Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

Chapter 196

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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Throughout the journey back to the domain, Mani couldn't hide her delight.

"I thought you'd listened to that space-time wizard's advice again!" she exclaimed.

"Space-time wizard?" Ian asked, puzzled.

It was a rather abrupt statement, but Ian nodded.

A space-time wizard's specialty was prophecy. Those cunning wizards could have foreseen the calamity about to befall Mani and set Ian in motion to rescue her - such a scenario was entirely possible.

"Really? Then who sent people for me..."

"Just a coincidence."

Mani was slightly taken aback. She'd thought the timing of the rescue was impeccable. To think it wasn't influenced by a space-time wizard!

"Anyway, thank you," she said quickly, as if recalling unpleasant memories. "I was at a loss for what to do or where to go."

Ian's curiosity was piqued, so he asked, "How have you been all this time?"

"Nothing special. Holed up in the forest, growing plants..."

Unlike other wizards, the botanist Mani was a sedentary wizard. Her magical prowess grew in tandem with diligently tending to plants in her yard. That's why she didn't prefer journeys in search of mysteries.

"When the dragon demolished the domain... I just hid well," Mani said with a shudder. In a sense, she was a survivor who had witnessed the black dragon and lived to tell the tale.

"Now I understand why senior wizards warned us not to confront dragons."

"Was it strong?" Ian asked.

"Don't even mention it. As it crossed the sky spewing pillars of flame... I thought the world was ending."

After the black dragon's attack, Mani had planned to seek shelter under a suitable nobleman. But the timing went awry.

"Orcs invaded the ruined domain," she explained.

"Then Mani..."

"I kept hiding, watching those bastards' every move."

After the dragon shattered the noble army, orc raiders crept into the void left behind. It was an extremely awkward situation for Mani. She was a wizard, not a warrior. Relying entirely on nobles for physical might, she'd have been in grave danger if orc raiders had decided to come at her in force.

But where there's life, there's hope. The Santiago Knights Ian had dispatched arrived just in time. They successfully rescued Mani while obliterating the orc reconnaissance team. They immediately returned to Talian domain, but midway, they had the bad luck of being pursued by the main orc raiding party.

"That was a close call," Ian remarked.

"Haha! All's well that ends well!" Mani burst into genuinely joyous laughter. She must have been that pleased by Ian's dramatic timing.

"But Ian," she continued, "if it wasn't because of a space-time wizard... why did you send people for me?"

Instead of answering honestly, Ian opted for a more diplomatic response. After all, he was about to ask Mani for a favor.

"As the world grew more dangerous, I naturally worried about you."

"What? Hahah! Why would you worry about me?"

"Well, you're my master's friend. We even hunted a manticore together. How could I forget about you?"

It was a smooth-talking answer, but Mani didn't seem to mind. Ian even looked cute to her, speaking such pretty words.

'Eredith, you brat. You raised one disciple properly!' Mani thought, thoroughly approving of Ian's social graces.

"Hehe. Let's see the lord first, then we'll talk," she suggested.

"Alright. Let's do that."

Ian escorted Mani back to Talian domain.

---

---

"Lucy!" Ian called out upon returning to Talian domain.

"Lucy?" he repeated as he found her in Talian Hall. He was slightly surprised to see Lucy actually in a meeting with her vassals. Baron Damon, the priest, and even Baron Bahen were gathered, discussing something.

Ian nearly shed tears of joy. Good heavens... to think he'd see Lucy working! Was this the joy of raising a daughter?

"Ah! Ian! You're back?" Lucy waved cheerfully.

Ian introduced Mani to Lucy. "Lucy. This is Botanist Mani... you've met before, right?"

"Ah!" Lucy rose from her seat in surprise. Botanist Mani and Lucy were already acquainted. Back then, Lucy had been a fugitive, but now she was the mistress of Talian.

"I remember! We meet again! Wizard!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yes... young noble. You were just a pitiful child before. Now you've become quite the proper lady," Mani replied.

"Lady..." Lucy blushed, suddenly conscious of Ian. Then she noticed the gazes around her. Only Ian and Lucy knew Mani; the rest were seeing her for the first time.

Lucy cleared her throat belatedly. "Ahem! You there! Old hag looking like a beggar, watch your mouth!"

"??? Lucy. Are you mad? Did you eat something wrong?" Ian asked, dumbfounded.

"Stay put, Ian."

Ian stared at Lucy, bewildered. Was she... doing [Calling a Wizard] now? Lucy and Mani knew each other, but the other nobles didn't know Mani. Lucy had begun Calling a Wizard for their sake. But to Ian, this looked more like utter nonsense. Couldn't she just make a normal introduction? These imperial folks sure were barbaric.

