Tres Brauer, the seventh-ranked Court Mage of the Wethered Kingdom, was tidying up documents in his room.
He was twenty-seven years old, with flaxen hair neatly styled and dressed in primarily green attire.
Though young, his abilities as a Court Mage were undeniable, and he was also a wind elemental mage known by the epithet “Wind Wielder.”
It had been seven years since he became a Court Mage at the tender age of twenty. Tres, having grown significantly as both a person and a mage, was currently occupied with preparations for an upcoming monster subjugation.
Monster subjugations were typically undertaken by adventurers or mages commissioned by the Mage Association, but this instance was different. In this case, Tres, a Court Mage, had to lead the Mage Corps and the Knights into battle. The reasons were many, but the primary one was that the monsters were too powerful.
A horde of ghouls was currently making its slow advance towards the capital city. They had already devoured an entire small town, and adventurers dispatched to deal with them had all become their prey. Ghouls did not normally form packs. However, this time, they numbered over a hundred. While they lacked intelligence and moved slowly, the observed movements of these ghouls were reported to be as swift as those of a combatant. However, this agility seemed to be limited to when they spotted prey, and their march towards the capital remained slow.
“It can’t be called fortunate… With victims already claimed, we should consider it an unfortunate situation.”
Although casualties had occurred, it was a stroke of luck, a small blessing amidst misfortune, that their presence allowed for an early detection. Had they been discovered closer to the capital, widespread panic would have been inevitable.
“In recent years, magical beasts have been acting strangely. Not only are their actions abnormal, but I can’t shake the feeling that they are evolving.”
Tres sighed. He knew that dwelling on it would be pointless, yet the increasingly frequent damage caused by magical beasts in recent years, and the fact that these creatures, known for a long time, were exhibiting behaviors not previously recorded, were resulting in many victims. Even the Knights, who trained for both human and magical beast combat, were frequently outmatched, causing him anxiety.
This was precisely why the Court Mages were needed. The Court Mages of the Wethered Kingdom were the twelve foremost individuals, holding a distinguished position and title. Although there were noticeable vacancies, Tres’s standing as seventh-ranked indicated his considerable skill, a fact acknowledged not only by those around him but by himself. Yet, above him, there were still those who ranked higher. There were vacant positions above his own.
He wouldn’t deny having the ambition to climb higher, but Tres, still young, was not in a hurry. He believed that if he continued to gain experience and achievements over time, he could eventually occupy the vacant sixth and fifth positions. For this purpose, he continued to strive. Since his youth, when magic was his sole talent, becoming a Court Mage had granted him an aristocratic title and territory. He learned to manage his domain, endeavoring to operate it so that his people could live with smiles.
Though originally from a Count Family, Tres, who did not care about the distinction between commoners and nobles, was admired by his territory’s residents, and his lover was a commoner. While his family seemed displeased by this, he had no intention of allowing them to complain, even to their son, a Court Mage. Such was the power held by a Court Mage. Furthermore, this monster subjugation was a direct order from the King himself. Success would surely earn him the King’s favor. Indeed, success was not an option.
“It’s reassuring to see you living a life that seems to be going smoothly, my old friend.”
“—Who’s there!”
Startled by the sudden voice, he stood from his chair and glared at the person in the room, whose presence he had not sensed at all. In terms of raw power, the other party might be superior. However, when it came to magic, no one could rival a Court Mage.
“Show yourself.”
As he spoke with a sharp tone, a figure emerged slowly from the shadows of the room. The moment he saw the figure’s face, Tres’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Could it be… Barnabas?”
“It has been a while, Tres Brauer, my friend.”
The lean, thin man with long gray hair was someone Tres knew well. They had honed their skills together seven years ago as fellow Court Mage candidates. Regrettably, Barnabas had not become a Court Mage, but he had promised to support Tres by joining the Mage Corps as a friend. However, that promise remained unfulfilled, and he had disappeared. It went without saying that Tres had searched for Barnabas. Along with another contemporary, they had searched through every contact they had, but they found nothing.
