I headed straight to the tavern with Lone.
Somehow, it felt like Butler Apel was shouting, “Training!”, but I gracefully ignored him.
Training is important, sure, but this is much more urgent.
Duke Helpion gave me a deadline of one month.
I had already spent three weeks waiting for Lone, so in reality, there were only about ten days left.
That meant I had to make the most of every opportunity while I could.
It was still early afternoon, but the tavern was already packed with warriors who had started drinking.
“Hey, the Sage is here!”
“You left without a word last time. Are you here for a beer rematch today?”
“Hah, so that wimp is the Sage? Hey! Let’s bet my mace and have a beer contest!”
Lone seemed a bit overwhelmed by the attention and commotion from the tavern’s warriors.
“Sage?”
“It’s just a nickname. People in town play a lot of roles—heroes, sages, that sort of thing.”
“How childish.”
I grinned at Lone’s reaction and walked over to the counter.
Unlike other cities, there were no Guilds in the Helpion Duchy.
It was a place teeming with Order of Knights, Mercenary Guild, Adventurer Guild, and even Guildmaster-level experts from around the world.
They all gathered here solely because of Duke Helpion’s fame.
Their pride was such that, unless they could be under Duke Helpion, they didn’t want to belong anywhere else.
That’s how this place became a Guild-free zone.
Thanks to that, the tavern’s counter, which had become their base, functioned like a Mercenary Guild counter.
I picked up this tidbit while handling paperwork. It was also the reason I started seeing ‘the tavern’ as a power in its own right.
“Welcome.”
At the counter sat a young, cheerful Half-Elf woman.
“I’d like to put in a request.”
“A request, you say? Is it official or personal business?”
“Official. I want to clear out Monsters around the duchy and secure a Trade Route with the neighboring territories.”
“A Trade Route?”
The Elf at the counter perked up her ears in surprise.
Was it my imagination, or did the noise around us quiet down a little?
“With Monsters constantly coming down from Monster’s Land, making a safe Trade Route won’t be easy. Do you plan to set up defenses or maintain a security force?”
I shook my head.
No matter how loyal these warriors were to the Duke, assigning such talents to mere security would be risky in many ways.
The pay wouldn’t be cheap, and above all, it would be hard to keep all the Trade Route’s profits.
Why share unclaimed gold rolling at your feet?
It’d barely be enough even if I monopolized it.
“I want one mercenary who knows the local geography and has sharp senses. Two more who are confident in their strength. And maybe one who’s knowledgeable about Monster habits? It’d be even better if someone skilled in Alchemy or Magic joined.”
“I’ll do it.”
Someone volunteered even before I finished the request.
It happened to be someone I knew well.
“Sir Cain!”
It was Cain, the Knight who’d escorted me to the Helpion Duchy three weeks ago.
If it was Sir Cain, I welcomed him.
He respected me throughout the journey, was a gentleman, and above all, had keen senses and intuition.
“If it’s something you’re doing, Sage, it’s bound to be interesting.”
“You can look forward to it.”
Maybe it was thanks to Sir Cain stepping up and rallying everyone.
It didn’t take long to gather people.
And even a quick glance at the lineup told me they were no ordinary group.
From a warrior showing off biceps as big as my head, to a mage radiating an unmistakable presence.
I stood before Sir Cain and the other five, explaining the plan.
“The payment will come from the Ducal Family. We may need to camp out for two days, so pack generously. I’ll see you at the west gate.”
After briefing them, I left the tavern with Lone.
Lone, who had been silent all this time, finally asked a question.
“What are you planning, gathering so many people?”
“I told you. We’re opening up a Trade Route.”
“But you never know when or where Monsters will appear. Will merchants really use such a road?”
“We just have to make sure Monsters don’t appear.”
“What?”
“I’d like to explain, but I’m not sure it’ll work, so I can’t say for sure.”
I wanted to trust the knowledge from the Akashic Record, but this was my first time actually using it.
Lone frowned and gave me a skeptical look.
