Chapter 56
One week.
Yes, I’ve been granted a one-week reprieve before being dispatched to Valleland.
Veteran mages will cherish this time to refine their spells, buy new robes or accessories, or prepare grimoires.
…As for me, you ask?
First, I’m trying to shake off the shock.
“…”
Valleland.
This place is unequivocally the worst in this wretched medieval era.
The Sword Saint Party, having discovered traces of the Grand Marshal Maltiel, led a large force to invade the land of ‘Valleland,’ where Maltiel’s stronghold was located.
Rex, the Flame School’s strongest mage, Bel Artura, and Astellara’s Holy Maiden, Gridia, known for her powerful healing abilities that saved countless lives on the brink of death, were the two leading heroes.
Backed by an elite force of 20,000 soldiers, each with skills surpassing that of Rex, this mission appeared flawless—until the unexpected variables hit.
“Who would’ve thought that three Grand Marshals would come to his aid?”
Recognizing that his position was compromised, Maltiel had set a trap in Valleland beforehand.
Due to this, Bel and Holy Maiden Gridia’s army was ambushed by four Grand Marshals the moment they set foot in Valleland.
Mutants crawled from the ground, and others rained down from the sky.
On the first day alone, they lost half of their infantry.
Despite sustaining catastrophic damage from the unexpected coordination of Grand Marshals, the soldiers, led by the two heroes, dug trenches and held their ground.
The Grand Marshals then withdrew their mutants with mocking smirks, taunting the soldiers who were already struggling just to maintain the current front lines and couldn’t possibly chase them.
Thus, a horrific localized battle began.
The Grand Marshals, having tasted success with their ambush, hid themselves across Valleland, sending mutants to gnaw away at the Sword Saint Party and troops.
Of the 20,000 who ventured into that land, only 4,000 remained.
Yet, with four Grand Marshals revealed, retreating was out of the question.
Valleland now resembled a living hell—a place where sanity and lives were being ground to dust in meaningless skirmishes.
“…”
Blobs of mutants attack incessantly. Soldiers, fueled by rage and without rest or food, swing their swords and shields in front of me.
“Ah, I really don’t want to go there…”
The word “desertion” seriously crosses my mind.
There’s no way I can survive in a battlefield with four Grand Marshals as things stand now.
But even if I were to flee, how far could I really go? In this wretched body of mine, I’d likely collapse from exhaustion before even leaving the capital.
And even if I somehow managed to escape the capital unnoticed, that brings another problem.
The Marauders would surely recognize I’ve gone rogue and hunt me down to kill me. I resist for a mere five minutes before my magic runs out, and I pass out.
When I wake up next, my body will be grotesquely mutated.
“Haha, fuck, I’m screwed.”
Eventually, the only choice left for me is to head to Valleland. Once there, I’ll follow behind Bel and Gridia and fight the Grand Marshals.
…No matter how I think about it, this option seems just as insane.
“Let’s think positively.”
Isn’t playing Russian roulette with an automatic pistol more reasonable than with a revolver?
Desertion equals certain death, and going to Valleland is a “slightly more survivable act of suicide,” with the slimmest possibility of surviving. If I have to choose one, the latter is more rational.
If I have to draw a metaphor, it’s like hanging oneself with a rope that’s been lying in a warehouse for about 20 years.
I pray the rope breaks while I put my head in the loop.
“…”
Knock knock.
I sigh, my head pressed against the desk, and hear a faint knock that would go unnoticed if I didn’t focus.
“Yes… I’m here…”
There’s only one person who knocks like this around me. I answer without lifting my head from the desk.
“Uh… Mr. Bin?”
Lir soon entered the room and looked at me, slumped over the desk, with a somewhat worried expression.
Unlike her usual attire, completely covered in robes and a hat, she was wearing a plain white dress today without any lace or decoration. There were signs of amateurish repairs on parts of the dress, probably because she had ripped off the flashy decorations herself.
Considering her introverted personality, simple and unadorned clothing suits her much better than fancy dresses that draw attention.
