Chapter 16: Chapter 16

As many as one hundred thousand people lived in Hasra, the capital of Pendia.

When Shan first heard that story, he thought Roden was boasting.

How on earth could over one hundred thousand people live in a single city?

Just transporting and clearing away the food they devoured and the excrement they dumped would take up an entire day.

And how could they possibly build a castle wall large enough to accommodate all those people?

However, two days after joining the men sent by Roden’s father and leaving Obilos City, Shan slowly began to think that the boast might actually be true.

This was because the number of people traveling back and forth between the capital and nearby cities or villages was astronomically vast.

Perhaps due to such high population density, even the monsters that were so common throughout Pendia could hardly be seen around the capital.

All one could see was an occasional goblin stealing crops, screaming while getting beaten with a farmer’s pitchfork.

By the time they finally arrived at the capital, Shan had to admit he had been wrong.

Roden had not lied.

“Woah…”

He now understood what Roden had meant when he said Obilos City was merely one of the small satellite cities.

The city spreading beneath the hill where they stood was dauntingly vast and complex.

The stone castle walls, which were usually only four or five meters tall at most, easily exceeded ten meters in height at a rough glance, and their breadth stretched beyond the horizon.

The river cutting across the city was also tens of meters wide.

Naturally, with so many people coming and going, there was hardly any inspection at the castle gates.

Dismounting from his horse and pulling the reins, Roden spoke in a playful tone.

“Welcome to Hasra.”

“Roden, you were born and raised here, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Amazing…”

It was hard to believe that while he had been struggling to get by in a small village of just over a hundred people, someone else had been born and raised in such a grand city.

Rather than jealousy or anything like that, it was simply fascinating that fellow humans could live in such completely different worlds.

Of course, not everyone in the capital lived well.

Among the people wandering the main avenues, quite a few were shabbily dressed, and peering into the alleys between large buildings revealed no small number of beggars draped in rags.

Shan frowned upon realizing that a significant portion of them were Altoans.

As he had felt back in Obilos City, among the rare people seen on the streets wearing clean, wealthy clothing, not a single one was an Altoan.

Realizing that fact brought a sense of discomfort, as if a thorn were stuck in his throat.

“Alright, we’re here.”

“So it’s here.”

Roden’s home was located about thirty minutes away from the castle gate.

In the city, residential areas were separated by class and profession, and fitting for the house of the capital’s merchant guild master, his mansion was the largest and most splendid even within the merchants’ residential district.

Thanks to the attendants who had brought Roden and Shan sending word ahead of time, the mansion’s main gate stood open to welcome them.

“Welcome home, Young Master.”

“Ah, Tata…”

The person welcoming Roden with a stoic face was a skinny man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

For some reason, Roden formed an awkward smile as if he found the man uncomfortable to deal with, then abruptly bowed his head and apologized.

“I’m sorry. At the time, I had no other choice…”

“How could a mere servant dare to accept an apology? The Master is waiting. Please bathe and change your clothes first.”

Judging by his frigid tone, the man named Tata had no intention of accepting the apology whatsoever.

And he practically treated Shan, standing right beside him, as if he did not exist at all.

As he bowed slightly, maids guided the two into the mansion.

Striding forward, Shan asked in a low voice.

“Roden, who was that person back there?”

“Tata? He’s the butler and adjutant… basically my father’s right-hand man.”

“You two didn’t seem to get along very well.”

“It’s not really that we don’t get along, um. I just made a mistake.”

As Roden confessed, the equipment and funds he had taken when running away from home had come from lying to Tata.

Considering that the money had come from Roden’s father, Callion, Tata had essentially been tricked by Roden into leaking his master’s assets.

Only then could Shan also understand why such a cold wind blew between the two.

“So that was it. If he hated Roden for no reason, I was going to give him a reason.”

As Shan said so and lightly tapped the hilt of the sword at his waist, Roden asked with a terrified expression.

“That’s a joke, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t do that, it sounded so real it was scary.”

Even while chatting casually, Shan’s green eyes were continuously scanning his surroundings.

Tapestries hanging on the walls, hundreds of glass windows covered with gorgeous drapes, plush carpets laid out on the floor…

Roden’s mansion was truly a place that seemed to embody the word luxury itself.

