Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“THANK YOU AGAIN for coming!” said Ild.

“Mister Geo,” called Mora, “eat as much as you want, okay?!”

I’d made it safely to Mora’s house. The first floor was used for Ild’s business dealings, but the upper stories were their residence. Despite this dual use, their home had a gate and a garden and reflected Ild’s well-to-do social standing. When I arrived, it seemed that they’d pulled out all the stops to welcome me.

First Ild, then Mora and their many servants, thanked me many times. Extravagant plates were laid out upon an exquisite table. Mora had helped make many of the dishes, so I knew I had to at least try some of everything.

“I’m just glad that both of you made it back safely,” I said.

“It’s all thanks to you!” replied Ild.

I thankfully partook of the food, and Ild and I brought ourselves up to speed on current events as we poured each other wine.

First, Ild’s goods, as I mentioned earlier, had been safely delivered by the Calbanera Knights. That apparently did not sit

well with Mora, who interjected, “I was supposed to go with Mister Geo to get them!”

Ild had prepared the three thousand gold coins to exchange for the promissory note he’d left with me, and would not listen to me when I tried to refuse, but after a few back-and-forths, I came up with a compromise.

“If you really must have me accept something, could I ask you to do something for me instead of paying me the gold coins?” I asked.

“So, you want me to do a job worth three thousand gold coins for you? In that case, I’ll do anything, but what is it you had in mind?”

“I was given ownership of that fortress in the mountains by the Calbanera Knights, but it’s inconvenient for me to take care of the place all by myself. I would like to find a number of servants I can trust, as well as someone to oversee their work,” I explained.

The was the business I had with Ild that I’d mentioned to Mora earlier. Ild slapped his leg and nodded.

“Understood. I take it that I may pull from the three thousand coins to pay expenses related to hiring them?” he asked.

“Yes. Of course.”

“Do you have any specific requests in regards to the kind of servants you want working for you?”

“As long as they are trustworthy, I will have no complaints. Given that there is a possibility they may encounter dangerous circumstances because of me, I would prefer people who are able to protect themselves and who are not held back by allegiances to other groups or special interests.”

“Understood. I will find you the best people I can.”

***

“Lord Margilus! That’s why I told ’em, if ya ain’t gonna splurge for the boat dance now, then when are ya?! Right?!”

One hour later, the sincere, intelligent merchant I knew as Ild was gone, and replaced by a drunk with the same name. That was the only reasonable explanation. These two cannot possibly be the same person…

“Then that district head—you know what he said to me?!”

Apparently, the boat dance was supported by separate districts, each donating funds, boats, and performers. Ild wanted to offer more funds than was previously customary, but donations were capped by the head of fundraising for the district. I was relatively sure of the gist of the story, as it was the tenth time I was hearing it from him.

I was partly at fault. After Ild told me about Mora’s mother being killed ten years ago, and how he struggled to raise her as best he could, I couldn’t help myself from repeatedly pouring him more wine.

“I-I’m sorry, Mister Geo. It does not take much to put my father over his limit… Usually he doesn’t drink that much, but this time…” Mora looked mortified.

“I don’t mind. There isn’t a man out there who doesn’t want to get drunk and let loose every now and then,” I said.

“Really?”

“Stop right there! Don’t you flirt right in front of me! I’m Mora’s father, y’know—and she’s only fourteen, okay?!”

“Father, stop it!”

“Ha ha ha, Ild. I don’t think you’ve had enough to drink yet.”

“That’s what I like to hear! Bring it on! The night is young!”

Ild took his mug and started chugging his wine. When it gets this bad, the best thing to do is let the drunk drink ’til he drops, I thought. Though, naturally, I made sure to pull the cup away at times to make sure he didn’t get all the way to the point of alcohol poisoning.

Sure enough, within a half-hour or so, Ild was out cold. I could hear him snoring as the servants carried him to his bedroom. Finally, I thought, with a sigh of relief.

