Chapter 125

Chapter 125

#125. Encounter at the Demon Den (2)

“Hmm? Did Yulkaneis mistake me for a dragon because of some Great One business?”

After hearing Yulkaneis’ telepathic message, I desperately tried not to let my bewilderment show on my face.

“Ugh… So Yulkaneis isn’t a dragon then.”

The only thing I gained from that telepathy was the knowledge that Yulkaneis isn’t a dragon.

“If Yulkaneis were a dragon, they would’ve instantly known whether I’m kin or not upon seeing me.”

He’s just an extremely lucky Grand Magus who got full support from the Empire, with great talent and great ideas.

“Not even I, a relic from the Silver Age, ever got to see a dragon.”

Dragons definitely exist in this world.

But they disappeared along with the fall of the Golden Age long ago.

At least here in the Arcadia Continent, they’re nowhere to be seen.

According to legend, it’s because the first Pope of the Holy Age made a non-aggression pact with the Dragon Lord.

“Anyway, I’m being mistaken for a dragon now? By an 8th Circle Grand Magus no less.”

Being misidentified as a dragon is quite the rare occurrence.

“The problem is, I can’t use telepathy right now…”

While Yulkaneis can easily use telepathy as a high-level mage, I’m only 2nd Circle so I need a magic tool to do it.

“Hmm… Let’s see… I did make a ring that enables telepathy and put it in my spatial bag before…”

I subtly slipped my right hand into my spatial bag while trying to buy time with my expressions and head movements.

[Huh?]

When I didn’t immediately respond telepathically, Yulkaneis tilted his head in confusion.

“I can’t let this rare opportunity for misdirection go to waste. But!”

My mind was racing as I watched the 8th Circle Grand Magus fully entering the setup.

“Let’s think… How can I take advantage of this misunderstanding?”

Meanwhile, the people around us silently observed the silent exchange between Yulkaneis and me.

They had already figured out we were communicating via telepathy (though it was more like Yulkaneis talking and me listening), so nobody dared to interrupt our tense silence.

“There!”

I finally secretly took something out with my right hand and put it on my index finger.

It was a magic tool in the form of a ring that enabled telepathy.

It’s extremely expensive and becomes a normal ring after using up its limited number of telepathy activations, but I had to use it in this situation.

[Not a dragon.]

As soon as I put on the ring, I quickly sent a telepathic message to Yulkaneis.

[Did you just use that ring you just equipped to send telepathy? That should require at least 4th Circle magic to use in such a small ring, right?]

Yulkaneis immediately noticed how I managed to send telepathy.

[That’s correct.]

[Is that so? Could you possibly be older than you look?]

[Well, yes.]

It’s not a lie. As Jin Yu-seong from Earth, I’m at least a generation older than this body of Arad I’m currently inhabiting.

[Even so, you couldn’t possibly be older than me unless you’re a dragon or an elf…]

[Yep, I was born much earlier.]

Since this telepathy ring has a limited number of uses, I had to keep my responses short.

It was incredibly frustrating.

[Born much earlier…]

Yulkaneis didn’t seem too surprised by my response.

Instead of suspecting the limitations of the telepathy ring, he seemed to accept it as part of the mysterious aura.

[Your magical power is pitifully weak, almost cursed, yet your enchanting and alchemy skills surpass mine. You suddenly appeared in the North one day claiming to be from much earlier times…]

As expected of a Grand Magus, he could mumble through telepathy requiring high concentration.

I nodded mysteriously at his muttering.

[Could it be… An ancient human from the Golden Age?!]

[I won’t deny it.]

And thus Yulkaneis took the bait I threw.

“I can’t keep hiding the source of my magical knowledge forever.”

Actually, this turned out pretty well. The number of people getting curious about my knowledge and true identity has been increasing lately anyway.

The adventurer background everyone knows about isn’t believed even by passing dogs these days.

So far, things have been quiet thanks to my title above Viscount, but there’s a good chance of unexpected situations like this one with Yulkaneis happening soon.

I decided it was necessary to give myself a proper revamp now.

“That’s impossible!” Yulkaneis exclaimed in surprise.

“No matter how great the Golden Age was, temporal barriers lasting thousands of years are impossible!”

“Why is it impossible? Didn’t you guys do it too? Deep within this Magic Realm back then.”

When he spoke out loud, I seized the opportunity to reply.

“It was extremely taxing for us too! It nearly bankrupted both the Mage Tower and the royal treasury!”

“Dare you compare my era to the present?”

“Really? Hmm… If it really was the Golden Age…”

Our conversation in voices drew the natural attention of Valkyrie and the others nearby.

“What’s going on? They’re not reacting as surprised as I thought they would.”

The priests seemed fairly shocked, but Valkyrie, the knights, and the magicians acted like they’ve known all along.

“Could it be… This impromptu setup I just created was already…”

My eyes widened slightly at this unexpected realization.

“So that’s why they never questioned my past as much as it seemed strange. They all had their own assumptions.”

Being a Northern sorcerer of Eastern descent who used to be an adventurer seems less believable than being an ancient person from the Golden Age whose seal was broken.

“Much better than being some random production master character who got transmigrated from Earth into a game world.”

I chuckled to myself while continuing to deal with Yulkaneis.

“Still, considering actual time lived, I fall far short compared to you, Lord Yulkaneis. From now on, I will address you respectfully again.”

“Such an honor.”

Despite my change in attitude, Yulkaneis regained his calmness as if it didn’t matter at all and asked via telepathy.

