Chapter 75

Ian thought Lady Serena had married young.

Marrying young meant tying the knot with a girl around the age of 13 or 14.

From the perspective of modern people, such a marriage was an absurdly barbaric custom.

13 years old, barely having had her first menstruation, and she's to marry?

Yet, humanity always manages to exceed the expectations of the modern mind.

Such marriages were common globally, regardless of the region.

In the past, when lifespans were shorter, the threshold for becoming an adult was lower than today, so it was common to brush off such early marriages as acceptable once a certain age was reached.

There were cultural and religious reasons for early marriages, but Lady Serena's case didn't fit any of those.

With her brown hair and deep green eyes, she was a typical woman of the Empire, and her religion was naturally assumed to be the Church of Heaven's Faith.

Even in barbaric times, pedophilia was not welcomed in the Empire.

Ian thought Baron Devosi was a real piece of work.

But when he saw Lady Serena's children, his opinion changed.

"Welcome. Wizard."

"Greetings, Mr. Wizard."

"???"

The eldest son was about Ian's age, and the younger daughter was slightly younger than Ian.

"Galadin. Are those people really Lady Serena's children?"

"Indeed. Is there a problem?"

"Lady Serena's age..."

"Ah. The lady does look quite young."

But it was more than just looking young.

Surprisingly, Lady Serena had not been betrothed early.

She just had an incredible youthfulness that would have made her an instant pick for a cosmetic brand ambassador in modern times.

"Really their mother?"

Belanka was also shocked upon learning Lady Serena's age.

Unlike Ian, Belanka did not hold back.

"Did that woman make a deal with the devil?"

"..."

Galadin made a face of disbelief but said nothing.

It wasn't the first time knights of this era were rude.

"I don't think so."

"Any concrete evidence?"

"...None."

Lady Serena's amazing anti-aging could have been celebrated as a blessing from God under normal circumstances.

However, with Baron Devosi bedridden, it only served as fodder for attacks.

Lady Serena's enemies whispered that she had bought her youth from a demon, offering Baron Devosi in exchange.

"You must be tired from the journey. Let's rest first and then talk."

Ian was led to Baron Devosi's castle by the two ladies.

The first thing Ian noticed was the populous nature of the place.

All the domains he had visited so far were rural, with clear divisions between the domain's residents and the lord's dwelling, leading to a very peaceful atmosphere.

But Baron Devosi's land was different.

Being an estate built in the middle of a river, like Yeouido, it was densely populated out of necessity.

The number of people in sight was considerably high.

This land was much more bustling than Riverville.

Ian was not the only one who felt the vitality of the estate.

"So many people. How many live here?"

Belanka was also slightly surprised by the bustling atmosphere. She had traveled extensively, but she was originally from Wintz in Baekguk, known for its cold and sparse population.

Galadin proudly stated, "We surpassed 2,000 people last year."

"2,000?!"

"That's impressive."

"No wonder, it felt incredible!"

The visitors from Talian were taken aback by Galadin's explanation.

"Wow! There are as many as 2,000 people living here!"

"Won't the island sink at this rate?!"

While the genuinely medieval people were shocked, Ian was quite calm.

Ah, a population of 2,000? For the Middle Ages, that's not bad.

Ian had learned at a young age about the dismal population levels of medieval fantasy worlds.

The most bustling city in the Empire, located in the territory of the Duke of Hastria, had a population of 70,000.

The source was the walking Wikipedia, Teacher Eredith.

To modern people, 70,000 might seem like a paltry number, but in this era, it was significant.

Considering a city-state located in the southern Coral Sea had about 100,000 inhabitants, one of the Empire's ducal cities matching a city-state in population was...

...Still modest, to be honest.

For reference, the population of Seoul is 10 million.

If every citizen of Seoul spat once, the residents of Baron Devosi's castle would drown.

But compared to well-developed modern cities, it wasn't so bad, considering this was a post-apocalyptic era.

After the apocalypse, a group of 2,000 survivors living together?

Oh, that sounds pretty decent.

Galadin seemed to hope that Ian would be impressed by the grandeur of the castle and settle down voluntarily, but Ian was not the least bit moved by this miniature dwelling that resembled a drama set.

