1020. I Walk Even Without a Destination
“Are they really starting the end of this fight?”
Bram Ritzer spoke. It was atop the stairs of the place that served as the Emperor’s reception room, bedroom, and audience chamber.
He had intended to say it was a beginning for the end, but the wording was a bit strange. Still, the meaning was fully conveyed.
At Bram Ritzer’s words, the Emperor replied, resting his right arm on the armrest and propping his chin on his hand.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yeah, I told you before. Even though I’ve lived for a long time, become one with the ancient tree, and wouldn’t let a mere Lord of the Demon Realm dare set foot on my land, what I don’t know is what I don’t know.”
“That’s true. Then, I suppose all you can do now is hope.”
“But I think it will work out well. Those with such an upright will are rare.”
“Yes, he was upright yet flexible. Oh, I happened to hear that the guy who was supposed to be my successor but became a deserter went into the Southern Demon Realm.”
The Knight of Foresight, the Knight of Hope.
I was referring to the blonde swordsman whom the Emperor had considered giving two epithets but ultimately decided against. It was truly a pity for both of them. He had certainly been a decent kid at first, but one day he started speaking little, and by the time he joked about whether he should be called the Knight of Silence, he had changed.
No, the change must have happened earlier. They just hadn’t noticed it sooner.
In reverse, you could say he was quite good at hiding his true feelings.
“He wouldn’t have been able to go to our side of the demon realm. This side is full of nothing but chaff, and there wouldn’t be anything here that he trusts.”
It was a statement filled with conviction. He felt it in the knife attack aimed at him, and he had uttered words full of such implications even in the few words exchanged just before fleeing.
“I have no intention of siding with the losing side. And this is the path for all races.”
“Well, didn’t I just blurt out something like that?”
The captain brushed off the mention of the blonde swordsman. What was the point of talking about that guy?
“I never imagined something like this would happen while I was serving as Commander. To think that Your Majesty’s wish would be fulfilled.”
“Didn’t you expect this?”
“I didn’t.”
“You are deceiving even me. How laughable, Commander. My Knight Commander.”
Bram merely raised the corners of his mouth gently. He knew how great, deep, and wide her desires were for someone who claimed to be the Emperor’s lover. And that was precisely why he supported her.
Bram suddenly revealed his concern for those who had left for the South.
“Aren’t you going to offer any more help?”
“They’ll figure it out on their own.”
He does his own work. Then he will do his work.
With that in mind, he trusts and entrusts it. It is a conclusion reached after standing on equal footing, looking straight in the eye, and having a conversation.
Not every member of the council unanimously praised the King, but instead of praise, they all acknowledged him.
“The King has wisdom.”
“At the very least, he is not someone who sat on the throne thoughtlessly.”
“He showed no hesitation in learning.”
Should we say that they each won over their hearts in their own way? Or did they just become close?
Whatever the case, the Emperor found even that fascinating. After all, his approach was different from his own.
He was one who fought not out of self-righteousness but through consensus, representing the will of ordinary people rather than a philosopher.
It’s fun.
Had there ever been such a joyful moment in all these years?
It would have been harder not to be happy when I thought that I was on the verge of fulfilling a wish I had waited hundreds of years for.
The moment they step outside my territory will be the most dangerous, but they will make their way through that as well. I have given them all the gifts necessary for that.
The queen spoke, and her last lover nodded.
* * *
Esther sat in the carriage, lost in thought. The Empire’s magic tower possessed more than she had imagined. She had spent her entire time in the magic tower while in the Empire.
“What do you think is the most important thing when exploring spells and indulging in magic itself?”
He was one of those wizards who had become half-scholar.
Compared to the Master of Astrail, his skill seemed to be less than half, and naturally, when it came to fighting and combat magic, he was no match for him. However, he excelled in another area.
Through persistent research, he was pioneering a new field called “life spells.”
“Nice to meet you, they say they are from Delfior.”
There were four leaders of the Wizard’s Tower. These four were also called Masters or Tower Lords.
Among them, Delphior was the one who bore the alias ‘Librarian’.
“The Emperor of the Empire has lived for a truly long time, and one of her hobbies was to record and collect all the spells.”
I heard that wizards had gathered there and it was called the Wizard’s Tower, but that wasn’t the case. Esther didn’t properly recognize the name of the group.
The official name of this tower is the Tower of Magic Books.
It is not a wizard, but a book of magic.
Delphior, the strict old librarian, imparted some of her teachings to Esther with the Emperor’s permission. To be precise, he opened the library.
Esther faithfully mastered them and demonstrated her abilities. The process was not short, but if one were to summarize it briefly and concisely in a single line, it would be this.
You are the greatest genius I have ever seen.
Delphio’s admiration is a phrase that encapsulates the process.
Under the guidance of a librarian, Esther devoured only a portion of the dozens of books.
