How a Wizard Lives 18

Chapter 18- Rehinburg.

Yurik woke up.

He was grateful that the ceiling above him was covered in cobwebs, not a starry sky.

After leaving Eldesrosa with a mercenary group escorting the caravan, he had spent ten days in an open field with sparse trees, enduring wind and rain.

While it was fortunate that he had only encountered monsters a handful of times during those ten days, the three days he spent sleeping outdoors in the rain were truly a harrowing experience.

Thankfully, the paved road prevented him from being completely stranded in the storm.

The place he arrived at after such hardships was here, the southern city of Rehinburg

This city, with the Rehin River running through its center, was one of the cradles of civilization that frequently appeared in ancient history.

There were many ancient ruins around the city, and dungeons were discovered here in numbers rivaling the top three on the continent.

It was said that even now, an average of three to four dungeons were discovered each year.

Because of this, there were particularly many explorers here.

Backed by the support of nobles, they ventured into the unknown.

After all, discovering just one dungeon could set them up for life.

Yurik rinsed his mouth with saltwater and opened a small window.

Beyond the tiny window, barely large enough to fit a face, faint sunlight streamed in.

He dabbed a few drops of water on his fingertips to remove the sleep from his eyes, slung his bag over his shoulder, and stepped outside.

Though it was early dawn, the inn’s hall was still bustling with mercenaries.

Truthfully, Yurik had received a considerable reward from the southern branch of the Magic Tower, but after purchasing a high-quality sleeping bag, blankets, drawing paper, three magic books, and a high-grade mana orb, his pockets were nearly empty.

The high-grade mana orb, in particular, had been exorbitantly expensive.

Not that he was completely broke and couldn’t afford a high-end inn, but he couldn’t afford to pour silver coins into a place where he’d only stay for one night and end up penniless.

“I’d rather save that money for future use.”

Yurik ordered a special set meal, wrapped a scarf around himself, and stepped outside the inn.

With each step on the still-damp ground, mud clung stickily to his shoes.

The city was lively from the early morning.

Farmers pulling carts, explorers seeking a fortune, mercenaries heading south… Yurik joined the flow and walked along the main road.

Rehinburg had many ruins worth seeing even within the city.

Yurik delved into the heart of history, referencing history books, drawing, and taking rubbings of inscriptions.

The era he found most fascinating was the Age of Heroes two hundred years ago.

The epics of countless heroes who fought against the demon race and drove them completely from this land.

And Rehinburg was the hometown of many of those heroes.

Yurik sought out the statues commemorating their achievements and meticulously drew them on paper.

By the time he stuffed the papers filled with records, rubbings, and drawings into his bag and looked up at the sky, the sun was already high in the sky.

As Yurik walked along the vast Rehin River, he saw a procession of knights.

He mingled among the spectators clapping and cheering, watching the procession.

“What’s this?”

Yurik asked a portly middle-aged man who looked like he’d give a good answer.

“It’s the lord’s inspection procession. See the one in the middle? That’s him.”

Among the heavily armored knights, a middle-aged man in lavish attire was visible.

……And beside him was a young man a head taller than the knights.

……!

The moment Yurik saw him, cold sweat dripped down his back, and he gulped dryly.

This man’s mana density was as thick as his Master.

His entire body was practically a mass of mana.

“Who’s the one beside him?”

“Ah, that’s the Court Mage.”

But his ears were clearly pointed.

When Yurik narrowed his eyes, the portly man chuckled softly.

“And he’s a demon. Surprised?”

“A demon? You mean…”

“One of the few demons who sided with humanity. As far as I know, he’s been protecting this land for over a hundred and fifty years. Thanks to him, the city is peaceful.”

Yurik hadn’t known that.

It wasn’t written in the history books either.

Just then, the Court Mage, who had been walking straight ahead, slightly turned his eyes to the side.

His gaze met Yurik’s precisely.

And then he passed by.

The procession moved on.

The gathered spectators dispersed in an instant.

Yurik stared at the receding procession for a long time before slowly moving on.

After walking along the river for a while, he arrived at the mercenary guild.

For a long journey, money was ultimately necessary.

Yurik, having to cover all his living expenses himself, realized just how much money was required.

The saying that money disappears the moment you turn around truly hits home.

In front of the three-story building overlooking the Rehin River, a group of rough-looking mercenaries had gathered.

Some were already red-faced and drunk, laughing and talking loudly, while others were flirting with female mercenaries in secluded spots.

The ground was littered with vomit, so he had to be careful where he stepped.

Inside the building, mercenaries looking for work were packed like sardines.

They seemed willing to go anywhere as long as they were paid, even if it meant certain death.

Yurik squeezed in among the smelly mercenaries and waited for a long time.

Though he looked delicate, his height and muscles prevented anyone from picking a fight with him.

Finally, it was Yurik’s turn.

