Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 78

Episode 78 Agency (1)

While waiting for the banquet to begin, Verden toured the Duchy's capital, Lidron.

As the capital of a country, the market size was much larger than other cities. Maybe I could find useful items.

I started from the shopping street and slowly looked around to the antique shop in the corner.

However, there was nothing that Verden liked. There were many expensive equipment such as swords and armor made of rare materials, but there was not much that a wizard of Verden's level could use.

It seems that wizard equipment is not very popular in the capital.

'If I want to exchange it for better equipment, I'll have to either have it crafted or buy it from an auction house.'

Next we headed to the library.

Thanks to the certificate of identity given by Count Rodenmeyer, he was able to borrow valuable books for free.

Verden borrowed several books on the magic of the enchantment series and brought them to the mansion.

He sat down at his desk and quickly looked through the bookshelf. There were all sorts of magical gifts, such as mental protection and resistance enhancement, but these were not what Verden needed.

'… … found it.'

Elemental Enchant, the 4th tier magic of the bestowal series.

This is a magic that grants elemental effects to objects, and cannot be used unless elemental magic is at the top 4th tier.

Since magic itself wasn't that rare, I had been planning on getting a book on it soon, but since I had this opportunity, I thought I'd take this opportunity to learn it on my own.

Verden, who had read the book three times, grabbed the staff and concentrated.

Since it was my first time trying magic, I couldn't succeed right away, but I still had a lot of magic left.

The moment when, after repeated trial and error without a moment's rest, I entered the ninth attempt.

<Lightning attribute>

Phage crackle!

The staff's jewels glowed with electricity.

A blue beam of light that leaves an afterimage along the orbit. This enchantment will create great synergy with the weapon skills honed through training with the Knights of Lordron.

Verden smiled slightly at the gorgeous magic effects.

“It’s effective, but it’s also perfect for showing off your performance in an agency match.”

Now all you have to do is adapt to the magic for the rest of the time.

As time passed, the day of the banquet arrived.

* * *

A large crowd of people came and went in the luxurious royal banquet hall.

The delicious and fresh food was regularly replaced, and the aroma of the finest wines pleasantly stimulated the olfactory senses.

High-ranking nobles conversing without a single flaw.

Voices could be heard from all over the place, but it was never noisy. Those who were not nobles enjoyed their food quietly in a corner so as not to spoil the mood.

Today is the third day since the banquet was held.

Already famous singers and actors performed together to provide a spectacle, and a late-night ball provided a feast for the senses.

Until now, banquets were no different from the social activities of the nobles.

But today is different.

Because there was a match that would mark the end of the agency.

Finally, the host of the banquet appeared.

“His Royal Highness the King of Libyan enters!”

The Prince of Libyan and his wife.

And his son, the first prince, also followed him.

“I don’t see the second prince.”

“You originally hated social activities. You gave up your right to the throne early on and devoted yourself to political affairs.”

After a while, the king stopped walking.

When the royal family appeared, everyone fell silent and knelt on one knee to pay their respects.

As the King gestured, the high-ranking nobles began to rise one by one. The King’s voice echoed throughout the banquet hall from the top of the stairs, where everyone’s eyes were focused.

“Looking at everyone’s faces, it seems like they’re enjoying the banquet. Everyone, raise your glasses.”

A banquet needs to be light, not heavy like a meeting.

And it was the personality of the King to keep the appearance short and focus on the main point.

The king briefly greeted them and raised his glass.

“For the duchy.”

───For the duchy.

The real banquet begins.

A glass of wine suited to each person's taste went down their throats.

As the atmosphere gradually rose and everyone's attention was focused on it, the King spoke.

“As you know, a strange creature called the Soul Tree appeared in the city of Lorien. It was a monster as dangerous as a special entity, and if not careful, it could have destroyed not only Lorien but also other cities. However, the damage was very minor. This was because there were people who risked their lives to stop it. And there was a wizard among them.”

Everyone listened to the king's words.

A calm, ringing voice echoed throughout the banquet hall.

“A young wizard who defeated the vicious undead Knights of the Wailing in the darkness, saved the lives of missing nobles, and played a crucial role in subjugating the Soul Tree in Lorien.”

At that moment, the main door opened and a person appeared.

A man with gray hair and blue eyes. Everyone in the banquet hall's eyes were focused on his mysterious appearance.

Some were amazed, others were astonished.

The Duke of Gong introduced Verden by pointing to him directly.

“Wizard Asher. A new star that has appeared in this era.”

* * *

'The introduction is a bit grand.'

It's not like I'm making up words, but it feels like I've put gold on my face.

Especially the part about new stars.

But the reactions from those around me weren't as bad as I thought.

I don’t know if it was because of the king’s voice or the atmosphere, but I accepted it calmly. Maybe it was because I was a noble and was used to such expressions.

