I Quit Being a Court Magician Apprentice to Become a Magical Item Craftsman
“Marquis Keisling! It seems the Marshal Emperor has passed away after all.”
“…I see. It’s quite careless to leave behind such a vicious demon…”
A man in a shabby coat, who had burst through the door as if leaping into the room, was bowing to a man sitting at a desk and writing with a pen. The Marquis placed his pen down on the desk and sighed heavily.
“The damage caused by demons in our territory has not been confirmed as of now. It seems to be concentrated in the northern regions.”
A young man standing beside the desk murmured as he looked over a map marked with red symbols. He traced a circle that had been filled in with ink. The filled-in circles indicated towns that had suffered catastrophic damage, while the towns marked with simple circles had experienced partial destruction.
“Five towns have been completely destroyed. Twelve towns have confirmed attacks. The number will likely increase… It might be that we haven’t even been able to confirm the full extent yet.”
“The King of Hell… Did we really manage to summon such a terrifying being?”
“We have no way of confirming that. The high-ranking officials at the castle are all said to have been killed.”
The Marquis responded to the man in the coat. The few survivors, lower-ranked workers from the castle, only spoke of what they had witnessed. They had no way of knowing what had actually happened in the audience chamber. All they knew was that the floor was covered in blood, and that torn and mutilated bodies had been dropped into a red fountain of blood. Those who had witnessed the gruesome scene were so traumatized that they still couldn’t sleep or eat.
The demon who created such hell on Earth was still rampaging through the country.
“Should we strengthen our defenses? We have the military in place to launch a coup if necessary.”
“No… Stirring things up could make it worse. We’ll have to stop the people from leaving their homes unnecessarily and make sure they don’t gather in large buildings. I’ve heard the demons have been targeting such places.”
The young man with the map made the suggestion, but the Marquis shook his head. His exhaustion was evident.
“I want to protect the citizens… But right now, I can barely focus on the issues within my own territory…”
The Marquis placed his elbows on the desk, interlaced his fingers, and rested his forehead on his hands. Even with his eyes closed, the red marks of destruction seemed to haunt his vision.
The feudal lords of the military nation of Tranchelle were all struggling to deal with the situation.
[Switching to the perspective of a certain adventurer]
I’m a B-rank adventurer.
I go to the Adventurers Guild first thing in the morning. If I don’t have any urgent work, I wander around town and grab breakfast at whatever place catches my eye.
One day, I found a man training at a house on the outskirts at dawn.
At first, I thought he was a member of the town’s guards, but it turned out I was wrong. I had seen him a few times with a D-rank badge at the Adventurers Guild. But something felt off. His training didn’t seem like the kind of thing adventurers typically do. Was he an ex-soldier?
Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to strike up a conversation today.
“Good morning. You’re really giving it your all from early, huh?”
“…Good morning. I’ve seen you around a lot. Do you live nearby?”
He seemed to recognize me too.
With that look, he probably knew I didn’t live nearby. What was he trying to figure out? I decided to answer honestly, since I had no particular agenda.
“Not really, I just wander around town a lot. I’m a B-rank adventurer, but I can’t seem to get promoted to A-rank… I’ve been feeling kind of down about it.”
“Rank, huh. For me, a D-rank adventurer, that’s still far out of reach.”
The man sat down on a nearby chair. There was a wooden table with two chairs, each made by splitting a log in half, with the cut side facing up. The chairs were sturdy, and I sat on the opposite side with my feet outside the table.
“You must be working hard every day. I was just curious about what keeps you going.”
“Purpose, huh? I guess the reason for training is just to get stronger, or maintain my condition.”
“What comes after that? Why do you want to get stronger?”
He didn’t seem to be avoiding the question. He appeared to be thinking for a moment, his face slightly playful.
“Well, maybe it’s so I can go fight dragons.”
“That’s quite an ambitious goal.”
That’s quite the statement. As a D-rank, he wouldn’t even be allowed to join a party to hunt lower-class dragons yet. Only C-rank adventurers can take on that kind of job. I’m a B-rank myself, and I’ve participated in a dragon hunt before, though it was a small one. It was big and tough, but I think I could fight it better now.
