Chapter 29

When Ian began to diligently recite the scriptures, the result appeared quickly.

[New Skill Acquired!]

[Skill: Holy Magic]

[The ability to converse with the absolute ruler of this elegant, dignified, holy, and beautiful world. Lucky you, Ian!]

"..."

He had acquired Holy Magic.

But why the hell was the skill description like that?

Ian examined the Holy Magic skill.

Like other magics, there was some advice written on Holy Magic.

[Give attention to the gods. Study more, understand more. The more attention you give, the happier the gods will be – the elegant, dignified, holy, and beautiful rulers of this world.]

Ian felt a surge of anger.

Was the person who bestowed this skill really a god?

If so, does that mean the god had dropped Ian into this unfamiliar world and was watching him move and act from high above, snickering?

Unless he elevated Holy Magic to a higher realm or had a direct conversation with the god, it would remain an unknown matter.

"Son of a b*tch."

He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do right now.

The only option was to seek more mysteries and gather more points to strengthen Holy Magic.

Ian threw the scripture aside and stood up.

Ian and his party set foot in Count Catina's territory.

They were attacked by a band of thieves along the way, but the Santiago Knights neatly repelled them.

Normally, they acted so virtuously that it was easy to forget, but in battle, the Santiago Knights were the incarnation of violence.

"Brothers! Let us defeat these vile band of thieves!"

"Oh!"

More than half of the knights were clad in chain mail.

Chain mail might be considered just a step below plate armor in the hierarchy of armors, but in fact, the chain mail of this era boasted defensive capabilities worthy of being called the ultimate in armor.

It was excellent armor that could withstand not only slashes from swords but also stabs from spears and blows from hammers and axes.

The only downside was its expensive price.

Maybe they had wealthy patrons: a considerable number of the Santiago Knights were equipped with chain mail.

Thanks to that, nearly forty thieves were swept away without being able to put up any resistance.

"A thief with zero resistance is a superconducting thief..."

"?"

The Santiago Knights, who could be called the medieval LK-99 manufacturers, returned to Ian, covered in blood.

[A/N: LK-99 is a gray–black, polycrystalline compound, identified as a copper-doped lead‒oxyapatite. A team from Korea University led by Lee Sukbae (이석배) and Kim Ji-Hoon (김지훈) began studying this material as a potential superconductor starting in 1999.]

"Hey! Wizard! Nothing major happened, right?"

"Not at all."

What Ian did during the battle was just nothing.

It was a fight they were bound to win, so why bother using magic?

Battle is the domain of warriors.

Wizards should just watch.

"There are guys like that everywhere."

Elder also came back, swinging his sword, covered in blood.

"Got any injuries?"

"That's my line to ask."

Ian looked at Elder curiously.

Even if the knights were armed with chain mail, this man named Elder was only wearing light cloth armor.

And he was carrying a sword without even a shield...

Yet he didn't have a single injury.

"Hehe. Even though I'm old, I'm not so feeble as to be taken down by foolish murderers."

Ian had many questions, but he held back.

If Elder wanted people to know about himself, he wouldn't have used an alias.

Noticing Ian holding back his questions, Elder smiled.

"A wizard holding back his curiosity. That's rare to see."

"Why?"

"Wizards generally lack tact. They're not a people mindful of others."

Ian nodded.

The more eccentric you are, the more recognition you receive as a wizard, making it easier for wizards to blurt out whatever they think.

"Making a wizard hold back his curiosity, I feel a little guilty."

"Then tell me. What did Elder do before?"

Elder grinned and said,

"I was a mercenary. Of a pretty famous mercenary group."

"How famous?"

"Famous enough to use an alias. There were too many fools rushing at me without thinking because of my name."

Meaning, he was someone whose name alone was well-known.

Famous enough that people wanted to challenge him to a duel to elevate their own honor.

"Hmm. I see."

But Ian's reaction was lukewarm.

