Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

THREE DAYS had passed since our surprise encounter with the Schultz warriors, and since Lade and Reyha had set off on their own separate route. I wondered if they had reached the Holy Precincts by now.

Our path had grown significantly wider. We were already past the Iron Fan mountain range and had moved away from the Twilight Wastelands. The sun was getting hotter. It really was true that climates can be completely different on opposite sides of a mountain. Since yesterday, we’d been walking along the Zesun River, which runs north to south down the middle of the Filsand territory, and I was grateful for the cool air.

I was feeling a bit helpless without Reyha, who always patrolled to make sure things were safe. Not to mention Lade, who was strong enough to take on a thousand men. But thanks to Ted, Clara, and the dwarves all working double-time, we somehow made it through unscathed. Even when we were attacked by a skeleton while stopping for the night, the three recruits standing watch did their job and fought it off without further incident. I didn’t even have to use any of the spells that I’d specifically prepared for encounters with the undead.

If everything continued to go according to plan, we would be able to sleep in beds tonight for the first time in a while.

“Hey, I see it! It’s Bruno Village,” Elisabel cried happily from her perch on the wagon. I squinted my eyes and saw a large village waiting up ahead.

 

***

 

As we got closer, we could see the details of the village more clearly.

Bruno Village was surrounded and protected by high mud walls and empty moats. It looked more like an earthwork fortress than a village, with a large mechanical bow installed on a lookout perch above.

“Bruno Village is actually on the northern border of Filsand,” Elisabel explained. “Of course, most of the enemies they fight here are the undead…” She spoke exactly how the daughter of the ruler should, and her explanation was accurate. But something about it felt off.

“What do we have here?” Clara frowned. She was sitting next to Elisabel atop the wagon. I wanted to know, too.

On either side of the road approaching Bruno—milling around the outskirts of the village—were countless people. They’d pitched makeshift tents and shelters, but it seemed they’d been living here for quite a long time. Judging by their appearance, and the state of their belongings, these people were impoverished.

“These are refugees.” Elisabel stuck to the technically accurate, official explanation, a dark expression on her face.

The village housed not only villagers, but soldiers as well. Elisabel explained the situation further as we headed toward the residence of the Filsand military governor.

“This region is the northernmost foothold of the Velde Kingdom.”

In other words, there was no available land beyond here. To the west stood the Iron Fan mountain range; to the north were the Twilight Wastelands; to the south was the Twisted Wood. None of them were suitable for homes. Furthermore, even nearing the border of the Twilight Wastelands meant risking attacks from the undead.

“The capital of Filsand has grown. It’s thanks to our maritime trade. But that has caused the population to expand beyond the capacity of the land. It’s not just because of natural population growth—people from various countries who lost their homes have gathered here.”

“I heard that even in the Ryuse area, the population has increased due to the lack of daemon outbreaks. Apparently, it’s resulted in food shortages.”

No matter how great a wizard I was, overpopulation was a problem that I was unable to tackle.

“Is it possible that the duke of Filsand’s fighting with the Schultz clan may be part of the cause?” Ild asked Elisabel, a serious look on his face.

The daughter of the duke nodded gravely. “Economically, that’s exactly right. The Hidal Plateau where the Schultz clan lives is not a fruitful land…though it’s better than nothing.”

“Too much prosperity for the people of Filsand, hmm? A good problem to have. So, that means that the duke is working to fulfill his duty as a ruler.” Clara sounded somewhat impressed, but this time the daughter of the duke shook her head.

“My father doesn’t have any such intentions. He only does things for his own personal benefit.”

 

***

 

The meeting with the commander of the soldiers governing Bruno Village went about as well as could be expected.

At the very least, as the apparent fiancé to the princess, I couldn’t very well pass through without paying my respects. Anyway, I wasn’t here on holiday. I’d come to negotiate as the lord of Castle Getaeus. I introduced myself to the commander and was able to rent out all (or I should say both) of the rooms in the nicest inn in the village without any problems.

Understandably, my companions, especially Clara, were not in particularly good moods.

“Unbelievable! That commander! He clearly just despises Margilus!” Clara flopped down on the sofa in the guest room with such force I thought she’d punch a hole in it.

“Yeah…he did ask how Elisabel and I got to know each other…”

“Despicable!” Even Ild sounded irritated.

“It’s infuriating.” Ted and the new recruits were also complaining. Even the dwarves seemed on the verge of a rampage.

To make a long story short, the commander and soldiers had treated me like a lecherous middle-aged man who’d made advances on a young girl, all to weasel my way into a position as son-in-law of the duke. I was starting to feel glad that Reyha wasn’t with us—for the sake of the commander, of course.

