The World's Strongest Wizard Becomes Manaless Page 5

  “We’re in the clear now.” Wilson signaled to Isabelle and Zephyr who were hiding in the blanket.

  They immediately got up.

  “Wow, it was that easy?”, Zephyr commented.

  “They don’t inspect our group’s goods anymore since we’re under the Duke.” Wilson responded.

  “I guess using his name has some benefits to it as well, huh?”, Zephyr said while laughing. Wilson found this funny and laughed as well.

  “Come to our shop first before you guys part with us! It’s our turn to treat you as guests!”, Wilson suggested. Everyone heard this suggestion, even the people from the other carriages. They all supported Wilson’s suggestion. They felt like they owed Isabelle and Zephyr for taking care of them during their journey.

  Isabelle and Zephyr looked at each other and let out a small laugh.

  “Why not? Let’s go!”, Zephyr excitedly replied.

  “Alright! Everyone, prepare for a feast tonight!”, Wilson shouted to the other carriages.

  Everyone cheered. They were all excited that they would have another party and that they would have the chance to thank Isabelle and Zephyr’s hospitality.

  That night, the people from the Bellridge Trading Company had a huge feast. Music was playing everywhere, and plenty of food and drinks were being served all around.

  Isabelle and Zephyr made the most out of the celebration and went wild. Both Isabelle and Irene couldn’t hold their liquor, so they retreated early. Zephyr and everyone else in the Bellridge group continued drinking throughout the night.

  * * *

  “Are you sure it’s them?”, a nobleman sitting in his study asked a man who was kneeling in front of him. The man was one of the people who helped rescue the Bellridge group after the incident with the bandits.

  “I’m sure. I confirmed it myself. There is no doubt that that man is the one known as the Grand Wizard.”, the man responded.

  The nobleman let out a chuckle.

  “To think that he would come to me. I was already preparing to pay him a visit. He saved me quite the hassle.”, the nobleman said. He took a sip from the wine glass he was holding.

  “I guess slaves really do come back to their owner. Don’t you agree? I guess I have to make preparations.”, the nobleman had a smug smile on his face as he asked the man.

  The man nodded in agreement.

  “It’s a waste that they’re leaving right away. We should greet them.”, the nobleman said with a chuckle.

  “Yes, Duke Seymour.”

  Chapter Five

  In a dungeon far away from Stalta;

  A pair of adventurers was having a picnic outside the boss room.

  “M-my Lady… Is it really okay for us to be eating in the middle of a dungeon?”, a tall man who looked like a scholar asked his companion, who was silently munching on some pastries.

  His companion was a beautiful, petite woman. She had snow white hair and ruby eyes. While she was eating, she looked like a refined noble. The woman nodded at the man, as if responding to his question.

  “Even as an A-grade magician, I still get nervous doing dangerous stuff like this… How could you be so calm…”, the man shook his head and sighed in disbelief. Suddenly, the woman put down the pastry that she was eating.

  “Brook. Danger.”, the woman told the scholar, as if to warn him.

  Moments later, the door to the boss room burst open. A large three-headed monster came out of the room. The monster swept its tail towards the adventurers, which was so strong that it created a cloud of dust.

  Behind the monster, a silhouette of a woman carrying something that resembled a man’s body could be seen behind the dust cloud. “I told you it was dangerous!”, Brook shouted while flailing his arms. He was being carried by the petite woman over her shoulder.

  The woman ignored his complaints. She looked at the monster who suddenly burst out of the room. “What monster is that?,” she asked Brook as she put him down on the ground.

  Brook looked at the monster and quickly examined it.

  “It’s a chimera.”, he hastily responded.

  “Is it strong?”, the woman continued asking.

  “Yes. Very. For us A-grade adventurers at least…,” he said as he let out a sigh.

  The woman smiled. The calm and serene face she had earlier changed. She looked as if she was excited to fight the monster. It was as if she became a completely different person.

