Chapter 114

Ian was seriously annoyed.

It was true that Ian had initiated the power struggle and tried to take control by overwhelming Pyra with his magic skills.

However, the mystery that Pyra summoned had crossed the line.

It was far too dangerous to summon just because he was angry!

Ian wasn't some mortal enemy of his father.

Summoning a mystery that could easily lead to mutual destruction was infuriating.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry..."

Pyra repeatedly apologized to Ian.

At first, he was annoyed.

But when he saw Pyra bowing his head, blood dripping from his severed finger, Ian's anger subsided a little.

After all, it was an accident.

And, accepting such a sincere apology would make him seem like someone who can forgive a mishap gracefully.

I am!

That kind of person!

You have a keen eye for people, Pyra!

"Haaah. Alright. It was an accident, after all."

"I should have noticed it earlier..."

Ian frowned as he looked out over the snowy mountains, where a cold wind was blowing.

What kind of place is the North that such dreadful mysteries emerge?

Ian realized once again that the North was a grim region.

As a wizard who rarely clashed with warriors, he hadn't fully understood it.

This was a gloomy place where countless lives were lost in vain, and all sorts of vile mysteries lurked in the ice and darkness.

No wonder the northerners lived with chronic depression.

On the other hand, the Empire and its neighboring regions, which were called the "civilized world," were occupied by Heaven's Faith, providing comfort to people's hearts.

It was an environment where monsters like the unholy mystery couldn't easily appear.

"Let's go and get your hand treated first."

"Oh... right. Yes, we should."

Pyra, half-dazed, answered slowly.

Despite losing a finger, Pyra had no thoughts about it at all.

"A missing finger or two is nothing. In the North, many people don't have them. In winter, a couple of fingers can easily disappear due to frostbite."

"..."

Ian breathed a genuine sigh of relief.

He was truly glad he hadn't been born in the North.

He had criticized the Holy Empire for its barbarity, but after hearing Pyra's words, he automatically felt guilty about his past mistakes.

Looking again, the Empire was like a saint.

This was the real land of savagery.

"Haaah. Anyway, Wizard Ian, your skills are... truly remarkable."

A shaman and a wizard had met.

Their social roles were different, but they shared a clear commonality in dealing with mysteries.

Naturally, the conversation turned to mysteries.

"That unholy mystery was incredibly powerful. One wrong move, and you could have been crushed under the weight of its emotions and gone mad. But your boldness and precision were truly impressive."

Pyra shared his thoughts without any pretense, expressing his genuine admiration.

"How on earth did you think of speaking to such a monster?"

Listening to Pyra's words, Ian suddenly realized just how crazy his actions had been.

Approaching and talking to a monster that was dangerous to even be near?

"...You're right. Why did I do that?"

It was clear that his courage had swelled too much from his experience as a wizard.

"There are many cruel mysteries in the North. Mysteries are inherently unfriendly to humans. That's why we receive Lord Hrundal's blessing and interact with mysteries indirectly. That's what the Arcana cards are for."

Northern mysteries are more dangerous than those of the Empire.

Therefore, the risks of directly speaking to mysteries like Maronius are much higher.

"Certainly unique."

That's how Ian assessed the Arcana cards.

If the Northern mysteries were gentle and mild, Northern shamans, like the people of the Empire, would have tried to converse directly with the mysteries.

But Northern mysteries were violent and primitive, so the shamans developed indirect methods to interact with them.

"Given your skills, continuing to use Imperial magic shouldn't be a problem," Pyra said.

It was pure, 100% sincere.

Ian had survived speaking with the unholy mystery and hadn't gone mad or become an idiot.

This fact proved how exceptional Ian's magical abilities were.

"But... there's always a 'just in case,' so it would be better to learn the Northern way," Pyra cautiously suggested, worried that Ian might take it as an insult.

Ian's magical skills were exceptional, but if he accidentally contacted a truly insane, psychopathic mystery, his safety couldn't be guaranteed.

Who could say that the same thing wouldn't happen again as with the unholy mystery?

Pyra wanted Ian to handle mysteries in a safer way.

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't have much to offer in return."

"In return? What are you talking about!"

Pyra waved his hands enthusiastically as he shouted.

"You've already saved my life! And if a brilliant scholar like you were to die in an accident, I wouldn't feel comfortable. So don't worry about it."

"Hmm."

If that's how he puts it...

"Then, shall I learn briefly?"

Ian decided to learn about the Arcana cards from Pyra.

"To handle the Arcana, you first need a card."

Pyra stated the obvious.

Ian nodded instinctively.

Right.

"Then, can you make one for me?"

"How could I make an Arcana card?"

Pyra explained.

"The Arcana can only be made by Lord Hrundal."

"Then..."

"You need to ask him to make one for you."

Shamans often found themselves in situations where they had to humbly beg or pray, despite dealing with mysteries.

Although they could handle mysterious powers, the scope of what they could accomplish on their own was clear.

