“Did you say no more coachmen are gathering?”
Black Sass, the dark merchant, instinctively felt that something had gone wrong.
His subordinate, Bram, bowed deeply as if asking for forgiveness.
“That is… a certain merchant guild in Grunvalt is reportedly hiring coachmen in large numbers.”
“Is the Rothschild Family making a move?”
“No. It is said to be just a 5th Grade Merchant Guild.”
Black Sass was displeased. This was supposed to be a simple task. Until just a few days ago, he had received reports that everything was proceeding smoothly…
But a 5th Grade Merchant Guild was hiring coachmen in large numbers? It didn’t make any sense.
“What about the nobles? Have the coachmen grown to hate them more?”
“That part is still in progress, but… since there is a significant shortage of coachmen right now, we will have to wait and see how things play out.”
Bram prostrated himself to avoid further provoking Black Sass’s temper.
‘Something is happening.’
Black Sass felt a hitch in the plan he had been carrying out in secret.
‘A 5th Grade Merchant Guild, huh…’
In a few weeks, the regular meeting of the five dark merchants, the Union of the Black Star, was scheduled. He had to take action if he didn’t want to be mocked then. Black Sass gave Bram an order.
“For now, suspend the project to recruit coachmen. It would be troublesome if the Merchant Guild caught wind of this.”
“I shall follow your command.”
“And investigate that 5th Grade Merchant Guild further.”
“The resurrection of the Lord of Darkness, the prosperity of the Demon race.”
Bram vanished into the shadows to carry out the order.
***
We followed the red-haired girl for quite a while.
We left the village, passed a hill where a stream flowed, and went deep into the forest.
“If it was going to be this far, we should have taken a carriage… If we used the Maber Carriage, we could move cheaply and comfortably… I should introduce the Maber system here too.”
I followed the girl while whispering an appeal for the Maber Carriage in a voice as small as an ant. Eventually, a house appeared.
The house with the red roof wasn’t small, but compared to the residence of a great mage from the history books, it was a very humble place.
‘Hmm… will she have the money to pay for the artifact? The Cloak of Protection is said to have the power to block magic once a day.’
It was an incredibly good option. Surely she wouldn’t turn us all into roast meat just to save 25 gold, right?
My heart hammered at the thought of meeting the Archmage of Flames, one of the Eight Heroes who killed the Demon King.
When we entered the house, an elderly woman with a gentle expression was lying on a bed.
“Master, I’ve brought the people we promised.”
Hyde whispered softly beside me.
“Hey, Slot. Is that the same brat from earlier? She’s become so timid…”
“It’s like she’s a different person.”
Hyde and Slot gossiped.
“Cough, cough… Welcome. I have been waiting for you.”
I had heard her age was in her early 60s, but she looked like she was in her late 60s, or even over 70. Her facial structure suggested she had been quite a beauty in her youth. Her title was the Flame of Sharon, wasn’t it?
Now, with her hair turned silver and wrinkles on her face, she gave off an impression of the cold cruelty of passing time.
“Thank you for making the precious journey here. As you can see, I am in this state, so please understand that I cannot stand to greet you properly. Cough…”
“May blessings be upon Master Serranos. Please, speak comfortably from your bed. I have brought the item by the order of the Ashford Family.”
I pulled the Cloak of Protection out of my messenger bag.
“So this is the mysterious Cloak of Protection. I heard it is an artifact with the effect of blocking magic once a day. A mysterious and wonderful ability.”
However, I was curious. In a battle between mages, was blocking magic just once really that valuable? Furthermore, the cloak was useless against melee classes like warriors or rogues.
“What a mage fears most is another mage. Being able to neutralize an opponent’s spell once is of immense value.”
Master Serranos answered with a slight smile, as if reading my thoughts.
“Then, may I test its effect?”
“Pardon?”
By its effect, you mean… that thing where the Cloak of Protection blocks magic once?
“I heard it can even block a 6th Circle spell once. Ah… do not worry. Just in case, I plan to test it with a lower-circle spell.”
Hmm… even a 1st Circle spell would probably hurt…
“Yes, I understand.”
After answering, I rolled my eyes while looking at Slot and Hyde. It seemed better for Hyde, who looked tankier, to be the test subject.
“William… surely you aren’t expecting me to be the target? I followed you here without even knowing what that thing was.”
Right… I hadn’t even explained what an artifact was to Hyde.
“Haha, Leader… I think you’re the perfect fit rather than me.”
Slot also heartlessly refused. Well, who would actually want to be hit by magic? But I didn’t want to get hit either!
“Yes, of course… I will show you by taking the hit personally.”
I emphasized the word “personally.” I really needed to ask Miss Frana Bella to add some danger pay to my salary.
“Pie, you do it. A 2nd Circle spell should be fine. Cough… cough.”
So the girl’s name was Pie.
“I understand, Master.”
I reluctantly draped the cloak around my neck. It was a sophisticated black cloak that felt like it suited me well. Of course, that was assuming I wasn’t a test subject. I turned around boldly, but then I thought it might hurt more if I got hit in the back. I rotated the cloak to wear it in the front.
“It kind of looks like an apron.”
