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chapter 48
Cliché.
A term used for stale expressions or overused scenes.
In fantasy, it usually means there’s always a thief. In martial arts stories, it might be “beware of women, children, and the elderly.”
Lawrence was experiencing such a cliché firsthand.
A thief appeared at their campsite.
Could this be a classic cliché?
He thought as he watched the randomly appearing thieves brandishing their weapons and threatening them.
The mages alternated between looking at the suddenly appearing thieves and the Tower Master.
“Hmm, visitors at night. Seems we’re getting close to Oberon after all.”
“What should we do? Kill them all?”
“Don’t. They’re pitiful humans in their own way.”
The Tower Master chuckled with his hands behind his back.
Only now did the thieves get a good look at him.
He exuded a terrifying aura, as if he could snap an ordinary human in half with his bare hands.
“D-don’t move! G-give us everything you’ve got!”
“Seems like these aren’t ordinary thieves after all.”
“There’s a saying about Oberon. Those who appear at night are addicted to gambling.”
If you encounter someone wandering outside the city, run away.
They’re the kind who would even sell human organs for gambling money.
“Y-yeah! So hurry up and give us everything and scram!”
“Tower Master, seniors, I’ll handle this. You go get some rest.”
While everyone was debating what to do, Lawrence stepped forward.
By then, he was already holding a huge chunk of meat.
The thieves looked at him in disbelief.
“You… you dare underestimate us…?”
“Now, thieves. Take it and leave quickly. And give me everything you’ve got.”
Lawrence spoke with a dazzling smile.
To him, all the items the thieves were carrying looked like valuable materials.
[Worn Belt]
[Manifestation: Poison]
[Tattered Shoes]
[Manifestation: Haste]
[…]
If he collected everything they had… he’d be well-stocked for a while.
“Don’t run.”
“You’ll have to cough up all the materials you have from now on.”
There was madness in his eyes as Lawrence grinned and charged at the thieves.
“Tower Master, the youngest… are you sure this is okay?”
“Hmm…”
The senior mages looked slightly shocked.
Even the Tower Master remembered: Lawrence Montemer, before heading north, was always reported to have broken things in his residence.
The rumor that he was insane spread far and wide.
Iron shrugged, scratching his head.
“I’m beginning to think we’re raising a monster.”
“Even you, Tower Master, think so?”
Crash—!
Lawrence unleashed Haste and Strength spells, mercilessly attacking the thieves.
His movements incorporated Leila’s swordsmanship, the Northern soldiers’ maneuvers, and the techniques of the Iron Mages.
He was already capable of using them in actual combat…?
Duncan and the Tower Master watched in secret admiration as Lawrence ran wild.
“Ahhh!”
“S-spare me!”
“You’re a mage! You’re a mage—!”
The thieves panicked, running in all directions.
Lawrence tilted his head as if he’d noticed something from their cries.
[Iron Wall]
[Remaining Capacity: 11/12]
Clang—!
A second-circle steel spell that blocked attacks and sealed escape routes.
The sudden steel wall cut off all of the thieves’ paths.
“Freeze.”
“Eeeek—!?”
“Who sent you?”
“….”
Lawrence approached holding the massive chunk of meat, looking both bizarre and grotesque.
The thieves could do nothing but tremble.
By now, Lawrence radiated the aura of a dragon.
At the same time, far away, out of even the Tower Master’s sight, someone was observing the scene.
He watched Lawrence and clicked his tongue.
“Not bad. A Battle Mage. Yep… I’m glad I took this request.”
Crunch—.
Ades casually ate fruit while observing.
The seemingly random appearance of the thieves wasn’t a broken cliché.
It was Ades, who had arrived in advance, orchestrating it.
Oberon, a city of pleasure.
That meant many people there were drowning in vice.
Gambling was exactly that.
Once trapped, it was like an antlion pit you could never escape.
‘I didn’t expect them to go this far just because I threw some money at them…’
He hadn’t done much.
He approached those needing funds, planting rumors and conditions.
What would be the best conditions for them?
“Gotta hit the jackpot, right? You’ll need money for that, won’t you?”
“I’ll help you. Soon, some mages will arrive. Just check their skill discreetly. Then I’ll provide you some gambling money.”
It was simply gambling money.
Ades’ instructions sounded harmless: provoke and observe.
For those who had nothing left to lose due to gambling debts, it seemed ridiculously easy.