  She drew the saber which was attached to the belt hanging around her waist. The saber looked extremely fragile. Despite the dungeon being dark, the saber was emitting a light as if it were a reflection on its blade.

  The monster turned around to face them. It opened its mouth and started spewing flames towards the two adventurers.

  Brook pulled out a staff and was about to cast a spell, but the woman raised her hand, as if to signal that it wasn’t necessary.

  As the flames started approaching them, the woman disappeared.

  The flames that were approaching them were blown away by a gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, the woman appeared behind the chimera. As she sheathed her saber, a strong gust of wind blew towards her. The chimera behind her was cleanly cut into multiple pieces.

  Brook stared at the scene that unfolded before his eyes and sighed.

  “I could never get used to this…”, he shook his head and smiled.

  The woman calmly walked towards him. A hint of disappointment painted on her face.

  “You said it was strong…”, the woman complained.

  “You’re just too strong, My Lady…”, Brook scratched his head.

  The woman ignored him and took out some pastries from a pouch hanging on her belt and started munching on them. Brook sighed. Even if she didn’t look the part, the woman in front of him was one of the world’s strongest adventurers.

  With an A-grade dexterity, her maneuverability was outstanding, and paired with her ultimate weapon, her S-grade agility, no one in Osbard could hope to match her speed. She was known as the Blade Princess, Aria Kingsley.

  “By the way, My Lady. A noble asked us for assistance.” Brook told Aria.

  “Don’t want to,” she immediately responded. She looked uninterested.

  “Apparently, you’ll be able to fight with someone strong there.” Brook continued.

  Aria’s face suddenly turned from an uninterested face, into one filled with excitement. “Where? And who asked for our help?,” she asked.

  “It’s a kingdom in the north. The Kingdom of Stalta.” Brook said.

  “Then I’ll go check it out now.”, Aria was clearly excited. She really wanted to be able to battle someone strong.

  “Wait! We don’t have a carriage prepared yet!”, Brook said.

  “I’ll run.,” she responded.

  “W-wait! What about me?”, Brook tried to ask Aria, but before he could finish saying that, Aria had already disappeared. Brook couldn’t help but sigh. “That troublesome girl…”

  * * *

  Early morning after the Bellridge Trading Company held a feast, Isabelle and Zephyr started preparing for their journey. “I really hope that you guys would stay a bit longer…”, Irene said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

  Zephyr gave her a pat on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll meet again!”, he assured her.

  “There’s nothing we could give you that’d be useful to you… but atleast take this.” Wilson also joined in the conversation. He also seemed a bit sad. He handed over a golden medal that had the logo of the Bellridge Trading Company engraved on it.

  “Whenever you need something, show this to any of our shops. You can find us in almost every kingdom,” he said. Zephyr happily accepted the gift and thanked him. “And also, one of our men volunteered to bring you to Lochwood. The carriage is waiting outside.” Wilson added.

  “We could never thank you enough.” Isabelle said as she bowed towards them.

  “No, no… it’s us who should be thankful.” Wilson said happily
.

  As Isabelle and Zephyr rode the carriage that Wilson prepared, they bid farewell towards Irene and Wilson. As the carriage went on its way, Zephyr looked back and thought that when he had the time, he should definitely go visit them again.

  “It’s the first time I’ve had so much fun.” Zephyr laughed.

  “I know.” Isabelle couldn’t help but smile.

  * * *

  As they rode the carriage, they noticed how different Stalta had become.

  When he was in Stalta before, there were only small stalls In the busiest areas of the kingdom. Now, there were tall buildings everywhere. The stalls had become proper stores. Zephyr couldn’t help but be amazed at how different everything had become. As he was busy admiring his surroundings, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.

  “Halt!”, a loud voice came from in front of the carriage. Guards had surrounded the carriage.

  “Grand Wizard Zephyr! The King wants to meet you.”, the guard who stopped the carriage exclaimed. Zephyr sighed. He hoped that things wouldn’t become too complicated.

