LGT Chapter 19

Carlo de Inehart suggested relocating to the new wizard who had just joined their party. The place was loud and crowded with humans, unsuitable for a quiet conversation. Ruth Finnegan, the wizard, readily agreed to Carlo’s suggestion.

The gold dragon rose lightly from its seat, glanced over at the bar set up near the front of the establishment, and spoke.

“Hold on a moment.”

Hmm? Carlo, who had been heading toward the door, turned to see Ruth abruptly change direction. Ruth strode confidently across the noisy bar.

Thwack!

A pale fist flew out so fast it was nearly impossible to track, and Carlo cringed slightly, imagining the pain it would cause. For a wizard, that punch looked awfully potent. Ouch, that landed squarely. That guy’s jaw won’t be moving for a while.

The dragon’s movement sent tableware clattering to the floor, mingling with the screams of humans in the bar. The loudest sound of all came from the groan of the establishment’s owner.

“…Ugh…”

The owner clutched his bruised jaw and rolled on the floor.

“You can’t do business like this. Right?”

With a single punch, the dragon magnanimously let the matter drop. It understood well enough that money was sometimes a deciding factor for humans. But understanding was different from forgiveness.

Quite the fiery personality. Carlo leaned against the wall, watching the gold dragon, and thought to himself.

“So.”

Carlo broke the silence.

“A wizard without the seal of the De Rules Magic Association… that’s a rare sight these days. A self-taught wizard who awakened without the academy or a mentor, huh?”

“That’s right. But I can guarantee my skills.”

Ruth shot back without a hint of concern. The two men had left the bustling, chaotic tavern and entered a quiet, discreet establishment. Each table had its own server, who would approach only when a specially designed bell was rung.

From a recruitment standpoint, it was necessary to verify who one’s allies would be, especially when it involved entrusting lives to one another in a dungeon to achieve their objectives. For this reason, Carlo had brought the man who introduced himself as Ruth Finnegan to this upscale café.

“You can guarantee your own skills, huh?”

Hah, what an amusing fellow. Carlo smirked subtly, covering his mouth with his teacup. Wizards were usually obsessed with association seals; calling oneself a wizard without one was like a person with no sword introducing himself as a swordmaster.

Carlo wondered if this man might just be a flashy con artist.

“So, what business do you have in the dungeon?”

“Business? I’m a wizard. I’m going there simply because it’s there.”

Ruth replied bluntly. Wizards always followed their whims, deciding on things as easily as flipping their hands. That’s why, for these annoying questions, it was convenient to use the “wizard” title as an excuse.

“Ah, I see.”

“Just like that.” Carlo nodded as if he understood. A dungeon long shrouded in secrecy and the treasure rumored to lie within—it was more than enough to spark a wizard’s curiosity.

Ruth took a sip of the perfectly warm tea. It was quite good. Carlo leaned his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the man’s expression. The usually stern-faced blond man’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, and for a brief moment, his brown eyes seemed to reflect the same golden hue as his hair.

“Looks like you like it,” Carlo remarked.

Ruth glanced away from his teacup and raised his eyes to meet Carlo’s across the table.

“And you?”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you going to tell me why you’re going to the dungeon?”

You? Carlo’s brow furrowed slightly. Even the server holding a tray nearby gasped at Ruth’s lack of decorum. While the blond man might not have known, his companion looked every bit the highborn noble. The server braced for the inevitable outrage from such disrespect.

But instead…

“Haha!” Carlo burst out laughing at Ruth’s audacious tone. Ruth threw him a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to his tea, unfazed. It was only after Carlo had laughed for a while that he finally spoke again.

“My business there is—”

Carlo gracefully raised his teacup to his lips, studying Ruth from across the table before he continued.

“So, how much do you know about the dungeon?”

“I know that the treasure inside is said to be powerful enough to change the fate of the continent.”

“Good. That saves me some explaining.”

“Do you actually believe that ridiculous story?”

“Story?”

Ruth shrugged nonchalantly. “A single treasure powerful enough to alter the fate of the entire continent—that story.”

This question had lingered in the dragon’s mind since long ago, back when he used to amuse himself by pretending to be human. But managing a mercenary group left little time for venturing into dungeons, as setting up and running the company required far more work than he’d anticipated. In truth, Ruth sighed inwardly, he hadn’t been able to fully indulge in his own pursuits because of it.

It was then that—

“I do believe it.”

Carlo’s clear voice snapped Ruth out of his thoughts. The man’s blood-red eyes sparkled with intensity.

“Because if anyone is meant to change the fate of this continent, it’s going to be me.”

The dragon regarded Carlo with a blank expression. Changing the continent’s fate—was that truly so important? It was an intensely personal and abstract ambition. There was no standard for success, nor for failure.

A trivial goal. Ruth slowly lowered his teacup from his lips and spoke. At least he’d confirmed that this man’s mission wasn’t particularly interesting.

“…As long as I’m given a little time to inspect the treasure in the dungeon, I don’t have any other conditions.”

“Perfect. That means we can get a wizard’s opinion straight away.”

Carlo readily agreed, finding Ruth’s condition quite acceptable.

Click. Ruth set down the ornate teacup, his elegant fingers grazing the handle, a detail Carlo couldn’t help but notice. After spending so much time among rough, scarred knights, it had been a while since he’d seen unblemished, white hands like those.

“When do we enter the dungeon?” Ruth asked.

“…What’s the rush? My knights are preparing outside, so we might as well enjoy our tea here for now,” Carlo replied, assuring Ruth that his order for readiness would soon have the knights fully prepared.

Ruth appreciated this establishment, finding it one of the few places that matched his tastes. Carlo clearly had a refined sense for a human, given his knowledge of such places.

With a subtle glance toward the server, Carlo signaled, and the server brought the teapot back onto the tray. A soft hiss followed as the magic-imbued pot reheated the tea to the perfect temperature before the server quietly set it back on the table between Carlo and Ruth.

Carlo watched Ruth as he took another sip of the now-hot tea. If anything gave him pause, it was this man’s lack of credentials. The De Rules seal displayed a wizard’s abilities and specialties, something every wizard prized and presented whenever making introductions. Carlo frowned slightly.

He didn’t want even the smallest doubt regarding Ruth’s competence for the dungeon. Without a clearer view of the man’s abilities, this suspicion wouldn’t fade. Perhaps he could spar with one of Carlo’s knights, or Carlo could pose more direct, albeit probing, questions to gauge his capabilities. But those options felt risky; a sudden trial or questioning might offend the notoriously prickly wizard and cause him to refuse the partnership. Carlo’s mind flashed briefly to the tavern owner who’d taken Ruth’s punch to the jaw.

What to do…

He felt the warmth of the teacup against his lips, savoring it as he tried to clear his tangled thoughts.