“...It’s the Archmage.”
“I suppose Skaya Killiland really was awakened.”
“Wow… And to think that I saw her last year on the Day of Heroes at the Seoul History Museum.”
Everyone was staring. A normal person probably would have been intimidated by all the stares, but Seo Jun-Ho and Skaya were at ease after having experienced this many times before.
“Right this way.” Seo Jun-Ho led her right to the estate without bothering to linger anywhere else. As they walked, Skaya looked around in awe, taking in the new world around her.
“This place is so cool. I can’t quite explain it… But it’s different from Earth,” she said.
“Everyone says that when they first come here. So did I. The magic in the air itself feels different, doesn’t it?”
“Man, I wonder how much magic has developed in this amazing environment… I’m so curious,” she muttered.
“If you ever get the time, you should go to the Magic Tower. You’ll definitely find something there.”
The Ruben Empire’s Magic Tower was a holy ground for mages. Every mage dreamed of acquiring the membership for the tower, but only those who were chosen could enter.
“According to what I read in the community forums, the commander of the imperial knights and the archbishop of the Church of the Sun are just as strong as the Nine Heavens,” Seo Jun-Ho commented.
“How did they know? Have they fought before?” Skaya asked.
“No, people just think that. But they take it as the truth.”
“That makes sense… Considering how vast the Empire is, it’s not surprising that there are people of that caliber.”
As they talked, it didn’t take long for them to arrive at the estate. The guard at the gate recognized Seo Jun-Ho and quickly sent word. A moment later, Phivir came running out with a bright smile on his face.
“Player Seo Jun-Ho. I thought you’d never come,” he exclaimed.
“I apologize for making you wait,” he replied.
“Is this the person? The one you mentioned, who can cure Young Master Simus’s disease…”
“Yes. She is one of the 5 Heroes from my world, the Archmage Skaya Killiland.”
“What?” Phivir’s eyes grew wide. “This is Skaya Killiland-nim?!”
“... Oh, do you know her?”
“Of course I do! The stories of the 5 Heroes have spread far and wide in our world as well. There are many tales about them, and you could even hear them from traveling troupes who perform plays.” He placed a hand on his heart. “It is a great honor to meet Earth’s Archmage. I am the knight commander of Gilleon, Phivir.”
“My, my, I didn’t know that people from another dimension would know me,” Skaya said, grinning happily.
‘Me neither…’
Seo Jun-Ho thought.
“I believe that you are fully capable of releasing Young Master Simus’s magic circuits, just as Player Seo Jun-Ho had said. Please, come in.” Phivir hurriedly escorted them inside. Baron Vashti and his wife had already received word, and they were already waiting in the drawing-room. They greeted the two Players excitedly.
“Player Seo Jun-Ho,” Baron Vashti said warmly. He hadn’t forgotten the way Seo Jun-Ho had treated his son’s intense illness. The n.o.ble turned toward Skaya. “And this is…?”
“My liege, please do not be shocked. This is one of the 5 Heroes of Earth, Skaya Killiland,” Phivir said.
“...!”
“Goodness!”
Vashti and Helena’s eyes turned as wide as saucers. They had never expected her to be the one to come. The baron looked around, fl.u.s.tered.
“My goodness, we’re meeting such a great person, and yet our drawing room is so unseemly…”
“Huh? No, it’s alright. It’s quite cozy in here.”
Despite Skaya’s status as a civilian, Vashti still spoke formally to her.[1] Not only were her powers widely acclaimed, but she was also the one who would soon cure his son.
“I was not aware that you knew such a great person,” the baron said to Seo Jun-Ho.
“I just said that she was a friend for convenience. I only met her for the first time recently to escort her here.”
“Ah, I see. I did wonder how you would have connections, considering the age difference,” Baron Vashti said, nodding. He was well aware that the 5 Heroes had been frozen for 25 years.
“Could I see your son?” Skaya asked.
“Of course…”
When they arrived, Simus was reading a book in his bed. “Simus. This is the person who will treat you.” His parents stroked his head lovingly. Simus placed down his book and greeted the two respectfully.
“h.e.l.lo. My name is Simus Gilleon. You are Player Seo Jun-Ho, correct? The one who treated me last time?”
“Yes, I am…”
“Thank you. I couldn’t thank you because I was unconscious, so it had been weighing on my mind…” The child was kind and pure, and Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho smiled at that.
“There’s nothing else we need to discuss, correct? I’ll begin the treatment right away,” Skaya said.
“Ah, I’ll be in your care,” Simus said. Skaya chuckled at that. He spoke like an adult despite his age.
She gestured with her finger, and he fell into a deep sleep. Skaya leaned in closer to check his status and nodded. “Yup, this is doable. It’ll take about 20 minutes.”
“Wow…”
The couple sniffled as they held onto each other. They had already been through h.e.l.l after no healer or potion had been able to cure their one and only son. “We’ll be waiting outside.”
They left so that Skaya could concentrate on her work, and the two Players sat down next to the bed.
“Alright, let’s begin.” Skaya closed her eyes and placed her hand on Simus’s chest as she started to unravel the knotted magic circuits inside his body.
‘She’s amazing…’
Even though Seo Jun-Ho was also skilled in using magic, he would never be able to catch up with Skaya. It was at times like these when he felt it the most. It wasn’t a matter of effort, but about natural talent.
“Phew, I’m done.” The treatment was finished, just like that. Seo Jun-Ho checked just in case, and he saw that Simus’s circuits were now laid out neatly as they should be.
