Iska ③
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Johan, who received a request form from Rudolf, glanced at the boy, then looked back at Rudolf and spoke,
"Don't forget your promise."
Rudolf nodded, and Johan turned his back and went to exit the guild. As Johan's back was turned, the boy called out to him.
"Um, my sister's name is Mariebelle! Please, help my sister...!"
Johan turned around and spoke to the boy for the first time.
"I'll do my best."
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Johan made his travel preparations and quickly got on a horse carriage. He handed over double the fare and asked the driver to head to Azura as quickly as possible.
During the journey, he even used beast-repelling spells to eliminate as many concerns as possible. Although beasts were not a problem for him, if something were to happen to the horse, he might not be able to make it in time.
Well, the expenses already exceeded the five copper coins he would potentially get, and he was not even sure if the recommendation for him to become a licensed adventurer would be approved. In the worst case, even if he successfully completes the request, the reward might only be five copper coins.
However, he had decided to take on the request of his own free will. He believed that if he had made the decision to take on the request, he must pay any cost required to accomplish it.
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The horse-drawn carriage journey continued for a while, and Johan finally arrived at the village of Azura. He went straight to the village chief's house and explained the situation. Just because the journey ended didn’t mean Johan had time for rest and leisure.
The village chief was extremely surprised upon hearing Johan's story. The fact that the boy had come all the way to Iska was completely unknown. It seems that the boy had snuck into a merchant's horse carriage and ventured alone towards Iska.
In other words, It's not that he only chose to offer five copper coins as the reward; that was all the boy had.
Even so, supposing Rudolf didn’t make the offer of recommending Johan to become a licensed adventurer, Johan wouldn't have taken the request. He wouldn’t have taken it even if he knew about the boy’s circumstances either. He probably would have fought Rudolf as well.
"Please help Mariebelle."
The village chief bowed his head and entrusted Johan with the request. The details behind the request were unknown to Johan.
The flower that serves as the raw material for the special medicine blooms deep in the Black Forest, but the villagers are unable to go and collect it themselves. The village chief felt a sense of shame about it as well. However, if they were to request assistance from the Adventurer's Guild, it would come at an exorbitant cost. The amount required would be so significant that it would be necessary to use the kind of money that should not be used lightly.
The boy was completely unaware of the circumstances surrounding it.
Precisely because he didn't know, he was able to make the reckless choice of submitting the request.
Johan nodded and gave a simple response.
"I’ll do my best."
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Johan couldn't help but think that he lacked vocabulary skills, but well, there was nothing else to say. Indeed, it was true. There was no other answer but to do his best.
The next destination was not the Black Forest but Mariebelle's house, as informed by the village chief.
If Mariebelle was already in critical condition, Johan intended to use something precious to her... whether it was some time off her original lifespan, a body part, or something of that nature, in order to prolong her life. He knew that he couldn't cure the illness itself through magic.
That's because a treatment method had already been established.
The concept of how to cure such a disease was already solidified.
If it were an unknown, mysterious disease, Johan might have been able to do something with his magic. However, if there is an already established treatment for the disease, even if he uses magical spells, Johan's abilities would be ineffective.
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Johan met with Mariebelle and noticed that an aura of death was surrounding her.
(Not only her physical weakness, but her mental state is also a problem.)
The body can be sustained with proper nutrition or temporary medication, buying some time until death, but it's not the same for the mind.
And once the mind weakens completely, the body follows suit.
"...I see, that boy..."
As Johan informed Mariebelle about the boy, she remained lying on her bed, looking down. Her voice had no power left in it.
Mariebelle was naturally intelligent, and that's why she had knowledge about her own illness.
Yes, Mariebelle had already given up on her life halfway through.
Johan said to her in a matter-of-fact kind of tone,
"From the looks of it you won't last more than three months. You won't be able to survive this winter. However, I only need a few days to complete the mission and you will recover. They say the forest is dangerous, with monkeys turning into monsters. But I’ve killed demons that could turn humans into stone with just a glance. Monkeys are nothing compared to that. There's no problem. So make sure you rest well and don't worsen your condition."
That is the truth.
