Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 7

Episode 7: Fighter Territory

As the sun began to set, we emerged from the forest.

Farmers who had been plowing their fields are preparing to go home, and soldiers are guarding the area. This is probably to prevent goblins from occasionally stealing grain.

'It was like that in the town I lived in too.'

Verden looked into the distance, recalling memories.

A village tightly surrounded by a fence and a small castle in the center. It looked old, but it was relatively clean, as if it had been well maintained.

The carriage gradually slowed down. We looked around the town as if we were sightseeing.

A drunk man arm around his friend, a blacksmith pounding iron, a child helping his parents… … they were all living their own lives.

“How is this town?”

“……It’s peaceful.”

It is an atmosphere that cannot be felt in the thoroughly individualistic Matap.

“Haha, right? That’s why I like this town. It’s a sight you don’t see often these days.”

The cities have grown large and the fiefdoms in the countryside have become increasingly depopulated.

There was talk that if things continued this way, the foundation of agriculture would be shaken, but even the person who expressed the opinion did not go outside the city.

Because everyone wants a life safe from the threats of Ainz and demons.

This is especially true in the capital.

There are even people who have never left the capital city since birth until middle age. It is not easy to live and compete in such a densely populated area all your life.

“It’s a good place to come for a vacation sometimes. Or, it’s not bad to have a drink at a quiet beach. If you want, I can introduce you to some shops I know well… Ah, we’ve arrived.”

The carriage stopped in front of the gate. The captain of the guard, who had been standing in front, approached with two soldiers.

“Isn’t this Mr. Conrad? I heard about it, but you came sooner than I expected.”

“Haha, something unavoidable came up.”

“Huh? What is that…….”

Scratches all over the carriage, Conrad's clothes were dirty with dirt. Anyone could tell that he had been attacked.

Conrad dismounted and whispered to the captain of the guard.

“We were attacked by bandits about half a day from here. Then, all of a sudden, a strange orc appeared with a group of subhumans.”

“A thief? An orc?”

“Yes, yes. The mercenaries I hired ran away first, and the bandits scattered as well. I managed to escape, but the carriage flipped over, and I was about to be eaten by goblins and orcs when the magician next to me appeared and wiped out the subhumans in an instant. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to get the items you ordered, let alone save my life.”

The captain's gaze turned to Verden.

Slightly dark gray hair and clear blue eyes. I was secretly impressed by the mysterious atmosphere.

Verden, who was receiving attention, bowed his head slightly.

“My name is Asher.”

“Yes, I am Marceau, in charge of guarding the castle. He… looks young, but you are amazing.”

There is a saying in the world: Beware of a wizard you meet for the first time.

In a world where there are so many eccentric wizards, you never know what you might end up with if you deal with them rashly. One famous anecdote is the incident where a wizard who had an argument with a nobleman set fire to the mansion and ran away.

That's why the captain of the guard's attitude was very cautious.

“By the way, there’s another thief…….”

“Is something wrong?”

“Yes, there is, but it’s a bit awkward to talk about it here. Let’s go inside first. But that person……”

As captain of the guard, I cannot allow a wizard whose identity has not been properly verified into the castle.

However, I couldn't bring myself to treat Conrad's benefactor coldly. As I trailed off, Conrad quickly opened his mouth.

“I can vouch for Lord Asher. He has personally subdued the orc horde, so he will be of great help in explaining the situation in detail.”

“Um, but still…….”

“I will first bring you to the outskirts of the castle, and then I will personally ask the lord for permission. What do you think?”

Although Conrad was a mere merchant, he was also a long-time friend of Baron Pythe.

“If you put it that way… I understand.”

What can I do when I take responsibility for something like that?

All we can do is hope that something happens and sparks don't fly.

Marceau sighed inwardly and waved his hand upward.

The gate opened with the sound of chains dragging, and Conrad's carriage carrying Verden entered.

* * *

“It’s been almost a year. You seem to have lost some weight since I last saw you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Just thinking about how I almost got chewed up by an orc still makes me break out in a cold sweat.”

As Conrad pretended to wipe his forehead, Lord Pythe smiled bitterly.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was managing it well, but I never thought something like this would happen…….”

“How is that your fault, my lord? It’s the fault of those shameless thieves and beast-like subhumans.”

“Thank you for your words.”

Bboong! The lord himself twisted the cork off the wine.

A sweet, faint scent. It is not a high-class wine, but it has a unique aroma. It is easily oxidized, so it is a drink that cannot be tasted in places far from the city.

There is no one in his network who can transport something so close to perfection, except Conrad.

In the first place, there is no merchant who would accept this kind of request at that price.

'This is what it means to have good friends.'

Of course, we are also providing various conveniences here.

Ta-da. We clinked our glasses and took a sip of the wine. The sour yet refreshing taste ran down our throats.

“Whew. That’s good. It would be nice if managing a territory went as smoothly as this wine.”

“Are you talking about a thief?”

The lord nodded.

This year, we have already had two large-scale crackdowns on bandits. This is something that happens on average once or twice a year, but it is serious that bandits are running rampant again in less than two months.

“A few days ago, bodies were found hanging in the forest to the south. After investigating, they were found to be people from a nearby village. The village was already in ruins. We searched, but found nothing.”

“Well, maybe he’s not a thief?”

Thieves usually attack people on the street.

No matter how small the village was, they would invade it, massacre people, and then hang the corpses on trees in plain sight. There is no way someone would disguise themselves as a thief and come out of a makeshift boat like that.

“I thought so too, until I heard that you were attacked. Your actions are too incoherent to indicate any purpose. You haven’t caused any serious damage to the territory. And honestly, who would care about a low-ranking noble like me? I’ve never had any friction with other nobles.”

“Well, this place isn’t that desirable.”

