Chapter 220

When a dagger was suddenly pulled out from the pouch of the already ominous-looking Roan.

“W-Why are you drawing a blade!”

Oslo was startled out of his wits.

If he didn’t like it, he could have just said so. To think he would go as far as to draw a blade!

…Of course, under normal circumstances, one wouldn’t think to such extremes even if the opponent drew a blade, but Roan’s face had a way of providing a strange persuasiveness to it.

Thunk—!

However, instead of swinging the dagger, Roan threw it directly onto the floor.

The sharply honed blade pierced slightly into the stone floor and got embedded.

—Gasp! You must be careful of that dagger, Lord Oslo!

The black mage who had touched the dagger earlier panicked and tried to flee, but blocked by the wall, he trembled in terror.

For black mages, it was only natural to stay far away from items containing divine energy.

The low-skilled black mages were already breathing heavily as if they might faint at any moment.

Naturally, since Oslo was also a quite skilled black mage, he could tell even without his subordinate’s warning.

‘…Actually, I also threw it because keeping it in my hand was a bit burdensome.’

Roan felt slightly guilty inside, but in any case, it was good for setting the mood.

Clang—

And after firmly subduing their spirits with Jelsroin’s dagger, the circuit ring was laid out somewhat modestly.

Oslo only watched Roan’s expression, not knowing what he would say next.

Now was the time to settle things.

As Roan glared sharply at his surroundings, the black mages, completely overwhelmed by his presence, shrank back hesitantly.

‘To think such fellows are my subordinates!’

Oslo was angry at his subordinates’ pathetic behavior, but in truth, he also wanted to keep a slight distance from Roan.

Roan spoke in a cold voice.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know? Let’s get straight to the point now.”

“W-What…?”

“I heard you bastards can make items equivalent to this. Make it.”

“No, how could you!”

Oslo was astounded.

Since they had to trade, he had resigned himself to some information about the crew leaking out unknowingly.

However, the Balance of Light and Dark was strictly the top secret among top secrets.

There were even some within this very group who didn’t know of its existence accurately.

Roan smirked.

Having dealt with Lesper last night, Oslo was too easy.

Setting age aside, there was an astronomical difference in capability between a high priest of the Yorus Order and a smuggler like him.

“Are you curious about how I know?”

Clink—

And then, he threw the money pouch again and questioned once more.

“Or are you curious about how much money in this pouch adds up to in total?”

Gulp—

Oslo glanced back and forth with tense eyes at Roan, the money pouch, and Jelsroin’s dagger.

His deliberation was not very long.

Oslo sent a meaningful look to his subordinates.

Since most of them had been together for a long time, they understood his meaning immediately.

‘Even if he is scary, we must kill him inside!’

He understood that Roan’s skills were no joke.

But since the boy even knew about the Balance of Light and Dark, they couldn’t just let him go.

Oslo intended to lure Roan deep into the cave and then subdue him by pouring all kinds of poisons and curse magic.

No matter how extraordinary a brat he was, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the surprise attacks of numerous black mages.

…So Oslo tried hard to convince himself.

In any case, to do that, he needed to act as naturally as possible.

Oslo smiled awkwardly and spoke to Roan.

“…I will guide you.”

At that, Roan also nodded with a faint smile.

“I also have a conscience. You guys may hold onto that dagger and ring until the transaction is complete. Consider it a sort of collateral.”

“If you would do so, I’d be grateful. …Follow me. You guys, carry those things carefully.”

Oslo made his subordinate pick up the dagger and ring.

The subordinates seemed very reluctant, but since it was Oslo’s instruction, they picked them up using all kinds of methods.

Consequently, they wrapped them in thick magic cloth, placed them in a box, and then put the box in a bag to carry it on their backs.

‘If I didn’t have this, it would have been quite annoying for me too.’

…Roan felt grateful once again for the lucky pouch Harden had given him.

In any case, Roan began walking deeper into the cave, following Oslo and the black mages.

The black mages surrounded Roan in a circle as if escorting him.

‘Well, they certainly don’t have such innocent intentions.’

They probably planned to surround and jump him if things went sour.

The only important thing was whether Roan would act first or if they would.

Hearing only this, it would seem as if a tight tension was hovering between Roan and the black mages.

But it wasn’t quite like that either.

“Hahaha, your holy beast is truly cute.”

Oslo praised Charlotte, who was quietly following along while holding Roan’s hand.

‘Is that creature not scared of its master?’

Honestly, he had other curiosities, but he couldn’t ask Roan directly.

Roan chuckled and spoke.

“I spent a lot of money on her.”

“Indeed!”

If a boy carrying a pouch filled with gold coins so casually said he spent a lot of money, just how much was it?

Hearing the conversation, the black mages each swallowed their saliva as they imagined the largest pile of gold coins they could conceive.

Holy beasts rarely changed masters once chosen, but that didn’t mean they weren’t worth money.

Kirru—?

Meanwhile, Charlotte tilted her head and looked up at Roan.

Is that true?

Because Roan spoke so slyly, Charlotte almost fell for it too.

[Haha! Indeed, there is a difference between you and me~]

…Bell had already fallen for it.

Oslo suppressed his deepening greed and started a conversation, trying to prevent Roan from suspecting anything.

“By the way, you seem to be young, yet you are truly remarkable. To think we didn’t know of a young master with such excellent skills.”

—That’s absolutely true.

This time, the surrounding black mages agreed as well.

‘If we had known, we wouldn’t have brought him!’

In particular, those who had brought Roan nodded in deep agreement.

Roan nodded slyly.

“It makes sense you didn’t know. I’ve only trained within the family until now.”

