Episode 118 Preemptive
Elder Edrim of the White Tower and Elder Krazan of the Red Tower were ‘Orthodox’ magicians.
The orthodox school denied the use of magical tools and emphasized building up complete skills.
In their eyes, Galahad was orthodox. Galahad hated magic tools and did not use them. He was not just orthodox, he was truly orthodox.
That was why they hanged Galahad.
Contrary to their wishes, Galahad was not Orthodox.
The Orthodox regarded magic as a truth to be endlessly pursued. Galahad was similar, but to him magic was primarily a weapon.
A weapon that will burn the king of the demon tribe that will appear someday.
It was a small thing, but it made a big difference.
Those who considered magic to be truth pursued more splendid and complex magic, but Galahad, who treated magic as a weapon, cut down magic.
It made the sword sharper and faster.
To Galahad, even the Orthodox were just show-offs.
Of course, this was much better than those who tinkered with magic tools.
The elders’ favor was expected, but-.
‘I didn’t know you’d be entering the Noon Tower.’
The position of Elder of the Tower was not an easy one. To abandon the position of Elder and come to Galahad’s Tower was quite an unconventional decision.
The reason the elders made that decision was-.
‘What you actually showed was great.’
That was why Galahad imitated Adrianna’s temper.
As a wizard, erasing magic itself was something he could not do. Even Galahad would have done it like an old man.
However, except for the two old men, the other magicians had their eyes fixed on the magic stone.
It was the difference between a real wizard and someone who just tinkered with magic tools.
“I’m better than this guy! This guy has a dirty personality and only bothers his subordinates!”
“What?! Who the hell is this old man talking about?! Damn it!”
“Did you hear that cheap insult?”
“Ahem-. I am a very noble person.”
Galahad clicked his tongue slightly at the noisy chatter of the old people.
“Please stop.”
There was no need to fight.
“Both of you come. I will pay you more than before.”
Opportunities to recruit the elders of the Tower were rare.
I had to catch both.
“I told you I don’t need wages. I don’t have much time left anyway!”
“I’d rather pay!”
The elders offered to cut his wages, but Galahad refused.
This had to be neat.
No matter how much was paid, Galahad was confident he could get more than that.
“Are you really going to come in?”
When Galahad asked seriously, the two old men laughed.
“If you have truly discovered the nature of mana-.”
“I’m going in.”
The old men stared at Galahad with their faces devoid of their usual playfulness. Their wrinkled eyes sparkled.
Galahad paused for a moment to consider his words.
“Mana breathes life force.”
“······vitality?”
“What is that?”
Their heads both froze at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at Galahad.
“This is a temporary term. It will be difficult to feel its vitality directly.”
The old people’s expressions became strange. Soon they became distorted.
“Are we old?! We’re still in our prime!”
“That’s right! Still in good health!”
Galahad shook his head at the fierce opposition.
“Vitality is something that is inherently present, so it is not easy to feel. Can you feel the blood inside your body?”
“Aha, I get it!”
“Then how do you feel the vitality?”
There were two reasons why Galahad could feel the vitality.
‘The magic circle and the egg of pain left behind by the first wizard.’
Those two were the ones who started to feel the vitality. However, that was when Galahad didn’t know about the existence of the vitality.
Now that we know that life exists, we can do things differently.
There was a much simpler and cleaner way.
“Try this.”
Galahad took out a flask containing the blood of the lowest-level demon and handed it over.
“What is this?”
“Is it alcohol?”
“It is the blood of the demon tribe.”
“The blood of the demon tribe?!”
“Oh, a demon! Is it good for your health?”
The red old man quickly took the water bottle. When he opened the lid, a terrible smell of demon blood wafted out. The faces of both old men crumpled at the same time.
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“The blood of the Demon Tribe contains high concentrations of mana and vitality. The only thing that isn’t mana is vitality.”
“Ahem, you drink first.”
“As expected of a white guy, he’s very timid-. Tsk.”
