Alvin was surprised by the unintelligible words that came out of the princess’s mouth, and Marius was captivated by the beautiful young girl who suddenly appeared before him.
However, he quickly recalled the current situation and mulled over the words spoken by the girl.
“Are you speaking the Firmiyan language?”
Her voice, musical and clear, conveyed her words perfectly. Marius nodded in response.
“Yes, it’s the Firmiyan language. What language do you speak?”
The girl murmured, “As I thought,” and then stated firmly, “We speak the Taliant language. This is, after all, the Taliant Continent.”
Marius felt as if scales had fallen from his eyes. He wanted to curse his past self for not even considering such a possibility. Nonetheless, he was overjoyed to find someone he could communicate with. At the same time, he confirmed that this world was at least consistent with FAO, and to his surprise, Marius wasn’t as shocked as he expected. He had been prepared for it, and the feeling of “as expected” had won out.
“I happened to have studied it, but the others cannot speak it. I hope you can understand.”
“Ah, rather, I’m relieved that at least one person can speak with me.” It was the truth. He had little confidence in how much he could communicate through gestures alone. Having even one person with whom he could exchange words was a great relief.
“By the way, who are you?”
“My apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I am Princess Lovisa of the Kingdom of Filat.”
Seeing the girl elegantly curtsy by lifting the hem of her skirt, Marius nodded, thinking it was as he expected. Her beauty was unlike anything he had ever seen, and the white dress she wore along with the blue necklace sparkling on her chest were clearly expensive. Her speech and mannerisms were refined, a woman who looked every bit the maid stood behind her, and most importantly, she was being escorted by a King. Since he had been greeted by a princess of a kingdom, he felt compelled to return the greeting. He removed his hood and bowed deeply.
(Black hair?)
Bernhard III and his companions were first drawn to the color of Marius’s hair. The mage was younger than they had imagined, and his black hair and black eyes, unusual on this continent, along with his stubble, left a strong impression.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Marius Tuban. Please call me Marius.”
“Understood, Lord Marius. Thank you very much for saving us from danger on this occasion. On behalf of us all, I express our gratitude.”
In unison with Lovisa, they all bowed their heads. Though it might have looked comical to an outsider, it was unavoidable as there was no one else who could communicate. They all agreed that he was younger than they had expected. When they thought of a mage with great power, they often pictured an old person. Of course, it was possible that he knew the secret to eternal youth. Unaware of their thoughts, Marius smiled.
“Not at all. We all need help sometimes.” Perhaps it was a remnant of his previous life that he bowed back to those who bowed to him. Seeing Marius lost in thought, Lovisa chuckled.
“Despite possessing such power, your humble demeanor is truly admirable.”
It seemed he had been greatly misunderstood, but since the atmosphere was friendly, Marius did not correct her. It also suited his personality not to act arrogantly.
“Then, allow me to introduce my party.” First was Lovisa’s father, Bernhard III, King of the Kingdom of Filat. A middle-aged man wearing a crown. His close-cropped golden hair and beard, and his dignified green eyes were striking. He was about Marius’s height, perhaps 175 centimeters in his original world. Next was Emma, the maid. She had short chestnut hair and sharp blue eyes that exuded a strong will. She was likely around 160 centimeters tall. Then came the captain of the guards, Alvin. A muscular giant with dull blond hair and blue eyes. He looked well over 190 centimeters. Following them were Josiah, Hans, Raymond, Hogan, Eric, Peter, Simon, Stefan, and Theodora, nine in total.
As Lovisa finished her introductions, Bernhard III spoke. “Since we are here, we would like to invite you to the royal palace and express our gratitude properly. Lovisa, please inquire about Lord Marius’s availability.”
Upon hearing Lovisa’s translation, Marius couldn’t help but think, “(They say they want to show gratitude, and I don’t doubt it, but they probably want to make me a tool in their hands.)” It was only natural, given that he had effortlessly defeated the opponents that had given his guards so much trouble. However, Marius himself had no connections or knowledge in this world, so having someone back him up was certainly beneficial. If that person was royalty and could speak his language, it might be the best outcome.
“(The question is whether this person rules with benevolence.)” Perhaps a lingering trait from his past life, he couldn’t help but be concerned about that. If they were a wise ruler, there would be no problem, and even if they weren’t, he might be able to cooperate if they were trying to govern justly. However, he would want nothing to do with tyrants or foolish rulers.
“(I won’t know for sure until I see the country for myself.)” Dwelling on it wouldn’t help. Marius interrupted his thoughts and spoke to those watching him for an answer.
“Excuse me. I am uncultured and lack manners, and I fear I might not behave appropriately should I be invited to the royal palace.”
Lovisa looked puzzled but translated for him. Then she conveyed the King’s reply. “We are not so shameless as to ask such a thing of our savior. Furthermore, Lord Marius’s conduct and speech are far from what one might call uncivilized.” Lovisa paused, then continued with some warmth, “I agree wholeheartedly. Please do come.”