“I’m so sorry, Mister Geo,” said Mora, pouring me some water. “My father kept talking about how he wanted to thank you and pay you back, and I suppose when you finally visited, he must have gotten carried away…”

“Appreciated,” I said, taking the cup. “I’ve already said this a few times, but there’s really no need to thank me for what I did.”

“But we want to!” said Mora, almost angry. “First you saved me from the bandits, and then you exterminated all of those daemons, and destroyed the nest… You’ve done so many amazing things!”

“Well…I suppose so…”

From the perspective of a former Japanese bachelor like me, Ild—who owned a successful business and was raising his daughter all on his own—seemed far more amazing than I could ever hope to be.

“It was because of you that me and everyone else were saved,” said Mora.

“Because of me, huh?”

If you look at everything that happened objectively, yeah.

Mora eyed me. “Mister Geo, is the reason you look so stressed because you’re really just a normal person inside?”

Is it that obvious I’m not who I say I am?

It was still hard for me to wear the mask of a great and powerful magic user. The role and the responsibilities that came with it were too great for me to handle. But wait, I thought, Mora saw me before I ever put on that mask, so of course someone as smart as her would be able to see right through me.

“Um, I… There’s a lot I don’t understand, but even if you are a normal person inside, that doesn’t make you any less amazing, or any less kind. Even if you’re normal, there are a lot of people who need help that you can save!” Mora spoke quickly, her face bright red as she talked.

“Okay, um… Thank you?” I was a little exhausted, from the dinner and the drinking and everything else.

Mora must have noticed, for she energetically bowed her head.

“G-good night!” she said, her face still red.

“Good night, Mora.” I said—and with that, she darted out of the room.

The room was quiet.

This power, I thought, is really not my own. It would be stupid of me to think I was great or strong because of it. Ever since I arrived in Sedia, many people have heaped praise on me. It never felt bad, per se, but the guilt I feel for it being undeserved will probably never go away. If I’m going to keep wearing this mask, I’ll probably have to deal with this feeling for the rest of my life.

But even if this power is something I never deserved, does that really mean I shouldn’t use it if and when I can?

Mora said that even a person like me can save people who need help.

***

I was the only one left in the dining hall. After the hustle and bustle of the dinner party, it was a comfortable loneliness. I drank some of the water Mora had poured me. It had a refreshing tartness to it, as if it was flavored with a bit of fruit juice.

“Even with everything I’ve had to deal with since coming here, it really is a nice place,” I said quietly.

I thought back over everything I had experienced since being transported to Sedia (or reincarnated in Sedia? I did die, after all…). I had seen so much, and met so many different people.

I had been in Sedia for less than a month, but I was already starting to feel an attachment to it. It was less convenient and more violent than Japan—there were evil people like Jargle, and monsters like the daemons, but, like Japan, it was full of wonderful people and rich in culture. All in all, Sedia was a wonderful world.

“Changing my entire way of life at my age sure is rough,” I grumbled.

“I’m going to protect this world” sounds great on paper, but it’s tough for a guy like me to commit to it. I’m used to an unchanging, mediocre life.

“But if I’m serious about exterminating all daemons, I need to bring together enough people to make an organized effort. If possible, I would like to track down the source of the daemons and end it there, so they’ll be gone for good…”

The people of Sedia have fought daemons for hundreds of years but were unable to get rid of them, I thought. But what if an ordinary guy from another world with the powers of a great magic user joins forces with everyone else to defeat them?

“Well, I guess it’s worth a shot… I mean, uh—” I stopped to clear my throat. “Bring it on.”

I guess it means postponing my retirement…but let’s give it a try. I’ll become a great magic user—for real.

***

When I got up the next morning, I expected to be hit with a hangover, but to my surprise, I felt perfectly refreshed. Thankfully, it seemed, I had underestimated the effect Geo’s ability scores had on my body. Particularly, his (my) Constitution score of 16 was nothing to shake a stick at. Incidentally, if I were to rate the Constitution score of my previous body, that of an otaku in his forties, it would likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of 9.