“Ah, umm… I’m very sorry, everyone. Lord Margilus, it’s my fault…” Elisabel lowered her eyes and apologized, looking completely dejected. It wasn’t really her fault…well, maybe it was. But anyway, I wasn’t dumb enough to blame her. Besides, it was nothing compared to the abuse I’d suffered from my colleagues back when I was working full-time in an office.

“This is really no big deal. I’m the one who agreed to this engagement strategy as your ally. Don’t even worry about it.”

“Thank you very much,” Elisabel said softly. “Are all wizards as nice as you, Lord Margilus?”

“Huh? Well, uh, I suppose…”

“Oh, shut up,” Clara griped good-naturedly. “There is a such thing as too nice, you know. Could you please consider all the distress I put myself through getting angry on your behalf? You’re going to give me wrinkles between my eyebrows.” It seemed she was feeling a little better after the exchange between Elisabel and me. She was laughing when she mentioned her “distress.”

I found myself smiling. “Now that is a real problem. I at least can afford to get a few more wrinkles. I’ll try and get a little bit angry myself, next time.”

“Oi, Sacco, ye hear that? Don’t mess up the next grub shift! They’ll turn ya into a hog!”

“Ugh!”

“Hah hah! When you turn into a pig, Sacco, make sure it’s a delicious one!”

“Wah ha ha!”

Ted and the recruits did their best to liven the atmosphere. Feivel and the dwarves were cracking up along with them, and soon, everyone else had joined in on the fun.

 

***

 

There was a riverboat route from Bruno Village to Filsand. There were no passenger ships, but our group was traveling with the daughter of the duke and her fiancé. We were able to charter a top quality boat through the same commander that everyone had been complaining about.

We were even able to load the dwarf wagon on board. Despite the ship’s heavy load, it sailed smoothly down the river.

“It’s possible that my father isn’t even thinking about my brother Agveil or me,” Elisabel suddenly murmured, leaning on the side of the boat, her pigtails fluttering in the river breeze.

“Is that so?”

“The only thing on my father’s mind right now, Lord Margilus, is you.”

“Me? Does he want to trade?”

“That’s probably one reason…” Elisabel shook her head, chuckling a little. “It’s your terrifying ‘wizardry,’ Lord Margilus. I am sure that he will do anything to get ahold of it.” There was confidence in Elisabel’s voice.

“Hmmm…” I had never tried to hide my existence or identity in Relis City or Axeholm. It was natural to think that the duke would have at least heard rumors about me. Most importantly, Adad and the other Filsand knights had gone back home before us and would have told them all the details about the magic they’d seen.

“I know that, but think about it.” Clara came up and joined our conversation. She peered down the river as she continued with her thought. “First of all, wouldn’t he be cautious about whether or not his daughter was conned by someone angling to take over the duke’s fortune and power?”

“That would be the normal course of thought.”

“I’m sure he’s being cautious and considering all the angles.”

However, we were getting close to Filsand now, and the duke hadn’t tried to approach us at all. The commander of Bruno Village didn’t seem to have any instructions from him, either.

When I mentioned that, Elisabel replied immediately. “My father is probably planning to see your magic in action firsthand. So…please make sure to be especially careful in Filsand—or rather, at the Stalwart Castle.”

 

***

 

About a three-day walk from the capital of Filsand and the Stalwart Castle stood a sudden and steep plateau. This was the Hidal Plateau, a barren land that looked like it was made by stacking weathered rocks. There were about three thousand members of the Schultz clan living behind the Hidal Plateau…ever since being driven out of Filsand. They called their hidden village the Holy Precincts, but the name didn’t make the land any more fruitful. The people there lived off of plants that could grow in dry climates and livestock that could be raised in rocky lands.

Farther south along the plateau was the Twisted Wood, where beasts and monsters prowled, so the duke of Filsand had never really been interested in invading. Although it wasn’t only lack of motive that kept the Filsand armed forces away. The Schultz clan had built a fortress at the entrance to the Hidal Plateau. This fortress blocked the only valley providing access to the plateau, and the brave warriors who guarded its walls had fought off countless attacks.

However, over the past few years, instead of working as a shield for the Holy Precincts, it had worked as a base for staging attacks on villages and caravans in Filsand territory. The duke had sent his daughter to Axeholm to procure siege weapons because he had grown impatient with the situation.

There was, however, a shortcut to the Holy Precincts that avoided the fortress by traveling through caves on the outskirts of the plateau.

