Chapter 62

Another day dawned.

Ian stretched languidly, taking in the fresh morning air.

"The air is f*cking great."

In this primitive medieval fantasy world, one of Ian's few likes was the clear air.

Unlike the polluted air of the industrialized modern world, the air here was clear and clean wherever you went.

Well, put another way, it meant the whole world was basically countryside...

There were no three major pollutants in this medieval fantasy world.

No air pollution, no light pollution, no noise pollution.

No buildings flashing all night, no trucks or motorcycles speeding down the roads at midnight.

For a sensitive office worker suffering from lack of sleep, a night in this world would be like paradise.

Ian leisurely brewed a cup of morning tea.

It was chamomile tea made with wildflowers easily found in the fields.

"This is real healing."

Food without sweeteners.

Living a regular life, sleeping and waking up early.

Plus, a stress-free environment...

This era was like heaven for naturalists.

Ironically, the people of this era actually hated this boring wellness lifestyle.

They preferred food that was greasy, sweet, and salty, and wanted to stay up late...

In the modern world, where all the desires of medieval people would be satisfied, the medieval boring lifestyle ironically would be popular.

Far away in the fields, farmers were diligently pulling weeds.

Ian, sipping on chamomile tea atop a hill, watched the serfs toil away.

"..."

If Ian hadn't become a wizard, he would have been working hard with his parents back in his hometown, just like those people he was watching.

But, fortunately becoming a wizard, he ended up being someone who could leisurely watch the farmers.

Life is so unpredictable.

"What are you doing there?"

It was Belenka.

She was dressed casually, but her outfit was very feminine.

Her dress completely covered her ankles, and a cloth tied around her waist accentuated her figure.

Instead of the cone-shaped hat Lucy liked, she had organized her hair with the silk-turned-hair tie Ian had given her.

Ian was once again impressed by Belenka's appearance.

With her blond hair and blue eyes that Japanese people adore, and wearing medieval women's clothing that wasn't too excessive even from a modern perspective, Belenka looked like a blond beauty straight out of a Japanese anime.

"People watching."

"People watching? What a strange thing..."

Belenka blurted out what came to her mind then stopped herself.

Ian was a wizard.

A person who does strange things as routinely as eating.

What Belenka found strange might be completely normal for Ian.

"Uh, no. Pretend you didn't hear that last part."

"What are you talking about?"

Without asking, Belenka plopped down next to Ian.

Ian didn't mind.

That's just how Belenka was.

The only time Belenka would ask for permission was when it was time to negotiate her fee.

"What's that?"

"Chamomile tea. But there's only one cup."

"I see."

Belenka acted like it was no big deal, but by now, Ian understood her reactions.

That was her way of showing disappointment.

She probably thought Ian didn't want to share his precious tea...

But, in reality, Ian just didn't want to share the cup for sanitary reasons.

Ian felt unfairly judged.

What, do they think I'm so stingy that I won't even share my tea?

It's because it's gross to share cups.

Feeling unjustly accused, Ian said something.

"It's from my cup, but if you don't mind, do you want some?"

See? It's gross because I've been drinking from it!

However, that was just Ian's thought.

When Ian offered to share his tea, Belenka smiled brightly.

Gross because someone else drank from it?

Belenka didn't care about that!

"Really? It's okay for me to drink it?"

"... You can finish it. There's plenty of water."

Belenka took the tea Ian had been sipping directly to her lips.

There was no timidity like avoiding where Ian's mouth had been or being careful because it was someone else's cup.

She was just f*cking fearless.

Ian admired Belenka's badass toughness.

Wow.

She's really a medieval person.

Modern women would never do that.

To medieval people, sharing a cup was nothing.

In a post-apocalyptic society, resources were scarce.

In an era where goods were more valuable than people, it was normal for the few available items to be shared among many.

"The aroma is nice."

Belenka casually left her review.

The tea is delicious and the owner is friendly~

Ian was dumbfounded but brewed another pot of tea.

Belenka, liking the chamomile tea, stayed put and kept drinking Ian's tea.

"But why did you come here?"

"Everyone was busy preparing for the trip, so I escaped the fuss. Oh, right. Galadin was looking for you."

"It's not important then."

"No, it's not important."

Galadin wanted to take Ian to the Devosi Barony as soon as possible, but Ian wasn't interested.

It was Galadin who was eager, not Ian.

It had only been a day since they returned from the tomb of Baron Talian.

Ian wanted to relax and recover from the fatigue before doing anything else.

"Ian, what will you do after meeting Baron Devosi? Will you come back here?"

"Come back? To Talian?"

Ian cocked his head, puzzled.

"No? Didn't I mention before? I plan to head north."

"Ah, right."

Something about Belenka's reaction was suspicious.

Ian narrowed his eyes.

"What? Do you have something you want to say?"

Belenka slowly shook her head.

"No. It's just... unexpected."

"What's unexpected?"

