The Black Owl mercenary group found a treasure-grade grayish-white sword of the hero Tuvallu from the dungeon. It was truly a rare relic made of orichalcum, identified by the appraisal team of Rheinburg Auction House, the most trusted in the continent. The mercenary group had expected a substantial reward when they confirmed its authenticity.
The sword of Tuvallu was sold at the auction for an astounding 3,700 gold coins, far exceeding the estimated price of 2,000 coins. Two connoisseurs who loved collecting valuable items drove up the price, resulting in an additional 1,000 gold coins.
Thanks to this, the noble lady managed to recover several times her investment after deducting taxes and fees. It was a remarkable success that would be talked about among investors.
With the large sum she earned, she generously paid double the agreed transport fee to the expedition team, including bonuses. Yuric received four gold coins instead of the originally agreed two.
Even though he considered the mission a total loss, it was still a considerable amount.
“Do you have any interest in joining our mercenary group? We offer one gold coin per month as a basic salary, and of course, we pay separately for commissions.”
Recadi, the captain, wanted to officially recruit the handsome mage Yuric. He believed that with just this mage, he could significantly expand the mercenary group.
However, Yuric had no intention of joining the group. Although he found dungeon exploration intriguing, he did not want to make it his profession.
“I’m sorry, I have many things to do.”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”
Although he made the offer, Recadi didn’t expect to keep Yuric in the group. Such talent seemed too constrained within his small band of mercenaries.
“Thank you for everything. I’ve learned so much.”
“We owe our lives to you as well. When the water was rising, even I couldn’t see anything.”
“Luck favored us.”
“Favorable circumstances come to those who are prepared. If you hadn’t examined the marble statue closely, such luck wouldn’t have come your way.”
Yuric shook hands with the captain before leaving the building.
Now that he had enough spare money, he wouldn’t have to worry about every single coin anymore.
‘I want to research the mage Titon…’
Yuric stared intently at his right index finger. A mana cluster, inexplicable by modern magic, had definitely settled there. The vivid pain from it was still vivid in his memory.
‘It must be some kind of compulsion spell… This must be Titon’s magic.’
He concluded that the dungeon was created by the ancient mage Titon. If so, the compulsion spell that lingered in the previous era would also be Titon’s.
Yuric tried to learn more about the ancient mage Titon but found very little information. After returning from the dungeon, he searched through historical records for days but only found a brief mention of Titon.
-Hero Titon fought alongside Hero Tuvallu against demons. He was a great mage.
Heroic tales were usually passed down orally for generations before being recorded by historians. Most heroes remained unknown, except for a few. Fortunately, Hero Tuvallu, who was by Titon’s side, had a few mentions in various records.
Yuric walked around the city and returned to the inn. The old innkeeper, who was polishing glasses behind the counter, told him someone named Janel had come looking for him.
“Me?”
“He said he came from the palace. He asked me to give you this. You didn’t get into any trouble, did you?”
The innkeeper handed Yuric a sealed envelope. After finishing his beer, Yuric went straight to his room on the second floor and opened the envelope. It was a letter from the court mage’s office of the Countship.
A few days ago, he had sent a transcript of the inscription on the tombstone and coffin he found in the dungeon to the court mage’s office of the Countship, hoping it might help forgotten heroes’ descendants.
‘It must be because of the dungeon.’
Since the dungeon contained the remains of heroes, it needed related information. Yuric was naturally willing to respond to the invitation.
The next day, Yuric headed to the Countship as soon as dawn broke. The inspection was strict, but fortunately, the court mage’s office issued a travel permit quickly. Of course, since he was an outsider with a temporary permit, a guard accompanied him.
This was the first time he had ever entered the palace, and he was amazed by its grandeur. His curiosity about how such a magnificent structure was built stirred his heart as a mage.
Following the guide, he made his way to the court mage’s office inside the palace.
‘Indeed.’
As a place where flying mages gathered, the closer he got to the court mage’s office, the denser the mana in the air became.
Among them, he felt a dense and heavy mana that rivaled that of a demon. It was clear who the owner was.
It was the Head Court Mage.
“This is it.”
Yuric showed his travel permit to the guards at the entrance. Once they confirmed it, they gestured for him to enter. The guards waited outside until he came out.
The court mage’s office looked more like a library than an office. Bookshelves lining both walls were filled with countless books and parchments. Some were piled up in corners due to lack of space.
Yuric stepped into the plush carpet inside. One of the court mages sitting at a desk asked why he was there. He presented the letter he received yesterday to explain his visit.
“I am the one who sent you the inscription on the hero’s tombstone and coffin.”
“Oh, I see. Please come in. He has been waiting for you.”
“…Who is ‘he’?”
“The Head Court Mage.”
!
Yuric walked towards the inner room.
He knocked twice.
“Come in.”
A deep, resounding voice.
Once given permission, Yuric slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door.
He saw a man seated at the desk.
!
The moment he opened the door, a strong and dense mana pressed against Yuric’s entire body.
The Head Court Mage was a demon with an intensely concentrated mana, just like a demon!
How long had this person accumulated mana in their body?
Yuric took a deep breath to calm his racing heart before closing the door. He slowly approached the desk, bowed slightly, and introduced himself.
“My name is Yuric. I received a letter yesterday saying you were looking for me.”
Though humans and demons were enemies, this one was an exception. Just as there were humans who betrayed humanity, there were also demons who betrayed their own kind. The Head Court Mage was one such demon.
The Head Court Mage had been staring intently at Yuric since he entered, as if trying to scrutinize every inch of him.
“You remain unchanged. The one who met my gaze during the inspection parade.”
On Yuric’s first day in Rheinburg, when he met the Head Court Mage’s eyes during the inspection parade, the Head Court Mage remembered it clearly.
“Yes.”
“What an amazing human you are. To maintain that state. That’s not something everyone can do.”
The Head Court Mage observed the mana circulating in Yuric’s body along a specific circuit. The complex and lengthy circuitry was beyond what could be achieved by ordinary techniques.
He forced the density of the mana accumulating in his body to increase. This was something even demons wouldn’t dare do, yet this human was doing it effortlessly.
The Head Court Mage judged him as an excellent mage with understanding of circuits, control over mana, and audacity.
“Thank you for your high regard.”
“And… something new has appeared since then.”
“…What?”
At that moment, Yuric felt his right index finger becoming hot. He was startled and held his finger with his left hand.
Suddenly, what is this—
“Who would have thought I’d see this again.”
The next words made Yuric’s eyes widen.
“It’s Titon’s legacy.”
He clearly stated Titon, the one he had been searching for.
“How did you know?”
“I saw it long ago.”
Yuric tried to cool down the heat in his finger by drawing mana. However, the warmth did not subside easily.
Seeing Yuric struggle, the Head Court Mage smiled and gestured for him to sit on the guest sofa.
When Yuric sat down, the demon sat opposite him.
“I tried to find information about Titon, but there was nothing left.”
“Mages of that era did not want to leave records of their work, thinking it could be a weakness. Titon was no different.”
“Then do you know about the mage Titon?”
Upon hearing this, the Head Court Mage gazed intently at Yuric for a while before answering.
“Titon was my human apprentice.”
