Escaping was easy. 

The convenient plot development where the anki all die or turn to ash because their [nest] got destroyed didn’t happen, but with [Move Outer Plane], we just strolled out of there without the anki finding us. 

There were still a lot of anki in those underground pa.s.sages, so I didn’t forget to use the remaining [Meteor] charge to collapse the entire cave system. And speaking of not forgetting, I also didn’t forget to heal Gillion’s hand with [Complete Recovery]. 

The something that I saw the moment the [nest] was destroyed that looks so similar to my Door of Wizardry. 

Are anki born from someone’s wizardry? But in the first place, wizardry and the Door and all those are merely the products of our imaginations. Is ‘He’ or The Guardian related to a transcendental existence that affects both Sedia and my old world? If so, then it would mean that I am not a mere bystander. It is clear to me that even when I lay down plans for the future unrelated to anki, I must always take notice of them. 

♥♦♣♠

When we returned to the fort and reported all the details, the Carbanera knights were greatly excited (of course, I kept quiet about the Door). 

Under Arnogia’s precise instructions, the knights gradually tightened the encirclement, hunting down all of the remaining anki. 

The fine tooth comb of the fort’s vicinity and forested areas ended up taking 5 whole days, but the anki clean up was a success. Of course, we can’t say with 100% certainty that none of them got away, so there will be knights stationed at the fort for a while longer as a precaution. Arnogia a.s.sertively said “as this task is the duty of the Carbanera Knight Order, we will accomplish it, even if I have to dip into the Sadishu family’s personal finances.”

Furthermore, after the other knights also heard what happened, their treatment of me went from ‘obligatory’ to ‘respectful,’ to the degree where they a.s.signed me the best room in the fort, better than even Arnogia’s own (well, it’s the one that used to be Jyagul’s). 

♥♦♣♠

Six days after the destruction of the [nest], we found ourselves in Yuule. 

Leaving behind Vice-Commander Gunnah and his subordinates, who had been tasked with the continued vigilance at the fort, we were on our way back to White Sword Castle. 

News of the appearance of anki, deployment of the Carbanera Order, and the crus.h.i.+ng of the [nest] had already been spread far and wide throughout the village by the time we got there, so they threw us a huge feast.  

An enormous bonfire was lit in the middle of the village square, and the village head unlocked all the warehouses and supplied tons of wine and food. 

The men, be they knight or villager or dwarf, all brandished tankards and drank themselves silly, while all the girls dressed up and danced. The chorus of the villagers’ simple farming songs, the dwarves’ rowdy songs, and the youngsters’ songs of love and romance all melded together in merriness. 

While all the merrymaking was going on, I was in an isolated part of town. 

To be more specific, I was in the dining room of the mansion that belongs to the local feudal lord, Baron Carbanera. 

In the first place, it was not good that the villagers now know about my meteors on top of me clearing the bandits out of the fort. 

The amount of grat.i.tude and words of praise that they heaped onto me was incomparable to the time when I saved Mora. However, the villagers’ att.i.tudes had also grown stiffer than before. When the proprietress of Pavilion of the Iron Pot Knight spilled wine on my robe, her face turned pure white and she started apologizing to me while crying. Of course, I didn’t get angry, and somehow managed to calm her down, but I can’t forget how the faces of everyone present had stiffened up with fear.

While I may have gained the status of a Great Wizard, I have also equally become an object of fear in people’s eyes.

As this is the result of a decision that I myself had made, I have no right to say anything about it, but neither could I help being slightly shocked at it all. It was then that Gillion and Lioria called out to me.

♥♦♣♠

“Magician, I heard that you have been of great help to Gillion and Lioria. You have my thanks.”

The very neurotic-sounding voice that is addressing me belongs to the current head of the Carbanera family, Gilrand Carbanera. He is the man who caused the Order to suffer enormous losses due to his reckless strategies 15 years ago and was thus forced off the position of Grand Cross. Upon closer inspection, his handsome face seems more like Lioria’s than Gillion’s.

Exquisite fare on an exquisite table. Formal-looking furniture and decor. By all appearances, it is a gorgeous dinner, but my mood is at rock bottom. 

At the table is Gilrand, Gillion, Lioria, and myself. Just us. I fully understand why Sedam and Claura so coldly declined Gillion’s invitation. 

“Ahem, I’m actually a Wizard……”

“Of course, there is no doubt at all in my mind that it was Gillion who performed the most meritorious feats in this subjugation campaign! As expected of my son.”

“Y-, yes…… it was all thanks to the aid of Wiz-...... Margils-dono.”

It is like words don’t even reach him. Back when I was a salaryman in j.a.pan (though it was less than 10 days ago), I did meet people like this every once in a while. Hmm, didn’t I also think the exact same thing when I met Gillion for the first time?

“Lioria, you have also done well helping your brother. I give you my praise.”

“T-...... Thank you very much, Father!”

“With this, those Sadishu backstabbers and those in the Order must have gotten at least a glimpse of the most fitting blood for Grand Cross of the Carbanera Knight Order!”

If these two were raised by that father, then I understand how Gillion ended up the way he is. More rather, it seems that they turned rather rather well, considering.

