Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 61 (Part 2)

After finishing their introductions, Rodin and Bron’s group mounted their horses and leisurely rode eastward.

“Now, what’s your real reason for approaching me?”

“Pardon?”

“I doubt you sought me out just to save those thugs. It seems like you have another reason.”

Though Rodin had only known them for a short time, he could tell that Bron’s group weren’t bad people. They were playful and bickered with each other, but there was no malice.

They had also been respectful towards him, even though he was more than ten years younger. They didn’t treat him roughly and showed consideration.

But riding all the way here just to save some thugs was another matter entirely.

This was an incredibly troublesome task, something you’d only do if you had a motive. Unless they were saints, of course, but they didn’t seem like that type.

“Wow, as expected of a mage. Yes, there’s something we’d like. But I believe it could be mutually beneficial.”

“Go ahead.”

“What do you think about helping each other cross the Lamaton River? Of course, if you decline, we won’t force you.”

“The Lamaton River? The one to the east?”

Rodin had already studied the geography of the Kingdom of Riyaz through books.

The Lamaton River was a large river to the east, about a ten-day journey from their current location. It flowed from the northeast to the southwest, with a fast current and a wide width.

But the idea of helping each other cross the river didn’t make sense to him.

There were regular ferry services that crossed the Lamaton River east to west, and as long as you paid, you could cross.

“Yes. We were hoping we could assist each other.”

“If you’re trying to save money, I can help with that.”

“Huh? Oh, you might not know. All the boats on the Lamaton River have been destroyed. Uh… what’s it called? The Ingram Empire’s magic corps, I think? They destroyed them all to stop the pursuing forces.”

The Ingram Empire’s magic corps was a core force that Committee Member Keline and the first graduates were pursuing. It was a notorious battle unit sought after by not only the Kingdom of Riyaz but also other nations.

“The magic corps… Ah!”

The magic corps consisted of 500 mages. They had no problem crossing the river without boats.

But the troops pursuing the magic corps were different.

Among the hundreds or thousands of soldiers, there might have been five combat mages at most. With such a small number, it was impossible to move an entire army across a river with a strong current.

“Since the boats are gone, we thought of another method.”

“You’re thinking of using weight-reduction magic. Marlon will throw, won’t he?”

“Wow! You caught on right away.”

The first thing that comes to mind for crossing a river with magic is the Fly spell or the Levitation spell. Fly is a Fifth-Circle spell, and Levitation varies between Third and Fourth Circle depending on whether it allows directional control.

Ellice, being a Second-Circle mage, couldn’t even attempt either of these spells.

“No matter how strong Marlon is, he can’t throw people hundreds of meters. You plan to combine it with a Leap spell, right?”

“Yes. It’s the only way.”

Leap is a Second-Circle spell that places a wind platform on the ground to spring off from.

It’s a spell that propels rather than jumps.

Because of this, even high-circle mages risk tumbling if they lack good reflexes.

“I understand what you’re asking me to help with. But do you really think this method will work? You’ll need hundreds of meters of rope. Did you consider the weight of the rope?”

“Rope? Uh… well…”

“Is it heavy? Can’t Marlon lift it?”

“It might be heavy.”

One person would have to carry the rope and, with Marlon’s strength and the aid of Leap magic, cross the river.

The river spanned hundreds of meters. Naturally, the rope would need to be just as long.

But how much would hundreds of meters of rope weigh?

Although the exact weight was unknown, it was clear that Ellice, a mage, wouldn’t be able to lift it. In fact, Marlon, with his large build, likely wouldn’t be able to either.

“I’ll help you cross in another way. Oh, and you won’t need to buy the rope.”

“You have a method?”

“Yes, I do. But when we cross the river, could you guide my horse for me? I won’t be able to focus on it at that time.”

“We can definitely do that.”

Rodin’s group traveled at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow. Since everyone was skilled at riding, conversations continued even on horseback.

“So, is this your first time experiencing the world, Rodin?”

“Yes. I’ve heard a lot from my master, but this is my first time experiencing everything firsthand.”

“Do you have a specific destination?”

“Well, not really. I plan to wander around and eventually settle in a suitable place.”

Rodin explained that he had learned magic from his master and came out into the world after his master passed away. He added that he had only been out in the world for a few months and didn’t know much.

That was how Rodin ended his introduction. It was best to keep things brief to avoid arousing suspicion.

From then on, the conversation focused on Bron’s group.

“Oh, we should’ve returned to the Central Continent right away back then.”

“Yeah. Who would’ve thought we’d be stuck here for two years?”

Bron’s group had originally been mercenaries active on the Central Continent. They had already built up six years of experience.

Two years ago, a merchant requested their escort to the Western Continent. The fee was substantial, so after some discussion, Bron and his companions accepted the job.

The job itself went smoothly. It was a long journey to the Kingdom of Riyaz, located in the westernmost part of the Western Continent, but they traveled comfortably by ship.

“We should’ve returned right away.”

“Greed got the better of us.”

“It wasn’t greed. We thought we could get by here with our skills. Who knew a war would break out?”

If they had returned to the Central Continent right after completing the job, there would have been no problems. They had been paid handsomely for the job, enough to afford passage back.

But they decided to try working on the Western Continent for a few months, and that’s when things went wrong. During those few months, they didn’t take on any jobs and spent a lot of money. Their financial situation became dire to the point where they couldn’t afford to board a ship at the port city of Melcos.

“Is it expensive to board a ship from Melcos?”

“Yes. It’s the farthest port from the Central Continent. It costs about 2,000 gold per person.”

“That’s why we’re heading to the Kingdom of Aslan. From Elpeso in Aslan, it only costs 100 gold to get to the Central Continent.”

The price difference was twenty times. It made sense considering the distance.

It only took 20 days to reach the Central Continent from Elpeso in the Kingdom of Aslan. The sea route was favorable, and the coastline was relatively straightforward.

On the other hand, the journey from Melcos in the Kingdom of Riyaz to the Central Continent took at least five months.

Even if they were lucky enough to catch a direct ship, it would still take two and a half months. And that was only when the weather was good. The journey was also fraught with treacherous reefs and frequent pirate encounters.

“The Kingdom of Aslan… It’ll take at least half a year to get there.”

“What can we do? We’re broke. We’ll have to save as much as we can and make our way there.”

In truth, there were still mercenary jobs available. The problem was that there weren’t any mercenaries willing to participate in the war.

But Bron’s group didn’t even consider becoming war mercenaries. It was far too dangerous.

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