“Honestly, since when have I ever hoped for such good fortune?”
Even with what he had achieved so far, it was more than what others get in a lifetime.
To wish for more would surely be greedy.
Thus, Elric quickly put away any thoughts related to the King of the Yetis.
There was plenty more to sort out, even if he hadn’t.
“Anyway, how do I find my family’s hidden estate?”
Elric gently caressed the magical instrument with his hand.
Today, the weight of his family’s heirloom necklace seemed particularly heavy around his neck.
In the past, his father, always suffering from the after-effects of the Great Magic War, would remind Elric of a few things when he was lucid.
“Although our main family has fallen into decline for now… Elric, don’t forget. Our family has been a prominent magic lineage for over a millennium. It boasts a history longer than this Empire. Can it be that such a venerable family doesn’t hold any legacy left by our ancestors?”
“There exist hidden estates and secret realms left by our family all over the continent. Once you become a proper head of the family, you must find them…”
However, contrary to his father’s wishes, Elric had nearly forgotten all about them.
It was because all the elders who knew the locations of the estates and secret realms died during the Great Magic War, and all the information was lost.
What little information that remained was just a vague idea of which region they were in.
He was reminded of this due to the magical necklace.
“There certainly weren’t any books in our family library about the magical necklace. Only that it was an object left by the first head of the family.”
Was it possible that no information remained about such a significant item?
If one recalled how outstanding the magicians of the Melvinger family were generation after generation, it would be impossible.
“What kind of people were my ancestors, anyway? I guess my personality didn’t come out of nowhere.”
Therefore, Elric speculated that information about the magical necklace must be recorded somewhere.
The first place that came to mind was the Plateau of the Snow People, where the rumored estate supposedly existed.
“So I came here, but…”
How would he find the estate in this snow-covered place, where everything he could see was just snowy mountains?
It was undoubtedly going to be as challenging as finding a needle in a haystack.
However, Elric wasn’t particularly worried.
“If it’s an estate left by our family, maybe one of the Yetis has information about it?”
If the Yetis were indeed magical creatures, then they must have some connection with his family.
It was for this reason that Mephisto showed curiosity when he mentioned the tomb.
“Ah, speaking of which, there’s one more piece of information left about the magical necklace.”
Elric’s eyes grew distant.
“I don’t know the reason, but it was something my grandfather cherished dearly…”
“According to the legends passed down in our tribe, the original being that became the ancestor of the Snow People was a woman who was abandoned by her husband and left in the middle of a snowy wilderness. She died harboring resentment and appeared as the Snow Woman…”
[I have a proposition for you.]
Since there were many people around, Elric couldn’t speak aloud and gave Mephisto a ‘what is it?’ expression.
[Why not hurl some of that silence magic you threw at me at him as well? At this rate, I swear my ears will bleed!]
Mephisto shouted, pointing at the guide, Mingma. His face was so displeased that, had he had the ability, he would have shut his mouth with magic instantly.
Elric had to stifle a laugh.
“True, he does talk a lot.”
Although the mountainous terrain was rugged and the paths were not well-trodden, making the climb breathless, Mingma easily hopped between rocks without even a hint of exhaustion.
Yet, in his own way, he was diligently playing the part of a guide, mainly talking about information related to the ‘Plateau of the Snow People’.
While Elric hoped he might hear some information related to Anga and listened attentively.
However, it seemed that Mephisto and the rest of the group felt differently.
Not only the monster hunters, but occasionally even the group wearing robes would cast a wary glance at Mingma.
Of course, it seemed that Mingma hadn’t noticed any such looks.
[It’s not something to just laugh off! I’m seriously losing my mind!]
Elric ignored Mephisto’s desperate request, while sneaking a peek at the robed group.
‘Ah, there’s one person similar to me in that group.’
Among them, there was only one person intently listening to Mingma.
The robed person was comparatively smaller in stature compared to the others. Through that person’s slightly pushed-back robe, that person’s eyes, which were firmly fixed on Mingma, would occasionally nod and shift curiously to the side.
The fact that the robed person didn’t speak to Mingma might be because that person held a different status compared to the surrounding robed individuals.
‘That person’s walk and behavior suggest nobility. Is it a woman? Which family does she belong to?’
