How a Wizard Lives 22

Chapter 22-  Chief Court Mage.

The black sword brought back by the Black Eagle-Owl mercenary group from the dungeon was truly a treasure.

Made of meteoric iron, it was a rare blade.

The appraisal team from the Rehinburg Auction House, the most trusted auction house on the continent, confirmed that it was indeed Tubalu’s sword.

The mercenaries had doubted it at first, but upon confirmation, they eagerly anticipated a hefty bonus.

Tubalu’s sword was sold at the auction house for a staggering 3,700 gold coins.

The estimated price had been under 2,000, but two wealthy collectors, both fond of rare items, sparked a bidding war that drove the price up by over 1,000 gold coins.

Thanks to this, the noblewoman recovered several times her investment after taxes and fees.

It was a remarkable success, one that would be talked about among investors.

Having made a fortune, she generously paid the expedition team double their agreed-upon wages, including bonuses.

Yurik, who was originally supposed to receive two gold coins, ended up with four.

It was a significant sum for a single job.

—

“Have you thought about joining our mercenary group? We’ll pay you a base salary of one gold coin per month, plus separate fees for each mission.”

Leader Lekadi, who had handed Yurik his payment, wanted to formally recruit him.

The leader believed that with this handsome mage on board, he could grow the mercenary group even further.

However, Yurik had no intention of joining the mercenary group.

While dungeon exploration was undoubtedly exciting, he didn’t want to make it his profession.

“I’m sorry. I still have a lot of things I want to do.”

“No need to apologize.”

Though he had made the offer, Lekadi didn’t expect to keep Yurik. His mercenary group was too small to contain such talent.

“Thank you for everything. I’ve learned a lot.”

“We owe you our lives. When the water started rising, I thought it was the end.”

“We were lucky.”

“Luck favors the prepared. If you hadn’t carefully examined the marble statue, that luck wouldn’t have come.”

Yurik shook hands with the leader and left the building.

Now that he had plenty of money to spare, he no longer needed to worry about every penny.

—

“I want to research Mage Titon….”

Yurik stared at his right index finger.

A mass of mana, inexplicable by modern magic, had clearly embedded itself in his finger.

The vivid pain still lingered in his memory.

“It’s probably verbal magic. …This must be Titon’s magic, right?”

He concluded that the dungeon had been created by the ancient mage Titon.

Therefore, the verbal magic embedded in the pedestal must also be Titon’s.

Yurik tried to learn more about the ancient mage Titon, but information was scarce.

After returning from the dungeon, he spent days scouring historical texts but found only brief mentions of Titon.

Hero Titon fought alongside Hero Tubalu to defeat the demons.

He was a great mage.

The biographies of heroes were usually passed down orally before being recorded by historians.

Except for a few, most heroes remained unknown.

Tubalu, who stood beside Titon, was one of the better-documented heroes.

Yurik wandered the city before returning to the inn.

The old innkeeper, wiping a mug, told him someone had come looking for him.

“For me?”

“They came from the castle. They asked me to deliver this to you. You haven’t been causing trouble, have you?”

The innkeeper handed Yurik a sealed envelope.

After downing a mug of beer, Yurik went up to his room and opened the letter.

It was a summons from the court mage’s office at the count’s castle, requesting his presence.

A few days earlier, Yurik had sent rubbings of the tombstone and coffins from the dungeon to the court mage’s office.

He had hoped that this information might help the descendants of the forgotten heroes.

“Is this about the dungeon?”

Since the dungeon contained the remains of heroes, they likely needed related information.

Yurik, of course, intended to comply with the request.

—

The next day, Yurik headed to the count’s castle at dawn.

The security was strict, but fortunately, the court mage’s office quickly issued him a pass.

As an outsider with a temporary pass, he was assigned a guard.

Entering the castle for the first time, Yurik was awed by its splendor and grandeur.

His curiosity as a mage was piqued, wondering how such a structure had been built.

Guided by an attendant, he made his way to the court mage’s office.

“……As expected.”

The air grew denser with mana as he approached the court mage’s office, a gathering place for the city’s most skilled mages.

Among them, he sensed a mana as thick and heavy as the Grand Matron

Its owner was unmistakable.

The court mage.

“This is the place.”

Yurik showed his pass to the guards, who opened the door for him.

The guard from the checkpoint waited outside for him to return.

The court mage’s office resembled a library more than an office.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with countless books and parchments. Some were stacked in corners, having run out of space.

Yurik stepped inside, his feet sinking into the plush carpet.

A court mage sitting at a desk asked why he had come.

Yurik handed over the letter he had received the previous day and explained his purpose.

“I’m the one who sent the rubbings of the heroes’ tombstone and coffins.”

“Ah, I see. Go on in. He’s waiting for you.”

“…He?”

“The court mage.”

—!

Yurik walked further inside.

He knocked twice on the door.

“Come in.”

A deep, resonant voice.

With permission granted, Yurik turned the doorknob and carefully opened the door.

Inside, he saw a man sitting at a desk.

……!

As soon as he entered, a thick, oppressive mana pressed down on him.

The court mage was a demon with mana as dense as the Grand  Matron!

…Just how long had this been accumulating mana within his body?

Yurik did his best to calm his racing heart and closed the door.

He slowly approached the desk, bowed slightly, and introduced himself.

“I’m Yurik. I received a letter yesterday summoning me here.”

Though demons and humans were enemies, this one was an exception.

Just as some humans betrayed humanity, some demons betrayed their kind.

The court mage was one such demon.

The court mage had been staring intently at Yurik since he entered, as if trying to see through every part of him.

“You’re just as I remember. The one who locked eyes with me during the inspection procession.”

Yurik clearly remembered the moment their eyes had met during the procession on his first day in Rehinburg.

“Yes.”

“…You’re an interesting human. Maintaining that state… It’s not a technique granted to just anyone.”

The court mage observed the mana coursing through Yurik’s body, following a specific circuit.

The complexity and length of the circuit were beyond ordinary techniques.

Yurik was forcibly increasing the density of mana within his body, a feat even demons avoided for fear of mana overload.

Yet, this human performed it effortlessly.

The court mage judged him to be an exceptional mage, possessing understanding of circuits, control over mana, and boldness.

“Thank you for the high praise.”

“And… you’ve gained something new since then.”

“…What?”

At that moment, Yurik felt his right index finger grow hot.

He grabbed it with his left hand in surprise.

What’s happening-?

“I never thought I’d see that again.”

The next words made Yurik’s eyes widen.

“It’s Titon’s legacy.”

He had clearly said Titon.

The one Yurik had been searching for.

“How… Do you know that?”

“I saw it a long time ago.”

Yurik tried to calm his finger by drawing in mana, but the heat didn’t subside easily.

Seeing him struggle, the court mage smirked.

He then stood up and gestured for Yurik to sit on the sofa.

As Yurik sat down, the demon took a seat across from him.

“I tried to find information about Titon, but there’s almost nothing left.”

“Mages of that era avoided leaving records. They believed it could become a weakness. Titon was likely the same.”

“Then… Do you know about Mage Titon?”

At this question, the court mage stared at Yurik for a long moment before answering.

“Titon was my human disciple.”