“Mora, this is delicious. You really are a great cook.”

“Eheheh… You really think so?”

As I ate the breakfast Mora served me, I felt a sort of energy well up inside. It was a feeling I had not felt in a while, and I suspected it was because I now had a clear goal to work toward.

Although Mora was with me at the table, Ild was out on business. As a merchant in charge of many itinerant caravans, he had a lot to do, and usually started work early in the morning. After all he drank last night, he sure has energy, to get up so bright and early…

“But it’s not just that,” Mora said, a suspicious look on her face. “A lot of people came to visit this morning…”

Whatever the case, I thought the relative calm was a good opportunity to organize my thoughts.

The previous night, I’d settled on a single goal I wished to pursue: protecting the people of Sedia from the threat of daemons. I did so after considering the various problems the people of Sedia faced, such as war and poverty—I was not so deluded as to think I could solve everyone’s problems all at once, so after some deliberation, I decided my focus should be the extermination of daemons.

Daemons, I thought. They’re a menace that just cannot be left alone. After seeing them, after fighting them, I knew in my bones that they were an unnatural abomination, one that must be exterminated at any cost.

But then, how will I do it?

It was difficult to plan against creatures that seemed to appear without warning, out of nowhere. It would cost too much to keep a force ready for them all the time. It would be impossible to maintain. I’d seen a glimpse of that truth when I saw, firsthand, how the Calbanera Knights struggled with funding.

I could see two ways around this problem. One was to get every country to cooperatively share its information on daemons and form an alliance. Every country’s military would assist in the effort to eradicate the daemons whenever there was an outbreak. Another way was to build up an independent force, distinct from any country’s military, whose sole purpose was to exterminate daemons, regardless of where they appeared.

Along the same lines, I thought, I should help with the extermination of daemons in other countries as well.

If I join forces with a larger group and fight on the ground, I do not think there is a daemon I cannot defeat—but I also cannot be in multiple places at once. Because of that, it is more important that I use my magic and skills to help train other forces, so that they do not have to rely on me alone…

In the back of my mind, I jotted down those two broad ways to bring about the extermination of daemons: form a military alliance between nations to fight daemons, and build up an independent anti-daemon force. There was no reason I couldn’t pursue both, as long as they remained viable.

Under those two broad goals, I listed the steps necessary to make them a reality: First, I needed to raise my status to a level where I could negotiate with other countries, gather staff, and so on and so forth. This is going to be a lot of work, I groaned.

“I also have to get to a place where I can develop new magic items,” I mumbled, thinking aloud.

Mora smiled. “Mister Geo, do you feel better today?”

What a nice girl she is, I thought.

“Yes, thanks to you,” I said.

“Thank goodness!” said Mora, with a little hop.

If all daughters are as cute as she is, maybe I should have tried to find someone to settle down with, so I could have one of my own, I thought.

After breakfast, just as I thought I might take a walk around town, Ild returned.

“Lord Wizard, I apologize for my behavior last night. Were you planning on going somewhere?”

Ild’s face showed no signs of a hangover. His drunkenness from the night before was gone without a trace.

“Actually, I thought of something else I wanted to ask you to do…in addition to what I asked last night—if you’re willing,” I said.

Ild replied immediately and without hesitation. “Ask away. I’ll do anything.”

“Could you arrange a meeting between me and your best contact closest to the city council?” I asked.

“Perhaps…but for what reason?” Ild said, looking somewhat confused.

Maybe I should have worded it differently? I thought.

“I want to hear what measures Relis is taking to protect itself against daemons. I would like to offer the city my support, if possible.”

I thought I might startle Ild if I told him something like, “I want to save the world from daemons,” and I was not yet confident I would be able to achieve so grand a goal. So I started off with a smaller scope. After I explained what it was I was trying to do, in simple terms, Ild’s face lit up.

