Offer a Tribute and Become an Archmage - Chapter 152



Only Noblemtl

Episode 152.

“Oh my god!!”

The Vivian I met again was not a young girl. She had the appearance of a somewhat grown girl, and her hair had grown a bit since it was short. Her blurry figure had become a bit clearer, to the point where the outline of her face was visible.

Of course, whether that was true or not, Ronobe didn’t care and just expressed his grievances.

“This swindler!”

He started by calling me a fraud. But his reaction was strange. His voice sounded like he was happy.

[You’re the first.]

“What? You’re the first person to do something like this to me. Are you falling for me or something? Do you think I’ll be able to get by with such a cheap beauty trap? I have Slender Benny and Sensual Elysia! Where’s the little brat…!”

But Vivian shook her head.

[You are the first child I have met again through my grace.]

“…?”

The face of the god could not be seen, for it was blurry. But for some reason, Ronobe felt that she was smiling.

For some reason, a creepy feeling came over Ronobe, and he came to his senses.

“What, what do you mean by that?”

[We never met again before.]

In an instant, goosebumps appeared all over his body. Every single hair on his body stood on end. Ronobe suddenly distanced himself from Vivian. Vivian’s words were like this. It was in line with what she said when she bestowed grace, most people died.

“Why, why?”

[I guess it’s because of the internal organs.]

If you think about it, the act of pulling out a person’s intestines and turning them into a sword doesn’t seem good on the surface. No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem sacred; it’s more like evil magic.

‘Did you get burned at the stake…?’

Maybe it was so.

If not, have you gone crazy? It might be a little hard to stay sane when you do things like that.

[Nice to meet you again.]

Vivian came closer and grabbed both of Ronobe’s hands. Her expression was completely invisible, so Ronobe was scared for no reason.

“T-Than that! Than that! I used magic and the iron sword turned to dust in five seconds!”

I found myself speaking in a strange tone without realizing it, but Vivian nodded.

[Why did you make a sword?]

“Why are you making a sword? Of course, you intend to test magic…”

Then he nods as if he understands.

[A sword without a purpose is useless in this world. That’s why your sword disappeared.]

“… A sword without a purpose?”

Come to think of it, I think I’ve heard something similar before.

‘Was it Yonterion? Was it Urdisa?’

When Ronobe was expressing his concerns about not being able to control the gray bear, one of the two said something, but I don’t quite remember who. But what’s important now is that they have something in common.

[Swords have many purposes. Not just swords, but other things as well. The miracles you speak of are also like that.]

Purpose, goal. Aspiration, miracle.

They all come together as one.

The black one that doesn’t contain it.

[It doesn’t need to exist. Don’t you know such an obvious thing? You idiot.]

“What? Ha! It’s okay if you call me a idiot. But I can’t stand it when you call me an idiot!”

Vivian laughed heartily.

[What a funny kid. That’s fortunate. This time, he’s not a soft-hearted kid.]

“Have you ever seen any other tribute children besides me?”

[Of course. Because there is a child of tribute… Miracles come back to life.]

Are you saying that miracles happen because there is a child of tribute?

“What does that mean?”

It was something that was not easily understood.

[Well, you’ll have to find the answer to that yourself. But since we’ve met again, I’ll give you a chance at grace.]

A chance for grace?

[Turn a hundred internal organs into a sword. Then, I will grant you a new grace. Next time we meet, I hope you will be a little stronger…]

“Now, just a moment!”

Despite Ronobe’s shouts, Vivian disappeared into smoke.

Ronobe, left alone in the dark cave, frowned.

“Ronobe, are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Ronobe moved away from Benny a little.

Before I knew it, my cheeks were swollen. Even my skin, tempered with bear skin, couldn’t be immune to the knight’s fist.

“Shall we go back?”

“no.”

Vivian’s magic can only be tested if you have the internal organs. And it hasn’t been long since you entered the dungeon. There’s a lot to test and a lot to explore, so you can’t go back now.

“Let’s go.”

If Vivian’s words about giving a chance at grace without offering a tribute are true.

‘There’s nothing I can’t do.’

Anyway, there was nothing left to offer as tribute, and if Vivian’s magic was perfectly mastered, wouldn’t it be possible to turn this iron sword into a lump of iron and offer it to Bonka? Magic is connected. Maybe magic and tribute are connected too.

