Chapter 33

‘Got you.’

The instant I saw him lift the coin with the rune I’d inscribed, I triggered the spell I had prepared in advance.

-[ᛊ´]

-A derivative of [ᛊ] (Sowilo, the rune of the sun), representing “lightning.”

At once, magical corona discharge flared from the coin in his hand—like Saint Elmo’s fire—channeling the charged energy I had conjured through the conductive path.

A heartbeat later… my heavy staff and the coin in Golgon’s grip connected with a bright blue arc.

FLASH! KRA-THOOOM!!

-Call Lightning (3rd-level).

“GYAAAAAAH!!!”

His body convulsed as he toppled off the horse.

For the record, I was still only a 2nd-level mage. The only reason I could cast a 3rd-level spell was because Sodin Cross had helped me rework a few useful ones into 2nd-level arrangements.

“Hmph. Guess even a pseudo–3rd-level isn’t quite enough against an Aura User. Well, if it’s not enough, I’ll just hit him harder.”

Even though he had taken a direct strike, Golgon still writhed, trying to get up. I hurled the Recall Dagger at him.

SHWIK! THUD!

“Ghhkk…!”

The blade pierced his armpit, slipping through the weakened veil of his passive aura.

Like the coin before, the dagger bore the [ᛊ´] rune I had personally inscribed—one of the runes omitted when downgrading the full spell to 2nd-level.

In other words, my knockoff Call Lightning only completed when paired with an “external rune.”

Using the dagger as a marker, I cast again.

“Call Lightning.”

FLASH! KRRR-BOOOM!!

“GYAAAAHHH!!”

The difference in power between a rune etched with blood as makeshift ink and one inscribed properly was night and day.

“Call Lightning.”

FLASH-BOOM!!

“GYAAAAAHHH!!”

“Call Lightning.”

KRA-KA-BOOOOM!!

“Ghhkkk….”

I unleashed strike after strike until his body was charred black, only then releasing the spell.

“…It’s done. You can handle the rest.”

Jacob lowered his head deeply.

“Yes, Mage.”

While the mercenaries and merchants managed the aftermath, I healed the caravan leader—who had taken a bolt alongside Golgon—and the other wounded with priestly miracles.

When I suddenly pulled out the Lumina Divine Mark and began channeling healing blessings, people gasped in shock. But soon they brightened, crowding around me.

“M-my leg—there’s a spear wound here…!”

“Priest! My child’s in shock—please!”

“If it’s not life-threatening, step aside! Jesse! Jesse, stay with me! Priest! Priest!!”

“Thank you! Thank you!!”

I stabilized critical wounds, turned lethal injuries into manageable ones, and lesser wounds into mere scratches. By the time I finished, Shia was hanging off my chest, praising me with a cheerful

“Good job~ good job~.”

And just as I let out a relieved sigh—

“Um… Mage… no, Priest.”

One of the senior merchants, standing in for the wounded caravan leader and coordinating the others with Jacob, shuffled closer.

“Just call me a mage.”

“A-ah, yes. Mage.”

“So? What is it?”

Jacob folded his hands respectfully and bowed.

“First, I must thank you for everything you did.”

I waved off his gratitude.

“No need. I was part of the caravan too.”

“Still, without your help, that bandit knight would have—”

“…Wait. Jacob.”

The older merchant jabbed him in the ribs to shut him up, then stepped forward himself.

“I am Garek Skrti, head of the Garek Merchant Company. Our ranks are not large, but as one of the gentry I stand as deputy of this caravan.”

Hoo… this guy. Starting off by talking down to his savior, and now making sure I know he’s gentry.

Guess he saw me hitching a ride with the caravan instead of using a teleportation portal and figured I was just some poor, connectionless commoner mage.

“Had it not been for you, we would have suffered considerable losses. On behalf of the merchants of this caravan, I’d like to thank you.”

“…Considerable losses? Without me, you all would’ve been corpses. ‘Considerable,’ my ass.”

“Ahem.”

Pretending not to hear my mutter, he cleared his throat and continued.