Though Shan had already learned a bit about luxury while staying at Poave’s mansion, he could not help but be wide-eyed in a place like this.

It seemed it was no lie when Roden had said they were wealthier than most nobles.

Moments later, when they arrived in front of the bathhouse, the maids separated Shan from Roden.

“Now, young master, this way.”

“Uh.”

“Stay still. We’ll wash you up real nice.”

“See you later.”

Judging by Roden’s nonchalant response, it seemed high-ranking people normally did things this way.

Even at Poave’s mansion, he had washed his own body by himself.

Dragged into the bathhouse, Shan ended up having his sword and clothes taken away without being able to resist at all.

Had an opponent attempted such a thing sullenly or with malice, he would have instantly beaten them to a pulp or sliced them down.

But against women smiling brightly while telling him he had to strip to wash, it was difficult to do so.

Yet for some reason, the maidens’ brightly smiling faces gradually darkened as Shan’s naked body was revealed.

A few of them even covered their mouths with both hands, tears welling up in their eyes.

“This is… too terrible…”

“How on earth could someone do this!”

Were the scars remaining on his body that disgusting?

Shan thought that, just as Roden had mentioned in the past, he should ask an eminent priest to erase the scars if he got the chance.

Of course, since it would cost an immense amount of money, he would have to become far wealthier than he was now.

Though he did not know why, the maids’ touch was exceptionally gentle.

Was it because they disliked touching dirty scars?

Shan paid more attention to the fragrant soap used to wash his body.

He liked that it emitted a fresh scent even after being washed off with water, and it was fascinating to smell a sweet aroma coming from his own body for the first time.

After finishing his bath, he put on clothes made of a soft material he had never seen before in his life.

As he unconsciously squirmed because the soft, comfortable sensation wrapping around his body felt somewhat alien, Roden appeared, neatly washed and wearing similar clothes.

Seeing Shan, Roden burst into a dry laugh.

“Dressed like this, you look like a greenhorn who grew up without ever knowing hardship.”

“Do I look like that?”

“Yeah. Well, not that Father is the kind of person to be fooled by appearances like this. Let’s go now. We shouldn’t keep an elderly man waiting for long.”

Having perhaps been waiting for them to finish bathing, the butler Tata returned and guided them into a large reception room.

There, an elderly man with hair turned white was busily writing something on paper with a quill.

Sensing the presence of the two, he set down his quill and looked at Shan and Roden.

“You have arrived.”

The first impression of Callion Weavers, the merchant guild master of the Pendia Kingdom, was quite different from what Shan had imagined.

Inwardly, he had expected a thick-bellied, round, and easygoing appearance like Mr. Poave, but with fierce eyes, a strong jawline, and distinct facial features, Callion looked exceedingly tough and rugged.

He felt closer to a retired old knight than a wealthy merchant.

So to speak, he had an appearance that closely resembled his son, Roden.

Although in this case, it would be more accurate to say Roden resembled Callion.

“I’m back, Father.”

“Is that all you have to say after running away from home and returning?”

“Um, I’m sorry. I’ll make up for the money I spent later.”

“You should have said that first.”

For some reason, the moment Callion heard those words, his tension seemed to soften as a pleased expression appeared on his face.

As if his child running away was less of a problem than stealing his money when running away.

Soon, his gaze turned to Shan.

“You must be the child Roden mentioned in his letter. I hear you hunted a troll?”

“Not alone. I caught it by joining forces with Sir Katra.”

At Shan’s answer, Callion wore a blank expression for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.

“What an amusing kid! Usually at your age, instead of feeling bitter about not hunting a troll alone, it would be normal to brag about it.”

“If I could handle Fighting Spirit, I could have caught it alone.”

“Is that so?”

Giving a meaningful reply, Callion scribbled something on the paper placed on the desk once more.

After a short moment, he raised his head and asked.

“So, what are your future plans?”

“Pardon?”

“Surely you didn’t come here expecting me to take care of everything for you.”

“Ah, of course not…”

Not expecting his father to express willingness to cooperate so readily, Roden wore a stunned expression for a moment before promptly rattling off the plans he had drawn up.

“First, what’s needed most is education. As I mentioned earlier, Shan doesn’t even know how to handle Fighting Spirit yet. He also needs to learn etiquette and other basic knowledge.”

