After leaving a pile of gifts for the Fire Bats to carry into the valley, the group set off along the narrow mountain trail. They weren't numerous, but every member was worth their weight in gold.
Ganis chatted with Downs along the way. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is your master's name? We've come twice now, and it'll be difficult to explain things to His Majesty otherwise..."
"Ah, to be honest, I'm not yet one of my master's formal disciples. But he said I could tell you his surname: Tesla."
"Your Excellency Tesla?" For some reason, just hearing the name made Ganis and the other powerful figures around him think of the image of the God of Thunder, who had appeared amid terrifying flashes of lightning.
Needless to say, the first impression had made a deep impact.
Having learned the name, Ganis led the others in showing their respect. They placed one hand over their chests and bowed to the Legendary Fire Bat perched on Downs's shoulder.
They couldn't have been more respectful.
Everyone knew that this Fire Bat was the eyes and ears of Legendary Archmage Tesla. They did this purely out of courtesy and respect; they had no idea what those "eyes and ears" were capable of.
Well, through the soul link, Laifu could provide images about as good as a 4K high-definition security camera on Earth, plus night vision and Dolby surround sound.
In fact, this fellow could even share ultrasonic perception, though that wasn't something humans could hear.
Thanks to Laifu, even though Lein couldn't leave the valley, he still felt like he was playing a story-driven first-person-perspective adventure game.
It was a strange feeling: the other party knew you were watching, but thought you were using nineteenth-century film, while you were actually watching in 4K ultra-high definition.
Ganis continued chatting. "If Lord Quijote succeeds in dealing with that Mage Tower, what does he plan to do next?"
"Uh, I haven't decided. I'll ask my master when the time comes. I have a feeling he'll want me to travel around."
"If you're going to travel, you should find some followers to protect you. Even a hundred years ago, when magic was at its peak, Formal Mages and those above them traveled in groups."
Master Famite chimed in warmly. "The Cervantes Kingdom will be your staunchest ally."
Downs felt a little awkward. "Well... my master doesn't seem to care much for your kingdom. If you don't mind, I'd like to put together a small party at the Adventurer's Guild."
Adventure was a romance reserved for the young.
Though Downs had undergone strict knightly training from childhood, his desire to explore the unknown, seek adventure, and roam free in a vast world had never died.
Seeing the longing in Downs's eyes, Ganis gave a wry smile. He exchanged a glance with Famite and immediately understood what the other man was thinking.
To be fair, a novice Mage like this, even one who had reached the high ranks, could easily have met an early end a hundred years ago.
The world was cruel. Nobody would go easy on him.
If Downs acted too recklessly, even the Duchy of Cervantes couldn't protect him.
But having a Legendary Mage for a master changed things.
For all they knew, his master might tear open space the next moment and beat the shit out of whoever had offended his disciple.
The powerful could be absurdly unreasonable when it came to protecting their own, and they didn't need to justify it.
What else could Ganis and the others do?
Just take good care of him.
Ganis had already planned to pamper the young lord, but after they'd walked for a while, Downs suddenly said, "Right. My master prefers to keep a low profile."
With that, he clapped his hands, and a dazzling shimmer suddenly enveloped him and the Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse beneath him.
His outfit didn't change much, but Bo Le became an ordinary-looking yet handsome horse, while Laifu turned into a regular pet owl.
Bo Le expressed his displeasure with startlingly humanlike indignation, snorting and puffing. Only after Downs stuffed several carrots into his mouth and patiently explained that the human world could be dangerous did Bo Le snort and reluctantly agree.
The party continued on. Fortunately, Downs, who had trained as a Knight Apprentice, was not only in excellent shape but also lacked the pampered habits of the spellcasters described in history books. They got along remarkably well.
It took them ten days to leave the Vulture Dragon Mountain Range and reach Cervantes City. As a kingdom's capital, it couldn't compare with the capital of the Barbarossa Empire. Its fifteen-meter-high walls were certainly imposing, but they could only impress a "country Mage" like Downs.
Lein, watching from afar, merely went, "Oh," and thought no more of it.
They crossed the fifteen-meter-wide moat over a drawbridge and reached a city gate wide enough for four carriages to pass abreast. There, Downs noticed the strange looks people were giving him.
The entrance seemed to have three lanes, but in reality there were only two.
One line was for commoners, the other for armed adventurers.
The commoners hardly dared look over. Just glimpsing Ganis and his escort was enough to make them lower their heads and bow. Naturally, the adventurers were the ones who dared stare openly.
When they caught sight of the bright purple-blue robe with its lightning emblem, they couldn't look away.
"A Mage?"
"That can't be! There aren't any Mages these days, except those frauds who call themselves Formal Mages but can only cast tricks."
"He must be a Sorcerer!"
"But he looks completely normal!"
The adventurers began to stir.
This was an age when magic had faded, but that didn't mean nobody could use it.
Sorcerers were the exception.
Mages learned the knowledge and principles of magic, then cast spells according to carefully studied rules. Sorcerers, by contrast, were the arcane antithesis of Mages.
Sorcerers didn't rely on knowledge or logic when casting spells. They relied purely on instinct, or awakened the magical talent in their blood, releasing tremendous explosive energy through their bodies.
The classic Sorcerer was descended from a race adept at magic. Perhaps they were the descendants of noble ancient dragons, or had bathed in dragon blood as an infant, filling themselves with the power of dragons.
Or perhaps they were born in a vortex of magic, which infused them with chaotic power.
Compared to Mages, who used the power of order to control magic and cast spells methodically, Sorcerers were the perfect example of people who could only use magic at noon, because they were bound to be done for sooner or later.
Just imagine it: when pulses of Arcane Energy beat beneath your skin, urging you to let them loose, what would you do?
Blast everything apart?
Or restrain yourself, slowly probing the limits of what your body could endure?
Or gradually raise those limits?
Sorry, but even Sorcerers themselves didn't know where their limits lay, let alone anyone else.
That was why adventurers had mixed feelings about Sorcerers. They wanted to borrow their magical power, but feared that these people might suddenly lose control and turn themselves into walking bombs.
Interestingly, people in this world were classified by profession.
People in different professions usually wore badges on their chests or sleeves to tell others who they were.
The adventurers waiting at the gate craned their necks, but couldn't spot a single badge.
When they tried to move closer, they were startled to see just how formidable the escorting party was. The group was even entering through the nobles' gate, so the adventurers sheepishly looked away.
Ganis asked, "Shall we head to the State guesthouse to rest first?"
"No! Let's go straight to the Adventurer's Guild."
"Very well. As you wish, Lord Quijote."
The Adventurer's Guild in Cervantes Royal City stood in the south of the city. That morning, a Mage young enough to be absurdly so pushed open the hinged wooden doors of its hall, whose outer walls were lined with marble sculptures and statues of famous adventurers.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he gave a graceful bow.
"Good day, everyone! I'm looking for a few companions to go into the Noan Mage Tower with me. Decent sorts, please—no troublemakers." His tone was calm, his face youthful, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.
Ordinarily, a novice like him would have been mocked and teased by the veterans in the guild.
But no one did.
A figure made of lightning stood beside him, its outline identical to his and perfectly mirroring every one of his movements.
That opening line left the entire hall stunned!
Before you continue