“Aha? Without entering any academy? Someone of your caliber, young master, would be sought after even by Acherandir—”

“Watch your mouth!”

The moment Acherandir was mentioned, Roan immediately flared up.

Whether they were testing him to guess his identity or just chatting, he definitely had to maintain his disguise.

‘It would be annoying if they came raiding the school later, claiming they want revenge.’

…Actually, for the sake of the black mages themselves, it was better not to come.

Thud—!

Roan struck his staff hard against the floor.

“Acherandir! Do you dare suggest that I am of a caliber to be locked up and spend my time in such a place?”

“Ah, oh, no, of course not! Naturally, you wouldn’t need to enroll in such a place, young master.”

Oslo waved his hands in a hurry.

Whichever family he belonged to, he was a truly foul-tempered young master.

‘What’s wrong with Acherandir…’

To them, who were black mages, it was the empire’s top prestigious institution that they couldn’t enter even if they wanted to, so they thought he was taking his blessings for granted.

…Oslo didn’t imagine in the slightest that Roan could be an Acherandir student while being a black mage.

Meanwhile, a nearby black mage stepped in, attempting to assist Oslo.

—I’ve also heard rumors about that place recently! Among the freshmen, there’s Roan… Roan Darc? I think that was the name.

‘…Could it be they know?’

Flinch—

Roan was started when his name suddenly popped out.

‘Just how far have the rumors spread?’

He had clearly lived quietly inside the school, but somehow, once he stepped outside, almost everyone knew about him.

Other black mages also clapped their hands and agreed.

—I’ve heard that too. That young master is incredibly strong, right?

—They say he casts punitive holy spells on his friends, and even defies the Holy Spirit or something?

It seemed accurate news hadn’t spread, but rather various rumors had mixed together.

—The… holy beast he raises, wasn’t it the Purgatory Penitent Beast? Or something like that?

—Wasn’t it the Fanatic Rabbit King?

—Ah, I think that was it!

…It was truly a wild rumor.

Roan could no longer bear these black mages who dared associate Hector and Demona’s divine and spiritual beasts with him.

Rumbleee—!!!

As Roan raised his dark mana, the walls of the not-so-wide cave vibrated slightly.

Even a large cave shook like that, and the people inside couldn’t even steady their bodies properly for a moment.

“W-Why are you doing this?”

“How dare you in front of me…”

Roan glared at the black mages who were chatting merrily.

Even that much was sufficient.

Oslo immediately realized Roan’s mood had soured and heavily reprimanded his subordinates.

Whack—! Whack—!

It was only natural that he hit the backs of the two men’s heads with the staff he was leaning on.

“You tactless bastards! To praise such an ordinary student in front of the young master! Apologize immediately!”

—U-Uh… we, we apologize, young master.

—Our apologies…

The black mages bowed and apologized to Roan, but their expressions were not very satisfied.

‘He didn’t seem very ordinary though…?’

Of course, though it couldn’t compare to the terrifying young master right before their eyes, the rumored Roan Darc was also quite formidable.

Indeed, to this prideful young master, it was a matter that could reasonably offend him.

“Since my kids only live in the mountains, they lack tact. Please do not mind them.”

“Hmm… I’ll let it slide just this once.”

Roan nodded while frowning.

On the other hand, he felt a bit sorry for the black mages.

Normal black mages had to keep a low profile and could not act rashly when it came to holy nobles or priests like this.

Moreover, it was also slightly uncomfortable to have an elderly person like Oslo cater to his whims.

‘If they just hand over the Balance of Light and Dark obediently, I should just leave without doing anything.’

Here, ‘doing nothing’ included going down to report them, telling Tyrmi, or solving it directly.

In any case, in the midst of that, they had already entered deep into the cave.

Roan felt an instinctive pull.

It was a feeling similar to when he found the circuit ring at Andel’s shop.

No, it was much more intense than that.

Roan glanced slightly to the right.

‘It’s that way.’

Unless there was an item more important than the Balance of Light and Dark in this place, it was highly likely.

And just then, a fork in the road appeared before them.

Oslo seemed to hesitate for a moment, then.

“It is this way.”

He naturally led Roan to the left path.

‘This bastard?’

Instead of replying, Roan stopped walking.

“What is the matter?”

When Oslo asked in bewilderment, Roan narrowed his eyes and retorted.

“Are you certain?”

‘H-How?’

Oslo was quite taken aback.

As Roan indicated, the Balance of Light and Dark would appear if they took the right path.

But there was no way Roan, who was entering the cave for the first time, could know that fact?

Roan spoke with a firm face.

“You will have to pay the price for lying.”

“…”

Oslo had no answer for a moment.

No, in the first place, he didn’t seem to have any intention of answering.

Although their thoughts were different, at this moment, Roan’s and Oslo’s intuitions pointed to one place.

That it was now.

“Attack!!!”

It was a booming command, so loud that one wondered how such a sound could come from Oslo’s old throat.

Since the black mages had already caught onto his plan, and because they had done this sort of thing a few times, they reacted swiftly.

The formation that looked like they were escorting Roan instantly transformed into an encirclement.

The black mages simultaneously threw poison at Roan.

Splash—

Roan raised dark mana throughout his entire body.

He roughly blocked the things that would be annoying to get hit by, such as decay or weakening.

…In the midst of that, Roan was distinguishing the effects just by looking at the shape and color of the poison bottles.

In any case, he had no choice but to get hit by a few types of poison.

—Haha! To get hit by a magic-sealing poison, how unlucky!

—He also got hit by my special paralysis poison!

They were mostly things like this.