Chapter 54: Ominous Signs (4)

In the distance, black smoke was rising.

Coincidentally, it was along the path leading to the Jewel Tower.  

Sitting on the driver’s seat, Zion slowed the pace and informed his party of the situation.  

“According to the map, after stopping at the next village, it’s about half a day’s travel to the Jewel Tower…”  

“That smoke might be coming from that very village,” Soares and Yuria finished their analysis, prompting Zion to ask cautiously, “Could something have happened in the village?”  

[There’s also the possibility that it’s the work of monsters overflowing from the Labyrinth,] Frey speculated, darkening Zion’s expression.  

Yuria hurriedly tried to comfort Zion, “Ah, we don’t know for sure yet, right? It might just be some kind of festival!”  

But her reassurance was futile, as every step toward the black smoke revealed more devastation.

The land looked as if a typhoon had ravaged it—upturned earth everywhere, discarded broken weapons scattered about, and old, dried bloodstains.

It resembled a battlefield.  

[The quality of these weapons is really poor. Even considering the civilization level of that world, these aren’t weapons a properly trained and salaried army would use.]  

[In other words, this means a battle took place between untrained civilians and monsters.]  

[Is this really the time to be analyzing? If there’s time for that, we should be looking for survivors!]

[Ah, I’m not saying this to Zion! I’m talking to the adults here who can’t act their age.]  

[There won’t be any survivors. It looks like quite some time has passed since the battle.]  

‘Uncle is right. But just in case, we have to check out the village.’  

The carriage, which had stopped as if paying respects to the devastation, started moving again.

The village wasn’t far away.

It seemed the monsters had chased people fleeing south from the north, near the Jewel Tower, and a battle had broken out there.  

The village’s condition was no better than the battlefield they had just passed.

If anything, it was worse.

The one small relief was that it looked like more people had survived than expected.

Watching the survivors busily rebuilding the village, Zion felt a quiet sense of relief and carefully drove the carriage toward the village entrance, now just a shell.  

“Travelers? Sorry, but as you can see, the village is in bad shape. You’re free to stay if you want, but if you cause any trouble, I won’t let you off easy.”  

“What happened here? Did a typhoon hit?”  

“Well… that… why would you need to know?”  

Yuria asked feigning ignorance, but the man who seemed to be the village chief avoided the question awkwardly.

The group exchanged glances and nodded slightly to confirm their suspicions.  

“Village Chief! The mage has arrived!”  

“What?! Tell them to wait a moment—I’ll be right there!”  

At the distant shout, the chief’s face visibly tensed.

He spun sharply toward Zion’s party and warned harshly,  “Anyway, don’t forget what I said! If you’re staying, don’t make a fuss—behave yourselves!”  

“Wait a minute. If you need help, we’ll assist you.”  

“No need! Outsiders, don’t just barge in!” The chief coldly rejected Zion’s offer and hurried into the village.

Shocked, Zion froze momentarily, but soon snapped out of it and looked resolutely at his group.  

“Let’s follow him. He says that, but there must be people who need help.”  

[Are you going to waste time playing doormat again?]

“Helping those in trouble isn’t a waste of time, uncle.”  

[Yeah! How can you be so heartless? Take a lesson from Zion!]

Yumin’s sudden scolding caused Frey to instinctively rub his forehead.

Now that he thought about it, among the four of them, Yumin was the closest in age and temperament to Zion.

Even when traveling with just Zion, it was hard to change his mind; Arcs and Crooks would probably remain neutral, and Yumin would actively side with Zion, so Zion’s troubles were clearly ahead.  

[To be honest, I’m on Frey’s side.]

Frey, isolated and helpless, had been rescued by Crooks.  

[Crooks?! How could you…! Are you even human?!]

[Ha ha. I often get compliments for my perfectly non-human physique.]

Yumin, burning with betrayal, scolded him, but Crooks just smiled casually.  

[Helping someone fallen in front of you is naturally good and right. But Zion, sometimes you need to see things with a wider and longer perspective. I think you understand what I mean, don’t you?]  

Standing there deep in thought, Zion finally nodded slowly.

It was simple.

He could save the people right in front of him now, or solve the Labyrinth incident and save even more lives.

Coldly calculating, the latter had a much higher chance of success.  

[So, let’s set a time limit.] Crooks’ next suggestion was different from what Zion expected.  

[Stay here for exactly one day, helping people until tomorrow morning. After that, no matter the outcome, head toward the Jewel Tower. Compromise between your heart and the current situation.]  

This was also a compromise between Zion and Frey.

Swallowing his anguish, Zion nodded again.

He wanted to help everyone, but his hands were still too small to aid them all.  

[Alright, fine. If that’s the decision, then let’s move quickly. Every second counts.] Frey, understanding Zion’s inner thoughts, sighed and said.

Regaining his composure, Zion explained the situation to his group and began moving busily around the village.  

