Chapter 65

“Allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Jinoru Knighthardt.”

“Humbled to meet the renowned Lord Jinoru. It is an honor.”

At my words, Jinoru asked without giving much of a response.

“I hear you were part of the Brance Army before coming here.”

“Yes.”

“The rumors of the miracle at the Northern Fortress by the ‘White-Haired Mage,’ have even reached my ears. I would like to confirm if this refers to you.”

‘…Ah.’

What?

I was all jittery thinking he’d ask something like, “Do you still think raw intellect is unbeatable?” since it was Lin who had me executed and Jinoru who questioned my strength.

Though worlds apart, such clichés do happen, right?

Anyway, unless there’s no reason not to answer…

I slowly nodded and replied.

“Yes, that’s how I’m known.”

“In that case, there’s another question I must ask.”

“What is it?”

“Whether or not you are truly a mage.”

Jinoru stared straight into my eyes as he asked,

“Is it true that the ‘miracle’ everyone talks about was indeed some form of magic?”

Huh?

Why’s he asking this?

Does knowing I’m a mage matter to him?

If it’s important enough to have Lord Yuri keep me here temporarily, it must be significant from his perspective.

Initially, there were no known mages on the continent.

Since I didn’t perform typical magic but instead did something nonsensical like praying, it wasn’t easy to label me as a mage outright.

Still, Jinoru seemed convinced that mages exist.

So how should I respond?

While I can’t fully read his mind, reasoning based on what I know is possible.

Jinoru has some connection with Reika from not too long ago since they share the same surname.

Considering Reika, as I knew her, had no surname, it’s highly likely Jinoru adopted her.

You need to adopt someone to pass on a surname.

Understanding this, Jinoru’s certainty about mages starts making sense.

Reika was destined to become a great mage. If Jinoru took her in despite her being an orphan, it could only be because…

‘He recognized her talent or at least her potential to become a mage.’

Jinoru is exceptionally intelligent.

Even though 99% of his predictions failed leading to his beheading, characters with intellect stats maxed out at 99 were extremely rare in this game.

Especially since they mostly appeared later in the story; Jinoru might be the only one around now.

That’s why I kept grinding despite respawning near Serpina territory.

In contrast to my reincarnated self, Jinoru is a real person breathing in this world.

It wouldn’t be strange to assume his intelligence stat translated into real brainpower.

Thus, while I don’t know exactly how, deducing that he recognized Reika’s talent isn’t far-fetched.

Back to the original question.

Why is he asking if I’m a mage?

From Jinoru’s point of view…

If I say “No,” that’s the end of it. He might just shrug and say, “Oh well,” or something along the lines of “Even without magic, accomplishing such feats is impressive.”

But if I say “Yes”?

Wouldn’t he seek advice regarding Reika?

Since Reika hasn’t yet awakened her powers, if I’m a mage, he’d surely have many questions.

‘So this must be the right answer.’

However, lying isn’t an option.

Lies get exposed easily.

I’m not a mage. I lack the ability to freely wield magic.

Yet forming a connection with Reika is crucial for the future.

I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

Then my response should be…

“A mage… if that’s what you call it, then perhaps… but…”

I deliberately left my sentence hanging.

“I’m unsure if calling me a proper mage is accurate.”

“What do you mean?”

With utmost seriousness, I replied,

“To put it simply… it might be hard for you to understand, but I can read the energy of the heavens.”

I explained as convincingly as possible while leaving subtle hints for someone with prior ‘knowledge’ to infer.

“There’s… something floating in the air. The more I meditate with my eyes closed, the stronger I feel it. By reading this energy, I can draw out something indescribable… Though, the more I use it, the more drained I feel.”

“Hmm…”

Jinoru listened intently.

I was explaining the concept of ‘mana’ without naming it.

Though mana hadn’t been discovered in this era, Jinoru, who oversees Reika, must have some vague understanding of it.

So, I was subtly guiding him to make his own assumptions.

Whether he takes the bait or not doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t be wise to seem too eager.

“Using this… I pray to the heavens for blessings. Whether this can be called magic, I’m not sure. Mages don’t really exist, do they?”

“What about the rituals you performed?”

“For some reason, doing this makes me feel more connected to the heavens and clears my mind.”

Of course, it’s all nonsense.

But given the results I’ve achieved – “A meteor fell from the sky” – this nonsense would sound auspicious to him.

Without utilizing this misconception, my chances of survival relying solely on predictions would be bleak.

“Hmm…”

Jinoru closed his eyes in thought before finally speaking.

“Seems like you’re indeed a mage.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes… though I’m not entirely certain.”

“Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you inquire about this?”

Jinoru glanced at Yuri.

Yuri slowly nodded.

And finally, I got my answer.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor?”

“Let me be honest since you’ve been honest with me… Mages do exist.”

“!!”

Upon hearing that, I conjured up the image of Irene in her underwear in my mind.

Sorry, Irene, but that was the most shocked I’ve been since arriving in this world.