Did she find any particularly great spells? No. Esther merely examined a few of the processes by which the spell worlds of others were formed and delved into a few principles. In the process, her own thoughts were added to several theoretical texts written by members of the Tower.
I really didn’t expect this.
It was a study on the efficient composition for adding speed to the Flame Arrow spell within the Flame Manifestation spell by combining it with a wind spell.
While everyone else was talking about pushing with wind, Esther boldly created a tube of wind.
The principle was that by placing the Flame Arrow inside the narrow tube to serve as a form and shooting it straight out, the speed would increase several times. Although
there would be many obstacles to implement this directly, the very concept was remarkable.
It was a concept born from a deeper understanding of spells than anyone else, and from frequent use and application.
So you’re saying I shouldn’t just sit at a desk and do research.
Everyone was amazed. Whether it be life spells, engineering, or combat spells, practical experience, and research must be organically combined to advance. A new concept opened up for everyone in the Tower of Magic Books.
All the so-called masters sought out Esther.
She’s definitely the woman I fell for.
Meanwhile, Nephir Tesher nodded with satisfaction.
“You have no chance. Maybe if it were me.”
Also, some of them fell for the witch Esther and tried to flirt with her, but failed.
Find out who is by that witch’s side first. You idiots.
Nephir felt not bad. She had heard about what Encred had done coming and going after helping to kill the witch who made Malapais. The man by Esther’s side was that kind of person.
Although Nephir had always been self-centered, her thoughts had changed in many ways.
You can help the world with magic, too.
What matters is the person performing it and the mindset of the person executing it.
Your eyes look decent now.
Esther recognized him once again. Nephir was initially captivated by his face, then by his spellcasting skills, and this time by the person himself.
“I will come back later.”
“Do as you please.”
In addition to this, Esther expanded her world by seeing many things and understanding the perspectives of others.
While Encred, Rem, Saxon, and Sinar were engrossed in the concept of purity, she, too, did not simply play around. Moreover, this entire process was fun. Indeed, it was truly enjoyable.
Is it fun?
For no reason, the words her master had told her came to mind. The thought ended. Esther’s mouth opened by itself, against her will.
When my master died, I thought revenge was the only answer, so I endured things I didn’t want to do for the sake of that.
At the sudden remark made inside the carriage, Sinar turned his head, and Enkrid looked at her as well.
Both had been silently lost in thought. Rem and Temares took the driver’s seat, while Krang rode in another carriage. Saxen stayed by Krang’s side. That was his role from the start. He
intended to travel straight along the main road and then cross the lower part of the mountain range, which was said to be a faster route than the one they had taken.
Come to think of it, I didn’t particularly want revenge anyway.
My master did not die in pain and screams. He died giving off the feeling of, “Oh dear, it is time to go, so I must go.” Although he was burned to death in the end, that was the feeling. My master had not cursed.
I have no idea why that thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“okay?”
Encred answered.
“If my master were still alive, I would have wanted to ask him. If that kind of life was fun, too.”
It was a question asking about the meaning of life. Bound by a curse, breaking it, remaining here, fighting, and passing the time—through that entire process, I agonized. About spells, about myself, about the meaning of life.
Then I learned how to protect people and the joy of living.
Doing what you ultimately want to do, even if life is a little arduous.
I learned that anew this time. The words my master told me resonated perfectly. Although there was no specific trigger, Esther felt that the star rising within her heart had grown brighter.
Peeking, speaking, possessing, and even condoning.
A wizard who has gone through every stage projects their own unique symbol within their inner image. For Esther, that was the star.
As long as this starlight did not fade, her magical power would never be cut off, even within the Emperor’s inner sanctuary.
“Is your spell really yours?”
It was a question asked to him by the Emperor, whom he had intentionally encountered under the guise of a coincidence, even though he had not told Encred about it.
He had been unable to answer properly at the time.
That is correct.
Now, I could answer confidently. Amusingly enough, it was Esther who had gained the most from the Empire. Of course, no one knew the exact truth.
Stop!
It was just as they were leaving the Emperor’s territory.
Should one call it the boundary between the Empire and the mountain range? They had been riding across wide-open plains, and after a few days of sleeping outdoors, had just crossed over hills once again.
This place was the Empire if you could call it Imperial territory, and the very beginning of the mountain range if you could call it the beginning of the mountain range.
It was a group that, though not unified, was fairly well-armed.
The man at the very front blocked the way, holding a single sword high. Rem pulled the reins. The carriage slowed down smoothly.
Still, from the perspective of the man blocking it, the carriage had stopped just slightly beyond the line he had set. The man, however, remained unfazed and spoke his mind.
Leave the carriage, clothes, and armor behind while I speak nicely.
Rem was refreshing. Hadn’t these kinds of thieves been completely wiped out near the Border Guard lately?
