Chapter 23: Choosing a Side

I quietly inquired about where the battle would take place soonest and found the location.

It was a territorial war between the First Prince and the Second Prince, happening about three days away by horse.

This was a war between the Duke Krukd’s domain, aligned with the First Prince, and the Duke Ivok’s domain, aligned with the Second Prince. The battle was set to begin in a week.

These two territories had been in conflict since before the Londinium Civil War.

The reason was that a gold mine had been discovered right in the mountain between the two domains.

Although the gold mine was found ten years ago, the fight over ownership had continued ever since.

With the civil war overlapping, the conflict had only intensified.

“Alright, now the question is which side to take.”

The crucial decision now lay before me.

Which territory to choose.

“It’s a really important choice.”

It was indeed a very tough situation.

Depending on which territory I sided with, the rewards and safety would vary.

That’s why I began my investigation.

Of course, I didn’t do it alone—Jenny also helped, gathering as much information as possible about both domains.

The military strengths I found were as follows.

The Krukd Dukedom, supporting the First Prince, had 10 knights, 200 cavalry, and a total of 1,000 soldiers.

The Ivok Dukedom, backing the Second Prince, had 12 knights, 150 cavalry, and 1,200 soldiers.

Both sides had nearly equal forces, and until the battle actually started, it was impossible to tell who would prevail.

Because of this, the territorial war had captured the world’s attention.

I mulled over which territory to choose.

“Where should I go?”

I asked Jenny.

“Huh? Master, are you saying you want to participate in this war now?”

Jenny seemed to have thought I was only gathering information out of curiosity, not that I intended to join.

“Of course I have to participate. For me, that place is nothing but a gold mine. It’s full of experience points, good for leveling up skills, and I can make money. It’s like striking gold.”

“It’s too dangerous. Why not join a caravan or accept Arnold’s proposal instead?”

She was worried about me.

“It’s fine. I can get out safely enough.”

I reassured her.

No, I had no intention of joining as an ordinary mercenary.

For safety, I would support from behind as a Mage, casting Magic.

Even if the enemy came close, I had the Blink skill to get away without issue.

I was confident I could escape without trouble.

“I just have to pick the right side.”

The outcome of this territorial war would affect my fortune.

Contrary to expectations of equal power, the Ivok Dukedom, aligned with the Second Prince, held a slight advantage.

Since the troop numbers were similar, both lords were desperately seeking Mages.

Currently, each domain had three Mages.

It was already remarkable that they had found even that many.

Mages had no interest in investing in meaningless territorial wars.

They only cared about improving their Circles or doing research.

Most of the Mages who did participate were wanderers registered in the Magic Tower or mercenaries who had accidentally awakened magical abilities.

That’s why I planned to register as a Mage.

“All right, I’ll go with the Ivok Dukedom.”

I found the place where they were gathering troops in the Ivok domain.

And boldly declared that I would join as a Mage.

“Territorial war, huh? You’re obviously a spy. Get out of here!”

I was coldly turned away.

It was no surprise since my Mercenary Badge was just a regular one and I had no proof I was a Mage.

Being treated like a liar was only natural.

They probably wouldn’t believe me even if I used the Three-Circle Magic Fireball—I’d be mistaken for a one-Circle Fire Bolt user at best.

“Damn… I’ll show them I came from the Magic Tower.”

The fastest way to solve this was obviously to register as a Mage at the Magic Tower.

Of course, one or two Circle Mages couldn’t register at the Magic Tower.

Only those with three Circles or more could.

But in my case, it would be a surprise to them.

I would show them Three-Circle Magic with only one Circle of Mana.

And with a strict, very short casting time.

So, I headed to the Magic Tower.

The moment I entered, a notification popped up before my eyes.

-You have entered the Magic Tower for the first time.

-Achievement ‘One Who Entered the Mage Tower’ acquired.

-An achievement that raises all stats by one has appeared.

Just by entering the Magic Tower, I became stronger once more.

“What brings you here?”

Inside the tower stood a middle-aged man.

He seemed bothered by my presence, as if he had nothing better to do.

“I want to register at the Magic Tower.”

“Hmph! No luck.”

He immediately dismissed me.

He probably assumed I was just a one-Circle Mage like any other.

Without saying more, I decided to show him my Magic personally.

“Fireball.”

He had been smirking during my chant, but his mouth dropped at the sight of the formed Fireball.

“I know. I have only one Circle of mana but can use three-Circle Magic. I suppose I have innate talent.”

He said nothing more.

