“We meet again.”

I looked at him and extended my hand. The alchemist also extended his hand. It was a handshake. The Count’s face brightened.

“So, the two of you already know each other.”

“We had a previous encounter.”

“Is that so?”

The Count said it was good for excellent Mages to be close.

The Alchemist seemed to find it difficult to hear, so he moved away slightly and called him aside. He whispered lowly,

“You were a greater Mage than I thought.”

“Not as much as you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the Golem?”

“Do I really need to bring it up?”

At the Protagonist’s words, the other person flinched. He nodded his head aphrodisiacally.

“That’s true. To learn ancient Magic that all Mages would covet. It’s truly amazing. To think a boy who was nothing would grow so much.”

The Alchemist mumbled about how amazing it was.

When he first met him, he was just a boy with nothing. But now he was different. For him, the boy had changed in just a few years.

“I apologize for my rash words earlier.”

“I accept.”

“Are you willing to hand over the Magic you learned? I’m willing to give you anything I can.”

“I’ve heard that a lot already.”

“So you’re not willing to give it up.”

He nodded. Every Mage he met had already clung to him. They also couldn’t pay the Protagonist a price that would entice him.

Even if the Alchemist was an excellent Mage, it didn’t seem like he would offer anything extraordinary. According to the Royal Palace Mage he met before coming to the Banquet, it was even unclear if he was truly a High-ranking Mage.

The Alchemist asked a few more times, then returned.

Deep regret was evident in his expression. If he had tried to keep his promise from the beginning, their relationship in the Capital City could have been different.

But he acted rashly.

No, even thinking that was ambiguous.

It was strange to think that a novice Mage who had trained Magic alone would not only survive the war but also return as a great Mage.

His actions were rational.

Only the outcome was terrible. The Alchemist was seen biting his lip. When he left, he returned to the Count.

The Count had been dealing with the Nobles appropriately, but when the Protagonist approached, he extricated himself from the surrounding people. He looked at the Protagonist’s face and nodded as if he knew everything.

“Do you want to know which Noble tried to kill you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s him.”

The Count pointed a finger. I turned my head towards it.

I saw a nobleman.

The middle-aged man looked somewhat familiar.

When I saw the man next to him, I understood. It was the same man who had been bothering Chloe earlier.

“He was just bringing up the engagement to me. He said his son approached my daughter and then backed off because of you. He’s a scoundrel who sent an assassin out of spite.”

The Protagonist thought he had done something wrong without realizing it. He even worried if he had committed such a grave error that someone would send an assassin.

But that wasn’t it. It was nothing at all.

He was furious that someone would try to kill him over a slight inconvenience. Just thinking about that time made him afraid to even walk down the street.

He felt that he wouldn’t be at peace until he killed the person who had instilled such fear in him.

But something strange happened.

The nobleman’s father was talking to someone. It seemed to be Charlotte’s parents.

The Count explained.

“Your lady’s family has aligned with them.”

“Aligned with whom…?”

“The First Prince’s faction.”

“What about you, Count?”

“I’m with the Second Prince.”

He remembered the factional struggle.

It seemed like the King’s sons were fighting to claim the throne. And the nobles were siding with whoever they thought would benefit them.

As he watched the nobles converse, Charlotte looked his way. Her eyes trembled slightly.

“Go ahead. She seems to be calling you.”

“Perhaps she’s listening to her parents?”

“You spend time with women, but you don’t understand their hearts very well.”

The Count shook his head.

“Are you worried?”

“She’s always been confident. If she wanted to come, wouldn’t she have come herself?”

“Women are weak. She’s probably no different. She was just pretending to be strong. Or perhaps, are you just going to watch her be taken by some other scoundrel?”

“No.”

That was absolutely impossible.

“Bring her quickly. If you are a man, you must be confident. A man should have the ambition to have dozens of women in his harem.”

The Count said confidently. Instantly, he seemed several times larger. He was like a giant. Amelin was also beside him. He looked at her.

“Go quickly.”

“Will you be alright?”

“Well, I’m a little jealous, but it’s bearable. I don’t want to lose my conversation partner either.”

He took a deep breath.

He walked confidently. The Nobles turned their heads at the sound of his footsteps.

The faces of the Noble who had commissioned the assassination from the Protagonist and his son changed. But now was not the time to worry about them.