“So that’s what you meant! That won’t be a problem. You see, people have been sending messengers here all morning.”

“Messengers?”

“Yes. It seems word has gotten out that you stayed the night here with us. The messengers were from various guilds, plus the church and nobles. Everyone has been asking for me to introduce you to them.”

Ah, so that was why he was so busy this morning… I feel a little bad about that, but all the attention is definitely convenient.

“I’m sorry to cause so much trouble,” I said. “Is there anyone close to the council who sent a messenger?”

“No need to worry. The first person who sent a messenger was the head of the Merchants’ Guild, Zatow Brauze, who also happens to be the current chairman of the Relis City Council. I’ll set right to work arranging a time for you to meet him.”

“Really? Well in that case…thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it! I’d do anything to help out the one who saved my daughter, and after hearing your intentions, as a resident of Relis, it’s surely my duty to assist you.”

I was momentarily overwhelmed by Ild’s sincerity. If I were still just an ordinary employee of a Japanese company, I wouldn’t be able to bear the weight of Ild’s expectations…

“I will work hard to live up to your regard,” I said.

But now, I was a grand magic user.

***

After my conversation with an unexpectedly cooperative Ild, both Ild and Mora saw me off, and I set out to walk around town.

It seemed that rumors of me had spread since the day before. I noticed people staring at me, the mysterious and great magician, from a distance. A mix of fear and awe was etched in their faces. But I noticed less fear in their eyes compared to when I was in Yulei.

“All right, let’s do this.”

The first thing I needed to do was learn more about daemons, so I headed for the Relis Public Library. While I admit it did take me long enough, I realized for the first time, when I subconsciously read the inscription on the memorial the day before, that I could read. Knowledge of the written language of Sedia was already imprinted in my mind, just as the spoken language was. That was how I knew the script.

Ordinarily, the library was only open to citizens who paid high taxes for the privilege, but when I gave my name at the reception desk, I was given access with the utmost courtesy. I figured it only proper to at least show some token appreciation, so I donated a few gold coins.

The chief librarian offered to help me personally, so I asked them to bring me books and other resources with “daemon” in the title.

Several hours later, still immersed in a pile of books…

“Oww…” I moaned, my lower back gone stiff.

As I mentioned earlier, I had the benefit of Geo’s Constitution score, so I didn’t expect any serious issues…but for my back to hurt like it did, I must have hit the books a little too hard.

“However, if this is all they have, I’ve hardly learned anything new about the daemons at all…”

There were many books, documents, and articles about daemons, but most investigations only covered what I already knew, or ended simply in “X about daemons remains unknown.” Daemons did not form countries or societies. Once a nest appeared, the daemons that emerged from it would attack humans until they were killed. They did not seem to understand language, and all attempts to communicate with them were unsuccessful. The more I read, the more daemons reminded me of the monsters you find in science fiction stories rather than in fantasy.

Though disappointed by the lack of new information, my investigations weren’t all for naught. I found several references to the term “brood,” which Sedam had used for a massive daemon outbreak. A brood was described as a continental-scale disaster. During one, you could expect multiple nations to collapse.

According to what I’d read, Sedia had experienced two brood events.

According to the Shrendal Calendar, which began the year the kingdom was founded, the first brood event occurred in the year 815. I learned that the current year was 1300, so it had happened approximately 500 years ago. The nest that had appeared during the first brood event was located in a place called the Valley of Earthen Disaster. According to records, nearly half of the cities on the continent had been destroyed. However, it was unclear exactly what ended the first brood event. There was mention of a hero who’d brought together the surviving forces at the time, but no specifics. A hero, huh?

The second brood event occurred in year 1134 of the Shrendal Calendar. Records confirmed what I had heard before, that the Calbanera Knights’ founding coincided with this event. The attack launched by the daemons of the second brood event had originated in a cave known as the Earthen Jaw and was reportedly less than half the scale of the first brood event. However, that had not stopped the daemons from destroying several cities at the center of the continent and triggering the fracture of the Shrendal Kingdom.

