Chapter 171

Communicating with users of Maronius language without proper training was extremely dangerous.

While Maronius language was essential in modern magic, it wasn't that magic was impossible without it.

After all, the first wizards communicated with mysteries through pure intuition when they interacted with them.

'Hey flame! You want to burn the enemy right now, don't you?'

'Actually, I'd rather burn you!'

'Argh! Why is this crazy flame coming at me?!'

... As a result, magic in the past was far more dangerous and unpredictable than modern magic.

Moreover, magic without Maronius language was no different from magic of the past.

"That was a dangerous thing you did," Ian said.

Maria shrank back and lowered her head.

"I did something presumptuous..."

"I didn't say it was presumptuous. I said it was dangerous."

Seeing Maria getting too nervous, Ian gently stroked her head.

"Relying on intuition to use magic is very dangerous. Learn magic properly before trying it."

Maria looked up at Ian with strange eyes.

Her lips were... clearly smiling.

"Ah... My heart feels like it's going to melt from Ian's kindness."

"No. I don't think it's quite that much..."

"To worry about me so much... Yes. I don't want to make you sad, so I'll be more careful from now on."

"..."

She says she'll listen well, so it should be fine?

That's what Ian thought, but still. Ian was a bit scared of Maria.

She was originally a bit scary...

Anyway.

Maria succeeded in neutralizing the lich through luck (or talent).

If Maria's level had been higher, subduing it might have been possible, but expecting that kind of result from a novice necromancer was impossible.

"But this person... seems very pitiful."

Maria made contact with the dead in the spirit realm.

Just as a wizard reads the thoughts and feelings of mysteries, she was able to read the thoughts and feelings of the soul to some extent.

"This person was forcibly turned into an undead by a necromancer."

Ian nodded.

He had thought something was strange. It seemed odd that a lich would have no sense of self.

If someone had become a lich voluntarily, they would surely have found a way to maintain their sense of self.

If you become a lich only to end up braindead, how is that any different from suicide?

But it was different for those turned into undead by others.

They didn't care if there was a sense of self or not since they were just going to use them as slaves anyway.

"Did you talk to it?"

"Yes. Actually, it says it has a story to tell us."

"The lich does?"

Maria nodded, then shyly asked.

"Um. Ian. I'd like to lend my body to it for a moment... would that be okay?"

Ian frowned slightly.

Lending one's body to a spirit was clearly a dangerous act.

If the spirit was too strong, or conversely if the body's owner was too weak, the invading spirit could take control of the body.

Just look at Maria's case - didn't she periodically lose control of her body to invading hungry spirits?

If the lich had ill intentions, it could harm Maria.

"Will you be alright?"

"It seems like a kind and pitiful person... I want to help them."

When she put it that way, Ian didn't object.

He needed the information too.

If anything went wrong, he planned to ask Hrundal for help.

'Right, Hrundal?'

Ian drew one Arcana card.

[Arcana Manifestation - Draw One Card]

[You have drawn an Arcana card...]

[You've drawn [Death] card!]

Number 13, the [Death] card. The illustration showed a black-haired girl looking across a river.

Ian handed the Death card to Maria.

"What's this?"

"It's a kind of charm. If anything happens, the northern god will protect you."

Maria examined Ian's Arcana card from all angles.

"It's a very beautiful card."

"The northern god's hobby is painting."

"... What?"

Maria put the Arcana card in her bosom and reached out to the lich.

"Ian! Ian! Ian! Ian!!!"

"Ugh. Just call me once. Senior."

"That's not the important part! Just now, you! You used an incredibly amazing ice magic, didn't you?!"

"..."

"You sneaky bastard! You weren't actually a dark wizard but an ice wizard, weren't you?! How about changing your class to ice wizard while we're at it?"

"That's not a class change, it's a demotion..."

Krysus seemed quite shocked by Ian's ice magic.

She spoke in a very excited voice.

"Ian! Your ice magic talent is slightly less than or equal to mine!"

