Bab 617
"Bukankah seharusnya kita kabur lebih cepat?"
Yi-Han berkata, merasakan tatapan para ksatria yang menghujani dari belakang.
Meski tidak menoleh ke belakang, dia bisa membayangkan tatapan para ksatria itu pasti setajam bilah pedang.
Namun, kepala sekolah tengkorak tampak santai.
"Tidak perlu seperti itu."
"Eh, apa Anda punya calon murid baru lain yang ingin dibujuk?"
"Tidak. Kita harus bertemu para bajingan ksatria di sekitar sini. Kita sudah jauh-jauh datang ke sini, bukankah sayang kalau langsung pergi begitu saja?"
Seperti para bangsawan kaya di ibu kota, keluarga-keluarga ksatria utara juga merupakan pendukung kuat Einroguard.
Tentu saja, hubungannya sedikit berbeda dengan hubungan dengan para bangsawan ibu kota.
Karena para bangsawan ibu kota tidak terlalu membutuhkan apa pun, kepala sekolah tengkorak selalu berada di posisi meminta bantuan, tetapi dengan keluarga-keluarga ksatria utara, hubungannya saling menguntungkan.
Medan utara yang tandus dan keras selalu membutuhkan mage, dan kepala sekolah tengkorak yang memimpin Einroguard adalah sekutu paling andal bagi keluarga-keluarga ksatria utara.
"Tapi bukankah Anda baru saja menipu orang-orang itu?"
"Menipu? Orang bisa salah paham kalau mendengar itu. Itu pertandingan yang adil."
"Pertandingan yang adil!"
Sang junior mengangguk seolah baru saja mempelajari sesuatu yang bagus. Yi-Han menutup telinga juniornya.
Alcicle bertanya dengan hati-hati.
"Tapi apakah yang baru saja terjadi tidak akan memengaruhi pertemuannya?"
"Jangan khawatir. Utara begitu luas, bagaimana mungkin kita bertemu lagi dengan para ksatria yang baru saja kita temui? Anggap saja ini istirahat yang nyaman."
Mendengar perkataan kepala sekolah tengkorak, Yi-Han dan Alcicle merasa lega.
Dari yang mereka dengar, sepertinya mereka hanya perlu makan dan minum dengan menyenangkan demi menjaga muka keluarga-keluarga ksatria.
"Begitu rupanya. Di mana perjamuannya akan diadakan?"
"Di benteng keluarga Moradi. Tidak ada tempat yang lebih baik di utara."
"Oh. Bagus kalau begitu. Aku dekat dengan Moradi."
"?"
Kepala sekolah tengkorak kebingungan.
Benarkah begitu?
***
Wilayah keluarga Moradi, keluarga ksatria utara yang khas, benar-benar berbeda dari wilayah keluarga-keluarga bangsawan besar kekaisaran.
Sudah menjadi kebiasaan keluarga bangsawan besar kekaisaran untuk membangun mansion bagaikan karya seni di pemandangan indah tempat orang bisa melupakan masalah dunia, tidak jauh dari kota dan desa.
Namun, sebagaimana bisa ditebak dari fakta bahwa keluarga ksatria utara menyebutnya benteng alih-alih mansion, mereka sangat mementingkan kepraktisan dan kekuatan tempur wilayah mereka.
Benteng keluarga Moradi, yang dibangun di sepanjang salah satu dari sedikit sungai besar di utara, dengan tembok-tembok padat dan fasilitas keluarga tersusun di atas gunung raksasa yang menjulang di atasnya, adalah perwujudan sejati dari keluarga ksatria utara.
'Oh.'
Melihat benteng raksasa yang jelas tidak mungkin dibangun dalam semalam itu, Yi-Han mengerti mengapa Moradi punya suara yang kuat di dalam Menara Macan Putih.
Skala luar biasa yang tak bisa dibandingkan dengan benteng-benteng keluarga ksatria lain yang mereka lihat dalam perjalanan ke sini.
