The Blockhead Became an Overpowered Magician

7 – لإo Kagon (1)

After arriving in Arctos, Ern was very busy.

First, he purchased a few items, including a staff. He managed to secure good quality items through Melsen’s trade network.

“What should we do with the reward money from the adventurers?”

Swan had taken care of the aftermath while Ern went to retrieve the staff, and she seemed to have accurately accounted for everything, as expected of a merchant.

“You can take the monster loot along with the reward money. Consider it an investment.”

“Really?!”

Although the reward money was substantial, it couldn’t compare to the value of the mountain turtle loot. However, Ern was planning to give all of it to the merchants.

‘If you’re going to bestow a favor, it’s best to do it thoroughly.’

He would have managed to secure the items if they were absolutely necessary, like the dubious staff, but this wasn’t the case. Moreover, there was no way this investment could fail.

Despite the short time spent together, Ern felt that Swan had the qualities of a successful merchant. Through their conversations, he also learned that her insight was exceptional.

‘Well, it’s partly because I know the future’

He had a rough idea of what would succeed and what would fail, so he could make a reasonable assessment.

Of course, his slight involvement this time might have caused some changes in him, but his ability as a merchant would remain the same.

“Thank you….”

For Swan, who wanted to expand the top, Eren was like a lifeline.

It was the next day that Swan had dealt with everything and came to Eren’s inn.

***

“Eve Aisenbern?”

“Oh! You know her. The princess said she has a talent for magic, have you heard it too, sir?”

“I heard it roughly. But do you also have a connection with the Duke’s family?”

“While working hard, a knight from the Duke’s family took a liking to me. hahahahaha.”

“Ah…”

“Anyway, the situation in the North has been ominous lately.”

Not only the top of Merzen had been hit by an unexpected attack, but the overall aspect of the monsters in the North had changed.

‘I guess there’s a reason for that….’

There were hidden malignant masses in the North. However, it wasn’t a problem they could address immediately.

“The procession that had left the Duke’s house earlier was also attacked. Although there were no casualties, there were a few problems with the horses and carriages. So, instead of returning to the territory and replenishing there, they decided to get them here.”

“Do they get that role from the top of Merzen?”

“Yes. We’ve rented a few cargo carriages for them, so how about joining them? Ah, our staff will take care of the coachman’s role, so you can go comfortably.”

“When do they leave?”

“Today, a knight will inspect the carriages, and if there aren’t any issues, they’ll leave immediately. It’s perfect for you, being able to leave early and, above all, it will be safe.”

“Safe…”

“Who would dare touch the Duke’s procession? hahahaha!”

‘There are some…’

There were those who had gone mad and touched the Duke’s procession.

***

Eve Aisenbern.

Her appearance in the game was like ice.

She was aloof. She didn’t engage in friendly conversations, making it difficult to approach her.

She was strict. She constantly studied and trained, and when evaluating others, she focused on their skills.

This was influenced by the Duke of Aisenbern, who educated his children severely, but there was another decisive event.

As the game progresses, at some point, players find themselves heading north with the comrades they have gathered at the academy.

If Eve is among the party members, the player is invited to her territory. And if the affection is high enough, they can enter Eve’s room.

-Eve. What is that black thing?

-It’s the sword of a knight who was sacrificed because of me.

Before joining the academy, she had lost her family in a raid. As a result, Eve became even more ruthless.

“Here it is, my lord.”

The place Swan led them to was a warehouse building on the outskirts of the city.

“Master Earn, please be careful!”

Reyna, who had found a moment to say goodbye, bid farewell. Lady Mersen intended to stay in Arctos a bit longer due to her businesses.

Her voice was cheerful with a smile, but the regret in her eyes could not be hidden.

“If possible, I will definitely visit the Mersen businesses, so we’ll see each other eventually.”

“Yes! Let’s meet again next time!”

Opening the door, they found the carriages and horses of the business inside. A knight in armor was checking their condition.

“Ah, Mr. Swan. It’s nice to see you.”

“Oh, dear knight, it’s been a long time.”

She was stroking the horses with a satisfied expression.

“I just finished checking everything. The carriage and horses are all sturdy. I’m glad I trusted and entrusted them to you.”

“Thank you for always choosing our business.”

“Ah, is this the mage you mentioned?”