Exactly which part?

"Well... just..."

Ian was astounded by Belenka's reaction.

Hesitating to speak, acting evasively...

Belenka was embarrassed to bring it up!

Why?

A person who normally doesn't hesitate to cut through bullsh*t, why?

"I thought... you had feelings for the Baron of Talian. So, I assumed you wouldn't go far from Talian."

"..."

Ian was so shocked he couldn't continue speaking.

My God.

Belenka was a shipper...!

"You... You've been imagining things like that behind my back?"

"It's not imagination! Aren't you actually close with Baron Talian?"

"Lucy is an E, so it probably looks that way!"

"...?"

Ian genuinely thought so.

Ian got along with Lucy thanks to her outgoing personality.

[How Introverts Make Friends: Get chosen by an extrovert with many friends.]

That's the formula at play here.

If Lucy had been quiet and shy?

Ian would have left Count Catina's domain as soon as he arrived.

Unaware of this fact, Belenka assumed Ian and Lucy were closer than they really were.

"Just friends?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

Belenka dusted off her seat and stood up.

"Ian. May I give you a piece of advice?"

"??? Just say what you want to say."

You're not one to worry about what others think.

Ian found Belenka's caution surprising.

But her advice was worth the warning.

"If you're too kind to every girl... someday you'll regret it big time. Women tend to find meaning in the smallest of gestures."

Ian choked on his tea.

"Cough, cough!"

What the hell is she talking about?

Ian wanted to argue, but Belenka was already smiling slyly and gracefully exiting the scene.

"Then. Make sure to explain well to the Baron."

"???"

Ian didn't understand Belenka's words.

However, soon after, Ian found himself unable to forget that strange piece of advice.

Having finished preparing for the journey, Inglan was the first to leave the Talian domain.

Inglan, having negotiated his fee well with Lucy, said he would travel in search of mysteries before returning to the university.

"You're not going straight back?"

Inglan shamelessly replied to Ian's question.

"Why would I?"

"..."

"That aside, I set out on this journey for knowledge. I must strive to fulfill that purpose."

His words sounded grand, but this guy had been caught tomb raiding.

If Ian hadn't shown up on time, he would have taken the magic sword for himself.

Inglan was hoping to find something else since the treasure of Talian turned out to be a bust.

"Well... do as you please."

Ian realized anew that this place was indeed a society with a strict class system.

While Mr. A, another tomb raider, became a debt slave plowing the fields alongside oxen, Inglan, being a wizard, had his university cover his fees...

It wasn't really Ian's place to complain.

He was a wizard too, part of the medieval elite.

Most sins were forgiven for someone like him.

Considering it might take hundreds of years for a revolution to happen (if it ever does), it was wiser to just enjoy the benefits.

"Make sure to visit the university."

"I'll see."

"You could become an assistant professor as soon as you arrive!"

"... Assistant professor?"

That sounded somewhat ominous.

"Yes! You can help with lectures and guide students. It'll be an opportunity for you to prove your magical abilities and become a professor..."

Oh. sh*t.

That was a grad student in another world.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

After seeing off Inglan, Ian went to find Lucy in the Talian hall.

Lucy greeted Ian warmly.

"Ian! You came at the right time! About the fairy silk I mentioned before...!"

"Ah, that?"

Recently, Ian had discussed with Lucy what to do with the fairy silk.

Since Ian was leaving on a journey, they had agreed the Talian domain would keep the fairy silk on his behalf.

"Just storing it seems a bit wasteful. My subject suggested that instead of just piling it up, we could make clothes out of it and sell them for a good profit!"

"Probably."

"Right! But Talian doesn't have craftsmen skilled enough to handle such expensive fabric. So, Ian, when you visit Devosi, could you bring back a decent tailor to the domain...?"

"Huh?"

Ian cocked his head, puzzled by Lucy's words.

Lucy, unaware of her mistake, was excitedly continuing her explanation.

"Wait, Lucy."

"What?"

"I won't be coming back any time soon."

This time, Lucy didn't understand Ian's words.

"... What do you mean? You're just checking on Baron Devosi and then coming back, right?"

"No."

"No?"

Lucy blinked in confusion.

A moment of awkward silence passed.

"I'm going to the north."

"North? But we're already in the north."

"Further north. Beyond the Empire's lands."

Lucy stared at Ian blankly.

"So, when will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe 3 to 4 years?"

"..."

Lucy finally understood what Ian meant.

Ian was going to embark on a journey to discover the mysteries hidden in the land of barbarians.

And throughout his exploration of various mysteries, he would return to Talian's land.

Just to deal with the accumulated fairy silk.

"Lucy?"

Seeing Lucy suddenly standing there dazed, Ian called her name.

"Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry, Ian. I really am sorry, but could you step outside for a moment?"

Lucy said as she sat down on a chair.

"Please."

"..."

Ian, doing as Lucy asked, quietly closed the door and went outside.