Dan ukuran wilayah biasanya sebanding dengan kekuatan ekonomi keluarga.
'Apakah Moradi lebih kaya dari yang kukira?'
Setiap kali dia mengobrol dengan anak-anak Menara Macan Putih, mereka selalu menggerutu, 'Kami para ksatria tidak punya uang karena kami mengabdikan diri pada kekaisaran dan melindungi warga, hiks hiks,' jadi dia berpikir 'Mereka pasti benar-benar tidak punya uang,' tapi melihat ini, sepertinya dia telah dibodohi...
"Yang Mulia Gonadaltes telah tiba!"
Gerbang benteng terbuka dengan suara berat.
Para ksatria keluar dari dalam dan berkata dengan hormat,
"Yang Mulia. Terima kasih sudah menggunakan gerbang utama tahun ini!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han dan Alcicle terbengong-bengong, tetapi kepala sekolah tengkorak tak mengindahkannya.
"Tentu saja kalian harus berterima kasih. Apakah kepala keluarga ada di sini?"
"Ya. Beliau sedang menunggu."
"Tunjukkan jalannya. Kalian semua beristirahatlah sampai perjamuan dimulai."
Mendengar perkataan kepala sekolah tengkorak, rombongan Yi-Han mengangguk.
Sebagai penasihat mage kaisar dan penjaga penghalang sihir kekaisaran, kepala sekolah tengkorak mau tidak mau punya hal-hal yang harus didiskusikan dengan kepala keluarga Moradi.
Dari situasi di pegunungan besar hingga tren terkini di utara dan jumlah dana dukungan...
"Menarik sekali mengunjungi wilayah keluarga Moradi untuk pertama kalinya."
Alcicle berkata saat mereka berjalan menaiki lorong berbatu yang sempit.
Wilayah yang dikhususkan untuk pertempuran seperti ini jarang ada bahkan di kekaisaran. Wilayah ini mencerminkan sejarah keluarga Moradi.
"Katamu temanmu berasal dari keluarga ini?"
"Ya."
"Menarik, ya? Biasanya, siswa Menara Naga Biru tidak dekat dengan siswa Menara Macan Putih."
"Kami jadi dekat saat mengambil kuliah ilmu pedang."
"...Apa siswa Menara Naga Biru biasanya mengambil kuliah ilmu pedang?"
Saat Alcicle memiringkan kepalanya, para ksatria mendekat dari arah berlawanan.
"Para tamu seharusnya naik lewat sini, bukan ke sana... Oh."
"..."
Yi-Han dan Alcicle ragu-ragu ketika melihat ksatria yang sebelumnya datang menjemput Ulgan di antara rombongan itu.
"Anda ternyata ksatria keluarga Moradi?"
"...Ya..."
Ingkan, seorang ksatria keluarga Moradi yang sempat keluar sebentar membantu pekerjaan ordo ksatria pada masa yang semestinya menjadi waktu istirahat, merasa sangat canggung saat bertemu para mage itu.
Alcicle, yang juga merasa sedikit canggung, meminta maaf.
"Eh, maafkan aku."
"Ah, tidak. Ulgan memang ingin menjadi mage, itu bukan salah kalian."
Eandurde mengangguk penuh semangat seolah setuju. Yi-Han mencengkeram dagu juniornya.
"Silakan panggil kami kapan saja jika dibutuhkan. Keluarga Moradi selalu menghormati tamu-tamunya."
Setelah Ingkan mengundurkan diri bersama para ksatria, rombongan Yi-Han akhirnya bisa menghela napas lega.
Menara tempat para tamu menginap luas dan nyaman, tetapi karena kejadian barusan, mereka tak terlalu bisa menikmatinya.
"Bukankah ksatrianya lebih sedikit dari yang diharapkan? Aku penasaran apakah kita akan bertemu lagi dengan para ksatria ordo itu di perjamuan."
