Offer a Tribute and Become an Archmage - Chapter 175



Only Noblemtl

Offering Tribute to the Archmage Chapter 175

Kael Djerba [1]

Episode 175.

The next day.

Elicia left early in the morning.

There was no separate farewell.

Because there was a mark on the ring fingers of Ronobe and Elysia that was tightly connected.

Lorelai’s ring, faintly sparkling.

This very thing that sparkles is a link that allows them to constantly be aware of each other’s existence and recall it.

“Let’s get ready and leave too.”

The distance to the capital is not that far, but the kingdom has many mountains and forests due to its geographical characteristics, so you have to move quickly.

‘It’ll take two more months.’

Two months if you move quickly.

It was a journey that would take three months if we took our time, so we had to proceed diligently. There was nothing more to see in the Frank County, so there was no reason to delay.

“I think I’m going to miss the sausages.”

“It was delicious.”

Liam and Ronobé’s regretful feelings were the same for once. In this era where there are not many delicious foods, the Frank Sausage was one of the foods that was clearly memorable.

Above all, it is a dish that dazzles the picky taste buds of Ronobe.

“Did you pack your supplies? Pack them with sausages.”

“Sausages are expensive.”

“Really? Let’s pack it anyway. You have a lot of money.”

“You complained yesterday that you lost all your money. Have you forgotten?”

“No… not my money.”

Ronobé avoided Liam’s gaze, which was looking at him as if he was looking at trash.

“I don’t have any money.”

“No! You got travel expenses from Gradas. They must have given you plenty of money.”

I understand it’s about ten gold coins.

That’s more than enough money to cover the travel expenses of about thirty people. I was thinking that I could just splurge a little and buy a bunch of sausages. As soon as he decided to become a big person, Ronobe was about to commit corruption, but Liam shook his head.

“You should leave that aside just in case…”

“Who? Who said I was okay!”

“Your Majesty.”

“Oh, really? Then that’s how it should be…”

Ronobe, who was biting his lip in regret, looked at those gathering supplies from afar and took out a vial of medicine from his bosom.

A bottle containing medicinal herbs.

It was Lorraine’s herb.

“Is that it? The herb worth fifty gold coins?”

“Call me Herb Master. He is more valuable than you.”

“… But are you just going to look at it? You bought it to eat it.”

“I’m good at farming. I thought I’d try growing this too.”

“Will that work?”

“Even if others can’t, I can do it.”

I am confident.

I am confident that I can raise it.

Lonobe’s totem benefits all plants, so this Lorraine herb will surely grow well.

Of course, there are things to worry about.

‘It’s good to raise them in a hopper.’

As it is a precious herb, it is a bit unsettling to keep it in the hopper.

Although Gergoyle exists, Ronobe still does not truly trust him. Up until now, he has been living a carefree life because Ronobe is his benefactor and he has nothing to desire in the village, but it is impossible to know how a person will change when he sees the treasure of Lorraine’s herbs.

Besides, isn’t this the kind of herb that a wizard would naturally desire?

We hadn’t been close enough to trust each other for a long time, and I didn’t know much about him. Naturally, there wasn’t enough time and communication to trust him.

furthermore.

‘I don’t know anything about Lorraine’s herbs yet.’

We don’t know anything about how they grow, how they bear fruit, and how they reproduce. We need to figure this out first. Even if a totem helps a plant grow, it doesn’t help it reproduce.

I needed information.

If it’s Yonterion, he might know, but it’s not that urgent. We’re going to the capital anyway. It’s a place where all kinds of knowledge are gathered, so he might have knowledge about Lorraine’s herbs.

It is ambiguous whether to plant it in a hopper, so it is better to hold off for now.

As I was pondering about it for a moment, Clinton approached me.

“Please say hello to Aaron.”

“yes?”

“If you’re going to the royal road, wouldn’t you also stop by the Iron Earldom?”

“ah…”

“I guess you haven’t thought about it. Well, you must have been very busy since His Majesty the King called you here. You’ll meet Aaron when you go to the royal capital anyway, so tell him I said hello.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And… this is my sincerity towards a comrade I haven’t seen in a long time. We’ll be seeing each other often anyway.”

Clifton had his servants load Ronnobe’s hold with sausages.

“This precious thing…!”

“I can’t give something worthless to my comrades.”

Ronobe covered his mouth with both hands and was moved. In this era where people try to cheat to the point of cutting off their noses even with their eyes open, there was such a wise man!

Ronobé saw Clinton again.

“Why are you so kind to me?”