  “Give me my equipment. You should go ahead. I’ll meet you at Lochwood.” Zephyr told Isabelle.

  “B-but!”, Isabelle didn’t want to agree, but she was immediately interrupted by Zephyr.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m one of the strongest people around.” Zephyr smiled at her, but she could clearly see that he was just faking it in order to appease her. She wanted to change his mind, but she could feel his anger. He was already prepared to face whatever awaited him.

  “Okay.”, Isabelle nodded.

  “When I get out, leave after a while. Don’t let the coachman notice.” Zephyr whispered to her.

  “Why?”, Isabelle asked curiously.

  “I think he intentionally led us here.” Zephyr answered her. Isabelle nodded to tell him that she understood.

  “I’ll see you soon.” Zephyr smiled at Isabelle as he went out of the carriage.

  As he exited the carriage, the onlookers started cheering as if they saw a celebrity. The guards held the people back. The guard in front of the carriage approached him. “I am the head of the Imperial Guards, Rodrick Gallodel. It is my honor to meet you, Sir Zephyr.”, the guard introduced himself and bowed.

  Zephyr didn’t seem to sense any hostility from the guards, so he calmed down a bit.

  “No need for formalities, lead the way.” Zephyr courteously smiled at the guard.

  “Understood!”, Rodrick signaled all the guards to follow him. They started making their way towards the castle. Before Zephyr followed them, he left a message to the coachman.

  “You guys go ahead, I’ll make my way towards Lochwood on my own.” Zephyr told the coachman.

  The coachman nodded, but he felt something was wrong.

  He suddenly felt afraid. He was confused as to why he felt that way, but when he looked at Zephyr, he immediately realized why. Zephyr already knew that he was the one who reported his presence. “Y-yes, sir!”, the coachman agreed. As Zephyr followed the guards, the carriage immediately made its way towards Lochwood.

  As soon as the carriage had left Stalta, the coachman stopped the carriage. A small group of bandits that were hiding by the trees came out and approached them. “She’s inside.”, the coachman told the bandits.

  The bandits brought out their weapons and forcefully opened the carriage.

  “W-what?”, the bandits were surprised.

  “What’s wrong?”, the coachman asked the bandits.

  “No one’s inside!”, the bandits angrily exclaimed.

  The coachman had a look of disbelief. He checked the inside of the carriage, and sure enough, it was empty. “This is all your fault! Because of you, the Duke’s gonna kill us!”, the bandits angrily shouted at the coachman.

  From afar, standing above the walls of the gates of Stalta, Isabelle watched over them as the bandit’s group and the coachman started fighting each other. “How could I leave you alone in this situation you big idiot…”, Isabelle mumbled to herself as she went back inside the town.

  * * *

  “It’s an honor to meet you again, Grand Wizard.”

  The King’s voice echoed throughout the throne room. In front of him, several court officials knelt down, including Zephyr himself. “No, it is my honor, Your Highness.” Zephyr responded.

  The King let out a hearty laugh. The King had no ill intention towards Zephyr. In fact, he felt like he owed Zephyr. When Zephyr visited Stalta to ask for forgiveness for the damage he caused when he was a child, he donated a lot of money to the kingdom, which was a huge help in its flourishing.

  “No need to be so formal.”, the King raised his hand. The people who were kneeling stood up.

  “It’s been so long since you’ve visited. I am still grateful for what you did a few years ago,” the King happily told Zephyr. Zephyr smiled and bowed.

  “Anyways, I hope you weren’t in a rush? The way I summoned you was quite abrupt.”, the King worriedly asked. He genuinely didn’t want to cause trouble for Zephyr. After all, he was capable of destroying the entire kingdom if he felt like it.

  “No, Your Highness. I just wanted to travel.” Zephyr politely responded.

  “Oh? Where are you headed?”, the King curiously asked.

  “To Lochwood, Your Highness. I wanted to visit the Magic Academy.” Zephyr replied.

  “The Magic Academy? Did something happen?”, the King’s curiosity was piqued.

