Dragon-Devouring Mage - Chapter 53

Episode 53

EPISODE.27

Before Russell’s story begins, the three wizards are ready to focus in their own way.

As always, Daria took out the sweet snacks she had brought from somewhere and laid them out.

“Giggle. As I get older, I can’t help but be attracted to sweet things.”

“hmm. I wish I had some strong brandy to drink while listening to the story, but I can’t help it.”

Vermilion muttered in a high-pitched voice and crossed her arms with her thick forearms.

He straightened his back, spread his legs wide, and sat down in a chair.

thump-.

Could it be because of the heavy muscle mass?

The wooden chair seemed to scream for a moment, but it must have been an illusion.

Among the dogs, it was Hubert who showed the attitude of the most passable listener.

“Could you wait a moment? execution. Master. I prefer tea water.”

Dalgrak-.

Peppermint tea was brewed using a teapot prepared in one corner of Daria’s office.

“While you’re doing it, I’ll ask you for a drink too.”

Daria asked Hubert and it was only after everything was ready.

Finally Russell was able to start talking.

“Once I arrived at Sudra…”

The story of three cultists and one of them summoning the Abomination, starting with arriving at the ruins.

Until the pursuit of the empire that began after that.

Of course, not everything could be conveyed truthfully.

It is also because the special power called ‘Yonginhwa (龍人化)’ was used when Spandom was defeated.

Although they are trustworthy people, there were too many things to explain before Yong In-hwa was convinced.

Therefore, Russell adapted, modified, and delivered some of the contents.

Among them, the most prominent adaptation was the battle in which the blaze lance was used to consume the aura.

“Hmm. Pretending to be on the defensive with defense-oriented magic and consuming aura.”

“It’s classic, but isn’t it a trick that would have worked well for that madman?”

“If you adjust the strength and range of your shield well, you will be able to over-consume the opponent’s Aura while maintaining your own magical power to some extent.”

Other than that, a lot of things have changed.

But it didn’t make any sense at all. It was extremely rare, but the possibility was good enough.

“Even so, it wouldn’t have been an easy battle.”

“Is it less than 10% in terms of possibility? It seems the priest has experienced great danger this time.”

Hubert and Vermillion nodded their heads in agreement.

“Hmm.”

just one person.

Only Daria stared at Russell with a meaningful expression.

Russell trembled involuntarily at the eyes that looked like he was looking into people.

He tried to hide his sting and asked her as if he didn’t know anything.

“Do you have anything to say? Master?”

At that question, Daria waved her palm with a chuckle of courtesy.

“My youngest explained everything, so how could that be?”

Then, with an infinitely serious expression, she lightly stroked Russell’s hair using magic.

“No matter what method was used, the win rate would have been around 10%. Nevertheless, in the end, you are the youngest.”

Even more so, the opponent had to be a disciple of one of the empire’s core forces, a superhuman-level great swordsman.

The one who came back alive and the one who won.

every-.

“Good job. I am the youngest.”

Complimenting that, Daria smiled.

It was right after.

“Okay then-”

match-.

Daria laughed mischievously and clapped her hands to draw attention.

“A compliment is a compliment, and you should give a separate reward for a job well done, right?”

He put his hand inside the hem of his robe.

He took out a palm-sized piece of paper and set it down in front of Russell.

“This is…”

Russell tilted his head, and Daria picked it up.

He waved it in front of Russell’s eyes and said.

“It’s a slip guaranteed by the four magic towers of the royal capital.”

“This is it…”

Russell, who was handed over what was in Daria’s hand, stared at the slip in her hand with complicated eyes.

I’ve heard many rumors, but this is the first time I’ve seen it myself.

The first thing that came in was the seal stamped on the top left of the slip.

water fire wind land. A seal engraved with the four elements symbolizing the four magic towers in the shape of a circle.

In the column immediately below it was written the amount, which could be called the value of the slip.

‘One Hundred Thousand…’

When you think of the monetary unit of the continent that uses coins made of gold, silver and copper and banknotes with numbers written on them in common.

‘If it’s this much…’

The moment Russell tries to delight in a little more than expected.

Daria’s voice interjected softly.

“That’s a reward for tracking down cultists, and now this is the reward for cutting off the supply and demand of spandom.”

Another slip was quietly brought out in front of Russell.

Those words and actions unwittingly turned Russell’s gaze.

I checked the number of slips that were newly revealed.

“…”

I froze on the spot.

A number written on it was more than the amount he had earned from working as a mercenary all his life.

“Is this…really?”

“of course.”

Daria shook her head.

It was Hubert who explained.

“The pillars of the empire… but he was one of the main forces. Isn’t there no way the bounty on such a person is small?”

As he said, although it was not during the war, Russell’s achievements were by no means small.

“That’s why…His Majesty must have sent a separate gift like this.”

At the words ‘a gift from His Majesty’, Russell raised his head.

What Daria put down in front of him was a letter.

Along the fingertips, I felt a stiff texture as if it had been ironed.

Stamped in the center of the straight-folded envelope is a seal symbolizing the royal family.

Beneath it, written in elegant strokes, was the phrase ‘Dear Russell Raymond’.

“Do you want to open it?”

The tone seemed to already know what the letter was about.

‘If the royal family would send me a letter in this situation…’

With anticipation, Russell opened the envelope of the letter.

Sarak-.

I read the words written in it.

“….”