The knight approached Earn with an outstretched hand. Earn shook hands with her and greeted her.

“My name is Earn.”

“I’m Sermei of the Winter Castle Knights.”

Shaking hands, she could feel her callouses and strong grip through the glove.

“Earn will be riding in the carriage with our knights’ mage. Please take good care of him.”

“Understood.”

Sermei looked closely at Earn.

‘He looks good-natured… and doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions.’

It wasn’t just a simple judgment based on his appearance. He was a talent that Swan highly praised.

More importantly, she had a knight’s intuition. She felt that he would not pose a threat and would be a reliable ally.

There was always some risk in adding someone new to a convoy, but it was a manageable situation. Reducing the risks was the job of the Knights.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Swan, but we have to follow the procedure.”

The staff members would not only be subjected to body searches, but they would also be positioned at the front of the procession. Additionally, having Eren ride in the same carriage as the Knights’ magician was a kind of precautionary measure.

The justification was sufficient. If nothing happened, Eren would travel comfortably in a passenger carriage rather than a cargo carriage.

However, if something unfortunate happened, the magician of the Knights could restrain Eren’s sudden casting.

“Shall we depart right away? As you know, our schedule is tight.”

***

“Hello, I’m the magician Eren.”

Upon entering the magician’s carriage, a man sitting and reading a spellbook could be seen.

‘He looks quite strict.’

“Nice to meet you. I’m Baltes. Do you belong to any organization?”

“Not yet.”

“…I see.”

Magicians with a certain amount of skill usually are active in some organization. Although some joined combat magicians within the Knights like Baltes, most of them entered a school of magic.

Being affiliated with a school did not necessarily mean they only conducted magical research at a tower. There were also many school members who went to the frontlines under the pretext of magical training.

‘It seems like since he’s young and doesn’t belong to any school, he must have been active as an adventurer. But it’s not like I need to know.’

Baltes thought it didn’t matter whether the person was a novice magician or a great magician.

Although he came as an escort, this was actually more like a vacation. It was not the monster-infested North, and it was unlikely that a procession escorted by the Knights would be attacked.

Baltes let out a small sigh and continued speaking.

“To be honest, there’s not much for us to do. But in case there’s a battle, just follow the orders of the Knights.”

After saying this, Baltes began reading his spellbook again.

“Understood.”

‘I should just stay quiet.’

Eren also decided to sit and read the spellbook he had brought. Although he knew about Eve and what would happen in the future, he was still an unwelcome stranger at this point.

Soon, the carriage started to move. The passenger carriage was comfortable, with good riding quality and soft seats.

[Basic Elemental Magic (Agnes Senzia’s Revised Edition)]

[You have already learned this spell.]

When playing the game, magic was just a skill to learn and shoot recklessly. It’s true that one could take magic lessons at the academy, but it only showed simple settings in cutscenes or could be skipped.

But after being possessed, magic in this world became a systematically organized discipline. So, Eren felt the need to learn at least a little about it.

‘There’s no answer.’

It was his first time spreading the spellbook and reading it in detail with leisure.

“Is this the rune language?”

The grimoire was mostly written in characters he couldn’t decipher. The content beyond the characters was also a problem.

The sections dealing with magic circles and circuits were a subtle mix of mathematics, geometry, and art. Naturally, understanding them was impossible.

“…I can’t understand a single thing.”

It was like someone who didn’t even know addition and subtraction trying to wrestle with calculus.

His head felt like it was throbbing with pain. If this was the easiest and simplest grimoire in his inventory…

“Is it because it’s the revised version by the Archmage? I need to go to Kagon and find some foundational books again.”

Eren closed the book and put it back in his bag.

“Weren’t you going to study?”

Valtes frowned at Eren as he closed the grimoire just a minute after opening it.

“It was just a quick look.”

“… I see.”

Eren felt unjustly accused.

***

A few days later.

The same daily routine repeated.

During the day, they traveled, and at night, they rested in an appropriate village. Only the scenery outside the window changed.

In the meantime, Eren planned for the future or spent time talking with the upper staff and knights.

There was no contact with Eve except for occasionally catching each other’s eyes from a distance.

It was natural in a way. The duke’s children didn’t need to be interested in a stranger who was only temporarily accompanying them.

But eventually, the unusual happened.

“Ambush!”

“Battle positions!”