[Are there others like you?]

[Probably not.]

[Why is that?]

[Because even in our time, it was nearly impossible.]

[Nearly impossible, you say?]

[It happened due to a series of coincidences in my case.]

[Is that so? What a pity.]

By now, the telepathy count on my ring has already decreased by thirty percent.

“I need to conserve my words!”

Unaware of my predicament, Yulkaneis looked excited like someone on the path of magic.

[An ancient person! Someone who actually lived during the glorious Golden Age! The imperial archaeologists would have seizures if they heard about this.]

[That’s why I haven’t revealed it.]

[I understand. They wouldn’t have believed it anyway.]

Here’s why I chose to pull this ancient person act among many possible setups in front of Yulkaneis.

“In this current Arcadia Continent, the Golden Age is perceived as an ideal utopia. Especially for those on the path of magic, the Golden Age represents truth and answers.”

Although the Imperial Church and the Theocratic Church call it an age of arrogance and sin,

For mages across the north, empire, and kingdom alliances, the Golden Age is the beacon of truth.

In Earth terms, it’s Atlantis, Utopia, and the Yao-Shun era combined.

“It must feel like Confucius or Mencius’ ancestor descending before scholars educated in Neo-Confucianism during the Joseon Dynasty.”

Ancient Golden Age magi are considered sages themselves regardless of circle level to those on the path of magic.

Considering my accomplishments so far, there’s a good chance Yulkaneis sees me as a grand senior or grandmaster.

“Come to think of it, witches were surprisingly obedient to me recently. Was this setup the reason?”

Thinking I had established a proper superior-inferior relationship, I suddenly noticed Yulkaneis opening his mouth with a perplexed look.

[Then why did you ask about the reason for killing those children earlier, oh great ancient one?]

Correction. The superior-inferior relationship hasn’t been determined yet.

This meticulous old man doesn’t seem willing to easily fall for it.

[If there’s a personality issue, they can be reformed through brainwashing.]

“I can do it! I can do it! There’s quite a bit of Golden Age information in my head! Not only the advanced knowledge of today, but also future archaeological information that hasn’t been discovered yet!”

But it’s too early to give up. I continued the act as best as I could while pretending to be ancient.

[Excluding personality when wielding great power. No wonder you fell due to arrogance and sin.]

[What are you talking about? We reform through brainwashing!]

And thus my efforts gradually bore fruit.

[Would you consider coming to the Empire?]

[No.]

[Why stay hidden in this northern region instead of coming to the Empire?]

[Because I’m from the Tactical School.]

[Tactical School? Ah… You mean one of the groups of ancients who settled in the north during the late Golden Age.]

[That’s correct. We’re different from those who settled here in the Magic Realm.]

As a production master character, I had quite detailed knowledge related to ancient times in my head.

Some of it is unique information known only to me, while others are advanced information that someone like Yulkaneis might know.

The Tactical School I mentioned just now is ancient history knowledge that Yulkaneis probably knows roughly about.

[What does being from the Tactical School have to do with staying in the north?]

[The northerners are direct descendants of the school I belonged to.]

[You care more because they’re descendants?]

Wanting to conserve telepathy as much as possible, I nodded in response.

[Was the space-time seal from fighting the Nephilim during the initial migration?]

[Something like that.]

[Something like that…?]

The Tactical School was a group of ancient technologists who settled in the north with the Nephilim during the late Golden Age.

They lost to the Nephilim school during the initial migration and were eventually absorbed into the Naturalist school.

Yulkaneis seems to roughly know about this part.

I used this knowledge to weave my setup story.

[What’s with that pathetic 2nd Circle magical power despite being from the glorious Golden Age?]

Yulkaneis’ golden eyes scanned my heart as he lit up.

Since he’s around 8th Circle, he probably can assess someone like me who’s only 2nd Circle without contact.

Though it was extremely rude, I decided to let it slide given the situation.

[Tactical School was a gathering of technicians. Though their circle levels were low, they were mainly excellent magi engineers with great intellect and manual dexterity.]

[That’s fascinating. Our Mage Tower in the Empire should reference that.]

Damn, I gave away something good unintentionally.

Regardless of my inner sigh, Yulkaneis continued his questioning like an interrogation.

[Then why were you sealed?]

[We who had lost aimed to prevent the complete loss of knowledge. That’s why I was chosen. I knew the most about magi engineering.]

[Ha! Sealing a person whole to preserve the great knowledge of a great era?]

Yulkaneis’ reaction was filled with admiration.

[That’s right. I was essentially a human time capsule and mummy.]

Encouraged by his reaction, I acted out a bitter expression.

“If only my luck stat would kick in here, it might work out somehow.”

If done well, I could tame the continent’s greatest Grand Magus. If done well.

[Of course, the comrades who sealed me back then probably didn’t expect me to be sealed for this long.]

[Oh~, was that it? That’s amazing! Truly an incredible Golden Age!]

[?]

However, as I continued interacting with him, his reactions felt somewhat artificial and unfamiliar.

“Is he genuinely amazed? Or pretending to be amazed?”

Feels like watching a grandfather humoring and playing along with a story made up by his grandchild.

[What a fascinating story. However…]

“However?”

[Do you expect me to believe that?]

“…”

Sure enough, Yulkaneis wasn’t buying the story I hastily concocted.

No matter how high this body’s luck stat is, it couldn’t save me this time.

“My telepathy ring is completely drained!”

To make matters worse, the magic stone enabling telepathy in the ring I’ve been using so far has worn out completely.