The woman was more important.

I looked at Charlotte.

“Rael.”

“Let’s go back together.”

“I…”

“Do you dislike me?”

“No. Absolutely not. But I…”

She looked at her parents’ faces. No matter how confident she was, defying the parents who gave birth to and raised the Protagonist seemed like a very difficult task.

He wasn’t worried.

He reached out his hand to her.

“Quickly.”

Charlotte’s eyes trembled, then she slowly reached out her hand.

It was then.

The man next to her suddenly yelled.

“What are you doing to my fiancée!”

It was Charlotte’s fiancé.

“She is my woman.”

“Are you going to take my fiancée without my parents’ permission?”

The man crossed his arms.

And then he subtly looked at Charlotte’s parents.

He seemed to be thinking, “What can he do even if he steps in?” His parents’ opinions were absolute when it came to marriage.

Annoyance surged within him.

The man also seemed to like Charlotte. A sense of rivalry welled up in him.

“She’s already my woman. We’ve even slept together, you know?”

“What?”

He trembled all over. The protagonist mumbled that he hadn’t even held her hand.

The man’s expression was a sight to behold.

He seemed incredibly shocked.

He turned his head and looked at Charlotte. His face was contorted with deep betrayal, like a crumpled tangerine.

“This… this vulgar woman…”

Unable to contain his seething anger at the fact that his fiancée had been promiscuous, the man looked at him, then took off his glove and threw it down.

“A duel!”

That was how nobles challenged each other to a duel. The nobles in the banquet hall, who had been chatting amongst themselves, all turned their heads sharply at the word “duel.”

The most entertaining thing was watching a fight. He felt an enormous number of eyes on him. It meant something big was about to happen.

Now it was a matter of pride. He couldn’t back down. A duel between men over a woman was about to unfold.

He deliberately raised his voice.

“It wouldn’t matter if someone died in the duel, would it?”

“Of course not. I have no intention of letting you live either.”

The man had someone next to him bring something. It seemed he was going to get his armor.

He spoke as if a big problem had arisen. He seemed anxious that he might refuse the duel.

“So that woman refused me because of you. Now I understand. I’ll kill you and then throw my fiancée into bed.”

“You wouldn’t even be able to satisfy her, would you?”

He mimicked the expression the mercenaries made. He smiled as vilely as possible.

In any case, his opponent couldn’t defeat the protagonist. He had slept with Charlotte. That fact gave him an absolute advantage.

It was the smile of a victor.

The man could only suppress his rage. He glared, his eyes bloodshot. The sound of his teeth grinding was audible.

The nobles watched such a lovers’ quarrel with interest.

Some nobles even clicked their tongues, looking at the man. Charlotte bowed her head deeply. She seemed embarrassed.

A moment later, someone appeared with armor and weapons. The man waited to be dressed, sitting in a chair.

Boys who appeared to be squires moved quickly. Properly armed by them, the man picked up a longsword with his gauntleted hand.

Every time he walked, there was a clanging sound of metal.

“As long as I’m wearing armor, you’ll lose.”

The man said with confidence.

He had reason to be confident. A knight armed with heavy armor was truly fearless.

But not for the protagonist.

He revealed his name, drew his sword, and charged.

He intended to cut down the protagonist. Strangely, it wasn’t scary. It was a proper battle, not being stabbed on the street.

In such a battle, the protagonist would not lose.

The opponent, seeing that he wasn’t chanting a spell, seemed to think he was scared and smiled faintly. It was the smile of one about to win.

A normal mage would have been scared. But the protagonist was an excellent mage.

He manifested magic he had memorized in advance.

Then, an ice arrow appeared. He hadn’t even chanted a spell. It was memorized magic he had learned from Gulla.

Some of those nearby were surprised.

To use magic, one had to chant a spell. But he was breaking that common sense.

The most surprised was the man who was charging. Just as his expression seemed to change, an ice arrow embedded itself in his body.

It didn’t seem to have pierced the armor properly.

But after being hit by five ice arrows, the armor instantly froze and he fell. The man remained in his sword-wielding posture.

He stepped forward.

The outcome was already decided. It was ridiculously easy. If he had fought with a golem, it would have been even easier.

He kicked the man’s head. The helmet he wore came off, revealing his bare face. It was a face frozen in fear.

