Infinite Mage - Chapter 657
[657] Recruitment of mercenaries (1)
Alpheas Magic School.
It’s still a long way from spring when the new school year begins.
While most of the teachers left for their home, Bishop Ethella of the Karsis Monastery was busy meditating at the training center.
‘A great evil is coming.’
Even without hearing the news about La Enemy, her refined mind was aware of the changes in the world.
‘I have to step in.’
Even in the Karsis Monastery, where the country’s best seekers gather, Etella had an unrivaled position.
Being the bishop in charge of one of the 12 dioceses and being the immediate successor of the Yin-Yang Wave Realm passed down from her ancestor, Karsis Jung, was possible because she was a genius that would appear only once in 100 years.
“Are you in the bishop?”
Etella, a monk and joner, was already aware of a guest coming to her from a kilometer radius away.
“Come on in.”
She slowly opened her eyes and greeted the guest with a pretty smile.
“It’s been a while, Bishop Lodi.”
An old man in his 60s, shorter than Etella, entered the training center with a cane.
He was an old man with a benevolent face with whitened eyebrows that stretched out like wings.
“You were still at school. You should look around the parish soon.”
“yes. I plan on leaving in a few days. I should have gone to say hello first.”
Roddy shook his hand.
“no. I understand that you are busy. You can’t be like a lazy old man like me.”
There is no end to modesty, so Etella recommended a seat.
“Sit. But… why are you here?”
After the greeting, Roddy’s expression darkened as he sat down.
“It’s unfortunate news that I don’t dare to reveal with my own mouth…”
It was clear that it wouldn’t be a good thing, but Etella calmly waited.
“Archbishop Raphael has passed away.”
“yes?”
The spirit that can maintain boldness in any miserable situation was greatly shaken this time.
“Sorry, but that word…”
“You were killed.”
Ethella’s heart sank with a thump.
“Isn’t there something wrong?”
What was the reason for the Archbishop, who oversees the Karsis Monastery, to hold grudge?
Even if there was, Raphael was the successor of the Yin-Yang Wave Fist, who taught Ethella the martial arts himself, and he was not a skill that would easily take his life in front of any strong man in the world.
“Even at the Priory, I couldn’t believe it at first. As always, I thought you had left the quest. The body was recovered from the central mountain range three months ago.”
“why not? That’s why Master…”
Ethella couldn’t contain her confused emotions, but Roddy’s tone was still calm.
“When we checked the Archbishop’s autograph, the only suspect was Chagall.”
“If it’s Chagall…”
“He’s one of the 100 most dangerous people in the world. According to experts, it is called the Chagall of the rapid-fire sword. In fact, 273 stab wounds were found on the archbishop’s body. They said it was the mark of being stabbed at great speed.”
Ethella’s lips trembled.
“Anyway, so the current order is to schedule the election of the next archbishop…”
“Where is it?”
Ethella stopped talking.
“Where is Chagall now?”
There was no way to tell Etella the news without even checking her identity.
“I heard that he entered Baska not too long ago.”
Roddy, who told the truth, looked at Etella, who was gently closing her eyes.
“Bishop Etella, vengeance is nothing more than a methodology of evil. The doctrine of the Karsis Monastery advocated by the Archbishop…”
“I know.”
Ethella opened her eyes again.
“I am also not in favor of paying murder for murder. It’s just that as a disciple, I’m sorry that I didn’t even hear Master’s final intentions.”
You need to meet Chagall.
We have to hear what kind of person he is and why he dared to murder the archbishop who chose the path of goodness.
“I will go to the capital. Bishop Lodi, please take charge of the Priory.”
After seeing Etella’s eyes shining with steely determination, Roddy sighed and stood up.
“Please be careful. I am not ignorant of the bishop’s skills, but he is a dangerous figure.”
Ethella stood up and took the monk’s manners.
“Thank you for telling me in person. Take a look.”
Even after Roddy left the training center, Etella stood there for a long time, stunned.
“Master.”
The benevolent face of Raphael, who had cherished and cared for her since she was a child, lingered in her memory.
“Hey…”
Ethella, who couldn’t hold back her tears, ended up on her knees.
“Huh. Black.”
A faint cry echoed through the training center.
* * *
A bonfire was burning in the deep forest of the underground mountain range behind the castle.
Sitting on a rock, Chagall looked at the dagger shining in the light.
The dagger pierced the palm of the other hand with a thunk, but the blade did not pierce the back of the hand.
As he slowly pulled out the dagger, the blade that had dug into the handle was revealed by the force of the spring.
A magic sword that cannot harm anyone.
It was the first gift Chagall received after joining the Grass Leaf Circus.
“The moon doesn’t rise.”
Looking up at the pitch-dark night sky, I suddenly remembered the battle a few months ago.
‘It was dark like this even then.’
Margot Raphael, Archbishop of the Order of Carcis.
He was so strong that even he, who had killed numerous powerful enemies, could not guarantee his life.
– No matter which way you go, the way back is behind you.
The words he uttered during the battle somehow became a will, but oddly enough, it didn’t leave his mind.
Perhaps it was because his words reminded me of a precious person who remained in my memory.
“Captain.”
It was 25 years ago when Chagall was seven years old.
Abandoned as a baby without knowing who his parents were, he realized that he was different from others when he grew up.
nostalgia for the case.
It is presumed to be an extreme development of olfactory cognition that has been developed since the blind fetus, but at the time, it was just dismissed as being able to remember something better than others.
That’s why Chagall was able to accurately recognize the person when the Circus of Grass, which roamed the Märchen kingdom, returned after two years.
“Are you performing from today?”
