Water Magician

I’m back! Sorry for the wait!

Volume 1, Part 7, Empire Arc

Marcdorf, the imperial capital of the Debuhi Empire, was slightly dyed white by the snow that began to fall from early dawn. Although the streets in the imperial capital in the center of the huge economic zone were said to be the best in the central nations, there was never much traffic.

As if to symbolize the economic downturn of the entire empire.

The main street runs north-south through the center of the empire and the endpoint was the imperial castle, the center of the empire.

Emperor Rupert VI, the lord of the imperial castle, received a report from Count Hans Kirchhof.

“The hero has arrived?”

“Yes. He has just arrived at the Imperial Castle and requested an audience with Your Majesty based on the agreement.”

Governor Hans replied to Rupert VI, who was showing an obviously disgusted expression, with a face that showed his understanding but also that it was unavoidable.

“There was a previous report that he crossed the border. A week ago? That means that he came straight to the imperial capital without going anywhere else?”

“Indeed. He clearly has a purpose, but … he’s just asking for an audience and did not state his purpose.”

Rupert’s unpleasant expression intensified.

Rupert thought of the Hero as nothing more than an existence that brings trouble.

“What is that agreement? I have never heard of an agreement with the Hero …”

“I didn’t know either, so I asked the head librarian of the library, Chulan-dono, to look it up. There was a record about 300 years ago, His Majesty King Charles XII, who was the king during that time when our country was still a kingdom, gave authorization documents to the Hero.”

“300 years … That’s a long time ago. What’s the content?”

“To cooperate with Heroes in all ages.”

Upon hearing that, Rupert VI sighed.

“Sigh, this is quite annoying. Well, let’s ‘cooperate’. But it depends on what the Hero and party want in the audience.”

Since it was an ‘informal’ audience, there were almost no courtiers compared to the rows of courtiers normally.

Below the raised floor, seven party members, led by the Hero Roman, were kneeling and waiting for a sound from Emperor Rupert VI.

“Hero Roman and his companions, raise your faces.”

When Count Hans Kirchhof, the governor, said so, the members of the Hero party raised their faces so as not to be impolite.

“Hero Roman and companions, we have troubled you.”

Rupert VI called out.

“Your words are too kind.”

Graham, the oldest member and priest of the Hero Party, replied.

The party leader was the Hero Roman, but since he was nineteen years old and had no experience, Graham, the oldest party member, often acted as the negotiator.

“This audience is informal, so you don’t have to be so stiff. It’s a great honor for the renowned Hero Roman to visit our empire, but can I ask why?”

Emperor Rupert VI did not reveal his inner disgust but rather asked politely.

“We are visiting the Imperial City with the hope that Oscar Ruska, the famous Explosive Blaze Magician, would give me some guidance.”

The Hero Roman replied with his eyes strongly focused on Rupert VI.

In some countries, or to those in power, that was a very blasphemous act.

Therefore, the party members were nervously watching over Roman.

“Hmm, a mock combat with Oscar?”

It was a rather surprising offer for Rupert.

Why did the Hero want to fight Oscar?

“Regarding Oscar Ruska, he is also very famous as an adventurer. Therefore, we first visited the Adventurer’s Guild, but since he has already enlisted in the military, we were told that he would not come to the guild. Therefore, we decided to visit the castle without regard for rudeness, in an attempt to presume Your Majesty’s generosity.”

The priest Graham explained why they requested an audience.

“Hans, where is Oscar?”

“Your Majesty, Oscar has secluded himself in the magic training ground.”

Upon hearing Hans’s expected answer, Rupert thought to himself.

(He always shuts himself in the training ground. However … he left all the division’s guidance to Fiona and others, and holed up in the 4th magic training ground. I could see that he was quite bothered by the incident in Whitnash …. In that situation, I think he did well because he protected Fiona safely in the end, but he wasn’t convinced. Well, this will make him even stronger. That’s good, that’s good.)

Rupert chuckled to himself internally.

(Speaking of which, I was told that there have still not been clues to who caused the assault. I was hoping that Konrad would catch the anti-Imperial elements abroad while I cleaned the country. But … it was unexpected that they would target Fiona clearly. I’ll definitely return this debt.)

Rupert clenched his teeth in his heart, this time.

(It was ‘that Abel’ who arbitrated in Whitnash. That means that the Water Magician could be the trump card of the kingdom. The reveal of such a hidden force to the empire was crucial information. Well, it’s entirely good information for us.)

But, of course, what came out of his mouth was completely different from what he had in mind.

“Okay, I will fulfill the wishes of the Hero Roman. We will allow you to visit the training ground. However, since the training ground is a little far from the imperial capital, please relax in the castle tonight and you may set off tomorrow. We will prepare a carriage for you.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

The Hero Roman bowed deeply.