“…Why do you look so down?”
She wore a floppy hat made of the same fabric as the dress. The gold hair peeking out from under the white hat and her snowy skin made her look even more elegant and sophisticated.
Lir’s appearance was such that she could easily be mistaken for a well-cared-for noble daughter.
Under normal circumstances, I might’ve complimented how well she suits this. But… I’m not in the mood for that now.
I feel like a pig heading to the slaughterhouse.
“Why am I like this? Because next week I’m getting dragged off to the battlefield.”
“Still, you seem unusually lifeless. You’ve always quietly carried out tasks until now.”
“…”
The reason I went on expeditions to the dragon’s nest or Achilipthus Forest without complaint—or even volunteered—wasn’t due to any soldier-like sense of duty.
It was because there were definite rewards.
The red gem would enhance my lackluster melee abilities, and the elemental blessing would boost both my high stats and survival skills.
In an era where people die every day, having the ability to protect oneself is a major advantage.
But Valleland? There’s nothing there.
The only thing is the drop material for the rangers’ ultimate bow, but that’s it. Magic instructors don’t even set foot in this region.
No matter how you look at it, there’s no reason for me as a mage to step on the perilous land of Valleland.
“It’s just an order, so what can I do about it? Still, I’m a soldier.”
Lir gently patted the back of my head as I slowly lifted it from the desk while talking.
…It felt unpleasant, like being comforted by a cousin sister.
“You’re awfully calm about going into a living hell.”
“Whatever, Mr. Bin’s there, so I assume he’ll figure something out.”
“That’s easy for you to say. We’re heading into a living hell.”
With a 99% probability, Lir will suffer more than me.
Would she feel differently if she realized at this late stage that I can only use one spell?
Would she tense up a little if she knew the truth—that I might just blow everything up?
“Doesn’t matter, whether it’s hell or somewhere else. I trust that you’ll find a way, Mr. Bin.”
“That’s quite a burden.”
Lir gently tapped my forehead with her palm and chuckled lightly. Her weak force caused my head to tilt forward slightly and then return to its place repeatedly.
“Well, speaking of which, let’s go downtown together. You slept all day yesterday.”
“…So you have something to buy?”
“Yeah, I do, but we need to eat too.”
Why is she so calm? Does she have some hidden ace up her sleeve? Can I really trust her so much as to be this calm?
Unless she can make her hair stand on end or shoot beams from her palms, it’s hard to see how she can remain this calm in our situation.
“…Alright, then. I might as well stop sulking around anyway.”
I got up from my seat, threw on a jacket over my cotton t-shirt and pants. It was a jacket made of sheepskin. Thanks to the craftsmanship of the dwarves, it was lightweight enough to not strain my slender shoulders.
Lir didn’t stop tapping my forehead with her hand even as I stood up and put on my coat. A faint melody accompanied her movements, suggesting she was in high spirits.
At this point, I’m starting to suspect she’s not just calm but actually losing her mind.
“Where’re we going?”
I asked while brushing her hand tapping furiously on my head.
“…?”
She stopped humming as her wrist was caught in my hand. Her forehead furrowed instantly.
“…what, you can’t tap my head?!…”
“Something about you finding a solution…”
“Wait, so you actually forgot? The meal you promised to buy me?”
It felt like a cold wind blew through Lir’s face. I felt chills down my spine and goosebumps on my arms and legs rise.
…I stepped back a pace and politely released her wrist, unsure why I seemed to have promised her anything.
What did I promise her a meal?
When?
“…”
“…”
For 3 seconds, a short, cold, heavy silence hung in the air. The most oppressive silence in my life.
“Ahhh, of course I remember. Why are you glaring at me?”
I need to survive!…
Right now, my survival instinct, weak as it is, is screaming louder than ever.
“When did you promise to buy me a meal?”
Lir, checking me up and down with a suspicious gaze, asked a question that cut to the heart of the matter.
