Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~

Chapter 63 The Ring of the Dead

“Right this way.”

“Thank you.”

I was led to a dimly lit room in one corner of the fortress city’s Salamander government office’s castle tower. The room had no windows and was illuminated by only a single candle, casting a faint light.

At the far end of the room, an old man in a black robe sat on a chair. He must be the wizard Ebikurotia.

“So, you are Schneider’s apprentice.”

“Yes. My name is Shinker.”

“I see… So, you wish to learn magic from me?”

“Yes.”

“I see… You too have been captivated by the allure of magic…”

The old man lit the candle on the candelabrum with a sorrowful expression. As the light grew brighter, his face became clearly visible.

His wrinkles were extremely deep, and his face was pale, as if he could collapse at any moment. His arms and legs were as thin as twigs, making him resemble more of a specter than a living person.

“See? Magic that doesn’t suit you consumes your life’s energy. In time, you too will become like me… I can sense the protection of the holy spirit of the eyes in you. That magic is modest but gentle on the body.”

“…But I desire greater power. A powerless lord brings suffering to his people. I want to master the great magic that can bring peace to the people!”

Honestly, I didn’t want to become as gaunt as a specter. But I yearned for the immense power of magic… Skill with a sword alone wouldn’t be enough to protect many people. I gathered all my courage to speak.

“…Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.”

The old man approached me, examined my eyes closely, and seemed to confirm something.

“So, you’ve obtained the forbidden elixir, haven’t you? That Schneider… always causing trouble… Cough, cough, cough…”

The old man coughed and spat out a small amount of blood.

“I’ve been wanting an apprentice to take over for me. I’ll show you to the secret room. Follow me…”

Saying this, the old man descended the tower’s stairs and led me to a spacious stone-built underground chamber.

◇◇◇◇◇

I opened the heavy stone door and entered the underground chamber. The floor was paved with stone, and in some places, it was stained with blood. There, I was given a ring adorned with a skull.

“This is the Ring of the Dead. It belonged to my master. I now pass it on to you… From this moment, you are my apprentice.”

“…Th-thank you.”

With that, the old man stepped away from me. He suddenly raised his staff and, as if struck by a thought, shouted loudly.

“…So! What brings you here, Marquis Rillburn of the enemy Owen Alliance Kingdom!?”

“…How do you know that!?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know!? Traitor to the great Chancellor Kan! Taste the true essence of my magic!”

Countless magical orbs crackling with lightning gathered around the old man. The overwhelming aura of battle sent shivers down my spine.

…This is bad, the difference in magical skill is too great. And he was too close for me to rely on my beloved sword.

“Spirits of the wind, carry me away!”

I quickly grabbed Pokorina and chanted a teleportation spell. This spell requires you to visualize the destination while casting it, but if I had given the old man that much time, I would have been killed…

That was my instinct as a mercenary. Without a doubt, the gap in power between us was that immense.

The space around me and Pokorina darkened, and after passing through an unfamiliar dimension, we were thrown onto the floor of a room I recognized.

It was the wooden floor of the home of my sword master, Lord Schneider.

◇◇◇◇◇

“You returned quickly…”

“…Huh!?”

As I and Pokorina tried to get up, my master’s two eyes were watching us.

“You knew I was coming back?”

“…Yes, I did.”

“I was nearly killed! What were you thinking? Unlike before, I have a wife and retainers now!”

I pressed my master, who was speaking so casually.

“Well, hold on a moment. It seems you received the Ring of the Dead. That’s the memento of his master. It’s proof that you’ve been accepted. Even he can’t simply take on a lord from an enemy nation as a disciple without testing them first…”

“…!?”

“Besides, someone of his caliber could have easily blocked your newly learned teleportation magic. The fact that he didn’t is proof enough. I wouldn’t send a disciple into a situation where they’d surely be killed. You can relax!”

“…Uh, okay.”

Is this how exchanges between masters of a different dimension work? I didn’t quite understand, but it seemed clear that I was being played with by these two experts.

“Now, as a busy lord, your time is valuable. We’ll resume training in wind magic alongside your eye magic!”

“Yes, Master!”

Once again, I threw myself into my training, forgetting to eat and sleep.

…Every day was filled with rough clothes and simple meals. And only a little sleep. It was a short, harsh, and grueling time that reminded me of my poor days as a mercenary.

And so, the final month of the year 565 of the Unified Calendar was coming to an end…

◇◇◇◇◇

“I’m back!”

“W-Who are you!?”

I used teleportation magic to return directly to my room. There, I found Io.

I was covered in dirt, sweat, and grime from two months of intense training, making me look unrecognizable.

“It’s Shinker! Oh? …Oh.”

“You!? Oh my, it’s you! I’ll get the bath ready right away!”

As soon as I revealed myself, Io hugged me.

…Even though I was filthy.

She was such a lovely wife to me.

What’s more surprising, the bath had changed. Instead of being heated by firewood, it was now warmed by magic stones.