What did it matter if he was a famous mercenary?

Ian, being a wizard, had already been soaked in a wizard's way of thinking.

If it wasn't related to mysteries, no curiosity arose!

Once Ian realized Elder was just a human good with a sword, his interest cooled rapidly.

Elder was taken aback by his lack of interest.

"This is the first time I've seen such an uninterested reaction."

"What do you want me to do? Am I supposed to entertain you?"

"Hehe. Hearing such a brash tone, you really are a wizard."

Elder took a dig at Ian for being rude, but Ian quickly hid behind the 'wizard shield'.

I'm a wizard, what are you going to do about it?

"You might even one day meet a wizard who says they're here to help you."

As Ian said this, Elder made a strange expression.

An expression of 'this is really troublesome,' which he didn't even make while slicing through thieves.

"I shouldn't be saying this after bringing you all this way... but brace yourself."

"Why?"

"You're about to meet a wizard. As you may know, wizards are inherently eccentric beings."

Honestly, it wasn't something Ian could relate to.

Ian knew only two wizards: Eredith and himself.

Neither of them was eccentric or strange.

Thus, the rumor that 'wizards are eccentric beings' felt like a baseless rumor to him.

Meeting another wizard would be a first for him.

Are wizards really eccentric beings as the rumors say?

"They must be quite upset. They'll probably create an awkward situation to drive us away."

"Hmm..."

Ian had long since achieved his original goal.

Now that they had safely brought Lucy to Count Catina's territory, Ian could leave to meet the Count without any issue.

However, it was different for the knightly order.

They had come all this way to defeat a monster called the Manticore.

If the meeting with the wizard went awry, it would put them in a difficult situation.

"I'll try to persuade them, but don't get your hopes up."

As Ian grumbled, Elder laughed brightly.

"Which way do we go?"

The group had reached a crossroads.

Heading east would take them to the Count's castle.

West led to the forest where the Manticore was said to appear.

"Under normal circumstances, it would be polite to visit the Count first..."

Elder looked at the knights with a meaningful smile.

About half of the knightly order wanted to meet the Count, while the rest were indifferent.

Mainly, the more worldly knights were interested in an audience with the Count.

The Santiago Knights, being affiliated with a monastery, were difficult to join but easy to leave.

Many knights, after building their reputation by hunting monsters, would find a suitable lord and settle down.

"It would be a waste of time, wouldn't it?"

"That's right."

The most devout of the brothers, Dehitri spoke up.

With a dangerous monster like the Manticore, giving it time was a foolish act.

The knights who wanted to meet the Count were aware of this, so they couldn't outright express their displeasure.

"Hehe. Ian, my boy. What will you do?"

"I will..."

Ian glanced at Lucy.

His role was over the moment he safely brought Lucy to the Count's territory.

How to negotiate with the Count was up to Lucy.

"Ian. I'll go ahead."

As expected, Lucy was not part of the Manticore hunt.

In fact, there was nothing she could do even if she were to participate.

Apart from her noble blood, she was no different from a corpse, so it was right for her to focus on what she alone could do.

"Can you manage on your own?"

"Of course. What do you take me for!"

Lucy briefly said her goodbyes to the knightly order.

The departure of Lucy did not concern Ian or the knights.

They were about to go fight a monster, so her leaving on her own was a welcome development.

"See you later, Ian."

Ian and the knightly order once again set off.

Their destination was a secluded forest where a wizard lived.

Mani Campbell was a wizard.

Unlike other nomadic wizards, she preferred a settled life, a settler-type wizard, because the mysteries she dealt with were those of plants.

Wizards position themselves as close as possible to the mysteries they seek to explore, undergoing the process of understanding those mysteries.

Almost all mysteries of the world were a b*tch to understand.

Even the seemingly simple mystery of wind required witnessing massive storms or tornadoes.