“The hero is coming?”

Fiona Rubyen Bornemissa, the commander of the Emperor’s Magic Division, asked her adjutant Marie.

“Yes. I was contacted by the Imperial Castle. Here is the message.”

Then, Adjutant Marie handed a letter to Fiona.

Fiona read it three times.

“What is father thinking? Putting aside permitting foreigners to enter this training ground, to even permit mock combat with teacher … Jurgen, is teacher at the usual place?”

“Yes. The Deputy Chief is still alone in the Fourth Training Ground as usual today.”

Fiona’s question was answered by Jurgen, adjutant of Deputy Chief Oscar.

It was not only yesterday or today, he had been there every day since they returned from Whitnash.

It had been over a month.

Oscar would have breakfast and report directly to Fiona, but then stayed secluded in the Fourth Training Ground after that.

Of course, there was no problem because Fiona, the division chief, had given permission.

Guidance and exercises to the members of the division were also conducted mainly by Fiona, the adjutants Marie and Jurgen, and each squadron commander, so there was no problem even if Oscar was not present.

That was how the system was built.

“Well, there’s nothing that can be done if it’s teacher. Because it happens once in a while.”

Fiona, who had a long relationship with him, knew.

If he lost or made a big mistake, he would act that way.

If the cause was his magic.

When he keenly feels that his magical power is not sufficient, Oscar would seclude himself.

(Teacher used to say that he would remember the humiliation of his lost and shake himself with anger. He would recall the scene over and over again, burn it into his brain, and imagine a flame that burns himself. By doing so, he becomes stronger. In fact, after going through that process, even I can tell that teacher becomes stronger … especially the strength of his magic and the improvement in his generation speed are extraordinary. I was told to try it too but I didn’t feel any change at all … honestly, it’s completely incomprehensible … is it something that only teacher can do? Otherwise, maybe there’s something in the depths of magic that I do not comprehend…. When teacher comes out this time, I’ll make sure to carefully ask teacher everything about it.)

For the past two years or so, even Fiona had not seen this happen because it has been a while since Oscar was driven into a corner with anything related to magic.

Not only the members of the division which was convened only half a year ago, but also the two adjutants, Marie, who has been with her for a year and a half, and Jurgen, who has been with them for more than two years, were confused because this was the first time they encountered this behavior.

“So it happens sometimes …”

Jurgen, Oscar’s adjutant, was also confused by his first experience, but he knew that Fiona understood him, so he tried not to think deeply about it.

“It seems that the Hero party will arrive in the afternoon tomorrow. I don’t know if teacher will face them, but it should be fine if we have the division members have the mock combat with them. That’s the plan so please arrange their lodgings.”

“Understood.”

The adjutant Marie bowed and the meeting to welcome the Hero was over for the time being.

A total of seven people, the Hero Roman and his party members, sat comfortably in the carriage headed from the Imperial City to the training ground.

“I’ve never seen a carriage so huge.”

“It would be difficult to pull if there aren’t ten horses or horses with a lot of training.”

They were impressed with the carriage.

However, there was a man among them with a troubled expression.

“Hey Roman, are we really going? Isn’t the magical level of the Central Nations extremely low? It’s not even close to my or Alicia’s feet. It’s a waste of time to go.”

Gordon, the Fire Magician, said that.

Those were arrogant words coming from a 23-year-old, but he had accumulated that many achievements as an adventurer in the western countries.

The low reputation of Magicians in the Central Nations had been common sense among the Magicians of the western and eastern countries for more than half a century.

“Yes. I would love to seek guidance from him.”

For the Hero Roman, the memory of how he was treated lightly by the Demon Leonor weighed heavily on him.

“That Leonor? We can’t tell if what she said was true? 10,000 times stronger than you … I wonder if there’s such a person. I certainly know the strong ones in the western countries and leaving aside those that are on par with you, no one is overwhelmingly stronger. Well, I know that’s why you came to the Central Nations … but I don’t think that “strong one” is a Magician?”

“But Gordon, he is the most famous or strongest adventurer in the Central Nations, the first to be named “Explosive Blaze Magician”. Perhaps he is not the one we’re looking for, but I think he will show us a clue to get stronger. This is my selfishness. Please forgive my selfishness for a little longer.”

The Hero Roman said and bowed deeply.

Since he was that upfront, no one could refuse him anymore.

All six members of the Hero party other than Roman had experienced that to the point that they could say they were sick of it.

“Hah …”

Gordon sighed a deep, truly deep sigh.

“Okay … well, suit yourself.”

Gordon accepted Roman’s wishes, crumpling his hair down with his hands.

“Yes, thank you very much.”

The Hero Roman smiled brightly.

Roman had not yet realized that this smile was what held the Hero party together.