And to think he blocked them even after seeing his face? It was clear at a glance that this wasn’t the first time he’d done this. Encred opened the carriage door and stepped out.
Sinar poked his head out, while Temares climbed up from the driver’s seat and lay down.
The sky was cloudless and deep blue, and the sunlight was stinging. Since dragonkin skin was more like scales, it didn’t tan easily. He leisurely warmed his body in the hot sunlight. A faint golden glow flowed from the dragonkin’s body, which was bathed in light.
“What is that?”
One of the bandits muttered, “Is it like living, moving gold?” It was a foolish thought.
“The weather is nice. Enki, how about some sunbathing?”
Temares suggested.
I’m done.
Enkrid answered and looked ahead. A tactic of robbing people at the border between the Empire and the mountain range.
In a way, they are quite clever. Large-scale trade routes are difficult to navigate here, and when they do make a trip, they are almost always carrying valuable goods.
Of course, the most valuable item in this party was Krang.
The carriage following behind naturally stopped as well. Krang leaned his head out the window and spoke.
“A thief? That’s unusual.”
Some of the bandits felt a sense of unease.
Why are these bastards so calm? They aren’t showing any signs of agitation
. There is absolutely no sense of danger. The bandit leader pondered for a moment. As soon as his hand went down, the waiting crossbowman would pull the trigger. Then, the tightly drawn string would snap, releasing the Quarrel.
Even if he were skilled enough to deflect flying arrows, could he handle the rock-throwing mage that would follow the Quarrel?
It was impossible. So why was he feeling uneasy?
The leader spoke, keeping his sword held high.
“We are members of the Heritage Society. If you fear repercussions, behave yourself.”
Then Esther appeared. The entire bandit group was made up of men. Their eyes were all fixed on one spot. When Sinar also appeared, their eyes darted back and forth.
“Son, is this the time to be distracted?”
The leader of the bandit group recoiled in shock. While his attention was diverted for a moment, the coachman had suddenly stood right in front of him. When did he get here? Uh, but was he always this big?
Due to the sense of perspective, he hadn’t realized Rem was this large.
Rem grabbed the leader’s hand, which was holding a sword, and pressed down.
*Crack*—a crisp sound echoed as finger bones snapped. A scream was on the verge of erupting.
Quarrel is flying in.
Enkrid said.
“evil!”
As soon as the leader’s scream erupted, a Quarrel flew in.
Unless it was a magic arrow, who here would want to be hit by a blind Quarrel? The entire Royal Guard raised their shields and stood firm.
Tudududung.
The rest simply dodged. Meanwhile, Sinar took on the trouble of deflecting arrows so that his horse would not be hit.
“wizard!”
Another thief shouted, but the wizard was already screaming with blood streaming from his eyes.
“Aaaargh!”
Why would they be blind? It was Esther’s doing.
These bandits were quite notorious. Known for robbing, raping, and killing those who passed through this area.
Every single one of them was worthless to live. Isn’t the Heritage Society, those so-called Guardians of Heritage, primarily involved in banditry? They were no different from the bandit group known as the Black Blade.
Rem stepped forward, but Encred had no intention of sitting around.
Some of the bandits, numbering over twenty, gritted their teeth and threw poison bottles.
Encred swung his sword at the trajectory of the bottles flying toward Krang, but not a single bottle shattered; they all returned to the men who threw them.
Clang!
When the poison bottle broke, pure white smoke rose up.
“Aaaah!”
It was a poisonous cloud that burned skin and hide. It was not merely a bottle of poison, but an object created by spell.
There were three skilled individuals among the bandit group. Two of them headed toward Rem, and one toward Encred, but none of them managed to parry a single blow.
They were unlucky. However, the bandit group felt wronged as well.
They were told that a merchant carriage loaded only with jewels was passing through here.
Who had told them that? It
turned out one of their own members had asked. Suddenly, that fellow charged forward. It was directed at the person who had deflected the poison bottle with his sword and thrown it back.
He lunged forward as if to embrace them, and his head was severed with a single stroke.
Then, the pitch-black cloud burst and engulfed the person standing in front of it.
At the same time, the dragonman on the carriage rushed to the spot where the black cloud had been as if teleporting, and Saxen, who was by Krang’s side, also reached the location, but Encred had already vanished without a trace.
* * *
Pitch-black darkness, a place where nothing could be seen.
It was an environment so identical that one could mistake it for a nightmare.
Is this really what you wanted?
The boatman’s voice was heard from somewhere. Encred blinked, but nothing changed, so he closed his eyes. He strained his ears, but heard nothing. He could
neither see nor hear. Was this the hell of the bottomless pit? Would it be like this if one fell into the river beneath the boat the boatman was steering?
That can’t be true.
This is someone’s trick. If so, there must be a way out.
Encreed took a step. He walks even without a destination. That was his way.