Johan had once confronted a being referred to as a demon. At that time, he collaborated with the holy knights of the central church to exorcise the demon that had possessed a nobleman's daughter. It was indeed a battle of life and death. Several brave holy knights turned into silent stone statues, but ultimately, Johan succeeded in deciphering and defeating the root of the demon's magic.
"Can... Can I be saved?" Mariebelle asked Johan in a feeble voice.
Johan nodded emphatically and clasped the girl's hand.
"Of course, you will be saved. At the shortest, it will take one day, but at the longest, it might be around four or five days. It shouldn't take a whole week. Don’t exert yourself and focus on your recovery. Try to avoid doing anything strenuous; simply resting for a few days will help you heal. Can you do it?"
"Y, Yes!"
They say illness starts in the mind.
This is not just superstition; it is indeed true.
The most simple curse in order to harm others is to convey to the target that they are, indeed, cursed.
For example, talking negatively. If you hear people say bad things about you, it can make you feel uneasy, right? If it continues incessantly, it starts to affect your physical well-being. This is the source of a curse.
A skilled wizard can do the opposite. They can imbue their words with persuasive power and influence others' thoughts. The level of persuasiveness they can achieve reflects their way of life. If they have strong beliefs and act without hesitation based on their unwavering principles, they will possess a greater power. The effects of this ability are so significant that it surpasses mere deception.
Indeed, Mariebelle felt uplifted by Johan's words, and her condition stabilized for a while.
Mariebelle was lucky. If Johan hadn't been able to buy her even a little time with this, her hair that she so beautifully maintained would’ve been ruthlessly cut down to her bald scalp and used as a catalyst as a means of prolonging her life.
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Johan had just set foot in the Black Forest when he was immediately attacked by a demonic monkey. Johan felt something strange about the situation.
Demonic monkeys are cunning, and for that reason they are also cautious.
(I thought they might be observing me and waiting to take action)
Anyway, just as Johan was about to take out a catalyst from his notebook at an opportune time, hoping to quickly deal with the situation...
Johan instantly jumped sideways through the air and rolled on the ground to evade whatever that was. Beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"...Tch! These bastards!…They’re messing with me!"
Johan did not underestimate the danger posed by the demonic monkeys. They could use tools and traps, their agility surpassed that of wild monkeys, and their physically enhanced bodies, fueled by the circulation of magic power, were so resilient that an ordinary person with a knife would not be able to pierce their skin. There was no way he could underestimate them.
Johan ran, occasionally using trees as shields to defend himself from that. A splattering sound could be heard. It was the sound of it continuously hitting the trees as a horrible smell spread everywhere.
(The odor...tiny particles invading my nose...in other words, that entered my body...I'll...kill you!!)
Yes, it was feces.
The demonic monkeys were bombarding Johan from the treetops with their shit.
If that were the only thing, Johan, being a skilled adventurer, wouldn't allow himself to be covered in filth so easily.
However, the demon monkeys were cunning...
They started to surround the tree that Johan was currently using as a shield.
If they were to throw something from behind, he would be defenseless.
Johan quickly dashed out from the cover of the tree, attempting to move to another location. But then, he tripped and fell.
It was a trap.
A primitive trap made by weaving grass growing on the ground into a loop. However, the panicking Johan fell right into it.
In the process of falling, his notebook slipped out of his pocket.
At that moment, a ball of shit came flying towards him.
Johan shielded his notebook with his own back.
He then felt a warm, unpleasant sensation running down his back.
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With an expressionless face, Johan retrieved his notebook from the shadow of the tree. He took out the snowdrop flower that had been bathed in moonlight for 90 days after soaking up the tears of a parent who had lost their daughter.
What Johan intended to use was a rare death curse.
It was classified as a class 2 forbidden spell.
If its usage were to be found out, the Magic Association would send pursuers after him. The Alliance might not interfere though. Regardless, this spell indiscriminately spreads death.
If this spell were to be unleashed, not only the demonic monkeys, but the entire ecosystem of the Black Forest would collapse. However, Johan sincerely believed that destroying the forest for the greater good of humanity and the world was the right course of action.
