Chapter 52:《The Adventurer of the City》 – (4)
(I)
“Th-The Grandius!!”
“Prime minister….”
The palace meeting room of the fortress city ‘Nevirthol.’
The hero, Vellius Grandius, enters, supported by soldiers.
The kingdom’s Prime minister, Lilianel Greenfield, greets him with a face full of worry.
“What happened?! Are you alright?!”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Although he had been directly hit by the Behemoth’s horn, his body, strengthened by his status as a hero, had sustained no major injuries.
He didn’t cough up blood or bleed, only developing a large bruise.
…In fact, the person in worse condition was the female knight Yuna, who had been attacked at close range.
She had lost consciousness and was immediately taken to the medical room.
But to Lilianel, who was solely concerned about the hero, this news seemed of little importance.
“Thank goodness….”
“Ch-Prime minister….”
After confirming that Vellius Grandius was unharmed, Lilianel lets out a sigh of relief.
As her legs seem to give out, her secretary, Roderick Whitefin, quickly supports her.
“Haa….”
Sitting down on a chair in the meeting room, Lilianel sighs again.
After taking a sip of the water in front of her, she asks about the Behemoth that had cornered two members of the hero’s party.
“…So, what exactly was that monster? How did something like that get inside the city?”
An S-rank monster, the Behemoth, had suddenly appeared within the city walls.
This was not just any region but Nevirthol, a city equipped with a fully established defense system.
To Lilianel, it was utterly incomprehensible.
“We’re still not sure how the monster got in. While it’s referred to as a Behemoth, this one was far larger than a normal one.”
It was the holy knight, Daniel, the only uninjured member of the hero’s party, who answered her question.
Wiping away the cold sweat on his brow, he spoke as if recalling something horrifying.
“…Even if we assume it was a mutant, its strength was overwhelming. If we hadn’t managed to stop it, that Behemoth alone could have destroyed several cities.”
“That powerful?!”
Lilanel’s eyes widened in shock at Daniel’s words.
She had expected the monster to be exceptionally strong, given that it had overpowered the hero’s party, but she hadn’t imagined it could destroy multiple territories.
‘Wait, if it’s a monster of that level….’
A creature capable of obliterating several territories by itself and far surpassing the hero’s party in strength.
This was reminiscent of…
‘Elzerba….’
The progenitor vampire, Elzerba.
“Haha….”
Lilanel felt chills running down her entire body.
A monster comparable to Elzerba in strength—thankfully, the Behemoth lacked intelligence.
If it had possessed exceptional intelligence, facing it would have been akin to dealing with another Elzerba.
The thought alone was terrifying.
“Thank goodness….”
Lilanel let out a sigh of relief, grateful that they had somehow overcome this crisis.
A far greater threat had narrowly passed them by.
“…That aside,”
She takes a deep breath to calm her racing heart and turns her gaze toward a white-haired female adventurer leaning nonchalantly against the door of the meeting room.
“Who is that adventurer?”
The mysterious and beautiful adventurer radiated an air of intrigue.
Among Lilanel’s acquaintances, no one had such an appearance.
Perhaps it was someone she couldn’t remember, but one thing was certain—this person wasn’t authorized to enter the meeting room.
However, seeing the adventurer being led into the meeting room by the hero himself, Lilanel couldn’t help but feel a sense of displeasure.
“Ah, this adventurer is the one who defeated the Behemoth on our behalf.”
Sensing Lilanel’s feelings, Vellius Grandius hurriedly introduced the adventurer. In response, the adventurer bowed her head slightly.
“…I’m Isera.”
“…!!”
Upon hearing the introduction, Lilanel’s expression brightened.
She seemed intrigued by the white-haired adventurer, prompting Daniel to add further explanation.
“She completely annihilated the Behemoth with a chantless instant-death magic spell.”
Having witnessed Isera’s confrontation with the Behemoth firsthand, Daniel began enthusiastically recounting the event.