The red old man sipped his water bottle.
It was pretty bold though-.
“Ugh······. Ugh······.”
The red old man twisted his body. His eyes were red, and his hands and feet were trembling. He looked as if he had consumed poison.
“What is going on?!”
The old man in white glared at Galahad and shouted.
“It is an effect caused by the high concentration of mana contained in the blood of the Demon Tribe.”
“Are you saying this because you couldn’t even hold out for a little while?! Ha, you were lying down-. Give me this!”
The white old man snatched the water bottle from the red old man’s hands.
“I’ll show you that white is better than red.”
The old man in white drank eagerly.
and-.
“Eugh-! Eugh-!”
“Euuuu······.”
“Ugh!”
The two leaned against each other and twisted their bodies.
Galahad sighed.
“It’s just this much… You’re being too harsh.”
The old men gasped for breath. Their faces were filled with astonishment. Their wrinkles seemed to have increased.
“Just that?”
“That’s all there is!”
In response to their fierce opposition, Galahad brought out a water bottle. He wiped the opening with his fingers and poured it into his mouth.
“Wh······What!”
“You drank it all in one go! You’re crazy!”
“He’s clearly crazy!”
Both of them reacted violently.
It was Galahad who had drunk the blood of the high-ranking demons. Now, the lowest-ranking ones had no sign of it. All that was there was was lukewarm warmth.
Even the egg of pain smacked its lips.
When Galahad was found to be fine, the elders’ eyes widened.
“Is this really okay? Is this okay?”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“I… I’m like that because I’m young! If only I were thirty-one years younger, I would be fine!”
In genuine amazement, Galahad took out another canteen.
“There is no other way to feel alive.”
The faces of the old men who received the water bottles became serious. The two exchanged glances. They seemed to think for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
There was a determined look on his face.
To this Galahad added slyly.
“It tastes quite good when you drink it.”
“taste-?”
“taste?”
The faces of the old men became sullen. The old men who had been wandering around for a while avoided Galahad’s gaze and coughed in vain.
“Ahem, if I were younger I would have just drank it-.”
“What can I do? Even a Sword Master cannot stand the test of time.”
“I guess I should make some alcohol out of this.”
“That would be great. Let’s soak it in snakes!”
The old man wiped his smile and looked at Galahad.
“If we are going to announce the new nature of mana, it would be more effective to do it in the capital.”
“That’s right. The Magic Tower may be officially recognized.”
It was a reasonable story. The magic towers were concentrated in the capital. If they were going to announce the new nature of mana, it would be more effective to do it in the capital.
but-.
“We discovered the nature of the North. There is still more to discover-.”
There was another way to be recognized as an official magic tower.
“I see! Demon! So that’s why you were in the North!”
“You came all the way to this wasteland for magic! What a real attitude!”
Galahad took a quick swipe of the tobacco.
The old people opened their mouths again with serious faces.
“But if you change your mind-.”
“Tell me anytime.”
The old people’s eyes sparkled in a way that didn’t match their wrinkles.
Even though they are called backroom old men, they were once famous.
The network of these elders was beyond words. Most of their connections were probably elderly people in similar situations, but most of the elderly people who survived were in the same place.
“Yes, I understand.”
Galahad nodded quietly.
At that moment, the red old man raised his hand slightly.
“But, you know, didn’t I go in before this guy?”
The red old man asked, pointing to the white old man. Galahad frowned at the unexpected question.
Since you said it first-.
“I’m your senior, you punk!”
“Senior, what the-. You’re sick!”
“What the heck?!”
The two fought again.
‘Two elders. Things just got easier.’
Galahad turned his head slightly.
There were magicians who were busy looking at the magic stone. They had come to take Galahad away. The gold they brought was considerable.
‘From the magic stone.’
Galahad raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at the innocent wizards.
The old men stopped fighting when they saw him.
“Since you said you wouldn’t get paid, I have to work!”
