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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 29
“Ultimately, you saved my son. Honestly, it’s a story I find utterly fascinating. By the way, are you a mage?”
“I’m learning a bit here and there.”
“I’m no expert in magic, so I can’t gauge your level of skill, but I must say your humility is impressive.”
He looked directly at me.
Then he nodded slightly.
“Well, probing too much wouldn’t be proper etiquette for someone who owes you. You’re not like the rumors suggest. Were you hiding your abilities all along?”
“No, I’ve never hidden them.”
“Or perhaps a lucky encounter?”
“Something like that.”
He continued speaking with a solemn expression.
“The grace of saving the third son of a ducal family is immense and profound. Do you desire anything in return?”
At his question, I subtly shifted my gaze toward Farrel Berli.
The young man was smiling cheerfully, seemingly pleased to have met me.
“You must cherish your son greatly.”
“There’s no child among mine who isn’t precious.”
“I see. I didn’t do it expecting a reward.”
“Then if something comes to mind later, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
At this, I smiled and nodded.
“Now then…”
Baam! Bara-bam!
With a blast of trumpets, knights appeared.
“His Majesty, King Oliad Riel Bata, enters!”
Even in a kingdom where royal authority is weak, the weight of a king’s name carries considerable gravity.
Soon, an elderly man dressed in elegant, traditional attire appeared, and all the nobles bent one knee to pay their respects.
That included both the duke and me.
“Thank you for gracing this occasion with your presence,”
He said, his voice weary.
While I was quietly bowing my head at his arrival…
[Hostile mana detected.]
Hearing this, I instinctively spread my necromantic mana faintly across the room.
And I was slightly surprised.
The King?
The source of the necromantic mana was King Oliad Riel Bata himself.
However, since he was neither a mage nor someone who handled aura, it wasn’t normal for him to emit such mana.
Although I had never met King Oliad before, from my perspective, he looked incredibly fatigued.
Ah.
At that moment, I realized the nature of this necromantic mana.
It was a form of malevolence lingering around him, using the king’s body as a medium.
Necromantic mana can be life force or malevolence depending on how it’s handled, and concentrated malevolence can harm the body.
I don’t know what the necromancers on this continent think, but based on my analysis, the king didn’t have long to live.
It’s a rather simple mechanism, so anyone observant enough should notice soon.
Dispelling the curse wouldn’t be difficult, but I had no interest in meddling with palace politics.
“Before we enjoy the banquet, there is something we must address. Some of you may already know. Melissa Cascadia, step forward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having been briefed beforehand, Melissa stepped forward confidently and knelt on one knee before him.
At the same time, King Oliad received a ceremonial sword from a knight.
“Six months ago, we lost one of the pillars of this kingdom.”
Everyone knew he was referring to the Count of Cascadia, her late father.
“It was an unfortunate accident. Even now, the thought fills me with sorrow.”
He gripped the sword with both hands and moved with ceremonial precision.
“But it is time to acknowledge the successor left behind by the Count of Cascadia. Though she is only sixteen, she has met all the requirements of the magrave. In the name of Oliad Riel Bata, I hereby appoint her as the next Marquis of Cascadia.”
Although she hadn’t been officially recognized as an Expert before, Melissa had resolved numerous complex and difficult issues to claim her title.
“I pledge to protect the citizens of the Bata Kingdom from the dangers of the borderlands, centered on the marquisate.”
After the formal exchange of words, the king placed the sword on her shoulder, completing the ceremony.
Melissa was no longer acting as a proxy; she was now the rightful Count of Cascadia.
Six months.
After her father’s death, she had fought relentlessly to reclaim her position.
Her eyes were slightly red, a testament to the emotions stirred by achieving her goal after so much hardship.
“I’ve heard you endured a great deal. It seems you’ve grown admirably, taking after your father. I regret that I couldn’t assist you more.”
“Thank… you.”
Her voice trembled slightly, overcome with emotion, but she smiled and responded graciously.
The king nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“I am weary and shall now take my leave. Please, enjoy the rest of the evening.”
After conducting the succession ceremony, the king departed the hall, looking exhausted.
The nobles dispersed into groups, eating, dancing, and mingling among their respective factions.
Melissa, meanwhile, seemed busy meeting various nobles.
As for me, I found a quiet corner and focused on enjoying my meal.
“Oh, this is delicious. And so is this.”
[Would you like to analyze the recipe for this dish?]
“Can you do that?”
[With time, it should be possible to replicate a similar recipe.]
Not as useless as I thought, huh?
Pretty competent.
“Brother! Look at this; it’s another dish renowned for its flavor. Oh, and please, don’t use formal speech with me.”