…I’m hearing the sound of Chu’s army from every side. My mouth is dry, I’m sweating cold, my breathing is irregular, and I can feel my pupils quivering.
“Isn’t it a bit hurtful asking this? Testing the trust between us,”
“GAHHH…!”
Lir’s delicate finger caught and pulled my cheek.
“Ah! It really hurts! Wait a second! Ya, ya!”
I thought my skin was being torn off by her strong grip.
Elves, being a race specialized as rangers, have strength in their thumb and index finger used to draw bows that’s two to three times stronger than that of a regular human.
But I didn’t expect to feel it like this…
“Ah! I remember! I remember!”
I need to survive first!
“Again, you’re lying!”
An Elf like Lir has sharp eyes, capable of instantly detecting falsehoods based on pupil movements.
This is bad.
There’s no way out.
…
Lir never told me when, exactly, I promised to buy her a meal.
Based on her expression and tone, I think it’s not completely fabricated… but still, it would be nice if she reminded me when this supposedly happened.
Regardless, the carriage carrying Lir and me finally arrived in the bustling district after a long ride.
She didn’t say a word during the carriage ride.
I thought she was upset, but the moment we arrived and smelled the fragrances of bread and coffee wafting through the air, her sharp edge quickly softened.
“What would you like?”
“I don’t mind anything.”
“Then coffee and bread?”
“I’d like a place that also serves tea. Coffee doesn’t suit me.”
I’ve never tasted coffee with this body, but I’m sure drinking it would induce caffeine shock.
Seriously, I could die from caffeine shock.
I’d rather not become a shocking headline like: “Top-tier genius mage dies of heart attack after drinking coffee…shocking!”
“Also, I don’t really know this area so well. Didn’t Mr. Bin plan to look around?”
While muttering this, she glanced around at the shop signs and menus.
“What kind of bread would you like? The white bread here is quite popular.”
“That’s boring. I eat that every morning! Since we’re here, I’d like to try something new.”
“How about corn bread?”
“It doesn’t really appeal to me?”
“Then let’s think about something else instead of bread? What about that place over there? They serve noodles made from wheat flour. The owner is a dwarf, so the skills are guaranteed…”
“Flour isn’t good for my body.”
“…Isn’t bread also made from flour?”
“Anyway, it’s not good for my body.”
“But you said anything is fine.”
Lir stared at me as if she genuinely wanted to rip off my cheeks.
“I meant anything you’d like.”
Isn’t “anything” commonly understood in this context to mean “anything that appeals to you?” It feels odd that I have to clarify this to her.
…Damn, the gap in common knowledge between the medieval and modern eras strikes again.
“Then, go ask the people walking around what’s good in this area.”
“Lir can ask and come back. I’ll pay, though.”
“How can I talk to strangers… Mr. Bin really says strange things.”
“…?”
If it’s odd for me to talk to strangers, why isn’t it odd for you?
“Alright, fine. I’ve got a place I’d like to check out too. While I look for the best food around here, you can come with me there.”
“Where to?”
“A musical instrument shop.”
Since last time I got caught in unexpected chaos, I didn’t manage to visit the musical instrument shop. I’m determined to change that this time.
Over the past two months, I’ve been working hard to increase my stats and pretending to be a genius, and I’ve accumulated quite a bit of stress.
Even geniuses need leisure time and entertainment, don’t they?
With this body that can neither smoke, drink, nor enjoy coffee, music is the only form of entertainment left.
“I’ll go then, just hurry, I’m hungry.”
“Hungry? It’s barely past eleven in the morning… You didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”
“….”
Instead of answering, Lir furrowed her brows and placed her thumb and index finger on my cheek.
“No, wait… Why? What’s wrong…?”
Ignoring my urgent voice, she tightened her grip on my cheek.
“Ah! Ah! Why! Can you at least explain before pulling?”
She focused on pulling my cheek without a word, despite my anguished cries.
The bystanders, seeing her attire, dismissed it as the common sight of a noble tormenting a commoner, paying little attention.
…What a miserable era this is.