“Good work,” he said.
“It feels nice to do something good for the first time in decades.”
When they left the room and told Baron Vashti that she had succeeded, he teared up as they grabbed their hands tightly.
“Thank you both. No, thank you.”[2]
Regardless of their difference in status, Baron Vashti showed his respect to the two people who had saved his son.
After that, he escorted them into his study and offered them a cup of tea. He rubbed his thumb on the handle of the teacup as hot steam billowed up before he finally spoke up.
“Simus has always wanted to be a mage since he was young. Before he got sick, I was planning to send him to a magic academy in the capital this year…” He paused. Their teacups filled the room with a fruity aroma. “Archmage, do you think Simus… Do you think he’ll still be able to become a mage?”
“...”
Skaya was usually carefree and confident, but when Seo Jun-Ho had first met her, she was merely an eccentric shut-in who did nothing but research magic. She liked; no, loved magic more than anyone else. She knew what would happen when Simus opened his eyes.
Skaya shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry. It’s impossible. Even though his magic circuits have returned to normal, he will not be able to use magic for the rest of his life.”
It was common for characters in novels to turn a crisis around into something beneficial and receive some great power once it was over. But reality was different. A crisis was a crisis, and all that was waiting once it pa.s.sed were the aftereffects.
“...Even if we use Players’ skill books or potions to strengthen them?” Baron Vashti asked.
“Magic circuits aren’t like rubber bands. They’re more like clothing. Once you stretch them out… Well, no matter what kind of detergent or water you use, they won’t go back to the way they were.”
“...”
Baron Vashti squeezed his eyes shut. The two of them couldn’t say anything even as his son’s dreams were crushed. They couldn’t give him false hope.
“...We haven’t found the culprit left. We don’t know how or why they did something so heinous to Simus. But according to what Player Seo Jun-Ho had said, they’re probably a fiend, correct?” He asked.
“The energy in Young Master Simus’s body was definitely demonic energy,” Seo Jun-Ho confirmed.
“...Phew.” The baron closed his eyes, calming himself. “I apologize for my shamelessness, but could I request something of you two?”
“What is it?”
“Please find the fiend who crushed Simus’s dreams and bring them to justice.”
Neither of them had expected this. As Skaya and Seo Jun-Ho exchanged glances, a message appeared before them.
[The Son’s Enemy]
Grade: C
Description: Find the fiend who poisoned Gilleon’s Young Master Simus and kill them.
Reward: 100 gold, 1,000 Fame.
‘The reward is good, and so is the Fame.’
But surprisingly, the most satisfying part was that their target was a fiend. They already had their eyes set on the criminal who had crushed the dreams of such a kind, innocent child.
“I shall accept your request.”
“So do I...”
As they nodded, Baron Vashti stood up and walked toward the shelves in the back of the room. He dug through the drawers and pulled something out before he returned. He gave Skaya a pouch, and Seo Jun-Ho a book.
“Baron, what is this…?”
“It’s my way of thanking you. I’m sorry I can’t give you anything else.”
Skaya realized that the pouch was full of money. But Seo Jun-Ho still didn’t know what the book was.
“Item data,” he muttered.
~
[Skill Book - Circuit Strengthening, Pa.s.sive]
Grade: B
Effect: The user’s magic circuits are permanently strengthened.
~
“Baron, this is…” He trailed off. Vashti had probably gotten it for Simus. Even if the boy couldn’t use it, Seo Jun-Ho still couldn’t take it.
But the baron only shook his head when Jun-Ho looked up. “Just take it.” He actually looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “It is not a spontaneous gift. Simus wanted to give it to you. He said that if it turned out that he could no longer use magic… He wanted to give it to you.”
And to think that he was so young…
The thin book suddenly felt heavy in Seo Jun-Ho’s hands.
“I’m not telling you to carry out Simus’s dreams in his stead. Please, just take it. Not another word.”
A long silence pa.s.sed between them before Jun-Ho finally nodded.
***
The air around the two Players had become very different from when they first entered. They were excited earlier, but now their faces were stiff as if they had just come out of a battlefield.
“Despite how much time has pa.s.sed, it seems like fiends are still a bunch of sc.u.m,” Skaya said.
“Yeah. All they do is eat, sleep, and commit crimes,” Seo Jun-Ho agreed.
“It’s a good thing they haven’t changed,” she said coldly. The fiends didn’t deserve her mercy.
“Oh, about this.” Seo Jun-Ho held up the skill book. “Don’t you need this more than I do? It’s a skill book that strengthens your magic circuits.”
“...Huh?” Skaya tilted her head. “What are you saying? Isn’t that the skill you need most right now?”
“Me? Why?” Seo Jun-Ho blinked, confused.
Skaya’s jaw dropped. “...Wait, are you telling me that you haven’t thought that far?”
When he looked at her with a quizzical expression, she waved him over. “Follow me. This noona of yours will be giving you a special lesson today.”
“No, thanks.”
“You’ll thank me when we’re done. If my estimates are correct, you’ll become at least twice as strong as you are now.”
“...”
How in the world could this skill book make him that much stronger?
“Hey, wait up! Do you even know where you’re going?” Seo Jun-Ho stumbled as he tried to catch up with Skaya.
1. He uses the formal tone with Skaya, unlike the way he speaks to Jun-Ho and Phivir. ☜
2. He goes from using a casual tone to a respectful one. ☜