The Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps and Yuric finally arrived at the Noblevento Fortress after a long journey. Compared to the chaotic situation in the south, the fortress still seemed relatively peaceful. Of course, no major demon would dare to attack the fortress.
Yuric stretched his sore back with a groan as he got off the carriage in front of Schlipfen’s grand mansion. The mercenaries who followed him also stretched their bodies, each letting out various sighs.
“Really made it!”
“It feels like we’ve heard hundreds of times that we were almost there.”
The journey had been long not only for Yuric but also for the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps. They never expected the journey, which they thought would end within six months, to take more than nine months.
“Still, we got to see the central region quite a bit.”
“The women in the center are indeed beautiful.”
“Damn, seeing those western girls makes me want to cry!”
The mercenaries joked as they unloaded their luggage one by one. Yuric sincerely thanked his fellow mercenaries for their company.
“Thank you. It’s just work after all, kid.”
Yuric also bid farewell to Captain Cecilia, thanking her for all her hard work during the journey.
“It’s good that you’re safe.”
As they all got off, the butler came out of the mansion to greet them. He urged Yuric to meet the master of the house immediately, saying that he had been waiting for so long.
Yuric and Cecilia followed the butler to Sir Amic Schlipfen’s office. Seeing the two, Sir Amic Schlipfen immediately spread his arms wide and smiled brightly.
“Haha! Who is this!”
Sir Amic Schlipfen shook hands vigorously with the two. This was how he expressed how long he had been waiting.
“Teacher Yuric! I thought my eyes would pop out from waiting!”
“It couldn’t be helped; things took longer than expected.”
“I understand. With the former Mage Tower Master being seriously ill, what could we do? Well, did everything go well?”
“Yes, fortunately, it ended well.”
“That’s truly fortunate.”
Sir Amic Schlipfen patted Yuric’s arm and then turned his attention to Cecilia.
“Captain Cecilia, you’ve worked hard too. These days have been worrying with the current political climate, but as expected, the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps.”
“No, Teacher Yuric also helped us a lot.”
“Today, rest well with your comrades. Prepare a lavish dinner for them.”
“There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
“No, it’s only right to do this since you brought the teacher safely.”
Sir Amic Schlipfen sent them off, telling them to rest well.
Yuric, returning to the guesthouse after such a long time, threw himself onto the soft bed immediately after putting down his luggage. In the familiar smell, appearance, and atmosphere, he felt a sense of comfort.
‘…Having a place to return to is really great…’
Just as he lay there for a while, someone knocked on the door loudly. From the way they knocked, it was clearly Ior.
When Yuric opened the door, Ior, who had grown unexpectedly tall, jumped and hung around his neck.
“Teacher!”
Yuric warmly hugged Ior, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Do you know how long I waited? I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, Miss.”
Just as they felt each other’s warmth, they heard someone calling “Miss” from afar. Ior looked flustered.
It seemed she had rushed out without finishing her politics lesson when she saw people moving outside the window. The new politics teacher was a rather chubby middle-aged man who wiped sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Miss, what if you suddenly left?”
“Just wanted some fresh air.”
Yuric greeted the new politics teacher warmly before whispering to Ior.
“Miss, we have plenty of time ahead.”
“…Okay, let’s just get some more fresh air!”
Laughing, Ior ran back to the garden. The politics teacher, looking disappointed, called “Miss,” and moved again.
Yuric went to the bathhouse and soaked in hot water to relax after his long journey. When he came out after a long bath, the sun was already setting.
He went to the dining room at the main house to join Sir Amic Schlipfen for dinner. Captain Cecilia was already chatting with Sir Amic Schlipfen.
“Oh, Teacher, you’re here.”
The five of them, including Sir Amic Schlipfen, his wife, daughter Ior, Captain Cecilia, and Yuric, enjoyed a pleasant dinner.
The next morning.
After gaining a day of freedom, Yuric headed to the Lombardo family home for the first time since coming here as a private tutor for the Rombaro family.
Sir Lombardo, who had returned from a long journey with his son, warmly welcomed Yuric.
