Riviant Principality.
A nation born 22 years ago, at the tail end of the war, when the Duke Riviant declared independence from the kingdom.
It was an act no different from rebellion, but the party in question, the "Estiria Kingdom," took no notable action.
On the contrary, the royal family congratulated the birth of the principality.
Many suspicions arose, but people were simply happy. After all, peace was better than war, no matter the reason.
The principality lay between the Beldirn Republic and the Estiria Kingdom.
At its center, the Prince Riviant pursued a balanced diplomacy, allowing the country to steadily grow.
A country well-suited for a new beginning.
Its geography was advantageous as well.
Far enough from the Bohemirn Magic Tower, yet a place where ambitious talents gather. For someone like Verden, who had stepped beyond the 1st-tier and reached the 2nd, it was an ideal place to grow.
What he needed most now was real power—actual combat experience.
He had to adapt to his reconstructed body and become familiar with battle itself first.
'Whether I create a new theory or gain recognition from the world, it's meaningless if I can't stand against greater power.'
The pinnacle of the Magic Tower represented a fusion of genius, effort, and overwhelming strength.
To face such a monster, he had to become a monster himself. He needed to build up strength to the point that no one would dare challenge him.
That was the only answer to surpassing the Tower Master.
Crack!
Lost in thought, Verden suddenly heard a sound from the nearby bushes.
"..."
He stopped walking along the quiet road and turned his head. A small goblin was hiding, clutching a stone.
'That's a poor excuse for hiding.'
He didn't need to use magic to see through it. Extending his hand, he cast a spell.
Whoosh! A translucent blade flew out.
The goblin didn't even have time to react before its neck was severed along with the surrounding grass. It wasn't strong enough to slice bone, but it was fatal.
"Kiirk…!"
Blood spurted out as the creature collapsed.
Glancing briefly at the trembling goblin, Verden continued on his way. Since this wasn't a well-traveled area, there was no need to drag the corpse away.
'If goblins are roaming openly, the village must be a bit farther.'
He had managed to obtain a map with difficulty, but he still didn't know the detailed terrain.
There was a possibility his spatial coordinates had been slightly off. If he were a 3rd tier mage, it wouldn't be an issue, but in his current state, it was best to avoid staying in the mountains too long.
'I have to arrive before I run out of food.'
Letting out a small sigh, Verden picked up the pace.
Unlike a frail mage, his body had been trained and even reconstructed, so his stamina was more than sufficient. If he managed his energy well, he could cut down travel time significantly.
"...Hm?"
Just then, he noticed wheel tracks on the ground. There were even large scrapes on a tree root.
Judging by the condition, the traces were recent.
He immediately spread out his mana to scan the surroundings.
The wider the range, the greater the mana consumption, but for Verden, it wasn't an issue. Before long, he detected several life forms.
'A large wagon with one person. The rest are goblins and orcs.'
Given that they were moving, the person was still alive.
It just so happened that he needed someone to guide him. If the person was a local, even better. And since there were no dangerous demi-humans around, there was every reason to intervene.
No time to waste.
Empowering his legs, Verden sprinted toward the direction of the wagon.
***
"Damn it all…"
Merchant Conrad was distressed, surrounded by bandits around his wagon.
If they could at least talk, he could've handed over some toll and been on his way, but that clearly wasn't the case. Just one look at the greed in the eyes of the burly man—who seemed to be their leader—was enough.
'I heard there was a recent bandit sweep!'
And yet nearly twenty of them were boldly strutting around in broad daylight!
He had hired mercenaries, but they were vastly outnumbered. Still, he couldn't abandon the wagon. His life was important, but that wagon carried goods ordered by Baron Pythe.
It was a matter of pride as a merchant.
Biting his lip, Conrad spoke to the burly man.
"Ahem. May I ask what business you have blocking our way…?"
"Isn't it obvious? We're here to rob you."
The bandit's words made the others laugh.
He wanted to shut those filthy mouths right away, but patience was a virtue in a merchant.
Conrad pulled out a decent sum of money from his coat.
"…This wagon carries goods for Lord Pythe, who governs this barony. If you take them, the lord will be most displeased. So how about taking this and leaving in peace?"
He had dealt with nobles many times before. Stroking the egos of mere bandits was easy.
'I'll report to the lord as soon as I return and have them wiped out.'
Connections and money. That was the merchant's true power.
Conrad feigned calmness, pretending not to be afraid, trying to make the bandits feel superior. A tactic often used in negotiations.
The burly man tilted his head left and right, thinking, then finally opened his mouth.
"That's not a bad offer."
"Really?"
"Of course not. Why the hell would I be so generous? Killing you and taking everything is easier."
Spit! The man spat into his palm and grabbed a large lumber axe. The other bandits also drew their weapons.
Savage behavior, crude mockery—and it enraged Conrad, who suddenly shouted:
"You bastard! Do you even know who I am?!"
"…What?"
"This is the barony! I eat and bathe with Lord Pythe himself! And you dare rob me! You filthy bastards! Want to be beheaded, all of you?!"
To survive as a merchant in this world, you needed guts.
While the bandits were momentarily stunned by the outburst, Conrad backed toward the wagon. The wagon was heavy, but since the bandits didn't have horses, if the hired mercenaries could just stall them, he had a good chance of escaping.
Or so he thought—
Until the mercenaries scattered in all directions.