"... Senior."

"You'll become a great ice wizard later and perform miracles like freezing ice even in summer...!"

"Oh, stop the talking! Don't you see how serious this is?"

Ian understood that Krysus was excited, but she was very noisy when left alone.

What?

Now she wants Ian to become a great ice wizard?

Miracles of freezing ice in summer?

That kind of thing is settled at the level of an ice dispenser.

Ian had absolutely no intention of going all-in on ice magic.

"Senior, go clear away some of that cold! It's freezing in here."

"But why remove this precious cold..."

"Other people are cold! Are you going to take responsibility if Maria catches a cold while doing necromancy?"

"... Hng."

Krysus waved her arms (...) and drove the cold outside.

Only then did the temperature become comfortably cool.

Meanwhile, Maria finished her necromancy.

As soon as she opened her eyes, Maria shouted.

"Eh...! Is this me...?"

"..."

"I've become a cute girl..."

"Maria. Kick that bastard out right now."

"Ack! Wait, wait! It's a joke! A joke!"

Then Maria (or rather, the lich possessing Maria's body) cackled merrily.

Ian was dumbfounded.

Clearly, Maria had said the lich seemed like a "kind and pitiful person"...

But this wasn't a kind person, it was a crazy bastard, wasn't it?

"Sorry! Sorry! The atmosphere was too stiff, so I wanted to lighten it up a bit."

Maria winked and said with a cute smile.

"Like an ice wizard's ice-breaking, you know? Haha!"

Hmm. I want to beat the crap out of him.

That was the only thought that came to Ian's mind.

The fact that it was actually cute when doing cute things with Maria's body was the most infuriating point.

"But this is surprisingly nice. Maybe I actually have talent as a woman...?"

"... Stop the nonsense. What's your name?"

Maria responded with a sly smile (...).

It was amazing to see the shadow of an old man on a girl's face.

"Victor. A wandering ice wizard."

So he really was a man...!

While Ian was thinking that, Krysus was surprised by a different part.

"Senior Victor?!"

"Hm? You know me? Young friend?"

"I-I'm Montana's disciple! Krysus!"

"Ah! Montana! So you're that friend's disciple!"

As expected.

wizards all seemed to know each other with just one degree of separation.

Although this Victor was an irritating person...

Ian thought it was good that they tried necromancy.

"Victor. What happened?"

"..."

Most of the cheerfulness disappeared from Maria's face.

It was time to talk about the gloomy part.

"I came here to rescue Professor Inglan Kate."

"You too?"

"From the way you say that, I guess you're here for the same reason."

Victor was also a wizard reinforcement who rushed here to save Inglan.

However, unlike Ian's group, Victor ran straight to Inglan immediately upon arrival, without joining up with the other wizards.

That was the root of the problem.

"I was killed by some hooded knight."

"A hooded knight...?"

"I couldn't see his face. He seemed to know I had settled in here, and killed me right away."

Victor had arrived early, wandered around alone, and died without anyone knowing.

"With some evil item... he forcibly turned me into an undead. It must be a magical tool made by a necromancer."

"So that's how you became a lich?"

The lichified Victor was then stuffed underground in the cave.

The hooded knight either had no use for Victor, or lacked confidence to use him, as he gave no particular orders.

"The only order was to gather cold."

After that, Victor just mechanically gathered cold like a machine.

Ian thought for a moment.

'It seems to be for preservation.'

Undead were corpses, and they easily rotted and fell apart.

The natural enemy of undead monsters was not priests or holy knights... but maggots.

Maggots that ate rotten flesh bored holes all over the undead's body, making it easily crumble.

The reason they created a huge cold storage underground was likely to preserve Victor for as long as possible.

"You were too careless."

When Ian said that, Victor immediately became indignant.

"Come on, I'm not a space-time wizard. How could I have known I'd be killed by a knight?"

Victor had simply rushed here with pure intentions.

It was the hooded knight who broke the unwritten rule of not harming wizards.

