Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 699

Episode 699. A New World

Time flies.

Winter, which seemed to be approaching, had already drifted far away, and the muggy summer seemed to be approaching, but then a cool breeze brushed my nose again.

With the passing wind, many people stayed by my side and then left.

The first one to say goodbye to me was Salieri.

Salieri von Decullán.

The son of Pahern, whom I killed, and the head of the Dekulan clan.

It was one winter day when the guy who had been Maxis Gora's puppet and had been making me suffer came to see me.

“Master.”

“……? Why am I your teacher?”

“Because I learned something.”

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him looking so confident after not seeing him for a while.

Of course, I'm not the type of person who would let it slide just because I'm confident, but this time I decided to just let it slide.

Why?

Because it doesn't really matter whether Salieri calls me Master or not.

What matters is the heart.

Even if I told him not to call me master, if Salieri still considered me master, then the title would be meaningless.

anyway.

I looked at Salieri and then glanced behind him.

Behind him stood a strange yet familiar one-armed man. Looking at him, I thought I understood why Salie had come to see me.

“Are you going?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“…….”

I remained silent. Instead, I stared at the one-armed man standing behind Salieri.

Was it because my gaze was burdensome?

The one-armed man lowered his gaze as if trembling.

It was immediately after that that my mouth opened.

“What was your name?”

“It’s Saurica.”

“He was the head of the invitation.”

"……exactly."

“You survived. Holland died too.”

“…….”

Even though it was quite an insulting remark, Saurika just quietly chewed on the humiliation with half-dead eyes.

I looked at him for a moment, then turned my gaze to Salie.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“It’s my choice.”

“Is this the right choice?”

"yes."

"hmm."

I let out a sigh.

To be honest, it was hard to believe.

Salieri returns to 'Deculan'?

why?

As far as I know, Salie has long since abandoned the name Dekulan.

That guy, now, of all times, is going back to Deculan?

Naturally, my gaze toward Saurika couldn't help but be unkind. And that was understandable, since it seemed clear she'd been tricked.

Did he notice my gaze?

Salie gave Saurika a quick wink.

“Sir Saurika, step aside.”

“…….”

Saurika looked at me to see if it was really okay for her to step back, but I waved my hand at her.

Only then did Saurika step out of my office.

It was immediately after this that Salieri took out the cigarette and lit it.

“Is it okay if I smoke one?”

"as you please."

"yes."

Sallie took out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back leisurely on the sofa. Soon, a thin, wispy cloud of smoke began to drift into the room.

There was a deep fatigue on his face that hadn't been there when Saurika was present, and seeing that, as a teacher, I couldn't help but say something.

“You don’t have to go.”

“Is that so?”

"Yes. If you go now, you'll only end up taking the blame for the defeat. You'll be held accountable for a war you didn't start, and you'll be forced to spend your entire life bowing your head and begging until your knees are worn out. It's not just you; your children will bear the brunt of it, too."

“Probably… that’s right.”

"Saurika's summons for you was likely a decision of the central figures who currently control Deculan. Whoever controls Deculan, they're likely intent on making you a target for arrows. So, you don't need to go."

“I know that too.”

“But, why?”

I had no choice but to ask.

That would be the case, because Salieri's expression on his face remained unwavering as he declared his intention to return to Dekulan.

To my question, Sallie answered like this.

“I once thought about it.”

"what."

“A future where I become the head of a household.”

“…….”

"I've always imagined myself becoming the master of Dekulan, changing the things that were wrong, one by one. Right now, I don't quite understand what's right, what's wrong, or what needs to be changed, but that's the kind of person I've always dreamed of. But…"

Sallie was already standing by the window.

The gaze floated somewhere in the sky.

The mouth opened.

"This is what the family is calling for. They're offering you the position of head of the household, so come. Perhaps this is your chance."

“……What opportunity?”

“This is a chance to change the name Deculan.”

“…….”

I didn't respond.

Instead, Sallie looked at me with a faint smile.

And said.

“So, I’m going to go.”

What can I say here?

I just nodded.

"okay."

… … To be honest, Salieri’s dream is practically impossible to achieve.

It's already been a year since the war ended, and it's unknown who took control of Dekulan, but it's doubtful they would have summoned Salie without any countermeasures.

He called Salieri because he intended to use him as a puppet, no matter what he did.

Perhaps, Salieri is also aware of that fact.

But, even so, Salieri's will did not seem to be broken.

“Help?”

“I don’t want to accept it.”

Yeah, I guess so.

That way, 'Dekulan' can remain Dekulan.

What Salieri wanted was for Decullán to shed his vices, not lose his independence.

If I do that, what should I do?

While I was thinking, Salie's voice brushed past my ears.

"It's my burden, and I must bear it. So, Master, you don't have to worry too much about it."

"hmm."

I didn't say anything.

Why?

… … Because this was Salieri’s fight.

“Well then, see you next time.”

After saying those words to me, Salie left the nest.

I imagined the road ahead with a worried heart for a moment, then shook my head and changed my mind.

Rather than worry, let's look forward to it.

The future of Dekulan that Salier will change.

That was enough.

* * *

The next person to bid me farewell after Salieri was our friend, Hickster, the second son of the Dolanpe family.

He suddenly barged into my office on the top floor of the tower and said this.

“I heard the story.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Pacheon, you asked me to remove the shackles from our family?”

“That’s right.”