Naturally, my face betrayed my surprise.

“But she’s still young, so her powers haven’t fully awakened yet. From what I gather, you’ve already begun to perceive this power. Otherwise, opening the way to the heavens and causing miracles would be impossible.”

“In that case…”

“I’d like you to keep an eye on the mage. That is, I’d like you to become her mentor.”

Great.

Looks like he took the bait.

Still, it’d be better to pretend to deliberate rather than jumping at the offer immediately.

“To be a mentor? However, using this ability seems to shorten my lifespan, so I rarely use it. Moreover, I don’t consider myself a mage, so I doubt I’ll be of much practical help…”

“No, the power you sense definitely exists. I’m confident it will aid that child.”

“…Alright.”

I reluctantly nodded and said,

“I’ll meet her, but I can’t guarantee proper guidance.”

“That’ll do.”

As Jinoru finished speaking, Yuri’s voice rang out.

“Swoen, keep this conversation secret from others. Not even Irene should know. And since I haven’t assigned you any special tasks, when you’re free, helping Jinoru would be appreciated.”

Setting me up as a teacher while freeing up my schedule?

This arrangement works perfectly for me.

“Understood.”

I nodded.

With that, I finally left the Audience Chamber of Falaharte Castle.

* * *

After Swoen left,

Jinoru and Yuri were quietly conversing.

“It seems he genuinely perceives mana.”

“Is that so? Then Swoen really is a mage?”

“…Actually, there are some puzzling aspects. He doesn’t quite fit the description of a typical mage from ancient texts. But since those records are merely accounts from the past and nobody has actually seen one, it’s unclear how reliable they are… In my opinion, he’s likely sensing ‘mana’ but hasn’t fully realized it himself.”

“Hmm, sounds complicated. I’m not that smart, so if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed the girl was a mage either.”

“Don’t worry, my lord. Magic is powerful. For our small nation of Aishias to conquer this continent, the power of a mage is indispensable. I’ll ensure Reika grows into a helpful mage before my time runs out.”

“Hmm, don’t overexert yourself. Even without magic, the Aishias Army built by me and my comrades can surely achieve unification, right? Oh, yeah…”

She said that and then covered her mouth with her hand, laughing happily.

“If Swoen truly turns out to be a helpful mage, having him as a son-in-law wouldn’t be bad, would it?”

“A son-in-law?”

“Yeah. Hmm, would Irene dislike it? Still, a man can have multiple wives.”

Leaving the amused Yuri behind, Jinoru fell into thought.

There’s no stronger connection than incorporating him into the family.

‘But if he truly is a mage… it might be wiser to remain cautious rather than fully trusting him.’

Our current ally Swoen is technically a traitor who betrayed his former lord, Lin Brance.

Granted, Lin wasn’t exactly an ideal ruler and paled in comparison to our current lord Yuri in many ways…

‘…For now, I’ll extract everything useful from him and focus on developing Reka.’

True to Jinoru’s sharp intellect, he was planning to utilize Swoen to the fullest.

If that proves impossible, marrying Reka to him to keep him under our influence remains an option.

The wise advisor’s mind was rapidly strategizing.

* * *

“Swen.”

“Irene.”

As soon as I exited the castle gates, Irene was waiting for me as expected.

Her presence made me finally feel like I was back where I belonged.

“What did you talk about?”

“Explaining it in detail would be difficult. My new lord requested confidentiality. However, if you’re curious, I can provide an explanation…”

This wasn’t just anyone – it was Irene.

I didn’t particularly want to hide anything from her.

But upon hearing my words, Irene shook her head decisively.

“No, if he wants it kept secret, it’s fine. I might accidentally reveal that I know something without realizing it. I’m not perfect, after all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Swen, I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

She smiled at me.

Beautiful.

Stupidly, I found myself staring at her smile and thinking that.

“…By the way, what task were you assigned, Lady Irene?”

At my question, she grinned and replied.

“Training the soldiers. It seems all the usual trainers are preparing for war.”

“Ah, I see…”

They must be reorganizing the Charan and Alepel Armies.

Given their absence, there’s probably no one better suited to train soldiers than Irene.

Unless Lin intentionally excluded her, Yuri had no reason to bypass her.

“Good to hear you’ve been given a task.”

“Mhmm.”

She nodded cheerfully with a satisfied smile.

Being given a task after being intentionally excluded from everything must be a joyous occasion for her.

Seeing her smile, I didn’t regret betraying the Brance Army one bit.

To me, Irene was more important than the Brance Army.

That remains unchanged here.

Right.

Until the Lunarien Army rises, I’ll make protecting her smile my purpose.

With that resolve, I walked home alongside her.

* * *

A few days later.

Standing before the grand mansion’s entrance I’d visited once before.

Arriving on time, a servant seemingly waiting for me greeted me promptly.

“Are you Sir Swoen?”

“Yes.”

The servant bowed deeply to me and slowly opened the door, saying,

“Lord Jinoru awaits you. Please follow me this way.”