Gradh, who had been on the brink of death from a fatal wound to his right abdomen, briefly saw the face of a dead person beyond the Jordan River before barely returning. Although the wound eventually healed after pouring five potions consecutively, he had lost so much blood that his heart momentarily stopped. By pressing his chest forcefully and making his heart beat again, and later risking internal organ damage by injecting mana to forcibly circulate it and stimulate his heart, he managed to save himself from what seemed like certain death.
“……I was sucked into a whirlpool with the angels…….”
Gradh, who almost became the sole casualty of Unit 1, barely survived. Of course, he would need at least half a year to recover.
However, in Unit 2, there were two casualties. Kira, who was skilled in gravity magic, and one of the court mages had their chests pierced and heads exploded by the demon’s desperate attack. There was no time to take any measures; they died instantly. Yuric placed a gold coin in the mouth of the deceased Kira. This was the way mercenaries mourned their fallen comrades.
Bolton, who led the group of court mages, respectfully collected their remains and buried them in the cathedral cemetery rather than the city’s communal graveyard.
Yuric, despite being badly damaged by the powerful demon’s magic, recovered enough to move comfortably after drinking three potions in succession and resting.
Particularly impressed by Yuric’s performance, Knights Sir Rohovam and Sir Bolton could not hide their admiration. The demon they fought this time was likely the strongest they had ever encountered. Frankly, if it weren’t for Yuric, Unit 1 would have suffered enormous losses, perhaps even complete annihilation.
“I now understand why the continent is cheering for the appearance of a dragon knight. Indeed, a legendary dragon knight.”
“It’s thanks to everyone working together. Alone, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the demon.”
Yuric truly believed this. If he had been alone, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat the demon Taruel. The demon’s nerves and attacks were scattered, which undoubtedly lessened the burden on Yuric.
Still, Yuric’s contribution was undeniable. Especially, the powerful defense barrier stacked around the demon’s head was something only Yuric could break through. In fact, Yuric had never seen such a strong defense barrier on a demon’s head before.
‘How strong are these great demons?’
Perhaps, even with his current index finger, he couldn’t pierce the demon’s head’s defense barrier. With reverence for Titon’s greatness, Yuric resolved to work harder to improve his skills.
The subjugation team spent one night at the village chief’s house, who had barely survived. Villagers gradually returned, cleaning up the devastated land and collecting the bodies of their dead family and neighbors. Despite the victory, sorrow filled the air.
After resting in the village for two days, the subjugation team set out for the city again on the third morning. Thanks to the demon’s influence, there were no incidents with monster packs attacking.
Thus, the subjugation team passed through another village halfway, finally arriving in Rianther after a grueling five-day journey.
Rohovam and Bolton invited all their mercenary comrades, including those they had suffered with, to the count’s residence. They were guided to a separate palace where they would be treated as honored guests.
“This is what it means to live long. Damn, it’s really great.”
Gradh, grateful for being alive, threw himself onto a bed big enough for three people. Besides providing each of the seven surviving mercenaries with a room, there was also a bath available in the underground area where they could soak anytime.
The mercenaries rushed down to the underground area, undressed, and jumped straight into the baths. The fatigue accumulated over time melted away in the warm spring water.
“I tell you, I completely severed the upper body of the demon!”
Gradh, who had risen from the dead, boasted about cutting the torso of demon Taruel with his beloved axe as if it were his greatest achievement. And it was Ainon, who manipulated wooden dolls, who dragged Gradh back and saved him.
“Did you know you saved me?”
“Yeah, damn it, tears are streaming down my eyes, brat.”
Not just Unit 1 but Unit 2 members also exaggerated their own achievements in fighting the demons. The hot springs quickly became lively. Yuric listened quietly, soaking in the water with his eyes closed.
“Are you going to be the captain? You didn’t see what happened in Unit 2? Damn, you’d be shaking in your boots. It’s no wonder you’re not a dragon knight.”
“The court mage and the knight were shaking in front of the captain.”
“I’d be shaking too. They were really incredibly strong, kids. Consider this moment a great honor since you can fight alongside them.”
Gradh, who knew Yuric better than anyone else, became his ardent supporter.
After leisurely enjoying the hot springs, the mercenaries were treated to a lavish dinner. They devoured the greasy meat, grabbing it with their hands and tearing it with their mouths. When else could they indulge in such a feast?
The next day, the remaining payment was distributed to the mercenaries at the count’s residence. Due to Rohovam and Bolton’s excellent reports, they received an additional bonus.
With eight gold coins as the remaining payment and four more as a bonus, twelve gold coins went into each mercenary’s pocket. This amount could last them at least two months if they were careful.
Tarutas, the head court mage, personally came to meet Yuric again, expressing gratitude for successfully completing the mission and offering him the position of court mage. However, Yuric politely declined the offer, citing unavoidable circumstances.
“Truly regrettable. Nevertheless, we could overcome this situation thanks to you.”
“The onslaught of demons will only intensify. Therefore, you should cultivate many talents.”