“Ugh… Agh… I thought I wouldn’t make it…”

“Hff… Hff…”

“I-I think my body is going to fall apart right here.”

Naturally, only the Schultz warriors knew about this shortcut. That’s right: It was Warmaster Diane and her subordinates, newly returned to the Holy Precincts by means of Geo’s Forced March magic. However, when they got to the exit of the shortcut, everyone collapsed from extreme fatigue.

Only the phantom horse was breathing normally. It gave a snort.

“Hah, ugh…that jerk said ‘severe exhaustion.’ This is ten times worse than ‘severe’…” Lade, warchief of the warrior clan, sat down on the ground, not bothering to remove his strange-looking armor. He struggled to control his breathing. They were all suffering from the side effects of the Forced March spell, which had allowed them to move at multiple times their normal speed.

“Huff…hoo…it hurts… Oh, lord…”

Just one person, the dark elf, was acting as if the effects were no big deal. She seemed almost to be in a trance, but since no one even had the energy to look in her direction, it didn’t cause any problems.

The hellish pain lasted for half a day (give or take), and soon, night fell.

“I’m going inside to take the lay of the land,” said Reyha. “You all wait here and behave yourselves.”

There was silence.

“Got it, Miss Reyha.”

The shortcut was in a corner of the rocky mountains that surrounded the narrow plains hosting the Holy Precincts. From there, they could see a village lined with impoverished houses, proving that the Holy Precincts didn’t quite live up to their name. The stone temple in the center of the village stood out strongest. The Holy Precincts had first been established when the Schultz clan was driven to the Hidal Plateau and had discovered the remains of this ancient temple. There, they’d decided to found their settlement.

Reyha soon blended in with the darkness of night.

 

***

 

The Stalwart Castle was the residence of the duke of Filsand. We had to disembark the riverboat at the Filsand port and hoof it from there.

I had only passed through so far, but Filsand certainly did appear to be incredibly lively and prosperous. Elisabel had mentioned that the population was approximately twenty thousand people. It was similar in size to Relis City, but Filsand was far more cosmopolitan in terms of the diversity of species and cultures. That was clearly thanks to the exchanges it conducted with so many other countries through maritime trade. I saw many people from the east and south of different species, wearing clothes completely different from those found around Ryuse.

“Did you get a load of that girl dancing in the square?”

“I won’t betray Keena! She’s definitely waiting for me back at the village…”

Ted and the young recruits were excited. I mean, I guess it was sort of—ah, who am I kidding? This was totally a vacation for them.

“Well, this place…it’s better than I imagined. I saw spices being sold at terrifyingly low prices back there.” Even Ild was excited.

“There really is a lot going on in this town. It’s not exactly elegant…but there is a sense of artistry to it all.”

It reminds me of Shinjuku or Akihabara…

In a way, it felt a bit like a holiday for all of us.

Outside of the large city gate around Filsand were even more refugees, living in tents just like they had outside of Bruno. They didn’t seem so poor that people were dying of starvation, but it was clear that the country was far from universally prosperous.

Regardless of whether or not he was evil, the ability to build and maintain such a flourishing capital did prove that the duke of Filsand was a competent ruler. Of course, there were the issues of the growing population of refugees and the war with the Schultz clan, but I was well aware that there wasn’t a single kingdom in the world, let alone Sedia, without its own problems.

 

***

 

The peninsula stretched out as if to protect Filsand Bay. At the apex of that peninsula was the Stalwart Castle, residence of the duke of Filsand.

The altitude of the peninsula grew higher the farther it stretched from the mainland, so from the castle we could see the entire town. It was probably true that the Schultz clan had built this city hundreds of years ago. Although the castle was large, its walls and buildings showed clear signs of age. Trading ships frequently came in and out of the port, and we could see the caravans that came and went through the main gate.

“Mana Shield, Fly, Emergency, and Invincibility.” I was checking the defense spells that I’d cast on myself and my allies when Clara poked me from behind.

“Hey. Look up ahead there.”

“Hmmm…” I stopped short just before the moat that surrounded the castle wall, ringing the Stalwart Castle.

There was a small gate with a defensive tower right in front of us. On the other side of the moat was a drawbridge, but it was, of course, drawn.

“You there! Are you Geo Margilus, lord of Castle Getaeus?!” A soldier who seemed like a lookout called to me from the top of the tower. Maybe they’d heard about what I looked like from Adad or some other source. It didn’t sound too confrontational, and his voice was respectful enough.

“Odd…”

“What do you make of this, Mister Margilus?” Ild asked.

“There’s no sense in playing dumb now. You may as well answer.” I nodded in response to Ild’s question. I learned from Clara not to start responding to people ranked lower than me right away.