"Nah. Pasti baik-baik saja. Ksatria minum seperti mau mati di perjamuan. Mereka bahkan tidak akan mengenali kita."
"..."
Yi-Han memberi Alcicle tatapan ragu.
'Orang ini sepertinya tidak terlalu akur dengan para ksatria.'
Tapi memang benar para ksatria menyukai alkohol. Bukankah mereka minum dengan penuh semangat bahkan di perkumpulan-perkumpulan yang pernah dihadiri Yi-Han?
Berbeda dengan perkumpulan bangsawan di mana formalitas dan tata krama harus lebih diperhatikan, perkumpulan ksatria cenderung lebih meriah.
Tok tok-
"Tuan Mage. Apakah Anda di dalam? Ada beberapa ksatria yang ingin bertemu dengan Anda..."
"?"
Yi-Han kebingungan dengan tawaran tak terduga itu.
Perjamuan bahkan belum dimulai, tetapi ksatria lain sudah ingin bertemu dengan mereka.
"Mungkinkah ini jebakan?"
"...Bukan! Apa yang kau pikirkan!?"
Alcicle menyangkal dengan terkejut.
Pada dasarnya, orang-orang terkenal di kekaisaran sering kali punya banyak orang yang ingin bertemu mereka ke mana pun mereka pergi.
Mereka ingin berbagi cerita tentang ketenaran dan pencapaian mereka, dan kemudian membanggakan diri, 'Aku pernah mengobrol dengan orang seperti itu'...
Percakapan semacam ini sendiri menyenangkan dan bermanfaat,
Chapter 617
"Shouldn't we run away faster?"
Yi-Han said, feeling the knights' gazes pouring from behind.
Although he didn't look back, he could imagine that the knights' gazes would be as sharp as blades.
However, the skull principal was relaxed.
"There's no need for that."
"Uh, do you have another new student to persuade?"
"No. We should meet the knight bastards around here. We've come all this way, wouldn't it be disappointing to just leave?"
Like the wealthy nobles of the capital, the northern knight families were also strong supporters of Einroguard.
Of course, the relationship was a bit different from that with the capital nobles.
As the capital nobles didn't particularly need anything, the skull principal was always in the position of asking favors, but with the northern knight families, it was a mutually beneficial relationship.
The barren and harsh northern terrain always needed mages, and the skull principal leading Einroguard was the most reliable ally of the northern knight families.
"But didn't you just deceive those people?"
"Deceive? Someone might misunderstand if they heard that. It was a fair match."
"A fair match!"
The junior nodded as if she had learned something good. Yi-Han covered his junior's ears.
Alcicle asked cautiously.
"But won't what just happened affect the meeting?"
"Don't worry. The north is so vast, how could we meet those knights we just met again? Just think of it as taking a comfortable rest."
At the skull principal's words, Yi-Han and Alcicle felt relieved.
From what they heard, it seemed like they just needed to eat and drink pleasantly to save face for the knight families.
"I see. Where will the banquet be held?"
"At the Moradi family's fortress. There's no better place in the north."
"Oh. That's good. I'm close with Moradi."
"?"
The skull principal was puzzled.
Was that so?
***
The territory of the Moradi family, a typical northern knight family, was completely different from the territories of the empire's great noble families.
It was the custom of the empire's great noble families to build mansions like works of art in beautiful landscapes where one could forget the world's troubles, not far from cities and villages.
However, as can be guessed from the fact that northern knight families called it a fortress rather than a mansion, they placed great importance on the practicality and combat power of their territory.
The Moradi family's fortress, which was built along one of the few large rivers in the north, with dense walls and family facilities arranged on a huge mountain that jutted out above it, was the very embodiment of a northern knight family.
'Oh.'
Seeing the huge fortress that obviously couldn't have been built overnight, Yi-Han understood why Moradi had a strong voice within the White Tiger Tower.
The enormous scale that couldn't be compared to the fortresses of other knight families they had seen on the way here.