“Teacher Yuric! Long time no see!”
“How have you been, Lord?”
“I’ve been well. I met Mr. Schlipfen recently, and he praised you so much.”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“I’d love to call you back, but unfortunately, it can’t be helped. Even Geoffrey is very sad about it.”
The two men discussed how they had been doing. Sir Lombardo had even traveled all the way to the north, and he said the income from this deal was substantial.
After giving Sir Lombardo a painting as a gift, Yuric went to meet Geoffrey.
Geoffrey was in history class, so Yuric read a magic book while waiting patiently.
When class ended, Geoffrey jumped up when he heard Yuric was in the reception room and ran straight to the reception room, reuniting with the teacher he had longed for.
“Teacher!”
Yuric, an excellent and kind teacher, meant so much to Geoffrey, who had no siblings.
“How many amazing things have I seen, Teacher! You’ll be surprised!”
Geoffrey sat right next to Yuric and excitedly shared his stories.
Northern regions with only two seasons, spring and winter, where people wear thin clothes to withstand the cold, eating raw fish, a place where fields and snow meet in just half a day, lakes that look like frozen land, fish caught under thick ice, and fruits and grasses that grow in the snow…
Yuric was completely engrossed in Geoffrey’s stories. The north sounded so mysterious just from hearing about it.
“There were many heroes and ruins in the north. It was a bit regrettable that I didn’t have time to visit them all.”
Geoffrey gave Yuric a souvenir from the north.
“Tell me about your stories too!”
Yuric recounted his experiences as a private tutor for the Schlipfen family. The Great Wall, the watchtowers in the demon-infested continent, the willow tree where fairies live, Sir Niruin, the treasure mage Dural, the last dragon knight, mana blockage disease, the city of the mage tower, and the underground area where everything is sold.
Like Yuric, Geoffrey was captivated by the teacher’s stories.
He especially loved the story of the treasure mage Dural.
“So you’ve already found two clues! I hope we find the treasure! What could it be?”
“Well, I’m curious too. If we find the treasure, I’ll definitely tell you what it was.”
“Okay, Teacher.”
Geoffrey spent hours looking at the paintings Yuric drew. Yuric gave him two paintings he liked as gifts.
Before noon, Yuric left Lombardo’s and went sightseeing in town. He bought high-quality herbs from street vendors and impulsively bought an owl feather pen from a stall vendor. Unlike goose feather pens, owl feather pens had a more elegant feel.
After finishing his sightseeing, Yuric returned to the guesthouse at Schlipfen’s. While preparing for tomorrow’s lessons, he heard that a guest had arrived.
When Yuric entered the reception room, a handsome middle-aged man made a graceful bow. His mannerisms indicated he was certainly a noble.
“I am Baron Cameron, serving Marquis Shriner.”
“Pleased to meet you. I am Mage Yuric.”
“I heard you are a capable mage. His Excellency needs your advice.”
“My advice?”
Baron Cameron gently stroked his eagle-like mustache and nodded.
“Let’s go inside. If you need time to prepare, let me know.”
“This is fine.”
“Alright. I informed Sir Schlipfen, so don’t worry.”
Yuric got into the carriage Baron Cameron had come in.
The carriage raced toward the Marquis’ residence in the city center.
“Can you guess what might be happening?”
Cameron thought for a moment before cautiously speaking.
“I promise not to tell anyone.”
“Yes, I won’t tell.”
“There’s an epidemic in the inner palace. His Excellency’s family members are also affected. But the court mages can’t find the cause. Then your name was mentioned. Bemberg also spoke highly of your abilities as a mage.”
An unknown epidemic.
Yuric’s face darkened.
“It has become a problem that can no longer be ignored. That’s why His Excellency gave the order directly.”
“I see.”
“Don’t worry too much. We know it’s a difficult issue. I’ve already sent letters asking for help from various places.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I appreciate it. …Actually, my wife also has this illness. I hope this problem is resolved soon.”
Cameron sighed and looked out the window of the carriage.
“These are truly turbulent times.”
Yuric silently watched Cameron.
