Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 147

Episode 147. Is this, by any chance, my grave?

After the work was finished, I went to Mount Flick and led the group back to Lortel.

For reference, Shine and Falun can be found in the underground passages of Lortel.

“……Why did you go in there?”

“Ahem, even if you die, wouldn’t you still find the swordsman’s tomb?”

"That's a lie. He was going wild, saying it was definitely dangerous. There was no time to stop him…!"

“Shut up. When will this body be!”

Shine quickly covered Falun's mouth.

The gauntlet clashed with his teeth, a loud bang echoing through the air. It was the moment when Falun's disgust for Shine began to rise.

Meanwhile, I looked at Shine with renewed eyes.

'You said you were running wild?'

This kid, this… … .

'He's more of a gangster than I thought?'

While his colleagues are rolling around on the brink of death, he goes crazy and says he wants to find the tomb of the swordsman?

Yeah, I understand.

If I missed this opportunity, I might never be able to visit the Sword God's Tomb again.

From Shine's perspective, it was a situation that was dangerous enough.

But, no matter what… … .

“Bitter.”

That's why I said I wouldn't take the black-haired beast. Anyway, leaving behind my disappointment with Shine, I returned to Lortel with the beast and the man.

It was a personally dizzying moment.

'If I had been just a little bit later, it could have been a disaster.'

When I told you to go towards the secret passage before, I meant to say that it was the meeting point.

If we were to escape from Lortelle, the easiest route would be Mount Flick, since the terrain we shared on Mount Flick only had secret passages.

but.

'I told you not to just wait around and run away, but you crawled into the secret passage?'

If they got caught, it was a situation where the head of the Infinite Chain and everything else would be hung.

If Shine hadn't found the hole in the middle of the secret passage, she would have been in for a second chase with Lortel.

By the way, there was no trace of any repairs to the hole in the middle of the secret passage. So, I was lost, but fortunately for me.

Later Falun said… … .

[They hid it in an institution.]

[organ?]

[Yes, I found it, but I didn't say anything.]

It was an excellent choice.

Anyway, we decided to stay at Lortel for the time being. This was a courtesy from Sogaju Zion.

The noise in the middle of the night would have drawn everyone's attention to Lortel, so they provided a place to hide from outside eyes.

Oh, by the way, the matter regarding the Impirga will be dealt with gradually over time.

I asked if the spy would notice, but the elder, either a wyvern or a digger, was already imprisoned in the underground prison.

But, what should I do about that?

“He’s already in the dungeon. They said they caught him when you were causing a commotion.”

"……already?"

"That's right. I didn't know about the Impir family, but it seems my father was keeping an eye on it. In a way, the information you gave me was the spark."

As I was listening quietly, I started to get angry.

'This rotten… … .'

In the end, you tried to turn your back on the good wizard by saying you were going to do as I said(?) and saying you were disappointed or something!

How is it that all the heads of prestigious families have the same traits of thieves?

And so, after an eventful night.

The next morning.

I walked into the small garden attached to the sword shop at the call of the first sword, Hamelin.

“What’s going on?”

Hamelin was no pushover from the very first word.

“That’s short talk.”

“…….”

“Still, I feel like an old senior, but my words are very short.”

“I’m a wizard. Honey, the knight is my senior….”

“Does the magician avoid swords?”

“……That’s fine with the title of senior. How about you, hyung?”

“I don’t think we’re at the age where we can be friends.”

In the end, the title was decided as Lord Hamelan.

Normally, I would have raised my age, but I felt like he would cut my neck, so I humbly submitted to his power.

But, by the way.

“What’s the matter?”

“First, walk.”

Lord Hamelin took me for a walk in his small garden.

It was a lazy morning.

The sunlight was so bright that it made the previous day's commotion seem like a lie.

In the well-kept garden, birds were chirping, and a cool summer breeze stroked my hair.

