The knight returned after lunch.
Having washed himself and eaten, Verden headed to the mayor's residence. It had been a few days since the doctor was killed, but the city's alert remained tight.
He passed a thorough identity check and entered the building.
"Welcome, Asher."
The mayor's face had grown noticeably gaunt over the past few days.
They had narrowly avoided a massacre in the city, so he probably hadn't had a moment of peace. Verden clasped the mayor's hand in greeting.
"How did things go?"
"We caught a few of the remnants. Those who tried to flee the city were captured and thrown into prison. Well, to be honest, they were just greedy bastards who didn't know anything."
In the end, they never learned why someone tried to spark a massacre in Martes. It wasn't written in the plan Verden had handed over, either.
The mayor had decided to bury the incident. Mishandling it could have caused major unrest among the citizens. That was the wisest choice.
"Asher, I owe you an apology. Thanks to you, Martes avoided disaster…"
"As I said before, it's alright. The safety of the city is more important than reputation."
Verden offered a faint smile.
It was a well-practiced, natural smile learned at the magic tower.
Reputation is important.
Verden was neither an adventurer nor a mercenary. To earn money and gain experience, he needed to raise his name's value—just as he had when he took on the bandit subjugation in the Pythe territory.
If Verden were known as the mage who saved Martes, more opportunities would arise.
But he had a reason for not doing so.
'Because the compensation the mayor offered for silence is worth far more.'
There would be plenty of chances to build fame, but rare magical items were hard to come by.
Verden chose what he needed most at the moment.
He followed the mayor down to the basement of the residence.
Hidden magic circles throughout the area hinted at its high level of security.
"This is the vault where we store valuable items—either purchased with the city hall budget or confiscated from criminals. Since the mayor's residence is guarded by the knight order itself, it's the safest place in the city."
Most of the magic circles would trigger an alarm if touched.
If tripped, dozens of knights would give chase. A nightmare for any thief.
After passing through the magic circles, the mayor took out a key.
As the lock opened, the sound of metal clinking echoed continuously, and the door began to open.
'They poured a ridiculous amount of money into this.'
It was so thick that even Verden's magic wouldn't be enough to break through.
Inside, various items including magical artifacts were on display. Verden's gaze stopped at a sword with a faint turquoise hue.
"Is that… mithril?"
Mithril is the most receptive of all metals.
Whether it's magic power or aura, it absorbs nearly all of it, making it incredibly powerful. Any sword-wielder would desire it.
"Five years ago, I think, we took it from a notorious criminal. Because of that bastard, three knights were forced into retirement."
In any case.
"Not everything here is on the level of that mithril sword, but most are valuable and useful enough. Worthy of someone who saved the city. Asher, choose one thing from here. That is the reward I promised."
In other words, he could take the mithril sword if he wanted.
'But I don't know how to wield a sword.'
Verden barely suppressed the temptation and looked around. Though not on par with the mithril, there were magical items more suited for a mage.
"May I appraise them?"
"Appraise…? But you're not an appraiser… Ha, ha, my goodness, a talented mage at such a young age. Of course, go ahead. As much as you like."
"Thank you."
Verden picked up a staff.
When he used Appraise, the internal structure engraved into the staff began to reveal itself.
◇ Sapling Staff
⦁ Increased casting speed (Small)
⦁ Reduced mana cost for earth-type magic (Very Small)
Reduced mana cost, huh.
The mana transmission rate, which affects casting speed, wasn't bad, but the one Verden already had was far better.
◇ Magic Cape
⦁ Slash resistance (Small)
⦁ Fire resistance (Small)
◇ Recovery Ring
⦁ Wound regeneration (Small)
⦁ Stamina regeneration (Very Small)
A robe with resistance. A ring that consumes mana to regenerate wounds and stamina.
They looked moderately useful, but the efficiency wasn't great. It'd be better to sell the mithril sword and find something else, even if it was more trouble.
As he carefully examined each item, one ring caught his eye.
A rusted, worn-out ring.
It didn't respond to Appraise, so it wasn't a magical item. It seemed to have no value—but perhaps that's exactly why it drew his attention.
"That one… hmm, I don't quite remember. Even though I'm the mayor, I don't know the origin of every item in here. If I don't remember it, it probably isn't anything remarkable."
Verden examined the ring for a while before turning his attention elsewhere. As 30 minutes passed, then an hour, the mayor—who had been waiting—finally grew tired.
"…Aren't you going to choose something soon?"
"Ah, apologies."
At last, Verden chose a necklace.
◇ Necklace of Protection
⦁ Automatic Mana Barrier
A necklace with a blue-gold gem.
It had only one function—to automatically deploy a mana barrier against external attacks—but that alone was highly useful. It blocked attacks one couldn't react to in time.
However, the downside was significant.
The durability of the mana barrier wasn't high, and it consumed several times more mana than usual. For an ordinary mage, it would be more of a burden than a benefit.