***

Professor-level mage Jeren noticed their presence just as they were about to leave the village.

The unfamiliar trio was helping around the village—two women and a young boy, a strange group for ordinary travelers.

Observing carefully, it seemed the boy was the center of the group.  

“One woman wears the Empire-style maid uniform, the other wears plain travel clothes, same as the boy. Nobles of the Empire? Siblings? Strange… would a noble travel only with a maid and no guards?”  

The more Jeren watched, the more questions piled up.

The boy freely used Divine Art on a patient who was so injured he could barely walk.  

“Unbelievable. That level of recovery is bishop-level. But why is he so young?”  

Divine Art is a miraculous secret technique monopolized only by a handful of high-ranking clergy inside the Lawkingdom.  

To outsiders, it looks similar to magic but is in fact almost antagonistic to it.

Divine Art involves healing, recovery, and resurrection of living beings.

Interestingly, many mages have studied healing magic for a long time but ultimately gave up; Divine Art has replaced it.  

Moreover, mages cannot learn Divine Art because the source of magic, mana, clashes with the sacred power behind Divine Art.

There’s even a story of a mage who disguised himself and secretly entered the Lawkingdom, passed the rigorous trials to prove faith, but was executed on the spot when found out.  

“I’ve never heard of a newly appointed bishop. If that boy were a bishop, the Lawkingdom would have been advertising it everywhere as the rebirth of a saint.”  

But the next moment, Jeren witnessed something so shocking the minor questions didn’t matter.

The boy who had just been using Divine Art suddenly used magic to dispose of useless debris.  

“No… this can’t be!”  

The absurd shock made the hairs on Jeren’s body stand on end, and his blood turn cold.

He even doubted if he was dreaming, sending a light electric stimulus to his head with magic to confirm reality.  

“I must capture that boy!”  

An uncontrollable surge of magical curiosity rose within him.  

“What should I do? Should I try to persuade him? I’ll need smooth talkers for that. Or kidnap him in secret? But then I’d have to wait until night! Leave such a perfect subject until night?!”  

“Jeren. I think you’re past your curfew. Where have you been wandering?”  

Suddenly, the buzzing voice of Communication Magic snapped Jeren out of his excitement.

Calming down, he realized how dangerous his thoughts had been.

Even for a mage, kidnapping someone in the middle of the village was no easy matter—and if caught, the consequences would be severe.  

Now was the time to stay calm and plan carefully.  

Unfortunately, it was too big and difficult a task to handle alone.

He needed a trustworthy collaborator—someone unlikely to betray him and, above all, a mage who shared his convictions.  

“Master, I have urgent news.”  

Jeren turned and hurriedly explained the situation as he left.  

***

“See? I told you outsiders shouldn’t meddle… No matter how much they want credit, we’ve got nothing to give. Once you’re done, just leave.”  

The next morning, as Zion’s group prepared to leave the village, the chief approached and said this.

Zion, sitting on the driver’s seat, looked confused, while Yuria, changing clothes behind the curtain, burst into giggles.  

“That man is honestly not very straightforward. He’s really grateful but feels sorry for having nothing to give,” Yuria said as she opened the window.  

Only then did Zion understand the situation.

Smiling brightly, he greeted the chief and began driving the carriage.

The chief remained standing there with a gruff expression until the carriage was out of sight.  

“The trouble last night was worth it.”  

Though it delayed their schedule considerably.  

“Thanks to that, we treated the injured in time, and I’ve gotten quite used to White Magic. It was a valuable experience.”  

…Annoying, but true.

Especially the part about getting used to White Magic.

Previously, casting White Magic required a brief moment of concentration; now, simple healing could be done naturally, as smoothly as flowing water.  

[White Magic is important, but don’t neglect Black Magic. I only taught you because you wanted to learn.]

“Are you jealous of me now? Geez, you’re like a child.”  

‘That kid’s attitude is getting worse by the day. Ha, I, an adult, must be patient.’  

With the sound of the awakened ones laughing and chatting as background noise, half a day passed quickly.  

Even from a distance, the tower had seemed huge.

Now, as they approached, it filled the entire horizon with its sheer size.

The entrance, guarded by three mages, was so small compared to the tower that it looked pitiful.  

“Carriage there, state your affiliation and school. If you approach any further, you will be attacked.”  

The atmosphere at the tower’s entrance was unusually hostile.

No other visitors were around, aside from Zion’s group.  

“We are wandering mages, not affiliated with the tower. We request permission to visit and stay.”  

“All outsiders are currently barred from entering the tower. If you understand, turn the carriage around and leave.”  

“Even with a personal recommendation signed by the Emperor of the Frey Empire?”  

Power and connections shone through.

The mages stared intensely at the recommendation from Prince Klavis, finally accepting that the Royal Seal on it was genuine.

Reluctantly, they allowed the carriage to pass.