"... Victor. Do you remember which space-time wizard asked for help?"

Victor giggled (...) and waved his hand.

"I don't know! It's been a while since I died, so my memory is fuzzy!"

But almost simultaneously, Victor said seriously.

"You guys. Leave this place immediately."

"..."

"No matter how I think about it, Professor Inglan is just a worm on a fishhook. Bait to catch people like us!"

Ian clenched his fist.

This confirmed one fact.

In Baron Vincents' domain, there were villains roaming around to kill wizards.

They just hadn't encountered them yet...

It wouldn't be strange if they were hiding somewhere, aiming for Ian's life.

"It was a short meeting, but fun. Young friend."

Victor held out his hand.

"Thank you so much for freeing me. If you hadn't helped, I would have become a plaything for those black wizards."

Although it was Maria's hand, Ian grasped it.

"... Ian. Ian Eredith, Eredith's disciple."

"I see. Ian Eredith."

Victor flashed a grin at Ian, then turned his head.

"Krysus."

"Y-Yes! Senior!"

Krysus awkwardly approached Victor.

Since Maria's body was smaller than Krysus, it ended up looking down at the senior.

"Although I'm leaving this world first. I'm truly glad to have met such a brave ice wizard junior like you."

"... Senior."

Krysus fidgeted, not knowing what to do.

Victor unhesitatingly embraced Krysus.

... Victor was crying.

"Tell Montana. His foolish friend will be waiting for him in heaven first, okay?"

"Yes... *sniff* Senior!"

The cold reality pierced Krysus's heart.

Victor was dead.

He now had to ascend to heaven.

Thud.

Maria fell to her knees limply.

At the same time, the lich's frozen body crumbled into powder.

"... He's gone."

Maria said.

Her voice sounded somehow powerless.

"Let's move."

"Ian. Should I go bring Herta?"

"Yeah. Let's hurry as much as we can."

Ian completely revised his plan.

Now that he confirmed enemies were hiding, there was no need to dawdle like before.

'Gather the wizards and use force to rescue Inglan.'

Victor may have been helplessly defeated because he was alone.

But Ian had four professional wizards and other companions.

He was determined to break out of the prison if necessary to extract Inglan and escape.

And for a wizard, breaking a prison was nothing.

Ian left the ice cave.

Around the time Ian was talking with Victor's soul.

"This feels f*cking sh*tty."

Water wizard Anton sat by the river, watching the surging waves.

Anton was in a foul mood.

It wasn't just because he had an argument with a newbie wizard for a stupid reason.

Anton was also starting to sense the suspicious atmosphere surrounding Baron Vincents' domain.

'There's something here.'

It felt like looking at rustling bushes.

You can sense something's there beyond... but you can't tell if it's an animal or just the wind.

As much as he wanted to just smash everything and extract Inglan...

Just as nobles couldn't lay hands on wizards, wizards also couldn't carelessly lay hands on nobles.

They couldn't ignore the trust relationship built with nobles over many years just because of suspicions.

'They don't seem like they'll hand over Inglan just because we show some magic.'

Anton thought as he prepared magic.

If they were afraid of wizards, they should have already caved when the group stormed in.

But the baron was still holding out.

That bothered Anton.

'I really hope it's just a pathetic pride contest.'

It would be best if it was just the baron's arrogant pride refusing to back down.

Anyway, all Anton could do right now was demonstrate magic as a show of force.

And incidentally put those cocky brats in their place.

"Catch anything good?"

Just then.

A heavy voice sounded from behind Anton.

When he turned his head, a man in strange attire was standing there.

'... A knight?'

He had the sturdy build of a knight, but.

Why was he wearing a hood covering his face?

"I'm not fishing."

"Hmm. I thought so."

"...?"

Anton didn't understand what the big guy meant.

He also didn't expect -

That the sword the big guy drew would fly towards him.

"See you in hell, wizard."

Anton stared in shock at the man thrusting a sword at him.