The clerk, who had been dealing with rough and intimidating mercenaries all day, already looked like he wanted to die.

“I’m looking for work.”

As he said this, he pressed his thumb and middle finger together and then pulled them apart, showing a thread of mana to prove he was a mage.

The clerk, who had been wondering where to assign yet another ordinary mercenary, brightened slightly upon seeing this.

Even a mediocre mage was better than nothing.

“Find me the place that pays the most.”

“It’ll be tough.”

Yurik nodded, saying it was fine.

The clerk sitting next to him quickly flipped through a stack of papers.

“How about two gold coins?”

The mercenaries behind him erupted in chaos.

“Some of us risk our lives for three or four silver coins, and this brat gets a few gold coins just for being a mage.”

Of course, Yurik didn’t care.

“I’ll take it.”

Yurik paid two silver coins as a fee.

The clerk scribbled something on a cheap yellow piece of paper and handed it to him.

For illiterate mercenaries, they would verbally explain where to go and whom to meet, but for a mage, that wasn’t necessary.

Of course, there were mages who couldn’t read, but in that case, they would have asked for directions.

Yurik walked through the streets, deciphering the clerk’s terrible handwriting and the rough map.

It seemed to be the location of the employer who had posted the job.

Arriving somewhere in a secluded back alley, Yurik checked the map once more before knocking on a shabby wooden door.

After waiting for a while, just as he was about to knock again, the door creaked open.

Peeking through the gap was a bald man with brown skin.

He frowned, scanning Yurik up and down, and rudely asked why he was here.

“The guild told me to come here.”

When Yurik slightly waved the piece of paper, the bald man cursed and rubbed his face with a thick hand.

“I told them not to send just anyone!”

“I’m a mage.”

“Sure you are.”

The bald man looked at Yurik with displeasure but eventually opened the door wide.

Well, since he had come all this way, there was no choice.

He’d have to show him to the boss.

He’d have to tell the guild not to send people like this.

“…Come in.”

Yurik crumpled the paper in his palm, stuffed it into his pocket, and stepped inside.

The interior was like a home, but aside from furniture, it was mostly empty.

In front of the round table in the living room was another man, contrasting sharply with the bald man, with thick hair, sideburns, and a beard.

His exposed skin was covered in scars.

“This time it’s a kid. Is this for real?”

“How should I know? Anyway, he’s here, so I’ll take him to the boss.”

“How many times is this now? We’re going to get an earful again.”

At that moment, Yurik looked up at the ceiling.

“There’s another mage here…. Is that the boss?”

He was clearly not at the level of a wandering mage.

Someone who had been in the field for at least a decade.

Judging by the intense flow of mana, he seemed to have focused on combat magic.

Of course, what else would a mage in a mercenary group learn besides combat magic?

“There’s no way the guild has any decent recruits left these days.”

When Yurik stared at him, the bald man spoke.

“Yeah, I’m saying this for you to hear, kid. No sense at all.”

The two went up to the second floor.

Yurik checked the barrier magic.

“Is this some kind of test?”

It wasn’t difficult. No… compared to the barrier magic of the southern front, it was nothing.

Yurik let a small amount of mana flow into the flaw of this simple circuit. The barrier instantly collapsed.

Honestly, anyone who had studied circuit or barrier magic even a little would know this.

…Of course, most wandering mages would struggle.

The bald man, who couldn’t sense mana, had no idea what had just happened.

As he was about to knock on the door at the end of the second-floor hallway, a voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

The bald man’s eyes widened slightly.

Every time, he had been turned away at the door, but why had he been allowed in this time?

When they opened the door and entered, a man was sitting at a desk.

With sharp features, he looked to be in his mid-thirties.

“Boss, the guild sent a mage.”

The bald man waited for the boss to give another lecture.

But the boss, who was staring at Yurik, remained silent for a long time.

He just sat there with his hands clasped on the desk, silent for a long while.

“……The guild sent you?”

The boss looked at Yurik as if he were a monster.

He had seen it.

The densely packed, intricate circuits continuously refining mana.

If you were a mage, a mage who could read such things, you could gauge the other’s talent.

No, this was closer to madness.

Madness born of talent.

“I asked for the highest-paying job.”

There was no need for verification.

No, this was beyond what he deserved.

Without hesitation, the boss opened a drawer, pulled out a contract, and slid it toward Yurik.

“I’d rather ask you for a favor.”

…Huh?

The bald man made a foolish sound, looking back and forth between them, wondering what was going on.

There had been no such thing before.

Has the boss ever been this quick to offer a contract? Especially to a mage!

Of course, with the contract being offered so readily, Yurik had no reason to refuse.

With his purse nearly empty, two gold coins were a must.

The handsome mage signed the contract.

Seeing this, the boss immediately revealed what the contract was about.

“We discovered a dungeon not long ago. We’re heading there.”

An ancient mage’s dungeon.

Yurik’s body burned with excitement.