Chapter 201.
"Father! You are currently visiting the palace as a representative of our tribe! Do you know what kind of commotion is going on down there right now?!”
Arpen’s son, Bendis, grabbed his head in agony. Certainly, considering the power of the magic that Arpen and I had let loose, there was no way there wouldn’t be a fuss.
"It-it’s only been 3 or 4 minutes at the most—”
When Arpen tried to make excuses, Bendis glared.
"If you wanted and went all out with your magic, the capital would be destroyed in a minute, not three! Don’t you know this?!"
With his son’s nagging, his previous look of vigour disappeared to be replaced with gloom as he lowered his head.
"Really, if we weren’t allies with the empire, this could have led to an all-out war with the empire!"
"But in the old days...,”
"It’s not the old days, is it?! We know that Father did a great job in defeating the Demon King! So there were times when the empire didn’t dare say anything regarding minor matters! But that was in the old days!"
Bendis’ words hit home making Arpen sullen.
"Didn’t Father always say not to treat you like an old man? But what are you doing right now? You are no different from an old man who cannot forget the past and has become arrogant!"
Wow, he wasn’t messing around! I had heard from Yuria that he had a very gentle and mild personality, but he was quite scary when angry.
"...Sorry."
When Arpen apologized, half about to cry, Bendis sighed and apologized.
"Hoo, I’m sorry. I think I got a little too worked up."
"No, it’s my fault. Um... Was there any friction?” Arpen queried gently.
Bendis shook his head. "The prime minister just made up a story saying that the nobles asked to see the power of the Butterfly Tribe and that Father was motivated to show them and took the initiative."
Inferring from Bendis’s words, the prime minister seemed to be showing that he was holding hands with the battle races and asked to display their strength as a warning to the nobles. I’ll have to send some medicine to help with the stomach to the prime minister later. Mrs. Arscilla will be worried again.
"Is that so... That’s a relief."
"With all three tribes brought into the capital, the empire would have taken into account that there would be some trouble," said Bendis.
I don’t think they would have thought of this much trouble.
Arpen nodded, then Bendis looked around.
"I heard from Yuria that you were teaching magic to her friend. Where is he?"
What do you mean where... Hey, take off your glasses!
Arpen’s telepathic words made me realize that I was wearing glasses that interfered with recognition.
After being labeled as a hero by the great temple, I put more effort into the recognition interfering magic and upgraded it, so he must have not recognized me. I thought about running away instead of taking off my glasses, but thought it’d be better than having to fight Arpen again, and chose to take them off.
"Nice to meet you. I’m Den, Yuria and Alphonso’s friend."
Bendis looked at me then at my glasses.
"The glasses, it’s a high-level artifact."
"Ahaha, it’s something made by my teacher."
That was a lie. I made it myself with glasses that I bought at the optician’s shop.
"Lies, you made it, didn’t you?"
Arpen looked at me with sulky eyes and grumbled.
"Father, no matter how you look at it, those glasses were made by someone at the madosa level. There’s no way that child could have made it."
Arpen looked frustrated, but he kept his mouth shut because of the trouble he had just stirred up.
The actual leader of the Butterfly Tribe seemed to be Bendis.
Bendis looked at me and asked me gently, "It seems your teacher is a madosa."
I nodded in reply. "Yes, he’s a little eccentric, but his abilities are very impressive."
Elder Mirpa was usually a free-spirited grandpa who swore a lot, but when it came to anything associated with magic, he became strict and eccentric. Of course, being strict and eccentric weren’t necessarily bad traits for a magician. Rather, it was almost recommended to have such a character.
"Ahahaha, certainly, high-level magicians tend to be a little eccentric." Bendis nodded with a gentle smile.
It was hard to imagine that he was the one who was so mad at Arpen until just now.
"But anyway, my father has troubled you. It must have been scary to have been dragged out here all of a sudden,” said Bendis.
Right then, Arpen opened his mouth with a face crying of injustice.
I smiled inwardly and gave the most innocent expression possible. "Yes, a little, but I think it’s a good experience for a magician. When could an inadequate magician like me ever have a chance to learn magic from a great madosa?"
Arpen looked like he was about to explode. It was as if he wanted to shout, “Who’s been the one battling with me up until just now?!"
"Hahaha, thank you for saying that," Bendis said.
With that, Arpen couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, "No! I’m sure he’s...!”
Arpen, who was about to protest, shut up at Bendis’s cold eyes. Inwardly, I yelled with delight as I moistened my eyes.
"Heuk, actually, I said I never had any intentions, but Sir kept telling me not to mess with Yuria.”
As the saying goes since ancient times, the first to cry wins. It was the first time I used this skill since I left my hometown, so it took a little time for tears to come out.
"Father."
When he saw my tears, Bendis frowned and looked at Arpen.
"No, no! I never said that!"
I nodded with a trembling voice at Arpen’s words.
