him properly..."

"No, my lord. It's my fault for not properly assisting the young lord."

Baron Kaltz shook his head at Sir Hansen's words.

"How can I blame you, Sir Hansen? You've worked hard today. I'll give you a day off tomorrow, so rest well."

The reward for taking the boss's son on a business trip was, incredibly, a paid leave.

Sir Hansen, who had been told by the boss, "Hansen, don't come to work tomorrow," desperately suppressed the corners of his mouth from turning up.

No, boss. I love coming to work soooo much~

Baron Kaltz, after dismissing Sir Hansen, was left alone with his thoughts.

Bernard, the future lord of Riverville.

In the experienced eyes of Baron Kaltz, Bernard was a successor with too many shortcomings.

He thought it was because Bernard was too young to know much... but he worried whether Bernard would continue to make foolish mistakes even as he aged.

The baron sighed, wondering if there was anything else in the world as uncontrollable as one's own children.

After bathing in warm water, Ian woke up from a sleep that was as sweet as honey.

He had slept for so long that the sun was high in the sky, but nobody had come to wake him.

Most people were extremely reluctant to involve themselves with a wizard.

Having slept in, Ian wandered around the spacious castle.

"Is this a castle?"

Ian yawned widely as he looked around the castle.

Riverville Castle was small and unimpressive.

It felt like a wall of stones had been piled up to make it difficult for people to climb over.

Even then, it was so small that about a hundred soldiers could easily take it down.

But no matter how small and unimpressive, a castle is a castle.

Since it could easily fend off bands of thieves, the residents of Riverville trusted their lord's castle.

"Wizard!"

Someone called Ian. It was the young lord Bernard.

His eyes were puffy, probably from crying and sleeping, and his gaze towards Ian was awkward.

He still feared magic.

"Did you sleep well?"

"...Yes. I'm glad you seem to have slept well too."

Bernard managed to act quite dignified.

Despite his young age, he was still a young lord.

Honestly, he seemed a bit better than Lucy...

"I showed you a disgraceful side of me yesterday. I was rude to you. I apologize."

Bernard apologized with a flushed face for his behavior the previous day.

Ian was a bit surprised by this.

He had expected the nobility to be stiff-necked, but this kid was surprisingly willing to humble himself.

Ian remembered Baron Kaltz from yesterday.

He was also quite a dignified man.

It seemed he had received good home education from the baron.

No matter how quirky a wizard's actions might be, one couldn't be rude in front of someone polite.

That would just be insane.

Ian smiled and said,

"An apology? That's not necessary at all. On the contrary, I'm sorry for showing you too much magic."

As Ian apologized, Bernard grinned.

The quirky and arrogant wizard had humbled himself first, which made him feel good.

The young lord had a simple side.

"It was the first time I've seen a wizard's magic. Magic... It's much more amazing than I imagined."

"...Is that so?"

Ian was puzzled by Bernard's words.

He hadn't shown any impressive magic?

If Bernard saw a level 3 summoning spell or Eredith's fire magic, he'd probably faint.

"If a talent like you stayed in Riverville, it would be very reassuring."

Bernard smoothly suggested Ian settle down there.

Wizards being scouted by nobility wasn't something new.

Ian had to get used to it.

"My cousin is twenty this year, quite beautiful and lovely. If you are interested, perhaps an engagement could be…"

"I'll have to decline."

Ian politely refused Bernard's proposal.

This breathtakingly natural proposal for marriage, no matter how many times he experienced it, never became familiar to him.

Be it Lucy or Bernard, they all hastily brought up marriage to tie Ian down.

"Alright. Take your time to think... Oh, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Let's eat together."

"You too, young lord?"

"I woke up late too."

"..."

For nobles, waking up late didn't matter.

While Baron Kaltz, as a lord, might have had his duties, Bernard truly had nothing to do.

If he had to pick something, it was causing trouble under the guise of learning to be a lord.

Bernard led Ian to the dining hall.

Given how often they had brunch, the chef served the food as if it was routine.

"Here, enjoy to your heart's content!"

Ian checked the food served on the table.

Well-cooked fish, soup fragrant with onions, white and soft bread...

Certainly, the food was of better quality than what commoners ate.

But...

"How is it, tasty right? Our chef is excellent!"

"I did my best."

As the chef smiled and spoke, Ian responded with an awkward smile.

The cooking was 2% short of satisfying Ian's taste.

I mean, aren't you nobles?

Shouldn't you be eating fancy, high-class cuisine?

