45 – Invasion of Matap (1)
The red Matap is famously known for its high nose bridge. It is located in the capital of the empire protected by the royal family, so there was a lot of interaction with the high nobles.
Of course, there is also a yellow Matap in the capital… but that’s an exception.
Because Brain attribute magic is so difficult, there are not many people who want to learn it.
Thanks to that, only the red Matap is overflowing with disciples.
Anyway, thanks to that, the red Matap has never lacked in wealth and talents.
The children of high nobles have always visited to learn magic at least once.
Thanks to that, the nose of the red Matap grew as high as the sky.
To the point of surpassing their authority.
And that was also true for Richard, the senior researcher who was in charge of the counter today.
“Darn it, the world is going crazy…”
The red Matap has six ranks divided into stars.
One star is an apprentice researcher.
Two stars are official researchers.
Three stars are senior researchers.
Four or five stars are elders and veterans.
Six stars are the head of Matap.
And Richard was a senior researcher equivalent to three stars. Although it may seem low with only three stars, considering the number of elders and veterans above him, he could definitely be called a high-ranking officer.
With dozens, hundreds of disciples under his command, power naturally comes.
“Even if there’s a lack of talent in the world, that’s not it. Accepting a dark magician as a hero?”
He didn’t like this situation at all.
A dark magician becoming a hero, what a ridiculous concept.
Since ancient times, dark magicians have been considered harmful to humanity and at the same time, were the closest to the Demon King. Recently, due to a few enthusiastic dark magicians, their reputation has improved somewhat… but if you dig deeper, it couldn’t be denied that they were villains.
And Richard belonged to the faction strongly against those dark magicians.
But to make matters worse, the fact that the hero was a dark magician and even had access to the auction house in Matap where I belong… there was no way to hide the truth.
Sometimes I had thoughts like this.
No, maybe the hero was never really suitable.
Just hearing the news from the banquet hall, you could tell there wasn’t a single decent person. I heard that they didn’t get along well with the party members either.
And to top it off, they learned black magic.
Maybe the gods made a mistake in choosing the hero.
Or perhaps it wasn’t really the hero, but something disguised as one. That’s what I started to think.
While spending time filled with suspicion, annoyance, and discomfort, news came once again.
“What? That guy bought black magic tools for a huge amount?”
From Noble mtl dot com
A foul stench fills the air. At least, that’s how he perceived it. Because of that, he made a decision.
“For now, let’s refuse the sale.”
“What? But the auction is already over…”
“What if something goes wrong with the black magic tool?”
“But this is just a procedural issue…”
“Are you refusing the order of your superior?”
That’s when he immediately halted the sale.
Of course, he didn’t make this decision blindly. By halting the sale in this way, they would surely come here to argue.
Then, they would have a conversation. What is the reason for wanting to buy this, what they plan to use it for, and so on…
And if the reason is convincing, he would resume the sale. Even throw in a discount during the night.
At least, that’s how he thought it would be a good approach.
But he was mistaken…
This was a clear case of abuse of authority, and he had crossed the line.
The hero was not a reasonable being that could be negotiated with.
Thanks to that, the price would be paid by the innocent victims…
For now, the hero did come back as he expected. However, in a much more extreme way than he anticipated.
*
Violence has always been an excellent means of communication.
Whenever humanity faces a major revolution, violence always plays a role.
What is the reason for this?
It’s because there are plenty of bastards in this world who would simply ignore words. That’s why we have to open their ears first.
And from what I can see, this mausoleum belonged to that category.
Kwang!
I purchased a suitable iron sword from the store and swung it as it was.
The door seemed to not have any reinforced magic, as it easily gave way.
“Kraak!”
“What is this guy doing barging in here?”
Indeed, there were mages clinging to my feet as if they were flies.
Among them, there were a few who seemed to have combat experience, calmly commanding the surroundings.
Mostly 3rd and 4th tier mages.
I looked at them and said,
“Bring the person in charge.”
I demanded my belongings.
“How dare this guy aim for the Matap Lord! Unacceptable!”
“He won’t take another step forward!”
Of course, the mages, like annoying racist bastards, tried to keep me from advancing. Magic circles were spread throughout. A clear sign of hostility.
There’s no choice. I just have to break through blindly.
I imbued my entire body with magic power.
I gather and strengthen the subparticles, making them as solid as possible. I intertwine them to enhance cohesion.
It was a bit difficult since it was my first time, but it still worked somehow.
As I was creating such a thin shield, an alert popped up.
[Congratulations!]