“Isn’t it a nice garden?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Of course, the Lord of the House also lived here in the past.”

Lord Hamelin strolled through the garden, reminiscing about old times.

“Let’s see… One day, assassins broke in. It happened to be right here. The lord was lying here, and the assassins were sprawled out over there.”

“…….”

"I think it was around this time? The assassin leader's head rolled off. And over there…"

What was Gaju like when he was seven years old?

When I was ten, I killed several assassins.

Something happened on that side of the garden, and something happened on this side… … .

The memories were of the time when the current head of the household was the head of the household, and it was a bloody and beautiful story.

So, while Lord Hamelin was explaining the seventh raid under the big tree.

I couldn't help but ask.

“By any chance, is this my grave site?”

“……?”

“If we’re going to do it, let’s go somewhere a little sunnier than here…….”

“…….”

Isn't this it?

Lord Hamelin, who had been looking at me as if he couldn't believe it, asked in a dejected voice.

“What on earth do you think of Lortel?”

“0.5 deculan?”

It meant that it was half as humid as Dekulan.

“……If the Lord had heard, he would have cut off his head.”

“Oh, yes.”

Even I think that was a very honest answer.

'I'll compromise on something like 0.25 deculans.'

And so, as the conversation ceased, a faint silence fell between us. The blades of grass rustled in the breeze.

It was then that Lord Hamelin, who had been caressing the large tree with eyes wet with sorrow, opened his mouth.

"That's the kind of life the Lord of the Household lived. Even after being crowned Lord of the Household, he fought secretly with his brothers. Can you imagine? That all this happened under the name of Lortel?"

I couldn't help but be surprised.

The Lortel that Lord Hamelan mentions at the time was very different from the Lortel I know.

At least the Lortel I know is a noble family, dirty, filthy, and lethal, but one that upholds goodness.

but.

“That’s what the Lord said. It was after he took the throne.”

– Honor and pride are nothing more than a whip and a carrot.

“Sitting there, the honor and pride he held as a knight seemed like the tools that moved the knight.”

In Lortel… …there was no romance that the knights imagined.

The image of a 'house of knights' is merely a mask worn by the leadership to control the knights.

But.

As I listened to Lord Hamelin's story, this thought occurred to me.

“So… what, understand? Forgive? Is that what you’re saying?”

To me, everything Lord Hamelin said sounded like he was trying to sell the family.

However, Lord Hamelin tilted his head at my question.

“Why you?”

"yes?"

"Why do you understand the Lord? And forgiveness? Who forgives whom? Are you above the Lord of Lortel? Forgiveness is the right of the powerful."

It was a bit of a strange thing to say coming from a knight's mouth, but it was true.

Forgiveness is something only the powerful can do.

No, even the weak can forgive, but only if their heart is infinitely broad.

underneath.

“Then what exactly are you trying to say?”

So, what is the point of calling someone who isn't busy?

It was then that Lord Hamelin's gaze changed.

“I have to leave for Baidun Village soon.”

“Yes, I know that.”

Even if I were to cancel the deal, I would have had to leave today to notify them on the day of the deal.

But why is that?

As I tilted my head in puzzlement, Lord Hamelin opened his mouth.

However, that was quite a shocking announcement for me.

“I will reveal that I handed over the Infinite Chain to the Magic Tower and the Sword Garden there.”

“You’re crazy…….”

“Listen until the end.”

Lord Hamelin's words were as follows:

“In the name of Lortel, I will protect the magic tower and the swordsman.”

“……Do you know what that means?”

"Is it because of Cheonwon Gong? Phew, that's not funny. We just handed the Infinity Chain over to the Magic Tower and the Sword Garden. Cheonwon Gong? You don't know that."

“That’s for Dekulan…….”

Then, Lord Hamelin's voice cut me off.

“If we do, who are we?”

“…….”

That one word was enough to explain it.

Yes, because it's Lortel.

But, I couldn't understand it at all.

