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Chapter 78 – The Magician of the Realm (2)

Milena asked with a hint of apprehension.

“You don’t mean to move personally, do you?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“If I deal with the mage, I can obtain the materials needed to understand the mysteries. There’s a chance that mage has some of them. It’s killing two birds with one stone.”

‘That’s not the main reason, though.’

Ketal had learned alchemy.

He could now handle some of the world’s mysteries.

It was natural to want to test new powers once obtained.

Given his current state, he could handle the mysteries.

He wanted to confirm that.

“Um…”

Milena, who had been trying to persuade Ketal, hesitated.

Did she really need to stop him?

Ketal was strong.

His power surpassed the level of a superhuman.

He could handle the mage as easily as a cake on a table.

That would solve one of her problems.

‘Wait?’

Wasn’t this actually a good thing?

“Well… then, please take care of it.”

Ketal nodded.

The next day, Ketal asked Arkamis if she knew about the mage.

“Isn’t it the one bothering Milena? I know about it.”

“Can you tell me the information?”

“The Deep Rooted Tree School.”

Arkamis explained calmly.

“It’s a school that creates domains using alchemy. Within their domain, they wield considerable power.”

The Deep Rooted Tree School was one of the prominent schools that handled alchemy.

It also emphasized the importance of a mage’s domain.

Upon reaching a certain level, one had to leave the master to create their own domain.

Only then could one be recognized as a proper mage.

“The mage attacking Milena is probably one of them. They’ve become independent but lack the funds to create a domain, so they took on a commission.”

Alchemy materials were not cheap enough for a newly graduated mage to afford.

Many mages took on commissions to gather money this way.

“And that commission is the attack on the Akasha family?”

“Probably commissioned by a noble, right? Nobles do spend lavishly.”

Ketal, pondering for a moment, asked.

“If the domain is created through alchemy, it can be countered with alchemy as well, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me about the characteristics and countermeasures of the Deep Rooted Tree School?”

“I can, but why? It’s something that fundamentally requires understanding mysteries, which you can’t use.”

Arkamis, tilting her head in curiosity, suddenly stopped.

“Wait. Are you planning to confront the mage?”

“There are many benefits. Plus, I owe Milena, so it’s a way to repay her.”

“Huh?”

Arkamis was taken aback.

Independence from the Deep Rooted Tree School meant having top-notch skills.

Although Ketal was exceptional, he was still a beginner.

There was no way it would work.

Trying to face a mage with only a rudimentary understanding of alchemy was sheer arrogance.

Arkamis, who was about to persuade him otherwise, closed his mouth.

‘Has his confidence grown too big?’

Thinking back, it wasn’t surprising.

Ketal had made rapid progress.

As a barbarian who initially knew nothing of mysteries, it was natural to be intoxicated by his achievements.

‘He’s reached the peak of folly!’

It’s a path everyone goes through: a beginner becoming arrogant over some success.

She had experienced it too.

Suddenly, Ketal seemed endearing.

After a moment’s contemplation, Arkamis spoke.

“Alright. I’ll tell you. Ask anything you’re curious about.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Arkamis explained the characteristics and countermeasures of the Deep Rooted Tree School to Ketal.

A few hours later, Ketal headed out.

He was going to face the mage.

‘He won’t die.’

No one had ever died facing a mage.

Still, he would undoubtedly have a hard time.

He might be trapped in the domain for a full day without escape.

Giving a painful lesson to a disciple drunk on arrogance was part of a mentor’s duty.

In her mind, Ketal had already become her cherished pupil.

‘What should I do when he returns?’

Should she comfort a disheartened Ketal?

Or sternly scold him?

To maintain her authority as a mentor, she could personally face the mage.

Although it was outside her contract with Milena, it wasn’t a big deal to endure some hardship for a disciple.

Ketal would then look at her with respect.

The thought of that gaze made her happy.

“Hmph.”

She hummed a cheerful tune.

* * *

“So this is the place.”

Ketal arrived at the forest where the mage was said to reside.

The location was quite far from the capital, a journey that would take several hours on foot.

However, Ketal arrived in just a few minutes.

Ketal looked at the forest.

The air felt different.

Although he couldn’t sense the mysterious forces, he could tell it wasn’t the usual scent of a forest.

“Let’s go.”

With an expectant expression, Ketal stepped into the forest.

* * *

In a roughly built tree house within the forest, the mage, Dragosar, gazed affectionately at the catalysts hanging on the wall.

His eyes were full of love.

“My precious babies. How much are you worth?”

These were catalysts that would have taken years to acquire under normal circumstances.

But he had obtained them in just a few months.

It was all possible thanks to the enormous reward he received for merely troubling a single noble.

“Hooray for generous nobles.”

At this rate, he could create his perfect domain rather than stay in this temporary dwelling.

“Master sure scared me about how hard it would be to create a domain, but it’s nothing.”

Dragosar’s expression changed after a while.

“Still, it might be getting dangerous.”

The family he was troubling was the Akasha family, the most influential in the Denian Kingdom.

For now, they were just being annoyed, but they would soon reach their limit.