If someone said that they're heading to a land ravaged by storms, instead of thinking, 'Ah. That person is crazy,' think, 'Ah. That person is a wizard.'

It makes more sense.

The mystery that Mani Campbell studied, the mystery of plants, was a very convenient mystery to understand.

All she had to do was watch the sprouts grow and the plants develop!

There was a time in her youth when she wandered the continent to study the plants of the world.

But now, approaching the age of 60, she had grown too old to travel as she once did in her youth.

Now, she was just an old wizard who lived by cultivating her own garden and growing the plants she wanted to raise.

Mani was an old woman.

And old people, for the most part, disliked change.

"Mani Campbell! In the name of God! We need your help!"

One day, priests from Heaven's Faith suddenly invaded the peaceful home of Mani.

Mani was sick of them.

"What now! Is it another goddamn famine or what?"

The priests frowned at Mani's irreverent tone.

There was a common belief that the more eccentric a wizard, the more skilled they were, but not everyone loved the eccentric nature of wizards.

Especially priests, who had no need to bow their heads to wizards.

Priests are those who serve the greatest mystery of all, the God of the Heavens.

This was far more significant than the trivial mysteries of fire, ice, or wind.

There's a hierarchy even in cold water, so why should wizards, who study lesser mysteries, disregard priests who serve the highest mystery in the world!

But the wizards saw it differently.

Priests liked mysteries, but they were not the ones who handled them.

There were unique cleric-wizard hybrids, but aside from them, the rest were merely enthusiasts of mysteries.

Real researchers, the wizards, were looked down upon by these arrogant fools who strutted around with stiff necks!

That's why wizards and priests didn't get along.

"If you're just going to refuse by spouting nonsense about the heart of plants or whatever..."

"Shh. Be quiet."

The priests murmured their complaints loud enough for all to hear.

As a wizard who studied the mysteries of plants, Mani knew how to revive dying plants.

So, when there was a poor harvest, priests would come to her and ask her to save their crops.

But Mani found such requests extremely uncomfortable.

Life and death were part of nature.

How dare those who cram plants closely together, overfeed them with nutrients for overgrowth, then talk about poor or bountiful harvests as if they've done something commendable.

Indeed.

The plant wizard Mani was an activist for plant rights.

Just as animal rights activists pity chickens, sheep, and cows exploited by humans.

She felt sorry for the plants that were genetically modified and forced to grow in densely packed fields.

That's why Mani didn't like human-made fields and gardens much.

To her, they were scenes of cruel plant abuse.

Farmers, too, didn't like Mani very much.

Beyond mere dislike, they thought she was crazy.

If crops aren't grown in fields, how are people supposed to feed themselves?

Do they expect their ancestors to send down food from heaven?

Since Mani was a wizard, a certain level of madness was understandable.

That was precisely why she wasn't tied to a stake and could live quietly in the forest.

"Faithful knights will come to hunt the Manticore. We hope you can assist them with your magic."

"And if I refuse?"

"Do not forget that this forest is lent to you by the Church."

"...Damn it."

Dirty power-mongers.

Mani's magic was useful for keeping plants healthy, but it was useless against mercenaries burning down the forest.

Due to her political indifference, she didn't have any noble allies either.

Reluctantly, Mani had to comply with the Church's brats.

'Hmph! Let's see who tries to make a fool of who!'

However, her pride wouldn't allow her to comply meekly.

She would pretend to follow their orders on the surface...

But!

She planned to hold a very enthusiastic welcome party for the knights.

A sharp, stinging, thrilling welcome party.

If the knights could get through the welcome party, she would cooperate with them without complaint.

But if they couldn't?

She would drive those fools away, and they wouldn't be able to raise any objections!

"Kekeke..."

Mani laughed like a witch in the kitchen, clutching a white vegetable.

Her hands were filled with plants to be used for the 'welcome party.'

Could the knights withstand 'this'?

The white, spicy plant Mani had chosen was...

Garlic.