“Even so, that is…….”

"From Lortelle's perspective, wouldn't this be a pointless conflict? After all, conflict is a given. The Impir family. Don't you know that?"

So, it's going to crash anyway…

“Are you saying that you will protect the swordsman and the magic tower to pay off your debts?”

"okay."

“Why?”

It was a story that I couldn't understand at all.

There is a big difference in meaning between clashing with the Impirga and clashing while protecting the Magic Tower and Sword Garden.

From Lortelle's perspective, it seems like a pointless sacrifice…

Lord Hamelin answered my question thus:

“The Lortelle that Lord Soga will create will be a true family of knights.”

so.

“I hope that the Magic Tower and the Sword Garden will become strong allies for Lord Soga’s Lorthel.”

I stared blankly at Lord Hamelin.

“Are you crazy? What do you believe in?”

It was a very good deal for us.

But why on earth?

"I don't trust you. I trust the Lord's insight. I don't know the details of the powers of the Magic Tower and the Sword Garden… but in the future, you will become even greater."

So, it was something like this.

'I trust the owner's eye… …and I'll place a reverse bet on a place with low odds?'

Of course… … I know.

This is a set-up.

As long as I don't give up, the Magic Tower will stand tall in the world and eventually become the greatest library on the continent. Of course, it won't be just any library, it'll be a library that fights fiercely.

You could say it's the world's strongest library.

So, for Lortel, with just one word(?), he has the world's strongest library as his ally!

but.

I couldn't understand it at all.

That was when.

“You wicked bastard! Where are you!”

Shine's voice can be heard from far away.

“Think about it until lunchtime. Then I’ll send someone again.”

Lord Hamelin turned around after saying those words.

I appreciate the kindness, but… … .

'Is it because my stomach is twisted?'

I couldn't readily accept the favor for an unknown reason.

* * *

First, let's put aside Lord Hamelin's proposal.

I had a seat with Shine, who was looking for me like a prepaid pup.

“Tsk, where is that guy who’s not even busy running around?”

"Since you're not busy, you never thought about wandering around? So why did you come looking for me?"

“The head of the household sent someone. He said he would open the tomb of the swordsman.”

Somehow, I felt a little elated. It was because I was finally able to enter the tomb of the Sword God I had longed for.

But wait a minute.

“Have you ever met Gaju?”

"Are you talking about that little brat who's just acting dirty? Oh, you were so sleepy you didn't notice. It was around dawn, right? It seems like that little brat doesn't even sleep in, sending someone out at the crack of dawn… Ugh, these kids these days."

Shine was grumbling, as if she was displeased with the head of the household who had called her so early in the morning, but I thought, 'What if?'

“What if the head of the household doesn’t say anything?”

Lord Hamelin's unexpected suggestion.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no such thing, so I was curious, but I wondered if there might be a reason for it with Shine.

But my prediction was exactly right.

“There wasn’t anything special about it… but, oh, he was acting all dirty and his eyes were tense, and he asked me to show him how to use the sword.”

“……Knife cutting?”

"What's that? 'Can you put everything into a sword?' Well… it's all for show. Just swing it with all your might."

"so?"

“What’s wrong? I showed you.”

“……And then?”

"I don't know. He just closed his eyes? He got out of there with a bit of sense. And he was like… I'm still related to my ancestors and even the sword. Tsk."

Shine, who is constantly complaining.

I stood there dumbfounded, watching Shine's back.

So, you said you wanted to invest not because you saw me, but because you saw Shine?

No, that wasn't important right now.

A voice still clear in my ears.

– That's disappointing.

Some are disappointed, some are… … .

As I thought about that, Shine suddenly turned around.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming soon?”

“Go alone.”

I walked with a hunched gait, my shoulders hunched. Shine was shouting something behind me, but I couldn't hear him.

If I had known this would happen, I would have sent Shine yesterday too.

… … It was a filthy, sad day.