In response to the second brood, a coalition of humans, elves, and dwarves were able to defeat the legion at the Battle of the Daybreak Plains (now the Twilight Wastelands), after which a party of skilled adventurers traveled to the Earthen Jaw and destroyed the daemons’ nest.

Unlike the first brood event, records of which were scarce, the second was covered in great detail. In other words, the first was more of a legend, while the second was part of established military history.

After the second brood event, daemons’ nests continued to appear, one every few years. However, the last ten years had been exceptionally peaceful.

“If you include the legendary history, a coalition was formed twice before in response to daemonic threats,” I thought aloud as I stretched.

It’s good to know it’s been done before.

***

“Thank you, Mister Geo!” Mora beamed in delight.

I had bought sweets from a cart on my way back from the library, which Mora was delighted to see. They appeared to be some sort of cookie baked with bits of fruit, and went well with Mora’s sil tea.

“Lord Margilus, about your meeting with the city council chairman—would tomorrow morning be all right with you? Brauze is very much looking forward to meeting you,” said Ild, reaching for a cookie.

“Of course, and send my regards. Thank you.”

“Understood, I will let him know. I will also arrange a carriage to take you to him. It is wrong to ask a great magician like yourself to go anywhere on foot—I apologize for not arranging a carriage for your errands today.”

“I-It’s fine. You’re doing enough already…”

“Thank you. As for hiring servants for your castle, I am currently in negotiations with several candidates… I will need a little more time.”

What a guy, I thought. It’s no wonder he’s a successful merchant. He really knows how to get to work fast. I expected this would take more time…

“Don’t worry, I’m in no rush,” I said.

“With those matters out of the way, I…” Ild hesitated. “I have something I would like you to be aware of.”

Something he would like me to be aware of? I feel like I’ve become some company president. This kind of respectful treatment is really hard to get used to, I thought.

“It seems there are some people in the city, and not the nicest sort, sniffing around, trying to find out more about you. No one has disturbed the shop or tried to enter our home, but I have noticed others attempting to eavesdrop on conversations about you, or glean information in other ways…”

“I-Interesting…”

“Who do you think is trying to investigate Mister Geo, Father?”

“I cannot say for certain. Almost everyone who holds power in Relis has taken an interest in you, Lord Margilus.”

So, everyone in the city is a suspect, huh? I thought. I don’t fault anyone for being interested in me, and if general information is all they are after, I suppose it’s nothing to worry about, but still…

I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was an omen of some sort. Anxiety filled me, an entirely different kind than what I’d felt before I faced the daemons.

“Do you know if you were followed today?” Ild asked.

“If I was…I did not notice.”

I thought back over the events of the day. I couldn’t remember anything suspicious, but I had not cast any spells to help me detect that sort of thing, so the fact that I hadn’t noticed was no guarantee I hadn’t been followed. Cloak and dagger skills, along with detecting them? That was the specialty of the rogue class, not magic users.

“I see. With all that is scheduled for tomorrow, would you like me to arrange guards to accompany you?” Ild asked.

This guy never ceases to amaze me, I thought. How incredibly talented and considerate can you be? Is this the norm among merchants in Sedia? Well, he does seem to have a significant amount of influence within the Merchants’ Guild, so he is probably above average, ability-wise. If I had someone like him working under me back at the company, my life would have been so much easier… Although, it is possible someone as capable as him might have quickly gotten tired of dealing with me…

“No… I think it’s better not to provoke them or anyone else,” I said. “I consider myself a friend to the city, and I will make that clear when I meet with the city council chairman tomorrow. Once I do that, there should be nothing to worry about.”