"Yes... That... that’s right. If the great madosa-nim says so, it must be true.”
"Father!"
Bendis looked at Arpen as if he were a scoundrel and Arpen was appalled.
"No! I’m innocent! That devil!"
"Father, what are you saying to your grandchildren’s friends? You have to keep your dignity!"
Bendis sighed and apologized to me.
"I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can compensate you for the psychological damage you’ve suffered from this, but let me know if you want anything. I’ll listen to whatever request you have within the extent of my power."
Nice! Shall I ask him to teach me the Butterfly Tribe’s arcane magic?
"Bendis!"
Arpen looked at Bendis as if he were looking at someone trying to leave a fish shop to a cat.
But Bendis looked at Arpen with cold eyes. "And Father, I’m disappointed. No matter how much you care about your granddaughter, how can you interfere with her friendship?"
"No, that’s not it. That brat is hiding his skills! Can’t you see it? The vast mana he has!"
When Arpen pointed at me, Bendis looked at his father incomprehensibly.
"What are you talking about? It’s normal no matter how you look at it. It’s definitely on the higher end for not being from our tribe, but it’s not that much compared to the children from our village," said Bendis.
Arpen frowned. "You’re a madosa, but you can’t even detect his mana! Are you even a madosa?!" He was angry.
Bendis still looked incomprehensible.
"Oh, I can’t believe I was thinking of a blind man like this as my successor. What is the world coming to!”
Bendis looked at me when Arpen beat his chest in frustration. "Are you hiding your skills?"
I shook my head at Bendis.
"How could I? From what I just heard from Sir, ahjussi is a madosa. How could I possibly be good enough to avoid a madosa’s detection at my age?"
"That’s true. No matter how much of a genius you are, it’s a little...”
As Bendis hesitated, Arpen shouted, "I’m sure he’s lying about his age! He may look young on the outside, but he must be at least 70 years old!"
I’m barely over 40 years old even if you combine it with my age from my previous life, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course, I couldn’t say that I was 40 years old mentally due to the influence from my physical body since I was reincarnated.
"Try pulling on my face, if you think I have a cover on. If it is magic, there is no way that Sir would not know."
Arpen faltered as I stepped out confidently.
"Or do you know any magic for getting younger? As far as I know, even when you reach the madosa level, your aging merely slows down but does not grow younger."
For your information, growth and aging are different. If my growth phase also slowed, I would have looked like I was still 12 years old. In my case, aging will probably slow down from when my growing phase ends.
"What is your identity, then?! Just who are you to have the Witch of Pride’s...?!”
- All right. I’ll tell you, so let’s stop now.
When I cut him off with sound transmission magic, Arpen closed his mouth and answered with the same magic.
- That’s right. If you don’t want to get caught, at least let me know.
I sighed and put on my glasses, which had the recognition interfering magic.
"Let’s go down first. It looks like people are watching from below and wondering when we are going to come down.”
- I’ll tell you when we go down and are alone.
Arpen nodded obediently.
When Arpen and I went down at the same time, Bendis helplessly followed.
There were all sorts of people gathered below, so I thought that we shouldn’t go down there. I could roughly sense the presence of hundreds of those from the battle races.
- Let’s go to a place where we can be alone.
At my sound transmission magic, Arpen nodded and hid his mana with invisibility magic.
Like Arpen, I used invisibility magic to hide my mana and presence.
"Father?"
"Go on first. I have something I need to talk about with this brat! I’ll be back before the banquet."
Bendis was flustered by his father’s voice that sounded in the air but was not visible.
"Father!"
But Arpen and I ignored Bendis’s cry and flew out of the capital.
Flying to a moderately deserted place, Arpen and I landed on the ground and released the invisibility magic.
"Ok, so tell me now," Arpen said, casting a soundproofing magic around.
I couldn’t help but scratch my head and said, "First of all, I haven’t lied so far."
"What did you say?!”
I sighed as Arpen lifted his magic wand again. "Phew, I am not done talking yet. I know you love your grandchildren and are worried, but please calm down and put down your magic wand.”
"Khmm!"
Arpen seemed dissatisfied but withdrew his magic wand.
"Okay, now tell me your identity."
At Arpen’s urging, I scratched my head once again.
"Can you promise me one thing before that?"
"What?"
"Keep my identity absolutely a secret. With Arpen Fendria’s name, mana, and magic on the line."
Arpen looked angry at my request. To a magician, their name, mana, and magic were sacred.
"Oh, of course, you do not need to keep it a secret if it is going to cause you trouble. But I also have a reason to hide my identity."
Arpen agonized over my words and nodded. "Fine. But the moment I see that it could cause trouble for my grandchildren and my tribe, I will reveal everything."
"All right. If it’s like that, then I will also compromise.”
I took a deep breath and introduced myself.
"Let me introduce myself again. My name is Denburg Blade. The youngest son of the Crow Tribe’s chief."
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