“Let’s just go. It’ll be faster to see than to explain.”
“Hey, Sage. I heard Butler Apel had an Enlightenment? Damn, I’m so jealous.”
A mercenary who introduced himself as Charles sneered about Apel from the very start.
He was the man I’d seen in the tavern before, shirtless and showing off his bulging muscles. And Charles wasn’t the only one with a rough tongue.
Most of the mercenaries gathered today were badmouthing Butler Apel.
“Old man must’ve got something from the Duke to gain that Enlightenment.”
“Hmph, who needs some Enlightenment you only get by becoming the Helpion Ducal Family’s lapdog?”
“Heh heh, yeah. Real training’s done with Monster blood and guts, not locked up in some room. Can you even have a real Enlightenment like that?”
“Maybe it’s not even Enlightenment. With the Chamberlain joining in, maybe he spread the rumor on purpose, afraid of losing his influence?”
The sneers were getting pretty harsh.
Did they get trained or scammed by Butler Apel in the past?
“Sage, over here.”
Before I knew it, Cain had come to my side and led me to the edge of the group.
“Sir Cain.”
“Don’t pay them any mind. Most of it is just jealousy.”
“Why would they be jealous about that? Isn’t it good if everyone gets stronger?”
Cain gave a bitter smile.
“Do you know how long Duke Helpion has been the Warden of the Borderlands?”
“It’s been twelve years since the twenty-year-old Duke entered the Demon King’s Castle alone and beheaded the Demon King.”
“That’s right. Then do you know how many disciples Duke Helpion has?”
Disciples of Duke Helpion?
Come to think of it, I’d never heard about that.
If someone was the disciple of a Swordmaster—especially one close to Grand Swordmaster level—there would’ve been rumors.
“Duke Helpion hasn’t accepted a single disciple in twelve years. Instead, he took in retainers.”
“Like the Butler-in-Chief or Head Maid?”
“Even then, only three.”
Sir Cain continued.
“People comforted themselves by saying those three were just servants, not disciples.”
That’s where the problem started.
“But everyone knows how amazing those three are. Butler Apel, a Swordmaster beginner; Head Maid Sherina, former Master of Assassins; and Chef Chetrox, who was an S-rank Mercenary in a massive Mercenary Band.”
Monstrous people, all of them.
“And now Butler Apel had an Enlightenment and became an Intermediate Swordmaster? That’s bound to cause some complicated feelings.”
So those three were really that amazing?
Head Maid was a former Master of Assassins? Ugh. I hope I never offended her.
“Why are people like that serving as retainers in the duchy?”
“I heard they all owe the Duke their lives from the Demon King subjugation, but the details aren’t known. And…”
Sir Cain hesitated, watching my reaction.
“I know it wasn’t the Duke, but you who helped Butler Apel’s Enlightenment.”
I flinched before I could help it.
“Me?”
“I visited the Helpion Ducal Family with the Chamberlain, after all. I’m still grappling with the swordsmanship riddle he gave me. Every day I train, I feel my own wall slowly crumbling. Didn’t you do something similar for the Butler-in-Chief?”
“I’m just the Chamberlain.”
“Hahaha. Alright, I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
Sir Cain laughed softly.
He clearly didn’t believe me at all.
“Warriors obsessed with swords…”
A mage listening nearby clicked her tongue. She was a fierce-looking young lady with blazing red hair.
Her name was Jamie, if I remembered right.
“You’re saying you’re different?”
“People call you Sage, but maybe you’re just a ‘Sage in name only.’ I mean, look at me—do I look like anything but a mage?”
It’s true. Worn robes, a long wooden staff, glasses perched on her nose.
Anyone could see she was a mage.
“I couldn’t care less about Duke Helpion’s teachings. They’re meaningless to me. I’m here to study rare Monsters, that’s all. And that kid over there’s probably the same.”
Jamie pointed to a small boy lugging a backpack bigger than himself.
His shaggy hair covered his face so I couldn’t see him clearly, but there was a youthful aura about him.
