Chapter 23

The brutes, noticing the situation was not simple, did not move easily.

It was a positive situation for Ian.

"Look here, young man. Did you do something terrible to that wizard friend?"

"Ye... Yes?"

Willy was momentarily flustered, then desperately shook his head.

"Absolutely not! Suddenly, suddenly that wizard attacked me...!"

"He attacked you while you were just standing there? Without any reason?"

"Yes! That's right!"

Ian couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

Is that supposed to be believable?

Even a three-year-old wouldn't buy it...

"That could be possible."

"?!"

'He believed that?'

This time, it was Ian who was flustered.

That crazy old man was seriously considering Willy's insane babble!

Is it because they're from medieval times?

"A wizard could certainly do that."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, the brutes nodded as if they had agreed beforehand.

Ian was even more incredulous.

What the hell do these guys think a wizard is?

"What do you mean 'that could be possible'? Look here, elder. Not everything that is said out loud will make sense! There has to be logic behind it!"

Ian blurted out in anger, then slightly regretted it. He was worried about the crazy old man getting angry and swinging his sword.

But Ian's worries were unfounded.

Upon hearing Ian's words, the old man... just smiled.

"Seeing you angry like this, your skills must be decent as a wizard."

Ah. Right.

This was the usual treatment for a wizard. Nothing special.

This time, one of the brutes stepped forward.

"Wizard! Why did you attack this man!"

"Because that bastard charged at me?"

"Was there a need to cast evil magic?"

Evil magic?

"...How is my magic evil?"

Ian almost collapsed upon hearing the brute's logic.

"To obscure the surroundings with darkness is to avoid the eye of the sky, the sun! If you were truly honorable, you would fight under the sacred sky. Why would you hide your body in darkness? Unless... you had evil intentions!"

"..."

Ian was speechless.

Was he so stupid that he needed a detailed explanation about the tactical advantage of darkness?

No, that wasn't it.

It wasn't the actual point.

The core issue was, 'Darkness is despicable because it rejects the sun.'

This wasn't a tactical issue; it was a religious one.

Precisely, the religion of Heaven's Faith.

Ian realized that the brutes in front of him were followers of Heaven's Faith.

'F*cking medieval times.'

Right.

It wouldn't be a medieval fantasy without armed zealots.

Ian grumbled but continued to speak with energy.

"Doesn't day and night coexist? If the will of the heavens lies in the light, then what is the reason for the existence of night?"

"...That is."

"Just as the existence of the sun creates light, its absence creates darkness, which is the law of the heavens. I didn't create a new law; I merely borrowed the principle of the heavens for my magic. Is that wrong?"

"..."

The brute, having nothing to reply with, backed off with an awkward expression.

Ian was even more flabbergasted.

How stupid can they be?

How are these dumb f*ckers religious...

Brute #2 made his entrance.

"Night is a trial created by God to test our faith. It's a time to see if our faith wavers even in the absence of God's gaze!"

Oh, that sounds plausible.

A trial, huh?

Religious folks do love their trials.

Yeah.

"Therefore, we should refrain from activities after sunset, and must not commit vile and despicable acts. But your magic, which mimics night with darkness, is utterly evil!"

Then, the brutes applauded.

"Indeed, the Bord brothers."

"As deep in learning as they are in faith."

Ian sighed deeply.

"The heavens allowed me my magic, and according to the will of God, I merely gave that bastard a trial. That f*cker came at people swinging a club."

"..."

Brute #2 sheepishly backed away.

"Our Bord brothers...!"

"That wizard is no ordinary man...!"

Ian wished this stupid ordeal would end quickly.

The religious were as stubborn as the dead, they didn't know the word 'give up.'

Brute #3 made his appearance.

His eyes were clear and bright, unmistakably the eyes of a lunatic.

"Though the darkness was permitted by divine will, personal vengeance was not! How can you call attacking an enemy from within the darkness a divine trial!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

"Indeed, Brother Dehitri!"

"Hmm. Such a wise response. What will the wizard say now?"

'...These f*ckers.'

Ian noticed the brutes were enjoying this pointless debate.

He needed to find Lucy quickly...!

'But, do I really need to go?'

Ian was unsure, but he concluded that he should go.

He hadn't received a penny from Lucy and still hadn't decided what his reward for finishing the job would be... but he felt uneasy ignoring his promise to escort her.

"If my actions were truly despicable, God would have taken away my darkness. But since God allowed both my darkness and my punishment, it's as if God is testing him through me."

