How a wizard lives 11

Chapter 11- The Request.

Yurik entered the baron’s castle located in the center of the city with the two knights.

The baron’s castle wasn’t heavily guarded, but it wasn’t lax either.

By the time they reached the central part of the castle where the baron was likely to be, the sun had almost set.

The three of them entered the mansion, where hardly any servants were moving around, and walked through a complex corridor.

Lightly armed soldiers were patrolling the corridor at regular intervals.

They arrived at a grand arched door guarded by two armed knights.

Whether they were from the same Iron Cross Knights or not, they exchanged only glances without a word.

“My lord, Sir Louis has arrived.”

“Come in”

The knight carefully opened the door.

The three entered through the open door.

The baron’s office, illuminated by a magic orb, was more modest than expected.

Yurik observed Baron Rebek, thinking he didn’t seem like a particularly extravagant person.

The middle-aged man, who appeared to be around the same age as Yurik’s father, had a sharp demeanor.

As a noble who owned a territory, an air of authority naturally emanated from him.

Yurik stopped in the middle of the room along with the knights.

“We’ve brought the mage.”

Yurik realized it was his turn to introduce himself.

“My name is Yurik, Your Excellency.”

Baron Rebek stared intently at Yurik, scrutinizing him thoroughly.

“You’re much younger than I expected. ……I’ve heard rumors about you. A mage, is it? Is that true?”

“It is.”

“How skilled are you? Be honest.”

“I believe I’m capable enough to protect myself.”

That meant he was a mage who could hold his own.

While martial skills might be different, magic could be mastered even at a young age.

…Even if his skills fell short of expectations, Baron Rebek was in a situation where he needed as many mages as possible.

“What I’m about to tell you, keep it to yourself as much as possible.”

“Understood.”

As it seemed the conversation would be lengthy, Baron Rebek opened a drawer, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

“Not long ago, there were multiple attacks on the road leading south.”

“Attacks… you mean?”

“They were indiscriminate attacks. Caravans, commoners, no one was spared. There were no survivors. So at first, I thought it was bandits. After all, many mercenaries are heading to the southern front these days. Mercenaries can turn into bandits the moment they have a change of heart.”

Yurik listened intently to the baron’s words.

“But the enemy wasn’t bandits. The money and goods were left untouched. No bandit, no matter how focused on human trafficking, would leave valuables behind. So we concluded it was the work of monsters and secretly sent an extermination team.”

The baron took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“But the extermination team was also defeated. The enemy wasn’t just any monster…. It was a demonic beast.”

A demonic beast!

Yurik’s sharp mind raced.

“…It must have come all the way from the front lines. A bird-type demonic beast?”

“That’s right. Being a mage, you figured it out quickly.”

Demonic beasts were on a completely different level from monsters.

Not only were they powerful, but they also possessed high intelligence, and some were even known to use magic to a limited extent.

One of the reasons the demonic race could push humans back with such small numbers was their ability to control these fierce demonic beasts.

“Then you must understand why I called you here and explained in such detail.”

Bird-type demonic beasts were extremely difficult to deal with without magic.

And if the creature could use magic, the difficulty would increase even more.

“If you join the extermination team, there will be four mages. That should be enough to handle a demonic beast…. Can you give me an answer now? Or do you need more time to think?”

Yurik thought for a moment but decided it wasn’t a matter that required much deliberation.

“Then I’ll join.”

He thought it would be good to gain such experience.

Moreover, since his brother’s shop was in this city, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression on the baron.

“I like your decisiveness. The reward won’t disappoint.”

“Thank you.”

After hearing the rest of the details outside, Yurik and the two knights left the baron’s office.

The two men took Yurik to a room used by the baron’s subordinates as an office.

They then placed a contract in front of him.

“If you wish, we can provide an advance payment.”

“That’s alright. I’ll receive it all at once after completing the request. If we defeat the demonic beast, can I receive the payment on the spot? I plan to head south immediately after the request is completed….”

“That’s possible. Then we’ll proceed that way.”

After adding the additional terms, Yurik signed his name on two copies of the contract.

“We depart at dawn three days from now. The gathering point is the south gate.”

“What’s the scale of the team?”

