Duncan

Duncan is not with Weise.

He served in the army, and his lover's illness was incurable in this remote Weise. He considered seeking help from the bishops of the empire or Royal Capital, but they were either too far away or too expensive.

His husband, Gluck, was just a fallen nobleman and didn't have that much money.

If, like the corrupt nobles of the past, they exploit the people of Weise, surely they will have enough funds to cure her illness.

He harbored some resentment towards Gluck, but felt that this resentment was unreasonable.

So he decided to do it himself, climbing the ladder by any means necessary.

They have power and money.

The Continental Magic Association once said that if someone becomes First-Class Mage, Serie will grant them one wish, bestowing upon them any magic they desire, including the magic that can save them.

But this rule was issued too late.

He missed it.

Because he was in the army.

So this was the last time I saw my beloved wife before she fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't make it either.

He's climbing the ladder by any means necessary.

He was adept at framing, framing, and assassinating, thanks to his father-in-law's teachings.

To gain money and power, I must cure her.

What about the others?

It didn't matter; all he knew was that she was his only light.

In any case, most of them aren't completely clean people either.

He is Second-Class Mage.

Because First-Class Mage must go to Oysast, and he doesn't have the time.

But what's the truth? He's Macht's apprentice, a mage who can fight Macht.

There are indeed mages stronger than him.

But in the power struggle...

They were reduced to beggars on the streets.

Some were wrongfully imprisoned.

His few friends, Lairen, that timid but honest boy, would probably have become just like these guys without Duncan.

But now he's Serie's apprentice, which is great.

He, Duncan, is the chief Court Mage.

He, Duncan, can now even influence national policy decisions.

However, this applies only to the [Empire].

Weise, located in the Northern Plateau, is not part of the empire's territory.

Only First-Class Mages are allowed to enter that area now.

He wanted to visit his wife's grave.

He is over seventy years old.

Time has left its mark on his face.

Weakened in strength? If it were a warrior, an ordinary human might no longer be able to lift a weapon or wear heavy armor.

But he is a mage, and his magic does not weaken.

Let's go then.

First-Class Mage.

He wants to become First-Class Mage.

As Court Mage, he participated in the First-Class Mage exam, which was open to Level Fifth-Class Mages.

He wasn't confident enough to believe he would definitely pass. Having the strength of First-Class Mage was one thing, but whether he could pass the exam was another.

But he has no shortage of ability and experience.

But then he met that woman.

The woman he once admired most.

After all, when he was a child, legends about the hero Himmel and his party defeating the Demon King circulated around him.

The Frieren the Slayer.

"I will defeat Frieren." He held his staff high during the exam.

He attacked fiercely, dancing and fighting his idol for about ten minutes.

Then it failed.

"Reveal the whereabouts of the Stille." The idol's emotionless voice rang out.

He remained silent.

"Is that so, Laufen? You should be nearby. If you don't come out, I'll kill him."

Because of his age, his slightly overweight body was kicked to the ground by the elf, his buttocks sticking out, making him look somewhat comical.

The elf's foot stepped on his buttocks, and the tip of his staff gleamed.

"Can you hear me, Laufen? Come out now."

The old man has been defeated... but Frieren isn't on guard against me right now. I can rescue the old man... Laufen thought to himself, hiding behind the tree.

She is Lairen's granddaughter.

"Don't come out, Laufen. Your magic has already been seen by Frieren once." Duncan tried hard to tell her, but his strength was no longer enough to make his voice reach Laufen's ears.

This distance is definitely enough... Laufen thought.

"You'll get caught... Don't use High-Speed Movement magic..." Duncan continued, but his voice still couldn't reach the other side.

"Whoosh!"

Laufen tried to carry Duncan away, but Frieren grabbed her by the collar, like a kitten being choked.

"Well..."

Laufen and Duncan were bound to a tree by magical chains.

"You shouldn't have come out. You know she wouldn't kill me."

"But she plans to torture you with magic, old man," said Laufen, who was dressed in a cheongsam and had her hair in a bun, giving her a somewhat Chinese look.

"Even so, we'll still win..." Duncan sighed.

Like a flood, the water swept a man towards them.