The two of them do look aware that their father is not quite there. However, their pleased smiles at being praised, despite their father’s state, will forever remain in my heart. 

♥♦♣♠

The next day, we returned to White Sword Castle. 

After the conferral of honors and the victory banquet and all the a.s.sociated ceremonies, I can finally take a breather. 

I am in the same guest room as before. 

“Haa~ What am I to do next……” (Gio)

“What do you mean by ‘what to do next’?” (Sedam)

As usual, Sedam and Claura are both with me. Sedam did say that after all this, he plans on returning to Lelis with his party. 

“You will be coming with me to turn yourself in…… I mean, make a call at the Lelis Magician Guild.” (Claura)

I guess it’s already been decided in her mind that I’ll be taken to the Lelis Magician Guild. More like, she already told me from the start that she’s here to keep an eye on me. Well, I myself also have a need to know more about magic. 

“There are other options.” (Gio)

“Such as?” (Sedam)

I also have a pressing need to do more research on anki. And before even that, I need to make a copy of my spellbook. I am tired of constantly worrying about losing the one and only copy that is currently in my sling bag. And if possible, I also want to find a house where I can just live out a comfortable retirement. 

As I fold my fingers counting off the paths of action that I can take, Sedam is ready with advice as usual. 

“If you want to research anki, there are several options there too. Firstly, there is the Great Library in Shulendal. You could also try the Magician Guild Headquarters. If I pull a few of my connections in the Adventurer and Merchant guilds, we could get some amount of information from various places. Lastly, and this might be a bit out there, but it might also be a good idea to investigate the Rastland Great Fortress.” (Sedam)

“Rastland Great Fortress? Isn’t that currently a citadel filled with undead!” (Claura)

The citadel that Baron Gilrand, the man who invited me to dinner last night, tried and failed to recapture. If I remember correctly, it was constructed for the sake of fighting against anki, so there might be doc.u.ments inside containing information or research. Hmm, the exploration of a citadel that has turned into a haunt for undead, huh. What a Dungeons & Braves set up. 

“I think I’ll leave the dungeons for a future time.”

I mean, even the name makes it sound like the last dungeon in a game. It wouldn't be too late to get to it only after exhausting all my other choices. At the very least, I’ve got to a.s.semble a party of allies stronger than this time’s. Anyways, I don’t want to go someplace like that all by myself. 

“Incidentally, what did you mean by ‘comfortable retirement’? After all you’ve done, do you seriously think that you can ever withdraw from the world?” (Claura)

Oh my G.o.d, is it really too late……? 

♥♦♣♠

While talking about all this, I received a summons from the Grand Cross. 

While feeling a wave of deja vu wash over me, I am once again sitting across from his solemn face in his private quarters. 

“Once again, allow me to offer you thanks for your a.s.sistance.”

“Mind it not. My actions were only natural, both for an ally and for a wizard.”

As before, I am enjoying s.h.i.+l tea brewed by the Grand Cross’ own hand while we exchange inoffensive pleasantries. 

“I heard that Gillion and Lioria also had some share of the action. Incidentally, hasn’t Gillion changed a bit after accompanying you on this mission?”

“...... A bit, perhaps.”

This might not be a welcome thing to hear for the man hoping to make his own son succeed his own position, but still. 

“Under his father’s influence, his personality is to take everything by force. But after bearing witness to your almost absurd amount of power it seems that his thinking has changed at least a little. At this rate, he just might gain the calmness that he needs to become a proper knight.”

“Is that not a good thing for the Order?”

“Undoubtedly. I wish for Arnogia to win the seat of Grand Cross fair and square, after all.”

In other words, if the current Gillion is to fight against Arnogia, internal strife might set in. As I fixedly stare at the face of the knight with decades behind him, I cannot help but to sigh in admiration. Rather than chasing away Gillion, who is more like a beast than a knight, helping him mature in order to prevent infighting, and only then having the two of them compete. I see, this man is not just a schemer or a doting parent…… he is a true ‘knight.’

“If you had only agreed to support Arnogia at the start, I wouldn’t have to take such roundabout measures, you know.”

The old knight’s tone seems to be implying that my interpretation is still too shallow. This grandpa, he's definitely going to live a very long life. 

“By the way.”

The Grand Cross puts down his cup. Are we getting to the main topic now?

“Actually, I have one more request to ask of you. It’s about that fort……”

“......”

I nod knowledgeably, but I haven’t the faintest idea what he’s getting at. 

“As you already well know, that place used to be the base of some bandits. In actuality, we were the ones who built that fort several decades ago, for peacekeeping purposes.”

The decrease in anki sightings and dwindling of the Order’s numbers eventually caused the fort to be abandoned. Right now, Vice-Commander Gunnah and a few knights are stationed there due to recent circ.u.mstances, but the Order is struggling to meet the extra costs incurred by maintaining this arrangement. 

Mumu. Is he about to say what I think he is about to say? 

“Of course, this is only after we have become absolutely certain that there are no more leftover anki. But well, in short, we wish to offer you the fort to become your residence.”