Chapter 107

Several months have already passed since I entered the world of Warlord Saga without knowing anything.

I don't even know how many times my life has been in danger during that time. If it weren't for other people, I would have already departed for the next world.

But if I had known I had this kind of ability, I would have learned magic a long time ago, right?

Would it have killed the system or status window to tell me from the beginning that I had this ability?

No, in the first place, it didn't even say I had magical ability when I created the character, did it?

I stopped after panting for a while.

No. That's not right.

Let's think positively.

Isn't it a relief that I found out now?

Besides, if it weren't for Petrarch, I wouldn't have even known I had this ability.

Next time Esil comes to visit, let's send her some good coffee beans then.

First, I have to show off.

"Hey, Theo, look at this."

"What is it?"

"I learned magic."

I showed Theo the mana flame.

On the palm of my hand, the mana flame swayed up and down, dancing according to my control. If I get good at it, I might even be able to juggle with this.

But Theo's reaction betrayed my expectations.

Theo just looked at it with an indifferent eye.

"So?"

"I said I learned magic."

"Hmm. Is that so. And?"

"?"

What is this reaction?

Shouldn't he be a little surprised that I learned magic in one day?

I wasn't expecting reactions like 'Young master, you're a genius!' or 'I believed in you, damn it!', but isn't the reaction too bland?

Or do all the aspiring mages here do this much in a short time? Because they're all geniuses?

I pouted my lips and withdrew the mana. The mana disappeared into the air without a trace.

***

Meanwhile, Theo was genuinely puzzled as to why Leon was bragging about learning magic.

He already knew that learning magic was not easy. It was nonsense to learn magic in just one day.

If that were possible, mages wouldn't be rare in the world, and Zeta wouldn't have had trouble securing a mage for the Royal Guard.

But Theo already knew that Leon used magic.

Especially thanks to Ryuba's blabbering, it was a known fact within the Royal Guard that Leon had learned magic from Zeta.

Even without that, Theo had seen all sorts of things while following Leon from the Imperial Capital to Fasa.

So he knew that Leon sometimes emitted a faint purple glow.

It was so faint that it was hard to notice unless you looked closely from the side, but it was clearly a trace of magic. Mana cannot be hidden.

But now, what's with him bragging like he's learned magic for the first time? What's the intention?

After pondering for a while, Theo suddenly had a realization.

'He must have judged that it's no longer dangerous to reveal his magic.'

When the situation changes, actions change accordingly.

When he was in the Empire, he had to hide the fact that he had learned magic to avoid the checks of his rivals for the throne, like Duke Isak.

But now, the Black Company led by Leon has grown into a force that no one can ignore by taking control of southern Apennia.

What can Isak do even if he finds out about Leon's existence now?

Is there anything he can do other than grit his teeth from afar?

'Come to think of it, it's also a coincidence that Petrarch came to Fasa to see the young master.'

Although Theo didn't recognize them and pulled out his axe first, the fact that a person of Petrarch's stature came to meet Leon was an unusual event in itself.

Theo had figured out the principles of his actions while rubbing shoulders with Leon all this time.

There must have been a hidden intention in even a single meeting.

For example, to spread rumors and leave a deep impression on people.

People love stories.

Especially stories about famous people rather than nameless ones.

It was clear that people would much prefer the story of Leon being recognized for his talent by a mage and learning magic, rather than the story of him learning magic on his own. The fact that he was gifted a magic book just in time would be a good excuse.

In other words, he's borrowing Petrarch's fame to hide the truth and elevate himself.

'He must have coordinated with Petrarch in advance. The young master has finally resolved to expand his influence outside of Apennia. I should quickly spread this news to others as well.'

Theo was convinced of his judgment.

It was a thought that would have made Leon beat the ground in frustration if he had known.

As misunderstandings piled on top of misunderstandings, the misunderstanding grew larger, but the two of them had different thoughts without knowing that fact at all.

***

I learned the basics of magic by chance, but that doesn't mean I've mastered magic. In fact, I should see it as just the beginning.

There are many types of magic in Warlord Saga.