He kicked again. His neck didn’t break, it shattered. Like stone.

His head rolled on the floor.

The surroundings fell silent. Someone cried out, calling the man’s name. They seemed to be relatives. He felt little guilt.

To not be deprived, one must crush others.

That was the way of the world. If the protagonist had lost, he would have become a cold corpse. And his woman would have been taken.

This time, he was simply stronger. That was all.

I looked at Charlotte.

This time, she held the Protagonist’s hand. At that moment, someone stepped forward with a distorted face. It was Charlotte’s parents.

“Don’t ruin things because of one wandering Mage! Do you know how great our family is? To think of marrying someone of such low birth!”

Charlotte turned her head.

Her grip tightened.

I felt it through our clasped hands. It was different from before. Her eyes were strong, like her usual self.

“He is a great Mage.”

“The Golem, you say? Our family’s Knights could easily wipe out those mere thieves.”

“I don’t care what you say.”

Charlotte threw down the Pendant around her neck. The middle-aged man, who appeared to be her father, changed his expression.

“I will abandon the family’s Castle.”

The middle-aged man’s mouth just gaped open.

“My daughter.”

This time, her mother stepped forward.

“You will regret this. I heard that fellow is with the Count. Their Faction is different. You need to choose your alliances carefully.”

“I trust my man, Mother. You are the one who needs to make a good choice.”

“So you’re really going to break away! After all I’ve done to raise you!”

“Out of gratitude for raising me, I’ll accept you if you come begging later.”

“That will never happen! You’re the one who shouldn’t come begging to be taken back later.”

The elderly noblewoman glared.

They trusted the Soldiers under their command. They thought the Assassins were of low birth. So they didn’t consider what the Golem had done to be significant.

In their eyes, what the Protagonist had done seemed insufficient. Perhaps if they trampled a Mansion where another Noble resided, things would be different.

It was time to go kill the Noble who had allied with them. I had to do my best for Charlotte. I looked at her.

“Are you alright?”

“I was going to do this anyway. I feel at peace.”

Charlotte sighed.

She had abandoned all her inherited background and status.

It was for the protagonist.

I felt that I should treat her well.

At the same time, I also felt a strange sense of conquest.

Just the fact that the woman abandoned everything for a man and followed him made me feel incredibly good. It was even more so because the protagonist held such importance to her.

I was about to take her and leave. There was nothing left to do in this place. Just as I thought that, someone approached.

It was an incredibly old man. I wondered if he could even stand properly. As soon as he saw the protagonist, he immediately asked,

“Are you a high-ranking mage?”

“No.”

“Is that so? Not yet, but you will be soon.”

A commotion arose at the old man’s words.

There were several mages in the banquet hall. Most of them might not be very skilled, but there were mages nonetheless.

They looked this way at the mention of a high-ranking mage.

The remaining alchemist’s eyes trembled. It seemed to be a gnoll, judging by the old man’s face rather than his previous words.

“You’re not as good as my disciple.”

“Disciple?”

“That child is an outstanding talent. You are also very outstanding, but you are lacking. Do you have no intention of learning under me?”

The old man spoke. I felt slightly annoyed. He said I was great but somewhat lacking. I instinctively shook my head.

At the same time, I also felt curious about that disciple. It seemed likely to be the same person the old man from the magic shop had mentioned.

“What a pity. What a pity.”

“How outstanding is that disciple for you to say that?”

“Very outstanding. More outstanding than you. My disciple is going to learn magic from the Great Being this time, so he will become even more amazing.”

“Great Being?”

“That person makes a small request, only to children who seem to have potential. This time, my disciple caught her eye. He will learn magic soon.”

Hearing the old man’s words, I remembered. It was the incident where the Northern Mountain Range moved. The dragon, which I thought was a mountain range, had flown to the Capital City.

From his story, it seemed the dragon was in the Capital City. My heart pounded. The dragon was also a mage. I didn’t know how amazing it would be.

I envied the old man’s disciple.

If it were the dragon’s magic, I would probably try to learn it even if I had to sell my soul. The protagonist’s Golem Magic couldn’t compare.

The Old Man boasted and then tried to leave. As he walked, he turned his head, as if he had spotted someone.

It was in the Alchemist’s direction.