Tres had concluded that Barnabas was simply shocked by being the only one of the three contemporaries who didn’t become a Court Mage, and he had continued to wait for Barnabas to recover and reappear before him someday. However, he had never expected him to appear so suddenly, and Tres’s surprise was immense. At the same time, a surge of joy welled up within him.
“I’m so glad. I was worried about you. Seven years have passed since you disappeared; where have you been, and what have you been doing?”
“I wanted to reconfirm myself in various ways. I changed my name and dedicated myself to fighting as an adventurer.”
“You could have at least contacted me?”
“My apologies. But I had my own circumstances. By the way, my visit isn’t just to celebrate our reunion. I heard that three promising Court Mage candidates have been murdered in succession recently?”
“You’re quick to hear things. Unfortunately, it’s true. One of them was my disciple. I had been looking after him for the past few years, and it pains me.”
Tres felt the emotions that had been running high with the reunion with his friend begin to subside. Tres himself was pleased by the emergence of Court Mage candidates after seven years. While the Court Mages were not a close-knit group, it was desirable for all twelve positions to be filled for the sake of the country. Around three years ago, there had been an attempt to select Court Mage candidates, but ultimately, they lacked the necessary skill, and the matter had fallen through without them being formally recognized as candidates.
Finally, names worthy of being Court Mage candidates had been put forward. The fact that his disciple was among them had made his joy even greater. However, regrettably, that disciple had been murdered just the other day.
“I heard they were talented individuals, like we once were. The culprit who murdered such candidates must be… exceptionally skilled.”
“The Mage Association and the Royal Palace believe so as well. Ah, my apologies. I cannot keep my friend standing indefinitely. Please, have a seat. I received some excellent wine recently. Let’s drink together like we used to.”
“Then, I won’t refuse.”
They sat down on the sofa together, opened the wine, and raised their glasses.
“To our reunion.”
“To our reunion.”
While drinking wine, Tres and Barnabas continued their conversation. Although it was mostly Tres initiating topics and Barnabas responding, the reunion with his long-lost friend undoubtedly soothed his weary heart as a Court Mage. Affected by the wine, Tres became quitetalkative. He reported his recent activities and even confessed his desire to eventually marry his lover. Barnabas casually offered words of congratulation, delighting his friend.
“However, you’ve changed too. I think you were a bit brighter before; you seem to have a shadow about you now. No, I apologize if I offended you, but I can’t help but notice.”
“A shadow, you say… I’ve experienced many things. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been immersed in battles, constantly seeking only to become stronger. It’s understandable if I’m said to have a shadow.”
“I see. It seems a lot has happened to you. If you’re willing, I’d like to hear about it. By the way, what brings you here today? I would have welcomed you without you having to sneak into my room.”
“My apologies. I wasn’t sure if you, now a Court Mage, would agree to meet with me after we parted seven years ago. As I mentioned earlier, I have another purpose besides our reunion. But first, I need some information.”
“Information?”
Tres tilted his head.
“It’s not anything too difficult. What I want to know is about Jared Murphy. I heard he’s the only surviving Court Mage candidate.”
“Ah, him. He’s apparently the son of Lady Liz Murphy and the grandson of Baron Daum, the Sword Demon. I hear his skills alone are considerable. He has already undertaken and completed numerous commissions from the Mage Association. In terms of sheer ability, he’s certainly worthy of becoming a Court Mage. But what about him?”
“I’ve looked into that and heard something interesting.”
Barnabas’s eyes flickered with emotion, but Tres failed to notice. Was it due to the wine, or his trust in his friend?
“I heard he’s engaged to Lady Olivier Alway, the Duke Alway’s daughter?”
“That’s quite well-known in the capital. Lady Olivier, while around our age, has a reputation for nothing but bad rumors. It must be difficult for him to be engaged to someone like her. But what’s that got to do with anything?”
“I find it hard to believe, but I suspected that his nomination as a Court Mage candidate might have been due to the influence of the Duke’s family. Perhaps his skills are indeed satisfactory, like ours were in the past, but if he used the power of the ducal family to advance—that is unacceptable.”