‘If I face them head-on, I might be in trouble.’
Ades thought so.
It wasn’t the magical power that was concerning.
Magic manifested at the level of Shadowless.
Magic that appears without any prelude is hard to counter, even for a top-class assassin like Ades.
“I’ll watch a bit longer and then isolate them thoroughly.”
Pity, isn’t it?
What would it feel like to have your own family contract an assassin?
Ades shook his head, then disappeared into the darkness.
‘There’s one more person I need to check on.’
Busy, busy.
This was why he shouldn’t have taken two requests at once.
Blending into the darkness, Ades vanished again, thinking it was fortunate to have arrived near Oberon first.
2
“S-spare me…”
“Who did this? I have no intention of becoming a murderer.”
“We… we don’t really know their identity. But… if we just check the mages’ skills, they’ll pay us…”
“Someone seems to be investigating us.”
An elder beside him assessed the situation.
Someone was targeting them.
Who exactly was unknown, but caution was warranted.
Duncan asked Lawrence.
“Youngest, do you have any leads?”
“Yes. I don’t want to, but there’s a clear suspect.”
“Hmm, then we can just interrogate them…”
“It’s a family matter. Those in the Tower probably won’t be able to intervene.”
Duncan nodded heavily at Lawrence’s careful phrasing.
This is why nobles…
Even though he himself was a noble, nothing remained of him now.
A prestigious family pushes even a young boy to survive harsh conditions.
‘Yeah, it’s a good opportunity. Anyone attempting to hunt undead could die anytime, anywhere.’
Lawrence stroked his chin in thought.
By now, he wanted to understand why someone wanted him dead.
Simply because he was a half-sibling?
That seemed too trivial.
If it were easy to just send him somewhere from which he’d never return, why would they bother killing him?
He decided it was worth confirming, so Lawrence sent the thieves away.
Of course, he confiscated all their belongings.
“T-thank you!”
“Let’s run! Quickly!”
“Should we finish them off?”
Duncan asked.
Lawrence nodded.
What would they gain by killing them?
Conversely, what would he lose by letting them live?
These were lowly lives, drowning in gambling debts.
People who would sell organs from corpses for money.
On the other hand, they could also face consequences.
Ultimately, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t harm Lawrence.
“What will you do with all this?”
“I have uses for everything.”
“Hmm… well, it’s your specialty, so I won’t stop you. Won’t it hinder the march?”
“Of course not. I’ll handle it neatly.”
Lawrence smiled lightly.
Duncan nodded, albeit reluctantly.
Meanwhile, Lawrence secretly grinned at the mountain of materials he’d collected.
This would keep him stocked for a while.
“All right, everyone, go get some rest. That’s enough training for now.”
“Understood.”
“Have a good night!”
They needed proper rest to continue running tomorrow.
All mages retreated to their tents.
Everyone except the sentries rested.
Lawrence also entered his tent and stored the extracts in the pocket dimension.
He even selected a few to craft into artifacts.
His day was slightly longer than everyone else’s.
3
The next day.
They finally completed a long journey and arrived at Oberon.
People from all over formed long lines to enter.
The Tower Master spoke smoothly with the guards and entered without waiting.
“Who are they, going in so quickly?”
“Shut up. They’re mages from the Tower.”
“Gasp…”
“Seeing mages and knights gathered yesterday and today… something must be happening?”
Whispers spread.
Mages from the Tower.
Cadets from the knight academy.
They could be considered semi-nobles.
Ordinary people had no such power.
They had no choice but to bow and behave.
Even the guards treated the Tower Master and mages with utmost respect.
“A decree has already been issued. Mages from the Tower are to be let in immediately. Beyond the plaza, go left, and you’ll reach the Oberon garrison. That will be your assembly point.”
“Thank you. Consider it a meal reward.”
The Tower Master acknowledged the guard’s effort and moved along.
Even the financially strained Iron Tower could afford such generosity.
The guard accepted the compliment with a bow.
Inside Oberon, a city reminiscent of medieval Las Vegas sprawled before them.
Before his previous life, he’d never come here… the view felt fresh.
The Iron Tower party moved toward their destination.
At that moment, a commotion arose near the entrance.
“Move aside!”
“Cadets approaching! Move aside!”
The knight cadets arrived perfectly on time.
Lawrence turned his head and muttered without realizing it.
“Wow! Look at this mess.”
A total disaster.