Sitting beside me now was Farrel Berli, the young man I had brought back to life.
The duke and Melissa had left the hall after being summoned by the emperor, leaving Farrel Berli to accompany me.
“Shouldn’t you be mingling with people as the duke’s son?”
“Haha. I tend to get into trouble often, so my father probably feels uneasy bringing me along. Besides, now that His Majesty has left, it’s time for the kids to mingle among themselves while the adults do their thing.”
He grinned brightly, exuding a carefree attitude devoid of worry.
When I first met him, he had already been dead.
For a moment, I could understand the hearts of the dukedom's people.
Even in such a situation, bringing his third son to a banquet like this showed that the duke had quite a bit of affection for him.
“Well, thanks to that, I can live comfortably. By the way, I didn’t expect you to be the eldest son of the Count of Cascadia. So, why were you at the dungeon…?”
“I was visiting the capital and thought I’d check out the famous dungeon, that’s all.”
As I answered calmly while eating, I noticed the four circles swirling around his heart.
“A 4th Circle?”
“Ah! As expected, you noticed right away. I knew you’d figure it out instantly, brother.”
The distinct four auras spinning within his heart were unmistakable.
A 4th Circle mage.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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By a swordsman’s standards, that was the equivalent of an Expert level.
Though he wasn’t a necromancer, considering that ordinary mages are of similar caliber, he was undoubtedly a mage of significant talent.
“Well, it’s like a mutation born into a family of swordsmen.”
“So what? Your life is yours to live.”
When I spoke matter-of-factly, he clapped his hands.
“Come to think of it, you’re right. Cascadia is famous as a swordsmanship family, but you’re an Archmage, aren’t you?”
“Hardly an Archmage.”
“What are you talking about, brother! Reviving the dead is something only an Archmage can even dream of. Brother, that’s incredible. At first, I thought you were a hidden recluse who had regained youth!”
Though he was a boisterous fellow, he wasn’t someone I particularly disliked.
Even after that, he kept sending signals that he wanted to get closer to me.
He went on to share his theories about resurrection magic, the spells I used, and even the shadow wolf wraith, Muyeong, as if he were an excited mage fascinated by a new form of magic.
It was then.
“Count Bardal! Are you here?”
The loud shout, seemingly designed to disrupt the mood of the banquet, drew everyone’s attention.
Simultaneously, a man engaged in conversation with other nobles turned his head.
“Are you looking for me?”
“My apologies for interrupting your enjoyment of the banquet, but...”
The man whispered quietly into the ear of the one called Count Bardal.
At this, Count Bardal’s face turned pale, and he nodded before hurrying out of the hall.
“I’ve heard that Count Bardal, the court mage, is a 5th Circle mage.”
Hearing this from Farrel, I nodded.
Indeed, his heart bore five circles, one more than Farrel’s.
After the man made his request, Count Bardal hastily left the banquet hall.
The man then quickly approached us.
“Farrel Berli.”
“Hm?”
“You’re a 4th Circle mage, correct?”
“Yes, I am.”
As Farrel acknowledged it, the man whispered something in his ear, causing his expression to harden.
“We need you to come quickly. Every mage we can get is needed.”
“…Understood.”
After a moment, Farrel clapped his hands.
“Well, mage assistance, huh. Then, brother, you should come with me…”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Farrel Berli.”
At the sudden unfamiliar voice, all our gazes turned toward it.
“Goldsun Vider.”
Goldsun Vider, the second son of the Vider family.
He was someone whose basic details I had come across.
The second son of the Vider family strode over and glanced at me briefly before speaking.
“You don’t seem to grasp the gravity of the situation, but you’re suggesting taking someone who doesn’t even know the basics of magic to such a place? No matter how much of an anomaly you are in the Berli family, there are lines you shouldn’t cross.”
“That’s ridiculous. What do you even know about my brother?”
For once, Farrel Berli, usually easygoing, snapped back angrily.
“I know enough. Leon Cascadia, the dunce, the halfwit of the Cascadia family. Am I wrong?”
“You are wrong! You have no idea how incredible my brother is! My brother is…”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care to know. And I have no reason to accept your attempt to use your connections to insert someone into this critical situation.”
I had heard rumors before.
Some mages were extraordinarily prideful about their craft.
Just as Farrel was about to shout again, I felt a signal made of necromantic mana swiftly reach me, and I stopped Farrel.
“Farrel, you should go.”
“Brother?”
“My little sister seems to be in bad shape. I should at least try to cheer her up. She’s in a tulip-filled garden, it seems.”
It was a report from the wraith, Tyvel.
It seemed Melissa wasn’t feeling well.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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