The effectiveness of this rare death curse varied greatly depending on how deeply the spellcaster harbored resentment, anger, sadness, and a sense of helplessness from the bottom of their heart.
The stronger their feelings, the more horrifying the curse would become.
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This is a story from a country that no longer exists.
The crown prince of that country was engaged to a duke's daughter. The duke's daughter worked hard to become a supportive princess, even undergoing rigorous education on how to become a good princess.
As the duke's daughter achieved results through her daily efforts, the crown prince gradually began to feel distant from her. The reason being that everyone around him praised only the duke's daughter's efforts and loyalty, while overlooking him.
In order to maintain their honor, the two of them appeared to have a very harmonious relationship on the surface.
However, deep inside, the crown prince harbored envy, jealousy, and these feelings gradually transformed into hatred.
Then, one day, a baron's daughter, who carried a secret ulterior motive within her, tried to seduce the crown prince.
After various twists and turns, ultimately, the crown prince fell for the baron's daughter's scheme, and she manipulated the crown prince to her advantage, creating a strong negative image of the duke's daughter.
Sadly, the crown prince's parents, the king and queen, were foolish. They wholeheartedly believed the words of the cunning baron's daughter and turned against the duke’s daughter.
The situation escalated beyond just the exclusion of the duke's daughter, growing bigger and bigger, eventually leading to the complete dismantling of the duke's family itself.
The duke went to negotiate with the king, but it was perceived as treason, and he ended up receiving the punishment of death by hanging.
To make matters worse, the crime of treason usually extended to family members as well.
The duke's daughter's mother and young brother were also captured and executed...
As the captured duke's daughter awaited her execution the next day, she cursed the crown prince, the baron's daughter, the king, the queen, the people of the kingdom, and the entire kingdom itself.
In the dead of night, she let a drop of blood fall into a glass and spoke to the water that was mixed with her blood... It was originally just a frivolous pastime of commoners, but that was all the desperate duke's daughter had to cling to, highlighting her pitifulness.
But she was serious.
At this moment, it might have been unfortunate that the duke's daughter possessed exceptional qualities as a sorceress.
She had the talent.
If that's the case, what matters next is the way it’s made. The most important aspect of a curse is how deeply one can infuse it with pure and sincere emotions.
The duke's daughter shed overflowing tears of intense resentment into the glass and cursed with all her might.
As a result, the entire kingdom, down to the very last person, bled from their eyes and burned to death in agony.
This sorrowful yet gruesome tale has been performed as a play countless times and sung by bards, making it a story known to many.
In this way, “stories that everyone knows" can be considered a form of collective consciousness. Wizards are those who draw power from it.
To harness that power, tangible and intangible catalysts are needed. As a metaphor, they are like keys that must be used in order to open a box to the collective consciousness.
These catalysts can take the form of easy to grasp items like flowers and crystals, which Johan frequently uses. Alternatively, there are more unique forms of catalysts that exist.
For the rare death curse, the required catalyst is the snowdrop flower. This cute, white, bell-shaped flower, which blooms in the now-destroyed kingdom, is the national flower of that kingdom.
In floral language, the symbolic meaning translates to "I wish for your death."
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"As the maiden's tears shatter, blend with the powdery snow. At the scene of execution, blood of resentment runs down thy cheeks. Shatter, oh heart. Freeze, oh soul. Let life cease and bloom, Oh white bell..."
—flower.
Just as Johan was about to continue, he snapped back to his senses. He realized that if he destroyed the forest, the flower he was asked to retrieve would also wither.
However, a menacing aura surged through the forest, and the demonic monkeys scattered in retreat. Could this be a secondary effect of the spell?
Although his coat had become a sacrifice, as the back of it was still covered in shit, Johan's expedition continued smoothly.
Finally, he safely reached the depths of the forest and found the desired flower. Spread out before him were beautiful flowers similar to roses with deep purple petals.
Johan was momentarily captivated by their beauty, but he quickly collected the necessary amount and retraced his steps through the forest.
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Johan returned to the village late that same night.
He explained the situation to the gatekeeper and was allowed to enter the village. However, considering the late hour, he decided to borrow a stable and get some sleep. It’s not like there were no places to stay in the village, but it wasn’t possible to get a room at that hour.