Of course, that didn't apply to Verden.
"The Necklace of Protection, huh. It's a decent item, but it can be troublesome in some ways… Are you sure that's the one you want?"
Verden nodded.
The mayor furrowed his brows and stroked his chin.
The Necklace of Protection was a rare item in its own right, but purely in terms of value, there were easily over ten items in the vault worth more than it… It felt a little lacking as compensation for saving the city.
After some thought, the mayor handed the rusted ring to Verden.
"You seemed interested in this ring earlier. If you want it, take it."
"Are you sure?"
"It may not be part of the original agreement, but we can't really count that rusted ring as anything. It's of no use to the city, so you may as well have it. The craftsmanship doesn't seem bad—if you clean off the rust, you could get a decent price for it."
"Then I'll gladly accept it."
"Haha, I should be the one thanking you."
And with that, Verden received his reward from the mayor.
It was a harvest beyond his expectations.
The Necklace of Protection would block attacks he failed to react to. The mana consumption wasn't a risk at all. It was effectively an extra life.
Of course, it was not perfect, as its durability was lower than that of a manually cast mana barrier.
Verden intended to stay in Martes for a while.
He had reached 3rd-tier, Middle Class—the minimum level required to use the magic tome he had brought from the magic tower. He planned to gather the necessary materials from the city.
'And there's new magic I want to learn too.'
With that thought, Verden returned to the inn.
***
Opportunity means nothing if you don't act when it appears. That's what Iris, the mage, had learned.
To her, Verden was an opportunity incarnate—a genius mage who showed overwhelming magic at a similar age to hers.
Visiting the training grounds every morning was her way of trying to draw even a little of Verden's attention.
And finally, today—
"If you're free, would you like to have a meal together?"
Verden had said.
Iris felt her heart skip a beat.
A meal? Just like that? Why? Did I do something wrong?
She didn't know. But she figured she'd find out if she went.
While Verden returned to the inn, Iris brushed her hair and put on a neat outfit appropriate for a mage, making her own kind of preparation.
'This should be fine, right?'
She nodded to herself in the mirror and stepped outside.
She walked through familiar streets until she arrived at the restaurant. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
"Wow…"
A chandelier hung from the ceiling. The staff wore matching uniforms. The soft scent of meat lingered in the air. It was her first time setting foot in a place like this of her own accord.
She came from a poor, commoner background. While the academy's scholarship had helped make up for her lacking living expenses, life as an adventurer meant income was unstable, and even affording meals had been a struggle. Cheap vegetable soup had been the norm—never luxury steak.
"Welcome, miss. Do you have a reservation?"
"Um, it should be under Asher… Ah! There he is!"
Iris pointed toward Verden, who was seated in a corner.
Led by the staff, she carefully pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
Verden handed her a menu.
"Pick whatever you want."
"Ah, okay."
Iris opened the menu.
'…?'
But the prices looked strange.
There were familiar dishes like pasta, but the number of digits was completely off from what she knew. And a 200g steak was 300,000 Elk? How many goblins would she have to slay to afford just one meal like this? Her mind went blank.
"Um… senior? I don't know why you suddenly want to buy me a meal, but this is way too expensive…"
"It's fine."
Verden's account held over 30 million Elk.
And the mayor's compensation wasn't limited to the Necklace of Protection and the rusted ring. There was also a promised cash reward.
Not to mention the cost of repairs to Lorix Inn and the burned-down library's books would all be covered.
He could certainly afford to treat someone to a proper meal.
'Especially when it's someone I need to ask a favor of.'
"Don't worry about the price. I won't ask you to pay me back."
"I didn't think you would… Alright then."
Iris reluctantly accepted Verden's kindness.
She chose a course meal.
It began with a tangy vegetable appetizer, followed by pasta tossed with melted cheese at its core, and then a steak that melted in her mouth. It was a festival of flavor—so good, she almost felt guilty eating it alone while her companions were left out.
"Haah…"
For dessert, they served sweet cake and bitter coffee.
As the lingering richness wrapped around her entire body, Iris found herself smiling without realizing it.
"I'm glad to see it suited your taste."
"It's the first time I've eaten something this delicious since graduating from the academy… The scholarship program offered good welfare. When I said I wanted to become an adventurer after graduation, the professors tried to stop me."
For a moment, memories of the past returned.
She set down her teacup and looked at Verden.
"But senior? I figured there had to be a reason for this expensive meal… Am I right?"
"You are. I have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
Iris tilted her head in confusion.
A mere adventurer like her, being asked a favor by someone like Verden? She couldn't imagine what it could be. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't think of anything she had to offer him.
'What could it be?'
Just one sentence made her head spin. Even the coffee in her mouth began to taste bitter.
To the troubled Iris, Verden spoke softly.
"Teach me Enchantment Magic."