Since opening his inner eye, Elric’s perception has heightened to an unparalleled degree compared to average people. Even if they were on guard, they couldn’t completely evade his attention.
The woman seemed to be a young lady from a high-ranking family. And the others in robes were knights. Clearly, they were elite with evident martial prowess.
Their magic reserves were not insignificant, and they possessed more than one Aura Chain, indicating they were of significant stature.
Such individuals were rare to find in remote places, but…
‘Perhaps they have a mission?’
Elric initially thought of it as nothing serious.
Being a Duke of the Empire, he was also wandering around, hiding his identity, so there was no rule against another family doing the same.
The only reason Elric was interested in them in the first place was to test the extent of his inner eye’s effect.
He was nervous that his use of his inner eye might be detected, but it seemed they hadn’t noticed at all.
‘The activation of my inner eye can’t be detected by others… This is a significant advantage.’
The inner eye was excellent at quickly discerning the strengths and weaknesses of others.
On a battlefield where a single mistake could cost one’s life, there was no better weapon.
Taking the opportunity, Elric also tried using his inner eye on the monster hunters and herbalists.
The hunters, although not as trained as the robed knights, had evidently experienced a lot of combat. The herbalists, likely due to the characteristics of where they were from, seemed to have impressive stamina and endurance.
However, one among them possessed two impressive aura Aura Chains, which caught his attention for a moment.
‘No, he doesn’t seem like an assassin targeting me. He doesn’t have any weapons in his luggage or on him. Maybe a hidden agent of some sort?’
Nevertheless, to be safe, Elric discreetly licked his lips.
——————
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“[Ddarara.]“
Blue magic emerged from the tip of Elric’s finger and fell like a drop of blood on the floor.
Suddenly, a mosquito flying below was covered in blue magic and flew towards the herbalist Elric had marked. It was his familiar.
From now on, this creature would act as his eyes, observing the herbalist.
“Can you please do something about it?!”
Mephisto’s complaints about the guide continued, but Elric wasn’t listening.
“[Warm up]“
“[Heal]“
The higher they climbed, the thinner the air became.
Naturally, breathing became harder, their stamina drained, and the bitter cold slowed their pace.
‘Why haven’t we seen any Yetis yet?’
They still had a long way to go before reaching the main hunting area.
Yet, the disappointment of not encountering even a single one was weighing on him.
He wanted to see what they looked like, even if they didn’t engage in combat.
It seemed they weren’t as common as he had hoped.
‘Should I just part with them from here?’
The journey here had been intricate, but from now on, it didn’t matter, so he pondered seriously.
“From here on, the path will become much more treacherous, so let’s eat before we continue!”
At Mingma’s words, the herbalists quickly sprang into action. They cleared the snow to secure a spot to sit, and in the center, they piled up the dry firewood they had brought and lit a fire.
Although the surroundings were filled with only moist soil and snow, they didn’t show any signs of difficulty.
“Don’t be shy. Everyone, sit comfortably. While we’re traveling together like this, we’re essentially comrades, right?”
Thanks to Mingma’s warm tone, the other passengers were also able to find their spots and sit down.
The group in robes seemed intent on staying quiet, but when a woman among them looked visibly exhausted, they had no choice but to join.
“…May we share the fire?”
The man who appeared to be the leader of the escorts asked for permission in a robust tone before sitting spaciously to one side.
And as each one pulled back their hood…
The other passengers gasped in surprise.
“Wow!”
“Hmm…!”
The woman who took off her hood last boasted an exceptionally beautiful face.
A skin even whiter than the surrounding snow and dark eyes that looked like embedded obsidian.
Even Elric, who had seen numerous beauties while attending the academy, was wide-eyed.
“Whistle! Who would have thought such a beautiful lady would be traveling with us?”
“Is she perhaps the daughter of a wealthy family? Hehehe!”
“Being in her presence is such a delight for my eyes…! Ah, hah. Whistle!”
The monster hunters were jesting and whistling at her, but they were soon taken aback.
Suddenly, one of the escorts had drawn his sword and held it right under the hunter’s chin.
“Do you wish to die?”
He had a menacing glare and tone.
For the commoners who had only lived in the mountains, his aura was overwhelmingly intimidating.
The hunters turned pale and were visibly shaken.