*

A pitch-black space.

A place where only three candles were lit in a triangle. In the center of it sat an old man. The old man was wearing a hood, and he was one of Xenos’ disciples, and one of the few Magi in the Empire.

“To the west, the short tower of Macheon. The tent of the lantern. The short sword of the ash.”

He then licked his index finger and thumb and blew out the three candles that were lit where he was sitting.

Smoke from the unlit candle enveloped the old man, and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a different space than before. There were three candles similar to the one he had been in, but the candles were not extinguished, but were lit.

“Son of Roman. Lomonodas. There is something I need you to do.”

Squeak, squeak.

A shabby shack.

The ash-covered cabin was full of ash, from the bookshelves to the beds.

The man sitting in the creaking rocking chair, trapped in the ashes, was a middle-aged wizard with a bushy beard.

“Ashes of Lomo. Are you listening?”

“I’m listening.”

As he looked up from his rocking chair, ash fell from his head.

“Your Imperial Majesty. How is it that you have settled down in this shabby hut? The ‘Trinity Candle’ was not arranged for you…”

Lomonodas’s ashen eyes looked at the weakly burning candle.

“Are you still waiting for the Master’s visit? You are wasting your time. He must have already forgotten your magic.”

“…”

“How many points did the Master give your magic? Was it a 7?”

“It was 8.5 at first…!”

“That was because he was full of anticipation. You know that. We are all living by his anticipation. But after you became a wizard, you were very disappointed. Isn’t that so?”

“…”

Knock knock knock.

Lomonodas’s silence was calm, but it did not quell his anger. The hut shook and shook as if an earthquake had occurred, and the ashes shook. But the old man did not blink an eye.

“Do you want to be favored by your master?”

Shudder.

With Lomonodas’s response, the turbulent shaking stopped.

The old man immediately suggested.

“The cloud is dead.”

Lomonodas’s thick, long eyebrows twitched.

“Head Collector Cloud? That lunatic is finally dead.”

It seemed like it didn’t matter anyway.

“Who killed that bastard? Could it be that the falling light years finally killed him? If so, I should at least send him a congratulatory drink. It’s like settling a grudge that’s been going on for over a decade.”

“No. The blood of a small kingdom killed Cloud.”

“A lump of blood? Not an empire?”

“That’s right.”

When he seemed interested, the old man began to talk in earnest.

Among them, he also told the story of Cloud’s visit to the kingdom and his collusion with the witch Gaisha. However, he immediately saw through the truth they were trying to hide.

“Most things that are hidden are precious. The Master doesn’t care, but there is a man in that kingdom.”

Archmage Ashwald.

“I see. Ashwald of the Oasis. So. Why do you want to send me to where he is?”

“Bring me the miracle of the cloud. And the head of the man who killed the priest.”

“So what do I get?”

“Master’s favor.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because there’s a chance that the person you’re going to kill is a ‘child of tribute.’”

Lomonodas’ eyes narrowed.

“It’s just a possibility. Are you asking me to risk my life for that possibility?”

“I won’t force you. But if you don’t take a chance on that possibility… you’ll end up with a mountain of ashes one day.”

Waiting for a teacher who never comes.

“Son of Roman. No, Wizard of Ashes. Will you accept my offer?”

He had no reason to refuse.

“How long?”

“does not exist.”

Lomonodas rose from his rocking chair. Kukukung! As he rose, the hut collapsed into ashes. As the hut collapsed, a huge castle appeared. But in an instant, the castle collapsed like a sand castle without a trace.

It wasn’t just ashes that fell from the ruined castle. All sorts of corpses and living servants fell at the same time. But no one paid any attention to this. Kwakwakwa!! A shovel was stuck in the ground in the ruined castle.

Lomonodas took hold of it and said:

“But why me?”

“Because you will be fast.”

“I see. But I can’t be the only one. Someone like you wouldn’t have made the offer only to me.”

As Lomonodas pulled out his shovel, ash swirled around him and he turned into a giant bird.

-But it doesn’t matter. I’ll be the fastest.

He soon flew away, his ashes billowing. As he watched the great bird flying across the sky, the old man’s sinister smile escaped his dry lips.

“You’re quick-witted.”

As he disappeared, a man in black appeared beside the old man, knelt down, and spoke.

