Chapter 72

A wizard forgetting the Maronius language?

That's impossible.

Ian had been studying nothing but the Maronius language for six to seven years.

Although there were fun times browsing through the Eredith wiki, the fact that the language was the focus, didn't change.

But a wizard who can't understand Maronius...

'Now that I think about it.'

Once doubt reared its head, new questions followed one after another.

It was odd that a fire wizard only played with fireworks.

Ian had learned fire magic, so he knew very well how difficult the magic of fire is.

First, you need to start a fire to begin fire magic, but in this world without lighters or fire steel, there was hardly any technique to create fire on the spot.

Therefore, beginner fire wizards never strayed from fire or always carried a small ember with them.

Ian thought Kira was just shooting fireworks because it was hard to start a fire.

Fireworks are flames, aren't they?

It was several times more convenient than fiddling with flint, a fire magic starter.

So, he thought she carried fireworks around.

She didn't know Maronius but went around shooting fireworks?

Ian's suspicion suddenly turned into certainty.

Ah.

This kid...

The legendary scammer I've only heard about.

Everything finally made sense.

The request not to spread rumors about being a wizard and the inability to escape the Baron on her own.

However, there was a that doubt grew even more.

"...Then what about the vampire?"

Did she provoke a vampire without being able to use magic?

In many ways, she was a woman whose gall had spilled over.

"Unbelievable."

"..."

Kira visibly panicked.

Seeing her, Ian clicked his tongue.

She had been cosplaying as a wizard all this time.

It was inexplicable how she wasn't caught, other than sheer luck.

"I'm, I'm sorry."

Kira hurriedly responded in a diminished voice.

"I'm sorry..."

"..."

Because there was people eavesdropping, she couldn't even apologize properly.

'It's definitely insane.'

At this point, Ian became curious.

What kind of circumstances led her to cosplay as a wizard and get caught by bandits?

Unlike Kira, who was at a loss for what to do, Ian was unbothered.

Kira thought she had committed a crime worthy of death...

But to Ian, Kira was nothing.

It's true Kira got caught scamming.

But Ian didn't suffer any harm or loss.

Of course, if the real victims, the nobles, had heard, they would have been furious...

But what of it? Ian was not a guardian of law and order.

Although Ian didn't know the full story, he decided to rescue Kira from Baron Damon anyway.

He didn't know about what else, but the fireworks Kira carried around were magical and useful.

If she remained in Baron Damon's hands, she would lose the fireworks and possibly her life.

So, Ian planned to rescue her and then ask for some fireworks.

If possible, he wanted to ask about how to make gunpowder too.

"Well, we don't have time, so let's just get out of here."

"Uh... okay."

Kira responded timidly.

Not wearing her wizard persona, she seemed somewhat frail.

Ah, Ian shook his head.

It must be just the appearance.

How could a truly frail person dare to scam others by pretending to be a wizard?

"Hey! You guys, come here for a sec."

"Are you talking to us?"

"Who else would I be talking to if not you? Do you see anyone else?"

Ian shouted at the bandits trying to eavesdrop.

The bandits were immediately taken aback with bewildered expressions.

Oh, that's a fresh reaction.

Ian realized clearly. This place really is the countryside.

They know nothing about wizards.

"Why the faces?"

"No, it's just..."

You can't just ask, 'Why are you being so rude?' So, the bandits muttered with a look of injustice.

Ian felt slightly wronged.

No. It's typical for wizards to be like this.

You're the weird ones!

"If you have a complaint, just say it. I am as sweet as a carrot heated to 100 degrees."

"...?"

As Ian started talking nonsense, Belenka quietly moved closer to him.

"You're spouting nonsense again. Are you so smart to the point you sound dumb?"

"What... It sounds like you're the one talking nonsense."

"Please choose words that match the listener's level. Apart from Kira here, no one understands what you're saying."

Ian whistled softly.

Kira wouldn't know, would she?

Maybe she has used Karrot Market?

But Kira managed her expression remarkably well.

In a second, she was back to being wizard Kira.

"Hmph. It's just an old idiom. No need to mind."

It's not an idiom.

"Oh? You understand Ian's nonsense?"

"It's a contradiction. It's not nonsense if it's understood. Well, only those who study hard might get it."

Carrot heated to 100 degrees?

Ian was impressed.

Kira's magic might be fake, but her pretense was wizard-like.

She had the skills to go around scamming people.

As the wizard and the knight started to banter, the bandits naturally quieted down.

With the high and mighty cracking jokes, where would the lowly dare to interject?

Ian very naturally displayed the difference in status between the bandits and himself.

Once you see someone as 'higher' than yourself, your behavior naturally becomes cautious.

'That's about enough?'

Once Ian was sure the other party was intimidated, he spoke in a commanding tone.

"Go and bring the Baron here."

"The Baron... here?"

"Do you want me to repeat myself?"

When Ian looked at them, Kira and Belenka also stared down the bandit.

Unless they were completely insane, no one would say, 'No, thanks? Am I your subordinate?'

"I'll be back."

Shortly after, the bandit returned with their leader.

It was Baron Damon.

"Baron, let's have a talk."

"A talk? All of a sudden?"

Though puzzled, the Baron complied with Ian's request.

He created a situation conducive to a private conversation, sending his subordinates away.

Kira, trembling, clung to Ian's arm.

"What are you going to do...? Use magic, after all?"

Seeing Kira shivering, memories of the past flooded back to Ian.

And he was convinced.

Wow. She really can act.

The bare-faced Kira seemed so innocent, it was hard to believe she was the same person.

The arrogance she had shown before was all a lie.

This is why people get disappointed by the huge character gap of celebrities.

"What magic would I use in this situation?"

"I wouldn't know... mind control?"

Oh.