"..."

Brute #3 looked momentarily confused.

After grunting to himself for a moment, his eyes soon sparkled with clarity and he said,

"That is... truly, your words are correct."

Then, the other brutes nodded as well.

"We misunderstood."

"After all, how could darkness descend under the sun if God did not allow it!"

"This too is the will of the heavens! Hahahaha!"

"Praise the Almighty!"

"..."

'Crazy medievals.'

"Heh, you have a way with words. Have you studied theology?"

'Theology my ass... Your level is... No, this isn't the time.'

Ian's eyes sharpened.

"My... my sister has been kidnapped. At the same time, this f*cker attacked me."

"Sister?"

The old man's eyes also lit up.

The sister scenario was Ian's idea, inspired by the similarity in hair color between the two.

Lucy had argued, "If we're going to make up a story, let's say we're fiancés."

To which Ian replied, "Lucy, quit your bullsh*t and eat your food."

"Dehitri."

"Yes, Master!"

"You stay here and keep an eye on this man."

The clear-eyed lunatic saluted with dignity.

It was a trust-inspiring sight, almost bringing tears to eyes.

"Wizard, sorry for stealing your precious time. We thought you were a troublemaker making a mess."

Ian considered throwing a fit, wizard-style, but changed his mind after seeing the long sword hanging by the old man's side.

That thing was a miraculous object that could instill manners even in a wizard.

"...Misunderstanding resolved, then."

"As an apology, we'll assist you until this matter is concluded. Find your lost sister, right?"

Before Ian could respond, the brutes smashed through the fence (...) and ran into the street.

The scared onlookers helpfully pointed out the direction the suspicious individuals had fled.

"To the naruter! They went towards the naruter!"

Not Naruto. That's a ninja.

Naruter refers to a small dock built for boarding boats along the river. In Riverville, a village built along the river, such facilities are common.

"Righteous citizens!"

The old man bellowed in a robust voice.

"Has anyone seen this traveler's sister? A sturdy young man is weeping in sorrow over the loss of his kin! He needs your help!"

"Oh no..."

"Lost his sister?"

"Let's help search too!"

The crowd, initially there to watch a fight, now began to assist in the search.

From Ian to the old man, the brutes, and the villagers, Lucy had managed to trouble everyone all at once.

In some ways, Lucy was a genius.

A genius in being a nuisance.

"There! Over there!"

Thanks to many people joining the search, Lucy's kidnappers were found.

A boat that had departed at dusk most likely had Lucy and her abductors on board.

"Oh no. What do we do now..."

A few villagers stomped their feet in frustration.

They had found the kidnappers, but the boat had already drifted too far.

Launching a boat after sunset was dangerous.

However, this didn't apply to the old man and the brutes.

"Gentlemen. Who are you?"

"The Swords of Santiago!"

"And who is Santiago?"

"A saint who protects travelers and citizens!"

Ian was surprised by the resounding voices coming from beside him.

'What the f*ck is this all of a sudden?'

"Right. The Knights of Saint Santiago. Protecting travelers and aiding people in distress is your mission."

"Oh!"

"Knights. For an unknown maiden, will you brave the perilous darkness with me?"

"We will gladly join you!"

'Saint Santiago's Knights?'

He had thought they weren't ordinary travelers but knights?

Ian had never seen a knightly order since he landed in this medieval fantasy world.

Honestly, he was surprised.

The knights really fought for the weak and acted for honor?

Maybe it was a bit... cool?

Ian approached the old man and said,

"Elder, there's no need to dangerously take a boat."

"Ha, no need to be so formal. Feel free to speak your mind as you usually would."

"...?"

Ian was puzzled.

'Isn't this how I usually speak?'

"I heard from the villagers earlier. There's a hook."

"A hook?"

This time, it was the old man's turn to be puzzled.

Sure, there would naturally be hooks on the boats at the dock, but what about it?

"I'll pull the boat closer, and you can hook it."

"Pull the boat closer...?"

The old man pondered Ian's words and then asked incredulously,

"Do you, by any chance, know how to use water magic?"

Ian was a bit surprised by the old man's question.

"You know about water magic?"

"Know about it... How old do you think I am?"

The old man was forty-six years old.

He was also a veteran warrior who had traversed battlefields for a long time.

On the battlefield, he had witnessed a wizard's magic several times.

Wizards were the battlefield itself.

They created wind, ignited fire, twisted the land, and changed the weather, boasting god-like omnipotence on the battlefield.

"But aren't you a dark wizard?"