“There are two mercenary groups and six knights. Including you, there will be four mages.”

“Understood.”

The knights escorted Yurik to the outside of the baron’s castle.

“We’ll also be joining the extermination team. See you then, Mr. Yurik.”

They exchanged light farewells and parted ways.

In the now pitch-dark night, Yurik slowly made his way to Luke’s shop.

* * *

Dawn of the departure day.

Yurik finished his preparations and stepped out of the shop’s room.

His older brother Luke, who had woken up early to help him prepare, watched him with a wistful gaze.

“So you’re really leaving.”

“…Yes, it’s time to go, brother.”

The brothers hugged.

Warmth passed between their bodies.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll always pray for you.”

“I’ll be careful. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

“Don’t worry about here. Travel as much as you want and come back.”

“Alright. Then, I’ll really go now. ……Brother, you don’t have to come out. Stay inside. It’s fine.”

“But I should see you off.”

“No. It’ll only make me feel more unsettled. I’ll leave alone. It’s better that way.”

The older brother nodded in understanding.

“Yurik, take care. You must…, you must take care of yourself!”

The younger brother waved to his brother, and the brother waved back.

Goodbye, my beloved brother, my hometown.

Please stay healthy until I return.

mage Yurik wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck and chin and walked down the quiet dawn road.

The deserted streets gave him a strange, dreamlike sensation.

Lost in deep thought as he walked, he soon arrived near the south gate.

The south gate, in contrast to the quiet dawn streets, was bustling with a considerable number of people gathered together.

There were those who appeared to be mercenaries, knights, mages, and even laborers who would handle the menial tasks during the expedition.

“…Are you a rookie?”

“I don’t recognize this face.”

The mercenaries immediately mistook Yurik for a rookie from another mercenary group.

He passed by them and approached the knights.

“Am I late?”

“You’re right on time.”

A line was drawn through Yurik’s name on the list.

After a while, even the slower mercenaries arrived, and the leader of the extermination team stepped forward.

The middle-aged man introduced himself as Thomas Deron, the vice-captain of the Iron Cross Knights.

“You’ve already heard the details from your respective leaders. Given that the enemy is a demonic beast, remember that even a moment of carelessness can cost not only your life but also the lives of those around you. The expedition is expected to take up to ten days. However, I don’t expect it to take that long.”

Team leader Thomas paused briefly and scanned the extermination team.

“If everyone remembers their role, defeating the demonic beast shouldn’t be too difficult. Then, I wish you all good luck. …Let’s depart. Everyone, board the carriages!”

There were five carriages prepared to carry people, each capable of holding up to eight passengers.

With a total of ten mercenaries, there was plenty of space.

Before boarding the carriages, the mages gathered briefly.

Of the three mages besides Yurik, one was from a mercenary group, another was a wandering mage, and the elderly mage was a court mage who served Baron Rebek directly.

The court mage from the baron’s castle introduced himself as Dunmer.

“Are you Yurik?”

“Yes.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen this year.”

“Seventeen….”

Dunmer’s gaze as he scrutinized Yurik’s entire body was somehow unusual.

But he didn’t say anything more and assigned the mages to their respective carriages.

Yurik was assigned to the carriage with the mercenaries and boarded it. The mercenary group consisted of four men and one woman.

“Oh my, the mage has graced us with his presence in this humble place!”

“Let’s get along well during the expedition.”

“Bear with the stench of this brat.”

Yurik smiled amiably and shook hands with them.

When it came to sociability, he was no slouch.

On long and distant journeys, relationships with people were more important than anything else.

The female mercenary, noticing Yurik’s striking looks, grinned widely.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had something nice to look at. It’s been all ugly brats lately.”

“You’re not thinking about your own face, are you?”

“Shut up. What’s wrong with my face? It’s a face that gets me fed, damn it!”

“Hey, brats. The mage is here. What do you think he’ll think?”

“He’ll think we’re idiots.”

They all chuckled lightly.

Shortly after, with a whistle, the carriages passed through the south gate.

The dawn rising from the horizon cast a pale light over the fields.

Yurik’s chest swelled with excitement at the majestic sight.

The convoy of carriages heading south to hunt the demonic beast,

pierced through the dawn, kicking up dust as they went.