“… We fought together. We are also geographically close. You are the one who defeated two wizards of the Empire. Who else but me would want to maintain friendly relations? There is nothing wrong with being friends with a great wizard.”

It was an extremely calculated move.

‘I was moved for no reason.’

In a way, it was a natural conclusion.

Because this world is not so kind as to show favor to those who are nothing.

I give because it is valuable.

It was a very natural thing for the nobles.

“Of course, there is also the reason that you are Aaron’s beloved younger brother. I owe Aaron my life. This is also a personal reason.”

“I see. When I meet Sir Aaron, I will be sure to convey Sir Clinton’s regards.”

“I would appreciate it if you would do that.”

Clinton chuckled and stroked his pig-tailed moustache.

“Then proceed carefully. It will be winter when you reach the capital. It would be better to prepare for defense in the villages you pass by. Whether it be carriages or people.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

Only after seeing off Clifton and passing through the gates of the countship did Ronobé get into the carriage with Benny.

‘That sausage is all debt, too.’

It was a favor that had to be repaid someday.

Thinking about it that way, I wasn’t entirely happy. But I couldn’t refuse, so I could only hope that the sausage debt I had to repay one day wouldn’t be that big.

“what’s the matter?”

Benny, who was about to get on the carriage, looked toward the forest and narrowed his eyes.

As Ronobé, who didn’t know English, tilted his head, Liam and the soldiers drew their swords.

“Are you the enemy?”

Liam, who was quick-witted, asked, but Benny didn’t answer clearly, as if she was ambiguous. Tommy and Benald, who knew her skills, also prepared for battle, and Jill and Mick also dismounted from their horses to maintain tension.

It was when Lirun and Peter, with their nervous expressions clearly visible behind the soldiers, were preparing to cast their magic.

A nobleman appeared leading the soldiers on the forest path. He was a young man with gray hair and a neat style with only one side of his hair parted. He was a nobleman with a familiar crest, and he was from a family that Ronobe had seen before.

‘Jerba.’

A territory located north of Gradas.

He was from the Barondom of Djerba.

He was from a noble family that was not on good terms with Gradas, so he was curious as to why such a person was blocking his way.

“I guess I surprised you. I just wanted to accompany you since we’re going the same way.”

Leisurely voice and gestures.

However, the knights and soldiers next to him were radiating bravery as if they were about to fight at any moment.

‘I heard that Baron Jerba is an old man.’

The young man is the son of Baron Djerba, or someone of similar status…

“You’re a wizard.”

You may not be able to fool other people, but you can’t fool Ronobe’s eyes.

He is a wizard.

“Excuse me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kael Djerba. Please call me Kael.”

Kael Djerba.

As expected, he was from the Djerba family.

Of course, I’ve never heard of the name Kael.

“Kael? Are you Kael of the Halo?”

“There was someone who knew me.”

Benald seemed to know well.

As Ronobe looked at him, he casually added a story about Kael.

“He is famous as the eldest son of the Jerba family who inherited the magic that deals with light itself. It is also because of this that I believe glory will return to Jerba.”

A wizard who manipulates light.

Kael of the Halo. The person who was the right person to take care of the grimoire in Jerba had not appeared yet, but this time, he appeared and the order of succession in Jerba was changed in an instant.

“Are you going to take the palace magic test?”

“Yes. Aren’t the people of Gradas also heading to the royal capital? I thought it would be nice to meet you, but I came despite my rudeness. We are neighbors, after all.”

The eldest son who is cherished in Djerba.

Moreover, why would the miraculous suitor of the Djerba family, who appeared after hundreds of years, insist on accompanying Gradas, with whom he was not on good terms?

Not only Ronobe, but others could not help but wonder about that.

If it’s out of the blue, it’s because it was out of the blue.

Besides, it seemed like they already knew about Ronobe in advance. They showed up as if they had been waiting for him.

‘I don’t think you want me to come with you with bad intentions… but maybe you have some other ulterior motive.’

It’s unlikely that he asked me to accompany him to poison him or to carry out an ambush. Even so, we were both nobles, and we lived in a territory so close that our noses would almost touch if we fell.

“What should we do?”

Liam asked.

Others were also looking at Ronobe.

In any case, the center of the journey to the royal capital was definitely Ronobe. He looked at Kael silently and asked.

“I want to know why.”

“Why?”

“The knights and soldiers of Jerba who accompany you will not want to accompany you because they lack strength. However, I know of the ill-fated relations between you and me, so I am sure they do not simply want to become friends. To be honest, I do not know your intentions, so it is difficult for me to readily allow you to accompany me.”