Clearly, Pacheon had asked me to do so. He had given me a vision he had created, and asked me to lift the curse on the transcendental artifact that had been passed down through the Dolanfe family for generations.

Hickster placed something on the table.

“Here, it’s the magic pot. Perhaps, the Heavenly King should come too?”

"no."

If it were me, I wouldn't have been able to answer with certainty, but it's different now.

The curse that Magap has placed on Dolanpega will disappear the moment Magap is swallowed by the power of the reverse heaven.

“But, are you okay?”

As I said, if you remove the curse, the magic armor will disappear.

From Dolanpega's perspective, this was no different from saying that they could no longer exist as a noble family.

I had previously relayed this fact to Dolanpega, and Hickster shrugged his shoulders in response to my question.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

"Yes, Father already retired from the front lines. That idiot brother is the one in charge. How could I possibly know what that idiot was thinking? I don't know if he handed it over because he was okay with it, or because he wasn't. But the important thing is that my brother handed it over."

“So, all I have to do is get rid of the curse?”

"okay."

"hmm."

“What, don’t you just get rid of it quickly?”

It wasn't that difficult to get rid of. I was just curious.

Why on earth is this guy in such a hurry?

Hickster's answer to my question was this:

“I will leave.”

"where?"

“To the Western Continent.”

“……?”

I tilted my head.

You're suddenly leaving for the Western Continent?

The Western Continent is a continent located beyond the 'Misty Mountains', and although there is little exchange, its presence is certain.

That would be the case, as the occasional powerful figures from the Western Continent would occasionally cause trouble.

That was the reason why the name 'Eastern Continent' was added before the modifier 'best' that Deculan and Lortel had.

It's like, "Let's not forget that there are strong people in the Western Continent too."

Archmage and Sword Master are out of the question.

There are wizards and knights in the Western Continent, but what are their forms?

Because it is different from the eastern continent.

Long ago, it is said that even the most powerful people in the Western Continent were invited to the Sanctuary, but that was only a long time ago.

Anyway, the western continent was a land that was different from the eastern continent.

But why there?

“We will form a family.”

"household?"

"Yes. I haven't decided whether to establish a family or to create my own vision and form an order of knights, but that's my decision."

“But why not the eastern continent?”

"Isn't everything already over? The current trend in the eastern continent is for wizards to flock to the Magic Tower, and for the Sword Garden. No matter what I do, I can't escape the Sword Garden's shadow. What can I do?"

That's true too.

Now that the war between Dekulan and the Alliance has ended, the names of the Magic Tower and Sword Garden, once known only to a select few, have spread throughout the Eastern Continent.

My name, the owner of the Magic Tower, became known as the new Archmage, and Shine's name was intentionally spread by the Federation.

To inform that the absolute rulers of both magic and martial arts are in the alliance.

That was the reason why Hickster wanted to leave.

“There is no one who does not know that Dolanfe’s second son studied under Geomwon.”

“That sounds good, what.”

"That means there's no point in fighting. Even if I try to hide my identity somewhere and show off, it's only a matter of time before it's revealed. So, I'd rather leave for the Western Continent."

“……Is there a way to get there?”

Hickster nodded at my words.

"They say the fog in the Misty Mountains clears once every ten years. Next year, coincidentally, is the beginning of that cycle. So…"

… … Quickly lift the curse, that’s what I’m saying.

It's the western continent.

'hmm.'

It was an area that had no particular connection to either my past life or my present life.

I heard that the vision of the western continent is different from that of the eastern continent, so the wizards call themselves shamans and the knights are called 'warriors' without any distinction.

Suddenly, this question occurred to me.

'Could there be a transcendental object there too?'

It's something that's hard to imagine, but I thought it might be possible.

That would be the case, because the world that 'Yeokcheon' spoke of did not only refer to the eastern continent.

The Western Continent was also one of the 'worlds' that Yeokcheon was trying to protect.

Well then, that means I have to go there at least once… … .

"What can I do? Without lifting the curse. It would be a problem if I were to be cursed in the Western Continent without even knowing what was going on."

“……Yeah, well.”

I put my hand on the magic glove.

Yeah, woof―!

The armor resonated as if in rebellion. An unknown energy surged from within, attempting to attack my mind.

In the past, it might have been dangerous, but for me, who already had a completed rebellion, it was a meaningless rebellion.

For reference, the last piece of the reverse celestial body remained with Shine when Maxis Gora's ideology disappeared.

I'm completely absorbed now.

anyway.

Tsu, tsuzuzu―

The energy of the reversed sky immediately seeped into the armor. The energy that had seeped in devoured the armor from the inside out, and it took only about five minutes for the armor to completely disappear.

After the magic armor disappeared like that.

“Just wait and see.”

“……?”

Hickster took out his crystal ball and established communication. Although the communication disruption fields deployed during the war still remained across the continent, communication was established without difficulty.

“What about Pacheon?”

[… … You’re getting better. The tower master is next to you―]

“I see, I understand.”

Hickster cut off the communication before my brother could say anything. Then, without hesitation, he brushed himself off and stood up.

"thanks."

“Thank you.”

"Take care, Gama. I'll see you again when I can. It'll be ten years at the earliest."

"……okay."

I waved my hand silently, watching Hickster walk away.

… … Dolanphe gave up the transcendental artifact by their own power.

In a way, it could be said that they were the first family to embrace the new world, and it felt like it was finally starting to feel real.

Truly, a new world has begun.