Chapter 52

"Lucky us."

Ian muttered, and Belenka nodded in agreement.

Thanks to their well-coordinated efforts, they managed to drive away all the enemies without a single drop of blood.

"Baron. A gift for you."

Belenka handed over a captured tomb raider to Lucy.

It was a gesture of reconciliation.

In the past, Belenka and Lucy had a brief argument. Although it wasn't serious, it wasn't something they could simply forget and move on from either.

However, it wasn't good for a wandering knight like Belenka to clash with a noble.

Regardless of Lucy being just an ordinary noble, the fact that she was a landowner remained unchanged.

Lucy shared a similar sentiment.

"Thank you. I'll make good use of this."

Belenka extended the olive branch first.

To refuse it would mean forsaking one's noble status.

There was nothing to gain from quarreling with an exceptional wandering knight like Belenka.

Both Lucy and Belenka were pleased.

"Ugh..."

Only the tomb raider wasn't pleased.

According to the noble's laws, he had to pay a hefty compensation to Lucy.

Technically, they could have executed him instead of accepting any compensation, but keeping him alive to work off his debt was more beneficial.

Those who became debt slaves like him were treated as the lowest class in the domain, tasked with all sorts of menial labor.

Having been caught raiding the Baron's tomb, he would've never been able to repay his debt even if he worked for a lifetime.

"This one says that other tomb raiders have already entered the crypt."

The priest then spoke, bowing his head.

He was a priest working in the domain, who had hurried over upon hearing that Lucy intended to liquidate their family assets.

If the Baron's ghost appeared, it was his duty to appease it, and he needed to witness and record Lucy handling the estate.

"It won't be easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Baron Talian's tomb is protected by a barrier erected by the Fairy Queen."

Ian reacted to the fantastical term.

"A barrier?"

"Yes, wizard. Whatever trickery that deceitful race has concocted... Since it's the work of the Fairy Queen, ordinary people surely won't be able to breach it," the priest said, bowing his head.

"Unless Baron Talian himself is present, the entrance to the crypt will not open."

Belenka tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"The raider mentioned that a wizard had gone down with them. Would that make any difference?"

"A wizard... Depending on the wizard's abilities..."

Among those who ventured into Talian's crypt was a wizard.

"What kind of wizard resorts to tomb raiding..."

Ian was incredulous, yet upon reflection, realized it wasn't so strange.

Wizards are seekers of the mystical.

If it meant experiencing the arcane, there was nothing a wizard wouldn't do.

Naturally unrestrained characters, and socially accepted as such, wizards often lacked basic societal etiquette.

It means they do whatever the hell they want.

"The one leading the tomb raiders is called 'Baron Mud,' I hear."

"Baron Mud? Never heard of such a domain."

Lucy tilted her head in confusion, to which Belenka explained,

"Don't take it too seriously. It's just a nickname given to the thieving bastard."

Baron Mud.

Famed for his often messy escapades, he frequently ended up covered in mud, hence the nickname.

There were those who enjoyed making a big deal out of it, proclaiming, "Every muddy pit is Baron Mud's territory!"

Medieval folks and their love for exaggeration.

"But he insists he's of noble birth."

"Noble? He's not 'claiming'—he is a noble, my Lord."

"I didn't ask you to speak."

Belenka kicked the tomb raider.

No one objected to this action, which was a fresh shock to Ian.

Kicking a person outright and no one bats an eye? Isn't that pitiful?

Wow... these people are all f*cking savages.

...Well, not exactly.

The man was simply a soon-to-be slave.

What's the harm in a slave getting beaten? It was nothing unusual here.

"No. Continue speaking."

Belenka might not have been curious about Baron Mud, but Ian was.

"I'm sorry. The knight told me to stop speaking..."

"Don't you have any sense? Spit it out."

Belenka kicked the tomb raider again.

The raider was not only incompetent but also lacked situational awareness.

"Th-The Baron Mud is... uh, the bastard son of Count Dufel."

The tomb raider glanced nervously at the priest while speaking.

'Bastard?'

Bastards were very common in the Empire.

Not just in the Empire, but among nearly all nobility across the continent.

In fact, followers of Heaven's Faith could have bastards if they wanted.