“At the moment of crisis, she appeared, clenched her fist, and the Behemoth instantly froze and shattered. It was an incredible magic spell I’ve never seen before.”
“Chantless instant-death magic…?”
Lilanel repeated Daniel’s words in a daze. Her mind began racing.
…The blessing bestowed upon humanity by the gods: magic and mana.
To use magic, one must always chant beforehand to activate their internal mana. This was an immutable truth of the world.
Yet in her over a thousand years of life, Lilanel had only ever seen one individual capable of casting magic without chanting—a being who twisted the world’s rules.
“…Elzerba.”
The ash-haired vampire who could detonate heads within a certain radius without uttering a single word.
Lilanel had never imagined that someone else capable of using chantless magic—a power that distorted the world’s principles—would appear.
If such a person were to exist again, they would either be the greatest ally or the most dangerous enemy, second only to Elzerba.
“Skipping chants, huh….”
And now, standing before her was a white-haired adventurer, whose origins were unknown, claiming to wield the same chantless magic that only Elzerba had been known to use.
Someone who, like Elzerba, could bend the world’s rules, had reappeared after a thousand years.
“…Are you serious?”
Lilanel asked in a calm yet firm voice.
This time, however, her gaze was not directed at Daniel or the hero but at the white-haired adventurer, Isera.
“Yes.”
Isera nodded curtly in response. She provided no additional explanation or comments regarding the chantless magic.
“Show me. Right now.”
Lilanel pushed the water bottle in front of her to the center of the round table in the meeting room as she spoke.
Her intention was clear: prove it to her by performing the same magic right here, right now.
“Haa….”
Understanding the meaning behind her words, Isera let out a soft sigh and slowly raised one hand. Her pale, delicate palm extended toward the water bottle.
“….”
The eyes of everyone in the meeting room fixated on her. An unnerving silence settled over the space.
It was a situation that would have made anyone else uncomfortable, but Isera seemed completely unfazed. She clenched her outstretched hand into a fist.
Clink.
The water bottle Lilanel had placed on the table instantly froze, then shattered into pieces with a crisp sound. The chantless magic amazed everyone in the room.
“Unbelievable….”
“See?! I told you it’s real!”
While Roderick Whitefin gawked in disbelief, Daniel bounced excitedly like a child, shouting triumphantly. The burly knight’s enthusiasm only made Lilanel nod blankly.
“…Yes, it’s true.”
Her eyes struggled to focus. Her chest felt heavy, and her mind raced. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of thoughts flooded her brain.
Who exactly was this adventurer named Isera?
Where had she come from, and how could she use chantless magic?
How had someone with such power remained unknown until now?
Why had she only now appeared before Lilanel?
“…”
…There were many doubts and questions about Isera.
As of now, there was truly nothing known about her.
However, there was one thing Lilianel could be certain of.
That adventurer was strong.
Incredibly strong.
“…Amazing.”
Liliane’s lips curled into a wide smile.
Her face broke into a beaming grin, her cheeks turning bright red.
“She’s amazing, absolutely amazing.”
Before long, she even rose from her seat and started clapping.
With loud applause that echoed in the room, she turned her gaze to the hero, Vellius Grandius.
“…Grandius, how many spots are open in the hero’s party right now?”
“Party spots?”
With the dismissal of Judith Evergrit and the death of Maiden Alice, two positions in the hero’s party had remained vacant.
After a brief moment of thought, Grandius let out a sigh and answered.
“They’re still open. The review process has taken longer than expected.”
Grandius had been conducting interviews with S-rank adventurers in Nevirthol over the past few days to fill the vacancies in the hero’s party.
However, choosing companions to entrust with his back required caution, and the deliberation had prolonged the selection process.
“Still open? That’s perfect timing.”
Given that the battle with the progenitor vampire was imminent, prolonging the recruitment process would only be detrimental to both the hero and Lilianel.
But the green-haired elf smiled meaningfully instead.