Instead, he hurriedly ran somewhere and disappeared.

He reappeared shortly with another man.

“You? The one who claims to manifest three Circles of power with only one Circle.”

“Yes, Fireball.”

I showed the Magic again.

The man named Redward looked at me with curious eyes.

“I am Redward, the lord of this Magic Tower. What do you seek?”

He asked with curiosity, but I simply said I wanted a Mage Registration Certificate.

“Of course, I can issue it. But your mana is truly one Circle, yet you use three-Circle Magic. The question is what rank I should grant you.”

I pondered how to persuade this stubborn tower lord.

But unlike my worries, Redward soon handed me a Mage Registration Certificate.

As a Three-Circle Mage, no less.

“Just consider it an old man’s whim.”

I sensed there was more to it, but Redward simply left without another word.

As I took the certificate into my hands, another notification appeared.

-You are now registered as a Mage of the Magic Tower.

-Achievement ‘Mage Tower’s Mage’ acquired.

-Circle development complete.

-Current Circle: One Circle.

-Circle fluctuates according to the number of times Magic is used.

-It increases with proficiency.

“Ugh.”

I let out a bitter sigh.

Not only had I gotten a hint about the Circle system, but I finally understood what was going on.

‘Even if it’s simple, these little joys are why I play this game.’

I smiled faintly, recalling when I had first been madly absorbed in this world.

Then I stared long at the back of the Magic Tower lord as he walked away.

No kindness is ever without reason.

It felt too suspicious.

Having received the certificate, I went outside.

I had to register for the territorial war to participate, so registration was my priority over lingering doubts.

Instead of returning to the Ivok Dukedom where I’d been turned away, I headed to the Krukd Dukedom.

I had no desire to face rejection again.

Besides, the mercenaries there were not naive.

If any trouble arose, the Mercenary Guild would immediately intervene.

I just had to survive.

“Welcome.”

Unlike the previous place, the atmosphere changed once I showed the Mage Registration Certificate.

In the reception room, I was treated with respect, even offered a carriage to use and asked when I could join their forces.

They even showed goodwill to support me.

But strangely, there was no talk about money.

“So, how much will you pay?”

I asked bluntly.

The most important matter was the bribe.

He hesitated.

“Base pay will probably be 10 gold. There will be additional rewards if we win, and pay may decrease if we lose.”

He gave examples of both scenarios but didn’t state exact figures.

Still, a base of 10 gold seemed enough, yet strangely felt a bit stingy.

Compared to caravans that took dozens of days, it was definitely a good amount.

I must have shown a sour expression because he carefully considered every action.

I thought there was no point in getting angry or pressing him further.

So I agreed roughly and left.

Since it would take about three days by horse, resting two days before departure was enough.

The transport they offered was a caravan wagon, but I figured riding Toma would be better.

So I left that place and moved with Jenny.

***

I returned to the Magic Tower to buy Magicbooks.

Buying them there was cheaper than at regular shops.

‘Let’s buy a few focused on offensive Magic.’

In the end, I picked two Magicbooks.

One was [Fire Burst], which causes an explosion within a set area.

The other was [Rock Burst], which forms a rock and throws it, detonating on impact.

Together, they cost 5 gold after a heavy discount.

After leaving the Magic Tower, I decided to invest the remaining 5 gold not on myself but on Jenny.

The investment was none other than armor.

“This girl needs armor that fits her.”

The blacksmith asked for the budget.

I said 5 gold.

He nodded and brought leather pants and a leather top, followed by a steel piece.

“It’s called Half Armor, a light armor that doesn’t cover the whole body but protects mainly the chest and back. It suits agile people well.”

He had clearly assessed Jenny and brought something fitting.

The leather armor was all high quality.

The value was worth the 5 gold.

I looked at Jenny with satisfaction.

She moved around, trying to adjust to the new armor, unsure if she was fully comfortable yet.

A slight smile played on her face, as if she felt more at ease.

We left the blacksmith.

Everything that could be prepared right away was done.

Now all that remained was the day of battle.

On that day, I would keep as safe as possible, act like everyone else, and survive.

“That’s the hard part, though.”

It would be difficult.

Since Jenny was registered as my guard, she wouldn’t have to fight outside like other mercenaries.

She just had to stay by my side and protect me.

With her good equipment, she could endure well.

I would help her train in swordsmanship a little.

In any case, I found the first goal of my noble path—to quickly level up and make money.

I took Jenny and rode the carriage out of the city, heading toward the Krukd Dukedom.