Once you hit mid-rank, dragons get stronger and start using breath attacks. I’d rather not face that kind of foe if I could help it.
“Ekvar, good work. Are we expecting guests? I brought some drinks—will you be joining us for breakfast?”
A woman with a tray holding glasses emerged from inside the house. She had light purple hair and was wearing a light green dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. She was quite cute and seemed like a pleasant person. Is he living with someone like her? Lucky guy! No wonder he’s so motivated.
“Thank you, Miss Iriya . A drink is plenty for me.”
He said, accepting the tray, and she placed a chilled glass in front of him. Though, he would’ve preferred to get it directly from her.
“Thank you, I’ll have it.”
“Please, take your time.”
When he raised his glass and spoke to her, she turned fully towards him, aligned her fingers, and gave a slow bow before walking away. This wasn’t just some random town girl. This man must be a bodyguard. That explains why he looked like a soldier. There’s no way he’s only at D-rank.
“…You seem to want to say something.”
“You want to show that girl you can defeat a dragon, don’t you?”
He smirked, and the man, who had been carefree just moments ago, now looked glum.
“Did it become that obvious? Somehow, I can’t hide it… from anyone except her, that is.”
“You know, you look at her with such gentle eyes. As for me, I can’t tell whether I’m an enemy or ally in your eyes.”
“My eyes, huh…! That’s something I can’t hide!”
It seems he didn’t realize that. And he didn’t deny whether I’m an enemy or an ally either. He must be keeping a close eye on her for her safety. Could she be a noble’s daughter or something?
As the man rested both elbows on the table and held his temples, he noticed something approaching from the sky.
A man in a dark blue robe. A magician, one capable of flight magic, it seems!
The woman who had served them earlier opened the door to greet him as he landed smoothly in front of the house.
“Master, I have gathered the herbs you requested.”
“Sorry to bother you this early, Sebirino. It could’ve waited.”
“No, I’m happy to be of help!”
He tried to kneel, but she hurriedly stopped him.
Ah, so he’s a respectable magician. And he has such an impressive disciple. Could this man also be a bodyguard, maybe even a noble?
“Well, with such an outstanding man by her side, I guess it’s slim pickings for you. But hey, even if you get rejected, love is love! Do your best!”
“For some reason, everyone talks like I’ll be the one who gets rejected! I don’t think it’ll work out, but can’t you at least give me a little hope?!”
He’s suddenly acting so comical when it comes to her.
“Oh, by the way. The Duchy of Fen is a bit uncertain, but Nizestonya is dangerous, so you should avoid it.”
“Nizestonya? The country that still recognizes slavery?”
That’s the only country around here that still has slavery, so it’s famous for that. But maybe even that is coming to an end soon.
“Yeah, there’s a conflict going on between the slave liberation movement and the government. They’re already under pressure over the slavery issue, and now people are hearing about their failed attempts to mess with the Chenkaslar , so there’s rumors that the people are growing discontented with the government.”
“I see.”
Some adventurers try to make money by going to dangerous areas or searching for high-paying jobs, but it’s wiser to avoid unnecessary risks. If he’s guarding a noble, he probably needs this kind of information about dangerous regions.
“As for the north, it’s peaceful for now. Just be cautious though, as monsters seem to be more active.”
“…Why are you telling me this?”
His expression didn’t change, but it seemed like he was starting to grow suspicious. I thought we were getting along, but he’s one of those who’s full of suspicion.
“As for you, I can’t let such a cute girl be put in danger. Since you’ve been gathering herbs, you must be an item craftsman, right? I thought you might be going on longer trips for gathering or purchasing.”
“You’re right, I do prefer gathering things myself. Thanks, I’ll be careful. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
He really is an item craftsman. From his disciple’s behavior, it looks like he can use quite a bit of magic too. It wouldn’t hurt to return the favor. If I hear any useful information, I should pass it on to him casually.
“Alright, take care. Thanks for the drink.”
He finished his iced tea and stood up to leave.
Today, there weren’t any particularly pressing jobs, so I’ll make sure to train properly. But first, breakfast is in order!