‘Well, I can just run away when it gets too risky!’

Mages weren’t the type to act according to plans; they were obsessed with magic.

Just as Dragosar was thinking lightly about the situation, a pulse of mana spread through the air.

It was a boundary pulse that he had set to alert him if anyone entered his domain.

“Another mercenary, huh.”

Mercenaries sent by the Akasha family had shown up occasionally.

This one was likely another of them.

Dragosar snapped his fingers.

“Eyes of the outskirts, open.”

The view from the outskirts of the forest opened up.

He saw the figure who had entered his domain.

“…Huh?”

A surprised voice echoed.

“A barbarian?”

A barbarian was entering the forest.

“Have they resorted to hiring barbarians now?”

Dragosar sneered.

The physique certainly looked strong.

‘…No, really strong.’

The muscles visible through the clothing, the height that seemed almost inhuman.

Dragosar swallowed reflexively.

But it was still just a barbarian.

Before the greatness of magic, such strength was powerless.

Dragosar waved his fingers, and the domain began to move according to his will.

“Oh.”

Ketal felt the change.

In an instant, thick fog appeared, obscuring his vision.

It didn’t just block his sight; the fog had a physical force that disturbed his senses.

“Just as Arkamis said.”

Ketal had prepared countermeasures for this.

He took out alchemy materials from his pocket and began to mix them.

Dragosar’s eyes widened as he watched.

“What the…”

A barbarian doing alchemy?

Although it looked like beginner-level alchemy, it was still unmistakably alchemy.

‘It’s fascinating, but…’

It felt like watching a lion chew grass.

Interesting but meaningless.

Such a level of alchemy couldn’t penetrate the fog.

It wasn’t a matter of the effect but of the quantity.

The amount of catalyst Ketal had was barely enough to fit in his palm.

In contrast, the fog covered the entire forest.

There was no way that small amount could clear the forest.

Dragosar was about to lose interest and let the barbarian wander until he got tired and left.

But then, Ketal, holding the catalysts, raised his arm.

Power surged through his muscle fibers to his arm.

He swung his arm.

BANG!

A fierce shockwave swept through the forest.

Dragosar’s house shook violently, and Dragosar, startled, grabbed the table and sat down.

“What the hell!”

He quickly checked his vision again.

His eyes widened.

The fog that had filled his domain was completely gone.

He saw trees and grass bent and flattened by the wind.

“Oh, it works.”

Ketal swung his arm again with a satisfied expression.

“Indeed, alchemy can counter it. This is fantastic.”

‘That’s nonsense!’

There was no way that rudimentary alchemy could dispel the fog he had created.

He had set up all the countermeasures for that.

The reason the fog had disappeared was simple.

When Ketal swung his arm, the wind pressure blew away all the fog.

‘What kind of lunatic blows away an entire forest’s fog with just the strength of their arm?!’

It was an absurd situation, but surprisingly, it was an effective strategy.

The Deep Rooted Tree School specialized in creating domains.

If you physically dispersed the power within that domain, it would dissipate.

Ketal continued to walk leisurely forward.

Seeing him slowly approach, Dragosar hastily waved his hand.

Woooong.

A dark, thick shadow spread across the forest, a domain magic that distorted the sense of distance and blocked vision.

“This time it’s this, huh. I think… I was told to counter it like this.”

Ketal once again created a catalyst using alchemy and raised his arm.

Then, he swung it.

BANG!

The result was the same.

The forest shook, and the shadow disappeared.

Dragosar tried several other spells, but they were all shattered.

Ketal muttered in a small, trembling voice.

“This is alchemy. The power of mystery.”

‘No, it’s not!’

It’s just physical strength!

Dragosar wanted to scream.

Meanwhile, Ketal kept approaching slowly.

“Ugh, ugh.”

Dragosar’s face turned pale.

He was going to die.

His mind went into a panic.

At some point, Ketal reached the front of his house.

“So this is it.”

Thud.

Ketal stepped closer.

Dragosar, terrified, waved his hands frantically.

“Bind him. Swallow him! Bottomless swamp, engulf the earth!”

“Oh?”

Instantly, the ground around the house turned into a swamp, starting to suck everything in.

It was his last resort.

He was using up all his catalysts and expending his entire domain, but his life was far more important.

As Dragosar scrambled to escape, Ketal stomped his foot.

The ground shook.

The conjured swamp exploded, sending mud and debris flying everywhere.

The ground cracked as if an earthquake had struck.

The house collapsed.

Dragosar, like a powerless human, clutched his head and curled up amidst the rubble.

“Aaahhh!”

Rumble….

Finally, the tremors subsided.

Dragosar cautiously lifted his head.

In the middle of the destruction stood the barbarian.

“Oh dear. What a mistake.”

He should have used alchemy, but he instinctively relied on his physical strength.

Ketal regretted it and lifted his head.

“Are you the mage? Nice to meet you. That was fun. It was the first time I saw such magic.”

The barbarian sincerely praised him.

Dragosar, staring at him blankly, opened his mouth.

“Please spare me.”