On the road crossing the border and heading toward the capital of Tenerope.
The full moon rising above the forest scattered its silvery light like a shimmering veil, while the softly glimmering plants swayed in the breeze, casting shadows that seemed to dance.
This was the land near the capital of Tenerope,
the Barony of Casat.
Moving discreetly was essential, which made it necessary to navigate through the forest and mountainous terrain.
“Tomorrow, we’ll enter the capital. Tonight, rest well here for the last time!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
At the command of Commander Zevela, Yohan and the inspectors set up a modest camp.
“Hm…”
As Eris gathered firewood to light a campfire, Yohan approached to help.
“I’ll take care of this. Please rest.”
“Huh? But—”
“You must be tired.”
Watching her fumble awkwardly, Yohan gave a faint smile.
“And, wouldn’t it be better to save such delicate hands for something less exhausting?”
“D-delicate…?”
Eris’s shoulders trembled as her face turned bright red.
“Please, take a seat.”
Feeling flustered by Yohan’s sweet words, Eris hung her head low while he silently collected the firewood.
Crackle.
Flames flickered to life at Yohan’s fingertips and ignited the pile of wood.
“Hoo…”
He let out a small sigh, his breath visible in the cold winter air. Having spent so much time outside, his hands were entirely numb from the chill.
As he warmed them over the flames, Eris quietly sat down across from him. She glanced at Yohan for a moment, then lowered her gaze and softly opened her lips.
“You’re quite skilled at making campfires. Most noble magicians aren’t accustomed to camping, so they struggle with fire control…”
At her clear and gentle voice, Yohan raised his head. Eris, wearing a neutral expression, held her hands near the flames. The heat reflected off her pale skin, giving it a soft crimson glow.
“Well, I’ve had some experience.”
“Experience… you say?”
“Yes. I was once stranded.”
The memory of enduring days in a cave due to Fedelian’s schemes still lingered vividly in his mind. While it had its challenges, it was also when he first met Rudella, and their bond deepened. That made it unforgettable.
“You’ve led quite a rugged life, it seems.”
“Not intentionally.”
Yohan chuckled lightly, though the dark circles under his eyes hinted at exhaustion. That faintly weary aura made him all the more captivating. Eris involuntarily held her breath for a moment.
There was something decadent yet sharp about him a dangerously alluring presence that stirred her heart.
Everyone has someone like that, don’t they?
A person who perfectly matches their taste, irresistibly drawing their gaze and stirring their emotions…
Having only been surrounded by sweaty knights from her family’s order, Yohan’s refined and artistic appearance was utterly lethal to her.
“Hmm-hmm…”
She cleared her throat awkwardly, cautiously shifting her gaze away. She kept finding herself admiring his appearance, and every time she did, a great wave seemed to surge deep within her heart.
Yohan, staring at the slowly burning campfire, spoke casually, almost as if throwing the words into the air.
“The world doesn’t seem to leave me alone. All I wanted was a calm, uneventful life.”
“With abilities like yours, why would you desire a peaceful life? Is there a special reason?”
His power was well-known even among the inspectors. More accurately, it was the nobility who seemed to be paying particular attention to him.
It was a widely circulated fact that he had defeated a high-class magical beast single-handedly, and within less than a year of graduating from the Academy of Social Sciences, he had reached the pinnacle of advanced-level magic.
Yet, his noble title wasn’t particularly high, so he wasn’t out of reach socially. In short, he was the perfect candidate for marriage.
Of course, that significance vanished when rumors of his relationship with Lady Ferbache began to spread.
“I have my reasons”.
He couldn’t exactly say that the genre of this world was a dystopian romance fantasy and that being noticed too much could very well get him killed.
Not all dystopian romance fantasies were inherently lethal, of course. If he had been born into a relatively peaceful country like the Holy Kingdom, Yohan could have pursued his dreams freely.
But he was born in the Rogino Empire, the very heart of a chaotic, brutal narrative.
Even if he developed his powers, it was impossible to rival monsters like the Crown Prince or the Tower Master, who were in a different league altogether from birth.
In fact, the stronger he became, the more likely it was for him to catch the attention of the upper echelons, bringing about his downfall sooner.
With greater power came greater responsibilities, and once bound by them, escape was no longer an option.
That’s why Yohan had chosen to hide his talents as much as possible, living quietly while preparing for the future.
Of course, even Yohan didn’t fully grasp the extent of his abilities at first.
He knew he was talented, but he hadn’t anticipated that his talents would be so catastrophically overwhelming.
“I see.”
Eris couldn’t find more words to continue, seeing the complicated expression on Yohan’s face. Yet even his troubled expression was like a piece of art, and she silently admired it.
“…”
“…”
A silence fell between them, and the atmosphere quickly turned awkward.
Eris began racking her brain for something to keep the conversation going.
“By the way… why did you, the renowned Lahart Special Class Mage, join the civil service?” she asked, steering the topic elsewhere.
“To become a man worthy of Lady Ferbache”.
“The condition for meeting her was to become a Special Class Mage.”
Eris tilted her head.
“From what I’ve heard, you only started learning magic recently. Wasn’t that difficult?”
“It was anything but easy”
“Back then, I only slept four hours a day, and even that felt like a luxury. To master advanced magic, I had to increase my understanding of magic itself. I thought all I needed was to memorize rune symbols, but I was wrong.”
Reaching the pinnacle of advanced magic wasn’t just about having a large reservoir of mana; it required the ability to cast advanced-level spells.