Ian glanced at Mani, just in case. Surprisingly, Mani was smirking as if amused.

"Well. I do look like a beggar," she admitted.

"Hmm..."

"But it's quite funny to see an unmarried virgin putting on airs. Why don't you sit a husband next to you before you start yapping?"

"Hu-husband..." Lucy turned to Ian with a beet-red face.

Damon, the priest, and even Baron Bahen shifted their gaze to Ian.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ian asked.

"Well, since Count Talian was looking..." Baron Bahen replied.

Ian chuckled, and Lucy shouted, "M-marriage is my business! You nasty old hag! Hurry up and show us some magic!"

"Hahah! As you wish!" Mani, who had subdued Lucy with a single retort, was indeed a seasoned wizard.

Mani placed a pottery filled with soil on the table. "Grow!" she shouted in the magical language. Fresh sprouts poked their heads through the soil. The nobles applauded in unison at the wondrous sight.

Mani declared triumphantly, "See? I'm not just any beggar, right?"

"Of course not. Botanist Mani. The mistress of Talian welcomes your visit," Ian said, pulling out a chair for Mani. The wizards naturally joined the meeting.

"So. What were you discussing?" Ian asked.

"Oh! Listen, Ian! It's incredible news!" Lucy shouted, her tone excited.

Judging by her voice alone, it seemed far from ordinary news.

"What's got you so worked up?" Ian asked.

"It's news from Duke Araz, Lord Ian," Baron Bahen explained. "The army of Margrave Haltramm has repelled the black dragon."

"???" Ian was shocked, or rather, flabbergasted. The black dragon's movements had been quiet lately, but... What? It invaded the Margrave's land? And even lost?

"Is this true?" Ian asked, incredulous.

"Duke Araz announced it officially. It's undoubtedly true."

Ian was stunned for a while but had to accept reality. It was somewhat absurd, but what could he do? The world always turns in unexpected and arbitrary ways, doesn't it?

'Even mighty dragons are beasts in the end,' Ian thought. He could picture how the black dragon was defeated. Puffed up after crushing a few easy baronies, it stuck its head into the Margrave's land and got a beating before fleeing.

"As expected of the Northern Margrave," Ian nodded. It was a genre convention for Margraves to be formidable in medieval fantasies.

"And the Margrave inflicted a mortal wound on the dragon!" Lucy added excitedly.

"Oh. How bad?" Ian asked.

"They say he punched a hole in its jaw? With a long spear stuck in it!"

Indeed. A hole punched through the jaw would certainly be a severe injury. Ian had to admit it. The Margrave really did repel the dragon, didn't he?

Right at that moment, Mani spoke up. "Wait a minute. That's a bit strange."

"What do you mean, strange?" Baron Bahen asked.

Mani scratched her chin and spoke slowly. "I saw the dragon too, you know... That beast. It already had a wound on its jaw."

"... What are you saying, wizard?" Baron Bahen blinked in confusion.

Margrave Haltramm wounded the dragon. Yet Mani claimed she saw the wound first?

"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?" the Baron pressed.

"No. I'm certain. There was a spear stuck in that monster's jaw. There's no way I could have mistaken that."

Ian quickly asked, "Baron Bahen. So what exactly did Duke Araz say?"

Baron Bahen spoke with a sour expression. "Since Margrave Haltramm repelled the dragon... he's setting off on an expedition to the Golden Mountains to finish it off..."

Ian organized his thoughts. Right now, the chances of Mani lying were infinitesimally small. She was a wizard who had directly experienced and survived the black dragon's attack. The black dragon originally had a wound on its jaw. Then...

"Duke Araz," Ian began.

"Yes?"

"Isn't he bullshitting his vassals right now?"

The conclusion was that Duke Araz was lying.

"No way! Ian! The dragon was definitely repelled by Margrave Haltramm! The rumors are spreading like wildfire!" Lucy protested.

"Then the part about inflicting a mortal wound must be a lie," Ian reasoned.

No one refuted Ian's words. If so, the answer was this: Margrave Haltramm did repel the black dragon. But he didn't inflict a mortal wound. And the Margrave and the Duke would climb the Golden Mountains to hunt the dragon...

'What's going on?' Ian wondered. There was something he didn't know. He needed more clues to see the big picture.

"Ah. So Ian..." Lucy spoke in a much lower voice. "Since the dragon will be hunted soon... they say they can't provide any support..."

It was bad news for Talian domain.

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