“That’s right! This is the lord of Castle Getaeus, the Great Wizard Geo Margilus and his companions! We are accompanied by Feivel of House Rimron, messenger from Axeholm. We request audience with Duke Darmund of Filsand!”

“Understood! Please wait a moment!” The soldier answered Ild’s stately declaration without hesitation. The drawbridge started moving immediately. Judging by the quick reaction, the soldier had already been issued instructions from the duke in advance.

While we waited for the slowly lowering drawbridge, which was wide enough for three horses to walk side by side, I continued to check the defense spells that I’d cast on Elisabel and Feivel. I guess this will do for now…

This time, I had also prepared my ESP Medal up the sleeve of my robe. This was an item I wanted to save for hostile opponents, but considering our current situation, I needed all the information I could get.

The drawbridge finally made it all the way down with a weighty thud. The gate behind it was, of course, open. We stood there for a moment.

“Let’s get on with it then, shall we?”

“Understood.”

“I’m ready.”

As second-ranked after me at Castle Getaeus, Ild took the lead. I walked behind him. Elisabel walked next to me, and Clara stood behind to guard our backs. After that were Ted and the three new recruits, then Feivel and the dwarf warriors.

I was a bit uneasy without Reyha, who could spot any trap or surprise attack, not to mention Lade, who could easily fend off those attacks…but that just meant I needed to step up and protect everyone myself.

“Please be careful. I’m not certain how exactly my father plans to test you,” Elisabel whispered to me. Honestly, I could never tell what she was thinking.

 

***

 

After passing through the castle gate, we came to a courtyard.

The first thing I noticed was the heavily armed soldiers who lined both sides of the path. There must have been at least three hundred of them. They all sported lightweight black equipment. By my reckoning, about half were infantry, while the other half were archers. The entire time we were walking, I didn’t hear so much as a cough out of any of them; they stood at attention the entire time. They must have been extremely disciplined.

The black keep stood tall before us. Each of its four corners sported a defensive tower, and the sharp-angled architecture was intimidating. A terrace protruded from the large doors on the second floor and a wide staircase led down to the courtyard.

The line of soldiers seemed to naturally form a path to the keep. Looking even farther ahead, I could make out the shapes of several people waiting on the terrace. They were surely subordinates of the duke of Filsand.

“I don’t know what kind of man he is, but this isn’t exactly a warm welcome for his daughter’s fiancé, nor the lord of a castle requesting trade.” Ild gulped.

The soldiers on either side of us were really intimidating. I felt exactly the same way.

“You don’t think…is my father going to use his military on Margilus?” Even Elisabel’s red eyes were open wide in surprise. Was he trying to kill me or test me? I wasn’t sure at this point.

Clara spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. “In a way, this is perfectly suitable for welcoming Margilus, at least initially. If he wants to stand a chance against us, he’ll need at least this much preparation.”

I looked back without thinking to see Clara’s inappropriate smile.

This woman again… Could she be a goddess?

 

***

 

I gripped my Staff of Wizardry and walked confidently.

Ild and Ted were also standing taller than usual. Even the dwarves were humming to themselves. We were very conscious of the endless lines of soldiers on either side of us until we finally reached the bottom of the staircase in front of the castle tower.

Once we got that close, we could clearly see what kind of person awaited us on the terrace.

The man in the center, draped all in black, was definitely the duke of Filsand. His dignified aura and penetrating stare were different from everyone else’s. By his side stood a beautiful woman with somewhat revealing clothing, a man in a red robe, an elderly fellow with white hair, and a young man with black hair.

Elisabel whispered to me that the beautiful woman was the duke’s first wife, Alaine; the man in the red robe was Nathan, the court sorcerer; the elderly man was Prime Minister Juzell; and the young man was the duke’s second-born son, Agveil.

According to the Sense of the Adept spell that I’d cast earlier, the duke was a Human Male, Age 43, equivalent to a Level 15 D&B Warrior. At least now I understood why he was considered so strong. I could also see that the court sorcerer equaled a Level 10 Magic User, and the beautiful woman was a Level 7 Magic User. Incidentally, the Detect Enemy spell that I’d also cast in advance was showing three enemies, and they did not include the duke or the court sorcerer.

“Welcome to Filsand. I am Darmund, lord of Filsand,” The black-armored man in the center addressed us with a loud voice. When he waved his hand slightly, the soldiers lined up on either side of us responded.

“We salute the Great Wizard Geo Margilus!” They hit the ground with their weapons in unison and each placed a hand upon their chests. It looked like he wasn’t planning on suddenly attacking us with all these soldiers.

