Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 78 (Part 1)
As they entered the inn, Rodin approached the counter and extended their stay until the day the ship was scheduled to depart.
He liked the annex, and the meals were satisfying. There was no need to go elsewhere.
After returning to the annex and finishing their meal, he called Larry and Bianca over.
“From now on, I’m planning to teach you the common language of the continent every morning.”
“The common language of the continent?”
“You saw the letters on the signs when we were shopping earlier, right?”
“Those squiggly ones? They were all twisted like this.”
“Exactly. I’ll teach you how to read and write those letters. If you want to live with me, you need to be able to read and write.”
At Rodin’s words, Larry’s eyes lit up, showing his eagerness to learn.
Bianca, on the other hand, looked displeased. She seemed to be sulking.
Bianca couldn’t understand why she needed to learn letters. She could already tell what kind of shop it was from the pictures on the signs, so why go through the trouble?
“I just want to play.”
“Bianca, if you don’t know how to read, when you grow up, people will think you’re dumb and look down on you. Do you want that?”
“No. Bianca isn’t dumb.”
“Exactly. That’s why you need to learn. Once you can read, you’ll be able to enjoy fun storybooks too. Like *The Sky Princess*, *The Toad Wizard’s Marriage*, or *The Birth of a Hero*. Don’t you want to read them?”
Rodin pulled out the storybooks they had bought earlier, placing them where Bianca could see. He read out the titles one by one.
As he read the book titles aloud, Bianca’s expression finally began to change. It seemed like she was starting to feel a bit more motivated to learn the common language of the continent.
“My lessons won’t be easy. You’ll need to be prepared.”
“Will it be hard?”
“Bianca’s not dumb, right? Then you’ll manage. Only dummies give up.”
“Bianca can do it!”
Rodin had learned to read during his time at the Special Forces Training Facility, though it was hard to say he’d been formally taught. Aside from pronunciation symbols, he had mostly figured things out on his own, and the process hadn’t taken too long.
But that was because it was him. He couldn’t expect others to pick it up that quickly. He knew this from how much Lant and Cory had struggled.
“Alright then, we’ll start studying tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
“I can do it!”
Larry and Bianca confidently shouted, but they quickly became discouraged during their first lesson the next morning. They understood Rodin’s explanations, but as soon as they turned away, they forgot everything.
Five days later, Rodin received identity cards for Larry and Bianca at the registration office. Well, technically, he bought them. The cost was 120 gold for Larry and 100 gold for Bianca, ten times their respective ages.
* * *
While Rodin was intimidating the gang of fake guards in Hostang with his magic, the Ingram Empire army had demolished Bontis, the trade city of the Riyaz Kingdom.
Bontis was close to the border, and just across that border was the Kingdom of Beros. With their new foothold, they could cross into Beros within two days if they wanted.
However, the Ingram Empire forces didn’t move right away. They stayed in Bontis for a long time, using the time to regroup.
Because of this, the Kingdom of Beros gained ten days of breathing room, thanks to the Empire’s decision.
“That’s fortunate.”
Rodin overheard this while stopping by a restaurant, learning that the Ingram Empire had set out from Bontis a few days prior. It would take at least 20 days for their forces to reach Lanse.
Meanwhile, the ship Rodin had booked was scheduled to depart the next day. Fortunately, this meant they would leave the Western Continent without encountering the Imperial army.
“Once we board the ship to the Central Continent…”
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
Suddenly, a loud, jarring ringing cut through his thoughts. An eerie sense of foreboding crept down his spine.
“Larry! Bianca!”
“Brother, what’s that noise?”
“Rodin, it’s so loud.”
It wasn’t just the noise. Outside the inn, the alleyways were filled with people running around in a flurry.
“You two stay right here. I’ll go check what’s happening.”
“Do you have to go?”
“I’ll be back soon. Stay here and don’t go outside.”
Rodin hurriedly left the inn, only to find the area already in chaos.
He wasn’t the only one alarmed by the sudden ringing. Many people were rushing about, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Hey! What’s that sound?”
“I don’t know!”
“Do you know where it’s coming from?”
“Probably the north gate.”
The north gate… the one where Rodin had been checked before entering. It would also be the first place to meet the enemy if the Ingram Empire army arrived.
“Fly.”
Combining runes with beast magic, Rodin cast the 5th-circle Fly spell. His body swiftly lifted above the crowd, flying high over the heads of the bustling people below.
‘I need to check this for myself.’
He steered himself toward the north gate. It wasn’t far, so he reached it within a few minutes.
“Stop right there!”
“Hah…”
As Rodin approached, the guards drew their swords in unison, ready to strike if needed.
But Rodin didn’t have the time to deal with them. He was momentarily stunned by what he saw from the sky, beyond the north gate.
“Hey!”
“How many Imperial troops are there?”
“What?”
“I came after hearing the alarm. From up there, it looks like there are quite a few Imperial soldiers.”
At Rodin’s repeated explanation, the guards finally lowered their swords, realizing he wasn’t an enemy.
“The troops seem to number around 10,000.”
“What about their knights and mages?”
“There are about 300 knights. I’m not certain. As for the mages, I can’t tell. They seem to have some, but I don’t see any from here.”
10,000 soldiers, 300 knights.
The number of mages supporting such an army would be at least ten to thirty. If there were high-ranking mages among them, the number could be even fewer.