He figured he'd have to visit a major city governed by a Duke to think, "Wow, this is like the Middle Ages from the movies."

While Ian was making small talk with people, he became momentarily disoriented as soon as he turned a corner in the corridor.

Just a moment ago, it still felt like he was in a castle.

Now it's like a fish market.

Or rather, it feels like Subway Line 1?

The reason for Ian's confusion was the corridor filled with people.

Some were murmuring something, and others were outright lying down on the floor.

Is this some kind of shelter for the homeless?

"This is the Baron's bedroom."

"..."

Ian, who was about to ask if this was a shelter for the homeless, was dumbfounded by Galadin's response.

Why are there so many homeless people in front of the Baron's bedroom?

But the identities of these "homeless" people were quickly revealed.

"Oh! Brother! It's been a while!"

"Brother...?"

A priest from Talian recognized them.

It turns out, these were clergy who had come from various places to cure the Baron's illness.

There were priests and monks...

They were aspirants who came to cure the Baron with prayers and miracles, hoping to make a name for themselves as saints with healing abilities.

"Any progress?"

When the priest from Talian asked, the other clergy shook their heads.

"We're not sure. Medicines and prayers don't seem to work."

"Maybe it's the work of a demon..."

"It's because our fervor is lacking."

The clergy had tried everything to cure the Baron's illness.

They fed him holy water, burned medicinal herbs, and fed him foods believed to be beneficial...

They even read the Bible beside him 24 hours a day, from morning till night.

But the damn illness showed no signs of improvement.

'Isn't it because you're doing all this bullsh*t that he's not getting better?'

Ian looked at the clergy with a skeptical gaze.

Although the clergy seemed to have tried their best to treat the Baron...

But to Ian, all their methods were terrible.

If the Baron really was dying from a serious illness, would eating healthy food cure him?

It would be better if it were a curse. At least prayer might have some effect then.

"But who is this...?"

"This is Ian Eredith Raven. A diligent and sturdy wizard."

"Wizard Raven! The wizard who crafted potions with the help of Heaven!"

"???"

Ian was puzzled by the sudden fuss.

He had once made potions (saltwater) to boost the soldiers' morale.

But how did the clergy know about that???

One of the clergy eagerly shook Ian's hand.

"I've heard a lot about you. You helped the Santiago Knights and hunted a manticore, right?"

"That's right."

Though he hadn't done much.

As far as Ian remembered, during the manticore hunt, all he did was flick a few spells from the back.

The impact of those flicks was impressive, a fact that's easily forgotten.

But Ian really didn't struggle at all during that time; the knights did all the work.

"The Santiago Knights spoke very highly of you!"

"You know the knights?"

When Ian asked, the clergyman excitedly replied.

"Know them? How could I not! Those faithful brothers! They recently took down a troll that appeared in the forest!"

Ian nodded, hearing about the knights' activities after a while.

So they're still hunting monsters. Good to hear they're doing well.

"Everyone agrees that Wizard Ian is a very devout wizard! I heard you studied the Bible together..."

"We just read the Bible together, nothing more."

Before Ian could finish, the clergy approached him with bright eyes, excited.

Ian felt a chill and a sense of danger.

Unbeknownst to Ian, he appeared to the clergy as an attractive newbie to the mysteries of religion.

Look at that! A newbie just introduced to the mysteries of religion!

Look at him squeak! How adorable!

It was rare for someone to be involved in both magic and religion.

Heaven rarely responded to human calls, making it a mystery that discouraged many wizards from pursuing it.

Only those with steadfast patience and strong faith could hope to receive a response, making it a mystery inaccessible to those without deep religious conviction.

And religious people didn't bother learning the Maronius language much.

After all, they believed they could communicate with Heaven through faith in their hearts without needing to learn some strange language created by the ancients.

There was no need to waste time learning a misguided magical language.

There was even a tendency to look down on users of the Maronius language.

I performed miracles solely through my faith. But you asked for miracles in Maronius language? Isn't that a shortcut?

Conclusion: Your faith is fake.

Some deliberately chose not to learn the Maronius language out of spite.

However, in cases like Ian's, where someone learned the Maronius language before getting into religion, they were very forgiving.

You've done a lot for the public and know the world's mysteries well, right? But there's no mystery greater than Heaven, right?