The dishes before Ian, while made with fresh ingredients and tasty, didn't possess the culinary skills that made them delicious.

After all, how much skill can go into grilled fish, onion soup, or white bread?

To Ian, who remembered modern dietary habits, medieval cuisine was too crude.

Food must always be grilled!

Hardly any spices used!

Seasoning always means salt!

Yet, this was considered a noble meal, something commoners couldn't afford.

'If only I had reincarnated into a martial arts world...'

Even in the same medieval era, protagonists of martial arts novels enjoyed luxurious food from medieval China...

Medieval Western barbarians.

Ian sipped his wine gloomily.

White bread and wine.

The only drugs allowed by the Middle Ages...

After finishing the meal that brought on a reality check, Ian went to meet Baron Kaltz.

Not for any particular reason, just because.

Since Ian was a guest invited through the calling a wizard, and Baron Kaltz was the lord of Riverville.

"So, wizard. How did you find Riverville?"

"It's a very nice place."

"I have a niece, she's twenty this year..."

"I have no intention of marrying."

After finishing the medieval-style greeting (marriage proposal), the baron engaged in small talk with Ian.

"A disciple of Wizard Eredith?"

"Yes."

"I've heard of the Rising Star of Drawald."

Ian and the baron.

Since neither had any expectations from the other, their conversation was fun and fruitful.

The baron picked up some minor magical knowledge, and Ian learned news of the empire.

"Your master must have headed south."

"Because there's a magic college there."

The baron looked surprised.

He hadn't known that Eredith had gone down to the magic college.

He had a different reason for assuming Eredith had headed south.

"I thought she went towards the Duchy of Fargar or the Duchy of Roxlan."

"Why is that?"

This time, it was Ian who looked surprised.

The baron calmly explained.

"The atmosphere between the two dukes is not ordinary."

"The atmosphere..."

"It seems the Duke of Fargar has his eyes on Roxlan."

Ian immediately understood.

War.

In this medieval fantasy world, wars, both large and small, occurred endlessly.

Large-scale wars were between kingdoms, while smaller conflicts occurred among the nobility.

Wars between kingdoms were rare.

There were hardly any nobles powerful enough to be called kings in the first place.

However, nobles constantly waged war against each other.

Nobles fought to establish their hierarchy, and the noble strong enough to subdue all others would earn the title of king.

Both the Duke of Fargar and the Duke of Roxlan were among the empire's top nobles, known as the Five Great Dukes.

In other words, they were dukes of the same Holy Empire.

However, for nobles of such rank, the empire and everything else barely registered in their considerations.

"Rushing into war would not sit well with the emperor."

"True. But the Duke of Fargar must have something in mind."

While the specifics were unknown, from the baron's words, it was likely that war would break out soon.

If war erupted, the demand for war wizards would skyrocket.

"Will you also head south?"

"No. I'm going east."

The baron found it odd that Ian, a wizard, was not heading towards the battlefield, but he realized not all wizards enjoyed war.

"Seeking mysteries, I presume."

"Yes. I still have much to learn."

The baron nodded and then called for his steward.

"Steward. The item."

"Yes, my lord."

Shortly after, the aged steward brought a luxurious wooden box.

Upon opening the box, a staff resembling a tin rod was revealed.

"What's this?"

Ian asked, and the baron replied with a smile.

"A gift for you."

Ian accepted the staff offered by the steward.

Holding the staff, he looked even more like a wizard.

"It was used by a grand wizard. It's called [Windwalker]."

Ian tightly gripped the staff.

Instead of feeling a surge of magical power from within, he felt as if he had just acquired another cosplay item for a wizard.

Staffs are like that, aren't they?

Aren't they used to lean on during travels to lessen the leg pain?

A wizard's staff was no different.

"This is in return for teaching my son the 'Calling a Wizard'."

In truth, it was more of a bribe, suggesting not to cause trouble in Riverville...

To the baron, a staff once used by a wizard held no value.

That's why he casually passed it on to Ian as a gift, to make a good impression.

Ian didn't know much about what this staff was, but receiving a gift made him feel good anyway.

"Thank you, Baron. I'll use it well, thinking of you."

"If you do, it would please me."

The baron smiled slyly.

Someday, if Wizard Ian became a well-known figure, the name of the generous Baron Kaltz would also become widely known.

Then, more merchants and more knights would visit Riverville!

Baron and Ian exchanged handshakes with a smile.

It was a gift-giving ceremony that left both parties satisfied.