He threw away his coat and was now wearing a spare one.
The next morning, Johan went to meet the village chief and reported the completion of the request.
The village chief was overjoyed and called for the village doctor…
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"...This should be enough. If she takes the medicine for about ten consecutive days, she should recover."
Mariebelle smiled and nodded in response to the doctor's explanation. Once she had regained her composure, Johan handed over the request form and asked Mariebelle to sign it.
Johan stopped Mariebelle, who kept bowing and expressing her gratitude, and spoke with a faint smile.
"You haven't recovered yet. Don't push yourself too hard. Also,the amount of flowers I gathered should be sufficient for you to recover... But if, hypothetically, another epidemic occurs and another person needs flowers, I’ll charge you 50 silver coins. It's slightly cheaper than the market price."
Mariebelle blinked rapidly and nodded seriously. The doctor let out a bit of an awkward laugh.
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After returning to Iska, Johan went straight to the guild and reported the completion of the request.
"Wow, that was fast. Indeed, you received her signature. Here are five copper coins for now. Of course, that's not all. Here's a copy of the letter of recommendation for the adventurer license of Iska’s Adventurer's Guild. I have the original. Once the completion of the request has been confirmed, you need to hand it to the guild master. Most likely, the recommendation will be approved. Do you need any explanation about licensed adventurers?”
Johan shook his head in response to Rudolf's question.
"No need”
Johan had little interest in the boy who cried about his sister's illness, the sister herself who was afflicted by the disease, or even the concept of licensed adventurer itself. The most important thing for Johan was to be respected and have his efforts properly recognized.
Therefore, even if the recommendation for him to become a licensed adventurer didn't go through, he wouldn't hold any resentment towards Rudolf because of it.
Johan's attitude may not have been mature, and he may not have been very reasonable. However, just accepting being disrespected by someone just for the sake of not causing trouble would be unacceptable not only to himself but also to those who appreciated and valued him.
Rather than receive such disrespect, Johan believed that it would be better to die. But instead of dying himself, it would be easier and quicker to kill the person who disrespected him. That was the thought process of the wizard Johan.
The reason why the organization Johan belongs to, the Alliance, is often referred to as a group of killers is largely due to the fact that the wizards affiliated with the Alliance are highly individualistic.
They have their own unique philosophies and rules, which they place great importance on. This is an extreme example, but let's say there is a wizard in the Alliance who has a rule that they don't want anyone to use their left hand in front of them. He or she would make an effort to communicate this to those around them. However, if that rule is not respected, they would easily kill someone without hesitation. They wouldn't hesitate to kill even a child with a calm expression on their face.
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Johan was lying in bed that night, looking at his notebook. His notebook had originally belonged to his mother.
When he thought about his family, Johan felt the conflicting pressure of hatred towards his father and love for his mother weighing on his mind, causing his heart to metaphorically groan in pain.
The heat of his father's blood as he slit his father's throat and bathed in it!
At that time, Johan watched with a somewhat detached demeanor as his heart, which had been frozen until then, was thawed by the heat of his father's blood.
(If I could, I would kill that man again and again and again. I wonder if the elder Jaham could have given life to that man again.)
Elder Jaham is a wizard in the Alliance, known as the puppeteer. He manipulates humans as his tools, confining their spirits within vessels and giving them temporary life to serve his purposes. Jaham always carries a doll, his granddaughter, which is so intricately crafted that one would not notice it’s a doll without being told. If you compare him to all the eccentric wizards in the Alliance, he’s a relatively mild-mannered old man.
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The next morning Johan headed to the guild. In terms of financial gain, yesterday's request wasn’t very profitable.
(Although I'm not in desperate need of money, if I’m not careful, my wallet quickly becomes empty... Iska has good food and drinks and I tend to spend too much on them.)
While not to the extent of being an alcoholic, Johan enjoys drinking to a certain degree. Alcohol helps relax his mind and helps loosen him up. Johan is aware that he tends to perceive things in a gloomy manner, so he finds that alcohol helps him in a positive way to unwind.