It was a natural thing.

From Ronobe’s perspective, it was neither a lack of power nor a need for a traveling companion. There is nothing more dangerous than an untrustworthy ally.

Especially if that person comes from a family with a bad historical relationship.

So Kael smiled bitterly.

Because it was a very direct way of speaking that was quite unusual for him.

A rare way of speaking for a nobleman.

It would be more correct to see it as an expression of confidence in one’s own power rather than a result of one’s humble origins as a commoner.

“Since you speak so frankly, I must also be honest with you. I have also heard your story while staying in Frank’s Earldom. I felt it would be a shame to distance myself from you because of the ill-feeling between our territories. We are the same age, and since we are wizards, wouldn’t it be better to build a friendship and work together to plan for the future of the country?”

What you are saying is a clear statement.

He said it plausibly, but Kael’s answer was simply that he wanted to become friends. That was all. It may have been his true intention, but at least Ronobe didn’t think so.

“Later.”

To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in Ronobeh or Jerba or anything.

If it’s something related to Jerba, it’s Jonah’s husband. There wasn’t anything like that except for the time of Bores, who is now dead. It wasn’t that Jerba did anything wrong, but that he was just trying to make a deal.

That’s why Ronobé didn’t really have any feelings for Jerba.

But it’s not Gradas.

Elicia did not like Jerba, and the feud between their families still runs through her.

Anyway, Ronobe is a person from Gradas.

If Elicia sees him as an enemy, then it is right for him to also recognize Jerba as an enemy. That is the way of a ruler and his subject.

Ronobe opened his mouth, caressing the ring on his left ring finger with his thumb.

“If that’s all I have to say, I’ll decline. I’m careful not to make a fuss.”

If word spreads among Gradas’ vassals that he is close to Djerba, it will be a headache for nothing.

Wouldn’t it be better to pay attention to the people of Gradas rather than the relationship with Jerba? In this era, rumors are everything. If the story of just accompanying Jerba becomes fleshed out, who knows what kind of false rumors might emerge. I didn’t want to create something that would make Elysia anxious for no reason.

I just received a ring as a gift yesterday.

If he were to cause trouble, it would be like repaying a favor with enmity, so Ronobe’s decision was a reasonable one.

“Are you okay?”

“What are you talking about?”

Ronobe was starting to get annoyed.

Even if a pretty girl showed up and asked me to go with her, I would have refused, but then an unlucky handsome guy kept on clinging to me, so it was strange that I didn’t get annoyed.

“Isn’t it possible that Djerba will use this as an excuse to start a war with Gradas? Gradas is close to Djerba anyway. How heartbreaking it would be if another war broke out in Gradas, which is healing the pain of war.”

“Ha, are you threatening me now?”

“That’s not possible. The elders of Djerba mean that it could be possible.”

That’s not what I’m saying. Ronobe was dumbfounded, wondering what kind of idiot this is.

“Sir Hopper has accepted His Majesty’s call and is going north. He will not be able to participate in the Territory War, so his steps towards the north will be heavy.”

“…you know a lot about me.”

Going to the royal road is something that can be found out by asking around, but heading north is something that cannot be found out unless you have average information skills.

Because Ronobe himself has never gone around bragging about such things.

“Because it’s a hot potato right now. Your Majesty’s every move.”

‘Am I that good?’

Even though it was a serious situation, it felt good to become famous. Ronobe clenched his teeth because he felt like he was going to burst out laughing.

The jaw muscles became convex.

‘Big man. Big man! Hey, don’t laugh!!’

The moment Ronobe, who had been coughing, was about to open his mouth.

Kael spoke first.

“Of course, neither Gradas nor Djerba will gain from the war. I believe that we must now end the shackles of this ill-feeling with our generation. Our enemy is the Empire, not each other.”

There is a strong will to somehow accompany Ronobe.

Whatever the reason, I can’t refuse when they say something like this.

‘If we refuse here, a real war will break out.’

As he said, it could be the very thing that provides the pretext. Originally, the beginning of wars often started with very trivial quarrels. If you win a war, you will gain great wealth and honor, but if you lose, you will lose everything. Unlike Djerba, who has a lot, Gradas will have a hard time accepting the loss. If this happens, war will break out, and if that happens, Gradas will be displeased… The latter is better than the former.

“Take my favor as a debt, for I will repay it in kind in the future.”

Despite the somewhat rude remark, Kael just smiled as if he found something so good about it.

*

Since the uncomfortable company began.

Ronobe avoided contact with Kael.