“As for Fighting Spirit, it would be even stranger for someone at his age to manage it.”

“He’ll stay here and build his body properly, and in the meantime, I’d like to get help from Master.”

“Sir Darkal?”

“Yes.”

Sir Darkal was Roden’s former teacher, a veteran knight who had retired over ten years ago.

Meaning he was someone who had spent decades in battle, accumulating countless experiences.

He was truly the ideal person to guide a young knight apprentice.

“However, as far as I recall, he was a member of the Old Faith believers.”

“That’s only because of his family; he doesn’t hold any particular bias against Altoans. Naturally, I know best since I was his disciple.”

“Hmm, if that is the case then.”

Having answered as such, Callion turned his gaze toward Shan.

“What are your thoughts?”

“Huh?”

“Since this is deciding your future treatment, your opinion cannot be ignored. Surely you have thoughts of your own.”

At Callion’s unexpected question, Shan scratched his temple with his thumb before replying.

“I know nothing about this sort of thing. I think doing as Roden said would be fine.”

“I understand you met my son not long ago; isn’t your trust in him a bit excessive?”

“Because Roden promised to help me become the strongest knight. I trust Roden.”

At the innocent reply, Callion stared at Shan with a heavy gaze.

Was it simply the blind trust typical of an ignorant child? Or was it the foolishness of relying on another because thinking was too troublesome?

Yet to see it that way, the letter received from Poave nagged at his mind.

For it had clearly stated that Shan did not merely follow Roden blindly, but properly voiced his own opinions.

A foolish child who truly regarded Roden as a guardian and entrusted everything to him could never do that.

‘Does it mean that while he has a mind of his own, he possesses enough trust to completely hand over matters in fields he isn’t familiar with?’

If so, it was truly the best possible outcome.

For if he had a spineless temperament in the first place, he would eventually be swayed by others and crumble, and if trust were lacking, they would part ways someday.

If that happened, there would be no point in sponsoring him from a young age.

The intuition of a veteran merchant who had lived through decades told him.

The kid standing before his eyes right now was truly an opportunity like no other.

*

After a conversation lasting roughly ten-odd minutes, Callion Weavers promised to sponsor Shan so he could become a knight.

However, that did not mean unlimited support.

Naturally, a well-fed cat did not hunt.

Callion’s support was strictly limited to food, clothing, shelter, maintaining minimal dignity, and the expenses required to train as a knight.

Of course, even that was more than enough to melt soft the heart of an Altoan boy who had lived in poverty all his life.

Every single day, food harmoniously weaving together sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors alongside fragrant beverages dizzyingly teased his tongue and mouth.

High-class attire made of soft fabrics, plush beds, warm bathwater, and attending maids put his body at complete ease.

A few of the servants and maids gave Shan displeased looked, perhaps because they belonged to the Old Faith believers, but since they did not pick fights or harass him openly, he could ignore them.

Given luxurious food and lodging he had never enjoyed, nor even imagined, in his entire life, Shan felt as though he had stepped into a completely different world.

Perhaps the Goddess’s hall, where those who died after living righteously went, was a place like this.

Unlike Shan, who leisurely enjoyed all sorts of luxuries, Roden looked quite busy and exhausted.

Though Shan did not know the details, Roden carried paper and pen continuously to write things down, seemingly occupied with complex and difficult tasks.

After spending a week that felt as if he were floating among the clouds, Shan sought out Roden, who was still hard at work.

“Is it really okay for me to keep staying like this?”

“Is something bothering you?”

“No, I just thought I ought to be doing that training or something. Lazily playing around like this makes me anxious.”

Shan had felt a sensation like this in the past as well.

Back when he first left the village, using a cabin as his base to run around the forests and fields.

Though every day was enjoyable, there was no change… a feeling of walking in place without improving even a single thing compared to now.

He had followed Roden specifically because he disliked that, so soaking in pleasure like this here would make things no different.

Seeing Shan like that, Roden tightly clenched his fist inwardly.

‘As expected…’

In truth, throwing Shan defenselessly into comfort had been Callion’s test.

The reason being that if his drive was so rotten that he turned into a well-fed pig at this level, no amount of talent would be of any use.

Yet just as Roden had expected, Shan did not abandon his ambition even while soaked in all kinds of comfortable novelties.