But Yohan lacked the depth of magical comprehension necessary to learn such spells.
It was similar to mathematics just as you couldn’t solve calculus without understanding functions, mastering magic required a foundational understanding.
“I was just starting to learn magic. But I only had a month left. So I set a goal to focus solely on mastering advanced spells… and because of that, aside from the ones I concentrated on, I can’t use most high-level magic.”
The advanced spells Yohan could use were just three in total,
For attack, Spiral Cataclysm.
For perception, Universal Insight.
For defense, Ethereal Shield.
The only grand magic he could use was limited to the components needed for Spiral Cataclysm: Distortion Sphere and Point of Rupture.
“Oh…”
At Yohan’s story, she let out a soft exclamation of admiration.
A man who worked himself to the bone to avoid parting with his lover…
As a woman, she couldn’t help but be drawn to that.
‘He’s incredible…’
She felt a sense of romance. Stories like this were common in novels a love thwarted by family opposition, class differences, or other obstacles.
But unlike those tales where love often ended in failure, Yohan had achieved his.
Through nothing but his own abilities and relentless effort.
‘The daughter of the House of Ferbache is so lucky. I wish I could have a man like that…’
In truth, Eris harbored a secret, unspoken dream.
It was vague and hard to put into words, but…
Yohan’s story closely resembled her dream.
And then suddenly,
‘…What nonsense am I thinking?’
Eris snapped out of it, violently shaking her head.
She couldn’t allow herself to develop feelings for him.
Her instincts were screaming at her.
If she started to feel affection, it would go beyond mere goodwill and turn into something special.
Awkwardly scratching her wrist, Eris murmured under her breath,
“…It’s a good story.”
“Well, it had a happy ending.”
Yohan met her gaze and gave a small smile.
“Ah—!”
Caught off guard, Eris felt her heart momentarily stop.
His tired expression, softened and a little hazy, was devastatingly charming.
She quickly turned away, pressing her heated cheeks with both hands.
‘Since when was I this weak to men…?’
That wasn’t it. She had grown up in a knightly household, surrounded by men and trained alongside them her whole life. She wasn’t lacking in resilience.
The problem was,
‘That face.’
His appearance struck her taste perfectly, almost like a work of art.
‘I can’t let myself be drawn to him…’
He already had a lover. They were even engaged.
Eris desperately tried to smother the forbidden feelings that kept bubbling up.
“Ahem… It’s late. We should get some rest for tomorrow.”
She suppressed her racing heart and decisively ended the conversation.
If she kept looking at him like this, who knew what reckless things she might blurt out.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Unaware of Eris’s turmoil, Yohan simply smiled again.
“Sigh.…”
A deep sigh kept escaping her lips.
* * *
The inquisitors and Yohan continued their journey toward the capital of Tenerope.
Even if they unexpectedly encountered people along the way, it wasn’t much of a problem.
This was thanks to their simultaneous use of Concealment Barrier and Perception Disruption Magic.
Even when forest rangers passed right by the dozens of inquisitors, they failed to notice them.
As they entered the estate, blending in with nearby merchants allowed them to slip through unnoticed.
Of course, there was always the risk of being detected by knights or mages, but recognizing the inquisitors’ magic required at least master-level skill.
And it was unlikely that such high-level individuals would be working as mere gatekeepers.
Thus, their journey proceeded without major complications.
In this way, Yohan and the inquisitors successfully entered the capital of the Kingdom of Tenerope, Lazaria, within a few days.
“…It’s not called a kingdom on the brink of collapse for nothing.”
Eris, cloaked in a pitch-black robe, muttered as she strolled through the streets of the royal capital.
The atmosphere was utterly different from the imperial capital.
The faces of the people walking the streets were shadowed, their expressions more despairing than grim.
Instead of smiles, their features were etched with discouragement, and their gazes were dull and lifeless.
The fruits and foods sold by the merchants were in poor condition,rotten, shriveled, and riddled with marks where insects had burrowed.
It wasn’t due to laziness that such low-quality goods were all that was available. Most likely, they had no choice but to sell whatever they could find.
“You’re absolutely right.”
One could often gauge the state of a place by observing the busiest streets in densely populated areas.
The heart of this city was painfully impoverished.
Hunger hung heavy over the streets, and it seemed as though the city had endured countless years of famine.
“If the royal capital is like this… then the rest of the kingdom must be in even worse shape.”
Eris’s voice dropped low. Though her face was hidden beneath the hood, her expression likely mirrored the grim atmosphere around them.
“That’s probably why they’re resorting to reckless attempts like usurping the throne.”
“Let’s move on.”
Having seen enough of the city, the two began heading toward the rendezvous point to regroup with the other inquisitors.
Just as they turned toward their destination,
“A rat has slipped in.”
A heavy voice echoed, followed by a suffocating wave of murderous intent that enveloped the space around them.
The air grew so oppressive it felt like chains tightening around their bodies, freezing them in place.
‘What the…?’
Yohan slowly turned his head.
A middle-aged man stood before them.
His ash-gray hair and beard flowed together like a lion’s mane, gently swaying. His blood-red eyes gleamed ominously.
A terrifying aura of mana radiated from him, and his sheer presence was so overwhelming it made even onlookers instinctively shrink back.
‘This surpasses even the Duke of Ferbache.’
There were very few people capable of exuding such an aura.
“Could you be…”
Thud.
The man took a step forward.
“Dragonian Aegis.”
Sching.
He drew the sword at his waist.
“The Grand Swordmaster, who stands at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, and the protector of Tenerope.”