“My apprentice.”

“It’s been a long time since I was your apprentice.”

“If you return to me now, I will help you.”

“Do you think I would return to the Castle after all this time?”

“You’re still upset that I favored that fellow.”

“Shut up.”

The Alchemist’s expression hardened.

Even the Alchemist, whom I initially thought incapable of showing any emotion, was hiding feelings deep down. They were very intense feelings.

The Old Man clicked his tongue.

“I understand your feelings.”

“Don’t act like you know.”

“You became an apprentice at the same time, but were pushed aside by a child half your age. You’re even on the verge of losing your Family Head position to some illegitimate child your Father brought in, so wouldn’t you be furious?”

“If you’re going to insult me, I won’t stand for it!”

The Alchemist raised his staff and slammed it on the ground.

Then, three Fireballs appeared.

He wielded something similar to the staff the Protagonist had. It was embedded with a Low-grade Magic Stone. Moreover, he used Magic without even chanting a spell.

If what the Old Man at the Magic Shop said was true, he shouldn’t have been able to use it. He didn’t seem to be lying, but it was strange.

The very old Old Man’s expression didn’t change even when faced with the Fireballs. He shook his head, then turned his back and left.

The Alchemist didn’t seem afraid of the Fireballs being cast. It was hard to understand what means he possessed to confidently turn his back like that.

The Alchemist didn’t cast the Fireballs. A little later, he extinguished them. His expression was deeply distorted.

I watched him for a moment, then left.

I returned to the inn.

This time, I had Charlotte with me. Mordon gave me a thumbs up. He said that’s how a man should be.

My face reddened slightly.

For some reason, I felt embarrassed. I couldn’t explain why.

I held Charlotte’s hand. I felt its warmth. I thought about trying on the new Rabbit Ear Costume I bought her last time.

Now, I could speak up.

I went back to the inn and showed her the outfit. It was an outfit that covered nothing except her neck, shoulders, arms, and legs.

When I told her to wear it, a fist flew at me.

When I came to, it was the next day.

I thought about what had happened.

I remembered getting punched in the jaw and passing out. I felt a deep sense of betrayal. I thought she would wear it.

Perhaps the Protagonist’s way of speaking was wrong.

I couldn’t give up.

Thinking that, I left the room. As I went down the stairs, I saw two women talking on the floor below.

They looked at me as if I were trash. I shut my mouth. It wasn’t the atmosphere to speak.

I was disheartened.

I was satisfied that I had brought Charlotte back. I felt good having her around. Before, when she wasn’t there, I felt a little empty.

Now, it was good.

I ate breakfast. As I sat at the table, filling my stomach, I heard conversation in my ears. It was the Mercenaries chattering at another table.

Their expressions were bright, perhaps because they had hunted a lot this time.

It seemed there had been a large-scale subjugation recently. Perhaps Magic Stones had come onto the market. If there were many items, the price would be cheap.

I thought I should go buy some Magic Stones.

I took Mordon and went to the Magic Shop.

I felt good, probably because I won the Duel yesterday. My steps were light.

Mordon’s gaze, following behind me, seemed to have changed too.

He said that the old man he saw last night was a great Mage. He seemed to have overheard it from people around him.

He said it was a very good thing to be recognized by such an Old Man. His tone suggested it would have been good if I had become his disciple.

But the Protagonist wasn’t very keen. I wasn’t happy whether the Old Man acknowledged me or not. For some reason, his tone was annoying.

It was because he spoke as if the disciple was more excellent than the Protagonist that I was in the Capital City.

I replied to Mordon’s words and entered the Magic Shop.

At the counter was a man who appeared to be a disciple.

It was a relief that the Old Man wasn’t there. If he had been, he would surely have clung to me like last time.

I asked the man for the price of the Magic Stone.

But the man looked at me and asked,

“Are you the Golem Mage?”

“Golem Mage?”

Only the Protagonist had a Golem with him. It seemed like he was referring to the Protagonist. I nodded.

“Yes, I am.”

“Please wait a moment.”

The disciple ran off in a hurry and disappeared.

It seemed like the Old Man had told his disciple to memorize my face.

He seemed quite regretful that our previous transaction had been cut short.

After a short while, someone rushed out.

It was the Old Man I had seen before.

“You’re finally here!”