* * *
âI didnât expect to be sent straight to the outer sealsâ area, isnât he making us roll around too much, that Emperor guy?â
âHey, what if someone hears you.â
âBut I didnât call him the Emperor bastard, Commanderâ
ââ¦â¦Iâd rather you just call him Emperor.â
At the inn where they were temporarily staying, Cadel was discussing the contents of the note with two of his subordinates.
[Check the seal on the Inte Snowfields.]
It was simple and straightforward. Van complained that the Emperor was treating them like dogs, but Cadel had a different idea.
âI think the Emperor was being considerate.â
âPardon? Considerate?â
âLook, the Inte Snowfields is this way.â
Cadel pointed to a spot on the map spread out on the table. The Inte Snowfields, where the seal was located, were in the alpine region beyond the ocean.
âNormally, this would have been done by the Dunkelhai Kingdom, as they are the closest to the Inte Snowfields. Of course, the Shadow Knight Order of Dunkelhai is still in the sealâs area within the Empire, so you would think the Emperor sent us since weâre free.â
The fingertip on the Inte Snowfields moved to the other side of the ocean, where the White Kingdom lay.
âTo get here, weâll inevitably have to go through the White Kingdom.â
ââ¦â¦He allows us to attend Sir Garuelâs funeral.â
âIt doesnât matter if he didnât mean to. Because I can now directly check whether Lydon is doing well.â
Not only that, but Cadel would now be able to progress to the next main quest with Garuel by his side.
âThe next quest is in the outer sealsâ area, and it looks like itâs starting in the Inte Snowfields, so Iâd better be prepared.â
In the game, the player could choose the area where the quest would take place. There were three areas to choose from, one of which was the Inte Snowfields. It was just a matter of prioritization since he would eventually get around all of them, but he remembered it being a nice touch to give each player different options.
âI canât wait to recruit the rest of the knights.â
Establishing a complete order of knights before the Demon War begins. That was Cadelâs goal. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
ââ¦â¦I donât think Iâll ever see him. I donât know where or how many assassins I can find. I should probably give up early and find another knight.â
It was already impossible to perfectly implement the card deck in the game. In the current situation, it was difficult to find the knight Cadel was specifically targeting. Since he had met many good knights so far, he could only hope that he would be lucky this time as well.
Collecting his thoughts, Cadel said, alternating between Van and Lumen.
âFirst, letâs move to the White Kingdom. Letâs join Sir Garuel and Lydon as soon as possible and take down the seal on the Inte Snowfields.â
If they were to travel honestly from the Osma Empire to the White Kingdom, it would take a fortnight. On the other hand, the Twilight Knight Order had returned by the movement magic, so there were at least two days left until Garuelâs funeral. They couldnât make it on time by moving honestly. They too could only meet the date by using movement magic.
However, the Emperor did not send a magician for them, and currently, the only magician in the Knight Order was Cadel.
âCommander, you donât have to push yourself, itâs not like you have to watch the funeral.â
âThatâs right, Leader. Itâs even worse if we end up in a weird place while using a traveling spell you have never tried before.â
âThereâs no way Commanderâs magic can go wrong. Donât think of Commander on the same level as you.â
âLetâs see if you can say the same thing when you get to some hellish places and back.â
Cadel cleared his throat as he stood between his two subordinates, who were busy checking each other out. His eyes were sharp as he inspected the sigils of the magic circle.
âThe theory is perfect. The magic circle is neatly drawn.â
True to Lumenâs word, Cadel had never used movement magic before. The reason was simple. Movement magic required a great deal of mana, even for very short distances. Plus, there was a lot to think about.
Unless you were a skilled archmage like Mamil, it was common for several magicians to work together to cast a spell. Cadel would have preferred to enlist the help of his subordinates if he could, but as it happened, all of his magic-using subordinates were away.
âI can do it, I can do itâ¦â¦.â
If he couldnât do it, he would have to be left on the street for over 15 days, let alone hold Garuelâs funeral. For Cadel, who valued efficiency, this was an absolutely unacceptable problem.
He rubbed his sweaty palms over his thighs, a determined look on his face.
âIâll try to make the destination stay within the White Kingdom as much as possible, but if I donât have enough mana, we might land nearby.â
âIâve heard it said that if the movement magic fails, we might end up in different places. Iâd like you to drop us on the side where there are no monsters, Leader.â
Even when Cadel glared at him, Lumen could only shrug his shoulders. His irritation spiked at the attitude of legitimate concern, but he wasnât willing to bet on success.
âIgnore what that feeble-minded noble young master says, Commander. Even if I end up in hell, I donât care at all.â
ââ¦â¦Both be quiet.â
How many magic spells had he done so far, so why couldnât he do just one movement magic? Slowly, Cadel started to feel uncomfortable. Cadel gathered his subordinates into the magic circle and spoke in a vaguely solemn voice.
âLetâs start.â
Cadel recalled Mamilâs teachings as he maximized the mana within his body.
ââ¦â¦Movement magic? Itâs just a bunch of mana, and itâs not much more than that. Itâs just a quick burst of mana for the entire circle.â
âIs that it? Any tips orâ¦â¦.â
âYou need a tip for pooping too? Just get it out. Thatâs it.â
Remembering his sordid analogy, Cadel unleashed all the mana in his body onto the circle, all at once.