Verden, who had borrowed dozens of books, spent his time at a café.
Now that he had earned some money, Iris, sipping on her overly sweet coffee with lots of sugar, casually asked,
"So, what are you going to do with all those books?"
"Well, read them, obviously."
"…All of them? If you go past the return date, the late fees won't be a joke. They'll probably charge you several times more than what you paid to borrow them."
"I have enough."
He had read books to the point of exhaustion—most of them about magical theory.
Naturally, he didn't let go until he had read each book at least two or three times, and sometimes more than ten, until he fully understood them.
From that process, the speed-reading skills he developed were far beyond what any ordinary person could achieve.
At Verden's curt reply, Iris thought to herself,
'He answers every question I ask and we've started speaking more casually, but it feels like he's become even colder.'
It was as if there was a giant wall between them.
And honestly, that was natural.
During his formative years, Verden had become a laborer in the magic tower, and as an adult, he lived as one of the tower's test subjects.
The fact that he didn't develop a hatred for humanity itself was, if anything, a sign of his resilience.
Over those seventeen long years, the only person he'd ever grown close to was Rovellin.
For someone like Verden, formalities in speech meant little.
Opening up to someone he had only known for a day was simply impossible. Not to mention, he wasn't exactly the sociable type to begin with.
While gazing at the scenery, Verden spoke.
"Did the Adventurer's Guild say anything?"
"They did. Thanks to that, I even had a meeting with the master. I was so nervous… Anyway, they're sending out an investigation team to look into a man named Sergen. And those goblins too."
"What about me?"
"I kind of glossed over it by saying you just happened to help me on the road, but… you know there are parts I can't explain, right? I hope it doesn't come to that, but depending on how things go, the guild might call you in. Still, it won't be a sudden visit… probably."
Probably?
'I get it, but an unannounced visit would be really unpleasant.'
At Verden's silent gaze, Iris lowered her head.
"I'll tell the guild to contact us in advance. But… I am curious—can I ask why you were in that cave?"
It's natural to want to know when curiosity is piqued.
After all, curiosity is the root and instinct of any mage.
'What should I say?'
He couldn't exactly tell her he was tailing her. He didn't need to answer, but if the guild ended up questioning him, he would need a proper explanation. It was a matter he couldn't avoid.
After a short pause, Verden gave a brief answer.
"I was chasing that man."
With that, she'd likely piece the puzzle together on her own, even if it didn't fit.
Even if asked to give a proper reason, he could just remain silent. Verden was the benefactor who had saved an adventurer, not someone who needed to be interrogated.
And Iris followed Verden's expectations to the letter.
"…Chasing?"
Verden silently took a sip from his cup.
The words doctor and test subject floated through Iris's mind. A mysterious mage and the secretive group he was tracking… It all sounded like something out of a novel.
Her curiosity surged, but she couldn't ask more—Verden had stood up from his seat.
She didn't think he'd answer anyway… so she quickly followed him.
"Where are we going next?"
"The forge."
Their outing continued until evening.
***
"Come back in three days."
He left the staff he had taken from the thief at the forge.
A longer staff fit Verden's hand better than a short wand. Even during his secret training in the magic tower, he had used a staff. And he'd handled a broom of similar length every day.
He wasn't sure if he could use it effectively in real combat right away, but he could pick it up gradually over time.
Once he was proficient, it would surely lead to more versatile combat styles than just blindly hurling spells. Verden was confident in that.
He bought a dagger and fastened it to his waist, and borrowed a steel staff to use during the crafting period.
It was just a plain rod with no special functions, but it was enough to get a feel for things.
With the steel staff slung over his back, Verden returned to the Lorix Inn.
The pale moonlight shone through the window. The books he had ordered were stacked neatly beside the door. Skimming through the titles, he picked up one called "Enchanting Magic: From 1 to 100."
'Enchanting magic… interference with others' mana, reasons for failure…'
He quickly flipped past the table of contents, which he already understood, and turned to the latter half of the book.
It included some basic 1st-tier enchanting spells. Right then and there, he activated his mana circuit as instructed.
'It works, but it feels awkward.'
He'd get used to it with practice, but that's just how magic worked.
The more you used it, the smoother it got. The less you used it, the clunkier it became. That applied to just about anything, really.
Verden cast a spell on himself.
Vision enhancement. Things he normally couldn't see now entered his field of vision.
The sudden influx of information made his eyes throb.
'So this is why they say not to use it.'
There was a warning on the last page.
"The spells listed here are for understanding purposes and are not suitable for real-world use. In particular,
It was likely just a matter of adjustment.
Accepting an entirely new kind of sensory input right away was nearly impossible for anyone. Time was needed to adapt.
'…But there's no need for me to get used to it.'
The side effects were bearable, but there wasn't much benefit for Verden.