“Those lumps of blood aren’t even a thing!”
The old men adjusted their canes.
*
‘There is a magic stone of such good quality.’
Roen’s eyes on the blue tower grew wide as if they were going to tear apart.
At first, I was a bit taken aback. The tower that was introduced as the Magic Tower was just ridiculously large. I laughed.
The ridicule disappeared the moment he saw the magic stone.
In the capital, magic stones were quite rare. Even if you had money, it was difficult to obtain magic stones.
However, the magic stone that Galahad gave was of much better quality than the one in the capital.
It could have been done up to that point.
the problem is-.
“Come in.”
Galahad made a light gesture. The door, covered with strange magic circles, slowly opened.
Roen’s eyes widened at the sight inside.
Inside the tower-.
‘Are those all magic stones?’
It was full of magic stones. It wasn’t something to be treasured. High-quality magic stones were rolling around like rocks. It wasn’t a magic tower, it was a magic stone storage.
‘Are these all magic stones?’
The wizards gaped.
“Feel free to look around.”
Galahad’s leisurely voice pushed the wizards forward.
The wizards moved hurriedly. They held the magic stone in their hands and looked around. It was a real magic stone.
‘It’s a product.’
Roen stuck out his tongue. The magic stones in the capital were of such quality that they felt like shit.
If you take this-. Roen’s mouth was filled with saliva.
but-.
‘This is a northern thing.’
No matter how good the quality was, we couldn’t take what was from the North.
If the Empire had caught up to it, the tower itself could have collapsed.
‘I can’t take this!’
Does that make sense? – Roen felt depressed.
“These are the magic stones that the Noon Magic Tower dug up. They were dug up secretly, avoiding the Grand Duke’s eyes. The problem is avoiding the Grand Duke’s eyes, but we’ll take care of that.”
Galahad said, raising the corners of his lips.
‘Matap······?’
Illegal tower construction was a serious crime, perhaps punishable by a more severe penalty than associating with the North.
But that was only for those involved in the illegal tower.
Even the illegal magic towers that traded with the magic towers were not punished.
In addition, the Noon Tower said that the Northern Magic Stone was stolen.
therefore-.
‘We are not dealing with the North.’
At this point, even if a problem arose, it could be hushed up at the top of the mountain.
Roen’s eyes widened. The magic stone was the competitiveness of the magic tower.
A magic stone of this quality was something that had to be secured.
but-.
‘No matter what······. Trading with the North is a bit···.’
To be honest, I was greedy, but I didn’t want to deal with the North. The Empire’s gaze was the problem.
at that time-.
“I’ll buy it! I’ll buy it all! Here’s the money!”
“No! This worthless old man! He’s just so greedy! I’m going to live too!”
“It’s too late! I bought everything first!”
The old men grumbled. They fought roughly, even swinging their canes. There was sincerity in their arguments.
They were the elders of the four great towers, the White Tower and the Red Tower.
With all these big names fighting over who should buy it, I started feeling uneasy for no reason.
at that time-.
“If you’re really anxious, there’s also a way to get it from the Kingdom Alliance. Of course, it costs more.”
Galahad said calmly.
You can get it back through the Kingdom Union!
“What about the price? What about the price!”
“You little shit! I said I’d buy it!”
“I’ll buy it! I have a lot of money!”
At the old man’s shouting, Roen hurriedly raised his voice.
Then the other wizards also became anxious.
“The price is-.”
Galahad looked around at those innocent eyes-.
“Let me suggest it.”
The corners of his lips rose.
****
“Oh no! Oh no!”
Theodore turned his head at the urgent report. The pale staff member was gasping for breath.
“What’s the big deal?”
“The Third Prince has arrived at the northern wall with his troops! It’s a great force!”
“Bringing troops?”
Theodore’s eyes widened. He had invited me to his engagement party, so why did he bring troops?
“Are you planning to start a war?”
“But isn’t the Third Prince not that bad?”