The middle-aged man was their teammate, and he was also defeated. Duncan used his legs to hold him down, preventing him from being swept away by the floodwaters to a place where he could not see him.

"Thanks," the man said.

You're welcome.

"Laufen, can you untie the ropes? We've lost our magic."

"How is this possible... these magical chains are too strong..."

"Then cut down the tree."

"Whoosh!"

The large tree fell down with a crash.

"Ugh, I don't have much magic left, so I can't use the High-Speed Movement spell... I lost."

"..." Duncan paused for a moment, but continued walking forward.

"Hey, Duncan, we've run out of magic. What are you going to do in this state?"

"... So what? The exam isn't over yet."

They found three candidates.

Two were alive, and one was a corpse.

The two survivors were still tightly embracing the Stille, even though the exam would be a failure if any one of their teammates died.

"You're going to negotiate with them? Rich people can certainly do that; this thing is useless to them anyway."

"If I were them, I would never hand over the Stille."

"Why?" Laufen asked.

"Because I'm unhappy."

Duncan stood up.

"Hey... what are you doing, Duncan?" the middle-aged man asked. "We've lost our magic."

"You know they're in the same boat as us," Duncan replied. "Do you know what Court Mage would do in this situation?"

He silently began to unbutton his mage robe, revealing a somewhat overweight but muscular physique.

He tossed the mage's robe aside.

"They will struggle ugly until the very last moment." He appeared before the two candidates.

"I... no way... okay..." the middle-aged man muttered, "This outfit of mine is very expensive... sigh, sigh, okay."

The middle-aged man stood behind Duncan.

Duncan's fist collided with the opponent's fist.

In the setting sun, Duncan stood shirtless as Laufen applied medicine to his wound.

Beside him, the cage containing the Stille stood silently on the ground.

"..." Serie looked at Duncan.

"Court Mage Duncan, magician serving in the army... I've heard of you."

"To be honest, I would have preferred to see you when you were young, full of vigor and ambition... I have no interest in someone who's past their prime."

"Is it different now?"

"When you saw me, did you think about how to fight me?"

"Perhaps, but I gave up in just a moment."

Serie's magic is more than a hundred times greater than his.

"You've passed; you're not completely exhausted yet."

"You said you sensed a powerful magical force around Golden Land..." Duncan, simmering soup on the ground while looking at the purple-haired girl opposite him.

"Yes, the magical reaction disappeared in an instant. Maybe I was mistaken..." the purple-haired girl replied.

"We are now very close to the Golden Land, and 'curses' that cannot be recognized as magic often affect the accuracy of our magical perception."

"For example, I couldn't sense your magic, even though you're right in front of me right now."

"However, I'm not a senile old fool who overestimates his own abilities."

It's always better to be careful.

The purple-haired girl handed Duncan a bowl of soup, Duncan took and drank a sip of.

"However, if what you're saying is true..."

"That guy must have deliberately approached the Golden Land when Frieren was analyzing Macht's memories and her magic was sluggish."

"It's highly likely that it's lurking nearby, and even the three of us can't detect its presence."

"If that's the case, that guy must be a master..." Frieren weakly, resting her head on the purple-haired girl's lap. "If she can evade Fern's magical perception, I'm afraid I won't be able to sense her anymore..."

"... We can only pray that the magic perception is malfunctioning," the purple-haired girl said. "Make sure you chew it well before swallowing, Frieren."

"Ouch, ouch... Chew, chew, chew. It's so hot... Blow on it for me, please." The elf pouted and pleaded.

"I just can't do anything with you..." the purple-haired girl said helplessly.

"Shouldn't we eat more vegetables too?" Duncan said.

"It seems so," the purple-haired girl replied. "Come on, open your mouth."

"Hmm... feed me as much as you like... it will take about two months to break down the barrier. During this time, you'll need to feed me, help me change clothes, bathe me, and braid my hair..."

"Isn't that just like usual...?"

I don't want to eat onions...

"No...!"

"It's my fault for leaving leftovers... please don't..."

Frieren watched helplessly, tears welling in her eyes...

Her hair was braided into triangular braids by the purple-haired girl, making her look like a country bumpkin.