“Hah… I want to know the lottery results soon.”
I am Baraha, the Head Mage of the Defense City of Zador Toshe in the Chenkaslar Kingdom. Right now, I am in the city’s magical book specialty shop.
Recently, a new book project was announced.
It’s a new book on creating magical items by Sevillino Osa Arens, the court mage of the magic kingdom of Egdualum and a rising author of magical books.
And it’s about “The Basic Way to Make Advanced Potions,” which is a book that’s hard to tell if it’s for beginners or advanced users. There aren’t many books about advanced potions among magical items books. And to make it even more exciting, it’s by the author of those precise and detailed magical books.
This book has to have something significant for those who already know how to make potions!
I want it! It seems like the commander of the town, Lanvarto, applied too. Maybe one of us will win. That guy can’t even make magical items. He’s the type who collects every book from authors he likes.
It started as a simple reservation system, but due to an unexpected amount of interest, it turned into a lottery.
Even though I know there’s nothing I can do by just being in the magical bookshop, I can’t help but feel anxious and end up walking around. While moving in front of the shelves, I thought maybe I would look for some magical books.
Then, suddenly, the door was thrown open roughly, and a man entered, walking briskly. He looked to be in his forties. Wearing a navy-blue robe, he was a man I hadn’t seen around here. His attire looked expensive, so he must be a noble.
“Excuse me, is the shopkeeper here? I’m looking for the person who sent this letter…”
The man thrust the letter at the female clerk at the counter.
He seemed suspicious. I decided to observe a little more closely, moving to a position where I could watch the exchange.
“…This is certainly the letter we received… Is it from Kurohondou? I can’t say for sure about the sender, though…”
“Any small clue will do. What did they look like? Where did they come from…?”
His questioning tone made the clerk bow her head in apology.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything to explain…”
“Just remember anything! I need you to tell me what you know…!”
The man raised his voice at the clerk, who was responding as politely as she could despite her confusion.
It really looked like he was threatening her…
“…Hey, buddy, the clerk looks scared. Maybe you should calm down a bit? Also, trying to ask about someone without even introducing yourself, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
I spoke up in dismay, but surprisingly, the man murmured, “You’re right,” and took a more humble stance.
I totally thought he was going to argue! I was planning on putting him off on Lanvarto, the military commander.
“You’re right,” he said. “I got a bit too hasty…”
He then removed the hood of his robe to reveal short, dark blue-purple hair and bowed politely, placing his hand on his chest.
“I apologize. My name is Sevillino Osa Arens. I am looking for the woman who sent this letter after reading my magical books.”
Sevillino Osa Arens!!! The real one!? Or… is it really him??
“Ah, Arens-sama, is it really you…!?” The clerk repeated his name in shock. I mean, it’s hard to believe, given how far away Egdualum is, and who would expect the court mage himself to come here?
“Hmm, you wouldn’t believe me without proof, would you?” he said.
But that’s not what I meant! He showed a golden badge, the kind that’s given to court mages of Egdualum.
What a high-status ID!
“…I’m sorry. Although you’ve shown me proof, I have no information about the person who wrote the letter…” The clerk bowed even more deeply, shrinking further in embarrassment. She probably felt even worse after seeing the badge.
“I see… It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. I’ve troubled you,” he said, and just as he was about to leave, the door opened and another man entered.
It was Lanvarto Heegstet, the military commander of this town.
“Is something wrong? Why are you with Baraha?”
After hearing the whole story, Lanvarto also exclaimed, “Sevillino Osa Arens… the real one!?”
He was clearly moved.
However, since Arens-sama was about to leave, the letter was being tucked away into his bag when, suddenly…
“…That’s Iriya ’s letter, isn’t it?”
At the mention of that name, Arens turned abruptly to Lanvarto.
“You know Iriya -sama!? Perhaps you have information about her whereabouts?!”
“…She lives in the town of Lenant…”
Lanvarto, caught off guard by the sudden intensity, took a step back.
So the person he was looking for was Iriya ! And the energy he’s showing… What kind of relationship do they have!?