“I accepted the offer.”

“Thank goodness. I was just wondering if I should move. Things turned out easy. With ‘Fall’ and ‘Nightmare’ together, I won’t have to worry about this anymore.”

The old man’s eyes widened.

But the man in black who was kneeling did not get up, as if he had questions about the matter.

“Why are you doing that?”

“… I think this is too much. Sending three famous wizards to a small kingdom is just a matter of taste…”

Sure, maybe I’m just a lucky bastard.

But the old man did it even though he knew.

“I like certainty, but at the same time I like experimentation.”

If you die, that’s the end.

But if you survive.

“The teacher will be pleased.”

The child of the tribute…

“I will make you a god.”

*

A week later.

Ronobe shivered as the sunlight hit his whole body with his squinted eyes.

“The dungeon of a crazy bastard!!”

I suddenly started swearing, but it couldn’t be helped.

“It’s wide! It’s wide, but it’s too wide!!”

The dungeon was much wider and deeper than I had expected. I kept going forward, shouting, “Just a little more, just a little more,” but all I could see were endless caves, raccoons, and various bug monsters.

“Thanks to you, I got a lot of mushrooms and rocks, right?”

“That is true, though.”

In a week, I found seven rocks. That’s an average of one per day. And I also found the same amount of mushrooms.

That’s because not all monsters have mushrooms.

‘Anyway, I’ve already got seven Punes.’

He was a guy who made my heart feel generous just by looking at him.

“I had that kind of power last time I just drank a bottle of Pune-infused water.”

An explosion of uncontrollable sexual desire.

That was just one bottle. It wasn’t even a big bottle. It was a potion bottle that Ronobe often used, and it had that level of effect.

‘It makes at least three bottles, so I guess I can split it up and sell it.’

Since Ronobe was that crazy, it was half and half. Even if you split it into 1/4, no, 1/8, it should be enough. No matter how good it is, if you take it wrong, it can be poisonous, so it’s always good to stick to the proper dosage.

“Don’t eat it. It’s useless anyway.”

“… Isn’t that too much? If you go to town, there’s a line of women who like me.”

“Then I’ll give it to you when you get married.”

“There’s no marriage until you become a knight. It’s annoying. Marriage and all.”

“How stable it is to have a family. Look at Benny. How strong he is.”

“That’s something special for you, Madam.”

Liam grumbled and loaded the laundry into a bin. It was bloody laundry from his long stay in the dungeon.

“Hey, mine too.”

Ronobe took off his clothes in a hurry.

Even though he had been hiding behind Liam, it was obvious that the waste that had accumulated over the past week would still be on his clothes. Plus, they were also a bit dirty on the outside.

“… You didn’t take a shit, did you?”

“Who are you calling a shithead! Do you want to die?”

Kicked Liam’s ass.

“Ah! It hurts! It hurts!”

“Who would call the lord a shithead?”

Thud! Thud! Liam runs away when he hits him. Ronobé chases after him and tries to kick him, but his leg gets twisted and he falls.

“Wow!”

“Ahh!”

Even when I fell, I didn’t fall alone.

Liam and Ronob, wearing only their underwear, fell over and got tangled up.

And that was when it happened.

“This is Hopper…!”

A mangled, armed soldier emerged from the bushes.

The face was familiar.

It was clear that he was the private that Convair had handed over.

“ah…”

“uh…”

“Oh, that’s a misunderstanding!”

It was not easy to see two men entangled in their underwear. The private looked at Liam and Ronob, looked embarrassed, and then turned his back.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect Baron Jun to have such a hobby…”

“No. I said no!”

“no!”

“Hey, you son of a bitch! If a rumor spreads that you’re a sodomite, you’ll take responsibility? You’ll take responsibility!”

“Didn’t you fall down because Baron Jun kept chasing you?”

“That’s weird! Who made you fall down!”

“Oh no!”

The private who saw Liam and Ronobbe grumbling quickly realized that he had misunderstood and greeted them properly.

“What’s your name?”

“This is Aden from Borden.”

“Borden? The village above Petri?”

“yes!”

It was a village at the eastern end of the Gradas territory. I had never been to Ronobe, but I had heard that it was a prosperous village.

Aden seemed to be from there.

“You came quickly. How did you get here? It would take a month to walk from the castle to Hopper.”