"W–Where are you going?!"
"Sorry! There are just too many of them! Can't risk my life for a few coins!"
The mercenaries fled past the bandits.
He had hired them cheaply, but didn't expect betrayal. It was absurd, but at least it created a gap.
Conrad quickly jumped onto the wagon and seized the reins.
At that moment—
Thud!
With a sickening splat, one of the fleeing mercenaries was crushed and flung aside.
Conrad, the mercenaries, the bandits—they all stared in shock at the direction the corpse had flown from.
[GROOOAAAR!]
Orc.
A grotesque orc, with a mouth torn from ear to ear.
Following him, dozens of goblins and a few orcs appeared. The ambush was so unexpected that no one could react properly.
The burly man, regaining his senses late, frowned.
"What the hell is that?"
He had been based in this area for quite some time, but had never seen such a strange orc before. Not to mention, the formation of so many demi-humans in one place was also unusual.
But whatever it was, he had no intention of giving up the wagon loaded with those expensive goods. He needed money to replenish the number of bandits lost in the last raid.
'If I run now, the boss might kill me.'
So the only option was to fight. Sure, there were a lot of goblins, but he'd killed plenty before, and orcs were just oversized slugs.
All he had to do was take out the goblins quickly, then hunt the orcs one by one with his men.
"W-What should we do?"
"Keep the wagon from moving. Avoid the orcs as much as possible and just take out the goblins."
With that, the burly man slaughtered a charging goblin as he approached the grotesque orc.
"Damn it, these damn demi-humans ruining my big score."
He pulled his axe sideways and aimed it at the orc's head.
With the intent to smash its skull, he swung the axe with all his strength. Smack! Blood sprayed with a satisfying impact.
"Huh?"
It was blocked. No, it was caught.
The orc's hand, split down the middle, didn't seem to care and pulled the axe toward itself. Its massive jaws bit into the burly man's shoulder.
Crunch.
"AAAGH! AAAAARRRGHHHH!"
He let go of the axe and started punching the orc's face repeatedly.
But it didn't budge. Soon, the orc grabbed the man's head and snapped his neck. It then opened its mouth wide. Mangled flesh and blood flowed into its throat.
With that, the split hand regenerated, its muscles swelling further.
Most demi-humans are cannibals, but it's rare for an orc to eat a human alive like this.
Which means—
"A s-special variant…?"
A unique being, evolved beyond its usual kind.
Possessing incomparable strength compared to ordinary types, it was a top-priority threat to be exterminated by the state. Even lowly bandits knew what it was.
Seeing the burly man's gruesome death, the bandits immediately scattered. The nearby orcs and goblins chased after them.
The wagon was now free.
"Y-Yahh!"
He cracked the reins to urge the horses forward. Bandits, now a special variant of an orc—one that eats people alive!
Could there be a more unlucky day? Conrad swore to himself again and again that next time, he'd pay more and hire reputable mercenaries.
If he survived, that is.
Thump.
"Ah!"
The wagon wheel caught on a corpse. Losing its balance, the wagon rocked violently.
But Conrad was an expert at handling wagons. Skillfully steering the horses, he barely managed to avoid a crash.
As speed picked up, the chasing demi-humans quickly fell behind.
Once he had completely shaken off pursuit, he beamed with joy.
"Shit, I'm alive!"
He'd had dangerous moments on the road before, but never had he come this close to death.
Praising his own quick thinking, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
And then, fury welled up.
'Those mercenary bastards. I'll report them the moment I get to the territory!'
Repaying debts—whether in gratitude or revenge—was also part of a merchant's creed.
He wouldn't rest until he got their licenses revoked and had them thrown into the streets.
But now was not the time to think about anything else.
The road he was on was an unpaved dirt path with uneven terrain.
That fact, Conrad briefly forgot.
Crunch!
"Huh?"
The axle twisted over a protruding tree root.
He tried to regain balance somehow, but it was impossible. Soon, the wagon toppled over to the side.
"Uwaaaagh!"
Thump. Luckily, he landed in a bush and wasn't seriously injured, but this was the wild.
Hearing the loud crash, another group of orcs and goblins—different from before—approached. Surrounded, the creatures drooled as they slowly closed in on Conrad.
'Seriously, how far can the village be for there to be this many demi-humans?!'
Damn adventurers must not be doing their jobs.
Desperately, he drew a weapon—but all he had was a small dagger for self-defense. A horrible death loomed right before his eyes.
"…So this is how I die, to a bunch of demi-humans."
Letting out a hollow laugh, Conrad closed his eyes.
He plugged his ears and curled up as the goblins' cries grew nearer.
And then, just as he trembled in fear, awaiting death, a gray-haired man appeared.
A dome of hardened earth enclosed around Conrad.
It wouldn't withstand an orc's full strength, but it was enough to absorb the aftermath of an attack.
'I even made an air hole, so he won't suffocate.'
Exhaling slowly, Verden turned to face the group of demi-humans.
Over fifteen goblins and four orcs. Countless eyes were all fixed on Verden.
'Aside from the goblin I just killed, this is my first real combat.'
No problem. This was the perfect number to test his newly acquired abilities.
Verden activated the circuit and expanded his mana.
Flowing along the path, the mana focused at his right fingertips.
Five flaming arrows launched and exploded among the goblins.