“Thank you for your advice. I will do so.”
After leaving the count’s residence, Yuric visited the cathedral cemetery to see the graves of Kira and the court mage who died during the subjugation.
Returning to the mage tower branch, he continued his research on the lost magic city of Verzig.
He asked the locals who had lived here for a long time, checked books in the library, and read papers that had been researched until then.
‘Where did Verzig go? Is the surveillance tower in the demon’s continent really Verzig?’
Yuric always carried this question in his heart as he concentrated on investigating Verzig.
A month passed, and autumn was drawing to a close.
While walking through the late autumn streets, breathing in the crisp air, Yuric unexpectedly met someone familiar.
“Long time no see.”
Standing before Yuric was Lisi Bella, wearing an elegant cloak. She was once the student of former Mage Tower Master Tristan and had been expelled from the tower due to an unexpected accident.
“Long time no see, Senior Bella.”
“You still remember me.”
“How could I forget?”
Although Bella’s face looked somewhat pale, her curly hair had grown much longer than before.
She smiled mysteriously as she spoke.
“I thought someday your name might come to light, but… you’ve grown much faster than I expected.”
“It was just good luck.”
“How you utilize that luck is a crucial issue.”
Bella nodded slightly.
“Wanna take a walk?”
Yuric stood beside Bella and slowly walked through the town together.
“Do you know what my major is?”
“Not really.”
Bella, being the former Mage Tower Master Tristan’s student, had intentionally avoided asking Yuric about her. Naturally, he knew very little about her.
“It’s boundary studies and history.”
“Is that so?”
“I should start by telling you my story.”
Bella told Yuric why she was expelled from the mage tower.
“At that time, I was extremely arrogant. Everyone called me a genius, and I believed myself to be one too. I thought I could overcome any adversity alone.”
Yuric listened quietly to Bella’s story.
“I found something in a ruin. It was a sealed box. Though the researchers sharing the lab advised against opening it, I insisted on doing so. It was really stubborn of me. There must be a reason it’s sealed.”
“So, that’s when the accident happened.”
“Yes, an accident occurred, the lab was destroyed, two researchers died, and one was seriously injured.”
Bella regretted what happened, but it was too late to turn back.
“I had no choice but to leave the mage tower. For a long time, I wandered the continent. I mostly visited historical ruins. Eventually, I met Lisi and joined their group because I could get help.”
“I see.”
“I heard Duran’s treasure was found. I also visited Stormy Ridge. It was impressive.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
“And you’ve been researching Verzig lately? …I wasn’t trying to pry into your affairs. I was curious about how you’ve been since hearing about your demon subjugation.”
Since it wasn’t a secret that Yuric was researching Verzig, he affirmed this.
Bella’s eyes changed sharply. They were the eyes of a determined mage.
“I’ve been researching Verzig for a long time, but I hit a wall.”
“What did you find out, Senior?”
“Verzig can move on its own.”
“I also found out that Verzig resembles the surveillance tower in the south. And I learned from Grand Mage Oromor that the surveillance tower is actually a living entity.”
Bella smiled as if she expected Yuric to know this.
“Verzig didn’t disappear because of magic or curses. It moved on its own somewhere. But that’s all we can confirm based on reality. There are no remaining records.”
“Shouldn’t we consider the possibility of it being the surveillance tower?”
“Of course, that’s possible, but if it were, there would surely be witnesses. Actually, there are several questions we need to address first.”
They quickly delved deeply into a discussion about history.
“What are those questions?”
“Why the magic city took that form and why it disappeared. If we can solve these, we might guess where it went.”
“I see.”
In fact, Yuric had also been pondering these questions.
He deduced a hypothesis based on the resemblance between the magic city Verzig and the surveillance tower.
“Could it be that Verzig was also monitoring something?”
Bella smiled as if Yuric had answered correctly.
“Yes, I think so too.”
“In fact, I met the former headmaster of the magic academy. I asked about Verzig, and he said it might be related to sealing magic.”
“Sealing magic…”
But it was difficult to draw clear conclusions without more evidence or sources.
“So, will you join me in researching this?”
Bella proposed that Yuric join her in researching Verzig.
“In fact, I have something related to Verzig.”
She pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. Yuric recognized what it was without checking the contents.
“Could this be Verzig’s pass?”
Bella looked genuinely surprised. …Even so, she hadn’t expected him to know about this.
“…How did you know?”
“A few months ago, I found one too. At first, it was blank, but sprinkling powder used in alchemy made it appear as a pass.”
At that moment, Bella realized that Yuric was no ordinary person.
The pass to Verzig was a relic she had painstakingly uncovered over years, even paying a large sum to an alchemist.
She felt a greater thirst. Only he could satisfy her desires.
“Let’s research together. With both of us, we can uncover more.”
Yuric had no particular reason to refuse. He needed a capable partner like Bella. She could access information through various means.
“Alright, I’ll research with you, Senior.”
Thus, the two former students of Tristan became research partners.
To uncover the hidden history of Verzig.