Ronobe asked with a cough, still not realizing that he was still in his underwear.

“If you follow the road, yes. My father was a hunter, so I came through the forest.”

“But it’s still fast?”

Camping in the forest is risky because you have to risk your life, but it is definitely a shortcut. However, there are disadvantages such as the risk of getting lost and encountering wild animals.

“Of course I didn’t come barefoot. I was lucky. I found a wild horse in the forest.”

“A wild horse?”

“Yes. I found a wild horse, tamed it, and rode it here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Of course, I brought the horse to present it to Baron Jun. Please wait a moment!”

Let’s wait a moment. Aden brought his horse. It was definitely a wild horse, without a saddle, and its eyes and spirit were different from those of a managed horse.

‘I lied about stealing or robbing something, but it’s not true. I’m sure of it. Judging by its dirty disposition, it’s a wild horse.’

It’s a feeling of emotion, I guess.

Since he often turns into a beast, he has a knack for beast-related things. This guy is a real wild horse.

“Wow! This is this! There were only bread bugs that ate rice and ate bread, but Lord Convile sent a special A-class soldier! Ugh!”

“Do you happen to have bread bugs?”

“You have good ears…”

The bread bug has quite a keen ear.

“What!? I risked my life to protect you in the dungeon, and now there’s a bread bug there!”

That’s true. Liam was faithful to his role as a meat shield. Even though he said things like that, when danger came, he was the first to stand in front of Ronobe. He said that even if he got hurt, he would recover quickly anyway. Ronobe didn’t spare Liam’s potions either. They developed a strong bond while exploring dungeons, but since they were men, they would grumble for no reason.

“Just kidding, fuck! Don’t get so worked up over a joke. It hurts your ears.”

“… ha.”

Liam, feeling dizzy, went to do his laundry with a laundry basket.

“Your Highness, Baron. Although it may be a bit shabby, I will ask you to take good care of me in the future.”

“Ahem, what is this…”

Ronobe, who had taken Aden’s reins, awkwardly suppressed his uncontrollable laughter as he listened to the horse.

“This, this, I guess I’ll have to build a stable too. Hahahaha!”

It was a good thing that I lent Peter and his party a carriage, since they didn’t have a horse to ride around with. To be honest, I didn’t have any reason to ride a horse, but it’s important for nobles to be seen.

-Purur!

Ronobe snickered as he watched the wild horse yelping as if it was very rough.

Because it is a wild horse, it has a temperament.

But that makes it better.

Wouldn’t it be fun to crush a guy like this with force?

“Your name… shall be Adam.”

Adam, because Aden brought it.

It’s a somewhat fitting name for a male.

Ronobe took the sword out of his mouth.

“Aden.”

“… yes!”

Aden was shocked to see Ronobe spitting out a sword from his mouth, but then he controlled his expression and knelt on one knee.

Ronobe tapped Aden on the shoulder with the sword he had acquired some time ago and said.

‘What should I say? Aden is not a knight…’

Ronobe gave it a vague answer, wondering if the oath of loyalty was something only knights could do.

“I accept your loyalty.”

“…? Ah, I will pledge my loyalty!”

Ronobe returned the sword awkwardly.

There was something strange about Aden, but since he was from the countryside, he didn’t really know what was strange.

“Hmm, good. Aden. From now on, you are the captain. You will be able to command and manage the private soldiers that will be gathering. Oh, and this.”

Ronobe handed over a silver coin. A soldier’s monthly salary was usually around thirty copper coins, so one silver coin was a huge reward.

“It’s a special bonus for becoming a captain.”

“Thank you! I will continue to serve you with loyalty, Baron!!”

“Um. Please.”

Of course, Ronobe didn’t know much about things like soldier salaries.

“The others will be a little late, right?”

“Probably so.”

And a week passed.

No one came.

Another week passed.

But he still didn’t come.

“Did you die on the way here?”

“…”

No matter how long he waited, the other soldiers never came to Hopper. They either ran away or died on the way. Ronobe consoled himself by saying it was the latter.

“Oh, even if no one is there, you are the captain of the Hopper Guard. The captain of the Aden Guard!”

“… yes.”

Liam chuckled from afar as Aden slumped his shoulders.

“Do you know you’re the youngest?”

Liam handed the laundry basket to Aden, who gritted his teeth.

End