And the size of the territory was usually proportional to the family's economic power.
'Was Moradi richer than I thought?'
Whenever he talked with the White Tiger Tower guys, they always grumbled, 'We knights have no money because we're devoted to the empire and protecting citizens, sob sob,' so he thought 'They must really have no money,' but seeing this, it seemed like he might have been fooled...
"His Excellency Gonadaltes has arrived!"
The fortress gates opened with a heavy sound.
Knights came out from inside and said respectfully,
"Your Excellency. Thank you for using the main gate this year!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Alcicle were dumbfounded, but the skull principal paid no heed.
"Of course you should be thankful. Is the head of the family here?"
"Yes. He's waiting."
"Lead the way. You all rest until the banquet."
At the skull principal's words, Yi-Han's group nodded.
As the emperor's mage advisor and guardian of the empire's magic barrier, the skull principal inevitably had things to discuss with the head of the Moradi family.
From the situation in the great mountains to recent trends in the north and the amount of support funds...
"It's interesting visiting the Moradi family's territory for the first time."
Alcicle said as they walked up a narrow rocky passage.
Such a territory specialized for combat was rare even in the empire. It was a territory that reflected the history of the Moradi family.
"You said your friend is from this family?"
"Yes."
"That's interesting? Usually, Blue Dragon Tower students aren't close with White Tiger Tower students."
"We became close while taking swordsmanship lectures."
"...Do Blue Dragon Tower students usually take swordsmanship lectures?"
As Alcicle tilted his head, knights approached from the opposite direction.
"Guests should go up this way, not that way... Oh."
"..."
Yi-Han and Alcicle hesitated when they saw the knight who had come to fetch Ulgan earlier among the group.
"Were you a knight of the Moradi family?"
"...Yes..."
Ingkan, a knight of the Moradi family who had briefly gone out to help with the knight order's work during what was originally a rest period, felt very awkward when he met the mages.
Alcicle, also feeling a bit awkward, apologized.
"Uh, I'm sorry."
"Ah, no. Ulgan wanted to become a mage, but that's not your fault."
Eandurde nodded vigorously as if agreeing. Yi-Han grabbed his junior's chin.
"Please call us anytime if needed. The Moradi family always respects its guests."
As Ingkan withdrew with the knights, Yi-Han's group could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The tower where guests stayed was spacious and comfortable, but because of what had just happened, they didn't really feel it.
"Aren't there fewer knights than expected? I wonder if we'll meet the knight order's knights again at the banquet."
"Nah. It'll be fine. Knights drink like they're dying at banquets. They won't even recognize us."
"..."
Yi-Han gave Alcicle a doubtful look.
'This person doesn't seem like he got along well with knights.'
But it was true that knights liked alcohol. Didn't they drink enthusiastically even at the gatherings Yi-Han had attended?
Unlike noble gatherings where more attention had to be paid to formalities and manners, knight gatherings tended to be more lively.
Knock knock-
"Mage sir. Are you inside? There are some knights who would like to meet you..."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the unexpected proposal.
The banquet hadn't even started yet, but other knights wanted to meet them.
"Could this be a trap?"
"...No! What are you thinking!?"
Alcicle denied it in shock.
Originally, famous people of the empire often had many who wanted to meet them wherever they went.
They wanted to share stories about their fame and achievements, and later boast, 'I talked with such a person'...
This kind of conversation itself was enjoyable and beneficial, so there were bound to be many who wanted to meet them.
Although Alcicle and Yi-Han weren't quite famous figures of the empire, they were both from great noble families and one was a student of Einroguard.
Among the northern knights, there would be quite a few who wanted to build connections with such promising mages.
"Let's go out and talk for a bit. Making connections will be helpful for you later."
"Wait a moment. The canned sardines I prepared..."
"Hey. You don't need canned food."
***
The Moradi family's territory wasn't just occupied by the family's knights. There were often more knights from other families.
Even excluding guests or invitees, the number was quite significant, because it was common for knight families to send their knights to other families for rigorous training.