In truth, Ian studied the Bible because some goddess or something kept nagging him.

But the clergy had no way of knowing that.

"Oh right. You came to check on the Baron's condition?"

The clergy wanted to engage in a serious religious discussion with Ian, but noticing Galadin's hints, they quickly made space for them.

"Ian. I sincerely ask you. Please take a good look at the Baron."

Galadin grabbed Ian's hand as he spoke.

Despite often acting foolishly, he was one of the high-ranking individuals of this castle.

His genuine request was proof of his real concern for the Baron.

Ian wasn't opposed to people who put in effort like Galadin.

Considering the effort taken to fetch Ian from his domain, he planned to thoroughly examine the Baron's condition.

"I promise. I'll do my best."

Galadin began to pray with the clergy.

Ian entered the Baron's bedroom with Kira.

"Why am I..."

Kira whimpered, but Ian ignored her.

She had a nomadic background, right?

She might have picked up some knowledge somewhere.

"Why. You're also a wizard."

"But, but you said you quit! You said to stop pretending to be a wizard!"

"Just kidding. I want you to look too."

"... I, I'll trust only you, Ian."

Ian took a deep breath and smelled the air in the bedroom.

A faint scent of perfume.

No other smells.

It's proof that the Baron's body is well cared for.

Except for his pale cheeks, the Baron seemed unremarkable.

He was just sleeping, breathing tiredly.

But he didn't look like a healthy person.

To Ian, the Baron looked like he was dying.

'He looks terribly aged.'

Upon seeing the Baron, Ian immediately thought of an elderly man.

A man too weak to move, waiting for his death.

If his face was wrinkled, one could believe he was dying of old age, not a disease or curse.

Ian concentrated and listened for the voice of mysteries.

'...'

But he only heard the usual murmurs—the mysteries of wind, earth, darkness, etc., nothing special.

Either Ian's abilities were lacking, or the mysteries weren't talking to him.

It was one or the other.

But Ian was a person with cheat-like abilities in another world. If he had discovered a new mystery, the status window would have immediately shown it.

Then...

'It's not the work of mysteries?'

It was a physical ailment, not magic.

Sadly, that wasn't Ian's area of expertise. You'd need to be a medical student to even begin to diagnose.

'Sorry to Galadin, but.'

Ian reached a conclusion.

He'd observe the Baron for a few days, and if he couldn't figure it out, he'd just continue on his journey.

"Kira. Your thoughts?"

"... I have none."

As expected. Kira also knew nothing.

However, she did comment on the Baron's appearance.

"He looks like someone who's had their life force drained."

Ian reflexively thought of a face.

The suspiciously young-looking Lady Serena, the Baroness.

Then, noisy sounds came from the corridor.

As Ian and Kira stepped out, they were met with the sounds of an argument.

"Is that something you should be saying to me!"

"What? Struck a nerve?"

It was Lady Serena and Lady Catherine.

Without realizing it, Ian found himself rooting for Lady Serena...

Because she looked cuter and prettier than Lady Catherine.

No, actually, Lady Catherine's fierce appearance played a part too.

Black hair and sharp eyes.

Ian couldn't help but be amazed looking at Lady Catherine.

Wow! A villainous noblewoman!

She was the epitome of a typical villainess you'd see in an anime.

Especially since Lady Serena looked so young, she even gave off a stepmother tormenting her adopted daughter vibe.

However, unlike Ian, other medieval people were more supportive of Lady Catherine.

The reason was very logical.

"It's very suspicious that you insist on seeing the Baron despite the widespread rumors that you've stolen his youth..."

There were more than a few who doubted Serena's super anti-aging.

As soon as Catherine mentioned that fact, Lady Serena immediately counterattacked.

Slap!

A physical counterattack.

Lady Serena's delicate, lilac-like hands struck Lady Catherine's cheek.

"Who are you to spread such rumors!"

"No, my lady!"

"Please calm down!"

Clergy rushed over to pull the two women apart.

If they were going to intervene, they should have done so sooner.

The clergy were enjoying the spectacle before pretending to break it up at the last moment.

Ian was left feeling disappointed.

Ah. If only the fight had started a bit later. I missed the beginning.

Putting his regret aside, Ian spoke up.

"Let's stop this, both of you."