The old man naturally thought Ian was a dark wizard, having seen him summon darkness.

"I'm a dark wizard, but I can also handle water magic."

"Is that possible?"

"?"

The old man thought Ian was bluffing.

According to his understanding, a wizard should only be able to handle one type of magic.

Wizards he had seen on the battlefield each had their specialty.

If one was a fire wizard, then only fire magic.

If one was a water wizard, then only water magic.

Occasionally, there were wizards who could wield more than one type of magic, but they were exceedingly rare and valuable.

Ian laughed, understanding what the old man meant.

"Ah, if you specialize, that's the case. But I haven't specialized in anything yet."

"No specialization... what does that mean?"

Ian, just for today, decided to talk at length about wizards.

"It means I haven't delved deep into any particular magic language. I've just dabbled a bit in various schools."

"...?"

The old man found Ian's words even harder to understand.

'If he's just dabbled... shouldn't he be unable to use magic at all?'

'A person who's merely dabbled, performing that level of Dark magic in a place without shadows?'

Deciding to show rather than tell, Ian fluently chanted in the magic language.

"[O River!]"

Ian focused his mind on the boat drifting far away.

"[Come to me!]"

The magic language echoed sharply.

Not just the villagers, but also the Knights of Saint Santiago and the old man, felt an unknown force emanating from Ian and shivered.

"My goodness!"

"Look, look at that!"

As the magic concluded, the river began to flow in Ian's direction, the water surging upstream against its natural flow!

The villagers were astounded.

The old man was equally shocked.

Only the Knights of Saint Santiago remained unfazed.

For the first time in their lives, the villagers saw the river "flowing backward" and were thrown into shock.

What the hell is that? How is that even possible???

The old man was shocked for his own reasons.

'That's... beyond the level of a war water wizard?'

The wizards employed by nobility, commonly known as 'war wizards,' couldn't easily use magic at the level Ian had shown.

And that's supposed to be beginner level?

"Ah, aaaaaah!"

Splash!

The violently swirling wave hit the dock.

Unlucky onlookers were swept away by the wave and fell into the river.

The rowboat carrying the kidnappers was quickly pushed to the very edge of the dock.

"Hook!"

The Knights, who regarded Ian's magic as merely a marvelous skill, calmly began to act.

People who had snapped back to reality brought hooks.

In no time, the rowboat was hooked and tied to the dock.

The kidnappers were tied up one by one, and Lucy was safely rescued.

"Waaaah~ Ian~"

Lucy, covered in tears and snot, ran towards Ian, sobbing.

The villagers, the knights, everyone turned their gaze towards Ian.

The old man smiled and said,

"What are you doing? Your sister is waiting."

"..."

Though he was reluctant,

Ian gently hugged the dirty Lucy.

She smelled strongly of the river.

'When we get back... a bath is in order.'

Ian decided to finish taking his bath.

No sooner had Ian mentioned bathing had the Knights of Saint Santiago sprang up, exclaiming,

"Bathing! That's our specialty!"

"...?"

Wondering what nonsense they were on about now, Ian understood after the old man explained.

"The Knights of Saint Santiago venerate the laws of the ancient Golden Empire, enjoying cleansing themselves. If you're not skilled at bathing, it might be an idea to let them assist."

To Ian, it sounded absurd.

"Come on, who in the world is bad at bathing..."

"Zzz..."

Ian looked at Lucy, who had fallen asleep with her head on the table next to him.

Hmm.

If there are people who don't bathe, then there must be people who are bad at it.

"A wizard taking a bath! How can we not assist!"

"Bring the oils! Bring the oils!"

'Stop it, you maniacs...'

Before Ian could intervene, the Knights of Santiago had volunteered to assist with his bath.

"They want to get closer to you, so don't push them away too much."

Though indifferent to Ian's magic, the knights, who had shown great enthusiasm during their brief discussion, clearly looked forward to engaging in theological debates with him.

Ian was incredibly, utterly annoyed, but he couldn't just tell them to piss off.

Technically, he could have, but then the old man would dislike that.

Anyway, the old man was peculiarly bothersome.

So, Ian was about to start bathing with the assistance of nearly ten men when...

"What the hell are you guys doing!"

Suddenly, a man who looked younger than Ian burst out yelling.

Judging by his well-dressed appearance, he seemed like a young master from a noble family...

'Ah. Could bathing be illegal here?'

Worried about possibly having to pay a fine, Ian responded,

"...I'm taking a bath?"

"???"