That fact was immensely gratifying, yet also somewhat tragic.

Because once proper training began soon, pain so great that it would erase even his current joy would descend upon him.

“Don’t worry and just enjoy it. In any case, proper training will begin after the person who will be your master arrives.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Roden taught me instead.”

At the dialogue they had already shared several times, Roden smiled bitterly.

“It doesn’t work like that. Training has to be learned systematically from a proper person so problems don’t arise… If you’re bored of just playing at home, why not go sightseeing around the capital?”

“Weren’t you busy?”

“I can easily spare a short moment.”

In truth, the reason Shan had not gone outside was that Roden had continuously appeared busy.

Wandering around alone where strangers were made him needlessly anxious, and he was also fearful of getting lost because the capital was so large and complex.

A short while later, leaving the mansion, Shan and Roden first headed north along the main road.

It was to see what Shan had answered when asked what he wanted to see most once they reached the capital.

“Uh, Roden! That tall building over there is the royal palace, right? The place where the king lives!”

“It’s His Majesty the King. More importantly, don’t point fingers recklessly. You’ll get dragged away if you’re careless.”

“Oops.”

At Roden’s warning, Shan hastily folded his finger back and looked around.

Fortunately, no one was looking at them closely.

“It’s strange to get dragged away just for pointing at a building, not even a person.”

“That’s just how a class society works, so it can’t be helped… Ah, over there. We’ve arrived.”

Looking at where Roden pointed, Shan let out an exclamation once more.

Standing there was a building that looked truly unrealistic.

A tower glowing translucently as if carved out of amethyst.

This building was the headquarters of the Pendia Magic Academy.

“So this is the place where you can see mages…”

“That’s right. If you see people who look like they do nothing but study, you can assume they’re mages. Ah, there goes one.”

Following Roden’s gaze, he saw a middle-aged man with his neck jutting forward and a bent back.

He wore spectacles made of amethyst on his face, and whether due to fatigue, shadows hung dark beneath his eyes.

Around the Magic Academy, several such people were wandering about.

Shan wore a somewhat disappointed expression as he watched them.

“It’s a bit different from what I thought…”

“What were you thinking?”

“Conical hats, robes, and staves.”

Weren’t mages in old stories usually dressed in such attire?

Beings that cackled as they cast evil magic, only to be sliced by valiant knights’ swords, screaming as they fell into cauldrons to be boiled.

Yet the mages seen here held no such mysterious or evil aura whatsoever.

They merely appeared half-crazed from endlessly agonizing and agonizing over something.

“He looks similar to Roden, who’s been busy with work lately.”

“Comparing me to a mage is quite a grand insult… Well, anyway, let’s head inside.”

“Can you enter even if you’re not a mage?”

“The first floor receives guests, so it’s fine. You have to be a mage to go upstairs, though.”

Surprisingly, as the two approached, the main gate of the Magic Academy opened on its own without anyone opening it for them.

Shan stared at it as if spellbound, only to realize that nobody else found this wondrous.

Apparently, such things were hardly surprising in a place like this.

“The door opened by itself.”

“Must be magic. Honestly, they just waste Mana Stones recklessly.”

Roden clicked his tongue, muttering that having a person open a door was far cheaper than casting magic to make it open itself.

As the son of a merchant, he found such meaningless waste utterly unbearable.

Stepping through the open door, Shan immediately turned his head to scan the surroundings.

The interior did not look particularly special, aside from being stone on all sides and furnished with high-end furniture.

No, there was one special thing.

“Everyone here looks rich.”

“They block poor-looking people at the entrance. They let us in because our attire looks like this at a glance.”

Certainly, both Roden and Shan were currently dressed in luxury clothing, making them look wealthy.

And Roden actually was rich.

Just as they were about to check out the enchanted items sold on the first floor, people could be seen descending from the second floor alongside boisterous voices.

Roden also frowned, seemingly unaware of the cause.

“What’s going on?”

Judging by the lack of anger in the approaching voices, it did not seem to be a bad sort of commotion.

As he watched quietly, before long, the people coming down passed right beside them.

Several individuals who looked like mages at a glance, four well-armed knights, and a young girl escorted by them.

The reddish-brown eyes of the girl with draped dark blue hair locked eyes squarely with Shan.