This was why Ian viewed shamans as somewhere between wizards and priests.

"If you're up for it, come climb the holy mountain with me."

"holy mountain?"

Mount Gramunt.

A white and formidable-looking snow mountain visible from the Red Bear Tribe.

It wasn't exactly the kind of mountain that inspired a desire to climb it.

At a glance, it seemed infested with wild monsters and ferocious mysteries.

But to make an Arcana card, they had to climb Mount Gramunt.

"There are hidden temples of Lord Hrundal scattered across Gramunt that ordinary people don't know about."

"Temples... How many are there?"

"I don't know. But there must be more than the number of shamans in the North, right?"

Ian caught on to what Pyra was talking about.

"So, to receive a card, I need to head to a temple."

"Exactly. Lord Hrundal is the only one in this world who can draw the Arcana illustrations."

Somewhat whimsical, the Northern god Hrundal is widely known for painting in caves.

You could say he's a god with a painter attribute.

Since the god himself directly works on the Arcana card illustrations, one must visit a temple.

"That's why there's no illustration here."

Ian took out a half-torn Arcana card from his pocket.

It was the card he had received from the monk Isilla.

Unlike Pyra's card, this one had only a faint, poorly drawn outline.

Ian had thought the artwork was just worn out over time.

But after hearing Pyra's explanation, it seemed like the card had lost its mystery over time.

"Oh, oh. This is...!"

Pyra exclaimed softly as he looked at Ian's card.

"This is definitely...!"

"Trash."

"It's definitely trash... No, wait. What are you saying? How can you call a sacred item trash?"

Ian blinked and replied.

"Isn't it trash?"

Ian was a wizard, not a shaman.

It was hard for him to attribute any value to an item that had already lost its mystery.

"What are you talking about!"

But Pyra was a shaman.

"Every phenomenon carries a sign of mystery! Do you think it's just a coincidence that this card ended up in your hands?"

Yes, I believe it's a total coincidence.

Ian thought so but didn't say it out loud.

He suddenly remembered the slyest group of wizards in the Empire: the space-time wizards.

They viewed certain events and actions as [branches] in time, believing that the future would change depending on those events.

For instance, they believed the future would differ between the world where Ian got the Arcana card and the world where he didn't.

"... Someone could have intentionally handed me this card."

"It must be the will of a great being. Wait a moment. I'll readjust this to suit you."

If he had obtained it coincidentally, it was as good as receiving it directly from Hrundal.

That is [fate].

Pyra snatched the torn Arcana card and went into the small room, making a clattering noise.

A moment later, Pyra handed the Arcana card to Ian.

The appearance hadn't changed much.

But the moment Ian held the card in his hand, he felt an intense intuition piercing through his crown.

"This is..."

Pyra smiled and spoke.

"Congratulations. This is the first card in your Arcana deck."

Every shaman receives an Arcana card from Hrunndal.

The first card they receive is a single card, symbolizing the fate and identity of the one who holds it.

"The first card I received was the [Temperance] card. It means I was destined to connect worlds."

It was a common shaman's card.

A shaman exists to connect gods, nature, and humans.

"I think... you'll receive the [wizard] card."

"Ah."

Pyra thought Ian would receive the [wizard] card.

The wizard is the card of a true hero.

It's the card of someone with exceptional abilities, destined to handle divinity and accomplish anything.

And Ian is indeed a wizard.

Wouldn't it be natural for a wizard to receive a wizard's card?

"Well then..."

Ian smiled brightly and flipped over the card.

A picture of a person appeared.

"Look at this, Pyra. Is this the wizard card?"

Pyra looked at Ian with a slightly bewildered expression.

"No, this is not the wizard card."

"Huh? Then what is it?"

Huh? The picture looks exactly like a wizard!

"This is... card number 0."

"Number 0?"

"The card's name is [The Fool]."

"..."

Ian almost shouted at Pyra.

Me, Ian! Not a fool!

But the card's name and symbol are different.

Even if it's called The Fool, it could have a good meaning!

"What does it mean? What does it symbolize?"

"...Usually, it signifies a foolish human."

What?

Ian tried to deny it but realized upon reflection that it wasn't entirely wrong.

Ian is a cheat player from another world.

And like most cheat players from other worlds, he's not truly a genius but a scammer who cheats with a status window.

Is the northern god sending a message that he should be humble because without his status window, he's just another foolish human?

"Hmm. I see."

When Ian nodded in understanding.

Pyra couldn't take his curious gaze off Ian.

'Card number 0 symbolizes foolishness... but it also signifies a new beginning.'

That's right.

[The Fool] card represents foolishness but also symbolizes a new start.

But because of this, it's rarely the first card for a shaman.

A person whose essence is close to a new beginning?

Where in the world would you find such a person?

Perhaps if someone were on their second life...

'Wizard Ian.'

Pyra looked at Ian with a gleaming eye.

'Maybe he could open a new path for the lost Northerners.'