“You said your name was Isera, right?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect!”
At Lilianel’s question, Isera answered curtly.
Then Lilianel boldly pointed her finger at the white-haired adventurer.
“As the Prime Minister of this kingdom, I appoint you. From today, you shall serve as a member of the hero’s party to protect the Avilia Kingdom.”
Without any formal review process, without consulting the hero, and without even asking Isera for her opinion, Lilianel unilaterally appointed her as part of the hero’s party.
“Ch-Prime minister?”
The sudden declaration left the hero, Vellius Grandius, dumbfounded.
“My party? I barely even know who she is…!”
In a hero’s party, the hero’s opinion was paramount in selecting members.
Caught off guard by Lilianel’s impulsive decision, Grandius wore an awkward smile full of disbelief.
Following his reaction, Roderick Whitefin, the Prime minister’s secretary, quickly added his input.
“That’s correct, Prime minister. While it’s true this adventurer made a significant contribution, we know nothing about her. The hero’s party must consist of trustworthy and clearly identified individuals. To appoint someone without due process…”
“Oh, be quiet.”
Before Roderick could finish, Lilianel cut him off irritably.
“I’ve lived for over a thousand years. I can tell who is trustworthy just by looking at their face.”
…Besides,
“…I’ve finally found the perfect candidate I’ve been looking for. I can’t just let her go, can I?”
A mage who could use chantless magic like Elzerba.
An adventurer who had defeated a monster that overwhelmed the hero’s party.
She might even possess power comparable to—or exceeding—that of Elzerba, the accursed progenitor vampire.
How could Lilianel simply thank her and let her walk away?
With uncertainty surrounding the hero’s ability to face Elzerba, Isera was like a treasure chest that had rolled into Lilianel’s lap.
…No matter what, Lilianel needed to recruit her and prepare for the battle against Elzerba.
“But Prime minister, shouldn’t she at least go through some paperwork and an interview? This goes against the fairness of the hero’s party selection process.”
“Ugh, so annoying.”
Roderick once again appealed to Lilianel.
But as she looked at her obstinate secretary, who kept insisting on proper procedures, Lilianel clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“Fine, fine. We’ll do it. The evaluation process.”
Then she reluctantly turned to the hero and asked.
“…What about you, Grandius? Do you object? Are you against it?”
Finally, Lilianel asked the hero for his opinion about Isera joining the party.
After a brief moment of thought, the hero opened his mouth.
“Well, to be honest, I don’t really mind.”
Grandius wore a bright smile.
“I’ve already seen her skills firsthand. If she harbored ill intent toward us, she wouldn’t have stepped forward in the first place. And most importantly…,”
He cautiously approached Lilianel and whispered sweetly into her pointed ear.
“…It’s your decision, Lilianel. I’ll follow whatever you decide.”
“Heh…”
At his words, Lilianel chuckled in satisfaction.
Of course, this was a bond that had been built over a thousand years.
Lilianel’s decisions were the hero’s decisions, and the hero’s thoughts aligned with Lilianel’s.
As long as the world remained intact, the hero would never oppose Lilianel.
“…What do you say, Roderick? Isn’t this enough evaluation? Grandius has approved.”
“Wait, that’s…”
Roderick’s face froze at Lilianel’s claim that simply asking the hero constituted a sufficient evaluation.
“At least ask her some proper questions…”
“Oh, just stop.”
Once again, Lilianel dismissed her aging secretary’s objections.
Realizing that his protests would fall on deaf ears, Roderick finally lowered his head with a resigned sigh.
“…Understood.”
“Good attitude, Roderick.”
Lilanel looked at her secretary with a mix of mockery and triumph.
She couldn’t understand why he kept making unnecessary objections when he would ultimately yield in the end.
…Then, she turned her gaze back to Isera.
“How about it? You don’t have any complaints, right? If there’s anything you want—money, power—I’ll give it all to you.”