“Chen. Put down your sword.”
Then, the woman behind him spoke in a soft tone.
“But, My Lady, these rude men…!”
“Put it down.”
“…Understood.”
The escort, named Chen, sheathed his sword, but he was still visibly angry.
Swish!
“Ahh! My eye, my eye…!”
The hunter, who had been the most brazen with his gaze, now had one of his eyes gouged out.
The hunter screamed in agony, dripping blood on the white snow, but Chen just chuckled, wiping the blood off his blade.
“Heh! Be thankful to my lady for sparing your life just for an eye.”
“Chen!”
“I apologize, My Lady. I’ll accept any punishment for my actions later.”
“…Sigh!“
But contrary to his words, Chen’s face was filled with pride.
The other three knights didn’t speak but nodded in agreement.
Sigh.
The lady could only sigh in exasperation.
Perhaps due to the tense atmosphere, a deep silence fell among the travelers.
The herbalists, fearing they might get hurt, distanced themselves from them, and even the chatty Mingma only looked around nervously.
And then…
[Hmm!]
Mephisto was carefully observing the knights with his arms folded.
Then Elric quickly wrote characters on the ground with his index finger. To an untrained eye, it appeared to be just a scrawl, but it closely resembled runes used in coded languages.
“What are you doing?”
Fortunately, Mephisto seemed to recognize the writing.
『It’s about that knight.』
-?
『How strong is he?』
Why would he suddenly ask that?
-Well, he has an Aura Chain, so maybe he’s user-level?
『User?』
-I mean…
『Don’t write it down. Say it out loud!』
-How do I do that?
『What do you mean? Just send it as a message! If you feel shy using magic, then use the Voice Transfer.』
-Voice Transfer?
『What? You don’t know Voice Transfer?』
-What is that? It’s my first time hearing about it.
『…Could it be that this era doesn’t have Voice Transfer? Even though the system and categories have become so detailed, such a basic magical technique doesn’t exist?』
Mephisto seemed quite surprised. He had learned various things about the current magical world from Elric.
What he realized was that as time passed, magic had evolved in many unforeseen and diverse ways.
Yet, those blessed with mana didn’t know something as basic as Voice Transfer?
‘Come to think of it, didn’t he also not know about Jinmyung at first?’
For some reason, Mephisto felt a sense of discomfort.
『Sound travels through the air as the medium. But because of this, it just spreads sideways. Using magic, you can keep it from spreading and deliver it directly to the intended recipient.』
Although Mephisto was somewhat uneasy, he explained Voice Transfer without giving it much thought.
Following Mephisto’s explanation, Elric tried to gather his magic.
Luckily, the basics of spirits also involved using mana in the atmosphere, so after a few tries, he could easily do it.
[Like… this?]
『Yes, you catch on quickly.』
[It has a similar effect to message magic, but it’s much more convenient and uses less magic. This is one of the most intriguing things I’ve learned from you…!]
Elric began to speak but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
At the same time, Mephisto’s head swiftly turned to one side.
Something grabbed their attention.
『Finally done with the boring stuff. I’ll hear about that knight later.』
Then,
“Miss, please step back.”
Four robed knights quickly stood up, shielding a woman, while the hunters were the last to get on their feet.
Mingma also sensed an unusual scent carried by the wind and yelled out loud.
It wasn’t just the scent of Yetis…
“Everyone, stick to the edge of the Snow Wall!”
A scent was mixed in the wind.
It was the smell of blood.
Just how many people had been hurt, given the thick scent of human blood?
At the same time…
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Numerous pilums filled the sky, raining down on them.
Clang!
Thud!
“Argh!”
“Choke! Help… *Cough!”*
Chen and the knights managed to deflect the pilums from the air in time, but the less skilled herbalists were instantly impaled by several pilums and fell.
Elric, who had sensed their presence earlier, was already far from the attack range.
『Based on their use of pilums, are they from the ‘Red Eyes’ tribe? They really haven’t changed at all, which is typical of those dumb folks.』
Elric had many questions for Mephisto, but surviving was his top priority. He pushed all his questions aside and activated a spell.
“【Turn】“
Thump!
Thump, thump!
Suddenly, the blood in Elric’s body began to circulate rapidly.