“For now, let’s leave the shop before we cause trouble…”
I was getting excited too. Lanvarto’s suggestion made perfect sense.
Since we were already preparing to go to the royal capital, we decided to stop by Lenant with him. We’d finally be able to talk more! Awesome!
We were on horseback, and he summoned a Kirin, something I had never seen before!
It looked like a giant deer, but its body was thicker, with a face like a dragon and hooves like a cow. It had a single horn, and its fur had a yellowish tint. It was a strange creature, and it even floated a little bit.
The three knights accompanying us watched the Kirin in awe.
“By the way, what’s your relationship with her?” Lanvarto asked while riding his horse, looking up at the Kirin since it was larger.
“We were former colleagues,” Arens replied.
“Former… colleagues!?” Lanvarto exclaimed. If she was a colleague of a court mage, then she must be…
“She was an apprentice, but she was a more skilled mage than anyone. Those days of training together are dear to me,” Arens said with a gentle smile, his eyes narrowing as if remembering fondly.
It seemed like they had a very close relationship. I guess he was lost in the memories, as he went silent after that.
By the way, how amazing is she!? To have been an apprentice court mage in Egdualum at such a young age!!
“Lanvarto-sama, up ahead…!” one of the knights ahead of us called out, reporting something blocking our path.
It was a Minotaur. A strong magical beast with the body of a man and the head of a bull, holding an axe and walking on two legs!
“I’ll take care of it.”
Silently, the Kirin moved forward, and Arens-sama began chanting.
“Light, flare up fiercely and reveal your existence. Let the thunderous roar of a hundred lightning bolts resound, burn with a golden glow! Bestow upon my palm the lightning of the thunderclap! Strike and pierce with thunderlight! Fael Tonbe La Foodle!”
With a smooth and flowing chant, it was clear that he was quite experienced with this lightning magic. A roar echoed as lightning shot from his hand, striking the Minotaur, and blinding white light crackled and exploded around it.
The Minotaur let out a scream and fell, unmoving after that.
“Incredible. Not only did he keep riding without slowing down, but he also increased his speed while casting magic!”
Come to think of it, he was also a specialist in monster extermination…!
Later that night, we camped out. I left the watch duties to the knights and spent the evening talking about magic with Arens-sama.
He was very serious, listening intently to my questions and giving thoughtful answers. It seemed that this kind of attitude was what allowed him to truly delve into things.
I brought up the topic of the newly introduced lottery system for the advanced potion book.
Many adventurers couldn’t afford expensive potions, so it would be great if people could make good quality potions and spread them widely, lowering the prices. He mentioned that he wanted to ensure everyone who hoped for it could get a copy, but it was frustrating that he couldn’t make it happen just by his own wishes.
After all, there were people who would be troubled if the prices dropped too much. It was a difficult issue.
The next day, there were no significant monster appearances, and we only passed a few adventurers and merchants along the way. We spent the night in a town called Tenatite.
Finally, we arrived at Lenant. Well, it was one of our destinations, but it felt a bit sad to part ways with Sevillion Osa Arens-sama here.
We entered the town, passing by the line at the gate, and, under Lanvarto’s guidance, headed for Iriya ’s house.
We parted ways with the other three knights here and agreed to meet up again tomorrow to head to the royal capital.
Her house was quite spacious. After knocking on the door, Iriya appeared, wearing a one-piece dress and a white cardigan, with light purple hair and purple eyes.
“Lanvarto-sama, Baraha-sama… And…”
Her gaze was fixed on Arens-sama, who was standing behind us. She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide in disbelief as though she had seen something impossible.
“ Sevillion-dono…”
“Iriya -dono… No, wait…”
Arens-sama suddenly took a few steps forward, and for some reason, he knelt down on one knee!
He placed one hand on the raised knee and the other on the ground, bowing deeply.
“I’m so glad you’re safe! It’s an honor to see your face, my master!”
Whaaat?! What’s going on!?
He was so dignified just a moment ago, right?!
And Iriya looks completely shocked too! Is this some kind of prank? A surprise or something…!?