Marius couldn’t refuse them now. However, while Lovisa might be interpreting, the King’s unusually humble attitude struck him as odd. He didn’t think it was overly conceited to suspect they were after his power. If they wanted his power, they wouldn’t treat him strangely, but it was still wise to remain vigilant. Marius nodded, thinking this.
“If that is the case, I gratefully accept.”
Upon hearing Lovisa’s translation, a sense of relief washed over the King and his retinue. Marius wasn’t someone they could force, but he was also not someone they could simply leave alone.
“By the way, how shall we travel? Our horses seem to have all been incapacitated.” He could actually use revival magic to bring the horses back to life. However, the status of revival magic in this world was uncertain. So, Marius decided to remain silent until they brought it up, and posed his question. Lovisa’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
When she spoke to Raymond, he grinned proudly and placed his right hand on the ground. Muttering a few words, his hand emitted a brilliant light, and several black shadows appeared. As the light faded, the black shadows grew and became three-dimensional, finally taking the form of horse-like creatures.
“This is summoning…?” Marius’s surprised utterance was clearly heard by Lovisa.
“You know of it? As expected of you,” she said with an admiring smile. Marius nodded vaguely in return. Honestly, he was quite surprised. He wondered if the battle against the Wyvern would have gone differently had this been used. Raymond muttered something self-deprecatingly to Marius.
“It would be good if I could use powerful familiars. Mine are only capable of transportation and reconnaissance. That’s why I’m also a mage.” Lovisa translated that Raymond had said this. Marius was relieved to hear the familiar term “mage” and impressed by the fact that he had two professions.
“It’s impressive enough that you can use them for travel and reconnaissance with two professions. I, or rather, I cannot use summoning magic at all.” Both Lovisa and Raymond blinked in surprise at his words. Contrary to popular belief, summoning and magic were entirely different systems. Marius could not use summoning magic, nor could he communicate with monsters or wild animals, which were supposedly essential for summoners, nor did he have a familiar. Unless, of course, he had two professions like Raymond. If he had engaged in such “detours,” it would have been impossible to achieve his current status. It was understandable that Lovisa, who seemed unfamiliar with magic, didn’t know, but Marius had not expected Raymond, a summoner himself, to be surprised. He revised his assessment of his own abilities and the impression he gave to others.
“Is that so? It must be difficult to do everything alone.” Lovisa murmured, and Raymond nodded in agreement. Bernhard III then spoke. “Raymond, I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you please inform the royal palace about this incident and our guest?”
“Yes, I shall dispatch a messenger immediately.” He placed his right hand on the ground again and chanted a spell, summoning a bird-like familiar. Its black form, as large as an adult man, was familiar to Marius.
“Black Owl…?”
“Lord Marius, you know of the Black Owl?” Lovisa overheard his muttered words and translated them for everyone. Raymond spoke to Marius, impressed.
“As expected of you, Lord Marius, you must have defeated it single-handedly. In my case, I borrowed the help of two trusted knights. After all, the agile Black Owl is almost a natural enemy to mages.” Marius could barely hide his astonishment at Lovisa’s translation. Familiars used by summoners were either defeated and subjugated or gained through negotiation. It wasn’t surprising that he had defeated the Black Owl and made a contract with it. A discreet check revealed Raymond’s level to be sixty, second only to Alvin’s seventy-eight. The idea that Raymond, despite the advantage of knowing his opponent, needed two front-line fighters against a Black Owl was hard to believe.
“(It seems there’s something else besides levels that’s off…)” He didn’t know what it was, but decided it was better not to speak rashly. Incidentally, Emma was third highest at fifty-seven, Bernhard III was thirty, and Lovisa was only sixteen. It seemed the two royalties were not skilled in combat.
“Indeed, that speed is troublesome.” He responded passively, as the atmosphere didn’t lend itself to casually discussing his magic practice. There was probably no need to hide it now, but it wouldn’t do to ruin the current mood.
“You are too modest.” Raymond smiled and began muttering again. He was having the familiar memorize the message. When Raymond finished, the familiar flapped its wings and flew off to the upper right from Marius’s perspective, likely in the direction of the royal castle. Black Owls were intelligent enough for that, and familiars could be trained.
“Then, Lord Marius, please get into the carriage.”
“Eh? Are you sure?” Marius couldn’t help but react that way to Lovisa’s offer. Being invited to the royal palace, it was natural for him to be treated with a certain level of courtesy. However, was it really appropriate for royalty to sit face-to-face with a complete stranger in the confined space of a carriage? Feigning ignorance of Marius’s confusion, Lovisa smiled.
“Of course. You are a valued guest, Lord Marius.”
Sensing the potential danger of their scheme, yet believing he could handle it if necessary, Marius followed Lovisa’s suggestion and boarded the carriage.