For an influential knight family like the Moradi family, it was bound to be even more popular.
It was an opportunity for young knights to train and build connections with each other.
The knights who called Alcicle and Yi-Han this time were also knights from various families in the north.
"You said he’s a mage from Einroguard? What year did you say he was?"
"I didn't hear exactly, but as far as I know, he's probably a 3rd year. I heard it from a friend serving in the Chestnut Tree Knight Order."
"Wow, such achievements while still a 3rd year!"
"It's not for nothing that he's from the Wardanaz family."
"And Mr. Alcicle, he’s from the Pengerin family, right?"
"That's right."
"Then, would it be okay to ask him to eat sardines?"
"Well. It's a bit embarrassing to ask directly, so let's put them out as snacks in advance."
The knights waited for the mages to arrive, even devising sinister schemes.
Not long after, the mage group arrived.
"Welcome! Mage sirs!"
"This must be Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, and this must be Mr. Alcicle of the Pengerin family! And this person is...?"
"My junior. Her name is Eandurde."
"Eandurde!"
At Yi-Han's explanation, the knights nodded and spoke as if they understood.
"Then is this person a 2nd year?"
"...She hasn't even enrolled yet?"
"Ah. I see. Since Mr. Wardanaz is a 3rd year, I thoughtlessly..."
"...I'm not a 3rd year!"
Yi-Han said in surprise.
He couldn't understand what kind of ridiculous rumor this was.
Could this be a trap set by the skull principal?
"Oh, you're not a 3rd year? 4th year?"
"I'm just moving up to 2nd year."
"..."
"..."
As the knights all froze as if hit by a petrification curse, Yi-Han wondered if he had made some mistake.
'Was being a 1st year such a problem?'
"I... I see..."
"We... we were a bit surprised. This... I'm sorry. We heard you subjugated the King of Ghouls, so we thought you were at least a 3rd year..."
"Ugh."
Yi-Han was shocked by the rumor that had spread even to the north.
Who on earth...?
"My friend serving in the Chestnut Tree Knight Order said that Mr. Wardanaz swept away the anti-magic extremists..."
"I didn't do that alone!"
Having found the culprit, Yi-Han coughed and began to explain.
He appreciated the goodwill shown by the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, but if they exaggerated too much, it was Yi-Han who had to deal with the aftermath.
"There were other helpers and luck..."
"You're even modest!"
"...Ah. Mr. Alcicle. Here are some sardines."
Yi-Han quickly changed the subject.
However, Alcicle answered coldly.
"I just ate, so I'm full?"
"Oh no..." "Oh dear..." "Ah..."
Small sighs flowed from here and there.
The knights made pitiful expressions like rain-soaked baby birds.
"...I might be able to eat one."
"!"
As Alcicle, feeling sorry, picked up one sardine to eat, the knights laughed brightly.
'The topic has changed.'
"By the way, Mr. Wardanaz. We'd like to hear more about your fight with the anti-magic extremists."
'It didn't change.'
Yi-Han regretted underestimating the knights' persistence.
Come to think of it, it seemed like these knights had called them here to hear about this in the first place.
They were all waiting, having prepared very detailed questions.
"Well, about that..."
"Wait! Please tell us from the beginning of the meeting. What clothes were you wearing that day?"
"...Is that important...? Um... I think I was wearing my academy uniform with a coat..."
The knights persistently asked one by one, as if wringing out Yi-Han's memory.
Yi-Han endured and answered as best he could.
"...I was lucky. I was able to hold out because the knights cooperated."
"Hearing this, it seems Mr. Wardanaz gets along very well with knights. It's rare among mages."
"Haha."
"Come to think of it, I heard that Miss Jijel of the Moradi family also fought together, are you close? Since you're both from Einroguard, I assume you're naturally close..."
"Haha. We're close."
"Wait. Then let's call Miss Moradi too!"
"That's a good idea!"
"..."
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