Lilanel’s tone implied that Isera shouldn’t worry about joining the hero’s party for free.
To her proposal, Isera curtly nodded again.
“Understood.”
There was no additional demand, hesitation, or deliberation.
The word “understood” escaped Isera’s lips without a moment’s delay, and Lilianel grinned like a victorious conqueror.
“Great, I like your decisiveness.”
Lilanel spoke while staring at Isera with eyes full of ambition.
“Welcome to the hero’s party. From now on, support Grandius and me to the best of your ability.”
…Yes, I don’t know the extent of your strength, but under the name of the “hero’s party,” fight that accursed vampire in my stead.
“…I’m counting on you.”
With your magic, freeze that vampire for eternity.
This time, make sure she doesn’t wake up even after a thousand years.
***
(II)
‘This is doomed.’
Watching Lilianel appoint members to the hero’s party without following any procedures or protocols, Roderick’s frustration boiled over.
‘To think she added an adventurer of unknown origins to the hero’s party—this is unprecedented.’
The hero’s party wasn’t just any group; it symbolized power that went beyond conventional authority.
For this reason, countless noble heirs and aspiring knights had worked tirelessly for a chance to be chosen.
As such, the selection process was usually accompanied by strict interviews, thorough background checks, skill evaluations, and a host of other rigorous steps.
Yet Lilianel had blatantly disregarded all of these procedures.
Even if this fact remained hidden from the public for now, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar once it came to light.
More concerning, however, was the choice of adding an adventurer of completely unknown origin to the party without any investigation whatsoever.
While it was true that Isera’s strength couldn’t be ignored—especially her ability to use chantless magic—Roderick still had deep reservations.
After all, it was the first time in his long life that he had seen anyone use magic without chanting.
…The problem, however, was her identity.
She wasn’t a widely recognized figure, nor was she the child of some noble family.
There wasn’t a single shred of clear information about her.
For all they knew, she could be a spy from the demon faction or an agent of the progenitor vampire.
To add someone to the hero’s party based solely on their strength, without any investigation, was something Roderick simply could not accept.
No matter how reckless or lazy the Prime Minister might be, ignoring such basic protocols was inexcusable.
Order and balance stem from adhering to fundamental procedures, after all.
‘…There are too many things to doubt.’
What’s more, the exaggerated title of “a chantless mage who defeated a monster that overwhelmed the hero” only added to Roderick’s suspicions.
Nevirthol was a fortress city where ordinary monsters couldn’t even set foot.
Yet this so-called impenetrable city had somehow been breached, with an unprecedentedly powerful monster appearing within its walls.
…And coincidentally, a mysterious adventurer happened to be there at the right moment to eliminate the monster with a single strike.
Was this truly all just a coincidence?
Was it really a coincidence that the Behemoth appeared within the city, and that Isera, the adventurer, happened to be there to defeat it?
What if this was a staged act by Isera herself?
What if the Behemoth had been summoned by her, designed in such a way that only she could defeat it?
…What if her ultimate goal was to gain the trust of the hero and Prime Minister and infiltrate their ranks?
“…This just added more work to my plate.”
Roderick let out a sigh, shaking his head.
Even as the Prime Minister and hero failed to devise a clear strategy against the progenitor vampire, Roderick had been the only one taking proactive measures.
From hiring the Stormhound Mercenaries to buying time, to orchestrating Judith’s prison break and sending her to the royal capital to address the kingdom’s corrupt leadership—he had already taken on more than his share of burdens.
And now, with Isera’s suspicious entry into the hero’s party, Roderick found himself saddled with the task of monitoring her closely.
With neither the hero nor the Prime Minister harboring any doubts about her, if she truly turned out to be a spy or an enemy agent, the consequences would be catastrophic.
…It was up to Roderick to prepare for such a possibility.
“This is exhausting.”
Later that Night
Under the red full moon.
Roderick’s gaze, unusually heavy, lingered on the horizon.
—
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