Verden walked on the red carpet.

Even under the gaze of dozens of people, he was confident and not at all intimidated.

He arrived at the bottom of the stairs in front of the King, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

It was an unfamiliar greeting, but it wasn't awkward enough to bother others.

There was a murmur coming from around.

“The author subjugated a special entity?”

“To be precise, it’s not a special entity, it’s a variant that’s comparable to a special entity.”

“……Isn’t that it?”

“Huh, I heard you definitely reached the 4th rank, but you’re still so young.”

“I wonder if there was a mistake in the report?”

“No way. There’s no way you would have reported that to His Majesty without even checking properly…….”

Curiosity turns to deep suspicion.

A small spark caught fire and started a fierce fire. As expected, the king was secretly satisfied with the situation, but he pretended not to know and spoke to the nobles.

“I fully understand your concerns. That is why I have decided to have Asher participate in the agency’s competition. Of course, I have your consent. Isn’t that right, Count Rodenmeyer?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The nobles' eyes were all turned to Count Rodenmeyer.

The count calmly ignored the sharp gaze that seemed to ask when he had ever done anything.

“Now that we’ve finished introducing Asher, let’s move on to the next step.”

As the king waved his hand, people came into the banquet hall.

A man covered in scars, a man with a nobleman-like demeanor, and a woman with a venomous gaze.

All of them were participants in a competition hired by a nobleman. All the participants except Verden bowed to the Duke.

“You seem more motivated than last year. Then, please introduce yourselves one by one. And I would like you to tell us your ambitions for the competition.”

The king pointed to one person.

Then, the participants confidently revealed their backgrounds, and the introductions continued one by one. Berden quietly looked at the participants’ faces.

'You have a brilliant career.'

They are all famous in their respective fields, including adventurers, mercenaries, and academy teachers.

In particular, the former academy teacher wearing monocles and the scarred mercenary who had been active in the Republic were not ordinary.

It seemed likely that those two would be Verden's opponents who would decorate the final match.

Finally, it was Verden's turn.

“Finally, Asher, you’re the only one left. Since we finished the introductions earlier, how about telling us your aspirations?”

"All right."

What should I say?

There was no need to think too hard or think too hard. All I had to do was show everyone here that I was confident in my abilities.

Verden raised his head and looked straight at the Duke with clear eyes. Then he declared.

“I will end it appropriately.”

At that moment, silence fell over the banquet hall.

* * *

"superior……!"

A count frowned deeply.

Those hired by the nobles themselves could not be his face, but they were his pride and soon his boast. The more splendid the record of the escort, the more so.

Because he had such a person in his arms, he could feel superior and be envied by other nobles. And if he achieved significant results in the agency's competition, his family's status would actually rise.

That is why Verden's remarks were enough to irritate the nobles.

Even if you do your best, it won't be enough, so you're going to do it moderately! That's no different from trampling on the pride of not only the participants, but also the nobles.

“Huh, I can’t tell if it’s confidence or arrogance.”

“Aren’t you mistaken in thinking that you conquered the Soul Tree on your own? If it weren’t for the Bloody Sword, you would have died without being able to do anything!”

“If you think about it again, isn’t it true that the author didn’t do it alone? In Biron, the Butcher was with him, and in Lorien, the Bloodstain was with him. This raises reasonable doubts.”

“There are actually people who try to gain fame by clinging to others…….”

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was buzzing.

It was natural, as it challenged the pride that was most important to the nobles.

The king looked at Verden.

The corners of his lips were raised so that only he could see them. That smile was filled with confidence. The conviction that he could win no matter who came.

'Excellent.'

It's amazing how one word can heighten the mood like this.

Some of the nobles appear angry, but a closer look reveals a deep sense of anticipation. The box office was a huge success.

But apart from that, the Duke looked at Verden and felt inwardly depressed.

'He has great talent, but… …he has a rebellious nature by nature. I guess I should have kept him in.'

Looking at his actions, it was clear that despite his skills, he was only active in Gray and not in the Adventurer's Guild.

You probably hate belonging to some place and being forced to follow rules or behavior.

If you try to get it by force, it will definitely run away. No, you never know what it might do while running away.

A person who is considered a great wizard is usually outside the realm of common sense, either in terms of talent or mentality. They will never be put under someone else's control unless they wish to be.

Moreover, as a king, his intuition told him that the wizard Verden was someone who would reign but not be ruled.

'Of course, if you lose the match, it's over.'

Words once spoken cannot be taken back. This is especially true here.

If Asher loses, he will be seen as a pretentious wizard. Everything he has done will be belittled, and everything he will achieve will be dismissed as a lie.

I wonder what it will be like.

“Ferde.”

“Did you call, Your Majesty?”

Ferd Danians, a fifth-tier wizard who has reached the level of magic and the principal court wizard.

“Set the stage.”

Louder than I said before.