Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 84 (Part 1)
Rodin bowed deeply as he sought advice from Captain Krondel.
Compared to himself, who had only heard rumors, the captain’s insight—gained from traveling between the western and eastern continents every year—seemed much more reliable.
“It depends on what Mr. Rodin is aiming for. If you want to make a name for yourself and be employed by a lord, a small territory would be better. Especially with the newer noble families, there are frequent conflicts, which means more opportunities to be hired and make a name for yourself.”
“That doesn’t really suit my personality.”
“Then, if you want a more comfortable life, you should do the opposite. A large and powerful territory with a long history would be a good choice.”
A long history meant that the family had already secured its place, having overcome numerous challenges over time.
“A large and powerful territory… I see, thank you.”
“It would also be wise to know what kind of family you’re dealing with. Nobles can be broadly categorized into four groups: mage families, swordsmanship families, scholar families, and merchant families.”
“You mentioned scholar and merchant families earlier. That’s quite intriguing.”
“Not all scholars and merchants are nobles, of course, but there are many families that have remained noble for a long time.”
Scholar families and merchant families are, as their names suggest, families where the lord’s lineage has been scholars or merchants for generations. Naturally, the lord’s personal martial prowess wasn’t significant in such cases.
Still, they had survived countless challenges over the years, compensating for their lack of military power by hiring strong individuals.
“That’s fascinating.”
“On the central continent, money is extremely important. There are many mercenaries and many strong people who will act for money.”
“So what are the characteristics of each family?”
“Mage families, as the name suggests, favor mages. Even if you don’t ask them for help during territorial conflicts, a mage can receive various kinds of support. For example, administrative procedures are almost always passed without question.”
Mages are known to think of themselves as noble and chosen, often forming deep relationships only with other mages.
“And swordsmanship families?”
“They don’t trust hastily hired mercenaries. They also dislike wandering swordsmen. They only trust knights they’ve trained themselves over a long period or those who have studied swordsmanship for years in the territory’s fencing halls. If you were to settle in a swordsmanship family’s territory, you might live your entire life without ever having to deal with the lord.”
Rodin was a 5th-circle mage. In fact, Darren, Jefferson, Sylvia, and Captain Krondel all believed him to be a 6th-circle mage.
And yet, to never have to deal with the lord? It gave Rodin a sense of how confident they must be in their own strength.
“That’s interesting.”
“The security forces use soldiers, but for everything else, it’s all knights.”
“What about merchant and scholar families?”
“Merchant and scholar families are pragmatic. They feel no shame in using money to hire people. Once they find out you’re a mage, they’ll definitely seek you out, and they’ll work very hard to hire you.”
Captain Krondel’s advice was very helpful.
Rodin had begun to decide where he wanted to settle.
‘Am I strange for this?’
Rodin was a mage—an exceptional one for his age, already a 5th-circle mage.
Yet, his heart was drawn to settling in a swordsmanship family’s territory. Somehow, it seemed like he could live without being bothered by troublesome matters there.
“Thank you. You’ve been a great help.”
“The central continent values reason and efficiency overall. You know how the Western Continent calls the rank of swordsman ‘Dena-level,’ right? On the central continent, they think that’s too long and just call it ‘rank.'”
“I think I understand the atmosphere you’re talking about.”
Rodin liked that kind of practical mindset. He had always disliked the formal etiquette lessons at the Special Forces Training Institute, which focused on appearances.
“There, you can see our destination today.”
“Indeed, the last city of the Western Continent.”
The city they saw in the distance was Elpeso, a port city in the Kingdom of Aslan. As in the other cities, they would stay here for two days before setting sail again the morning after next.
* * *
The Capelton docked in Elpeso. Knowing it was the last port, many of the passengers disembarked all at once to seek accommodations at the harbor’s inns.
“Shall we disembark as well?”
“Big Brother, do we really have to? There’s nothing to see ashore.”
“I have some business to take care of today.”
“Then I guess we have no choice.”
Elpeso was originally the port city where Bron’s group had planned to board a ship. Of course, it was still a long way until they would reach their destination. It would probably take about half a year more.
They disembarked and found an inn where they booked a stay for two days and immediately had dinner.
Larry and Bianca, though finished with their meal, didn’t go out. Though they had roamed the ship without fear, they still seemed hesitant to venture out in the harbor.
Rodin wrapped up his day as usual, attending the illusory lessons of the Frouval.
Rodin found himself looking forward to the next phase of his lessons, where the clock is at 2.
Unlike the first lesson, which repeated things he already knew, the second lesson introduced new concepts he hadn’t learned before, making it much more enjoyable.
The next day, after breakfast, Rodin left the inn early. He purchased herbs that were cheaper to acquire on the Western Continent.
The herbs he bought today could be used to make potions using the ancient method. Although not impossible to find on the central continent, they were much cheaper here on the Western Continent.
He bought just enough to make 10 liters of the potion and returned to the inn. The price came out to exactly 388 gold.
After buying the herbs, he stopped by a shop selling accessories. He bought two sets of rings, necklaces, and bracelets, and also picked up some hairpins that matched Bianca’s hair color.
“That’s all for today. Time to go study.”
The following day, they boarded the Capelton once again without delay. As soon as the ship set sail, Rodin laid out the accessories he had purchased the previous day.
“Big Brother, what are you doing?”
“I’m making gifts for you two.”
“What kind of gifts?”
“Gifts that will protect you.”