Kael also didn’t force any contact. They mostly stayed in each other’s carriages and even ate separately.

“Isn’t it more suspicious that you don’t even care now when you were courting me so passionately?”

“Passionate courtship… I’m afraid that if someone hears it, they’ll misunderstand.”

Liam hated Kael.

It was the same with Ronobedo.

That was the case with Benald too.

“First of all, I don’t trust your face.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s bad luck to have a lot of hair.”

A nobleman with a handsome appearance.

With that alone, the Ronobe group united and shouted for the overthrow of Kael. When I looked closely, there was no one around Ronobe who had been born a noble. So I didn’t know why I hated him. Of course, that was the case with Jill and Mick, who had grown up in noble families without any problems.

“Sir Jill and Sir Mick got along very well with Sir Kael.”

It seems that Jill and Jerba had been in contact with each other from the beginning, and since Mick was a disciple of Ashwald, Kael was more interested in him. Mick was also a rare magician who could handle light, so they talked to each other often.

“How about asking?”

“what.”

“I’m asking Sir Mick about his situation and background… No matter how much I think about it, there’s no reason for him to accompany me, so why didn’t you insist?”

Liam seems curious as to why.

“I think I have a rough idea.”

However, Benald seemed to have guessed the intention, but when he heard the story, it wasn’t that great.

“Sir Hopper is a hot potato in the aristocratic society right now. However, Sir Kael is just starting out. So, isn’t he trying to ride on Sir’s prestige and put his own prestige on the same level as Sir?”

“…What does that mean?”

Benald beat his chest in frustration and explained again.

“No, a rookie. A rookie. Sir Kael has nothing but awakened the magic that was kept in Djerba for a long time. But there are rumors that such a man of great rumours is accompanying Sir Hopper to an audience with His Majesty. How will the nobles view him?”

“…Blue?”

“I guess that kind of rumor might spread. But it’s more likely that this kind of rumor will spread.”

The rumors about Kael’s power are so great that even the wizard who defeated the wizard was able to maintain a friendly relationship with him!

“And I have a lot of suspicions about this guy named Kael.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Barondom of Jerba has a long history. It is a noble family that has existed since the foundation of the kingdom, and its founder is said to have revived the family using magic similar to Kael. However, the bodyguard of the eldest son, Kael, is more ordinary than expected.”

surely.

As Benald said, Kael’s escort is quite passable.

One carriage and about ten soldiers.

And one escort knight.

Compared to Ronobe, this is definitely the case.

For the Djerba family, he is the successor to a line that has not been seen for a long time.

“Now that you mention it, is that so?”

“Is that so? No, it’s not. It’s strange. It’s the heir to the lineage that came after almost a hundred years. To give such a guard to a precious descendant who is going on a long journey to take the magic test at the palace? No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious.”

“Sir Benald is right. I also thought the standard of the escort was not very good. I dare not judge the knights, but the private soldiers were very low-quality. Not only was the discipline lax, but… some of them showed the indelible habits of a mercenary.”

While Benald showed his deductive powers through the family history, Tommy was suspicious by observing the habits and usual guarded attitude of the private soldiers.

“hmm…”

But nothing was certain.

Even if suspicions arise, you can’t take separate action. It’s not like you can say you don’t want to go along now, right?

A word from a nobleman is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Once you say something, it’s not easy to take it back, even for the sake of saving face.

Although Ronobe is only a baron, he is the one who has to face Jerba. Ronobe is currently the territory wizard of Gradas and is the war hero representing it.

He is Gradas soon.

The choices, pride, and dignity that Ronobe makes are all Gradas.

Since he was the representative of Gradas, no matter what his intentions were, it was impossible to turn a blind eye to him now.

‘No matter how you go, if you only go to Seoul, your legs will get torn.’

Ronobe simply left the situation as it was, reciting an incomprehensible proverb.

Because no matter what his intentions were or what his background was, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

‘Let’s just go quietly…’

Just thinking about it is stressful.

Even without that, there were a lot of things to worry about, so if it wasn’t life-threatening, it was better to just leave it alone. Above all, the thing that worried me the most wasn’t Kael.

“Are you still chasing me?”

“huh.”

I was more concerned about the mysterious group chasing the carriage from Baekjakryeong.

I didn’t know if I was chasing Ronobe or Kael.

‘It couldn’t be because of Lorraine’s herbs, could it?’

Whatever it was, it was clear that he was involved in something troublesome.

Ronobe called Yonterion.

There was no one else who could make difficult and arduous work simple.