White Magic (Holy), Black Magic (Curse), Green Magic (Spirit), Red Magic (Elemental), Summoning, Transformation, Alchemy, Mental, Illusion, Enhancement, Psionics, etc.

Although there is room for debate, most clergy of religions learn White Magic.

Zeta, as befits an elf faction, uses Green Magic, and the vampire Selvi knows how to use transformation.

And clergy perform miracles, Zeta saved the Imperial Capital with magic during Duke Isak's rebellion, and Selvi hunts the villains hiding in Fasa every night with his transformation ability.

Magic is this useful.

It's not for nothing that mages are treated as high-class talent.

However, it is by no means an easy task to become one.

As it happens, I had a problem.

'My trait...'

As I thought about my trait, the system whispered a notification in my ear. As if telling me not to forget.

「Descendant of a Demon: SS

─ Charisma +40

─ Initial Infamy Increase

─ Bonus to Command, Persuasion, and Intimidation」

Right. This is it.

A stat extremely skewed towards one thing.

Thanks to it, I've navigated through crises well so far.

The problem was that Charisma wasn't very helpful in learning magic.

Learning magic requires Intellect or Education.

But my Intellect and Education, the core stats for magic, are not just ordinary, they're practically rock bottom.

My Intellect is slightly better than my Education, but only slightly, a really tiny bit. A negligible difference.

For a mage, Charisma is more of a bonus or a byproduct of practicing magic. (It's easy to understand if you think about whether people value the advice of an ordinary person or a mage more.)

If at least my strength was high, I would have tried being a muscle wizard, but it's a shame.

I racked my brain to see if I had forgotten my character build, but nothing came to mind.

In the first place, if a skill tree based on Charisma had been discovered, the community would have gone wild, no, it would have burned down. Since I have no memory of that, it seems there really isn't one.

"Then why don't you just ask someone else?"

"Who?"

"Zeta or Lord Petrarch. The two of them are experts in magic."

"That's right."

Theo presented a solution.

He was right. I don't know why I was worrying alone, leaving the experts aside.

I wrote letters seeking advice from the two of them, and a few days later, a reply came through the Mage Guild mail.

"What does it say?"

"They're telling me to come to Florence."

"Huh?"

Only Petrarch replied to the letter.

Zeta seemed very busy and there was no reply, and Petrarch told me to come to the Grand Library of Florence if I wanted advice.

It's certainly right for the person who needs help to go in person, but the location being Florence was a bit of a problem.

Fasa is at the southernmost tip of Apennia.

On the other hand, Florence is in the central part of Apennia.

And it's in front of Levona's sphere of influence.

I can't help but hesitate to go.

It's not because I'm a coward, but because of the personality of those petty dwarves.

They must have a mountain of grudges against me for interfering with their national policy, and I'm supposed to walk right into their path? I can't do that.

"Of all the times."

"Then are you not going at all?"

"Still, I have to visit Florence at least once."

It's not just because of Petrarch, but because of the special nature of the Grand Library.

The Grand Library is a special facility, one of the few in Warlord Saga. As its name suggests, you can find all sorts of secrets and lore there.

But the true value of the Grand Library is not the lore, but the elements hidden within it.

Depending on the circumstances, you can obtain hidden magic items or traits, or increase your stats while searching.

Among them, what I want most is a magic book.

Of course, I'm not even sure what might be there or what might be left now.

"Theo, we have an intelligence network in Florence too, right?"

"Of course. Do you have something for them to do?"

"Expand the intelligence network just in case. Increase surveillance as well."

"Understood. I'll take measures."

Petrarch mentioned Florence frequently during our conversation. And this time, they mentioned the Grand Library of Florence.

Unless Petrarch intentionally leaked information, the Apennia Mage Guild's branch is likely to be in Florence.

Of course, Petrarch didn't seem like the type of person to harm me, but there's always a 'what if' in the world.

There's nothing wrong with being prepared for any eventuality.

And also, there's still the magic book Petrarch left me.

This magic genius who insults even the gods has already mastered it before even reading it, so it's become unnecessary, but the value it contains is immense.

Suddenly, a good idea came to mind.

"Theo."