“So, I want to properly reward you for what you’ve done.”

“Reward?”

“First, we’ll return the fare you paid for transport. On top of that, you’ll receive three times the mercenary captain Jacob’s commission for this trip. And further, the merchants have pooled together thirty thousand sels as a gesture of gratitude…”

He rattled off a list of trivial compensations, splitting the total into countless items that didn’t even add up to a hundred thousand sel. Then, as if prepared in advance, he pulled a contract from his coat and thrust it toward me.

“See? I’m not just words. Here’s the contract. Sign it, and everything I just promised is yours.”

I stared at him for a moment—then chuckled under my breath.

“…Hey. You trying to get yourself killed?”

So this bastard thought he could rob a wide-awake man in broad daylight.

The air froze in an instant at my harsh words.

“You medieval peddler who can’t even count… Just how much of a fool do you take me for?”

“N-no, that’s not what I—”

“So, let’s be straight. Altogether, that’s eighty-four thousand sel? You’ve got to be kidding me. Garbage. Even if your mouth is crooked, at least spit the words out straight.”

“…!”

“Let’s do some math. Without me, you’d all be dead. Your caravans had, what, around 150 people combined? Eighty-four thousand split between them… that’s five hundred and sixty sel per head. What are your lives, fly carcasses?”

Jacob, sensing the atmosphere turning dangerous, lifted his hand as if to calm me—but one glare full of killing intent made him shrink back immediately. Unlike the merchants, the mercenary knew exactly who held control here.

“And those goods piled on the wagons—one-tenth of one-tenth of those crates is worth more than the eighty thousand you’re trying to toss me. Without me, they’d be in the bandits’ hands. Eighty thousand? Where’s your conscience?”

I scanned the contract again, and let out a sharp laugh.

“What’s this? A clause saying I can’t dispute the deal afterward? That I can’t demand additional rewards? And next to it—oh look, a confidentiality clause?”

“So basically, if I accept your crumbs, I lose the right to ever ask for more. Can’t even expose it publicly. That it?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Each of those captured warhorses is worth over a hundred thousand sel. The pricier ones, three or four times more. You’ve got eleven of them—and you don’t mention them at all?”

“And the armor and weapons the bandits used? You mean to claim all of that for yourselves? Wow. Truly merchant-like. Save a drowning man, and he demands your bundle in return. What kind of lunatics are you?”

As if I’d read his thoughts word-for-word, Garek’s face turned pale.

I swept my gaze over the onlookers and asked in a chilling voice:

“I really don’t get it. Were the bandits scarier than me? Whether a bandit stabs you with a sword or I smash your skull with my staff, dead is dead. What exactly makes you think this scam was safe?”

“Even if I’d been dumb enough to sign this bullshit contract, the second I realized I’d been swindled, what would you have done when I came back furious? What gives you the confidence to pull something like this?”

Just then, Shia tugged on my sleeve.

“This is a Geas contract.”

“What?”

She fiddled with the parchment, where lines of minuscule writing filled the margins, then peeled it apart—revealing a thinner second sheet beneath.

What looked like one contract had actually been two stacked together.

“The sheet underneath is a Geas scroll. If you sign the top, it’s counted as signing the bottom as well, activating its effect. It’s not a high-grade one, so the binding force is weak, but a Geas is still a Geas. Once signed, breaking its terms becomes very difficult.”

“Damn… so if I’d signed, I’d be stuck following it?”

“Exactly. It’s a well-known trick. Since Geas scrolls are so expensive, they’re usually only used in scams involving huge amounts of money… Guess he really wanted those warhorses and armors.”

“…A natural-born ungrateful bastard, huh.”

I set Shia off my lap and quietly picked up my heavy staff. Bits of charred, bloodied ash fell to the ground as I lifted it.

“…Tell me. Was this your idea alone, or were the other merchants in on it? My response will change depending on the answer.”

Even with his face ashen, he clenched his teeth, trying to salvage some pride.

“Y-you… are you threatening me right now?”

“Threatening? Don’t be stupid. I’m declaring I’ll kill you. And if anyone else was in on it, I’ll kill them too.”