Sometimes Johan realizes that if he doesn't occasionally loosen up his brutal and serious nature, he might eventually be driven to make destructive decisions out of preference. That's why he sees alcohol as a means to calm himself.
That's what Johan believes.
(He has been criticized by his "family" for rationalizing his drinking habit... It might be true that he's just trying to justify it. Nevertheless, good alcohol and good food add some color to life. To earn the money to buy them, he needs to work.)
He wants to do a request that provides good money as a reward and poses low risk. As he was looking at the request board he heard someone’s voice call out to him from behind.
“Based on that appearance… Are you perhaps…a wizard?”
When he turned around he saw a red haired girl standing there with a smile on her face.
“I’m Cecil. I’m looking for someone to help me…Will you listen to what I have to say?”
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"......I see. A one-eyed giant snake, eh?. Quite a challenging target indeed. That snake is resilient and strong, making it difficult to defeat with swords or knives. If there are no magicians among you, then why did the client assign you guys a target he knew you weren’t capable of dealing with?"
Johan expressed his perplexity, and in response, the girl sitting beside Cecil replied with a frustrated and resentful tone.
"The one who assigned us this task is that pig from the Brahi Company! He fell in love as soon as he saw Cecil and started hitting on her. Then when he realized she wasn't interested, he began harassing us as well! Even giving us this request…He knows it isn't suitable for us!"
The girl shouted in anger as her dark purple hair flung around.
Her name is Liz, and she serves as a scout in Cecil's party.
Beside them, there was a large woman with dark skin, scratching her head and giving a wry smile. Her hair had a mysterious color that could appear pink depending on the lighting. Her name was Sheila, and she had the role of providing heavy firepower in the party, wielding a large hammer as her weapon.
Cecil, Sheila, and Liz were a party of three women.
Johan, who was asked by Cecil to listen to her story, walked with them to the guild house, which served as Cecil's base. There, accompanied by her companions, Sheila and Liz, he listened to the details of the request.
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(The Brahi Company... Brahi... Brahi...)
Johan envisioned a library in his mind.
Then, he searched through it to see whether he had heard of something called the Brahi Company in the past.
This is a common technique among wizards and scholars, known as the so-called mnemonic technique. For wizards like Johan, who draw power from folklore and anecdotes, it can be considered an essential skill. The reason is that the world is filled with hundreds and thousands of stories, but it is impossible to remember all of them using normal methods.
Johan employed a technique where he treated his memorized information as if it were contained in a single book, constructing a virtual library within his mind. He would then retrieve the necessary information as needed...In Johan's case, this was his method of memorization.
Of course, there are various methods to this mnemonic technique. For example, certain scholars might associate memories with different parts of their bodies, such as their fingers. By rotating their index finger clockwise once, they can trigger the retrieval of specific memories associated with that gesture...This conditioning allows them to recall information in this way.
"I'm sorry, but I’ve never heard of the Brahi Company before. From what I gather, it doesn't seem like a very reputable company”
"Huh? You call yourself an adventurer from Iska and yet you don't know about the Brahi Company? Are you a fraud? Cecil mentioned that you seem to be a decent wizard but it seems we shouldn't expect too much from you," Liz responded, giving Johan a look as if to say, ‘Is this guy in his right mind?’
However, Johan was not so petty as to get angry at Liz, a self-proclaimed scout girl who was even lower rank than Gaston.
"You're quite the insolent little brat. What kind of education have Cecil and Sheila given you? If we were out in the wild right now instead of town, I would have beaten you to death and fed you to the stray dogs. The way your physique is built, your demeanor...You’re undoubtedly a weakling. I could kill you in two seconds. You bitchy little weak brat. I’d only feel bad for the dogs that would struggle trying to find some meat from your pathetic body.”
(Hey, don’t say that. I've only just arrived in Iska)
Because Johan’s not that petty, he can maintain his polite, public opinion, However, he had mistakenly mixed up giving his polite statement with stating his true feelings.
Johan's eyes widened as he realized his blunder, hastily correcting himself.
"I apologize, I mixed up my true feelings with what I wanted to say to you and misspoke. The previous statement was my true feelings but what I wanted to politely say out loud was, “Hey, don’t say that. I've only just arrived in Iska.”
