Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 69 (Part 1)

Rodin’s gamble paid off.

Though for different reasons, the magic corps of the Ingram Empire gave up pursuing Rodin and Bron’s group.

After two days of camping, they finally arrived at the city of Bontis.

Bontis was a border city neighboring the Kingdom of Beros and served as a central hub of trade. With over 300 trade caravans passing through each day, the city’s population exceeded one million.

Of course, being a border city meant that the military presence was substantial as well. Although more than half of the troops had been deployed due to the war with the Ingram Empire, over 20,000 soldiers still guarded the city.

“Rodin, how do you plan to get in?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Bontis, as a border city, was known for its strict security checks. Entry was not permitted without an identification badge, and even those with a badge were often subjected to further scrutiny if deemed suspicious.

Rodin had no such badge.

Although he possessed an identification badge obtained from a deceased caravan leader after a spatial transfer, it was something he shouldn’t use, as it recorded his birth year.

“With magic?”

“Yes. I’ll sneak in. See you inside.”

“They’d let you pass if you simply presented your mage credentials.”

“It’d be a hassle to explain where I learned magic. Just trust me on this.”

After handing over the reins, Rodin sent Bron and the others ahead.

Although the badges they carried were issued in the Central Continent, they were legitimate. After a brief dispute, the guards ultimately allowed Bron’s group to pass.

In the meantime, Rodin moved to a secluded spot out of sight and used the Invisibility spell. His figure became transparent and soon disappeared completely.

“Fly.”

Rodin easily flew over the walls of Bontis and entered the city.

The strongest individuals stationed in Bontis had all been reassigned to the northern front. With no mages or knights remaining, only regular soldiers guarded the city.

None of the soldiers on watch could detect the movements of Rodin, a 5th-circle mage.

Rodin smoothly reunited with Bron’s group. They quickly secured a room at an inn, unpacked their belongings, and set out to find the Mercenary Guild.

“Where on earth is it?”

“It’s probably hidden away in some corner.”

“Ugh, damn Western Continent. No requests, and even finding a guild is a hassle. There’s nothing here that I like.”

This conversation between Marlon and Ellice caught Rodin’s attention.

“There are no requests in the Western Continent?”

“Hardly any. There are no monsters, after all.”

“No monsters, even with the Monster Forest nearby?”

This baffled Rodin.

The Ingram Empire and the Kingdom of Talereh in the Western Continent had long suffered from the beasts of the Monster Forest. The Kingdom of Talereh spent 30% of its national budget on defense against these monsters.

But no monsters? Something didn’t add up.

“That’s all in the past. You know about the Ingram Empire’s failed attempt to subdue the Monster Forest 30 years ago, right?”

“Yes, I know. They mobilized 500,000 troops, but only a few hundred returned.”

“From the Empire’s perspective, it was indeed a failure. All their top knights and high-circle mages were wiped out. But it wasn’t a complete failure, because ever since that campaign, monsters have hardly appeared for the last 30 years.”

“Really?”

Rodin was unaware of this. It was a limitation of his book-based knowledge.

Rodin had read books detailing the catastrophic failure 30 years ago, and he knew that afterward, the Ingram Empire had suffered significant losses due to attacks from the 13-Nation Alliance.

However, none of the books he had read mentioned what happened to the Monster Forest afterward.

“Right. The Kingdom of Riyaz isn’t bordered by the Monster Forest, so they probably wouldn’t be interested in that information.”

The books in the Special Forces training center were extremely focused on topics relevant to the Kingdom of Riyaz. They never collected books that covered topics outside their interest.

“Well, that doesn’t mean they don’t appear at all. Sometimes, a few pop up, and other times, just one or two. But with them appearing only a few times a year, neither the Ingram Empire nor the Kingdom of Talereh would waste time on them.”

Bron’s group had also attempted to hunt monsters a few times. They even stayed in the Kingdom of Talereh for several months and managed to hunt a few monsters after a long wait.

But the reward didn’t justify the time and effort.

After waiting half a year to hunt a monster, the reward was barely enough to cover a month’s living expenses. Taking such requests was a losing proposition.

“So what’s it like in the Central Continent? Are there many jobs for mercenaries?”

“Much more than here. In the Central Continent, you’ll find monsters in any mountain or forest you go to.”

“And the numbers are manageable?”

“The important thing isn’t the number, but the frequency. If monsters appear often, that’s when people pay to hire mercenaries.”

The need for mercenaries arises from the uncertainty of when danger might strike.

When people think, “Eh, it won’t appear,” they don’t hire mercenaries. But when there’s fear, “What if a monster shows up?” that’s when mercenaries get hired.

“So monsters appear frequently in the Central Continent. But in the Western Continent, monsters have hardly appeared in the last 30 years. So what do mercenaries do here? What kind of work do they get?”

“Guarding caravans or high-ranking officials. That’s the most common job. Since the war started, there’s also been an increase in demand for war mercenaries.”

“Ah, escort jobs.”

“Especially lately, it seems like there’s been even more escort work.”

Originally, the 13-Nation Alliance had a good reputation for law and order in all its member states. With little mountainous terrain, there were few places for bandits to hide, and the large numbers of soldiers due to prolonged war preparations meant that any bandit activity was quickly quashed.

However, the situation changed with the outbreak of war.

The soldiers who used to eliminate bandits were now stationed on the northern front. Taxes had skyrocketed under the guise of war efforts, leading to a rapid decline in the conditions of the powerless commoners.

Even deserters from battles had joined the bandit ranks. Now, bandits could be seen even near the cities.

“It’s because of the war. But what’s the use of having a lot of requests if they don’t match our destination?”

“Let’s at least check the Mercenary Guild. Who knows? There might be a request heading to the Kingdom of Aslan.”

Bron’s group had already checked the Mercenary Guild in the capital of the Kingdom of Liaz, hoping to find a request heading east, but all they found were requests to the southern port city of Melkos.

“Let’s check it out. If there’s something, great. If not, well, nothing we can do.”

“There it is. The Mercenary Guild.”

“Ugh, it really is tucked away in a corner.”

The Mercenary Guild was situated between the commercial district and the slums. The building was run-down, and there weren’t many mercenaries coming and going.

“Rodin, remember, for the next three years, you can’t cause any trouble. Got it?”

Hyung_Otaku2

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