Heaven's Faith, being an ancient religion, had no taboo against polygamy.

However, over time, Heaven's Faith began to view polygamy more negatively.

Having multiple spouses could lead to social chaos!

While some took a moral stance, the real issue was the serious succession disputes among the children of multiple wives.

But since the roots of the Holy Empire lay in the northern barbarian tribes, no one criticized someone for having a harem of three or four spouses.

Though some lamented over the lands that would fragment and disappear with each generation, aware of these practical issues, most imperial nobles kept one official wife and refrained from adding more women.

Many women impregnated by debauched nobles hoped to become the second or third wife...

But in reality?

Yeah.

Bastard children.

Baron Mud was likely a child born from such circumstances.

"Belenka. This Baron Mud guy, being a noble and all, could he be of any use if we catch him?"

Belenka shook her head in response to Ian's question.

"It's unlikely. I'm not sure who Count Dufel is, but he's not the easy sort if he's got bastards prowling around, digging up tombs."

"Makes sense."

Ian understood Belenka's point.

A bastard is a child brought into the world but not openly acknowledged.

While some nobles might secretly cherish and care for their bastards, Baron Mud clearly wasn't one of them.

He was outright abandoned.

If Count Dufel had any affection for Baron Mud, he wouldn't have raised him to be a tomb raider.

"But it's distasteful to see someone parading around as a noble, recruiting people."

Belenka was more concerned about the wizard summoned by Baron Mud than about the Baron himself.

Wizards are unpredictable beings.

Just because one resorts to grave robbing doesn't mean they're weak.

What if a ridiculously powerful wizard raided a tomb out of boredom?

Ian agreed with Belenka's concerns.

"Let's proceed with caution."

He had never fought a wizard before.

But if the situation turned sour, he would have to.

Ian steeled his mind and led the way forward.

Wizard Inglan is a graduate of the Empire's Magic University.

Not just a graduate, but a renowned wizard holding a professorship at the university.

He spent the last few years teaching at Dranheim's University of Magic.

Then, suddenly, he had an epiphany.

"Ah! I want to learn more magic!"

Every wizard is a seeker of the mystical. Inglan was no exception.

You might have guessed, but wizards of this era aren't just nerds holed up with their books.

They confront mysteries directly, communicate with them, and peer into worlds beyond comprehension!

True magic comes from experience.

To encounter more mysteries, wizards throw themselves into danger without hesitation.

Inglan wanted to do just that.

"Ahem. Perhaps it's time I left the university..."

"No, Professor! Where would you go?"

Hearing of Inglan's plans to travel, various assistant teachers clung to his coattails.

"If you leave, Professor, who will teach us magic?"

Inglan was sick of their pathetic reactions.

No, it was their selfishness he detested.

"You all learn magic from me! But where am I supposed to learn magic from?"

"A person of your stature doesn't need to learn more magic..."

"Silence! Are you telling me to stop learning now?"

Though he hadn't trained in martial arts, Inglan, being an elder with considerable experience, knew how to deliver an elder's special scolding technique.

Distinguishing between a great wizard and a martial arts master is not easy.

"Just let him go."

"But..."

"Sending him on his travels means he'll spend money. He'll use up his funds from the university and return to give lectures later."

"!"

Indeed.

Inglan's reluctance to let go of his university lectures stemmed solely from the research grants provided by the university.

He had no interest in teaching others and despised being tied down to one place, but it was the allure of the funding that compelled him to endure the torment of lecturing, bearing the title of a university professor.

It's worth noting that Inglan's lectures were notoriously unpopular, ranking him among the worst educators due to his ineptitude at teaching.

Considering that a professor's role is primarily research rather than lecturing, this was somewhat inevitable.

"Anyway, today's university students are a complete bore! They don't study, are picky about their professors, and spend their expensive tuition on daytime drinking and brawling with citizens!"

Inglan too, had his fill of suffering from the students, internally cursing them.

Ah! To see how far the youth has fallen!

Universities weren't like this a decade ago!

At this rate, will the Empire collapse in 100 years?

Regardless, having successfully escaped the academic cesspool, Inglan, like any wizard, embarked on a blind quest in search of mysteries.