"Yes? Are there any more instructions?"

"Here is Basic Magic Studies. I'll give you this book, so go and study magic."

"What? No. Me? That?"

"It's an order. I'll check how much you've studied later."

"No, what kind of ridiculous..."

"Let's see. It took me one day, so three days should be enough for you, right?"

Theo made a crying face, but I had no intention of backing down. It's by no means because I have something against Theo.

Considering the usefulness of magic, wouldn't it be better for everyone if one more person learned magic?

Even though I entrusted him with something precious, Theo took the magic book as if he was reluctant.

I'll have to watch him later to make sure he doesn't use the magic book as a pillow.

At this time, I couldn't have imagined that I would be visiting Florence so soon.

***

The Theologian, Pope Astro, had a face that was boiling with dissatisfaction from within.

It was because he had sent his most trusted aide out on a mission, but instead of doing what he was supposed to do, he was only doing strange things.

"This is a spectacle. A real spectacle."

Pope Astro stopped reading the report and threw it down.

The reports that had been piled up on his desk, unread, came crashing down.

They were all records of Ceras' monster search and engagement. Of course, they were not the reports Pope Astro had been hoping for.

"Is Ceras protesting because she doesn't want to work right now? Is that why she's doing this?"

"Ahem. Your Holiness. Please maintain your dignity. Surely Sir Ceras wouldn't do that. For now, please drink some coffee and calm down."

"Ah. Right. The coffee smells good today too."

As Bishop Rosanka offered freshly brewed coffee from the side, Pope Astro's expression softened.

In fact, Pope Astro was more interested in coffee than a whole bunch of seminarians.

Since the Pope himself was a graduate of a seminary and had met seminarians his whole life, it was only natural that he would be uninterested.

On the other hand, what about this beverage called coffee?

Isn't it very interesting?

This beverage, which was popular only in the southern part of Apennia, recently landed in Ratio and began to be consumed.

At first, it was strongly rejected because of its color, but those who tried coffee always praised it highly.

Surprisingly, this beverage had the effect of awakening a person's mind and invigorating them.

On the other hand, there was a side effect of not being able to sleep at night if you drank too much, but there were quite a few priests who welcomed that.

For priests who worked at night, coffee was an essential beverage.

Now, the only ones in Ratio who didn't drink coffee were the purists who believed the Western Church should return to its early days.

That was the reason why Pope Astro became interested in Leon Gryph.

"Look. The popularity of this beverage called coffee coincides with the founding of the Black Company. How did that mercenary captain named Leon Gryph find out about something like this? He must be a person of truly amazing insight."

Bishop Rosanka sighed inwardly but maintained a smile on the outside.

Pope Astro was too interested in Leon Gryph. Of course, it was because he had high expectations.

Leon Gryph had wiped out the pirates that filled the Golden Sea and led a disadvantageous war to victory even after being betrayed.

At the same time, he did not cause any problems like personal deviance or womanizing.

What a religious and exemplary life.

That alone was enough for Pope Astro to take a liking to Leon Gryph.

Because only such a person could help the Holy See in crisis.

Pope Astro, who had calmed his excitement, spoke.

"Send a letter to Sir Ceras."

"Should I tell her to return?"

"No. There's no need for that. Isn't the bishop's seat of Fasa vacant? I remember that Bishop Malone's successor has not been decided yet."

"That is correct. Then perhaps?"

"Yes. It was about time Sir Ceras needed an official position. And to support Leon Gryph, it would be good to officially attach her to his side."

"Understood."

Even within the Holy See, the sale of offices was common. Among them, the bishopric of Fasa was a position coveted by several factions.

As Fasa had recently become rapidly wealthy, the money flowing into the bishop's pockets was sure to increase.

So, when they find out about the Pope's decision, the political enemies who were aiming for the Fasa bishopric would surely protest loudly.

To ignore that and hand over the Fasa bishopric to his closest aide was tantamount to declaring Pope Astro's will to the world.

The Holy See would no longer be cowering. It would fight against its enemies.

This is part of the preparation for that fight. Bishop Rosanka, understanding the Pope's will, carried out the instructions.