[You have acquired ‘Magic Power Shield’!]
Finally, I obtained it. It’s a defensive skill.
Although it’s closer to a common skill, it will be useful until I switch to a different defensive skill.
I trusted my shield and charged forward. Magic flew from all directions, but it was only mildly stinging.
“That guy won’t stop!”
“Argh! What is his purpose in barging in like this!”
I pushed one person aside and said,
“I came to have a conversation with the person in charge.”
“Nonsense!”
“Do you really think I’ll just let you in obediently!”
Of course, I didn’t hear it properly. But if that’s the case, then I can only move forward. I swing my sword towards those guys. Filled with magic power, the shock wave spread in all directions as I slashed diagonally. Some weak wizards flew away as they were. If I had directly attacked, even a 3rd-level mage would have been fatally wounded… but I had no intention of killing. No matter how heroic you are, killing someone who roams freely within the empire is a big problem. A cowardly hero can turn into a mad murderer in an instant. Even though it may seem like I act recklessly, I was constantly weighing the line. After swinging a few times, a passage to the upper floor opened up. Some wizards were going up to the upper floor to witness the situation, but I let them be. The more it spreads to higher and greater people, the better. That way, the probability of repeating these annoying tasks decreases. I have to show them that I’m crazy. As I took a few steps like that, a different figure blocked my way this time. “Stop! You can’t take a step further!” A 4th-level mage. An elder. A middle-aged wizard wearing a magnificent mage robe draws a magic circle. “Enough!” “The elder himself has come forward!” “It’s over now!” The lower-ranked wizards who saw him cheered. They were confident that the elder would definitely stop me. Well, that’s expected. Elders are on a different level no matter where you go. Whoosh! A hot fireball gathers in the sky. It seemed like an enormous magic power was drawing each other in the air, creating a whirlwind. Without hesitation, he threw it at me. I could only prepare myself for this. I raise my magic defense to the maximum, activating blood circulation acceleration and combat focus, and grasp the form of Bright Ryu swordsmanship. Bright Ryu swordsmanship is fundamentally a defensive swordsmanship. If you know the flow and timing of magic, you can bounce off any magic. Ting! Just like this. “No, how is this possible!”
The elder lad seemed astonished. I approached him without hesitation and pressed the pain mark into him.
The pain I bestowed was just a superficial wound. It was a common pain that one could occasionally experience in their daily life.
Since my opponent was a feeble wizard, I went easy on him.
“Argh…”
The lad with the black sword groaned and fell to his knees.
People around us appeared surprised.
“Dark magic!”
“This lad is a dark magician!”
The elder with a pained expression said, “Young man, what’s your purpose?”
“It’s nothing special. I just came here because I have a request. I plan to have a few conversations with the top senior.”
“Do you expect me to believe the words of a wicked dark magician like you?”
“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that I’ve decided.”
“Unfortunately… Master Matap is not here right now.”
Not here?
It seemed he had gone on a business trip for a moment. Come to think of it, even in the game, Master Matap often left the tower.
But that’s okay. I hadn’t explicitly planned to meet Master Matap in the first place.
“It’s okay. As long as it’s a high-ranking person, it will be enough.”
“He won’t do… He can’t…”
The lad kept repeating, “He won’t do.” It seemed he was determined not to let me pass, even if it meant dying.
Why was he blocking me so vehemently? Even though we had exchanged blows and used dark magic, our conversation had been calm and civil.
In any case, I had gained nothing from him. I intended to move forward again.
That’s when I heard another voice.
“I’ll handle those demands. Allow me.”
It wasn’t a loud voice, but it was distinct.
The voice was more akin to an elderly man rather than a sturdy adult male.
I turned my head to look in his direction.
“I never expected to see a hero here.”
A 5-star mage, an elder.
His tone was calm, but his face was filled with tension.
I don’t know if I’m angry because of my own arrogance, or if it’s because of the chaos caused by my abilities. I can’t tell because I have no self-awareness.
“Finally, someone who will listen to me has appeared.”
“It seems that you, sir, are even more difficult to communicate with than I had thought.”
Perhaps it’s simply because of a curse.
Still, it seemed like we could have a conversation. It seemed that he had enough ability to listen to what I wanted.
I casually placed the sword on my shoulder and asked.
“So, you’ll fulfill my demands?”
“Yes, that’s correct. However, there are conditions.”
He raised one finger.
As if to say that if he didn’t listen, he wouldn’t do anything.
Finally, he calmly said one sentence.
“How about a match against me?”