“So it wouldn’t be a barony?”

The baron laughed heartily and drank the remaining wine in one gulp. He chewed and swallowed the garlic-flavored meat and chatted about various things to relieve his stress.

“By the way, what kind of person is the wizard who came with you?”

“I don’t know him well since we just met… but he’s a mysterious person.”

Even without his outstanding appearance, the aura that flowed from him was something I had never experienced before. It was like a feeling of being gradually overwhelmed. This was especially true when he casted magic.

“The unknown wizard who saved you from a life-or-death situation… Did he approach you with some kind of intention? For example, did he join a group of thieves? So, even if you searched for him, he couldn’t be found due to some magical factor?”

“Huh? Oh, no way. It’s because your lord hasn’t seen it yet, but I can guarantee you that I would never commit theft. I’m a merchant who lives off of words, but don’t you have some discerning skills?”

Conrad's words were full of conviction.

It wasn't the kind of faith you'd show to a stranger you'd met only a few hours before.

'I want to see what kind of person he is.'

Is he so handsome that you can trust him just by looking at him?

Usually, such people make a living by swindling women… … On top of that, since he wears the title of a magician, even if he doesn’t have the gift of gab, he can easily fool a few people.

'Given the circumstances, we need to be careful.'

Since you have invited us as a guest, it is your duty as the host to treat us well.

But he is a baron. He is the lord who rules over the province of the duchy and currently has a lot of official business to do… … If he makes excuses like that, he won’t have to face me right away.

In the meantime, you can monitor the wizard's every move through your servants.

After finishing his thoughts, the lord shared a glass with Conrad and gave himself over to the intoxication he had not felt in a long time.

* * *

Verden, who was given a room in the annex, was treated to a warm meat soup and bread for dinner.

Is this beef? It's quite tender, as if it was cooked at a low temperature for a long time. It was a taste that even he, who was used to the luxurious food of Matap, would be satisfied with.

'It's a bit uncomfortable, though.'

Magic spread so shallowly that even the most skilled magician would not notice it. The effect is reduced accordingly, but this is sufficient.

The number of soldiers guarding the perimeter has increased. They are probably guard posts.

It seemed like something had gone wrong with the bandits, so it was understandable that they would be wary of an outsider who had suddenly arrived.

“It might be a waste of effort though.”

Because I am not a thief.

He is just a good wizard who wants to make connections with the nobility while receiving the reward that Conrad promised.

It wasn't a bad thing though.

They were treated to delicious meals every day without spending a single penny, and they were also safe with soldiers guarding and protecting them. It was the perfect environment for quietly practicing magic.

Lord Pythe has sent a message through his servant, saying that he is busy with official business at the moment, so you should make good use of this opportunity.

He placed the empty bowl outside and concentrated his magical power on his fingertips.

A magic circle engraved in the middle of the door. With this, you will not be interrupted on the way.

'Then shall we begin?'

Items brought from the tower.

Most of them were for Verden's growth.

You have talent, but it just needs time to blossom.

The drugs being developed now will dramatically shorten that time.

'Hand of Root Mill, Herb of Vardan, Root of Magic Flower. Tears of Ketma… … .'

All of them are expensive alchemical ingredients that Verden could not even dream of.

I had been secretly collecting these for years, and how much trouble I had put into keeping them from spoiling. I remembered those days, grinding them finely in a mortar and pestle.

And then I poured it into the high-concentration magic water that had been boiled in advance.

One minute passed, two minutes passed.

It was taken out without a single error and magically cooled. A deep green light and a nerve-stimulating smell.

[MCE-03]

In other words, a magic circuit expander.

'The way to reach the third level is simple.'

Stimulating a circuit with magical power to expand it. If you can store a certain level of magical power in the circuit, it is a success.

Compared to other 2nd tier wizards, Verden's magical power is enormous.

But that was only limited to the heart that was emitting magical power. The power was already prepared, but the circuits that could receive the power were limited.

It's like not being able to scoop out more than a bucket of water even if the well is full.

So, to increase output, you need to widen the bucket, or horsepower circuit.

The drug will temporarily widen that circuit.

All you have to do is fill it with magical power without any gaps and maintain the expanded magical circuit for a certain amount of time.

'I never want to do human experiments again.'

Although the magic tower had a coercive power, this drug and this method originated from Verden.

Anyway, what I'm doing now, no one else but Verden will be able to do it.

Because it had some very deadly side effects.

Bam.

Verden poured the drug into his mouth without hesitation.

After about 5 minutes, my body temperature gradually rose and my whole body started to pulse. As soon as I felt that, I raised my magical power.

Phew.

The expanded circuit is filled with magic power. The blue eyes become clearer.

Maintaining the current active state requires considerable concentration and magical power.

The side effects were just beginning.

“Ugh……!”

Verden groaned and fell to the floor.

pain.

An unbearable pain wracked his body.

This was the reason it was not used in the Magic Tower. Even if it could quickly advance the ranks, there was no wizard who could endure more pain than being burned alive.

Woodduck.

Cold sweat dripped down from Verden, who was gritting his teeth.

His face looked like he might faint at any moment, but rather than dissipating, the overflowing magical power rose from his body like a mist.

‘Somehow, somehow, I have to hold on… … !’

If you want to utilize even a little more of the strength you possess, this vast magical power, you must reach the third level.

Yes, you could say it's impatient. It hasn't been that long since I got to the second tier.

But why wait when there are ways to climb the ranks right in front of you?

I can endure this kind of pain. I made up my mind seven years ago.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Verden's hand dragged on the floor. His skin was torn and blood seeped out of his fingertips.

A slight, tingling pain. At that sensation, Verden's mind became clearer and his magical power blossomed even more powerfully.

Verden slowly raised his head.

'A week at most.'

I will reach the third level within it.