If whoever it is continues to stalk me after that, it’ll be clear they’re an enemy of some sort, I thought. An enemy, huh… And a human one at that…

“Mister Geo, are you alright?”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” I said. “To be honest, I’m more worried about you two. It would make me feel better to know you’re taking precautions, just in case.”

“We absolutely will,” said Ild.

There is a real possibility Ild and Mora could be put in danger… I may have to take some precautions of my own for them.

***

As Mora served me breakfast the next morning (a routine I was beginning to get used to), I thought about what I’d learned the day before, and considered the day ahead.

I tried to think of my advent from the perspective of the people in town: If another human being, powerful enough to eradicate a legion of daemons along with its nest, was roaming around town only days later…I would be curious, at least, about their aims—especially if I was in a position of power in the city.

Therefore, it was only natural that Ild would be swarmed with messengers requesting an audience with me, and certain that those in power would be scrambling for rumors of my activities. I had no experience of being this famous, but I was sure that trying to hide my aims or act surreptitiously would only garner unwanted suspicion.

In that case, what is the quickest way for me to come out and show that I am not a threat to the city?

“Anyway, those are my thoughts. What do you think?” I’d just finished explaining the results of my brainstorming to Ild.

“It is as you say,” Ild agreed.

“No matter what the circumstances, it is hard to reason that there is anyone in the city who would deliberately do something that would anger you. I know I am the one who warned you, but I don’t think it necessary to make a big deal out of it.”

I was still no expert on what qualified as common sense in Sedia, so I put great weight behind Ild’s view that I should not overreact—especially given that he was a merchant; dealing with other people was his specialty.

“But it must feel terrible, knowing there are people snooping about,” Mora said with a frown.

Well, of course, I thought, but hearing Mora’s comment immediately triggered another reflexive thought in my mind, the kind I would only normally get if I were playing a game. I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but it came all the same: This is definitely foreshadowing.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, but it pays to take precautions. I will leave these two items with you.” I handed Ild a silver ring and Mora a light green cloak, both of them magic items.

“This is so beautiful, and so light! It’s…huh?”

“Mora?!”

When Mora donned the cloak, she immediately vanished into thin air. The cloak I gave her, a standard magic item in D&B, was an Elven Cloak, which granted invisibility.

“Don’t worry. Mora is still here. The cloak makes whoever wears it invisible. You’ll be back to normal as soon as you take it off,” I said.

“Really? Oh, look! I’m back!” said Mora, as she removed the cloak.

“I can’t believe you would give us such valuable items… We are not worthy of these,” said Ild.

“You two are my friends, some of only a few people I can trust. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you. Ild, the ring I gave you is a djinni ring; if you rub it, a wind spirit will appear and grant you three wishes. However, remember that it is not an omnipotent being. What it can do is mostly limited to fighting and manual labor.”

“Th-this materia can control a spirit? I have only heard of such things in myths and legends. This is on the same level as a national treasure. Thank you so much for entrusting it to me,” said Ild.

The djinni summoned by the ring was a Level 12 monster, and therefore rather powerful, but I was sure Ild would use it wisely. Ild bowed as he held the ring in his hands, and Mora followed suit.

“Thank you so much for your concern. We will keep these items with us until you return,” said Ild.

“Thank you so much, Mister Geo!”

As an extra precaution, I cast Invisible Demon twice, which allowed me to assign both Ild and Mora an unseen bodyguard. Although the demons could only be assigned one command, and you had to be careful with the wording of said command, lest the demon interpret it in a way that was at odds with your intent, the spell had the benefit of lasting a very long time. I ordered the demons individually to: “restrain anyone who attempts to bring harm to Ild or Mora.”

In a way, it felt over the top, like assigning a battle tank to follow someone as a measure against stalkers, but I knew it was better to be too careful than not careful enough and regret it later.

After I was finished with Ild and Mora, I cast Invisible Demon a third time on myself, in addition to Detect Enemy, and Emergency. I made a mental note to make sure to keep this set of three spells continuously charged and available for the time being.