While the members were building tents in the meadow, the circus leader Raiden, who was cutting apples far away, realized that a dirty little boy like a wild dog was standing next to him.
Raiden’s appearance with a hollow cow’s hair was so ridiculous that he didn’t even have to dress up as a clown.
“well. Wouldn’t it be possible to perform a performance only when a few people gather?”
When Chagall hesitated to lead the conversation any longer, Raiden, who understood the child’s heart, asked.
“Do you want to see the circus?”
Chagall shook his head.
“then?”
Chagall, who slowly stepped back, suddenly kicked off the ground and tumbled with agility.
“Hoo?”
For a kid, he was definitely an excellent motorist.
“I want to join the circus too. I don’t need money. As long as you let me eat.”
Raiden, guessing Chagall’s life, made a pitiful expression.
However, it was difficult to join the team just by tumbling.
It was a fact that Chagall’s age, Tia, who mastered not only free acrobatics but also unicycle ball rolling and tightrope walking, could tell.
“I’m sorry, but it’s something that needs to be discussed with the members. It’s glamorous to look at, but it’s a very dangerous job.”
Chagall did not give up.
“It doesn’t matter if I die. You die today, you die tomorrow, it’s just the same.”
Raiden, who watched the tears flow down his chin, motioned for him to come and held out the dagger he had been slicing the apple into.
“If you are tired of living like that, I will cut off your breath.”
It was later to find out that Raiden’s eyes revealed at that moment belonged to a perfect professional.
“…stab. I am not afraid of dying.”
Raiden, who was coldly glaring at the shivering child’s body, pierced his heart with a lightning-like motion.
“Kuk!”
A rough breath came out, but Chagall never moved.
Raiden, watching as he clenched his fists and held on, finally smiled and pulled out the dagger.
As the blade pushed out with the sound of a spring, Chagall, whose legs were weak, collapsed.
“What is it?”
“Are you surprised? It is a magic knife.”
“Magic?”
Raiden demonstrated by pressing the tip of the blade with his finger.
“This is how the blade goes in. But to trick the eye requires quick hand movements. I mean like this.”
I held it in reverse and poked it into my forearm, making the sound of the wind as the blade moved in and out quickly.
“how is it? Do you really feel like being stabbed?”
In front of Chagall’s blank stare, Raiden held out the handle of his dagger.
“Always practice. The point is to stab quickly.”
Chagall’s head flashed.
“Then will I become a circus troupe too?”
“Let’s call it a trainee. The show starts tomorrow, so go to the city with Tia and hand out the flyers.”
“Tia?”
Raiden chuckled.
“There is a stubborn girl like you. Get along. It probably hurts a bit.”
Chagall, who joined the Circus of Grass, learned numerous techniques from Leiden and mastered most of the circus tricks by the age of fourteen.
“Tia! Come out soon! We need to hand out flyers!”
“Wait! You don’t have to wear makeup!”
After dressing up as a clown, Tia came out of the tent wearing a short skirt.
They had been together since they were seven years old and were like siblings, but Tia now looked different in the eyes of Chagall, who had entered puberty.
Hiding his feelings, he pointed at Tia and smiled.
“Puhaha! The runny nose looks so real! What is it, really?”
“shut up! This is how kids like it!”
Shouldn’t the parents bring them to the performance only to win the favor of the children?
“Is it that strange? Should I just delete it?”
“No, it is not strange. It’s natural for a fool to dress up as a fool.”
“Are you really going to die?”
Tia chased after her, but it was impossible to catch up with Chagall after the secondary sexual characteristics began.
“Aww! An idiot is after you!”
In fact, Chagall liked Tia’s make-up.
Due to the nature of her job, Tia has to be the main character of adults’ sly eyes.
Every time that happens, I want to chase after her and punch her, but at least I can endure it because no one knows Tia’s bare face.
“Hey hey! bark! bark!”
I’m sorry! I’m sorry!
The two of them, playing hide and seek, stopped when they heard a sound coming from the tent on the other side.
“what?”
Turning around the tent to check, three boys from the city were throwing stones at the dogs guarding the grassy circus tent.
“die! Eight! Eight!”
Chagall groaned.
“hey! What are you guys doing! Stop right now!”
“joy! Who are you telling people what to do about the circus? Don’t you know that my dad gave me a performance permit?”
“Why would a dad, whoever, touch a dog that is sitting still? Do you really want to be scolded?”
When Chagall, who was one head taller than their peers, threatened them, the boys flinched, but were not more afraid.
“You think someone like you can scold us? Hey Piero! I’ll go look for panties later!”
Chagall’s eyes widened.
“These bastards…!”
But before he could throw himself, Raiden approached the boys and gave them a cold glance.
“Ugh!”
In front of the cold eyes that even beasts have tamed, even those who have nothing to fear in the world felt numb.
“Go back. The show hasn’t started yet.”
As the boys who had been paying attention turned around and disappeared, Chagall, who was still angry, argued.
“Captain! Why are you just sending it? Guys like that need to be seen.”
“You are still young. It would be okay if I could forgive you for once.”
“Are you young? The buds are yellow.”
“haha! It may or may not be. How would you feel if someone said that because of your mistake?”
“does not matter. Because I don’t make mistakes.”
Raiden touched Chagall’s head.
“Every Chagall human being makes mistakes. A lot of mistakes you don’t even know about. Even so, you can think like that…”
Raiden half-bent on his knees and said, meeting eye level.
“Isn’t it because someone has already forgiven you?”
A smile appeared on Tia’s clown face as she looked at Chagall, who was lost in thought with a blank expression.
– Because someone has already forgiven.
The words that Leiden conveyed could have remained as faith in Chagall’s heart forever.
Until I met La Enemy.
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