Pie let out a snicker at my ridiculous behavior, then began to chant an incantation at her master’s command.
‘To actually see a mage casting!’
Pie closed her eyes for a moment to feel the mana. Soon, as she felt the flow of mana, she condensed it into internal energy. The spell she recalled was the 2nd Circle spell, Fire Arrow.
As she drew a magic circle in her mind, a flame sphere in the shape of an arrow materialized in front of her staff. Pie made a motion as if drawing a bow with her staff and shouted.
“Fire Arrow!”
As she swung her staff through the air, an arrow of flame shot toward me like a streak of light.
Whoosh!
‘Aaaagh! I’m going to die!’
A sharp, red, glowing arrow flew toward my eyes. Who knew 2nd Circle magic was this terrifying? Would this cloak really block it? I felt like I would depart from this world if I got hit. All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind in that short moment.
I squeezed my eyes shut. And then, the red flame arrow struck me.
Shoom.
‘Shoom?’
Just before the arrow reached me, the Cloak of Protection formed a silver barrier. The flame arrow, hitting the silver barrier, was absorbed into the cloak with a *shoom* sound instead of a *bang*. It felt as if it were moving somewhere else rather than just breaking and disappearing.
However, I still couldn’t open my eyes.
“Leader, you can open your eyes now…”
When I squinted my eyes open, Slot and Hyde were looking at me calmly. Both of them had a faint aura gathered as if they were ready to jump in if necessary. Pie, who had fired the flame arrow at me, looked at me with disdain. Then, she mouthed something so only I could see.
‘Coward.’
That girl… calling me a coward. Doesn’t everyone get equally scared when a flame arrow is shot right at their face? Is it just me? Huh? Looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like I was the only one in this group… damn elites.
“Master, it is an incredibly mysterious power. It seems like a worthy subject for research.”
Pie spoke to her master in a sweet, polite voice.
‘Which one is your real personality?’
“The operating principle seems to be based on magic. There’s no separate casting, and it feels like the protection magic activates automatically when it senses mana. Rather than blocking it physically, it feels more like it’s sending it to another dimension…”
“*Cough*… Pie… I understand your excitement, but we have guests.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”
Pie had been excitedly explaining things to her master, but she slumped at the intervention.
‘She’s still just a kid…’
“Pie, could you take the box from the top of the bookshelf…”
‘How is she going to reach that?’
There was a box on a shelf so high that Pie could never reach it with her short stature. Pie raised her staff. The box floated up with magic and was slowly placed on the table.
‘Mages are just all-purpose, aren’t they…’
Pie brought the box to Master Serranos, and she opened it. For a moment, her face was bathed in a golden light. There were 30 gold coins in the box. Serranos left only 5 gold and put the remaining 25 gold into a leather pouch that was in the box.
‘Judging by the situation, that looks like her entire fortune…’
“Hand this to those gentlemen.”
Contrary to my imagination where a wicked mage would fire spells to seize the artifact for free, Master Serranos handed the gold coins to Pie without a single complaint.
‘Thank you for the cool transaction.’
Miss, the first mission has proceeded very smoothly. However, Pie hesitated as she went to hand over the gold coins.
“Master. Are you really going to give it all away?”
“Of course. It is the promised amount.”
“Uuugh…”
The signs of her finding it a waste were obvious, but she didn’t argue further with her master and handed over the gold. The twenty-five gold coins in the leather pouch were safely delivered into my hand.
“I have received the gold coins. Well then, I look forward to another cool… I mean, good transaction next time.”
I bowed politely. I was about to leave the house when Serranos’s voice came from behind.
“You should leave the cloak behind.”
Ah, right. I was still wearing it after the magic test. I quickly took off the cloak to avoid any misunderstanding. I saw Pie glaring at me as if asking if I had done it on purpose.
Master Serranos spoke with a smile.
“By any chance, do you have a carriage?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if you have a carriage to load luggage.”
“Ah, yes. We came by carriage. It’s currently at the inn in Tenden Village.”
“If so, could you do me a favor? I need to move my residence for a while, so I need a carriage to move my luggage to my first disciple’s house.”
‘Is this…?’
The mage had requested a new mission.
***
“No matter how strong the enemy is, I’m not afraid as long as I have my flames!”
The mage Serranos. At the young age of 20, she was a genius mage of the Mage Tower who had already reached the 4th Circle. Soon after, the invasion of the Demon race began, and she left the Mage Tower to protect the world.
There, she realized she had a talent for combat. She fought many battles against the Demon race. She joined the most famous Hero Party that opposed the Demon race during the Heroic Era. It was a party consisting of eight members.
Those days were the hardest. Daily battles with the Demon Army. Fights against high-ranking demons. Sleeping outdoors was a given, and ambushes were a daily occurrence. Yet, those days were also the happiest.
The enemy was clear, and her magical talent played a major role in eventually defeating the Demon King.
It was a ten-year struggle. Ultimately, humanity triumphed over the Demon race. Now, a happy life among humans would unfold.
She had used too much mana in the battles against the Demon race. As a side effect, aging came for her faster than for others.
Nevertheless, she was happy that she had protected humanity. She dragged her exhausted body back to the Mage Tower.
And there, she gained her first disciple.