“That’s right, it won’t be war. With that force, they won’t even be able to break through the northern wall.”
The staff quickly responded. The voice was calm.
“Can’t I refuse? I came here to formally attend the engagement ceremony.”
That was true. If I had refused, I might have been told that I was scared.
There was no need to refuse in the first place.
Even if the Third Prince had brought a large force, he could not have been a threat to the North unless he was the Crown Prince or the Second Prince.
the problem is-.
‘Things are just getting bigger.’
The Third Prince would know about the agreement. He might have been planning to sacrifice his life to make an excuse.
“First, let us report to His Highness the Grand Duke.”
The staff nodded calmly.
at that time-.
“This is a big problem! This is a big problem!”
Another soldier came running.
‘what?’
A question arose among the staff. They had just heard the news of the Third Prince. What could possibly go wrong again?
The soldier who had been running at full speed opened his mouth desperately.
As if this was news that absolutely had to be delivered.
“The wizards are rushing to offer gold coins to Captain Galahad!”
“What!”
The staff was in an uproar at the shocking news. Their eyes were wide.
“Everyone is eager to recruit Captain Galahad! From the King of the Alliance of Kingdoms, to the elders of each tower, to the wizards! Offering gold! Hanging on!”
“You’re not here to attend Adrianna’s engagement party. You’re here to capture Captain Galahad! You rascals!”
The staff screamed. The coolness of just now disappeared. The atmosphere was greatly shaken.
“The inclusion of the Magic Tower! This is serious!”
“Captain Galahad is particularly fond of magic! This is a very serious matter!”
The staff chattered noisily. Their voices were filled with agitation.
Unlike those who actively courted her, this one had nothing in particular to offer Galahad.
There was only one engagement, and even that was something Adriana had rejected and only accepted at the last minute.
‘I will go over the country too!’
Theodore’s face turned pale. The other staff members, needless to say, were trembling. Some of them lost strength in their legs and fell down.
“Uh… Let’s pick up some gold coins too!”
“We have no money! We are beggars! Beggars! Isn’t it Captain Galahad who gives us our money?”
“Oh my! Then something else!”
“Something else?! What are you giving me!”
The staff thought deeply.
If they could give it to Galahad-.
“There isn’t any?”
Aaaah! The staff screamed. They ran around.
at that time-.
The door opened with a heavy thud.
A chilling chill spread through the open gap.
The heavy air weighed down on the noisy staff.
It was the Grand Duke.
The staff members hastily bowed their heads.
The Archduke looked around at his prone staff.
Tsk-.
As the Grand Duke clicked his tongue, his staff trembled.
“I will go out to pick you up.”
The Archduke spoke softly.
Theodore was suspicious. The Archduke had not left the castle even when the Crown Prince arrived.
A grand duke like that goes out to greet the third prince.
‘······Why?’
Theodore muttered softly.
at that time-.
“Galahad is going too.”
The Archduke gave the order.
Theodore sighed inwardly.
His Highness the Grand Duke is not going out to greet the Third Prince.
‘You’re taking care of Captain Galahad.’
His Highness the Grand Duke is taking care of this person, not Adrianna.
‘We have His Highness the Archduke!’
Theodore desperately tried to hold back the corners of his lips from rising.
****
Tom was having a very busy day, learning various things from Zammit.
Zamit was not a kind woman. She was cranky and unfriendly.
But for Tom, a lowly soldier in the North, this was very kind.
Zamit first taught us how to gather, organize and summarize information.
It was something familiar to Tom, who had experienced being treated like a slacker during his time in the military.
“······.”
Zamit chewed his lips tightly.
Because it was growing too quickly, I gave him a difficult task on purpose.
This was a tricky situation even for intelligence agents.
But Tom didn’t just finish him off -.
“Oh, you said you like spicy food?”
I was cooking.
Zamit looked at the neatly organized desk.
‘It’s a monster.’
I muttered to myself.
Fantasy, Fusion,