That's because mana detection was far more accurate and quicker. Of course, it had its flaws as a basic spell, but it was vastly more versatile than any 1st-tier enchanting magic.
He canceled the enchantment spell, then cast a more refined mana detection using a greater amount of mana.
With mana as the medium, he could sense even the tiniest speck of dust.
As expected, anything less than a Tier 3 enchanting spell wouldn't be able to match this level of precision…
'…?'
Suddenly, Verden froze. His gaze shifted to the bed.
He had spread his mana across the entire room, yet strangely, he couldn't sense anything from under the bed. As if something was insisting nothing was there.
Something was there.
Verden, having made his judgment, swiftly moved his mana.
***
The information network spread across Martes was Theon's personal creation.
Finding the mage who killed Sergen was incredibly easy.
Once he located the adventurer party that had taken on the request, and obtained the records of the day they passed through the city gate, it didn't take long to learn the name.
'Asher.'
He didn't know why, but it was an ominous name.
Anyway, now that he had both the name and appearance, all that was left was to set up a search net. It didn't even take a few hours to find the target.
The mage from the Ark, unlike himself who was working tirelessly, was leisurely spending time with a female member of the adventurer party.
"Lucky bastard."
Some people were out here working like dogs, getting hit by flasks and worse.
His killing intent grew. Theon, who had carried out assassinations in Gluttony, tracked his target alone. So professional, no one could suspect a thing.
The target parted ways with the woman and headed to an inn. There were people around, so the angle wasn't quite right.
So, he sneaked into the room in advance and hid under the bed.
No matter how skilled a mage was, they could be easily killed if caught off guard. Right after falling asleep was when human consciousness dropped the deepest.
Clack. Verden entered.
He didn't even take off his gear, simply stared at the pile of books, then picked one up and began to read.
'Mages really are something…'
He could kill him right now, but the chances of success dropped ever so slightly.
An assassin must always aim for perfection. Theon silenced even his breath, waiting, and waiting.
Then, Verden's movements stopped.
Theon, who had been watching his legs, instantly sensed that something was wrong.
'Damn it!'
He kicked the bed away and burst out.
Crash! Sharp spikes shot up from the spot he had been hiding in, piercing through the bed.
Cold sweat ran down his spine as he realized that if he'd hesitated even a moment longer, he would've ended up the same.
Verden grabbed his steel staff.
Who was this masked assassin?
It was obvious.
Among those connected to Verden, only people from the Bohemirn magic tower or the Doctor could be his enemies.
It clearly wasn't the former, so the answer was the latter.
"Did the Doctor send you?"
"..."
Theon didn't answer. Instead, he gripped his daggers and hurled them.
Clang! The blades struck the mana barrier and dropped behind Verden.
Immediately, Theon charged in.
A blade that extended from his heel crashed down on the barrier. A heavy strike.
Spikes rose from the floor, pursuing Theon.
He dodged them using acrobatic movements along the ceiling and walls. Meanwhile, he pulled out several throwing daggers and hurled them at Verden.
'…What?'
The daggers embedded themselves in the wall, not even grazing him.
Compared to the movements he just showed, his aim was absurdly poor.
Then, Theon twisted in midair and pulled both arms back. Shlak! Every dagger he had thrown reversed direction and flew back.
Verden immediately canceled his spell and cast a mana barrier. A blade he couldn't block in time grazed past his neck, missing by the width of a sheet of paper.
"What a shame. Just an inch to the side and you'd be dead."
One of the weaknesses of mages—
They couldn't maintain a mana barrier and cast a spell at the same time.
Verden brushed his neck with his hand.
There wasn't a scratch, but the cold sensation lingered. Just as the assassin said, a little further over and his carotid artery would've been severed.
'This is nothing like a knight's movement.'
The assassin before him was erratic and fast. Movements Verden, with little real combat experience, couldn't easily read. He didn't have the skill to hold back and still win. On top of that, this cramped space put mages at an absolute disadvantage.
Fighting under such conditions was no different from tightening his own noose.
'Then I'll just have to change the stage.'
In a very definitive way.
As it happened, Verden was the only guest on the top floor.
Triple casting of the same spell.
Theon, who had been waiting for an opening to kill Verden, widened his eyes when he saw three fireballs.
It was surprising enough that he could cast three spells at once, but above all, the power of those spells was far beyond what anyone would use in a tight space like this.
Theon looked at Verden's face.
Cold, blue eyes were fixed on him.
Yes, Verden was dead serious.
"You insane bastard!"
Theon immediately dashed toward the window.
Crash! He shattered the glass and leapt outside, the cool air hitting him in the face.
Among the scattering shards of glass, he looked back—and there was Verden, pointing straight at him. At that exact moment, the fireballs launched.
KABOOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the night in Martes.