His voice sounded young, too.
He was probably around fifteen or sixteen.
But no one in the party dismissed him for being young.
He’d introduced himself as an Upper-class Alchemist.
Apparently, there are only about a hundred Upper-class Alchemists in the world, so that’s about as rare as a beginner Swordmaster.
His name was Yan, if I recalled.
“Geez, a girl, a brat, and a wimp—what’s with all the noise?”
Charles, apparently hearing our conversation, started jeering loudly.
“What’s your problem? Want to suffocate in your sleep?”
Jamie shot back without backing down.
“Look at that, even a mage can flap their mouth with a knife in their heart, huh?”
Honestly, this bickering had been going on since we left.
Jamie’s and Charles’s personalities were both rough, so it couldn’t be helped.
Thankfully, Sir Cain kept the peace, so things didn’t escalate.
He looked out for Lone and me, so we just watched the arguments in safety.
But this pointless bickering ends here.
“Sage, let’s hear it now. Why did you drag us all the way out here?”
We had arrived at a mountain pass about half a day from the Helpion Duchy.
It was the only route connecting the Duchy to other territories, and a dangerous zone where various medium and large Monsters appeared.
“It’s not just dangerous. This is a Sandworm nest!”
That’s right. As Charles, who’d spent five years in the Duchy, accurately said, this was a Sandworm habitat.
A Sandworm is a Monster as big as a hundred earthworms put together.
An adult’s diameter is about 4 meters, and its body length ranges from 20 to 50 meters—truly enormous.
Most notably, its jaw strength is incredible.
It can bite right through a Knight in full armor.
Usually, they live deep underground, gnawing at the earth, which makes them hard to deal with.
Since they live so deep, it’s almost impossible to detect them with ordinary senses.
Travelers call Sandworms “death erupting from the earth,” and if their habitat is discovered, people make a wide detour.
And now, we were standing right on top of that Sandworm nest.
“You didn’t bring us here to die, did you?”
This time, even Jamie looked at me with suspicion, agreeing with Charles for once.
“Of course not. I plan to live a long, uneventful life. Besides, Jamie, you’re already using Alarm Magic, right?”
“Ugh, typical wimps. And what are you gonna do if the Alarm Magic triggers? Think you can just run away? Sandworms are vicious and fast. If they surround us, it’s goodbye to the world!”
Charles really was grumpy.
Ignoring him was better for my peace of mind.
“Alright, Lone, can you bring over the supplies I asked for?”
At my call, Lone hunched her shoulders and brought over the luggage.
Why was she acting like that?
“What’s got you so scared?”
“How could I not be?! You said this is Sandworm territory!”
Her tone was sharp and scolding, but her voice was barely a whisper.
She was completely terrified.
“At least you should trust your brother. Do you think I’d send my only sister to her death?”
Lone’s eyes said she desperately wanted to nod.
I can’t believe my trust is this low.
I spread out the supplies Lone brought on the ground.
Alright, feast your eyes!
This is exactly why I brought you all here today.
“This is…”
“Isn’t that… just a rock?”
The others looked unimpressed.
“A rock? That’s harsh. This is a Magic Stone of Volprion Volcano.”
“Magic Stone of Volprion Volcano?”
The one who reacted most enthusiastically was Yan, who’d quietly followed us until now.
Yan came over to the pile and picked up the Magic Stone, examining it from all angles.
“But this is, uh…”
I couldn’t see his face well because of his hair, but Yan seemed to be watching me.
“It’s just a hard piece of junk…”
“Oh, you know it?”
Yan nodded slightly.
No matter how hard you hit it, it doesn’t break easily, and you can’t really change its shape. You can’t use it as a weapon or for construction…
Yan, uncharacteristically serious, continued his assessment of the Magic Stone.
Wow, Alchemists must experiment with materials a lot.
But he still didn’t know the real effect of this Magic Stone.
So I’ll have to show them.
The secret hidden inside this stone—the power to drive away Sandworms and open a safe Trade Route.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.