The letter was dotted with all kinds of rhetoric and luxurious words, but the meaning contained in it was very clear.

‘…I value the new lessons and future possibilities at a young age. Viscount rank to Russell Raymond.’

I hope this letter will serve as an opportunity for the Raymond family, an old friend of the royal family, to take another leap forward.

‘The royal family sincerely wishes.’

Neither the earldom you could get after completing the 5th circle nor the marquess title you could get after completing the 7th circle.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the position of ‘Viscount’ is also a noble.

It felt like something was rising up inside me.

“uh-?”

Something hot ran down the corners of my eyes.

Seeing that, Vermillion muttered in a confused voice.

“uh. Priests. If you shed tears, you will lose muscle mass…”

Smack.

“It hurts a million times. Master.”

It was a rather funny sight, but Russell did not laugh.

no i couldn’t laugh

It was a moment I couldn’t help but hope for, but I didn’t even think about crying.

Why can’t this guy’s tears stop?

“sorry.”

Russell hurriedly lowered his head and wiped away tears with the hem of his robe.

Tuk-tuk-.

One person who has been watching him for a long time.

Only Hubert understood Russell’s feelings to some extent and patted him lightly on the back.

“It was hard. It’s been really hard so far. Priests.”

* * *

A few days after that.

Russell, who had been on vacation for some time after completing his first mission, was living a leisurely life.

“Hmm.”

Standing in the garden of Hubert’s mansion, holding a book in one hand and a large disc in the other.

He said he was given the title of nobility, but nothing particularly changed.

What Russell received was a title, not a fiefdom.

It was then.

Garruk-.

Pepper, who was orbiting the sky, landed next to Russell and cried out.

A whimper, a cry that seemed to be desperate for something, made Russell laugh.

He stroked Pepper’s head with the fingers of the hand holding the disc.

He tossed the disk he was holding in his hand.

Gail-!

Pepper then bursts into a powerful cry and kicks the floor.

A pair of wings flapped loudly, and in an instant, it was launched towards the disk.

Whee ae ae ae-!

It looked like a meteor as it flew away leaving a trail of long flames like a tail.

Pepper, which was shot like that, snatched the disk out of the air and clicked!

An elated cry was heard.

It seemed that I was quite proud of myself for catching a disc that had been thrown quite far away.

It didn’t end there.

I threw the disc I caught and threw it with my own strength, and flew again to snatch it.

This time, it is not a linear movement, but a movement that draws a circular trajectory while turning. Seeing that, Russell clicked his tongue softly.

‘It was definitely a game I started to increase the level of rapport…’

Since I’ve been playing alone since I got drunk on my flying ability at some point.

Well, I wondered if it wouldn’t matter as long as I looked happy.

‘If they get bored after playing like that, they’ll come to ask me to throw it back.’

Because the discus thrown by Russell tended to fly a little farther and stronger than his own.

Russell, who had been staring at Pepper for a while, moved his gaze.

I focused again on the contents of the book I was holding with my other hand.

[Basic spearmanship manual]

I bought it at a bookstore in the city for a reasonable price.

I’ve heard that it’s a textbook used to educate knight cadets…

‘The level isn’t that high.’

Well, there’s no way you can easily find a proper spear or chess book.

Even so, this wasn’t bad for Russell.

‘Because it’s an opportunity to properly establish things that I’ve learned through ear donations and have only known in a nutshell.’

Russell, who was turning the pages, closed the book for a moment.

chin-.

I summoned a blaze lance with the book floating in the air using the invisible hand.

Roaring-.

The window of flame clearly revealed its appearance.

The temperature around them was hot.

‘The basics of spearmanship are abduction, internal rotation, and stabbing.’

What I vaguely knew in my head was once again reestablished through the textbook.

Abduction is to rotate the spear outward to double the force it bounces off.

‘Adduction is to rotate inward to draw out or cut off.’

And stabbing literally means to stab the opponent as if pushing.

These three techniques can be said to be the basic elements of spearmanship.

In addition, the way to hold the spear and the angle and rotation of the swing were added to create an infinite series of attacks.

‘Simple yet complex.’

If the basics were only like this, the higher level singing method might be as complicated as the higher level magic.

but.

‘That’s why the madman was able to show that kind of appearance.’

Recalling the movements Spandom showed at the time, Russell, who was convinced, moved his body slowly.

I was thinking and moving.

‘I have no intention of forgetting my identity as a wizard.’

Nevertheless, the reason for learning spearmanship was clear.

‘As long as I’m active as a War Mage, I don’t know when or how I’ll encounter a situation.’

Just like wizards, Auror practitioners are one step away from the borders of the world.

Through the previous day’s fight, I realized the fact that I couldn’t gain the upper hand simply by taking distance.

‘I need to prepare other means in preparation for that time.’

For Russell, that means was spearmanship.

“Whoa-.”

How much did you move your body like that?

Gyareuk-.

Pepper sneaked up on me as if he was tired of playing alone.

She folded her wings and landed on the floor, rubbing her body against Russell’s leg.

He quietly put the disk he was holding in his mouth in front of Russell and tapped it with his forepaw.

maybe you want to throw it

“Yes, yes.”

Shall we throw it a little further this time?

With that thought in mind, I released the blaze lance.

He reached out to touch the disk.

“hmm?”

Then Russell paused.

There was something protruding from the bottom of Pepper’s wings that was not normally visible.

dragon-swallowed wizard