Then one day, an opportunity came to Inglan.

In a scene straight out of a cliché fantasy novel, Inglan, nursing a beer in a tavern, overheard the drunken chatter of patrons.

"Baron Mud is off to pull another stunt?"

"Where this time?"

"It's in Baron Talian's domain. Probably after the treasure Talian left behind, right?"

Unbeknownst to Inglan, the tale of Baron Talian's treasure was quite renowned in the area.

Piqued by curiosity, Inglan delved a bit deeper into the story of the Baron, rumored to have been lovers with the Fairy Queen, and the magical sword she had left him.

"Oh."

This was... an intriguing story, enough to capture even the old man's interest.

A magical sword gifted by the Fairy Queen!

He desperately wanted to see it!

Inglan immediately sought out this "Baron Mud".

He liked the man's character and the respect he showed towards wizards.

And so, the university professor joined a tomb raider in desecrating graves.

If that seems absurd, just look up at the Hollywood sign.

Imagine an archaeologist with an explorer's hat and whip, flashing a bright, toothy smile.

Yes.

Inglan was... an unlucky Indiana Jones...!

Raiding someone's grave, but for academic purposes, right? (Or not)

"This is... not easy."

For days, Inglan had been engrossed in research amidst the musty smell of burning torches in a dust-filled crypt.

Let's frame it so it sounds somewhat cooler, a passionate venture into a tomb.

Inglan's excavation efforts were literally blocked by a dead end.

Not metaphorically, but physically obstructed by a wall.

The wall, erected by the Fairy Queen, was so thick it destroyed all of Baron Mud's proud drilling tools, showcasing its overwhelming presence.

Baron Mud had already given up, searching for an alternate route...

But Inglan thought differently.

He believed this wall was a kind of magical door, opening in response to a magical spell.

"Not the mystery of the earth... nor the mystery of the wind..."

Inglan tried every spell he knew to open the door, but frustratingly, nothing worked.

Despite hitting a dead end, admitting 'I don't really know?' was not an option for a wizard's pride.

So Inglan found himself eating and sleeping inside someone else's tomb for days when...

'...!'

Inglan caught a strong signal.

Startled, he rushed to Baron Mud.

"Baron! Baron!"

"Oh! Elder! Did you finally succeed?"

The Baron, who was snacking on a late-night meal, took Inglan's commotion as a positive sign.

So the old man finally managed to open the door!

However, what came out of Inglan's mouth was completely unexpected.

"No! I haven't opened the door yet! But that's not important!"

"If not that then what's so important...?"

"There are intruders! We've got intruders!"

Ah, was he introducing himself?

Baron Mud nearly said out loud that they were the intruders, but then thought better of it.

The situation was more serious than expected.

Others have come to this secluded, hidden crypt in the wilderness.

They wouldn't be here for a casual visit or hike.

They must have a definitive purpose for coming...

But what about the guards posted outside?

They've breached through all of them?

"...That doesn't make sense?"

"What do you mean it doesn't make sense!"

"Why would anyone come here? Talian's land currently has no owner, and I don't think other nobles would send grave robbers either."

Baron Mud couldn't guess the identity of the 'intruders' no matter how much he thought.

"Is that what's important right now!?"

Unlike the relatively calm Baron, Inglan was anxious.

In a situation where their lives were at stake, what was the point of guessing the enemy's identity?

Would guessing it correctly somehow make the situation better?

"There is no time to dawdle!"

Inglan shouted.

"Baron! I'll prepare magic, you get ready to fight!"

"Understood. Let's catch them first and figure it out later."

Thinking it was good he had prepared anti-intrusion magic in advance, Inglan prepared to face the intruders.

However, Inglan soon realized a critical fact.

Just as he had detected the enemies' presence in advance with his anti-intrusion magic...

The enemies had also noticed Inglan's magic and realized they had been detected.

"...What is this?"

Inglan's familiar, a bug, was caught and devoured by a crow.

Inglan sensed it immediately.

This crow was not a mere pet but a wizard's familiar.

The implication was clear.

Not only did they have to face an unknown number of enemies, but they also had to defeat a fellow wizard.

For the first time in a while, Inglan felt a rush of tension.

It was a battle between wizards.