As I gazed at them, my mind wandering, Clara poked me in the back again. Sorry again… Since the duke of Filsand had gone out of his way to introduce himself first, I was the one who had to speak to him.

“I am Geo Margilus, wizard and lord of Castle Getaeus. Allow me to express my gratitude for your taking the time to see me.” I looked up at the duke of Filsand and bowed ever so slightly by drawing in my chin. This type of greeting is only allowed between aristocrats of equal status. The prime minister and duchess had displeased looks on their faces, but the duke didn’t seem to mind.

“Now, Margilus. There is much I would like to discuss with you…but I hope to address one or two matters right away. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. What seems to be the issue?”

The duke turned his black eyes to the person next to me. Elisabel’s pigtails were quivering. “Elisabel. You have placed your bet on this wizard. Do you stand by that wager?”

I gritted my teeth.

Elisabel clenched the silver staff in her hand and looked up at her father with her red eyes. “Yes, Father. Lord Geo Margilus is worthy of entrusting with my life.”

Well, she certainly thought highly of me. I wonder when her opinion rose so much. In any case, I’m sure she had her own opinion about everything. Her eyes harbored a power that I never would have imagined when we first met.

“Heh…”

The duke of Filsand stroked his chin, seemingly amused. Perhaps he had already realized that the engagement was merely a temporary expedience. In contrast, his wife and the prime minister were clearly mocking her. Only Agveil’s face looked pale. I sensed that only he and the duke trusted Elisabel’s intelligence. They were probably thinking that their sister (or daughter) would never rely this much on a scammer or a common sorcerer.

“I understand clearly,” the duke said as he turned his gaze to me. While I found myself wishing he’d share a few more words with his daughter, he put his hand on the longsword at his hip and slowly drew it. It was probably a magical sword. Even I, who wasn’t supposed to be able to perceive the magical powers of this world, could clearly make out the glimmering shine surrounding the weapon.

“Now, Margilus. You need only convince me of one thing: Do you possess sufficient power to take my treasured daughter from me?”

“You mean, in a duel?” On the inside I was astonished that he might be telling me to defeat him if I wanted his daughter, but that wasn’t something I needed to worry about. The duke pointed to the soldiers with his magic sword, and they cleanly parted down the center. Two shadows appeared between them.

“Yes, a duel. It seems my daughter has grown unexpectedly popular. There are others who wish to challenge you to deadly combat, with my daughter as the prize.”

One of the young men was a strong-looking, brown-skinned fellow. He was clad in black armor and held a long spear in his hand. At a glance, I could tell he was relatively handsome. According to my Sense of the Adept, he was a Human Male, Age 23, Level 12 Warrior.

The other was a giant of a man, pale-skinned, towering at two meters tall. He had heavy chains wrapped all around his entire body in lieu of armor. His weapon was a long-handled, double-edged axe. Human Male, Age 35, Level 10 Warrior. He looked so ferocious that I doubted the spell’s assessment that he was human.

When Elisabel saw the two opponents, she choked down a little scream in the back of her throat.

“That young warrior is captain of the duke’s guard. He’s the strongest warrior in Filsand, besides my father. The other is a war thrall—a battle slave. He’s already killed dozens of rebels and enemy soldiers. The captain is a big enough challenge, but they sent him, too…?”

The duke of Filsand lifted his chin a bit higher. The court sorcerer next to him shrugged his shoulders and then came down the stairs.

“The red robe he wears symbolizes that he is a sorcerer of the Faction of the Blessed,” Clara informed me. “Their school believes that sorcery is nothing but a tool to make humans rich.” I remembered Clara was part of the Faction of Conquerors, whose members viewed sorcery primarily as a means to fight against daemons. The various sorcery factions didn’t really seem so different to me in practice, though.

“So, there you have it,” the duke said, spreading his hands apart. “I do apologize, Margilus, but I’ll need you to duel with all who would seek my daughter’s hand.”

It seemed Elisabel only had three suitors so far. I finally understood. Just as Elisabel had said, the duke would confirm my strength in this duel. Since he presented them as her suitors, and I presented myself as her fiancé, there was no way I could refuse or criticize him. How clever.

“I accept.”

I hadn’t exactly been expecting a duel, but I had prepared for the worst-case scenario, which would be the entire army attacking us.

They probably weren’t expecting me to respond so quickly—the prime minister and his wife looked surprised, at least. The duke himself just grinned, looking thoroughly amused.

“Geo Margilus, the mighty wizard. I look forward to seeing all your strengths.”