“…!!!”

When I stepped forward, Garek flinched back and grabbed onto Jacob’s arm.

“Jacob! Your employer is being threatened and you just stand there!? Call your mercenaries and stop him right now!”

Jacob only let out a derisive laugh.

“Can’t do that.”

“C-can’t!? Is that something a hired mercenary should be saying!?”

“I didn’t say I won’t. I said I can’t. What exactly are we supposed to do against a monster like him?”

“B-but if we all rush him together—”

“If that worked, those bandit knights wouldn’t have had their skulls smashed by his staff in the first place. And even if I could… I wouldn’t want to help you in this situation.”

“…!”

Jacob then raised his hands toward me, showing he meant no hostility.

“Believe me or not, but we had nothing to do with this man’s scheme. Most of the other merchants didn’t either.”

I narrowed my eyes, doubtful, but Shia spoke up in Jacob’s defense.

“He’s probably not lying.”

“And how do you know?”

“Unlike you, who wouldn’t know socializing if it bit you, I spent the journey mingling around. That Garek fellow strutted about bragging of his gentry status so much that most merchants avoided him. Some may have looked the other way for easy profit, but none of them had the guts to take part directly.”

“…So just bystanders, huh.”

When I glanced around, a few merchants avoided my eyes, turning their heads away. Those must’ve been the ones who knew but stayed silent.

I spoke to Jacob in a voice dripping with frost, more a command than a suggestion.

“If you claim no involvement, then prove it.”

“Prove it? H-how do you mean?”

I scraped my nails along the staff with a sharp grin.

“I’m in a very, very foul mood right now. And if that mood doesn’t improve… I get the feeling this caravan might ‘unluckily’ run into another bandit attack.”

“And I think… that bandit will be carrying a big heavy staff. What do you think about that?”

Jacob swallowed hard as the meaning sank in.

“As a mercenary, shouldn’t you remove any threat that endangers the caravan?”

“…You want me to kill him?”

“That’s what I’d like. But killing your own employer, even for the caravan’s sake, might be a little much. So instead, beat him. Beat him so well I don’t feel like killing him myself.”

Jacob let out a long sigh, half relief and half resignation. Then he suddenly slapped Garek across the face.

SMAACK!!

“Urk!! Jacob, you—!”

“Don’t take it personally. I’m saving your life here.”

Then he started kicking the man sprawled on the ground.

THUD! THUD! WHUMP!!

“Argh! Aghhh! STOP!!”

In his frenzy, Garek screamed out desperately.

“I’m gentry! The sixth cousin of Baron Betan, and cousin to Baronet Aman! You think you’ll get away with this!?”

“…Baron Betan?”

At that name, Jacob’s kicks faltered, a flash of unease crossing his face.

I tossed a sheet of parchment at his feet.

FWIP.

“That’s a letter of recommendation from Professor Sodin of the Purple Tower, a 7th-rank mage.”

FWIP.

“And that one’s from Master Falun, Tower Master of the Splitting Flame Tower, lord of Sinan, and honorary viscount of the Baran Empire.”

FWIP.

“…And this is a certificate of appointment, personally signed by His Holiness Glaphina, Pontiff of the Lumina Church, recognizing me as a Pilgrim Priest.”

With each document I threw down, faces around me shifted like stoplights—red, white, then pale blue. When the Pontiff’s signature appeared, several merchants outright dropped to their knees, crossing themselves.

“You think this Betan—or whoever—would side with you after seeing these? Or cut ties with a sixth-cousin merchant trash like you?”

“……”

“……”

I tilted my chin at Jacob.

“Well? Keep going. Or should I do it myself?”

“N-no! I’ll beat him until he’s half-dead!!”

“You said you didn’t want to kill him.”

“A-ah! I mean—I won’t kill him!”

“But don’t go too easy either. If he looks like he’s about to die, I’ll just heal him. Then you can keep beating him again.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll beat him to death’s door, heal him, and then beat him back to death’s door again!!”

“Good. I’ll be watching.”