Hypnosis app.

But if she knew how to manipulate minds, she wouldn't be living like this.

Ian was a righteous wizard who survived purely on skill without any isekai cheats like a hypnosis app.

Well. He did resort to some lies and deception.

"No. Nothing like that."

"Then...?"

"I'll just ask him to let us go."

"???"

Kira was confused.

Ian's plan seemed too reckless to her.

But that was the thinking of a non-wizard.

Kira, who had been cosplaying as a wizard, could act eccentric but couldn't pull off insanely bold moves because she lacked the actual skills for crucial moments.

However, Ian, unlike Kira, was a real wizard.

His audacity (or eccentricity) was on a different level.

To the Baron who was alone, Ian straightforwardly said,

"Baron Damon. I heard from Kira that you've been taking good care of her recently?"

"That's..."

The Baron was flustered and looked at Kira, catching on to where the conversation was heading.

Kira was briefly startled by the sudden mention.

For about a second.

But the professional scammer and jester quickly regained control.

"Who said I was being taken care of?"

Kira looked at the baron with disdain.

"I was just playing along because I didn't want to kill someone by mistake."

It sounded like the rant of a mad arsonist.

Are people just ants to be burned to death?

Baron Damon wore a shocked expression, but Ian quickly nodded, catching on fast.

'Ah, like this?'

"Wow. You held back well. You shouldn't burn people. Yeah."

"I almost did it, but there wasn't anything too annoying."

As the two evil wizards began to coordinate their lies, Baron Damon, a decent commoner, couldn't grasp the truth.

He knew Kira was a great wizard, but she had been the one accommodating all this time?

And even almost set fire to things several times???

Once Ian took the lead, Kira performed her act impeccably.

It was their first time scamming together, but their coordination was spot-on.

Baron Damon was half out of his mind watching the show unfold from the two wizards' tongues.

His judgment was clouded.

"So, Baron. We're leaving and Kira will be coming with us."

"...Hold on."

However, he was belatedly reactive to the action of taking away a member of his group.

A response befitting a gang boss.

"What? We've become companions, so we're leaving together, what do you mean 'hold on'?"

As Kira sharply retorted, Baron Damon flinched but didn't back down.

Ian couldn't help but tense up.

Smart people are often too scared to rashly charge in, but fools rush in without knowing any better.

If the Baron decides to use force, things will get complicated.

"Kira. If you leave, the domain will be in danger!"

"So what? Why are you telling me this crap?"

"I've been good to you until now! If you leave without lending your strength, what about all I've invested?"

Ian understood why the Baron was clinging to Kira.

He aimed to maintain the domain's stability with the power of a fire wizard...

A short-sighted notion typical of a commoner.

"Who asked you to invest?! You shouted about making me your ally on your own accord!"

"What are you even talking about..."

Their voices rose.

Ian stepped in at the right moment to mediate.

"Both of you, stop!"

"..."

It was clear now.

The Baron was a fool.

"Baron. No, self-proclaimed Baron."

"...What?"

"Let me speak clearly. Just because you blabber about being a Baron doesn't make you one. So, what? Is a Mud Baron also a Baron?"

"Huh? What's that?"

"There's such a tomb robber. But from what I see, you're both the same."

Baron Damon thought Ian was insulting him and tried to protest.

But Ian spoke first.

"Self-proclaimed Baron. Do you know who owns the land of the Empire?"

"What are you talking about..."

The Baron responded puzzledly.

"Isn't it the Lord's?"

"Wrong. The owner of the Empire is the Emperor."

"The Emperor???"

The baron couldn't understand even the simple fact that 'the Emperor was the owner of the Empire.'

No, in fact, it wasn't a simple fact.

It was simple for modern people, but for medieval people, it was a somewhat difficult concept.

The Lord who rules our village collects taxes, conducts trials, and occasionally conscripts people.

So... isn't the Lord the owner?

That's what the common people of the Empire thought.

But it wasn't so.

The land of the Empire belongs to the Emperor.

It was merely 'lent' to the vassals.

However, the vassals passed down this borrowed land to their descendants without returning it to the Emperor.

After passing it down over and over for hundreds of years, it just naturally became 'my land.'

It was similar to how the fairies who used Ian's Anor-lsil claimed ownership of it.

"My land has no owner, and you're telling me now it belongs to the Emperor???"

"Why wouldn't there be an owner?"

"People don't live there, so who's the owner!"

"Exactly. The law is indeed strange."

The Baron looked as if he'd been hit by a hammer.

Unlike modern people who are accustomed to documented real estate, medieval people applied the concept of a domain only when people actually lived there and taxes were actually collected.

"You're an illegal occupant. Even if you had 100 wizards like Kira, you couldn't stop an invading army. And your domain is land everyone wants to take."

"But if there are skilled archers and a fire wizard holding them off...!"

"Do the enemies not have archers and wizards? Please make some sense."

Ah, how do I explain this to a fool.

Ian casually drew a map on the ground.

"Here's Talian, up there is Catina. And this way is Devosi..."

"Ingmar too."

"Ah. Ingmar...?"

Ian glanced at Kira for a moment.

Ah, she pulled a fast one there...

Ian, kindly, introduced the neighboring powers to the self-proclaimed Baron.

Fortunately, most of them were people the Baron knew.

He was well-informed about the local powers.

"Go make a vassal contract."

Ian advised calmly.

It was the only way for a domain like this rural village to survive.

Baron Damon understood everything Ian explained.

So, he sighed.

"I ran away wanting to escape the clutches of those damn nobles... Now, I have to return to the embrace of the nobility on my own?"

Ian lightly patted the Baron's shoulder.

"That's the world we live in."

In any era, there exists a figure like a king.

In this era, it was the lords and nobles.