  Zephyr knew the king was not a bad person, but he didn’t trust the other officials who were in the room. “Your Highness, this matter… I can not discuss publicly.”, he politely said.

  The King nodded his head. “No matter,” he waved his hand as if to tell Zephyr that the subject has changed. The King signaled to one of the officials in the room. “Tonight, we shall hold a banquet! We shall celebrate the Grand Wizard’s visit!”, the King exclaimed.

  The official bowed towards the King and hurriedly went out to prepare.

  The King looked like he was in a happy mood. He began chatting with Zephyr.

  “By the way, have you seen the changes to Stalta? We owe much of the flourishing economy of this kingdom to you.” the King happily told Zephyr. “If you ever come into trouble, don’t hesitate to come to me,” the King added as he smiled at Zephyr.

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” Zephyr bowed.

  “Oh, someone wanted to meet you as well.” the King suddenly remembered something.

  “He was the one who notified me of your arrival.” the King added.

  “Oh? Who is it, Your Highness?”, Zephyr asked out of respect, but he already knew who it was.

  “It’s Duke Seymour.”, the King smiled at Zephyr. The King didn’t know about the situation between Zephyr and Duke Seymour. “Unfortunately, he had matters to attend to, so he could not greet you here with us. But he will be there during tonight’s feast.”, the King smiled.

  “I will be sure to greet him, Your Highness.” Zephyr bowed deeper in order to hide his face. He was sure he had a look of anger on his face, but the anger wasn’t directed towards the King. It was towards Duke Seymour.

  “Well then, let us prepare for the feast!”, the King clapped his hands.

  A group of maidservants went inside the room and gestured for Zephyr to follow them.

  Zephyr thanked the King and bid his farewell. He then followed the maidservants.

  The King whispered to one of his officials.

  “I didn’t make him angry, right? He won’t destroy the Kingdom, right?” he worriedly asked the official.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t think we offended him, Your Highness.”, the official responded.

  The King let out a sigh of relief.

  * * *

  During the evening, nobles entered the palace after receiving news of the banquet.

  Zephyr was dressed up in formal clothing.

  “Those clothes suit you.” the King complimented Zephyr’s appearance.

  “Thank you, Your H
ighness. Your maid servants treated me very well.” Zephyr politely responded with a smile.

  The King laughed.

  “I shall reward them later.” the King happily told Zephyr.

  “You should greet all these people. They brought you gifts.” the King added and gestured towards all the people who attended the banquet.

  Zephyr bowed to the King and went to meet the nobles. As he met the nobles, he could feel the nobles being cautious around him, but as soon as they start a conversation, Zephyr tried to lift up the mood. It seemed to work,as the more the conversation went on, the less cautious the nobles became. Zephyr thought that losing his mana has surely helped him become more sociable, as people became less scared of him.

  The night went on. An endless amount of people approached Zephyr to exchange formalities and give him gifts. “When you said you’ll meet us soon, I didn’t expect it to be this soon.” a familiar voice came from behind Zephyr.

  Zephyr immediately recognized who it was. It was Wilson.

  “Sir Wilson! You look good in that attire!”, Zephyr happily told him.

  “How about me?”, another familiar voice came from behind Wilson. She moved forward and greeted Zephyr.

  “You look stunning, Miss Irene.” Zephyr told her.

  Irene couldn’t defend against Zephyr’s compliment and started blushing.

  “Y-you sure have a way with words, Sir Zephyr…”, Irene tried to laugh it off, but she was clearly flustered. They exchanged formalities as well. Wilson also offered a gift to Zephyr, which he happily accepted. Unlike the other people who exchanged greetings with him, Zephyr stuck with Wilson and started talking with him. He wanted to take a rest before continuing to greet other people.

  “By the way, your hunch was right…”, Wilson sighed as he told Zephyr.

  “Hunch? What hunch?”, Zephyr asked him.

  Wilson moved closer to whisper to Zephyr. “About Duke Seymour.”, he quietly said.